122: Disney Cruise Line for First Timers: Ships, Costs, Dining, Navigator App, and Mistakes to Avoid

Thinking about booking your first Disney Cruise Line vacation but not sure where to start? In this episode, I’m breaking down everything I’ve learned so far about Disney cruising for beginners as someone who still considers herself a learning cruiser.

After sailing on the Disney Wish, preparing to sail on the Disney Dream, and already having the Disney Destiny booked for the future, I’ve realized that a Disney cruise is a completely different type of Disney vacation. It still has the characters, incredible entertainment, and storytelling Disney is known for, but the pace, planning, and overall experience feel very different from a theme park trip.

In this episode, I walk through what a Disney cruise actually feels like onboard, and how to approach planning your first sailing without feeling overwhelmed. We talk about the three different Disney Cruise Line ship classes and how to decide which ship may be the best fit for your family depending on itinerary, ship size, and onboard experiences.

I also explain how Disney rotational dining works, what to expect from the casual dining locations, and how the nightly Broadway-style shows and entertainment schedule work onboard. We’ll cover the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app, which becomes your command center during the cruise and helps you track activities, dining schedules, character meet and greets, and daily events happening across the ship.

If you’re wondering about Disney cruise pricing, deposits, and final payment deadlines, we break that down as well. I explain when cruises are typically cheapest, how Disney cruise pricing changes over time, and what additional costs to plan for like gratuities, Port Adventures, and Enchanted Extras.

We also dive into Disney cruise excursions, including when it makes sense to book a Disney Port Adventure versus exploring ports on your own, and how to avoid common first-time cruiser mistakes.

Finally, I share a few lessons we’ve learned so far about what makes cruising with Disney special and why this style of vacation is quickly becoming my husband’s favorite Disney trip. If it were up to him, we’d probably be sailing two or three times a year.

Whether you’re actively planning your first Disney cruise, comparing ships, or simply cruise curious, this episode will give you a clear overview of how Disney Cruise Line works and what first-time cruisers should know before they book.

If you’re looking for Disney cruise planning tips, ship comparisons, cruise costs, and beginner advice, this episode is a great place to start.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Today we are talking about cruising, specifically our upcoming trip on the Disney Dream. Now, let me be honest with you, we are not a cruising family. We are trying to become a cruising family, but until our experience on the Disney Wish, we were like, we're not sure if cruises for us because they were so expensive. But now we have this goal of getting on every cruise ship in the next five years because they are amazing. So here we are, less than two months away, and we are sailing on the dream. And it is officially time to start planning. We also have the destiny book for next year, and we're hoping to maybe sneak a trip on the fantasy this year. So in this episode, I'm gonna be breaking down what you actually need to know as a first timer. Now we are not experts. This is a first timer type of thing, especially if you have never cruised before and you're trying to figure out what you actually need and what you don't need on these ships. We're also gonna talk about what it's like to cruise with a big family because with sailing with six people, we will have two adjoining rooms, which gives us a little more space. So at the end of this episode, I'm hoping that you are either really excited to try a Disney cruise or at least convinced that maybe it's in your future. But either way, we are going to figure this out together.

