Everything to Know About Going on a Disney Cruise featuring Sara and Jeff from @AdultsinDisney

Welcome to Undercover Tourist's first episode dedicated to all things Disney Cruise Line. Our host, Rachel, is joined by expert Disney Cruisers, Sara & Jeff from @AdultsinDisney to share everything you need to know about going on a Disney Cruise. From what makes a Disney Cruise so magical to tips for planning your first trip, we've got your covered for your first adventure at sea!
 
 Hop in to get all the scoop including:

·       Overview of Disney Cruise Line

·       What's New & Returning to Disney Cruise in 2024

·       Tips and Tricks for Planning Your 1st Disney Cruise

🐸  Let Us Help You Plan and Book Your Next Cruise ! 🐸 

·       Exclusive Savings on Disney Cruise Line provided by Undercover Tourist  

·      Overview of the Disney Cruise Line Fleet & Benefits 

·      Hop to our Blog for the latest in Disney Cruise Line Sailings 

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Chapters

• 3:40 Overview of Disney Cruise Line
• 28:40 What's New in 2024
• 36:58 Planning Your Trip & Best Tips

Transcript

Rachel (00:00:02):

Welcome to the Expert Disney Planning Tips podcast where we bring together Disney Pros to share our tips for making your vacation extra. Magical. Undercover Tourist is the trusted name in discount theme park tickets with over 20 years of experience under our frog belts. You can find us online@undercovertourist.com on top of saving you some green. We've also created comprehensive planning tools to make planning your next vacation as stress-free as possible, including the number one ranked crowd calendar, our comprehensive blog park plans, and so much more. Hello and welcome to the Expert Disney Planning Tips podcast. I'm your host Rachel with Undercover Tourists, and today I am so excited to be joined by my friends Jeff and Sarah, also known as adults in Disney. I'm so happy you guys could be here today. Thanks for joining.

Sarah (00:00:53):

Of course.

Jeff (00:00:54):

Yeah, thank you for having us.

Rachel (00:00:56):

You are so welcome. Well, for those who are not super familiar with Jeff and Sarah, their specialty is truly all things Disney. Whether it's comparing all of the Disney castles around the world or giving you the lowdown on every Disney cruise line ship they have you covered. We dipped our froggy toes into a new resort. Last podcast, we talked a little bit about Disneyland, and this time I'm so excited that we're setting sale into another new topic. Disney Cruise Line. Jeff and Sarah have traveled the world on Disney Adventures from international parks to European and Norwegian cruises from Disney abroad to Disney stateside. They are full of amazing tips and tricks. Jeff and Sarah, tell us a little bit more about you.

Sarah (00:01:33):

Sure. So I think probably our favorite Disney fact is that we've been to all of the resorts, as you mentioned, Rachel, but we've also done almost all of the hotels, so I think we're only missing about five in the world, so that's in incredible. We'll get them eventually. But yeah, we not only enjoy the parks, but we also think the resorts have a lot of fun things, so we like exploring those as well.

Jeff (00:01:55):

And the cruises, we love those. Yes. But yeah, we've made it kind of a goal to explore everything Disney has here, abroad, everywhere. Disney Vacation Club, cruise lines, hotels, and we just really enjoy it.

Rachel (00:02:09):

That's amazing. Well, I know I personally live vicariously through you guys on Instagram and YouTube, so I am so excited that you're here today to share more of that incredible insight with us. Now, a little caveat, undercover Tourists started offering exclusive savings on Disney Cruise Line Sailings around October, 2023. So the category is a little newer to me. I am extra excited to have Jeff and Sarah here with us because like I said, they've been on every single Disney cruise line ship. How many cruises have you guys been on total at this point? Have you catted 'em up?

Jeff (00:02:41):

Yes, so Sarah's one ahead of me, unfortunately, but she's been on 10. I've been on nine,

Sarah (00:02:46):

Yes. I just recently did a girls cruise with my aunt and my sister, so Jeff was invited, but he let it just be kind of a girls trip, so I now have one ahead of him

Rachel (00:02:57):

So that in mind, the tables are a little bit today. Clearly we are in great hands with Sarah and Jeff with all of their cruise line expertise, but I'm actually super excited to say that I am looking to plan my very first Disney cruise with my family of four, and I know many of you might be in that same boat, no pun intended. So I am so excited to learn more today with Sarah and Jeff. We want you to leave today's podcast feeling confident in Booking your own Disney Cruise. You can consider this a crash course. Here's what we're going to talk about today. We'll give a brief introduction to Disney Cruise Line, we'll talk about what's new or returning for 2024. We'll talk about how to start your Disney cruise line planning, and we'll talk about the top five Disney cruise line tips you should keep in mind as you're planning your cruise. And of course, if you're ready to plan your next cruise, don't forget that undercover tourist offers exclusive savings on Disney Cruise Line Sailings. All right, Jeff and Sarah, are you guys ready? Yeah,

Jeff (00:03:50):

You're ready.

Rachel (00:03:51):

Let's dive in. If you're like me, maybe you love all things Disney. Maybe you've been to the theme parks, maybe you've heard some great things about Disney cruises but have never actually been on one Disney cruise line may be brand brand new to you. So let's give a brief introduction about the cruise line and all that it offers Sarah and Jeff with so many cruises under your belt. If you had to use one word to describe a Disney cruise, what would it be?

Jeff (00:04:16):

Yeah, so I'll just use a simple one and it's fun. Disney cruises are fun From the planning to the getting on board and the excitement of getting your name announced when you get on the ship to all the things that have going on, it's really just unlike any other vacation, including Disney Parks. It's just a ton of fun.

Sarah (00:04:33):

And I'm going to piggyback a little bit off of what Jeff said there. And for mine it would be unique. So even though it still has the magic of the theme parks and a lot of the similar experiences, they're still characters and entertainment. They're very different. And so I think as a Disney fan, even if you go to the parks often or you've been to the parks, but a cruise is still a very unique experience and an awesome one at that.

Rachel (00:04:56):

I love that. And I know a lot of people talk about the Disney Cruise line difference. Can you tell me a little bit about, in your words, what that looks like? What is the difference between a Disney cruise and potentially other cruise lines?

Jeff (00:05:09):

So for me it's really two things. It's the cast or I guess other cruises, the employees that are there on the ship with you. And it is just the amount of activities and things Disney Cruise has going on at any one point during the day. So the cast are fantastic. I would even say maybe more amazing than in the parks, which is saying a lot, but they are some of the best casts I've ever had anywhere in Disney. And then there is never a time throughout the day on the cruise ship where you will have less than 3, 4, 5 different options of things to do throughout meeting characters, watching movies, learning how to fold towels, drink seminars. It's just unlimited entertainment available at all times, which is really something that I enjoy on that.

Rachel (00:05:54):

That is so cool. Towel folding. So do you guys at home then make cute little tally animals for your own bed when you get home?

Jeff (00:06:00):

I wish. I wish. No, but we have learned how, but as soon as I got off the ship, I forgot.

Rachel (00:06:07):

That's so fun.

Sarah (00:06:08):

I would say for me it would definitely be, I agree with Jeff that the cast members are outstanding. I do also enjoy character meets where Jeff doesn't do those quite as much, but I think just some of the unique experiences you can have where the characters will sometimes be roaming around the ship and you'll just be walking along a deck and be like, Hey, there's Pluto and you can just run up and interact with them. And there's some more traditional character meets as well, but just a lot of the experiences that Disney provides on their ship is a really nice blend of fun cruise activities and then also unique Disney touches.

Rachel (00:06:41):

That's so fun. Who is the coolest character in your opinion that you've seen on a Disney cruise?

Jeff (00:06:47):

So maybe for me, is it Kodak in Alaska? He was just out roaming the decks. I've never seen him anywhere before and he was just out roaming around. We were cruising down one of the towards a glacier one day.

Rachel (00:07:01):

That's so cool.

Sarah (00:07:02):

We've definitely seen some unique characters, but one memory that stands out for me is I was just walking around one morning and Goofy was out when his pajamas and he was just hanging out and then we were talking for some reason about Lightning McQueen. He just started running around pretending he was a race car. So it was just a unique outfit for him that he was walking around in his pajamas and then just a really good character experience. So I know you can see Goofy in other places, but just kind of that interaction in his outfit was really fun and unique.

Rachel (00:07:28):

That's so special. And truly, I know as we go through this conversation, something that always stands out to me is that there really is something for everybody on these cruises. I mean your namesake, right? You are adults that do Disney. So I know that obviously there's something that you love if you continue to go back, but there's lots of options for kids as well, including those character meet and greets. But I know Disney Cruise Lines are also known for their immersive kids clubs. Sarah, I know you even joke that you wish that you could go in them. So much fun like a giant playground. Can you tell me more about those?

