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What to Know About Disneyland's 100 Years of Wonder Celebrations in 2023

By Megan duBois

In 1923, the Walt Disney Company, then known as Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, was founded. In the almost 100 years since the company’s founding, it’s expanded to be a global empire with parks and resorts around the world, five  cruise ships—with three more on the way—and a handful of movie studios under its umbrella. 

Starting January 27, 2023, those  traveling to the Disneyland Resort can experience the destination in a whole new way as it becomes the heart of the Disney 100 Years of Wonder celebration (Disney100), a Disney-wide celebration highlighting the past, present, and future of the brand. If you’re going to the Disneyland Resort after the festivities kick off, this is what you can expect. 

An all-new Mickey’s Toontown is coming

One of the most beloved areas of Disneyland Park is Mickey’s Toontown . While the majority of the theme park land won’t reopen for guests until spring 2023, the new Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway attraction located inside Mickey’s Toontown will open on January 27, just in time for the start of Disney100. 

The family-friendly attraction is similar to the ride of the same name at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios. On the ride, guests hop aboard a train driven by Goofy and get taken into the cartoon world of Mickey Mouse and his pals, only to have a few hijinks ensue. One of the most significant changes to the Disneyland version of the attraction will be the queue—instead of highlighting different Mickey Mouse cartoons, it will be a tribute to the famous mouse with props and other memorabilia from his illustrious career.

While in the queue, be on the lookout for movie posters that feature Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Max, and more as the stars of other iconic Disney movies like "Goofy Friday," a take on  Freaky Friday , and "High School Goofical 3: Senior Year," which is a riff on the  High School Musical franchise film. As guests get closer to the pre-show of the attraction, there is a concession stand with fun nods to Disney characters, like Powerline-themed candy called Power Limes, and popcorn that's in the shape of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, as well as Donald Duck.

After riding on Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, families can enjoy some downtime in a new grassy area located near the attraction. This is a nice shady spot for munching on snacks or letting kids get some energy out by running around with other children. 

The rest of Mickey’s Toontown will reopen on March 8, 2023. The reimagined space will be a great area of the park will be a great spot for families with younger kids to play together. One major addition will be CenTOONial Park, where there will be two interactive play experiences, one of which is a water table for a sensory experience and the other is the dreaming tree where kids can crawl and explore. 

Near Goofy’s home is Goofy’s How-To-Play Yard, where there’s a sound garden and a new clubhouse. Inside Goofy’s house, there’s an interactive confectionary machine that looks like something out of a cartoon. And just outside is Donald Duck’s Boat, where children can run around and get some energy out in an all-new splash pad area.

When Toontown reopens, there will be two new eateries: Cafe Daisy, which will serve diner classics at a sidewalk table eatery, and a grab-and-go stand called the Toontown Farmers Market at Good Boy! Grocers. Though not much is known about it yet, there will also be a new family-friendly attraction called Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster inside the land. Of course, you’ll still be able to meet Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse inside their homes after a quick tour. And Disney fans will be glad to know that Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin will also be reopening.

Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Pals Debut New Platinum Looks

New nighttime entertainment

Ending the night with fireworks is one of our favorite ways to enjoy a few final moments at Disneyland, and two new nighttime spectaculars are set to light up the sky. When Disney100 kicks off, so will a new nighttime spectacular called “Wondrous Journeys.” The show will feature nods to every Walt Disney Animation Studios film to date, and a heartwarming new song, “ It’s Wondrous .” 

Guests will see Baymax from  Big Hero 6 and the Blue Fairy from  Pinocchio  fly across the sky above Sleeping Beauty Castle during the show. 

Along with the new theme song and flying characters, the show will feature new renditions of popular Disney songs from the movies that are featured in the show. "We found 16 songs to tell our story that are woven throughout the show," says Tricia Holloway, global head of music for Walt Disney Imagineering. The songs use newly recorded vocals just for the show, and a large orchestra of over 80 musicians to enhance the already popular lyrics for "Wondrous Journeys." 

No matter where guests stand around Main Street, U.S.A., Sleeping Beauty Castle—at the facade of “it’s a small world,” or the Rivers of America—they will be surrounded by state-of-the-art projection effects that bring famous Disney characters to life. 

Jessica Puckett

María Casbas

CNT Editors

"Every time you come, you can see something different depending on where you're standing, so it's really one of those shows that you want to come back and see again and again to find that thing that you saw on one place that you didn't see on another," says Holloway. According to Walt Disney Imagineering, the storyline and the music is the same no matter where you watch the show, but what is projected on the facades of buildings is different. 

"From day one, we were able to plan for all four of those projection areas, which made it more complicated, but also gave us the opportunity to say 'We don't have to get all 61 movies on the castle because we also have Main Street, we also have ["it's a small world"]," says Roger Gould, creative director, Walt Disney Animation Studios. "I would say if you really just want to lean into the story "it's a small world" is fantastic, and Rivers of America is also beautiful and [has] the best audio." 

Most nights the show will just be projections and music, but on select nights (mostly weekends) the show will also include fireworks. 

Across the Esplanade at Disney California Adventure, “World of Color—One” will highlight the storytelling legacy of Walt Disney. The show will tell an entirely new story that will show off courageous and inspiring Disney characters, with the show’s concept art displaying characters like Mirabel from  Encanto , Mufasa and Simba from  The Lion King , and Miguel from  Coco . With the new show comes a new original song, “Start a Wave.” 

What's most impressive about World of Color—One is the soundscape that literally puts viewers in the middle of the action. "We can send any sound to any speaker in our entire rig, which is in 5.1 surround [sound]," says KC Wilderson, principal media designer. During a scene featuring Mulan, there is a thunderous noise that sweeps across the viewing area for the show, which goes along with the avalanche scene from the film, allowing guests to feel the intensity of the moment. "There are all of these different audio 'Easter eggs' depending on where you are watching the show," he explains.

Starting February 24, the daytime parade, “Magic Happens,” will glide down Main Street, U.S.A. again. The parade was only shown for a few days before Disneyland closed due to the pandemic, so guests are clamoring to see the parade again. Of course, no celebration is complete without new party outfits. When Disney100 launches, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and all their pals will don new platinum-inspired costumes.

A Disneyland 100 Years of Wonder Spirit Jersey

New merchandise and Sleeping Beauty Castle decorations

There’s nothing like seeing Sleeping Beauty Castle for the first time on a trip to Disneyland. During Disney100, the castle is getting some shimmering decor featuring the three Good Fairies and their pixie dust from  Sleeping Beauty . The castle will also be adorned with platinum banners and bunting. On either side of the castle moat, there will be fountains, and at the very top of the center spire, there will be a golden wishing star. Guests will also find the new platinum decor throughout the resort, including the Downtown Disney District and the three Disneyland hotels. 

Around the Disneyland Resort, visitors will also have the opportunity to try some new food and beverage offerings, many of which feature the purple and platinum color scheme of the entire celebration. Fans of the cream cheese-filled pretzels can find an upgraded version, the violet pretzel, at Refreshment Corner at Disneyland Park. The stuffed pretzel is drizzled with salted vanilla cream and lavender sugar. Another sweet treat not to miss is the lemon tea cake, which is available at multiple locations around Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. The tea cake is a nod to Walt Disney, as it was one of his favorite desserts to enjoy. 

No Disney celebration would be complete without collectible souvenir cups and popcorn buckets. For Disney100, there are a few options, the cutest of which is a Mickey Mouse sipper, which looks just like the iconic mouse in his new purple and platinum Disney100 outfit. 

Those who want to take a piece of the celebration home with them can find Disney100 merchandise throughout the resort. The Disney100 collection features apparel, home goods, toys, and more. Kids will love the plush Mickey and Minnie Mouse toys, where the characters are wearing their new Disney100 ensembles. Ear hats and headbands are also available, and feature sparkling platinum ears. One of the most exciting collections is Disney100 The Eras Collection, which is debuting in three parts: Walt Disney Studios, Disneyland, and a yet-to-be-announced collection. The Walt Disney Studios and Disneyland collections feature mugs, pins, sweatshirts, and more, celebrating the legacy of the iconic company. 

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Disney Cruise Line Celebrates the Silver Anniversary at Sea in 2023

by Jenn Marrazzo | Nov 28, 2022 | Disney Cruise Line , Disney Cruise Line News , Disney Dream , Disney Fantasy , Disney Magic , Disney Wish , Disney Wonder

In honor of 25 years, Disney Cruise Line is launching the Silver Anniversary at Sea. Learn more about all the magic coming in 2023. 

2023 is a big year for the Walt Disney Company. Besides celebrating the “Disney 100 Years of Wonder,” Disney Cruise Line is also celebrating another major milestone, their 25 Year Anniversary. Debuting back in July of 1998, with just one ship, the Disney Magic, over the last 25 years Disney Cruise Line has become renowned for their hospitality, entertainment, and storytelling at sea. 

Photo courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

In honor of its 25th anniversary in 2023, Disney Cruise Line will launch special entertainment, merchandise, and experiences to select sailings from May through September of 2023. Deemed the “Silver Anniversary at Sea,” all five Disney Cruise Line ships will partake in the festivities. 

Want to see a glimpse of what to expect on sailings from May to September of 2023 to celebrate the “Silver Anniversary at Sea?” Keep reading! 

Summer Sailing Surprises 

The view from the Verandah of a Disney Dream stateroom. Photo courtesy of Disney Cruise Line

In honor of the 25th Anniversary, guests on the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, and the brand-new Disney Wish, will see eye-catching decor, enhancements, new entertainment, and other surprises during this special event.

Captain Mickey & Minnie

Of course, our Captains Mickey and Minnie will be dressed for the occasion. Their outfits will feature multi-toned fabric that shimmers and shines like the ocean waves. They will appear in their celebratory best during the “Silver Anniversary at Sea” sailings in the summer of 2023.  

Sounds of Celebration

DCL will also introduce a special, signature song for the event. Nostalgia and new family adventures will be the theme for this song which will pop-up in a variety of ways during the summer sailings.

Entertainment & Food

Entertainment, experiences, and food will be a special part of the anniversary celebration. From special evening experiences to culinary creations, desserts, and specialty cocktails, the sea has no limits. 

Merchandise

To commemorate the special sailings, DCL will debut the Shimmering Seas Collection which features a new signature color just for the event. This color is inspired by the glow of sunshine reflecting on the turquoise waters. Guests can pick up apparel, accessories, drinkware, and more. 

Castaway Club Membership Tier Surprise

In honor of this special milestone, DCL is also introducing a new membership tier, which recognizes returning guests. Members will now earn the distinction of Pearl status after 25 Disney Cruise Line vacations.

More will be announced in 2023 regarding the new at-home and onboard benefits that come with the Pearl status. 

The Voyages

In early 2020, the Disney Fantasy will continue sailing guest-favorite itineraries to the Bahamas and Caribbean from Port Canaveral, Florida, including sailings that stop at the beautiful and vibrant island of Tortola. (Kent Phillips, photographer)

“Silver Anniversary at Sea” sailings will visit the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Europe, and Alaska during summer 2023. Here’s a glimpse of the sailings:

• May 24 through September 4 – Departing Miami, the Disney Magic will visit the Bahamas and Caribbean including DCL’s private island, Castaway Cay
• May 15 through September 11 – Departing Vancouver, Canada the Disney Wonder will sail Alaska voyages visiting Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, and more
• May 7 through September 17 – the Disney Dream will sail both transatlantic and European sailings with visits to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, and the Greek Isles
• May 6 through September 2 – Departing Port Canaveral, the Disney Fantasy will visit the Eastern and Western Caribbean with a day in Castaway Cay
• May 1 through September 8 – Departing Port Canaveral, the all-new Disney Wish , will visit Nassau in the Bahamas and Castaway Cay 

To learn more about the “Silver Anniversary at Sea” stay tuned to WDW Magazine for the latest updates. 

Know your dates? Just need advice for now?

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By Paco Morás

October 16, 2023

The Disney cruise ship is a staple in Puerto Vallarta . You can visit the friendliest city on the world in two of the line’s ships, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder . The liner offers three different itineraries to choose from.

This year is a special occasion as Disney becomes 100 years old . To commemorate it, we bring to you snippets of the happiness company’s history.

The beginning of Disney’s history

In July 1923, a 21-year-old Walter Elias Disney moved to Los Angeles to be closer to his brother Roy and create animated shorts.

He established the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio before turning 22, which eventually made both brothers millionaires.