SPEAKER_00 1:24

Welcome to Well, Hello Magic, the podcast for Disney lovers, busy parents, and anyone who wants a little more magic in everyday life, from the best tips for families to solo travelers going to Disney to real life moments. You're in the right place. Now, here's your host, Jessica.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

So the first question I get asked is why I don't go on cruises that often, and let me just tell you it's expensive. So just put it out there. Cruises are expensive. Yes, there are some cruises that are super cheap and you can get a good deal on, but I feel like when you are traveling to Florida for a cruise, a lot of times those dates don't work. Whereas if you're local and you see a cruise that's like$2,000 for three people, you're more likely to hop on that because that's a great deal. But it's gonna be in the month of September, which is also mid-hurricane season. So for you, it doesn't matter if it gets canceled because you will be at home where I'm traveling from the Northeast to go on this cruise. So I'm gonna try to pick ideal times. So cruises are expensive, especially Disney cruises compared to other cruise lines. The thing about the Disney cruise line that has ruined all other cruises is the white glove service is impeccable. And I didn't quite understand until I went on a Disney cruise what that difference was. And I'm telling you, it's gonna be really hard for me to go back on other cruise lines, especially after experiencing Disney. So let me tell you why I like Disney cruises over the other cruises. And this might be something that actually deters you from Disney cruises. So on the Disney cruise, there's no drink package, and I am not a huge drinker. I like to have a cocktail. I'm a cocktail girl. Like my friends always joke that when they see like a free-fruit drink with like fruit on the side, like that's the kind of drink that I'm having. I'm a Moscato girl, like I like dessert first. And so I'm not like a huge drinker, and my husband isn't either, but my husband is a bourbon man. Like that man loves his different types of bourbon. So getting a drink package is not a big deal to us, and we don't enjoy being around like people who are wasted, like, not like tipsy have fun, a good time, like a couple drinks, like wasted. And sometimes on the cruises, when you have a drink package, you get a lot of those like super wasted people. Also, we love Disney, and we don't just like Disney in terms of like theme park and adventure, because there are some people I know who are theme park Disney people and don't necessarily care about like Disney lore, Disney trivia. They don't care about all the Disney movies, they just love going to Walt Disney World and going to the parks and experiencing that adventure where the Disney ships, one we are one of those families we love adventure, but we love relaxation. So, like a beach vacation is always on the docket for us. You guys saw us in Hilton Head. I mean, there's nothing out there except for like beach and relaxation, and we can't wait to go back. So a cruise gives you that. But the other thing it gives you is Disney, like Disney in raw form, like Disney trivia, which is like so much fun and so hard, honestly. And so then there's bingo, then there's all these little activities all over the ship. And so for someone who like loves Disney movies, loves Disney stage shows, like this is amazing for us because we get to be immersed in all of that, and then the rotational dining is all Disney themed. And so our family really enjoys that. If you're someone who's like, I'm not really a fan of like all the Marvel stuff or Frozen or Lion King, and you're going on this rotational dining, and maybe you don't love that, you know? And so that's another deterrent of why Disney may not be for you. Another comment I got from a girl who was like heavy Royal Caribbean, she was like, I just was shocked by how many kids were on the ship. And I was like, but it's a Disney ship, so of course it's gonna be like packed with kids, and it is because Disney cruises, I still feel like you don't see a lot of adults only sailing, even though like my husband and I did that. It's usually families that are sailing, unlike Carnival, Royal Caribbean that has a lot of families, but it's a lot of families with older kids. There aren't like as many little kids roaming around like the Disney ship. So if that is a deterrent for you, maybe that is a reason not to go on a Disney ship. But again, I also love that. But I am a mom of four with kids ages five to 12. And then I have my niece and nephew who are, you know, just turned one and also four, which are like my other two children. So I'm still very much in the thick of like the little little kidness. And I think even as we get older with the kids' clubs and everything Disney has to offer, I don't see us turning away from cruises. The only deterrent for us, honestly, is price. So as a newer cruiser, I am gonna try to break down Disney cruise line into categories to help you conceptualize what I'm talking about and to kind of break it down like you're planning your park days. But my first question to you is are you even going to like a cruise? Do you like to rest on vacation? Do you enjoy magic outside of the parks? How do you do with downtime? Because you will have downtime. Like I took naps on this cruise. Do you like the beach? Do you like the ocean? Because sometimes, if you don't like those things, you're not gonna enjoy a cruise because it actually gives you the Disney magic with a chance to relax, and not everyone enjoys that. The first thing you need to know if you're a first-time Disney cruiser is what ship are you sailing on? Not all Disney ships are the same, each one has its own theme, its own personality, and even its own