Sarah (00:08:00):

Of course. Yeah. So I would also say this, as you said earlier, adds to that kind of Disney difference and that there is some amazing spaces that are tailored to kids. So you have the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer lab, depending the ships you're on have a really unique space where they're just amazingly themed. You have some cruise ships where you have Star Wars areas, you have princess areas, some of them have slides and for the most part, adults are not in them, so you can just drop your kids off. There's cast members, there's characters who will come just for the kids and hang out and read stories and play games with them. We do get to see them as adults during open house times. So that's times where adults can see it. And then you can also come with your little ones if you want during that time.

(00:08:44):

But for the most part during the cruise, these areas are just for kids. They even go so far that the ceilings in some of them are purposely lower to make the kids feel bigger in this space. And so it's a really thoughtful detail that they do in there to just make it extra special for kids. And then beyond the Ocean Air Club, you also have other areas that are met for more tweens like the in-between and then teenagers. So it goes all the way up to special dedicated spaces for any kids under the age of 18. And then it also doesn't forget adults, some adult only spaces as well.

Rachel (00:09:15):

Yeah, tell me about those adult only spaces.

Jeff (00:09:18):

So there are tons of them. There are, I shouldn't say adult only. There are tons of spaces that are catering to adults. There's a few adult only areas too, but they've got amazing theme bars on all the cruises on the Wish. They have the Star Wars bar, the Hyperspace Lounge, which is really popular. There are adult only areas as well as these really fun themed bars that are open to families. And those adult areas have something like the Cove Coffee bar, something I love. It's open in the morning for adults. It is an extra cost coffee bar, but they do specialty coffees at night that turns into drinks. There's pool areas that are for adults only. There's on the Wish in the back. They have a pretty cool looking infinity pool for adults. They've got bars back there and just areas where if you're trying to get away from some of the louder spots or some of the hustle and bustle of families and kids, it's available for you for some quieter areas too.

Sarah (00:10:12):

There also is, I'll add to some adult only dining areas. So the ships will also, if you want a date night or an adults only night, those are also available. Some of them will have brunches, like Paolo will oftentimes have a brunch. There's sometimes special, we've done dessert experience at Ante where you can go and do just a six course dessert tasting. So yeah, if you have a wait

Rachel (00:10:35):

A dessert tasting, you're speaking my language. Yes. Oh my gosh, that's so fun.

Sarah (00:10:40):

So there are adult only spaces like those. And then also adult only experiences, there are different drinking classes. So you can go and learn how to make mojitos or learn about wine, different types of wine and do wine tastings. And so there's a lot of still adult geared on adult specific activities and dining options.

Rachel (00:10:59):

And then obviously if you have your kids on the ship, they're going to be busy in the kids club, which frees you up to go do all this fun dessert tasting and wine tasting. That's amazing.

Jeff (00:11:07):

Yeah, exactly. It's awesome. And from people who have taken their kids, we often hear from them that the kids actually don't want to get picked up. They're unhappy when it's the end of the day and they have to go back, hang out with the family. They all seem to absolutely love it.

Rachel (00:11:23):

And if you're not familiar with these kids club, check out our blog. We have a big overview, but they're beyond anything that you could ever imagine. They're so cool with these special experiences. One other big difference when it comes to cruising with Disney is the rotational dining. Sarah and Jeff, what is that like?

Jeff (00:11:40):

Yeah, so I actually think it's one of the nicest parts of the Disney cruise line. I'll talk a little bit about it and Sarah can add to it, but really what it is is every night you rotate around one of the three restaurants on the ship. But the part I really enjoy is that the servers actually rotate with you. So the servers you have on night, one kind of feel out what you're eating, what you like to drink, how do you guys like to have your meal? And by the time you're at the end of a cruise or even something on the second night, they are there and know exactly how you want things done. And it's really a unique experience that I think is one of the things that I love the most about going on Disney Cruise is just that personalized touch that you get when going to dinner.

Sarah (00:12:20):

Yeah, yeah, I agree. The cast members are outstanding there. I will also say it's fun having the rotational dining for dinner and I recommend not skipping it. So the experiences are great. The food is incredible. It is top level Disney food, so it's really delicious. And then also I will say that one benefit of having the servers be with you for every night that you have along the cruise is that they get to know you like Jeff said, but I just recently cruised with my sister who has a dairy allergy. And so if you're traveling with somebody who has a food allergy or a food intolerance, it's just great because they can take any requests even the night before and get stuff ready for you the next night. So sometimes with allergy dining it can take a little bit longer if you're in the parks ordering, they have to prepare it separately, but they get it.

(00:13:05):

So it comes out this really quick same time. So if you have an allergy, I honestly, I think just through watching my sister and all of the Disney experiences she's done, I think the Disney cruise line is one of the best experiences you could have. She got so excited. They actually gave her multiple dessert options. So every night at dinner, she had two dairy free desserts and she said they were incredible. So it's just really, really incredible service. And because those cast members know you, they can make sure that you're getting food that you're excited and happy about every night of your cruise.

Jeff (00:13:35):

And so I would add kind of Sarah said, she said, don't skip. And if you've never been on a Disney cruise, you might be like, well, why would I ever skip dinner? There is quick service, there is in-room service, then there are those adult dinings. But what I would say is even if you're trying to go out to an adult dining or something, you can still go to your dinner. You don't have to eat as much. You just go and experience the atmosphere because all the different restaurants all have different themes. It's not just different menus, but on the wish. You might go to a frozen restaurant or you might go to a Walt and Roy themed restaurant or a Marvel themed or an animation themed on other ships. So you want to just go, even if you're not planning to eat, it's included. It's not an extra cost. So go to those rotational dining restaurants to experience what they have to offer, even if it's only 15, 20 minutes, just to check out what it looks like in there and to see what that experience is all about.

Sarah (00:14:23):

I'll add one last thing too, just about the rotational dining is that if you're on a longer cruise, so let's say you're doing a seven night cruise and there's the three rotational dining locations, so you will repeat some of the locations. However, even when you go back to it, the menu will be different. There's a chance your experience might be different. So animators pellet, for example, if you're on one of the ships with that, it will do different things on different nights. Certain nights you maybe will have some characters show up and others they won't. So there's different kinds of magic that will take place and you're like, oh, the same restaurant, the same menu, it's not. So it'll be different options. So it's still on a longer cruise. Don't worry, you'll still have plenty of choices and plenty of unique experiences in those.

Rachel (00:15:02):

That's good to know. And like Jeff was saying too, in true Disney fashion, this is not heading down the road to your neighborhood restaurant. There are full dinner shows, there are characters, these are truly out of the park. Amazing. So always something new. When you head to your rotational dining, tell me a little bit more about the food. What is it like? What's the best thing you guys have eaten on board?

Jeff (00:15:25):

So some of my favorite foods have been curry at the sit down dining. They have lobster tail. That's awesome. They've got stuff that's simple like burgers and fries if you want that. But then there's also the quick service. So for instance, on the wish, some of the best food you can get is just right there available to you the entire day. So they've got a barbecue, that's fantastic. They've got a Chipotle style bowl, which is a Mexican cantina. That's awesome food, you really can't go wrong. There's just been tons of food that I've loved on these ships.

Sarah (00:15:51):

Yeah, I agree with Jeff. I think I tend to pick a lot of vegetarian options. I'm not vegetarian, but just a lot of the dishes there's on the wish. There's a ramen that is outstanding at the Marvel. I know you like the pork bao bun there. There probably my favorite dish as a not dessert. I love dessert, so that's a whole separate category. But on the Disney Wish in 1923, which is one of the dinner rotational, there's a barta that is an appetizer, and my aunt and I both got it on the last cruise and I would've gotten two if I had known two or three of them. It was so good. Just everything that paired with it, it was an incredible just dish. And so honestly, everything is really good. I also love a bunch of the desserts and one thing that is really nice about desserts or honestly any of the food options is you can get as much as you want. So a lot of times have a hard time picking. And so I learned on my first Disney cruise that you don't have to pick if you want two desserts, there's nothing wrong with two desserts or three desserts. And so I try not to waste food of course, but for me, I have a sweet tooth, so I'd rather not have an appetizer maybe one night and get a couple desserts. So yeah, you can always, if you're the can't pick, it's okay. You can have both.

Jeff (00:17:07):

Yeah, and I will add, so those are my favorites and her favorites of the included foods. One of my favorite experiences is actually the brunch at Palo and it is an extra cost. It does require reservation, but if you're able to go and is adult only area, they've got flatbreads and everything's included in that brunch for the cost. But it's flatbreads, lasagnas, pastas, desserts, charcuterie boards, salads, and that is some of the best food that you can have on any of the Disney cruise lines across all the different ships is the brunch. Apollo is absolutely one of the top things that I love, especially for the quality and the taste of the food.