It wasn’t until the release of “ Steamboat Willie ” in 1928, Disney’s first successful animated film with sound, that he gained recognition. This film introduced Mickey Mouse , who became a beloved character worldwide.

“ Snow White and the Seven Dwarves ” was one of the first full-length animated films to use color and became the highest-grossing film of all time upon its release in 1938.

“ Fantasia ” was a visually captivating music video that required theaters to install “Fantasound,” an early form of stereo sound.

“ Bambi ” showcased Disney’s acquisition of the rights to a popular novel. In the 1940s, Disney’s interest in animation diminished as he became more interested in directing live-action films.

Also from the author: The spirit of Vallarta: this too shall pass

After the war, the happiest place on Earth

After the conclusion of the Second World War, the release of Cinderella in 1950 marked the studio’s first animated feature in eight years.

However, at this point, Walt Disney had delegated most of the animation responsibilities to the senior artists of the company, known as the Nine Old Men .

He was preoccupied with producing live-action films and laying the groundwork for his next major project in Anaheim, located in the southeast of Los Angeles.

Disneyland had been a long-standing aspiration of Walt’s, which was sparked by watching his daughters ride the carousel in Griffith Park in Los Angeles.

Despite facing financial constraints, he sold his family home and entered into a deal with the television network ABC for a series called Disneyland in 1954, which showcased the development of the park.

The show was a success and led to the creation of the Mickey Mouse Club several months later. However, the opening day of the Disneyland park in mid-July 1955 was a fiasco.

Nevertheless, the live broadcast of the day reached 90 million people across the United States, and the park would go on to double Disney’s earnings for the year.

By 1959, Walt was searching for a larger location that could accommodate his vision of a futuristic city – a utopia where citizens would commute via monorail. Naturally, there would also be a theme park.

Walt passed away from lung cancer in 1966 at the age of 65. His brother Roy, who was already 73, postponed his retirement to assist in completing Disney World in his brother’s honor. He retired the day after its opening in October 1971 and passed away just two months later.

Disney’s difficult years

Disney downsized its animation workforce from 500 to 125 employees and shifted its focus towards parks and live-action films.

The company’s executives recognized that the future success lay in the realm of film rather than animation .

In 1981,  Mickey Mouse made his debut in one of the earliest handheld gaming consoles. Disneyland Japan was established in 1983, coinciding with the inaugural broadcast of Walt Disney Television and the launch of the Disney Channel .

To cater to mature audiences, Disney established Touchstone Pictures as a subsidiary in 1984, responsible for distributing content aimed at this demographic.

The studio’s debut film, Splash , featuring Tom Hanks and Darryl Hannah, achieved remarkable success.

However, the animation division faced unavoidable setbacks due to the financial failure of The Black Cauldron in 1985, resulting in significant losses for Disney. Strategic changes were imperative.

From theater to cruises

The Little Mermaid won Oscars for its songs and score, marking Disney’s first Academy Awards for a full-length animated feature in almost 50 years.

This success continued with Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, and Tarzan , which all transitioned to Broadway and became popular musical productions.

Disney expanded into sports, establishing the Mighty Ducks ice hockey team in 1993 and acquiring ESPN in 1996. They also purchased the California Angels baseball team in 1997.

Disney collaborated with Pixar in the late 1980s, revolutionizing animated production with groundbreaking technology. They entered into a partnership after the success of Toy Story in 1995.

Despite unsuccessful attempts to partner with cruise lines, Disney built its own ships and acquired a private island in the Bahamas.

However, the company faced financial losses in the 21st century, leading to the sale of sports teams and Disney Stores.

While Pixar achieved critical acclaim and won Oscars , Disney’s traditionally-animated features were disappointing. Spin-offs and sequels of beloved Disney stories were released directly to video or DVD.

Buy’em all

Disney acquired the rights to the Muppets before the Pixar deal in 2006, marking a new era for the company.

They then purchased Marvel in 2009 and Lucasfilm in 2012, bringing Star Wars and Indiana Jones under their control.

This led to a shift in Disney’s approach to cultural representation in film, exploring diverse settings.

In 2019, Disney acquired 21st Century Fox and launched Disney+, which quickly gained 10 million subscribers.

Disney now has a presence in 30 countries and its influence extends globally.

Top 5 points of view in Puerto Vallarta’s Downtown!

Your Ultimate Guide to Disney100 Celebrations at Disneyland Resort in California

It’s a big call to say something is a once-in-a-lifetime event, but with 2023 marking the centennial celebration of The Walt Disney Company, we’re confident when we say that the Disney100 festivities at the Disneyland Resort in California will give you a truly unprecedented holiday adventure.

It’s at the original home of Disney in California, Disneyland Resort, that you’ll have the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the world of Disney with special limited-time offerings, new attractions and entertainment starting from March 19th.

Planning ahead with our Ultimate Guide to Disney100 is the perfect way to make the most of this truly unique travel experience, and will allow you visualise the attractions that excites you most. With so many exclusive opportunities to indulge in throughout Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park you will need to spend at least 3 days to fit everything in!

Whether you’re an avid Disney fan, a thrill-seeker, travelling with family, or an adult fulfilling that childhood fantasy, if you’ve ever dreamed of visiting Disneyland Resort, 2023 is the year to make it a reality.

Special debuts for Disney100 festivities

The wave of magic you feel as you step through the iconic entry gates and look up at Sleeping Beauty Castle is a feeling that no one forgets. That feeling will be intensified as you walk-through the gates to Disneyland Park this year. You’ll discover an enchanting ambiance as you see the castle’s moat adorned with two majestic water fountains and a wishing star sparkling above.

The adventure will continue as you find yourself exploring Mickey’s Toon Town and zooming along in the latest attraction, Mickey & Minnie’s Railway . If you are seeking a truly immersive Disney experience then head to the Disney 100 Years of Wonder exhibit at The Disney Gallery .

The sense of awe and wonder that is present throughout Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park will culminate each night in two exciting night-time spectaculars Wondrous Journey and World of Color – One .

The playful tune to the latest Disney hit It’s Wondrous will play in your head as you browse the must-have mementos throughout the parks including limited-edition merchandise and food and beverages.

Memorable and wondrous lands to visit in Disneyland Park & Disney California Adventure Park

There are a variety of attractions and experiences to behold at Disneyland Resort that will ensure everyone in your travel crew enjoys an amazing trip. Are you headed to Disneyland Park first? Does your group have a Star Wars diehard fan who’ll be first in line in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for the ultimate thrill ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ? Or maybe your first stop is Tomorrowland with the family? Let the teens check out Space Mountain while you take the little ones to conquer Zurg in Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters .

As the crew heads to Fantasyland those who enjoy the tamer rides will love accompanying the kids on the Peter Pan Flight and Snow White’s Enchanted Wish . If it’s Adventureland you’re after, head to the Jungle Cruise riverboat ride for a splashin' good time, or check out a Polynesian Paradise at Walt Disney’s Tiki Room .

You’ll find yourself taking a step back in time as you enter Frontierland . For the bigger kids the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will give a thrilling race through a haunted gold mine. While those who want to brave a different adventure can head to Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island where they can cross creaky suspension bridges at Smuggler’s Cove and explore Dead Man’s Grotto .

Buzz through to Critter Country where younger kids will love exploring the Hundred Acre Wood in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh . Those keen to flex their muscles will have the chance as they paddle down the Rivers of America in Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes .

Once your group has enjoyed the rides and attractions at Disneyland Park it’s time to head next door to continue the fun with memories to be made at Disney California Adventure Park.

With eagerly awaited attractions at Avengers Campus, Web Slingers: A Spiderman Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT you might think that Disney California Adventure Park is only for the big kids. Once you arrive, you’ll find that the park offers something for everyone. The littlies will love Pixar Pier with rides like Jessie’s Critter Carousel and Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind .

Race to Cars Land and find Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree or get a group pic as you meet Disney characters on Buena Vista Street. All ages can tackle the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail in Grizzly Peak while the pre-schoolers will be entertained by the Disney Junior Dance Party in Hollywood Land .

The festivities will allow you to spoil yourself with tasty treats and give your tastebuds an adventure of their own as you head to The Downtown Disney District . It’s here you can explore more Disney100 sparkling decor and celebratory offerings including limited-time food and merchandise to celebrate a century with Disney. If you’re still not sure where you’ll be staying for your unforgettable experience – check out this guide from UrbanList to assist you in choosing the perfect place to lay your head and recharge for another day of Disney festivities.

Add excitement to your trip with these exhilarating attractions

Whether you’re a daredevil looking for a high-speed adventure or a thrill-seeker searching for the perfect ride, there’s something for everyone in Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park.

For some swashbuckling fun at Disneyland Park head to the Pirates of the Caribbean or if you’re looking for a spooky choice, head to the Haunted Mansion . All ages will enjoy the chance to experience Alice in Wonderland and classic favourites like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad always keep Disney thrill-seekers entertained. An exciting refresh is coming and Splash Mountain will undergo a transformation - and will reopen in late 2024 as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure , a whimsical attraction inspired by The Princess and the Frog.

Over at Disney California Adventure Park, it’s here you will be able to gear up for the high-speed thrills of the Incredicoaster and the heart-pumping action of the Radiator Springs Racers . Or, if you prefer, catch your breath as you enjoy Soarin’ Around the World .

Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park offer a variety of exhilarating attractions for all types of ride-lovers ensuring that you and your Disney companions have an unforgettable experience.

Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime Disney Celebration

Disneyland Resort is certainly a top holiday destination at any time but 2023 will give visitors the chance to experience the once-in-a-lifetime celebrations. With special limited-time attractions and merchandise, Disney100 promises to bring excitement and joy to visitors of all ages.

With two iconic parks with thrilling attractions, incredible on-site Disney Resort Hotels and delightful dining options, a three-day stay will barely give you enough time to experience all there is on offer during the Disney100 extravaganza. Whether you stay for a few nights, or join in celebrations for a week, it’s guaranteed the memories will last a lifetime.

If you’re ready to immerse yourself in the magic of Disney100, check the links below for all the details you need to book this trip of a lifetime.

To find out more, see your preferred Travel Agent or visit Disneyland.com.au

Check for performance times. Both a Theme Park reservation and valid ticket for the same Park on the same date are required for Park entry. Entertainment and offerings are subject to availability, restrictions, and change or cancellation without notice. Park admission and offerings are not guaranteed. Visit Disneyland.com.au for important information before visiting the Disneyland® Resort.

© Disney © Disney/Pixar © 2023 MARVEL © & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.

The ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line ships and itineraries

After decades of success making families smile and laugh at its theme parks, Disney dipped its toes into the world of cruising in 1998. Disney didn't just copy another cruise line's model for success or slap its name on the side of an existing ship. It created its own brand of cruising.

Disney went so far into charting its own path as to get special approval from the U.S. Coast Guard for its ships' lifeboats to be yellow instead of regulation orange, to tie into the colors of Mickey himself — black, red, white and yellow.

Now, Disney Cruise Line has five ships sailing in those signature colors, along with three more on order. In a normal year, those five ships take tens of thousands of families on sailings to the Caribbean , Mexico, Alaska, Europe, Bermuda, Bahamas, through the Panama Canal and even to Australia and New Zealand.

For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Having sailed four of Disney Cruise Line's five ships, I can say the experience is indeed special — especially if you have kids. But Disney's not a one-trick cruise line that's only good for one age group. It offers kids clubs and activities to suit babies through teens and has several adults-only areas of the ship . Its newest ship, Disney Wish , provides more cool spaces for adults than any previous vessel.

Disney's attention to detail transfers to its voyages on the sea. But unlike at the Disney theme parks, which can be a bit complicated to navigate, long lines and complex strategies are rarely a part of the Disney cruise experience.

Get the free planning help of a Disney vacation planner via TPG's partner, Mouse Counselors .

What TPG loves about Disney Cruise Line

• Broadway-caliber shows and first-run movies.
• Disney-level service and attention to detail.
• High-quality Disney character interactions and kids clubs.
• Innovative, included rotational dining.

What we could do without

• Disney cruises are expensive.
• The onboard Wi-Fi is not the fastest, especially on ships that haven't been upgraded. And it's not cheap.

Disney Cruise Line fleet

While Disney may be a household name, Disney Cruise Line is actually a small line. It currently sails just five ships, compared to 27 at its family-friendly competitor Royal Caribbean .

Of the five, two are smaller ships, and three are larger.

The largest ships in Disney's fleet are Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, at 1,115 feet long and 14 decks high, and Disney Wish , at 1,119 feet and 15 decks high.