layout. Disney Cruise Line also has started grouping their ships into different classes, which means the ships are built around the same time frame and also they have a similar design and similar features. Right now, there are three main classes in Disney Cruise line, with a fourth one emerging now that the adventurer has rolled out. But let's talk about the first three since the adventure actually doesn't take sail for I think a couple more weeks. So the first class is the magic class, which includes the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder. These are the original ships in the fleet, and they have that more classic cruise, what people say marry time feel. They're a little smaller and then the new ships. But let me tell you something about Disney maintenance. You're not gonna realize how old these ships are because the maintenance is impeccable, and I'll talk about that later. But it actually makes this cruise feel more intimate with the smaller ship. It's easier to navigate, especially for first-time cruisers. Right now, these two ships you're gonna find going mostly to Alaska. Then you have the Dream class, which is the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy. They are sister ships, they are a little larger. They also introduce features that are the like the aqueduct, the water coaster, and expanded kid spaces. So these ships feel a little bit more modern with their dining and entertainment options than the original ships. I have heard these interior rooms are the only interior rooms that do the live streaming of the water. So I was asking people who cruise a lot, what ship can I do an interior room on? And they told me that it was only gonna be the dream and the fantasy because their porthole is actual water and it makes it feel less claustrophobic. So just keep that in mind as well. And then we have the newest class of ships. I keep researching this. I call it the Wish Class, but it's also called the Triton class. So I'm not as sure what the official language is for Disney because I cannot find it. But this includes the Disney Wish, the Disney Treasure, and the Disney Destiny. And these ships are very story driven. So this is like the next level. So you're no longer just cruising on a ship, you're gonna be immersed in some kind of storytelling. Disney leaned very heavily into immersive storytelling throughout these ships. I want to say that the success in terms of emotional pool of this galactic star cruiser is probably what had them lean heavily into this. I've heard from people who've been on the Destiny that so many things from the Galactic Star Cruiser are now on the Disney Destiny in terms of storytelling. And for those who don't know, the Galactic Star Cruiser was an immersive Star Wars experience that was a land cruise. It wasn't marketed that way. It was marketed as a Star Wars hotel. So it was a huge flop in terms of marketing. But as someone who got to experience it, it is one of the best Disney experiences. No, it is the best Disney experience I have ever had and will ever have in my life because we'll never be able to recreate something at that level. But I have heard elements are on the Disney destiny, so I'm really excited about that. These ships have a lot of different characters that you're not gonna find on the other ship. They're inspired by the movies, the different worlds throughout the dining experiences, the lounges, and even the stateroom hallways. You see all the storytelling continue throughout these ships. Because of this, the ship you choose can really shape your cruise experience. So some ships are gonna feel more classic Disney, some are gonna feel more modern and high energy. And then, like I said, the new ships, you're gonna be stepping into storytelling. So when you're planning your first cruise, you just have to do the research on each ship and each location. Now, the dream and the wish class are mostly going to be your European and Caribbean cruises. So you have a lot of opportunities and they rotate. Like the Wish is usually out of Port Canaveral, but it's going over to Europe next summer. So you really get a chance to do all of these ships just depending on what time of year. And, you know, I'm really sad because Disney used to port out of New York. So I'm hoping they have a goal of having, I think, 13 ships by 2031. So hopefully we'll get that New York port back going to Bermuda because then I would cruise a lot more. So the first thing we're gonna talk about is state rooms on the ship. So we've talked about what ship you're going on, and then this now we need to talk about the state rooms. So your state room is your home base on your ship, and there are a variety of ship or rooms that you can choose. So you're gonna have your interior rooms, which means they are the interior pieces of the ship. A lot of times they have like a fake port window in them. And like I said, the fantasy and the dream are the only two that have the live stream port windows that make you feel like you are outside. So I'm thinking maybe I could do that. Now I've heard that they are very dark. You get the best sleep ever, but it also can feel very claustrophobic. The one benefit of having a family of six is you're never gonna see us in one room. Disney does not have that option available unless you're doing a suite, which they're like$20,000. So you're just not gonna see it, people. But so we will always have two rooms. So if we have two interior rooms, it might make it a little bit better because we have a little bit more space and they would be connecting. And maybe on the Dream and Fantasy, where it's a live stream of the porthole, it wouldn't feel as claustrophobic, but I'm a little nervous to try those. Maybe once I've conquered all the ships, I can try that. Then you have your ocean view