Sarah (00:17:45):

And then I will mention two other things. So I know one thing that is very popular. I don't eat seafood personally, but my aunt loved it recently. I know other friends love it, is they do have a really good seafood spread in cabanas or marceline and it includes crab legs and a bunch of different seafood options. So if you like seafood, they have some really good options there. And then if you enjoy sweets like me, they do also have soft serve ice cream on the cruise ship that you can get throughout the day and the flavors will change. So this past time I had a mango, but the flavors will change day to day. So that also is really, really nice to have that as well.

Rachel (00:18:26):

I'll have to tell my girls that Sarah, because that honestly, I mean they're easy to please, but we look at YouTube all day long. We look at all kinds of stuff to get a feel for what we can expect when we're going on our cruise. And the part that made them the most excited was the unlimited soft serve. They were like, you're telling me can have as much as I want. And I was like, that's Disney's rule, not moms. But yes, you can have as much as you want while you're there. The other thing that I know people talk about a lot, and I'm curious if you guys were able to try them amid all these cruises, I'm sure it's highly likely, but churro waffles, have you had those yet?

Sarah (00:19:00):

Yes, and they are amazing. So yeah, the breakfast, honestly on the ship too, if you're a breakfast person, they have sweet, they have savory, they also have cone G and fried rice and other things for breakfast if you go to the buffet style breakfast. But when it comes to breakfast, you actually have a couple different options so you can get room service. So you actually have included with your crews free 24 hour room service. So anytime of the day if you want it, you can just call up order. You can also put a menu out the night before and they'll deliver that in the morning or you can go to sit down breakfast or you can go to the buffets. But yeah, the Mickey waffles in general and then the ones are so good.

Rachel (00:19:43):

I'm so jealous. I'm so jealous. I got to have them recently when we were at Crystal Palace at Disney World Magic Kingdom. So good. So I can only imagine what that feels like to eat them with that beautiful view kind of overlooking the ocean. So adding it to my to-dos, I feel like dining is even a light word for what Disney does on a cruise. It's a whole experience. Tell me more about what that's like.

Jeff (00:20:06):

Yeah, so I'll just pick one and then Sarah can talk about another. So for instance, if you're an animator's palette on a couple of the ships, one of the nights there's a fun little treat where you get to actually become an animator. You get your place mat, you fill it out with a drawing, and there's directions. You don't have to be an artist. Then after your table's done, they'll come around, collect it, and later on during the night on all the screens around the tables, you'll actually see your drawings come to life with your name. And you can kind of explore and have fun doing that with the whole group and be like, oh, that's mine over there. And everyone's yelling out where theirs are and it's a ton of fun.

Rachel (00:20:40):

I was actually watching your vlog on the Magic and I giggled so hard when I got to see the little people that you guys each animated. I thought it was so in line with who you are, Sarah's was all full of hearts and Jess was very much in tourist mode. I loved it. It's such a fun experience. It really is a fun

Sarah (00:20:59):

Time. That one is great. And then I will say you have on some of the other ships, there'll be, for example, a Tiana's restaurant and a Rapunzel restaurant. So for those ones, the characters will come and sing and dance and interact. For Tiana's for example, you'll have Tiana and Louis will come out and they'll start little dance lines that will go around the restaurant. So those are both really, really amazingly themed. And you have the characters come and sing and bands and it's all live singing too, which is amazing. So the performers are outstanding, so that's really great. And then on the Wish, you also have two very unique experiences. So you'll have Marvel. So if you have any Marvel fans, they have a Marvel show and I don't want to do too much spoilers for it, but it's a really fun unique thing where you get to be involved with the story and there is maybe a surprise visitor at the end of your dining experience that will show up there.

(00:21:54):

And then for the frozen, frozen dining on the Wish is probably my favorite out of any rotational dining on any ship, it is incredible. So you have everything from a live band that comes in and sings and plays. You of course will have Ana and Elsa and Christophe and Oaken is actually the host of that dining experience because he is helping put on a celebration for Ana and Christophe's engagement. So he will come out and do the whole woo-hoo and so he'll be there and kind of run the night. But you have music, you have the characters. And one of my favorite details, which Disney did not have to do, but it was so nice is that at a normal wedding type of celebration you'll have the couple will usually come around to the tables and say hi to all the guests. And that happens where you have Ana and Christoph will walk around and say hi to people and Ana will also come around and be like, thank you so much for coming to celebrate with us. And Alice is walking around and greeting everyone and OK's like, how's it going? So you have everyone kind of there and it just, you get so immersed in the story that it is just a phenomenal dining

Rachel (00:23:00):

That's so special. And if you are looking for spoilers, Ryan, our videographer and another member of our team got to go on the Disney Wish and they did record both the Marvel experience and the frozen experience. So be sure to pop over to YouTube to check that out. If you're interested. While we are on the topic, what else is included with your Disney cruise? When you're looking at your all in cost, what does that include?

Sarah (00:23:22):

So the cost, it honestly covers pretty much everything so you don't have to worry about it on the ship. There are some things that you can get that are additional costs, but all the entertainment on the cruise is going to be included. When it comes to the live action shows, the character meets the activities, so most of the activities are going to be included. Some of the extra cost ones would be things like if you did alcoholic drinking classes, you have the drinks that are coming with those, it's going to have all of your dining For the most part. There's only a couple things that are going to be extra cost dining, like those adult only dinings, but you easily could not have to pay anything extra for all of your food. So really pretty much everything that you want on the cruise is going to be included with that cruise place. And then I'd say it's much fewer things that are extra cost that if you want to do those, they're optional, but definitely by no means necessary.

Jeff (00:24:11):

So some of those extra costs, things that we've gotten in the past are maybe you want popcorn in a popcorn bucket to watch a movie. That's an extra cost. If you want internet, that'll be an extra cost if you want to do excursions. And that doesn't mean going to Castaway or one of their islands is free, but once you get there, if you want to rent a cabana ahead of time or if you want to snorkel with fish or rent a bike, those things that cost some extra money. And then obviously the alcohol and the adult dining. But pretty much the majority of things you are already prepaid for, which is really nice. You can get on and really not have to think about, Hey, am I spending too much on this or too much on that. If you want to, you could go on and spend no extra money and have a fantastic trip.

Rachel (00:24:52):

That's amazing. Kind of all wrapped up with the bow before you go? Yes. Well let's get into some of the nitty gritty too in terms of numbers and departure ports. So right now Disney cruise line is made up of five ships and that's the Disney Dream, the Disney Fantasy, the Disney Magic, the Disney Wonder, and the newest one, the Disney Wish and US departure ports for these include Port Canaveral, Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Miami, Florida, San Diego, California, Galveston, Texas, new Orleans, Louisiana, New York, New York, and Honolulu, Hawaii like Sarah and Jeff mentioned right now, Disney Cruise Line also has one private island, but it's getting ready to open up another, which we'll get into in just a second. Tell me a little bit more about Castaway Key.

Jeff (00:25:33):

Yeah, so as you mentioned, it's their private island. So on a typical day, if nothing goes wrong or nothing's changing, you arrive about the time, you might wake up seven or 8:00 AM you depart and you head over to the island, it's a short little walk or you can ride on a train. And over there they've got areas to sit for adults and for families On the beach, it's beautiful got, I don't know what the word is, but it's got rocks so that there's not waves and stuff kind of breaking it up from the ocean so it's very calm and they've got lifeguards. If you've got families and life jackets and you have the ability to do a ton of different things out there from water slides to biking to running five Ks to eating lunch, they've got a kid center over there, they've got water slides, they've got the entire thing. And it's really just an awesome setup for a nice day at the beach in the middle of your cruise.

Sarah (00:26:22):

And I'll add a couple of things. I guess I'll just highlight my favorite parts of it. So I really enjoy, Jeff mentioned the snorkeling and so you can either rent snorkel gear from there or bring your own if you have it and you can kind of snorkel out into the water and they have some sunken treasures. So there for example is a Prince Eric statue similar to the Little mermaid that's down there that you can snorkel out to find. There's a Mickey statue, a daisy with the ship. There's also fish and some other fun objects you can find like a ship and a little bunker things. And so that's a really neat experience. It is a pretty decent swim, so just be warned about that. But it's a really, really fun and unique experience. And then another thing Jeff mentioned is the 5K. So one unique thing there is that you can do the Castaway 5K, they have T-shirts and stuff that you could purchase at the little merchandise shop if you want, but to do the run itself is completely free.