These three ships each have a passenger capacity of 4,000 people spread out across approximately 1,250 cabins. The overwhelming majority of cabins on these ships have an ocean view or private verandah, with only 10%-12% being windowless inside cabins. (On its oldest four ships, these interior rooms have a "magical porthole" that displays a live feed from outside to replicate a window.)

Disney Treasure , expected to join the fleet in 2024, will be in the same larger Triton class of ships as Disney Wish.

Disney Wish is currently a workhorse of short three- and four-night sailings from Port Canaveral , Florida, to the Bahamas, home to Disney's private island , Castaway Cay.

Disney Fantasy often sails weeklong cruises out of Florida. With the addition of Disney Wish to the fleet, Disney Dream now spends its summer across the Atlantic, offering European cruises from May to September, then spending much of the rest of the year based out of Fort Lauderdale.

The smaller two ships in the Disney Cruise Line fleet are Disney Wonder and the line's first ship, Disney Magic .

These two ships are 984 feet long and 11 decks high, and each has the capacity for 2,713 passengers across 875 staterooms. On these two smaller ships, 70% of passenger cabins have ocean views or verandahs.

Disney Wonder is often on the move and currently splits its time among Alaska , the South Pacific, Hawaii, California, Mexico and beyond. Disney Magic spends part of its year based out of Galveston, Texas, or New Orleans and much of the rest based out of Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

Related: Best destinations you can sail to on a Disney cruise

Disney Cruise Line destinations and itineraries

Disney Cruise Line has about 370 annual departures scheduled that range from two- to 15-night sailings. Many new-to-Disney itineraries have recently become available as the line is adding new ships for the first time in a decade.

Disney Cruise Line destinations include:

• New Zealand
• Pacific Coast
• South Pacific

Disney Wish has, by far, the highest number of annual sailings, with 105 three- and four-night cruises departing from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas. These sailings all go to Disney's private island, Castaway Cay; some also stop in Nassau, Bahamas.

Some Disney cruises do what's called a "double dip" and make two stops at the private island, where you can step ashore without leaving the Disney bubble.

Pro tip: If you go to Castaway Cay, rent a bike for a little exercise and a self-guided tour of the island. Or, you can run the at-your-pace 5K that morning around the island.

Coming in summer 2024 , Disney will have a second exclusive beach destination in the Bahamas — Lighthouse Point.

This won't be an entire private island like Castaway Cay, but it will be an exclusive beachfront space designed for Disney Cruise Line with many similar offerings to Castaway. Disney Magic, Disney Wonder and Disney Fantasy will call on this new destination for the first time in 2024.

Related: Best tips and tricks for sailing with Disney Cruise Line

Who sails Disney Cruise Line?

Let's start with the obvious: Families love Disney Cruise Line.

The ultimate sweet spot for taking a Disney cruise starts when a child is at least 3 years old and potty trained (the criteria that get them into the included kids clubs) and lasts until they outgrow their love of Disney characters. Remember, Disney now includes the "Star Wars" and Marvel brands and offers themed cruises featuring those characters, too.

A Disney cruise costs more than a similar cruise on a line like Royal Caribbean , so it's easiest to justify the expense when your kids love Disney the most.

So, yes, the stereotype that Disney Cruise Line is full of families is 100% correct.

You'll see many families with kids in those preschool, elementary and middle school years. But you'll also see families with little babies (the minimum age is 6 months on most sailings, 1 year on Panama Canal and transatlantic sailings), tweens, teens, college-age kids and even grandparents who have made a Disney cruise an enjoyable multigenerational travel tradition.

Related: Comparing Disney, Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruises for families

You'll also see cruisers who love Disney regardless of age and are proud to wear their Mickey ears while hearing the first seven notes of the "When You Wish Upon a Star" melody blown from the ship's massive horn.

Just like you don't need kids to have a great time at Disney World or Disneyland, you can happily cruise as adults without offspring on Disney Cruise Line. All the ships have active adults-only sun decks, pool and lounges. Disney Wish especially invested in its adult offerings with an infinity pool, along with more bars spread around the ship instead of being clustered into one main area.

Disney Cruise Line cabins and suites

At a basic level, Disney Cruise Line offers five main types of cabins across the fleet. In its simplified version, the types of cabins on a Disney cruise include:

• Windowless inside cabins
• Ocean-view cabins
• Verandah cabins (with private balconies)
• Verandah cabins with concierge service
• Suites with concierge service

These cabins start at 169 square feet for a standard inside cabin and go up to a two-story, 1,966-square-foot Tower Suite on Disney Wish .

Unless you are OK with the smallest space on the ship or have a budget for the largest, the sweet spot for price and comfort on Disney Cruise Line vessels is probably the cabins that are around 204 square feet and usually come with a queen bed, single sleeper sofa and upper-berth pull-down bed and a split bath.

This split bathroom situation places a sink and the shower/tub combo in one bathroom and the toilet and another sink in the other. Each has its own separate door, so someone could use the toilet/sink room while another takes a shower, all in private and at the same time.

You'll find this cabin layout within the Deluxe Inside Staterooms, Deluxe Oceanview Staterooms and Deluxe Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah categories.

The Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms and Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah add about 40 more square feet to the equation. If you want the largest within those room categories, search for rooms that can hold five people on the Disney Cruise Line website.

Pro tip: You can ask your cabin host for cartoon bedding for the kid's bed if you think your child will be excited to come back from dinner to one of their Disney favorites.

You can connect many of the cabins on the ship , which is often a much more economical solution for a family looking for more sleeping space (and bathrooms) than upgrading to a multibedroom suite. Roughly speaking, a family of four will pay about 50% more for two cabins than they will for everyone to stay in one cabin of the same size.

Related: 7 nights. 4 people. 1 cruise ship cabin. Can we survive?

If you are going all-out on a particular trip, or are simply working with a larger budget, Disney concierge suites are special.

The smallest available room with this service is the Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah, which isn't all that different from the Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah, other than the included concierge service. From there, you can go up to the one- or two-bedroom suites.

Be prepared for sticker shock, though, as these suites will almost certainly be near or over five figures on many sailings.

While pricey, Disney concierge service eliminates almost all of the potential pain points of a Disney cruise (not that there are many pain points to begin with).

Disney concierge service gets you access to the Disney Concierge Lounge, which has food offerings multiple times per day and a fully stocked fridge with sodas, juices and bottles of water.

In the evenings, you'll find included beer, wine and spirits in the lounge — which you can also take with you as you head out to dinner or to enjoy the view from the deck.

The Concierge Lounge also has its own private deck, and Disney characters have been known to make a private appearance there during the cruise. (Don't worry, you'll get a heads-up.)

Related: Is Disney Cruise Line concierge service worth it?

You also have your own check-in area at the port and are among the first to board the ship, which can mean extra time to enjoy having the waterslides to yourself. At the end of the cruise, you can have a private elevator that takes you down to be some of the first off the ship — which should protect you from a long line to say goodbye.

There are other perks of the concierge level, too, such as early front-row seating at shows, included popcorn and the ability to submit your request for meal reservations at Palo or Remy, cabanas on Castaway Cay, spa treatments, character meet-and-greets or whatever else you wish before other guests. These can be made for you starting 120 days before your sailing, which is before all other guests except those with the highest elite status tier in the Castaway Club .

Passengers on their first Disney cruise don't get to make those reservations until 75 days out if they aren't in the concierge level. The reality is the hottest items are often booked up by then, especially on shorter cruises when there's less time to do everything.

Those in the concierge level in one-bedroom suites and higher can also order room service from the restaurants to their cabin, which means you can have a hot breakfast on your verandah if you wish instead of the regular continental options available to most guests.

If you are on the fence about concierge service, it's arguably most valuable when you are on a shorter cruise, have some specific popular must-have items on your reservation wish list or want someone else to take care of everything. You can also inquire about discounted upgrades at the port, assuming rooms are left unsold on your voyage.

Pro tip: Regardless of your cabin, bring magnetic Mickey or nautical-themed decor for the entrance, as most of the cabin doors are magnetic. Decorating is a fun tradition on a Disney cruise.

Related: Review of sailing in a suite with Disney concierge service

Disney Cruise Line restaurants and dining options

You will not go hungry on a Disney cruise. From room service to evening dinners, meals are (mostly) all included.

Rotational dining

On each Disney ship, three main dining rooms serve as dinner restaurants that participate in rotational dining. Each ship has its own lineup of themed rotational restaurants, but the concept remains the same on each.

Each night, your tablemates and servers will move from one restaurant to the next as a team. This way, the servers get to know that you always want to start with a glass of red wine, or your kids' food needs to come ASAP so you can take them to the kids club as soon as they finish, or (in my case) your daughter wants a side of barbecue sauce with ... everything.

You must choose between an early and a late dinner time, with your showtime opposite your dining time. Some restaurants, such as Animator's Palate, are found on multiple ships, while others are unique to one ship, such as Tiana's Place on Disney Wonder and all of the rotational restaurants found on Disney Wish .

Included restaurants on Disney Magic

• Animator's Palate
• Lumiere's
• Rapunzel's Royal Table

Included restaurants on Disney Wonder

• Tiana's Place
• Triton's

Included restaurants on Disney Dream

• Enchanted Garden
• Royal Palace

Included restaurants on Disney Fantasy

• Royal Court

Included restaurants on Disney Wish

• Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure
• Worlds of Marvel

At these restaurants, you can order whatever you want on the menu at no extra charge, with a few exceptions (for example, alcohol and specialty drinks cost extra).

While many guests dress up a bit for dinner (compared to their afternoon pool deck attire), most stay relatively casual for the rotational dining restaurants. Disney does not impose a specific dress-up requirement.

Disney cruise ships offer many other dining options beyond the three included themed restaurants — most included, some not.

Room service

Room service is mostly free (other than sodas or alcohol), though the menu is limited if you aren't staying in a concierge-level cabin. Still, it's free room service, so I'm not one to complain.

Pro tip: Fill the breakfast card out the night before and hang it on your stateroom to get breakfast exactly when you want it the next morning.

And you haven't lived until your kids learn how to call and order free Mickey ice cream bars to the cabin ... every night (just be sure and add a tip).

Buffet and grab-and-go

Your Disney cruise will also include a buffet known as Cabanas on the original four ships and Marceline Market on Disney Wish. The buffet is usually open for breakfast and lunch, though not in the evening hours.

In addition to the buffet, a few grab-and-go quick-service restaurants on the pool deck serve salads, chili, pizza, barbecue and more, depending on which ship you're sailing.

Don't miss these options, as some are quite good. They are typically open from late morning until later into the evening.

Room service, the buffet and the on-deck food counter dining options don't cost extra and are available to you in addition to or instead of your rotational dining.

You'll also find included ice cream on one of the upper decks. A pro-level hack is to get Mickey churro waffles from the buffet in the morning (only available some mornings) and add vanilla ice cream for a vacation-worthy breakfast.

Extra-cost, adults-only restaurants

At the top of the "costs extra" list are the restaurants Palo (found on all five ships, though it's Palo Steakhouse on Disney Wish), Remy (on Dream and Fantasy) and Enchante (only on Disney Wish).

Remy is a fancy adults-only French restaurant that costs $125 per person for dinner (more if you order drinks). This is the type of place where men need jackets and women are expected to wear dresses, pantsuits or a skirt and blouse. Enchante on Disney Wish is similar — you're dressing up for these meals.

Palo is also fancy, though a notch less fancy than Remy. You'll see jackets and dresses in Palo, but you can also get by with nice jeans if you want. This adults-only restaurant serves Northern Italian fare and starts at about $45 per person for a multicourse brunch or dinner, though you can also order a la carte for dinner, which could cost more or less, depending on your order.

I can say with 100% certainty that if you enjoy a nice meal, this is worth the extra $45 once during your cruise . From the breadbasket to the dessert, it's all amazing. You'll gain 5 pounds, but you won't regret a bite.

These reservations are hard to get, especially for brunch, so you'll want to make them the second you are eligible and keep checking back for cancellations if you miss out the first time.

Coffee shops and snack shops

On a Disney cruise, the snacks and pastries you'll see in the coffee shop or kiosk are all included, but the specialty coffee will cost extra. Drink prices are roughly similar to Starbucks, if not a notch lower. Be sure and ask for the Cafe Fanatic card if you're a regular, as your sixth drink will be free.

In addition to the included soft-serve ice cream and Mickey bars available via room service, your ship may have some shops with extra-fee ice cream. This can confuse kids, so I want to warn you beforehand. On Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish, you'll find an ice cream shop stuffed with candies, gelato and ice cream — all for an extra charge.

Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy also have a juice bar that costs extra.

The exact bars will vary by vessel, but you can expect spots like a wine and Champagne bar, a pub, a laid-back lounge and a bar with live entertainment.

These bars are a lot of fun and are not to be missed if you like live music or a nice drink at the end of the day. Keep an eye out in your app for when and where the happy hours are on board if you want to save a few dollars on your drinks. Some bars also offer a sommelier bin where you get a nice glass of wine at a discounted price — as long as you put the bartender in charge of choosing your drink.

Some of the drink-tasting classes that you book in advance can be a good value if you're a fan of the drink on offer and are interested in learning a little bit while you sip. You'll want to book these before sailing, as many do sell out.

Food on Castaway Cay

If your cruise takes you to Disney's private island, Castaway Cay, you're in luck, as there's plenty of included food to eat there, too.

Just like on board, some of the food on Castaway is included, while alcohol and specialty drinks are not. The Cookie's and Cookie's Too lunch shacks on the island are both included, so load up on hot dogs, barbecue, hamburgers, fries and all the fixings. Vegetarian options are available.

While the food options here are somewhat basic, they still make for a fun and free meal.

However, if you don't like what is on offer on the island, you can always hop back on your ship for lunch and then continue your afternoon on the island after you eat.

Entertainment and activities on a Disney cruise

A valid reason to want to sail with Disney is the onboard fun that awaits — especially for those who love Disney characters and stories.

Theaters and shows

Each Disney cruise ship features two theaters. In the massive Walt Disney Theatre, you'll enjoy Broadway-caliber evening shows such as "Beauty and the Beast," "Frozen," "Tangled," "Disney Dreams," "The Golden Mickeys" and more. If you want a good seat, arrive about 30 minutes early since seating is first come, first served.

The Buena Vista Theatre screens first-run Disney films. These will be the same films still showing in theaters on land. If you happen to be at sea when a new Disney movie premieres on land, you'll also get that same first look at sea.

Pirate Night is a staple on many Disney cruises in the Caribbean. On that themed night, expect everyone to be dressed in their pirate-y best for the evening, so pack accordingly. Your dinner will also have a pirate theme, followed by a fun show up on deck, complete with fireworks.

Pro tip: If you plan to stay up late for Pirate Night, try to work in a nap that afternoon so you don't miss out on the nighttime fun.

Game shows, karaoke, bingo and more

The extensive lineup of interactive game shows, trivia, karaoke, dance parties, bingo and more listed in the Disney cruise app are worth checking out. Some of these are adults-only, while others are fun for the whole family. Most are included in the price of the cruise, though bingo does cost extra — and you could win real money.

Other interior attractions and activities

Meeting Disney characters is a fun part of a Disney cruise.

You can make reservations to meet the popular princesses, but most characters are easy to walk up to and meet via a short line. Or, even better, you often see them roaming about the ship at unexpected times.

You can work off some of those treats and drinks at the onboard fitness center on each ship.

The Senses Spa & Salon is a full-service spa with everything from massages to pedicures and hair care. Promotions are available if you book more than one treatment. If you have a Disney Visa card , you can also save 20% on select onboard services.

Pro tip: The showers in this part of the ship are full-size, in case you are getting a bit claustrophobic in the shower in your cabin.

If you like getting away to relax, look at purchasing access to the Rainforest Room for heated stone loungers, aromatherapy showers and even hot tubs on the larger ships. You can buy a one-day or full-cruise pass to this area of the spa, but get a tour first as the layout and inclusions in this space vary dramatically from ship to ship.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

Little cruisers can be transformed into a princess or pirate at sea at the onboard Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, which does themed kid makeovers and sells costumes as part of the package. You'll need an appointment; expect to pay $100 to $200 for most packages.

This is a fun thing to do before meeting a princess, before a more formal night or anytime you want to see a huge smile on your kid's face. If you have a princess dress or outfit from home you want to use or reuse, you can purchase a cheaper package at Bibbidi Bobbidi.

Decktop attractions

Waterslides.

All of Disney Cruise Line's ships have some kind of waterslide on board.

The AquaDuck waterslide on Dream and Fantasy takes riders in single or double tubes 765 feet from Deck 12 up and down, through the forward funnel and on a four-deck drop. It's pretty epic. AquaMouse on Disney Wish is also an inner tube-based ride and is not to be missed.

These lines can get long, so I recommend riding first thing when you board if the port is warm enough. Nighttime rides usually have short waits, too.

Disney Magic has the most thrilling waterslide in the fleet, called AquaDunk, and Disney Wonder has its own waterslide in the AquaLab splash area.

Each Disney ship has multiple pools, though if you've never been on a cruise, you may be initially shocked at how small they are — and how busy they can get.

As with the waterslides, we recommend enjoying these first thing when you board if you want to try them without crowds. Otherwise, you won't find so many people in the pools on port days, early in the morning and right before dinner. There are thousands of people on the ship and only a few small pools, so plan accordingly.

Each ship has a pool and hot tub area for adults 18 and up. It can also get busy, but typically less busy than the family area. Select ships also offer an in-pool bar area for adults.

The adult sun deck is a nice place to grab a chair and relax, even if you have no intention of getting in the water.

Splash pads

Your little one has to be potty trained to use the onboard pools. The option for those still in swim diapers is some splash areas, such as Nemo's Reef and Dory's Reef.

Sports deck

If you want to be more active, head to your ship's sports deck to play basketball, foosball, miniature golf and more. You may even have some sports simulator options beyond your traditional in-person fun.

Children's programs

As a parent, my favorite part of a Disney cruise might be the included kids programs that children actually want to attend. If the kids are happy for a few hours, the parents can actually relax, too.

Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab for children ages 3–12

All five Disney ships have amazing spaces for kids in the 3-to-12-year-old range in the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab.

Here you'll find video games, an indoor slide, fun programs and games with the staff, arts and crafts, surprise character visits and more. Your kids need to be potty trained to stay in this club, so use that as motivation for a kid approaching 3 years old before your next cruise.

Your kids don't need an appointment to pop in here; they can come anytime from open to close — and the club stays open pretty late.

Parents can stay with kids and play during open hours on the first day and select times on other dates, but most of the time, the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab are kids-only. Your kids will check in and out by scanning a special MagicBand that also tracks where they are within the kids clubs.

Disney Wish has the added perk in the kids club of a slide that takes the kids straight from the main atrium and into the fun.

Know that once your child turns 8, you have the option of giving them self-checkout privileges. While kids up to 12 are welcome in the main Oceaneer Club, they may start moving up to the tween club by the time they are 10 years old.

Edge tween club for children ages 11–14

When your kid outgrows the fun in the main kids club, don't worry. Edge is waiting just upstairs.

Technically, Edge is for kids ages 11-14, but you can get your 10-year-old in with permission — and once they figure that out, it's probably all over for the "little kid club."

Edge is a much smaller space, but tweens have tons of fun playing video games, having dance parties, doing crafts, playing trivia games and more with their newfound cruise friends.

This club does not utilize parent sign-in and -out, so you need to trust your kid if they are coming to Edge. If your 10-to-12-year-old child visits Edge, they can also play at the Oceaneer Lab and Oceaneer Club, so they have options.

Vibe teen club for children ages 14–17

Get ready to be jealous of this one. On Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, the teen club has its own set of small pools at the front of the ship.

Inside all versions of the teen club, Vibe, you'll find a tech-friendly world with loungers, dance parties, smoothies and other teen-approved fun. Some of the coolest inside space on Disney cruise ships is dedicated to teens ages 14-17, but you can request for your child to attend this club starting at 13 years old.

'It's a small world' nursery for children 6 months to 3 years old

While the three previously mentioned kids clubs are free and do not require reservations, the nursery operates differently. You will need to make reservations, and the fee is $4.50 per half-hour for the first child and $4 per half-hour for each additional child.

What to know before you go

Required documents.

The specific documents you will need will vary by cruise destination. Having a passport is always a good idea, but it's not technically required on all Disney cruises. For example, round-trip cruises originating in Port Canaveral, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Galveston, San Diego, New Orleans, New York and San Juan, Puerto Rico, often do not require a passport.

Passports, when required, must be valid for at least six months. For cruises from international ports, you'll need a passport. Note that it is important that the name on your reservation be exactly as it is stated on your passport or other official proof of nationality.

Related: Tips for getting a child's passport

Disney Cruise Line adds a service gratuity of $14.50 per person per day to final bills. If you are unhappy with the service you receive, you can lower this amount. Of course, you can visit guest services and adjust it upward, too.

To give an idea of the cost, a four-person family on a four-night cruise would pay $232 in recommended tips. The amount is split among your team of dining room servers who quickly learned your kids' preferences for dinner and your cabin hosts who made your room look like magic while you were out enjoying yourself.

An 18% gratuity is added to onboard spa, bar, beverage, wine and deck service tabs. You can always add an additional gratuity for any of your services or servers.

While room service is free, it's customary to add a few dollars of tip when you sign the "bill."

While some gratuity is included at Palo and Remy, you'll likely want to add an additional tip if you enjoyed the service. If you stay in a concierge-level room or suite, it is customary to tip the Concierge Lounge hosts at the end of your cruise a recommended amount of $8 per night per guest.

Related: Everything you need to know about tipping on cruise ships

Disney Cruise Line's Wi-Fi, Connect@Sea, is in the process of being upgraded, so speed, bandwidth and cost vary by ship.

If you are on a ship that charges by day instead of by the amount of data used, expect the prices to vary from $12-$36 per day, depending on the speed you select. There are often discounts for buying Wi-Fi access for the length of the cruise.

If you are on a ship that still charges by the amount of data used, we recommend not doing that and connecting either when you are in port or via a plan from your cellphone provider.

Related: What's the best international phone plan right now?

Carry-on drinks policy

Guests 21 years and older may bring a maximum of two bottles of unopened wine or Champagne (no larger than 750 milliliters) or six beers (no larger than 12 ounces) on board at the beginning of the voyage and at each port of call. These beverages must be packed in carry-on (not checked) bags or luggage. You can keep drinks chilled in the small fridge in your cabin.

Guests wishing to consume wine or Champagne that they have brought on board in one of the dining rooms will be charged a corkage fee of $26 per bottle.

Smoking policy

Smoking is permitted only in designated deck areas. It's forbidden in cabins and on cabin balconies, and those who violate this rule will face a $250 cleaning fee.

For an additional fee, Disney ships offer full-service laundry and dry cleaning services that will pick up and deliver clean clothes to your cabin.

Ships also provide 24-hour, self-service guest laundry facilities equipped with washers and dryers, along with detergent and complimentary ironing equipment. You pay for the facilities by using your Key to the World card. These services can get busy during sea days on longer cruises, so plan accordingly.

Electrical outlets

All cabins are equipped with multiple 110-volt outlets, which are standard in the U.S. and Canada. Cabins on Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy are equipped with a combination of 110- and 220-volt (European) outlets.

Small electrical appliances such as electric shavers, curling irons and flat irons with standard North American plugs will function on board; 110-volt items should not exceed 1,500 watts, and 220-volt items should not exceed 2,000 watts. A hair dryer is provided in every cabin for your convenience, but you may bring your own as long as it meets the guidelines above.

The currency on Disney Cruise Line ships, regardless of location, is the U.S. dollar.

When you are on the ship, you will not need cash or a credit card — all incidentals, purchases and services will be charged to your cabin folio. Your Key to the World card (or your DisneyBand+ on Disney Wish ) serves as your onboard payment method. The only exception is if you want to tip a crew member in cash.

In port, you may wish to carry cash or a credit card to buy snacks and souvenirs or to tip your tour guide.

Drinking age

For most Disney sailings, the drinking age on board is 21.

However, on round-trip cruises departing European countries with a lower drinking age, passengers 18-20 years of age can drink alcohol on board with signed parental consent. For round-trip cruises from Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and Brisbane, guests 18 years of age and older may purchase and consume alcoholic beverages without parental consent.

During the day, people dress casually. If it's a sea day in a warm-weather destination, and you're bound for the top deck, that means looking like you're going to the beach. T-shirts, shorts and bathing suits (with a cover-up to go inside) are fine.

During the evenings, dining attire in the three main dining restaurants is "cruise casual," meaning no swimwear or tank tops, but you don't have to put on a party dress. That said, many guests do dress up a bit in the evening, but it's not required unless you are dining in Palo, Remy or Enchante.