room. This is a room that my sister will be using when we go because she is two little kids and she is very nervous about having the balcony. The ocean view room also gives you a little bit more space because you don't have the veranda, so you have that like bump out space, and you have a giant porthole window where you can see the ocean. So that is really nice to still be able to visibly see the ocean, have the extra space from not having the veranda, and you're not worried about any doors opening, especially when your kids are super little and hers are very little. And one has an affinity for water, just loves water so much. So she's like, I need to trap that child in my room. Then you have the veranda rooms. The veranda rooms come in three, four, or five sleepers. We are a family of six, so more than likely you will see us in a three or four sleeper because we'll have connecting rooms. The rooms that sleep five people are more expensive, so just keep that in mind. But it's perfect if you have a family of five because then you don't have to get two rooms, which ramps up the cost, which we'll talk about cost at the end. And so then there's the concierge level rooms, which are the veranda state rooms that are concierge level, and then you also have a suite on every ship that's like$20,000 and it's always themed around something. I just saw the new adventure one. It is an Elsa suite, which is amazing. But those are gonna be your level of rooms. Most people are gonna stay in the interior ocean or veranda type of room. We've only done veranda, we're doing veranda on the dream, we're doing veranda on the destiny. That is the room we're choosing right now to get on all of the ships, and then maybe once we've been on all the ships, we can start trying other rooms. My sister will be doing Ocean View on the Destiny, so I'll be able to give you some insight on that. Once you have your ship figured out, then you have your state room figured out. The next thing you're gonna be choosing is your dining. So there's a thing called rotational dining on Disney cruise lines, and most cruise lines have a rotational dining. This is where you are going to eat dinner every night with your family. On Disney Cruise Line, most of these rotational dinings are themed in some capacity. Once you get to the wish class ships, they start turning into dinner shows on some of the nights. There are two dining times. There is 5:45 and 8.15. And there is no universally best time to dine. You really need to base it on your internal clock. So, for instance, my good friend is coming with us on the Disney Destiny, but they are coming from California. So they are gonna do the 8.15 dining time, which is what my husband and I would do if it was just the two of us. But we are on the East Coast. So 8:15 is super late for dinner for my kids. So we are doing the 545 dining time because we'll eat and then we'll go see our Broadway show, where she will see her Broadway show first and then go eat because that 8.15 time is closer to 5.15 for her family. And sometimes that's just how it works, especially if you're traveling with friends and they're coming from the opposite coast. So we'll make sure we connect during the day. But when it comes to the evenings, we're gonna go in different directions. The great thing about rotational dining is your server follows you to all your dining. So it is wild because by the end of the trip or even by the second day, like your drinks, your requests, everything is on the table by the time that you get there. They help with the kids. They are just so exceptional. And so we love rotational dining. When we are cruising with our family, we will really try not to miss any rotational dining. Sometimes we opt it out when we cruise as adults, just the two of us to go to some of the specialty dining that you can reserve and pay for. But rotational dining is included in that total cruise cost. Then, of course, you have all of your casual dining options. On The Wish, it's called Marcelain Market. Same thing on the treasure, on the Disney Wonder, it's also called that. On the Magic, Fantasy and Dream, it's called Cabanas. I think it's called Marcelaine Market on the Destiny as well. And I don't know the name yet on The Adventure, but that's your quick service. You will be able to go there for breakfast, lunch. It's open a lot, and that's where you also can get some soft serve ice cream, one of the places. Then on the islands, there's also quick service that's available there as well. And there is room service available to your room. So there's food all the time. You can always have a stash of Mickey bars, Mickey ice cream, and soft serve. And the buffet is really good. I enjoyed it. There's always so many things to eat there. And then they also have churro waffles. I think it's like the last morning that that's there. So there is a quick service option there. Everyone loves the chicken fingers. It's like a big joke that you always have to get the chicken fingers on the cruise. So that would be your quick service outside of your rotational dining. Then when it comes to Disney Cruise entertainment and shows, there is so much. So these Broadway style shows are truly spectacular. So you definitely at least want to catch one of them. We did not get both of them, but we did get one and it was amazing. I'm just gonna run through the list real quick. On the Disney Magic, it's Tangled the Musical, Twice Charmed, an original twist on the Cinderella story, and Disney Dreams and Enchanted Classic. On The Wonder, it's a frozen, a musical spectacular, Disney Dreams and Enchanted Classic and the Golden Mickeys. On The Dream, it's Beauty and the Beast, Disney's Believe and the Golden Mickeys. On The Fantasy, it's Aladdin and Musical Spectacular. Disney's Believe and a Frozen, Frozen, a