Disney Diva Tips

Most people are well aware of the basics you need to pack. You need plenty of clothes for swim, sight seeing, recreation, and dinner. Besides all your basic things here are some tips on what to pack for your cruise.

Day Bag: If you are planning to get off the ship in port you might want to bring a backpack or day bag to carry your personal things with you. Make sure you have some way to securely carry your documents and money. You may also want to carry a snack or bottled water depending on the port, weather, and activity. You may be able to use one of your carry on bags but think ahead when you are packing to be sure you have something that will be the right size and easy to carry.

Large Beach Bag: This is highly recommended if you are traveling with a family. I brought our large beach bag by putting it empty on the bottom of my suitcase. It didn't take up that much room but it was great to have on the trip. On board you may need it up at the pool area to carry sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, cover ups,  etc. Towels are provided but you may have to carry around your other gear. I also used my Large Beach Bag at Castaway Cay. It is a decent walk or a tram ride to the beach. In fact there is a lot of beach and areas to go. They provide towels but they are right when you get off the ship. We had to carry everything to the beach. I was glad I had the big beach bag to put everything in.

Snorkel Equipment: If you have a snorkel set you should bring it with you. You can use it at Castaway Cay and there are lots of beautiful fish. We have a set and it saved us some money.

Something to Autograph: Like I explain in DCL Travel Tips you can drop something off at Guest Services to have signed. Pillow cases, sheets, t-shirts, tote bags, hats, postcards, frame matting, in addition to traditional autograph books can be left.


Walkies Talkies: I know that sounds old fashion but when you are out at sea you cannot use your cell phones. Either they won't work or you will incur huge roaming fees. If you have older children or a bunch of adults and you want to be able to communicate on board consider bringing these. That way you can check in on your kids, find out whose still at the pool, or anything else.

Matching Outfits: The cruise line has many talented photographers on board. They don't charge any sitting fees and have a variety of backgrounds to choose from. We took a family picture with an all white background. It came out great. Its not often we are all together and can get a professional family portrait. You are not required to purchase the pictures but you can. We purchased just a single 8x10 and it was $25. That's not bad. They have a lot of other options of sizes and packages if you want more. The key is to plan ahead and be sure to bring coordinating outfits for your family. It will be worth the effort.

Something Warm:  You may be in the Caribbean or some place warm but don't underestimate the power of air conditioning, especially in the dining rooms. They are kept quite cool so that you can enjoy a hot meal but you may feel cold in your sundress. Make sure you bring a sweater for yourself and especially the kids since they may be more sensitive to being cold .

I'd love to hear from you experience DCL travelers. What items do make sure you pack on every cruise? Thanks for sharing your advice.

Don't forget I am a travel agent and I specialize in Disney vacations. You can request a free quote on my travel agent website Magical Memory Planners.  You'll get lots of great tips, personalized planning services and all for FREE. You'll get the same price if you went online and booked it yourself except I will do all the work for you!

Walt Disney World has a great policy (that is not too well known) for families with children that are too small to ride an attraction at Disney World. It is called a "rider switch" or "baby swap". This allows the family to wait once and take turns riding the ride without having to get back in the line and wait a second time. Every ride has a different way of doing this so be sure to ask the ride attendant at the attraction entrance what the procedure is for the "child swap".

Here is an example. In Epcot we wanted to go on Soarin' and there is a height restriction of 40 inches. I had children under that. One of us stayed off with the baby while the others waited in line and went on the ride. We were told to wait in an area by the entrance. When they got off the ride they came back and one of the previous riders waited with the baby and we went on the ride. They sent us through the fastpass line. If you have children who are over the height restriction they can ride twice (once with each parent).

Like I said,  each ride has a different procedure since the layout of every ride is different. Be sure to ask the attendant at the entrance for a "rider switch".

Also, be sure to check out the height restrictions for rides before you go. You don't want to get your kids all excited to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and then find out one of them is too small to ride it. They will be so dissapointed. We always know ahead of time our children's heights and what rides they can or cannot go on. Then we will separate and do something special with the younger kids while an older one rides a big ride. That way the younger ones don't feel like they are missing out. You can find out all the restrictions on height here.

Traveling with infants presents lots of dilemas. One is keeping them occupied on the plane, on line, in a restaurant, or for a while in the stroller.  We just got back from Florida with my 3 kids and this worked great for my 11 month old. It is a toy on a string.

My quart size first aid kit is a must for travel to Disney or anywhere for that matter. You don't want to have to go to first aid for a simple injury. I always carry mine with me in my purse and have used it at the park and other daily activities at home. I thought I would share my idea with you. I call it this because it all fits in a quart size Ziploc bag.

It starts with a Johnson and Johnson travel first aid kit. They cost about a dollar and are in the travel section at stores like Target and Walmart. (You can use the $1 off coupon for any J&J product and get them for free. I have a stash of about 10 that I got for free) The kit contains 2 cleansing wipes, 2 gauze pads, 2 knuckle band aids, and 6 band aids in 2 sizes. This is a great start. I have extra kits in my car, kitchen, purse, etc. Just add a tube of Neosporine and you are good to go.

I then have two types of Neosporine plus pain relief. One is the cream and the other is the spray. The small tube of cream will fit inside the little first aid box. The spray is great for skinned knees.

I also have a tube of kids after bite. This works on bee stings as well as mosquito bites.

A 2oz bottle of hand sanitizer.

Additional band aids I put in the first aid kit box.

Bottle of children's Tylenol meltaways.

A small stick of Neutragena suntan lotion. This is great to use on the face. Just in case I think they need a little on the face, ears, or back of the neck.

A few hair ties (for my daughter and optional)

Unless everything is under 3 oz (I think the Neosporine is 4oz) you cannot take this in your carryon on the airplane. I put it in my suitcase but then move it to my diaperbag or purse when we get there.