(00:27:16):

So it's complimentary, just go and do it and then when you finish it, you also get a little completion medal. So whereas the normal run Disney events, you have to pre-register and you have to sign up and pay for it. Here it's a free little run Disney run and you still get your little run Disney medal. So I've done that before and it's really fun and it's completely complimentary. You can just kind of do that. And then lunch is also served on the beach. So they have two locations at the Family beach and then also an adult only location on the adult only beach. And that also is included with your crew so you can go over and get as much barbecue if you want. There also is soft serve ice cream there for your daughters. So there is a lot of options that are available, but it's easy to spend your entire day on Castaway without doing it all. There's so much to do.

Rachel (00:28:02):

There is so much to do. Actually one of the very first pieces of content we created with Cruise was a park plan for Castaway Key because we were like, there is no way, no matter how old your kids are, there's something for them. So my 13-year-old is very chill, go with the flow. So she would love just sitting on the beach with me and maybe dipping her toes in. My youngest is very active and kind of like my wild child, so that kind of playground that they have out there in the middle of the water would a hundred percent be, she'd be like Put on my life fest, I'm going, she'd probably spend all day out there. So I love that there's so much depending on no matter what you want to do with your day, there's an option for everybody. So now a little bit about Disney Cruise line. Let's pop in to talk about what's happening on Disney Cruise line in 2024. So we'll start with the big one that I'm sure you both are excited about. I'm pretty sure you may have already booked your trip, but a brand new ship is debuting this year. It's called the Disney Treasure. It's going to set sail on its maiden voyage on December 21st, 2024. But you can book now into 2024 and 2025. Did you guys book that cruise? Are you ready to take a trip on the treasure?

Jeff (00:29:10):

We are ready to, we haven't booked it yet. We are still trying to nail down some 20, 25 plans, so that does tell you we're not going in 2024 unfortunately. But yeah, we're about to finalize some stuff for 2025 and that should be on the list for us.

Sarah (00:29:24):

Yeah, the ship looks absolutely amazing, so I'm really excited for it and we definitely hope to be on it early. Intuits sailing in 2025.

Rachel (00:29:34):

Yeah, well to be fair, Jeff, it's only three weeks in 2024 that it'll be sailing. That's true. So no worries. That's getting pushed to 2025, but I'm sure that everybody listening has seen the news, but if not head over to our blog. We have some artists renderings and like Sarah saying, it looks just incredible. It's got this adventure land esque vibe to it. I know that there's some Aladdin and Jasmine touches throughout. There's going to be a Moana show where a man Ray flies above the audience. It looks insane. Was there any one detail that made your list to set Sail on this one?

Jeff (00:30:09):

Yes, so I am a huge, huge haunted Mansion fan and if you don't know, there is going to be a haunted mansion themed bar on board and I cannot wait to check that out. Obviously known, seen the actual bar itself, but all the renderings and the preview images look absolutely amazing. I cannot wait to get in there.

Sarah (00:30:27):

Yeah, I'm really excited honestly about all of it. So I definitely think the Haunted Mansion bar stands out for me as well. I also love the entertainment. So that Moana show and you said that was like, yes, that is definitely one of the big things for me as well. I just think having the new ship and the new experiences and the different themeing in it, I'm just so excited for all of it. I can't wait to see all it is.

Rachel (00:30:46):

It's going to be so fun. I can't wait either. In 2024 Disney Lookout Key at Lighthouse Point is another new private island that's opening. It's also located in The Bahamas and it pays tribute to nature including all over in its architecture. Much like Castaway Key, there's going to be activities for families, like an interactive water play area, a family beach, but there's also going to be plenty of space for adults as well, including an adult beach cabanas and more.

Jeff (00:31:12):

We'll be exploring that in October

Sarah (00:31:15):

And maybe sooner

Jeff (00:31:17):

And maybe in July. We do currently have one booked for October, but we're hoping to get there before the fall.

Sarah (00:31:22):

Yeah, I'm hoping we're this close to booking one for this summer, so I'm pretty sure that one's going to happen.

Rachel (00:31:28):

That is so exciting. Well, I can't wait to follow along. See it as you get to explore. So there are some theme cruises that happen periodically throughout the year and you may want to consider planning a cruise around these. So the first one is a Pixar Day at Sea. So that is a Disney cruise with a little bit of a Pixar twist. So you'll find Pixar character meet and greets, a Pixar pal celebration dance party, an Incredibles theme deck party with fireworks. There's even some theme dining. So that one's super exciting. Now that one is only available on limited seven night Caribbean cruises. There's both an Eastern and a western one. Each of those have a stop and Castaway key, and those are only on the fantasy through early March. And then there's also the Marvel Day at Sea, which I know Sarah and Jeff you guys have done. What is that like?

Sarah (00:32:12):

It is really fun. So if you're a Marvel fan, even if you're an introductory Marvel fan, you just know maybe one or two of the movies, no matter what level fandom you have. It is an incredible experience. They just had so much going on for the Marvel Day at sea. There are characters nonstop throughout the day. You had Mickey and all the characters were dressed up in Marvel inspired outfits, which were super cute. So

Rachel (00:32:35):

Cute,

Sarah (00:32:36):

Yes, it was so fun. They had amazing entertainment. There's Mickey and his friends do a Marvel style show on the top deck and then there also is an extra Marvel show at night where you have actual Marvel characters like Spider-Man and Ironman and all of them will show up as well. So it is just nonstop entertainment and it's completely unique for just when you're doing the Marvel Day at sea. So it was so exceeded all my expectations, it was outstanding

Jeff (00:33:05):

And it exceeded mine too. I was a little apprehensive just in general not, I enjoy meeting characters, but it's not the highlight of my Disney experiences. And I was like, well, is this just going to be an opportunity to meet more Marvel characters? And that was a big part of it, but they do it so well that it's awesome. I'm so glad we did it. And then they have all the other things going on. So it way exceeded my expectations. And if you're like, well, characters aren't for me, do I care? Yes, you care, you should go. They're a ton of fun. Those themed cruises,

Rachel (00:33:34):

It looks like so much fun. I know when I was looking at the list of characters to Sarah's point, it's long. It's a huge list of characters that you'll get to see. So Spider-Man, Thor, Loki, black Panther and Surey Captain Marvel, captain America. You might also see Steve Rogers, captain America versus Sam Wilson Star alerting. So I'm sure you guys saw a million, which makes this so special. The one thing that caught my eye too, this is definitely something that would be on my family's list, but there's family Marvel trivia, which my girls would go nuts over. So that seems so much fun. And the Animation Academy to learn to draw your favorite heroes, just like with other cruises, this one seems like there's so much to do, so it's for sure going on my list.

Sarah (00:34:19):

Yes, I definitely would recommend it.

Rachel (00:34:20):

So the Marvel Day at Sea is only available on five night Caribbean cruises, both western Eastern, again, that stop at Castaway Key from Fort Lauderdale on the Disney Dream through mid-March. There's also two seasonal cruises that I know you guys have experience with and are super fun, and that is Halloween on the high Seas and the very maritime cruises. Can you tell me more about what those are like?

Jeff (00:34:42):

Yeah, sure. So those are a ton of fun as well. Again, a different in the unique experience. So I guess maybe I can talk a little bit about Halloween. You can add to that and do Christmas if you want, but there's Halloween themed characters, there's Halloween themed decorations. They've got a giant Halloween themed tree, like a scary type of spooky tree in the main atrium. They have trick or treating. They have so much going on. So fun. The trick or treating is really fun. And then you've got people who will walk around in costumes and bring kind of like if you go to a Christmas party or I'm sorry, a Halloween party and how people are dressed up and it's just a really fun atmosphere that's unique to those few cruises that they have each year that are at Halloween time.

Sarah (00:35:23):

Yeah, I agree. I think the extra entertainment is nice. And then also if you are a character person, so I know Jeff not as much, but for me you do get some really fun unique character costumes that will go. You had, for example, on the cruise, we had the hocus pocus inspired Mini Daisy and Clarabelle, so that was really fun. So I was able to meet them and I only waited, I did line up a little bit before their meet started, but I ended up only waiting 30 minutes, which in the parks it can sometimes get very, very long. So they have a bunch of different things. And then at Christmas time of course it has all that extra magic where there's just the Christmas decorations everywhere. And they also have some specific holiday entertainment for that too. So I think regardless of if you prefer Halloween or Christmas or both, maybe they're both really, really amazing experiences and just that extra little bit of magic.

Rachel (00:36:13):

Anytime I can see Mickey Minnie and the gang in special outfits, it's a win for me. That just makes my whole day. So all of these sounds so fun. And Jeff, I know when we were talking about what we're excited for in 2024, there was one more thing you mentioned. What else are you excited for in 2024 on Disney Cruise Line?