Musical Spectacular. Obviously, Frozen is very popular. On The Wish, there's The Little Mermaid, which we saw, which was amazing. Disney Sees Adventure and Aladdin and Musical Spectacular, which we saw that too, and that was amazing. Then on the treasure, there is Disney Sees the Adventure, Beauty and the Beast, and Moana. Then on The Destiny, there is a Frozen, a Musical Spectacular, Disney Seas Adventure, and Hercules, which I have heard is just phenomenal. So those shows are happening on various nights. Pick the one that you want to see, and then just make sure that you make time to see it. Because what ended up conflicting with us is we wanted to go do things like bingo and trivia. And so you got to pick. So just make sure you don't pick to do those things on the show night you want to see. So we've covered the basics. You basically know how to choose your ship. You know how to decide what stateroom you're going to pick. We've gone over rotational dining and we've talked about casual dining on the ships. Then we've talked about the entertainment. Those are the big things that are on the ship that are like, okay, you got to eat, you got to sleep, and you want to catch one of these Broadway productions. Now, everything else I'm going to talk about is like optional, fun things. But the one tool that I need to talk about before we move on to the fun stuff is something that is your home base when it comes to Disney Cruise, and that is Disney Cruise Line Navigator. It is an app on your phone, just like my Disney experience or the Disneyland app. If you're new to cruising with Disney, this app is going to be one of the most important things you download before you sail. So when I, before I purchased my first cruise, I went ahead and downloaded it. The Navigator app is essentially your daily guide to everything happening on the ship. Once you connect to the ship's Wi-Fi on board, it unlocks all of the show schedule, the characters, your dining rotation times, trivia, kids' clubs, and so much more. It basically will show you what is going on on the ship all the time. Think of it as a cruise version of My Disney experience in the park, but I think it's a little bit better because it's like showing you what's going on right now. So instead of carrying around like a paper schedule, you have your phone. So again, you need a, you know, sometimes you need an external charger for it. But each day your cruise has a full schedule and the app lets you know what activities are going on by time, by location, or category. You can choose. If you're seeing something you want to do, you can tap on it and it puts a little heart icon. And it saves it to your favorites. That way the app can build you like a personalized schedule and keep track of everything for you so that you don't feel overwhelmed. The navigator also holds a lot of your important cruise information. It includes your dining rotation schedule, the restaurant you're assigned to each night, show times, port arrival, and departures, and it reminds you of special events that are happening on the ship. And another thing that's really helpful on it, at least for me, is the ship map because I don't know these ships yet. So it's not like navigating the parks for me. Ships can be confusing, even though they have little tricks like in the carpet, but I still don't know what like aft and port or whatever Starburg side is. So I still need that map to show me how to get around. And it also gives you, let's you see important announcements and updates from the cruise director. If weather changes or an activity changes, you're gonna see that in your navigator app. So I definitely recommend that you download this before you even start cruising. You can play with it at home, and it is just your command center for the cruise. Okay, so let me kind of go through these things that are on the ship that are like the fun stuff. So there's a ton of adult areas. The older ships have neighborhoods where they're like adult neighborhoods. I think it's the magic, the wonder, and dream and fantasy have actual neighborhoods. The Wish class ships or the Triton class ships, they don't have neighborhoods. They have little pockets in different places. So that's why it said like some of the original Disney cruisers didn't like the new ship because it was all spaced out. It wasn't in a neighborhood. But there's a lot of like adult-only spaces, and there's adult-only dining experiences, which are Palo and I think it said Enchante. Those are adult only. So you can plan to do those things. And even if you have kids, your kids could be in the kids' club while you were at one of those adult-only dining experiences. You just need a reservation for those two. But the other ones are lounges and bars. So there is a lot for adults to do. They even have like an adult-only trivia one of the days. And so you just have to look for those in the navigator. My husband and I went on the cruise by ourselves and we had like a blast. Then, of course, there's enchanted extras on the cruise ship. So you have like your Bippity Bobity Boutique. There is a spa that is on the ship. Then there are like onboard experiences. My husband is already scheduled for the bourbon tasting at Hooks Barbery. So, like I said, he's a bourbon man, and so that is like a really fun experience for him. And you know, Disney's gonna pull out all the best bourbon. So there's a lot of like port, port activities that you can do. There's lots of stuff to do on the ship. We are actually not planning on getting off the ship at Nassau, and we're just gonna do all the fun stuff, which I will talk about. This podcast is getting a little long, so I might do a separate podcast just on the Disney dream planning, but we are planning on staying on the ship so we can do activities on the ship