Disney Cruise Line Tip Archive

Imagine a New York-style coffee house with music, large screen TV, a lounge area, coffee bar and atmosphere to spare. It's called Common Grounds and teens, ages 13-17, from around the world gather there because it is their place to gather. Now, put it onboard the worlds most magical ship, add some extra-special shipboard programs in photography, movie making, improv, poetry and all kinds of group fun and you've got something truly extraordinary: a chance for your teenager to have a vacation every bit as wonderful as yours!

On Disney's Castaway Cay there's the team challenge of actually designing, building and racing a (hopefully) seaworthy vessel. Plus, beach events, sand soccer and more including the "Wild Side," a special adventure where they can snorkel, bike and kayak through remote parts of Disney's pristine island.

Tip: Remember parents - Common Grounds is for teens only! This means NO Adults, and no little kids! It's off-limits! This is sure to make this area and, and your teens Disney cruise experience special and memorable!

Kids Activities

As you might imagine, on board the Disney Magic or Disney Wonder there are a wide array of activities that will amaze and entertain your children for the entire voyage.

There is almost an entire deck devoted to children with over 50 fun-loving and highly-trained Disney counselors. That's more than any other ship afloat!

When you first sign your kids up, you pick a password that only you know. Your child is then given a wrist band that identifies them, and allows the Disney cast to know who is in the program and who is with Mom or Dad. When you drop your child off, they log them in, and only you can pick them up, because you must know the password to pick up. You are also given a pager that is good through the entire ship, Castaway Cay, and parts of Nassau. This way if your child wishes to be picked up, or the cast needs to reach you, they just page you with a message. Disney takes child care and security very seriously.

Disney's Oceaneer's Club is designed for 3-8 year olds. When you check your kids in you will be delighted with the thoughtfulness that has gone into the layout of this area. It is designed to look like Captain Hook's ship, complete with cannons that have sound effects, crow's nests for lookouts, and ceilings pained with Disney characters as star constellations. There are costume rooms for character dress ups, story times, and yes, you can count on some character "drop-bys"!

Disney's Oceaneer's Lab is for 9-12 year olds. It is themed with Toy Story characters all around. More high-tech in atmosphere and surroundings, there are planned activities and events throughout the day to ensure that your kids will enjoy their vacation as much as you do. In the lab there is a large round table with many computers labs set up with a variety of activities and programs to entertain the kids. A life-size Buzz character is in the center of this station to welcome and challenge all. There are also adventures with microscopes, lab experiments, and group explorations taking place throughout the day.

The Disney Cruise Line kids programs are wonderfully designed to ensure that your kids can join in the fun for as long as they like. In fact, convincing them to leave is about the only thing you'll have to worry about!

This weeks Tip: On embarkation (arrival on the ship) day, once you are settled into your stateroom, take the kids to visit the clubs. Particularly if they are small, or take some time getting used to new surroundings. This way, you can register them for the programs and they can get a feel for the new surroundings and counselors. So when you bring them back so you can enjoy a Mom-Dad only dinner, or an after dinner show, the kids are ready to get into the program, and you don't feel like you are just dumping them off!

Night Time Adult Entertainment

Picture this: You've just had a great dinner at a wonderful Disney restaurant, or enjoyed a spectacular Broadway type show in the Walt Disney Theater. The nights still young, so it's time to club hop Disney style! But you don't have to find a parking space or even find transportation to Downtown Disney. You're on board the Disney Magic or Wonder, and you are only steps away from Dancing, Music and Comedy.

One of the most distinctive differences between the Magic and Wonder, are the two unique nighttime entertainment districts designed exclusively for adults. The Magic has Beat Street, the Wonder has Route 66.

Beat Street has Rockin' Bar D, a top 40's tunes and dancing establishment. Great live bands alternate nightly between rock and country music. Off Beat, is an improvisational comedy club featuring the hysterical antics of a professional improv team. There is also Sessions, a relaxing piano lounge where you can order a drink or cordial and enjoy the live music or find a quiet seat with a view through the huge portholes to the Caribbean. You can also listen to private music on headphones selected by you from Bach to the Beastie Boys.

Route 66 has Wave Bands, featuring dancing to the best tunes from yesterday and today. Barrel of Laughs is the Wonders comedy pub featuring top comedians and cutting edge improv. For an evening of soft music and tail fins, there is Cadillac's. This is my personal favorite! The back of the bar is a huge yester-year style Cadillac front end, and the edge of the lounge along the portholes features chairs complete with Cadillac fins on them. Great piano music combined with good wines and cordials put a great night cap on a Wonderful evening!