Jeff (00:36:30):

Yeah, so I'm really excited for the fantasy finally getting to have a bunch of shorter cruises. So when we're around the Caribbean for us and our work schedule and everything, life just works out better if we can go on three and four night cruises, and typically the fantasy is a seven night cruise and starting this fall, there's going to be a bunch of shorter cruises that will allow people who maybe didn't want to or couldn't take a week off to experience that ship and to get out there and do something a little bit different. So I'm excited for that.

Rachel (00:36:58):

That's very fun. Well, we've talked about all of the magic that Disney cruise line has to offer. We've talked about some of what's happening in 2024 that we're excited for. I'm ready, I want to book my cruise. But Sarah and Jeff, where do I start? How do I even go about choosing the Disney cruise? That's right for me,

Jeff (00:37:16):

We give whenever someone asks us the same answer, and that is we always recommend somebody pick a cruise based on the itinerary, not based on the ship or anything like that. So if you want to see Alaska, go to Alaska. If you want to see the Caribbean, go to the Caribbean. If you want to meet some Pixar characters, do a Pixar cruise. Or if you want to go trick or treating on the high season, pick a Halloween one to us. We've enjoyed all the different cruises. We've done a ton. And what really then means the difference to us is which itinerary speaks the most to you. And that's what we always tell people to pick.

Sarah (00:37:50):

Yeah, I agree. So I think the easiest way to get started is to just look at the different cruise options that are available. So go on there, search for them, learn some more about all the different things that are available. So the Frog and the Undercover tourist blog posts are a great resource to get a quick overview of some of the different options that are there. And I think I agree with what Jeff said is always just look at the different itineraries, look at what is happening on some of those. If it is a themed cruise, not a themed cruise, where are the ports of call? Are there any ports that you really want to go to? So I think those are really good starting points.

Rachel (00:38:24):

Amazing.

Jeff (00:38:25):

I can assure you, you will have fun on whichever ship you pick, right? So don't pick it by the ship. You're going to have a great time no matter what. Make sure it's going somewhere that you want to go and it'll be fantastic.

Rachel (00:38:36):

That is amazing advice. And I love too, it's kind of like the Disney parks, right? You're going to have fun no matter which one you choose. So choose what's most interesting to you. I love that. Do you have any watch outs when planning a Disney cruise? Is there anything that we should be wary of or think through really before we start to click that buy button?

Sarah (00:38:52):

So I think one thing you might care about is state room location. I know some people prefer maybe the front of the ship, the back of the ship, the middle of the ship. So that's one thing that if you have a preference, some people are actually very concerned about motion sickness. Like, oh, I never wanted to do a cruise because I'm really worried about the movement. Jeff and I were both very nervous, maybe Jeff more so than myself for when we first did it because knock on wood, I don't get quite as motion sick. But friends and family have also had those concerns when they've gone with us, and we've always been perfectly fine. So we have had friends who have taken Dramamine or sick stuff, but I do think a lot of times if you're concerned about that, usually Midship tends to be better for people. But yeah, I think if you have a state room preference, that could be something you might want to consider when you're getting ready to book. Or do you care if you're on a certain side of the ship? There's lots of different room types to pick. Do you want a balcony? Do you not care if you have a balcony? So I think there's lots of things when it comes to picking the room that also can kind of be a factor.

Jeff (00:39:51):

And just with regards to picking a room, I will say if you're not aware, Disney balconies can be not removed, but they can essentially be folded back to make one large one. So if you're traveling with a group and maybe you're like, well, we don't care if we're next to each other as long as we're close by. Well, if you do have balcony or veranda rooms and you are connecting your state room attendant, the one who takes care of your room can actually remove those dividers. So now instead of having three separate balconies, maybe you have one really large one that spans all three rooms, which just kind of makes for a fun place to hang out where you're not inside the rooms.

Rachel (00:40:26):

Yeah, that's a great tip. I know something else that we chatted about briefly was weather. Depending on when you're planning your cruise, I know we start with itinerary. Is there anything with weather that we should think through as we're planning?

Jeff (00:40:38):

Yeah, so for us, when it comes to weather, there's really only one thing that we consider, and that's temperature. Depending on where you're going, The Bahamas can get warm in the summer. So just be aware of that ahead of time. I do know some people who prefer the warmer weather might say, well, if we go in January, does it get cold? And it does somewhat cold. I mean, we've been to Castaway where it's probably been 55 out and you maybe don't want to swim that day as much, but we still have awesome times. We'll grab a book, grab a hoodie, read on the beach, go out and eat, do those things too. So for us, really the only consideration we have personally is just weather, and it's more so just so we can kind of mentally prepare. If I'm going to cast away in August, it's going to be 95 and hot, that's fine. But it's something you don't want to just show up and be reminded of that morning you're getting off the ship.

Rachel (00:41:26):

Yeah, yeah, setting proper expectations. That makes sense. I know we talked about you're going to have fun no matter which ship you choose, that every ship has something amazing for them. But I am curious, do you each have a favorite Disney cruise line ship? I know it's choosing a favorite child, so it's kind of taboo, but is there one that you prefer over the others? Yes. Yeah.

Jeff (00:41:46):

Yes, absolutely. So my favorite is the Wonder, and I kind of think it's partly because when I was on the Wonder for the first time, it was in Alaska and that kind of, I think skewed my enjoyment of the entire trip. But it is one of the smaller ships. It is much different than the newer one, the Wish, which I think is Sarah's favorite

Sarah (00:42:10):

Spoiler.

Jeff (00:42:11):

But yeah, I think that, like you said, they're all fun, but for me it's the wonder. And I do attribute a lot of that to the itinerary that I was on. It just kind of made the entire thing more special.

Sarah (00:42:21):

Yeah, I think The Wonder is a wonderful ship, but I definitely would say the wish for me, I will say it's partly bias for me just because it's been the one we've done most recently, so the last two cruises. So I feel like for me it's fresh and I remember it, but I really, really just love the dining. The Rotational dining for me is so phenomenal on that ship. I also think that it depends on your preference for the style. So the older shift, so the original four have more of a traditional, very classic, nice style, and it's more subtle Disney touches. So there still is plenty of Disney if you're looking for it hidden in certain things. But I think it's a very classic style, whereas the Wish is just Disney everywhere. So it's like, oh my God, look at there. Look at there. So it's just so much Disney, which I love. So I like all the details. I like the Disney everywhere. So I think they're very different ships, but I think both are really good.

Rachel (00:43:21):

That's amazing. Those are great tips. So give me an overview of those five Disney cruise line ships. What are each of them? What kind of sets them apart?

Jeff (00:43:29):

Yeah, there are essentially sister ships. The Magic and the Wonder are going to be the two ships that are, I guess you consider them small from Disney standards. They have that traditional elegant design that Sarah has mentioned, and they're essentially set up the same. So their floor plan's the same. They're going to have small differences here and there, but those two ships are going to be your small ones, which are pretty quaint. And one of my favorite, obviously The Wonder is one of those small ones. So if you're concerned about a small ship, don't be, it's fantastic. And there's a ton of stuff to still do.

Sarah (00:44:02):

And then the next two would be the fantasy and the Dream. And so they again, will have similar footprints, but they will be a slightly larger ship. It's still going to have that kind of classic elegance, so a similar style design to the magic and wonder. So they kind of built on that inspiration with those ships, but they will have a larger footprint, so more kind of spaces you can walk through and some maybe additional type of options available in the ship. And then you also have the Wish, of course, the one, and then we'll have the Treasure and others coming afterwards. But I will say that Wish is going to be very different when it comes to not necessarily the size. So I'd say it's a slightly bigger, I believe, than the dream and the fantasy, but the style is very different. So rather than that kind of subtle classic elegance that you have with the four original ships, the wish is going to have a lot more Disney just everywhere. So whereas the other ships have those subtle Disney touches with maybe a couple hidden characters here and there, the Wish has Disney everywhere you can look. So it's just loads and loads of Disney details, which personally I really

Jeff (00:45:08):

Love. Yeah, so Sarah did mention the Treasure. That will be essentially the sister ship of the Wish. So it's going to follow that same footprint. So if you've been on The Wish, that's the design or the style of the treasure coming out. And those

Rachel (00:45:19):

Are both the Triton class and there's a third ship coming eventually in that Triton class. Oh my gosh. So much to look forward to. Is there anything else that kind of separates these ships or any differences that we should know about when you're considering one ship versus the other?