and it doesn't interfere with our daily stuff that we like to do, and then we're just gonna get off at Lookout Key. So then, of course, there's the Disney Cruise port excursions. I am too nervous to use a company outside of Disney right now. Yes, Disney is more expensive, but it gives me a peace of mind using Disney for any excursion because you know, like if they are running late, that they will wait for you. But if you are choosing to do an excursion that is not Disney one, make sure your return time is well before your departure time. I would say at least two hours before your departure time in case something happens. You also want to make sure it is a very reputable company that is well reviewed. We don't need you disappearing on your cruise. So you want to make sure that the company is licensed and insured. Do all the research on it. Just don't go for the cheapest one. It's never worth the cheapest one just for the experience. So just keep that in mind when you're picking port adventures, if that's something that you're interested in. We also, you can also rent cabanas and those kind of things. We think we're gonna rent a cabana when we do the Disney Destiny, but we're not doing one for the dream, or if we get on the fantasy this year, we wouldn't do that either. The Destiny, we're gonna do it because we're gonna have such a big group. Then, of course, there's a lot of onboard spaces and activities. I've already talked a lot about trivia and bingo because those are things we like to do, but there are walking and jogging tracks, the kids' clubs, which I haven't even dived into, but there's a lot to do on board. You are never gonna be bored on a Disney Cruise ship. They even have a movie theater which will always play the newest movies that are out in theater. I'm an example I give, we were on The Wish when Deadpool Wolverine came out. We would never see that movie because we have kids. And so if we're going to the movies, we're usually going as a family. And so my husband was able to go and watch it in the theaters while it was out in theater, and I was able to take a nap. So things like that are available on the ship, which are just awesome for Disney people. So, how do you decide which cruise ship is best for your family? Honestly, I don't think that there is a bad cruise ship out of all of them. So for me, it's always going to be budget and time of year first and where the itinerary is going and if they're places I want to go. And then from there, I can build a trip on any of these ships. Obviously, the newer ships you always are trying to get on because they are promoting them and they're new and they're shiny. But I am excited to get on all of them. So these are the four questions that I would ask you as someone who was going. Where do you want to go? Are you looking for a tropical adventure, Alaskan tour? You want to go to Europe? And now, do you want to do an at-sea cruise in Asia? How long do you want to sell? Disney has three, four, five, seven night, then I think it's like 13 and 15 night itineraries when it gets over to Europe. What port is the easiest for you? I do believe that there is about like 12 or 13 different ports. I don't know off the top of my head, but they have a ton of ports. But of course, their own Disney port is Port Canaveral, which is about two hours from Walt Disney World. And then, of course, budget. And budget is the biggest factor for us because we have six people. And so let me wrap this up with talking about the cost and payment. So the way that cruises work in general, this is not just Disney. The first two people in the cabin, or even if there's one person sailing alone, you will pay the base price for the cabin. So if Disney has decided the base price of the cabin is$2,000 or$2,200, that is the cost for two people. Then as you add subsequent people, it's only like three to six hundred dollars to add those people on because you've already paid for the base cabin, a base price of the cabin. Now, if this is a seven-day sailing on like the treasure, the base of that cabin may be$6,000. And then as we add on more children, it may end up being maybe$8,000 at the end of it. So adding people to the room is not where the cost is. It's the initial cost of just booking the cabin because you're being charged for two people no matter what. So single cruisers, you can still go on it, but you're still gonna pay that base price for two people. Disney has been running a lot of deals lately where you get to put a 10% deposit instead of a 20% deposit. And then depending on the sailing, your payment is due 90 to 120 days before departure. And then when you do get on the ship, for the most part, you don't need money, but you still need to budget it for enchanted extras that you're doing or also gratuities. So there's a spot where you add gratuities, but we also take on cash and they will give you these white envelopes to give personal gratuities to your servers and the your housekeeping, and you will want to do that. So don't forget that you're going to need that extra cash and you determine how much cash you want to give them. Most of the time, the service is so excellent. We give them about$50 more in the white envelopes and on top of the gratuity we already have given them. So the gratuities that you can add on to your bill are typically around$14.50 to$16 per day. And then the white envelopes, they're nice because we write a little note on them and we hand it directly to them. And you know, like that's the cash that they are getting directly from you. So it's just a nice little touch. And honestly, the service is so amazing that you'll want to do that. So just remember you still need a little bit of cash. I always call it Disney Cash, right? So anytime I'm going to Walt Disney World, I have Disney Cash to tip the