Cruises that are seven nights or longer schedule one "formal night" — though even then, it's only encouraged, not required. On that night, you will see suits, sports coats, cocktail dresses and similar from some guests.

Pro tip: Be sure and pack that pirate gear for Pirate Night.

Related: What to pack for your 1st cruise

Disney Cruise Line loyalty program

Disney Cruise Line has a simple loyalty program, the Castaway Club , with four "elite status" levels that you earn based on how many cruises you've taken with Disney. A three-night and 10-night cruise both count as one sailing for these purposes.

• Silver: One completed cruise
• Gold: Five completed cruises
• Platinum: 10 completed cruises
• Pearl: 25 completed cruises

Related: The TPG guide to cruise line loyalty programs

This isn't the kind of loyalty program where you earn free cruises the way you earn free flights with airline miles. Instead, as you go up in status, you earn perks and earlier access to booking cruises and activities — which is key for getting those hard-to-snag adult dining or Castaway Cay cabana reservations

Silver members

• Book new cruise itineraries one day before the general public and book onboard activities 90 days before sailing.
• Get a "welcome back aboard" gift (such as a bag), have access to a Castaway Club members-only line when boarding and access to a Castaway Club direct phone number.
• Select port arrival time with online check-in starting 33 days before the general public.

Gold members

• All of those perks, but you can book new sailings two days before the general public and can book onboard activities 105 days before sailing.
• On eight-night and longer voyages, Gold Castaway Club members are also invited to a private reception with special entertainment. There are also select merchandise discounts available to Gold members and higher.
• Select port arrival time with online check-in starting 35 days before the general public.

Platinum members

• All of those perks, but you can book new sailings three days before the general public and can book onboard activities 120 days before sailing.
• Priority check-in at the cruise terminal.
• Complimentary evening dinner at Palo or Palo Steakhouse for themselves and everyone in the cabin age 18 and older.
• Select port arrival time with online check-in starting 38 days before the general public.

Pearl members

• All of those perks, but you can book new sailings four days before the general public and can book onboard activities 123 days before sailing.
• Exclusive cruise terminal check-in (where available)
• Unlimited Digital Photo Package.
• Select port arrival time with online check-in starting 40 days before the general public.

How much does a Disney cruise cost?

Magic ain't cheap, and Disney cruises are expensive. They aren't the priciest voyages out there, but they will cost more than cruises with family-friendly competitors such as Royal Caribbean by a noticeable margin.

For a family of four, the cheapest Disney cruise currently available (not counting the two-night cruises in Australia and New Zealand) is about $2,500. An ocean view will add about $90 and a verandah will add about $500.

On these shortest cruises, concierge-level cabins and access start at a little over $5,000 for a family of four.

Those sorts of prices will only be available during the offseason, such as in mid-to-late January and early February or for repositioning cruises as the ship moves from, say, Puerto Rico to Florida. That same cruise during spring break can cost double or more, so the more date flexibility you have, the better.

A seven-night cruise in the Caribbean will likely start around $5,000 for a family of four. Expect Alaska and Europe cruises to start at $5,000 to $6,000 for inside cabins for a week, and prices go up for longer sailings and upgraded cabins.

You can save money on your next Disney cruise by putting a $250 deposit down while you are at sea on a previous Disney cruise. It's a popular way to get 10% off your next cruise.

Another way to save on a Disney cruise is to look at a one-way repositioning sailing , as those often price lower than other similar cruises. For example, the cruise line may need to end a cruise in a particular port to reposition the ship to do some sailings from there. You'll have to get yourself back home from that port, but you may save on the cruise in the process.

Related: 15 ways that cruising newbies waste money on a cruise

How to book

You can book your Disney cruise directly with Disney Cruise Line either over the phone or online, but I'd argue you shouldn't.

Cruises are easy to enjoy but can be complicated to plan if you are new to this type of travel. This is an industry where a travel agent is still a good call. You want someone who can help you pick the right cabin type and location for your group and keep track of when you can snag those onboard activities you really want.

When the wave of pandemic-related cruise cancellations hit in 2020, I was so grateful to have a travel agent — instead of me — spending time dealing with the cruise line.

Related: How to book a cruise with points and miles

Another reason to consider going through a travel agent is to get onboard credit. Some travel agents will offer onboard credit based on the amount you spend on your Disney cruise. This is credit you can use toward drinks, spa treatments, excursions or anything else you can charge to your room.

FOR NO-COST ASSISTANCE WITH PLANNING AND BOOKING YOUR DISNEY CRUISE, CHECK OUT TPG'S DISNEY BOOKING PARTNER, MOUSE COUNSELORS .

Generally speaking, the sooner you book a Disney cruise after it goes on sale, the better, as prices usually only go in one direction — up.

Whether you use a travel agent or not, make sure to maximize your credit card points when paying for the cruise by using a credit card that offers extra points for travel purchases and maybe even offers some built-in travel protections .

• The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers 3 points per dollar on travel and dining and an annual up-to-$300 travel credit.
• The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 2 points per dollar on travel.
• The Disney Premier Visa Card is also a good option, specifically with Disney Cruise Line, as it gives you access to a 0% introductory annual percentage rate for six months following the purchase date on eligible Disney vacation packages, such as a Disney cruise (then a variable APR of 19.24% to 28.24% applies). The card also gets you 10% in savings on some onboard activities and packages while at Castaway Cay.

Related: How to save money on booking a Disney cruise

Bottom line

Whether you are on a three-night trip to Castaway Cay or a bigger crossing to the South Pacific, a Disney cruise is a special vacation that actually feels like a vacation.

The classic styling of the original four ships, the modern storybook styling of Disney Wish, the vast number of inclusions, the rotational dining, waterslides, private island, fun kids clubs, Disney characters, high-caliber entertainment and Disney service shine through.

You'll certainly pay more for the privilege of sailing with Mickey and Minnie than with some other family-friendly lines. But for those with kids in that Disney age range, or for adults who know and trust the Disney brand, it's hard to go wrong in choosing Disney Cruise Line for your next vacation.

More stories to help you plan your next cruise:

• Best Disney ships for everyone
• Everything we know about Disney Treasure, joining DCL in 2024
• Everything you need to know about Disney Wish
• Best credit cards for booking a cruise

• 100 Years of Wonder / Disneyland Paris / Disneyland Resort / EPCOT / Merchandise / News / The Walt Disney Company / Walt Disney World

FULL GUIDE to Disney’s 100th Anniversary Celebration

by Jess Landers · May 11, 2023

This year marks 100 years of The Walt Disney Company , and they’re celebrating this milestone in a HUGE way.

There are all kinds of festivities happening around the Disney Parks! Celebrations are happening at Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World, and even Disneyland Paris. So, let’s break it all down!

Disneyland Resort

If you visit Disneyland Resort during the Disney100 celebration , you’ll find a ton of special offerings, from the platinum decor to new foods to the opening of a brand new ride! Let’s talk about everything happening so you can plan your best trip ever!

Disneyland Disney 100 Celebration

First and foremost, the thing that gets you into the parks has received a makeover — the park tickets !

Now, let’s talk about all of the other celebrations.

Special new Disney100 decor can be spotted throughout Disneyland Resort, including Disneyland Park and the Esplanade . There is some special decor up on Sleeping Beauty Castle as well ! Check out those embellishments .

Sleeping Beauty Castle is all decked out!

You can also find a new Mickey Statue on Main Street U.S.A. for the anniversary!

Disneyland Mickey Statue

And, inside Main Street Cinema, check out Tilly’s new look fort the 100th !

Photo: Disney

Over in Disney California Adventure , the decorations continue! 

Disney100 Decor Disney California Adventure

There’s even an Oswald display  inside Elias & Co.

Disney100 Oswald Display

Downtown Disney  has decorations as well, even on the construction walls.

Disney100 Decor in Downtown Disney

And, the Monorail  is decked out in its 100th Anniversary best, too! 

Disney100 Monorail

The hotels  are also joining in the celebrations, like over at the Disneyland Hotel …

And at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel .

Disney100 Decor in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel

Most of the Disney100 decor has a shimmery, iridescent platinum look, and trust us when we say that you don’t want to miss snapping some photos. Look how it shines in the sun! 

Disneyland Entrance

But if you find new decorations on the boring side, there are more perks available.

Special Food & Drinks

Special Disney100 foods and drinks are also part of the celebration!

You can get things like the Violet Pretzel , which is a cream cheese-filled pretzel with salted vanilla cream and lavender sugar. There is also the  Sparkling Grape , which is Sprite, grape syrup, and a grape candy strip. Both of these can be found at Refreshment Corner in Disneyland Park

If you want something with more chocolate involved, check out the  Steamboat Willie Shake at Schmoozies  in Disney California Adventure Park! This is a cookies and cream ice cream shake with whipped topping that’s then coated with cookie crumbles and topped with OREO cookies to look like the ears.

In Downtown Disney, find special treats at Marceline’s Confectionery, like a 100th Anniversary Minnie Apple and Minnie Cake Pop .

Disney100 Treats

And, there’s a special Disney100 churro that you can get at the Town Square Churro cart in Disneyland, too!

Merchandise

There is a ton of special merchandise available , too! You can find a lot of items in The Emporium in Disneyland Park.

There are also fun items available like this Disney100 Mickey Balloon collectible popcorn bucket !

Oh, and there’s an awesome Cinderella’s Carriage bucket as well .

We’ve seen some new balloons for the celebration…

…as well as a thermal tumbler !

Or, if you’d rather have a new sipper , there’s one of those available at Disneyland , too!

Disneyland 100 Mickey Mouse Sipper

We talk about Mickey and Minnie ears for the celebration later in this post, but just know that some of the styles are available in Disneyland as well .

Disney100 Minnie Ears

And, there is the full collections of 100th Anniversary merchandise that you can find around the resort too.

Some of the characters have new looks for the anniversary, too! Mickey and Minnie wear special Disney100 looks  — you can see them all decked out in their platinum outfits.

Mickey’s outfit

Here’s a look at Minnie!

Disney100 Looks

Chip ‘n Dale  have special looks…

…as do Donald …

…and Goofy !

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway 

Although Mickey’s Toontown wasn’t scheduled to open until March 2023, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway  opened up for the start of the 100th celebration on January 27th in Disneyland Park! 

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Toontown

The ride is basically identical to the one in Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, but with a different queue and entrance area, obviously. It makes you feel like you’re inside a Disney cartoon!

Mickey’s Toontown

So it’s not exactly part of Disney100, but Mickey’s Toontown opened on March 19th, following a lengthy refurbishment.

There are a ton of new things in the land, like new food and areas for you to hang out . Mickey even has a new meet-and-greet outfit !

Entertainment

World of color — one.

World of Color — ONE is located in Paradise Gardens Park at Disney California Adventure, and it’s a new version of the beloved World of Color nighttime spectacular. The show brings to life classic Disney characters using lights, water, lasers, pyrotechnics, and more.

The show usually happens every night, sometimes with one showtime and sometimes with two. Make sure to check the calendar before your trip!

Wondrous Journeys

Wondrous Journeys  is the new nighttime spectacular in Disneyland Park! It will take you on an  epic adventure through 100 years of Walt Disney Animation using fireworks, lights, and more.

Photo: Scott Gustin/Disney

You will see projections up and down Main Street, as well as on Sleeping Beauty Castle. You can take a behind-the-scenes look at the show right here !

Sometimes the show happens with fireworks and other times it’s just with projections. But, there are nights when the show isn’t playing, so just check the calendar before you go!

Disney100 Years of Wonder Cavalcade

The Disney100 Years of Wonder Cavalcade  was a cavalcade that took place in Disneyland Park when the celebrations started back in January. It featured beloved Disney characters in their new Disney100 platinum outfits!

The cavalcade does not appear to be running anymore, but we’ll keep an eye out for it and let you know if we see it again!

Cast Member Name Tags

Cast Members have received special name tags for the 100th anniversary, displaying the Disney100 logo, their name, and their favorite Disney character.

Guided Tour

There is a new guided tour in Disneyland for the anniversary, too — the “Celebrating Disney100 at Disneyland Resort” Guided Tour .

Credit: Disney

During the tour, guests will hear stories about the 100-year history of The Walt Disney Company as they’re guided through Disneyland Resort’s iconic locations.

Disneyland Resort will be experienced as a “living story” with tales of how The Walt Disney Company has brought magic to life over the last 100 years.