Jeff (00:45:32):

So regardless of which of the original four you choose, they all are very similar. The size shouldn't be anything that is causing an issue. Really. The Dining's the same with the exception of some of the theming. You're not missing out on anything by choosing the magic over the wonder, over the dream or anything like that. But I will say the fantasy in the dream do have an additional adult only dining called Remy, which is actually the highest, I'd say, tier of dining that they offer. It's on par with Victoria and Alberts in Disney World, if you're familiar with that. So that is again, an additional cost, adult only dining. But that is something that is unique to the dream and the fantasy that's not available to those who cruise on the Wonder or the magic.

Sarah (00:46:15):

And then of course the follow up to that on the Wish was then all Shante. If you've heard of Ante on the Wish, that was kind of this next classes level of the Remy on those ships.

Rachel (00:46:27):

Very helpful. The other thing that I know we talked about briefly that I think a lot of people don't realize as they're planning is that there is a separate app for Disney Cruise Line.

Jeff (00:46:38):

Yes. So it is incredibly important your entire cruise will be based around your use of this app. And I will say it actually makes life really easy once you get the hang of it, everything's on it, communication's on it, schedule's on it, check-ins on it, boarding's on it, literally, I'm not exaggerating. Everything you need for the entire cruise is on that app. So maybe Sarah can talk about some specifics.

Sarah (00:46:59):

Sure. Yeah. So I guess from what Jeff said, definitely recommend downloading the Disney Cruise line app early. So you don't do it just when you're on the ship, get it well beforehand. It will even give you a little countdown as you go. So if you're one of those people who likes to count down to your trip, it'll do a little countdown for you on their daily. But once you're on the ship, it does change a little bit. So on the cruise before or on the app, before your cruise, you're able to do things like book, any port adventures that you want or book like some of drinking classes if you want to do any of those, any of the extra kind of things on the ship, but you can also, you get onto the ship, a whole bonus area will open up. And once you connect to the ship's wifi, that's when that will happen.

(00:47:44):

And once you're connected to the wifi, you'll see things like all of the daily activities and you'll see your menus for dinner. You'll see your rotational dining. So you actually don't know, for example, with the Disney wish, like we said, there's the three rotational dining. You have frozen, you have 1923 and you have Marvel. You don't get to pick which dining you go to when, but you do find out soon as you get connected to the ship's wifi, it'll say, oh look, tonight I have erindale. And then, oh look, tomorrow I have Marvel. So once you get onto the ship, you'll be able to see all of that information as well. So the cruise app is very, very important. And then as we mentioned earlier, there are tons and tons and tons and tons and tons of activities. And on the app you can actually go through and see all those activities.

(00:48:26):

And then there's little a heart that you can click. And so when you click the heart, that will keep track of all the things that you want to do and then it will give you notification reminders of like, Hey, heads up the drawing class starts in 15 minutes, or, Hey, heads up trivia starts in 15 minutes. So I definitely recommend going through all the things that are available. Disney will pre-select some things that they know are important for people that have never done it before, the show that you have every night in the theater. But definitely go through all the different activities. And then I like Harding 'em and kind of seeing what they have. And then as I mentioned, when you're on the ship, you connect to the Disney wifi to access the app to be able to just use the app features is free.

(00:49:07):

So they'll give you wifi to do that. When Jeff mentioned earlier that wifi can cost extra, that's only if you want to do things like social media or check emails. But if you just want to use the app to check all the activities or even use the chat feature within the app to keep in communication with each other on the ship, I'm like, Hey Jeff, I'm going to the spa and I know you're going down to the bar. I'll message you in the app when we're done. So you can also use the app for that feature. So it's really very helpful for keeping all of your plans together. So definitely cannot recommend that enough.

Jeff (00:49:43):

And I will say the app is how you essentially register for the time that you get to board the ship and everything. So if I were me and it was my first cruise, I'd probably download the app well ahead of time and just familiarize myself with it, make sure I could log in, make sure I knew my username and password, that I knew what buttons looked like and where you click things like that because it is the way you're going to try and aboard the ship. And you can think of it as a virtual queue is how it works. The night that you're checking in, you're going to check in from that countdown and then you're going to board the ship based on what time you check in. So I do recommend being familiar with that app beforehand. Don't just download it the minute you need it.

Rachel (00:50:23):

That is really good advice because I, as a brand new cruiser in general, I was like, how does this work? You obviously don't just show up with your suitcases at the ship the next morning and be like, I'm here, I'm ready. So I think that without knowing that you have to use this app to actually check in and to your point, get your time that you board and as Sarah mentioned early on, you get announced as you come onto a Disney cruise. So all of that is crucial for first timers. So thanks for sharing. So check-in is one major thing that you'll do on the app before you actually board the ship. Is there anything else that you do on the app before you even get on the ship?

Sarah (00:50:56):

Yeah, so before you get on the ship, you definitely want to make sure, obviously the check-in as you mentioned, but you also want to make sure that you book any port adventures that you want with Disney as soon as your window will open and your window will open based on how many cruises you've done before. So if you're a first timer, make sure that you figure out how many days out is the correct amount to start doing it. And they will typically open at midnight eastern time. So make sure if you're in a different time zone, just double check, triple check in case Disney changes on me tomorrow or something. But just make sure that when those things will happen, but there will be primarily extra costs. You'll have the port of ventures, we'll typically be extra costs. They also have some on ship experiences that you'll want to book beforehand.

(00:51:44):

For example, those beverage classes. If you want to do any of those, you can pre-book them. You might also want to look into some of the spa options. So there are some spa options that you can pre-book, but there are also some spa things that you can book when you get on the ship. So that one's a little bit of both when it comes to the spa. And then also beforehand you can also put in some preferences before you get on the ship. So for example, one of the big preferences is going to be if you have any food allergies, you'll want to put that in ahead of time. And then also one of the big preferences would be if you prefer early dining or late dining. So there's kind of a choice there. Typically we prefer late dining, even though we're generally early to bed people, we just enjoy the later dining on the Disney cruise because we like having the option to do some of the morning things or if we're doing a cruise where we're at a port all day, we want to have a little bit of extra time when we get back to the room before heading to dinner.

(00:52:41):

So I think that's another thing that you'll want to make sure that you do ahead of time. And then the last thing I'll mention that is free to book beforehand, and it usually opens 30 days before is this thing called the royal gathering. And so this is going to be a character meet that you will book through the app and it will just guarantee you a time slot to meet Disney princesses. So the princesses can change depending on the ship, but it's basically like you'll have a five minute wait to meet, for example, five princesses. And so it's very nice if you do some miss that. So that one, I again encourage you to do it before you get on the ship, but if you go to check the app and you're like, oh no, it's booked, I can't do this. And I really wanted to always, always check as soon as you get on the ship because sometimes extra spots will open up. So one time we completely forgot to do the royal gathering, got to the port and just checked for it quick and there was some times available so we were able to do it there. So do it beforehand if you can. But if not, don't worry. Always check once you get on the ship as well.

Jeff (00:53:40):

And I will say for beforehand, if you're going to be the person who checks everyone in, so normally how it works for us at least is one person will check in everybody like we're trying my family and stuff, there'll be still just be one person who does it. All the things you need to check in are going to be a passport, a selfie just on your phone on a blank background and flight information if you're flying in. So if you're checking in and you're doing this at midnight and you don't get this information ahead of time, you're either waking everybody up or waiting until the next morning, things like that. So just be aware that you need that. And it's just a quick picture in your phone is all you need of these things. But you do want a picture of the passport, a selfie of the person from essentially chest up and flight information if you're having that part of the trip.

Sarah (00:54:25):

And I do believe depending on how your rooms are linked, you may need one person to check in per room depending on how your rooms are linked. So just be aware that you might need one person per room.

Rachel (00:54:35):

That's really helpful. Super helpful. And going back to princesses, Sarah, when would I need to book Bippity Baity Boutique? Because there is one on some of these ships.

Sarah (00:54:44):

Yes, there is. And actually I believe they also do a special pirate night overhaul of Bty Baity boutique. So for pirate night, if you don't want to be a princess and you'd rather be a pirate, you can also go and do the pirates as well.

Jeff (00:54:56):

There are plenty of little guys running around dressed as pirates too from that guys

Sarah (00:54:59):

Killed everyone. You have lots of pirates and princesses or princes and so yeah, that I believe is also going to be, you'd book that at the same time as your reported ventures. So I believe when you're booking window opens for that. We have not booked Bibby Bob b cheek before, so don't a hundred percent quote me on it. I know it is beforehand and I know it would be done in the app. And similarly, I do also know there is hooks barbery for adults. So if men want a shave on the wish, you have the barbershop and you also have the salon as well. So yeah, there are some other things as well on the ship that you can pre-book. But yeah, Bibb, Bobby's a big one. It

Rachel (00:55:34):

Just blows my mind, the attention to detail. My husband would absolutely lose his mind to go to Hooks barbery just like in Peter Pan when he's getting his shave, right. That is so fun.