Bellmen and everyone who helps take care of you or runs things to your room. Same thing you're gonna do on a Disney cruise line, have a little Disney cash so that you can tip everyone at the end. It's such a special day leaving, and they're just so sweet. And you know that they do this for everyone. Like you are not special. Like they're about to do this again to a whole nother crew that's getting on the ship, but they really go out of their way to make you feel so special. Okay, so let me wrap up with some first time Disney mistakes, and then I will have a separate podcast and I will drop it the same day over where I am in planning on the dream because I don't like to have hour-long podcasts unless it's a guest. So here are some first-time mistakes. So, one, assuming that cruising feels like the parks, I've already talked about this. Ask yourself those questions in the beginning to see if you're actually going to enjoy Disney cruise because you might not. And it's a lot of money to go on a trip like this and not enjoy it. It doesn't feel like the parks, it feels totally different than the parks, but it's so amazing. Waiting to book your cruise, hoping for a discount, that's not how Disney works with the cruise ships. Your cheapest price is always going to be when it first releases. So if you can, when the itineraries get it announced, you have about 30 to 45 days before they start incrementally raising the price. That release date or when it releases, it is going to be the cheapest it's ever going to be. So go ahead and book it. You can always move it if you need to, but go ahead and book it. Then when it hits the eight weeks before the 120 days, there is another, there's usually military rates available for military families of the unsold cabins. Every once in a while, Disney will do a 20% discount on the rates if they are having a hard time selling out a ship or have a lot of empty state rooms. They will do that, but that is very rare. They're doing that this year for some limited wish cruisings. But don't wait because you think you're gonna get a discount because you're not. The best time to book it is when it comes out. That's why, you know, we booked the Disney Destiny for May of 27, and you might be thinking, like, whoa, like that is so far in advance. But in reality, that's the cheapest price it's gonna be, and it gives us enough time to pay it over time because for two rooms on the Destiny for a four-night sailing, it's like nine grand, which is so expensive. So we need the 18 months basically to pay down that bill. Then don't wait too long to do online check-in. I'm just about to hit that window. It's usually 30 to 40 days, depending on your castaway status. Obviously, if you're a first-time cruiser, you don't have status. So just make sure you check in on time because that affects your port arrival time when you can get on the ship. So keep that in mind. Overbooking enchanted extras is very easy to do because there's so much fun stuff, but you have to remember the cruise is so busy already. You don't want to overload yourself with enchanted extras, but you want to do a couple of those fun things. Your itinerary length is more important than the size of the ship. And I know that sounds crazy, but you will not be bored on a Disney cruise. You're not going to get everything done on a Disney cruise. It is just like the parks. You have so many things going on. So you build a vacation that you want to enjoy, and you don't build one based on like trying to get everything done on that cruise ship because you won't. People wouldn't continuously cruise on the same ships. I mean, Disney only has six ships, and people are still cruising on them over and over again. So you have to look at the itinerary, see the things that you want to do. And if that's something you're interested in, that's why you cruise on that ship. Do not go on thinking like we're gonna conquer everything because a Disney cruise is so relaxing. I mean, I think it's being on the water and just seeing it outside of your room and you know, the stops and all that stuff. You're just kind of like, oh, I just am kicking back. And I slept, sat on the veranda, had coffee, read books more than I thought I was going to. I thought I was gonna be an active participant and get all this content for you guys because I didn't have my kids. Yeah, no, I didn't even put makeup on. Like I was so relaxed, I didn't put makeup on. This time I will put makeup on because I was like, well, I should have dressed up for some of the dinners. But I was so relaxed. I was like a noodle. I couldn't do anything. It was so great. But look at the itinerary versus the length, and just know there is no length on any of the ships unless you're doing like a 15-day sailing that you're gonna get everything done. Because Disney does that intentionally, because either you'll have really cool stops that you'll want to get off at off the ship, or they'll just, it's just a bigger ship, like the wish class ships that has something going on all the time. And then the final mistake I like to bring up is not using your navigator app enough. Your navigator app is a tool to help you really lean into it and use it. It is there to make your trip a lot easier. So play with it at home, get familiar with it, and then use it on the ship. You'll be so happy that you did. I hope this helps anyone that is on the fence about cruising, and then you can listen to the next podcast, which tells you where I am and planning on the Disney dream for my family and things that I'm buying to hopefully make my cruise run a little bit smoother. I know you have so many podcasts that you can listen to when it comes to Disney. So I'm always grateful for the time that you are spending with me. And I hope you have a magical rest of your day, everyone.