Disney100 Years of Wonder Exhibit

There is a special exhibit happening inside Disneyland Park for the anniversary! The Disney Gallery Presents: Disney100 Years of Wonder Exhibit is located between Disneyana and The Disneyland Story Presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.

It’s an exhibit inspired by Walt Disney’s vision for Disneyland. It gives guests a look at the artwork, movies, rides, and more from The Walt Disney Company.

Walt Disney World

Disney World is also celebrating the 100th anniversary! The celebrations kicked off a little bit later due to the 50th Anniversary of Disney World finishing up in March.

Decorations

We’ve seen decorations all over the parks! In front of Magic Kingdom, you’ll find a giant number 100 where the 50th decorations used to be .

New 100 Decor

There’s also a lot of decor on both the inside and outside of The Emporium .

Check out the Mickey and Minnie statues!

We spotted a big 100 in front of the entrance to Animal Kingdom , too.

Animal Kingdom

And, there’s one inside of EPCOT as well !

Disney100 Sign at EPCOT

The EPCOT merchandise windows are decorated as well — here’s a look at Creations Shop .

EPCOT even has a special addition to a fan-favorite ride for the anniversary. Check out this 100 made of plants that you can see when you ride Living with the Land !

Finally, there’s another big 100 at Hollywood Studios .

We’ve also seen some decor at the stores in Hollywood Studios! Check out the window decorations at Adrian & Edith’s Head to Toe .

And, over at Disney Springs, there is 100 decor and displays inside World of Disney . Check it out !

There is a whole section displaying 100th Anniversary merchandise .

Disney100 Merch Display

We’ve seen 100th Anniversary merchandise all around Disney World! There’s special glassware from the Arribas Bros …

… 100th Anniversary popcorn buckets …

100th Popcorn Bucket

…a 100th Anniversary collection from Vera Bradley …

…a 100th Anniversary Spirit Jersey …

…a Starbucks tumbler …

…and even Pandora charms !

Other places you can find a big selection of Disney100 merchandise and displays are in Big Top Souvenirs in Magic Kingdom .

Some other items available in Disney World for Disney’s 100th Anniversary include special gift cards …

…a tumbler …

…a Loungefly mini backpack …

… sparkly Minnie ears …

…a sparkly Mickey ears hat …

Mickey and Minnie Mouse Disney100 Ear Hat

… Crocs …

…and the same Cinderella’s carriage popcorn bucket we saw in Disneyland!

A lot of the 100th Anniversary merchandise can be found in the big stores, like The Emporium in Magic Kingdom .

There are also full collections, like the Unified Character Collection we found in The Emporium . This collection can also be found online on shopDisney !

And, you can find cool souvenirs, like these special pressed pennies …

…or the awesome Disney100 collectible silver medallions !

Disney World has a few special food items for the 100th Anniversary! Check out the makeover that Mickey Premium Bars recently got in the parks .

And, when you order popcorn, you also might find some new Disney100 cardboard popcorn containers .

Disney100 Info for Walt Disney World

In addition to everything mentioned above, you can also find a guide to the Disney100 celebrations at Walt Disney World right here .

And, there’s an entire webpage for the celebration at Disney World !

Disney has also confirmed that EPCOT will be the main host of the Disney100 celebration in Disney World later this year.

The celebrations ill include new experiences, like Mickey and Minnie in their 100th Anniversary platinum costumes, a platinum sculpture of Walt Disney, and a new lighting design for Spaceship Earth!

Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris will also be celebrating the 100th Anniversary , but not until later this year! Disney said that the celebrations will happen on October 16th and include special entertainment and surprises in the parks.

We don’t know what these surprises are yet, but we will be keeping an eye out for any news!

Other Offerings

Now, let’s talk about some general offerings for the 100th Anniversary! There’s merchandise you can buy online, special events happening, and more.

There’s a brand new Disney logo for the 100th Anniversary ! It was revealed at Destination D23 in 2021 — check it out!

This logo was shown again at D23 Expo in 2022 but in a new way. It was incorporated into the image you see when you watch Disney media.

You might notice this logo on any new Disney shows or movies that are released this year!

Disney100: The Exhibition

There is a special exhibition happening this year for the big anniversary! It’s being held at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and features The Walt Disney Archives’ historical artifacts .

The exhibition is an immersive environment of sight and sound and spans 15,000 square feet ! It highlights stories and characters from The Walt Disney Company’s last century.

We even got to see Mickey and Minnie visit the exhibition earlier this year !

You also might see another familiar face… Walt Disney (as a hologram!) . There are also various special artifacts that are on display .

The exhibition began in February and will run all the way until August 27th, 2023.

If you can’t get to Philadelphia for the exhibition, you might have another chance! The second unit of the exhibition is taking place in Munich, Germany . It kicked off at Munich’s Olympic Hall on April 18, 2023.

Other Events

Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport has also joined in on the Disney100 celebration ! There is a new show using projections on the giant waterfall in the airport. Colorful lights and music bring iconic Disney images to life! The show happens at 7:30PM daily, with an additional show at 9:30PM Friday through Sunday.

Photo: Daniel Iskandar//timeout.com

There are also 10 unique photo spots showing 10 decades of Disney wonder and magic in the airport!

And, you can’t miss the giant walkthrough 100 logo…

…or the giant statue of Mickey Mouse!

There is a lot of Disney100 merchandise available online for anyone to purchase! Not only are there individual pieces, but there are also exciting collections.

The Disney100 Decades Collection releases a new installment in the collection every month . The pieces started with the 1920s , with some Steamboat Willie items.

Then, we got the 1930s collection , with things like these Snow White ears .

Next up was the 1940s collection, which included items like fun The Three Caballeros Minnie Ears and a Pinocchio backpack . These items are available both online and in Disneyland and Disney World.

Also available online are some books on the history of Disney and Disney Imagineering .

We got a sneak peek at the Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears for the anniversary as well . Some of these ears can now be found both in the parks and online.

Check out these printed Disney100 Minnie ears we found online …

…and these silver Loungefly Minnie ears online .

There are also merchandise collections that are collaborations with other brands, like Nailtopia polishes (which can be found at Ulta)…

Photo: Nailtopia

…a RSVLTS clothing line …

Photo: RSVLTS

…a Petunia Pickle Bottom collection …

Photo: Petunia Pickle Bottom

… special cereal …

Photo: Post Consumer Brands

…and even some snazzy Adidas shoes !

Photo: Adidas

Stay tuned for more Disney news and updates!

Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on  your next Disney vacation , please fill out the form below and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond-Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon!

Tags: 100 Years of Wonder 100th Anniversary Disney Disney Anniversary Disney Merchandise Disney news disney100 Disneyland Paris Disneyland Resort The Walt Disney Company Walt Disney World

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Disney Cruise Discounts and Deals

LAST UPDATE: 4/22/24

Disney Cruise discounts can be hard to find, but this is the place to find them! Listed below is every known deal, offer, coupon, onboard credit or discount available for Disney Cruise Line (DCL), plus lots of FREE information about how to save money on a Disney cruise!

Easy Ways to Save on Your Disney Cruise

Onboard credit.

• New! Last-Minute Restricted Stateroom Discounts

Onboard Booking Discount

• Discounts for Florida Residents
• Discounts for Military
• Discounts for Canadian Residents
• Discounts for European Residents
• Discounts for Annual Passholders
• Discounts for Southern California Residents
• Discounts for UK and Ireland Residents
• Discounts for Disney Visa Cardholders
• Discounts for Disney Vacation Club Members

Group Incentives

Costco rebates, travelocity deals on disney cruises, expedia deals on disney cruises, other useful disney cruise line information pages:.

• For tips and tricks that will help you plan your cruise , visit the Planning Tips & Tricks for Disney Cruises page .
• For advice that will help you save time and get the most out of your cruise once you are onboard , visit the DCL Onboard Advice page .
• For advice that will help you with excursions, tours and activities while in port, visit the Tips & Discounts for Port Excursions page .

In our opinion,  you should always book a Disney cruise with a third-party travel agency or site that provides a bonus or discount . The extra onboard credit or discount is effectively FREE money. The primary question is whether you prefer to handle your bookings directly ( self-service ), or work with a personal agent ( full-service ). They’re both good options and they both offer essentially similar savings: one via their own extra-discounted fares and the other via FREE onboard credit. 

Booking a Disney Cruise With a Self-Service Site

Our pick for self-service booking is Undercover Tourist . We’ve recommended them for more than a decade as a fantastic source for tickets, but they also have impressive deals on Disney cruises. Unlike other self-booking options like Expedia or Priceline, Undercover Tourist adds an additional discount over and above any special pricing Disney offers (like restricted guarantee , Military , or Florida resident rates)! We know of no other site that adds their own discounts to the baseline fare for Disney cruises. Occasionally one of the big online travel sites will do a limited-time small onboard credit or in-room gift, but Undercover Tourist offers extra discounts , on every Disney cruise, every day. Undercover Tourist further guarantees to MouseSavers readers that you will always get their lowest possible prices when booking through our links here and through our monthly newsletter and Hot Deals emails.

Keep in mind that this is a self-service option , for people who know exactly what cruise they want to take, what stateroom, how dining works, etc. If you like to handle your own bookings directly, Undercover Tourist is a great choice. If you would like to have a personal agent who can help guide you through the decision process and be available to answer questions, then the full-service approach will be a better fit.

• Check out Undercover Tourist’s discounted cruise rates for Disney Cruise Lines ! Undercover Tourist guarantees MouseSavers readers get their lowest rates!

Booking a Disney Cruise With a Full-Service Agent

The benefits of using a top travel agent are significant, both in convenience and price. First off, the best travel agents give you onboard credit, which is effectively FREE money, since the cruise fare isn’t any higher than if you booked through Disney. Furthermore, Disney Cruise Line has lots of confusing options involving tradeoffs that aren’t always clear. Using an experienced travel agent is like getting a FREE expert who knows everything about the Disney Cruise Line and is happy to walk you through the process and offer advice.

The travel agency we personally recommend here on MouseSavers.com, Small World Vacations , has some of the most experienced agents in the industry . The agents who handle cruise bookings for Small World have been on multiple Disney cruises, and know a truly astonishing amount about all four ships, the various Disney ports of call and all the common itineraries (and many uncommon ones). Many of them are Platinum members of Disney’s Castaway Club, meaning that they have personally been on 10 or more Disney cruises! They each have a direct phone number and email address they give out to their clients, so you can email them questions or requests any time.

Small World Vacations offers an onboard credit of up to $1,000 when you book a Disney Cruise with them. (Credit depends on your total cruise fare; the minimum fare to get credit is $1000.) Your onboard credit is good toward anything you can charge to your room, such as spa treatments, special dining, shore excursions or even your bar tab! Plus, this onboard credit offer is on top of any other discounts for which you may qualify (like restricted guarantee , Military , or Florida resident rates). And perhaps most importantly, the Small World Vacations agents know how to maximize value by making use of tricks like secret porthole rooms , secret verandah rooms , secret connecting rooms , and other clever strategies.

We pretty rarely encounter a deal that qualifies as a “no brainer,” but this is absolutely one, because it’s effectively FREE money . Small World Vacations’ fares are exactly the same as Disney’s; there are no other hidden markups or extra fees. The onboard credit is a bonus you won’t get booking with Disney.

Finally, if you’re going on a Disney cruise, be sure you take advantage of the onboard booking discount and list Small World Vacations as your preferred travel agent (or transfer the booking to Small World Vacations after your cruise is over), because it’s an essentially risk-free way to get significant discounts from Disney plus onboard credit from Small World Vacations in one fell swoop on a future cruise.

If you have any questions about onboard booking, email your questions directly to Small World Vacations at [email protected] before you leave on your cruise, and mention that you heard about onboard booking on MouseSavers.com. In our experience, the travel agents at Small World Vacations are great at finding the best fares. They know all the tricks that will save you money, and they know the Disney Cruise Line inside and out. We’re confident that once you work with a really great travel agent, you’ll never want to book a cruise any other way.

• Learn more about the Small World Vacations onboard credit offer and request a price quote for your Disney cruise .
• Small World Vacations gives you full service , including a personal travel agent you can contact by email or direct phone number, and we recommend them wholeheartedly ! Best of all, it costs you nothing to use them, PLUS they give you FREE onboard credit for any Disney Cruise Line booking of over $1000 total fare!

Onboard credit is cash value linked to your stateroom account on the ship, which you can spend by using your room key to pay for pretty much anything on the ship or on Castaway Cay. Onboard credit can be used for merchandise, adult beverages, bottled water, spa treatments, shore excursions, Palo, Remy, Palo Steakhouse or Enchanté meals, and other onboard activities, or even applied to gratuities for your servers and stateroom attendant.