Sarah (00:55:44):

The best thing is I'm going to add one last tip for hooks just because it's, well, I'll let Jeff say I guess.

Jeff (00:55:50):

Sure. So between, I believe it's five and 8:00 PM So another reason, if you're on the Wish, you should do late dining because you dine at five if it's early hooks, Barberry has a little bar that opens up, it's a hidden bar, it's behind some walls and for just those three hours, it's not advertised really or anything, they'll open it up and it's essentially an old fashioned bar and you can go in and get old fashions from 15, 18 bucks. They'll just make right there for you up to as much as you're willing to spend. They've got something for you. And it's a really fun experience, a really knowledgeable bartender. It's small, so you're going to probably end up waiting behind a few people. But that is something that is unique to the Wish and unique to hooks and I recommend everybody, even if you don't want to drink an old fashioned walk by between five and eight and you can see the bar,

Rachel (00:56:39):

My husband would never leave. They literally have something for everybody. Are you kidding? That's so cool. Thank you for that advice. So we talked a little bit about what you need to do ahead of time on the app. What can you do once you are on the ship, on the app?

Sarah (00:56:54):

Yeah, so once you get on the ship, it's going to be keeping track of all of those daily activities. So if you missed booking anything beforehand, so I should first say that if you were hoping to get that princess the Royal gathering or if you were hoping to get an ante, you can always talk with a cast member or check in the app and see if those pop up. But the main thing once you get on the ship is going to be keeping track of all of those free activities that Disney has going nonstop. So all of the shows, all of the trivias, all of the family entertainment or adult only entertainment. So there are so many different activities that are taking place, all of those will be listed in there. So those are going to be all of things you want to keep track of with those little hearts in the Disney app when you get onto the ship.

Jeff (00:57:41):

And I will say, so for instance on the Disney Wish, there's an interactive game that you can play around the ship and on the other ships it's not in the app. So you do get a piece of paper type of thing. But on the app, on the Wish you can play with this game and interact with different pictures and go on essentially a quest throughout the ship. You can buy your internet if you want to have actually paid internet, you buy that through the app, you can see what time do you get a shore on Castaway or on excursion days in the app. So it's really your one stop shop for everything in terms of information related to the cruise.

Sarah (00:58:15):

I also will say that if you want to keep track of if you, because there are wonderful merchandise, which you didn't talk about really, but there is some great Disney cruise merchandise on the ship. So if you've bought merchandise or bought some drinks or anything like that, they also do have a little thing that will keep track of any purchases you made as well. So you only will have access to that PDF of your purchases while you're connected to the Disney wifi. So once you get off the ship to your car, you no longer can see that. So if you want just documentation for yourself, like that morning you're going to get off the ship is always a sad time, but still try to remember it to save that information if you'd like it.

Rachel (00:58:53):

Good to know. Excellent tips. Alright, as expected, Jeff and Sarah, we have talked through so much information, so many great tips as we moved along, but let's really narrow down your top five tips for first time cruisers.

Jeff (00:59:09):

Yeah, we can do that. I think these tips are not in order. So if one is said first, it doesn't mean it's the most important tip. These are just five things that we think are important, everyone should know. So if one of 'em would be door decorations, and this is as far as I'm aware, unique, especially in the quantity of door decorations, you will see two Disney cruises. And so Disney cruise hallways and rooms actually are magnetic, so you can stick stuff to the doors, so the walls, and you will see countless people have decorations that they've cut out, laminated, bought on Etsy, made themselves whatever with magnets attached to their doors. And it's actually a really fun thing. So if you go to a Halloween cruise, you'll see people with Halloween Mickeys and things like that all over their doors. Christmas, there'll be Christmas decorations. Every other season you might see giant Mickey heads and minis and all kinds of things. So it even goes beyond that. Some people have pin boards that they'll have up for people to trade with. So outside of rooms is going to be an area for a ton of fun. Kind of customize your trip and your family's trip, put your names, do whatever you want, but definitely go into it decorating your door because you'll actually have more fun I think on the cruise if you do.

Rachel (01:00:22):

Super fun.

Sarah (01:00:23):

My tip kind of ties into a lot of the things we've talked before about, but it's going to be to do your homework. So definitely plan. So I am a planner, so for me this fits perfectly in the box, but as long as you have one person in your group who enjoys planning. But I do think looking at things such as the blog post the Undercover Tourist has or just hearing about a podcast like this where you can hear some tips. I just think having a little bit of knowledge about the ship, even if you're trying not to necessarily have spoilers of it, you can still know enough about the ship where you can go in prepared and have an idea of everything that's available. And worst case, if you did your homework, you're like, oh, I wish I really could have done this. You can always go on another cruise. But I do think it helps to just know that what is available, make sure you're getting early time to get on the ship if you want an early boarding time. We think having that extra time on the first day and getting the earliest possible boarding that you can get is a huge help because basically you get on the ship at like 1130 say instead of closer to three, and you get a lot of extra time to kind of go and explore the ship

Jeff (01:01:27):

And that's the quietest time on the ship, not as many people on board. So if you want to go explore the kids area or you want to go explore the hallways or wherever it is, that's the time to do it with nobody on board.

Sarah (01:01:40):

Agreed. Yeah, it's perfect. There's open house for the spa. So yeah, so do your homework, make sure you're prepared and trying to get on the ship as early as possible, assuming that works within your travel plans. But I do think a little bit of planning beforehand can go a long way for just having you enjoy your cruise.

Rachel (01:01:56):

You are speaking my language, Sarah, and check, I'm doing some of my homework now, so I get to check that off my list.

Jeff (01:02:02):

So I would say don't skip live entertainment. And that goes for the Broadway shows, the different seminars, the Trivias, the singalongs, everything. So there's a lot to do and it can be overwhelming and there's going to be times where I'm like, I just need a break, which is fine if you need your breaks, but these things that they put on are amazing, especially the shows at night. So every night there's going to be a Broadway style show and it usually has two seatings, one for the early guests, the early dining, and then one for the late. So you kind of watch the show during the other groups dining time and it's amazing even if it's something you don't really care that much about, maybe you're not into a little mermaid and on the wish, there's a little mermaid show, it doesn't matter if you're not into it, go watch it. It's a really cool experience. It is Broadway caliber performance and it is on your ship and it is free the expenses, you might have to go wait in line 10 minutes before the show to get a seat and I just can't recommend enough going and taking advantage of all these free things that if you weren't on the ship, if you weren't on a Disney cruise, you'd be paying money to go watch this in a theater somewhere. And it's definitely something to take advantage of and I don't recommend skipping it.

Sarah (01:03:14):

And I agree with that. So not even just the Broadway style theater, the entertainment when it comes down to the Trivias, we're terrible at trivia but still love it nonetheless. But it's so fun and they have amazing cast members who are putting them on, so they're really, really fun events and it's just so entertainment is like Jeff said, all of those things find kind of the things that interest you, but definitely I recommend the shows not to skip even if you're not sure about it. But yeah, all of the entertainment is out. Incredible

Rachel (01:03:45):

Noted. I won't skip it when I do go on my cruise, I'll be sure to check them out. What

Sarah (01:03:50):

Else? I'm going to go for a little bit of a random tip, but we often will get questions about are there alcoholic beverages or what should you do and how should you be a budget for that?

Jeff (01:04:03):

Is there a drink package package

Sarah (01:04:04):

On many other cruise lines package? And so yeah, can I buy my drinks? And so for Disney it will be like you just will order your drinks as you kind of go to the bars. They are an additional cost. And the one thing though that I think a lot of people miss that is a good deal is there is always a drink of the day for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. And it will change by day, so it will always give what the drink of the day is in your cruise app. So if you just scroll down, you can see what it is and it will be a lower price. So I believe it's around $6 so that if you're looking for a deal, a drink deal, I would say that that would be a good thing to just think about. And then if you don't drink alcohol, there are also non-alcoholic drink of the day options as well.

Rachel (01:04:52):

Good to know. Great

Sarah (01:04:53):

Tip. A couple other things about just the alcohol options that are all available. So there is the drink of the day, but there also is an incredible range of different items and drinks. And I actually think some of my favorite and most fun drinks that I've had on any Disney cruise or any Disney parks have happened on the cruise. So for example, I really like gin and on wish ship there is a gin baller called Nightingales, which is actually inspired by Cinderella, like the Sing Sweet Nightingales song. And so in there they have these different bubble drinks and so I like the frozen tropical bubble and it's called a bubble because your drink will actually come where the gin is in a frozen ice cube bubble and then they give you a little metal hammer and you break the ice cubes and then the gin falls into the drink and it is just a phenomenal drink.