As you can see, aboard the Disney Cruise Line, there is lots to do from morning till late night!

And best of all, our tip for this week, even if you have kids on your Disney Cruise Line vacation you can still enjoy all the night-time activities because the Kids Clubs on board offer children's activities till midnight!

It's ShowTime!
In the beautiful Walt Disney theatre aboard the Disney Wonder and Disney Magic, some of the best theatrical performances Disney has ever undertaken are performed live, center stage!

Disney has spared no expense creating one of the most magnificent musical theatres afloat or ashore. The grandeur and luxury are evident from the moment you enter. Comfortable seating, spectacular light and sound, and a state of the art stage capable of creating the most dazzling special effects are unparalleled.

Disney spends as much developing one presentation as some cruise lines spend on their entire seasons line up. "Voyage of the Ghost Ship" is a brand-new Disney tale complete with a swashbuckling hero, a beautiful princess, an evil pirate villain, and a boatload of eye-popping special effects. "Hercules-A Muse-ical Comedy," has a hilarious twist from the original Disney film based on the premise that some of the cast missed the ship, and the show must go on. Finally "Disney Dreams" is pure Disney magic, Michael Eisner has been quoted that "Disney Dreams" "should be on Broadway", keep watching, who knows! In this tale Peter Pan leads the central character through an evening of music and magic from Disney animated classics. There is wonderful excerpt from the "Legend of the Lion King", and for the finale Mickey and Minnie make an appearance, it's definitely not to be missed.

The wonderful Broadway style entertainment is just another ingredient in the Disney difference. Disney's talent and commitment to quality entertainment make cruising aboard Disney pure Magic!

Tip:
Don't forget to stop by Preludes bar just outside either entry to the theatre for a drink, glass of wine, or some other refreshment before entering the theatre for the nightly show. Drinks are allowed, and the seats even have drink holders in the armrests!

Disney Cruise Line Dining Experience

On board Disney's two magnificent cruise ships the Wonder and the Magic, you will find a variety of truly unforgettable dining experiences.

With most cruise lines you are seated in the same dining room for the duration of your cruise. Part of the Disney difference is rotating along with your wait staff to one of three uniquely themed restaurants each night of your cruise.

When you enter Animator's Palate, the place settings, cast costumes, even the walls are black and white. As the meal progresses each course brings new colors to the room as Disney animated films appear on the walls through the magic of fiber optics.

Parrot Cay has an island flavor all it's own. The décor is festive with colors and sounds of the Caribbean.

For fine dining, Lumière's aboard the Magic offers an elegant atmosphere complete with a mural of the ballroom scene from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Try the sea bass, it's exceptional!

The Wonder has Triton's. You can't miss it, it's the only restaurant with the full size statue of the Little Mermaid in front! Elegant surroundings combine with exceptional sea food.

Palo is the adults-only alternative restaurant. Located top-side, aft (rear) of the ship, there is a spectacular 270° view of the Caribbean. The cuisine is northern Italian, and prepared especially for your arrival. Reservations are required, and since Palo is not part of the regular rotation there is a $5 per person cover charge.

There is also Topsider's buffet on the Magic and Beach Blanket Buffet on the Wonder. Pinocchio's Pizzeria, Pluto's Dog House, and Scoops Ice Cream Parlor round out the Disney Cruise Line dining experience. Oh yeah, did we mention 24 hour in room dining? On Disney every evening is a Wonderful and Magical dining experience!

Disney's Private Island, Castaway Cay

One of the stops of the Disney Magic and her sister ship the Wonder is Disney's own private island, Castaway Cay.

The 1,000-acre Bahamian Island is inhabited only by Disney cast members, and visited only by the passengers of Disney's luxurious cruise ships. Here, the ship docks right at the island allowing you to walk directly ashore to an oasis of fun and relaxation. This is a big benefit over most cruise lines, because if the seas are rough the tenders can't take you to the island. Also, at the end of your day, you simply walk right on the ship, no waiting!

You can enjoy the clear, turquoise waters on your choice of separate white sand beaches; one for families and kids, and Serenity Bay, a secluded beach just for adults. There is bicycling, kayaks, sailboats and a range of other activities to fill your day. After a bountiful barbecue lunch, you can head over to the cabanas for an open-air massage next to the shimmering ocean. Disney brings the ships' spa ashore to you!

The kids' activities go ashore also on Castaway Cay. In Scuttles Cove, the counselors instruct in a search for Whalebones and Sharks teeth. There are also beach events, shore excursions, sand soccer and more.