Small World Vacations Onboard Credit

The travel agency we personally recommend here on MouseSavers.com, Small World Vacations , offers an onboard credit of $50 – $1000 when you book through them. (Credit depends on your total cruise fare; the minimum fare to get credit is $1000.) To learn more, visit the Small World Vacations website , where you can see full details about the onboard credit offer and request a quote on your cruise vacation .

Last-Minute Restricted Stateroom Discounts

Restricted Guarantee fares, when offered, are a great way to save if you are flexible about your stateroom location and willing to book “last minute,” usually meaning 21-75 days prior to departure. The savings can be very large, but you won’t know your exact stateroom at booking time. Disney guarantees you will get at least the stateroom type specified, and you could get assigned a higher level. You usually will get an actual stateroom assignment about 14 days before embarkation, but it could be assigned as late as the embarkation day.

There are complicated rules for Restricted Guarantee bookings ; be sure to read them if you’re not already familiar with them. The “Restricted Guarantee” room categories are offered on select sailings. The categories are:

• Guaranteed Inside Stateroom with Restrictions (category IGT) – Guarantees an inside or better stateroom (minimum category 11C)
• Guaranteed Oceanview Stateroom with Restrictions (category OGT) – Guarantees an oceanview or better stateroom (minimum category 9D)
• Guaranteed Verandah Stateroom with Restrictions (category VGT) – Guarantees a verandah or better stateroom (minimum category 7A)

New! As of April 22, 2024, the following cruises had availability in the Restricted Guarantee categories . Prices given are lowest available fares for a single stateroom, in US dollars, including taxes, fees and port expenses, rounded to the nearest dollar. All sailings are from Port Canaveral unless noted otherwise.

General Notes:

• A single guest gets charged essentially the same price as two guests. (Cruises are generally priced for a minimum of two guests per cabin.)
• 5-passenger rooms are not available with this discount .
• These discounts come and go as room inventory for a cruise changes. If you check for one and it doesn’t come up, it may come back. It’s worth checking back a few times over the next day or two to see if the discount becomes available again.
• If a price isn’t listed, that doesn’t mean the category is completely sold out , just that it isn’t available with this discount.

Select number of guests to see total sailing price (for one stateroom):

• If you are interested in booking one of these special restricted last-minute rates , we recommend either Small World Vacations or Undercover Tourist . We have worked with both companies for over 15 years and can recommend them wholeheartedly. It’s really a question of whether you prefer full-service booking or self booking. These staterooms often sell out fast, so if you see one you like, snag it quickly.
• Small World Vacations is a full service agency, offering a personal travel agent you can contact by email or direct phone number. It costs you nothing to use them, PLUS their FREE onboard credit offer applies to these special fares (the total cruise fare for the stateroom must be at least $1000 to get their onboard credit). 
• Undercover Tourist is a self-service booking site similar to Expedia or Priceline, but with years of focus on the Disney travel market. They offer the special rates mentioned above PLUS they add their own discounts. 

Important details you need to know about Restricted Guarantee fares:

• Can be combined with the Small World Vacations onboard credit offer as well as Undercover Tourist’s own bonus discounts.
• Cannot be combined with any other Disney discount or promotional offers.
• The specific stateroom is assigned by Disney, generally within a week of cruise departure. You cannot select a stateroom number or make special requests as to stateroom location.
• If you book two or more Restricted Guarantee staterooms, there is no way to ensure that they are near each other, or even on the same deck. Disney will put the rooms as close together as they can, but sometimes they just don’t have any rooms left that are near each other.
• Applies to new bookings only. Existing reservations cannot be modified to these new categories.
• Full payment is due at time of booking. Booking holds are not permitted.
• Reservation is non-refundable . (This only applies to situations where you cancel the cruise. If Disney cancels the cruise, for example because of pandemic restrictions, you will get a refund.)
• Reservation and applied payment are non-transferable .
• Full legal names and birthdates for all stateroom occupants are required at time of booking.
• Name changes after booking are not allowed .
• Sail date, stateroom category and cruise itinerary changes are not allowed .
• You can book a maximum of four people per stateroom on a Restricted Guarantee booking.
• There is typically more availability for three or fewer guests per room. All Disney Cruise staterooms can hold three guests, but only some can hold four.
• If you’re looking for these cruise fares on Disney’s web site, look for fares labeled “Guaranteed Inside Stateroom with Restrictions” or similar for Oceanview or Verandah. The key words are “…with restrictions.”

The one major change that you can make after booking: additional guests can be added to a stateroom, subject to space restrictions. Restrictions and booking rules are subject to change.

If you are going on a Disney cruise and think there is any chance you or a friend or relative may want to go on another Disney cruise in the next 24 months, be sure to book a future cruise while you are still onboard the ship . Disney has one of the most generous onboard booking programs in the cruise industry, and it’s a great way to get a discount and lower deposit on a future Disney cruise. When you book a future cruise while still onboard the ship you get all of the following benefits:

• A 10% discount on the final cruise fare (with some blackout dates ; see below). Does not apply to Concierge bookings.
• A lower deposit requirement of only 10% on 7+ night cruises (regular deposit requirement is 20%). Does not apply to Concierge bookings.
• If you booked your current cruise with Small World Vacations and also use them as your agent for the future cruise , you’ll also get half their normal onboard credit . (Note that if you didn’t book your current cruise with Small World Vacations, the onboard booking agents may not let you add Small World as your agent while onboard. In that case, you would have to transfer your booking to Small World after you get home, but you would still be eligible for half their normal credit.)

You can book either a specific cruise or a “placeholder” cruise. A placeholder lets you make a booking without picking a specific cruise. It can be associated with a specific cruise later, after you get home and decide. To book a specific cruise onboard, you put down a deposit of 10% or 20% of the whole fare, depending on the length of the cruise. To book a placeholder, you put down a flat $250 deposit per future stateroom. When you change a placeholder to a specific cruise booking you’ll have to pay any increase in deposit. Keep in mind, there is an advantage to booking a specific cruise as early as possible: you lock in the rate. So, if there is a cruise you might want to take, it’s a good idea to book that specific cruise rather than a placeholder. Even if you’re not 100% sure that’s your perfect cruise, remember you can change it later with no penalty.

If you ultimately decide not to take a cruise, Disney will refund 100% of your deposit or placeholder payment . You always get a 100% refund as long as you haven’t passed the penalty date (120-75 days from sailing, depending on the cruise), and you didn’t book a concierge room or suite. There’s basically no risk, though it does tie up some deposit money while you think about your options.

You can change almost every aspect of your booking as many times as you need to and still keep the benefits . The name of one adult in each stateroom must stay the same, but you can change the names of any of the other guests, or increase or reduce the number of guests. You can change the stateroom category. You can change the ship or the sailing as long as the sail date is within 24 months of the initial booking date. If you end up changing to a more expensive booking, you’ll need to make up the difference between your original deposit and the new deposit. Keep in mind that if you later add a guest to a stateroom, they will get added at current rates, not at your initial booking rates. For the lowest final price and most flexibility, it’s a good idea to make the initial booking with everyone who might go, rather than only the people you know are going to go.

You get the full discount for up to two future staterooms or placeholders per household (i.e. per mailing address). Once you leave the ship, you can’t book more , so we recommend booking two (or more) every time, if you can afford to tie up the deposit money. If you later decide that you want to bring another family along, or put the kids in their own stateroom, you’ll be glad to have two rooms booked with the discount.

You can get the full discount for friends or relatives who are not sailing on your cruise. You’ll need your friends’ full legal names (as written on their passport) and their birth dates. Under the current rules, the first stateroom or placeholder you book with this discount on the future cruise needs to include at least one adult who is on the current cruise, in addition to anyone else you want to add, and then the second stateroom can have anyone in it. For example, say you wanted to book a cruise for your friends, the Smith family. You could book one room for your own family, then book the second room (on the same cruise) for the Smith family.

If you already have a future cruise booked, you can usually “re-shop” your existing booking and get the discount. However, you basically have to make a new booking and cancel the old one, and the price might have gone up since you booked originally, potentially wiping out your discount. Be sure to compare the bottom-line price for both bookings.

A few other terms & conditions:

• There is no discount or lower deposit for 1- or 2-night sailings, IGT, OGT and VGT Restricted Guarantee bookings, or concierge staterooms and suites.
• You can get the 10% discount and reduced deposit on a maximum of two staterooms per household.
• Onboard booking incentives CANNOT be combined with any group discounts organized by a travel agency.
• Disney could change these rules and benefits at any time. Check onboard for the latest terms.

Onboard Discount Blackout Dates:

Please note: there is no 10% discount when you book the following holiday and peak dates onboard (but you do get the smaller deposit):

• Disney Dream : 3/31, 11/23, 11/27, 12/21, 12/26, 12/30
• Disney Fantasy : 3/23, 3/30, 6/8, 11/23, 12/22, 12/26, 12/29
• Disney Magic : 6/6, 11/25, 12/29
• Disney Treasure : 12/21, 12/28
• Disney Wish : 3/25, 3/29, 4/1, 11/25, 12/23, 12/27, 12/30
• Disney Wonder : ( none announced yet )
• Disney Dream : ( none announced yet )
• Disney Fantasy : ( none announced yet )
• Disney Magic : ( none announced yet )
• Disney Treasure:  ( none announced yet )
• Disney Wish : 4/14, 4/18, 4/21
• The full legal names of everyone who is going to go on the future cruise, as listed on their passport or birth certificate
• The number of rooms you want to book and what type ( inside, outside, verandah or placeholder )
• Who’s in each room ( keeping in mind the maximum passengers for each room type )
• Specific cruises you’re interested in, if you plan to book a cruise and not a placeholder ( or just rough notes with your needs/restrictions like dates or region )
• Birth dates for everyone ( optional, but makes everything go smoother )
• Bring the info with you on the cruise. If you just want to book a basic placeholder, you can do that while on the cruise with the Disney Navigator App on your phone (if you don’t already have it, just search for “Disney Navigator” in the Apple or Google app stores; you can download it before the cruise leaves to save time). If you want to do anything more complicated you’ll need to talk to a consultant at the future cruise desk.
• If you can’t or don’t want to use the the Navigator app, at some point early in the cruise, go to the Future Bookings Desk on deck 4 and either fill out a form, or just put your room number and name on the sheet you brought (if it has all the details on it they’ll need) and drop it in the box. You can also wait for a consultant if they’re there, or check the schedule and come back when they’re scheduled to be there. If you drop off a form, they’ll secure a hold on a reservation and leave a printout by your stateroom door. If the reservation looks good, either go back to the desk to finish the booking or call 7-2848 from your stateroom phone. Either way, when the booking is done ask for a printed confirmation of your final reservation.
• Before you leave the ship, confirm that everything is correct . You should have a printed confirmation or an emailed confirmation. The confirmation should show that your deposit is paid (if not, the booking will be canceled). If this isn’t on your confirmation, go to the Future Bookings Desk or Guest Services and make sure everything is correct. If you are working with a travel agent, verbally confirm that they are listed on the reservation before you leave the ship.
• That’s it! If you booked a “placeholder” cruise, you can start the process of finding your actual cruise. If you are using a travel agent , email them to let them know you booked onboard. Once you’ve settled on the cruise you really want to take, change the booking as soon as you can to the actual sailing date to lock in the lowest possible fares and get the best choice of staterooms.

Disney Cruise Discounts for Florida Residents

As of April 22, 2024, the following cruises had availability in the Florida Resident category . Prices given are lowest available fares for a single stateroom, in US dollars, including taxes, fees and port expenses, rounded to the nearest dollar. All sailings are from Port Canaveral unless noted otherwise. The room category available at that fare is in parentheses.

• 5-passenger rooms are rarely discounted for Florida residents , but they do show up occasionally.

Other stateroom categories may be available at other rates. Rates are per adult, based on double occupancy. Occupancy restrictions may apply. Excursions are not included. See Disney Cruise Line brochure for details and applicable terms and conditions. Other discounts do not apply. Only one discount may be used at a time. Rates in US dollars.

A copy of a valid proof of Florida residency for at least one adult in each stateroom needs to be transmitted (via fax or email) within 48 hours when booking with the Florida rate, and the same proof will need to be produced at check-in. The other guests in each stateroom do not need to be Florida residents.