(01:05:45):

It is delicious. The bartenders are outstanding and so there is a wide, wide range of depending on what type of drinks you like, there's a big selection of different type of specialty alcohols. So it's not just going to be well style drinks. They have a big range of different brands. And so I think no matter kind of your preferences, there's definitely something for you if you want a alcoholic beverage on the ship. I also think another really unique experience if you are looking to have some alcoholic beverages on your trip is I cannot recommend the alcohol based beverage classes enough so they have one. So for example, I did the mojito class and at the mojito class you actually got to make, I think it was four mojitos and they gave us a bonus one to try, which was a lot of mojitos, but you actually got to make them and then they gave you the shots to kind of mix it in and you got to try them all. And they're sharing a lot of information about the history and why they're made this way and all the other. And so you get to have a fair amount of drinks while also learning about the information they have everything from mojitos to specialty bourbon classes to wine classes. So if you enjoy learning about beverages and also drinking the beverages, those are a really fun option as well. So we've done them, just the two of us we've done with friends and those are a really great time.

Jeff (01:07:12):

And I'll add that depending on what your interests are in bars and things like that, the wish for example has 13 bars on it. So there are things basic like a pool bar where you kind of just hang up by a pool and get your drinks right there. Outside in the weather there are themed bars, so they've got something themed to Tiana's Bayou, they've got the Star Wars bar, they've got a Nightingale's bar, and then they have bars that are really high end that are located in the adult only area. So for instance, on the Wish, there's a bar called the Rose, which is a high end bar, beautiful views, and it's meant for adults only. On the other cruise ships they've got a bar called the Meridian, which is similar to that rose, and it's an adult only bar located by the adult only restaurants for more high-end drinks. And really there's a place or a bar or a drink that will accommodate just about any style that you enjoy and you can find it on each of the ships.

Sarah (01:08:05):

And I will say one last thing is if you would prefer to bring your own alcohol with you, that is also an option. So you're allowed to carry on, I believe, two bottles of wine or champagne and then I believe it might be six beers. The downside is you may not put them in your checked luggage or your bags that they're going to take and bring onto the ship with you. So you do have to carry them onto the ship that day and walk around with them till your room is ready. But we have in the past brought a bottle of wine or a bottle of champagne just to be able to have it on our balcony and open it. So if you are wanting to just have a glass of wine in your room and sit on your balcony and relax that way, that also is an option.

Rachel (01:08:45):

Is it happy hour yet? This all sounds so much fun. I just wish I was drinking champagne on a cruise ship balcony. This sounds amazing. Excellent tips. Any other tips that you want to share with us?

Jeff (01:08:57):

I think those are the main ones. There's I guess some smaller tips that I might want to share. And so if you're looking for entertainment that's not maybe quite as Disney themed, we would recommend a lot of the stuff going on. Like towel folding has nothing to do with Disney trivias, right? They've got eighties trivia, nineties trivia music. They've got just general trivia. They have things that are available like drinking classes, which have nothing to do with Disney. And so there is a lot of non Disney stuff going on. In fact, one of the things I just forgot was they have cooking classes on some cruises where you can go, they have scavenger hunts around the ship, which doesn't necessarily have to do at Disney. So for those who maybe want a little break from the Disney action going on the cruise ships, there's still plenty to do that will kind of take you outside of that direct Disney overload that you might be having.

Sarah (01:09:45):

Yeah, I agree. I think that definitely look at all of the different options that are available. And I will say a lot of the non Disney trivias and activities are really fun. They did a theme song like TV theme songs, and I did not know how terrible I was at TV theme songs until it's impressive what some people can get. But yeah, there's everything from the Disney activities if you want them, but there are a lot of non Disney things and also in some of the bars they will have live performers. So there's a lot of the bars will have a piano where you'll have a pianist come in and they'll be playing music and then they have singers and bands, and so some of those will cover eighties music or other stuff. So isn't only Disney music all the time nonstop. There are other styles of music and type of musics that can be happening in different areas of the ship as

Jeff (01:10:36):

Well. I will say that in all the ships there is a sports bar or sports bar equivalent for those who want to watch a game if you're selling on a Sunday or something like that where you can go in and there's just 5, 6, 7, 8 TVs all playing games. So there isn't also that available, which is obviously non Disney as well for those who want to have not miss maybe something that's going on on a Sunday or something like that.

Rachel (01:11:00):

My husband is going to, again, he's going to lose his mind. I'm going to be like, look at all this fun you've got. Let's see, you can go get a nice shave. You can have a great old fashioned at a hideaway bar. You can still watch the game on Sunday. We can go to a culinary class like this. No matter what type of person you are, you guys have checked every box for every type of person. It's incredible.

Sarah (01:11:19):

So one more tip that we have that I think we weren't aware of the first time we went on a Disney cruise is that if you want to buy any Disney specific merchandise on the ship, the stores are only going to be open when the ship is at sea. So anytime that it's docked at port, the ship will be or the shops will be closed. So just make sure that if you want to get something that you go during those open hours and when they're at sea. So they do have some amazing merchandise. So I definitely think if you enjoy Christmas ornaments or T-shirts or no matter what it is, if you kind of want to commemorate your trip, just make sure, we definitely made that mistake our first Disney cruise and we didn't really think about it. And so just make sure you go and visit those when the ship is away from port.

Rachel (01:12:02):

Good to know. Great tip.

Jeff (01:12:04):

Yeah, and I'll add one more small tip. Sarah kind of mentioned it briefly but didn't go into detail once you talked about maybe getting a couple desserts. One thing that's unique that most people I guess don't really realize is at dinner there is literally no limit to what you can order. So we will oftentimes be like, Hey, that entree looks good and that entree looks good. So you can order as many appetizers, as many entrees, as many desserts as you want. Oftentimes your servers will encourage you to order more than one, and it's no additional cost. Nobody's going to care if you ordered it and didn't care for it. Or maybe there's some dish you haven't tried before and really want to, it's a great way to experience that. Or maybe you're just really hungry and want to get two entrees and two desserts and have a good night. So definitely don't feel guilty about ordering more than one of a certain course for your dinner. It's very standard and I think it's a really cool feature of the Disney cruises.

Sarah (01:12:55):

I also will say that if you're a picky eater or if you just prefer certain things, don't forget to look at the kids' menu because the kids' menu also has some really fun things on it. So I believe at one point, I think Jeff got a corn dog off the kids' menu as an appetizer before his chicken, whatever. So yeah, so just definitely also if you're interested, peek at the kids' menu because they do also have, you can kids, adults, whatever you can order from whatever menu they have available. You can kind of pick whatever you'd like.

Rachel (01:13:26):

How was that corn dog,

Jeff (01:13:27):

Jeff? It was fantastic highlight of my cruise.

Rachel (01:13:32):

That's good to know. Excellent tips.

Jeff (01:13:34):

Just one last quick one would be, if you're an adult on this, don't skip checking out the kids' areas during that open house. Don't think, well, I don't have a kid, or I'm not going to cruise with a kid. I don't care what that areas look like. You should go and explore it even if you just want to walk through quickly. Honestly, I think they're some of the best themed areas on the entire ship, sometimes better than a lot of the adult areas. It's just this effort and the detail that goes into those areas is amazing. So go check 'em out during one of the open houses. It's definitely worth it, even if you're never going to bring a kid onto that cruise.

Rachel (01:14:05):

Yeah, I love that they offer that for adults, obviously, who want to take a peek, but also for parents too, because I know a lot of little ones want to know what they're getting themselves into, so they may want to check it out. I'm not entirely sure. And then they can see what appeals to them and where they want to be and make sure it feels good for later. So excellent tips. Well, that's a wrap on our very first Disney Cruise Line podcast. I personally learned so much today. I can't wait to go research a little bit more and get that cruise booked. I hope that everybody listening learned a ton today too. If you're planning a Disney cruise, we would love to help. We just went over so much information. But don't worry, it's all in the description For easy reference, for even more information about Disney Cruise Line, be sure to check out the Undercover Tourist blog. And when you're ready to book, don't forget that Undercover Tourist offers exclusive savings on Disney Cruise Line sailing. Jeff and Sarah for even more top Disney tips, where can our audience find you?

Jeff (01:15:03):

Yeah, so we are at Dalton Disney pretty much anywhere you'd be looking.

Rachel (01:15:07):

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for being here and thank everybody who's listening for Hopping Along with us. Bye. Happy planning. Thank

Jeff (01:15:14):

You. Thank you so much.

Rachel (01:15:17):

If you enjoyed the Expert Disney Planning Tips podcast, please let us know. And ratings and comments, make sure to visit our site for discounts on theme park tickets, hotels, and more, and follow us on Social at Undercover Tour on YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook and theme park on Instagram.