• If you are interested in booking one of these special Florida resident rates , we recommend either Small World Vacations or Undercover Tourist . We have worked with both companies for over 15 years and can recommend them wholeheartedly. It’s really a question of whether you prefer full-service booking or self booking. These staterooms often sell out fast, so if you see one you like, snag it quickly.

Disney Cruise Discounts For Military

Members of the US military and their families qualify for special cruise rates.

As of April 22, 2024, the following cruises had availability in the Military category . Prices given are lowest available fares for a single stateroom, in US dollars, including taxes, fees and port expenses, rounded to the nearest dollar. All sailings are from Port Canaveral unless noted otherwise. The room category available at that fare is in parentheses.

• 5-passenger rooms are rarely discounted for military members , but they do show up occasionally.

Valid for new bookings only. Other stateroom categories may be available at other rates. Rates based on double occupancy. Occupancy restrictions may apply. Excursions are not included. See Disney Cruise Line brochure for details and applicable terms and conditions. Other discounts do not apply. Only one discount may be used at a time. Rates in US dollars. The following are eligible for the Military rate: active duty or retired military; 100% disabled retired military; reservists for National Guard and Army Reserve with active duty orders (active duty papers must be dated as of January 1st of the previous year to qualify); Department of Defense personnel.

Military personnel may book one stateroom under the military rates program. A second stateroom may be confirmed, if needed, to accommodate immediate family members only. For example, a family of two adults and four children may confirm two staterooms, based on availability, with the offer. Extended family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) do not qualify as immediate family members for the second stateroom. Active duty or retired military personnel and 100% permanently disabled veterans do not have to travel as long as their spouse has a valid military ID to show at the port. Reservists must be part of the travel party and must show ID at the port.

• If you are interested in booking one of these special Military rates , we recommend either Small World Vacations or Undercover Tourist . We have worked with both companies for over 15 years and can recommend them wholeheartedly. It’s really a question of whether you prefer full-service booking or self booking. These staterooms often sell out fast, so if you see one you like, snag it quickly.

Disney Cruise Discounts for Canadian Residents

Canadian residents sometimes qualify for special rates on select sailings on Disney Cruise Line.

As of April 22, 2024, the following cruises had availability in the Canadian Resident category . Prices given are lowest available fares for a single stateroom, in US dollars, including taxes, fees and port expenses, rounded to the nearest dollar. All sailings are from Port Canaveral unless noted otherwise. The room category available at that fare is in parentheses.

• 5-passenger rooms are rarely discounted for Canadian residents , but they do show up occasionally.

Select number of guests to see total sailing price:

Proof of Canadian residency will be required at time of check-in (your passport is fine).

• If you are interested in booking one of these special Canadian resident rates , we recommend either Small World Vacations or Undercover Tourist . We have worked with both companies for over 15 years and can recommend them wholeheartedly. It’s really a question of whether you prefer full-service booking or self booking. These staterooms often sell out fast, so if you see one you like, snag it quickly.

Disney Cruise Discounts for European Residents

European (EEA) residents sometimes qualify for special rates on select sailings on Disney Cruise Line. When they become available we list them below.

No current offers.

Disney Cruise Discounts for Annual Passholders

Walt Disney World Annual Passholders sometimes qualify for special rates on select sailings on Disney Cruise Line. When they become available we list them below.

Disney Cruise Discounts for Southern California Residents

Southern California residents (ZIP codes 90000 to 93599) sometimes qualify for special rates on select sailings on Disney Cruise Line.

Prices given are lowest available fares for a single stateroom, in US dollars, including taxes, fees and port expenses, rounded to the nearest dollar. All sailings are from Port Canaveral unless noted otherwise. The room category available at that fare is in parentheses.

• 5-passenger rooms are rarely discounted for Southern California residents , but they do show up occasionally.

A copy of a valid proof of Southern California residency (ZIP codes 90000 to 93599) for at least one adult in each stateroom needs to be transmitted (via fax or email) within 48 hours when booking with the Southern California rate, and the same proof will need to be produced at check-in. The other guests in each stateroom do not need to be Southern California residents.

• If you are interested in booking one of these special Southern California resident rates , we recommend either Small World Vacations or Undercover Tourist . We have worked with both companies for over 15 years and can recommend them wholeheartedly. It’s really a question of whether you prefer full-service booking or self booking. These staterooms often sell out fast, so if you see one you like, snag it quickly.

Disney Cruise Discounts for UK and Ireland Residents

There’s a useful site listing the latest Disney Cruise Line deals for UK visitors, plus a FREE phone number you can call to learn more and book your cruise!

• Learn more about UK offers for Disney Cruise Line.

Disney Cruise Discounts for Disney Visa Cardholders

Disney Visa cardholders who use their card as their payment method onboard automatically get several discounts on purchases on the ship and on Castaway Cay. In order for this to happen, you have to register your Disney Visa card when you check in at the port. You do not need to charge the cruise fare on your Disney Visa to get the discounts.

You should not need to ask at purchase time to get the discounts; if you have the card registered any discounts should automatically be applied when you make an eligible purchase.

These discounts cannot be combined with any other discounts you might qualify for, such as Disney Vacation Club discounts.

Discounts include:

• 10% off selected merchandise purchases of $50 or more. Excludes sale merchandise, gift cards, Castaway Cay merchandise, DVDs, CDs, big-ticket items like art, jewelry, fragrances, cosmetics and watches, plus several vague catch-all categories like “selected special items.” Basically, ask first if you’ll get the 10% off, if it’s important to your purchase decision.
• 10% off 10-photo, 15-photo, 20-photo or unlimited photo packages.
• 10% off the Castaway Cay Getaway package (combination of snorkeling, bicycle and float or inner-tube rental).
• 20% off full-priced massage or facial treatment in the onboard spa while in port . This does not include massages on Castaway Cay or treatments discounted as part of onboard specials.

Disney Cruise Discounts for Disney Vacation Club Members

Dvc onboard spending discounts.

Disney Vacation Club members get several discounts on purchases onboard any Disney Cruise. You need to ask for the discount and show your Disney Vacation Club card at time of purchase.

This discount cannot be combined with any other discounts you might qualify for, such as Disney Visa discounts. DVC members who only own points purchased via resale after April 4, 2016 are not eligible for discounts, including this one.

• 10% off selected merchandise purchases of $50 or more.
• 10% off any digital photo package.

DVC Cruise Fare Discounts

The following cruises have discounts available for Disney Vacation Club members for up to 3 persons (some may also be available for 4 or 5). Prices given are base fares per person (Guest 1 & 2/Guest 3+). 3rd, 4th and 5th guest fares for children 12 and under will be lower. Taxes, fees and port expenses are not included. All sailings are from Port Canaveral unless noted otherwise.

Other stateroom categories may be available at other rates. Rates are per adult, based on double occupancy. Occupancy restrictions may apply. Taxes, fees, port expenses and excursions are not included. See Disney Cruise Line brochure for details and applicable terms and conditions. Other discounts do not apply. Only one discount may be used at a time. Rates in US dollars. Offer open only to Disney Vacation Club members.

• If you are interested in booking one of these special Disney Vacation Club rates , we recommend filling out a quote form with Small World Vacations . They give you full service, including a personal travel agent you can contact by email or direct phone number, and we recommend them wholeheartedly ! Best of all, it costs you nothing to use them, PLUS their FREE onboard credit offer applies to these special fares (though note that the total cruise fare must be at least $1000 to get their onboard credit). Be sure to tell them you want to book a Disney Vacation Club fare. You will need to fax or email proof of DVC membership to finalize the booking. Note that these staterooms often sell out fast, so if you see one you like, snag it quickly.

Organizing your own group? Disney Specialist travel agents are adept at handling large groups and offer on-board credit and sometimes other incentives. Contact a Disney Specialist travel agency such as Small World Vacations for details. Remember, it costs you nothing to use them!

Costco members can get rebates on Disney cruises, which come in the form of a Costco gift card. However, Costco Travel is not a full-service travel agency: don’t expect much service or information.

In our experience, Costco reps are very nice, but don’t know much about Disney Cruise Line. They almost certainly have never been on a Disney cruise, and may have never been on a cruise of any kind. If you choose to go this route, be prepared to spend time and energy doing your own research about what your package includes and how everything works. Heaven help you if you need to book something complicated like connecting rooms or want to know the pros and cons of different stateroom options. Costco Travel most definitely won’t be able to offer any insider tips on what to expect or help you take advantage of special booking tricks or “secret” room upgrades. Effectively you’re just booking the cruise yourself, but through Costco instead of Disney.

In addition, we find the Costco reps are clueless about Disney’s promotional offers — they really only know about the Costco rebate. You will have to do your own monitoring to see if any specials or price drops come out, and then see if you can get them applied to your booking. A top-notch Disney specialist agency will do this for you automatically, adjusting your reservation to reflect any current offers or discounts.

Travelocity sometimes has special deals on Disney cruises. They are usually fairly last-minute offers, most typically no more than 6 months in advance. Travelocity also sometimes advertises “15% off shore excursions” but be aware that those are privately booked excursions through a company called Port Promotions, NOT the official Disney excursions.

Expedia has the same base prices as everyone else, but occasionally they will have their own additional offer, like onboard credit or extra Expedia rewards points. Be sure to read the terms and conditions carefully; in some cases there are sharp limits on the extra rewards or credit, or it will only apply to the cruise fare for the first two guests instead of the entire cruise fare.

Disney100: The Exhibition Open until 23rd June 2024 

Step into the world of disney and experience 100 years of magic… .

Dive into the world of The Walt Disney Company and experience 100 years of magic like never before! Disney100: The Exhibition is a once-in-a-lifetime event celebrating the iconic characters and stories that have captured the hearts of audiences around the globe.

Disney has curated special behind-the-scenes glimpses into the creation of the most popular characters, films, shows, and attractions – from Disneyland to Walt Disney World and beyond. The ten magnificent and imaginatively themed galleries, with moving stories, unique interactive installations, and exciting background information, will take visitors on a journey through 100 years of The Walt Disney Company, celebrating the classics, as well as the latest members of the Disney family.

Tickets* include special prices for children, NHS workers, students and senior citizens. Under 5s go free. There are also Flexi entry anytime ticket and VIP ticket options. All tickets are subject to availability.

To find out more about visit: disney100exhibit.com/london

BUY TICKETS

Contact event organiser +44 (0)1803 225 485

Click here for website

Follow event

*For all ticket queries, please contact your ticket provider directly. 

Accessibility Please note that one free carer ticket can be provided for each paying disabled visitor with a disability badge. Please review the FAQs section on the Disney 100: The Exhibition website to see which documentation is accepted.

Opening times until Tuesday 30 April Monday to Thursday: 9.00am-6.30pm (Last session starts 4.30pm) Friday & Saturday: 9.00am-8.00pm (Last session starts 6.00pm) Sunday: 9.00am-6.00pm (Last session starts at 4.00pm)

Entrance Custom House (Elizabeth line and DLR) West dock edge

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More From Forbes

Meet the company beating theme parks at their own game.

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The concept that was launched with Disney's MagicBand is now being used in a whole new industry ... [+] (Photo by Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

Few industries are as offbeat as the theme park sector. It's a world where making artificial mountains and organising mass mobs of dancers dressed in period clothing is commonplace. So it's hard to see how expertise in the field could apply to other sectors but actually this couldn't be further from the truth.

Indeed, when a colossus of one of the oldest industries on earth turned to a veteran of the theme park industry, it made such a splash that it transformed its entire business model.

With origins dating back nearly 60 years, Princess Cruises is the oldest North American cruise line operator. In 1965, Canadian construction equipment distributor Stanley McDonald spotted an opportunity to put Canadian Pacific's Princess Patricia cruise ship to more use. The Princess Pat, as she was fondly known, usually cruised around Alaska but McDonald chartered it on Mexican Riviera cruises from Los Angeles when it would have otherwise been laid up for the winter. Princess Cruises was born and it went full steam ahead from then on.

Princess became so successful that it came onto the radar of Britain's Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O). The historic shipping line was founded in 1837 and by 1960 it had become the world's largest shipping company with 320 ocean-going vessels. In 1974 P&O bought Princess and it went from strength to strength. So much so indeed that P&O eventually realized Princess could stand on its own two feet and spun it off in 2000 to form an independent company, P&O Princess Cruises.

Three years later, Princess merged with industry giant Carnival Corporation in a $5.4 billion deal which made the combined business the world's largest cruise operator and kept it on the crest of the wave in the face of increasing competition. Over the following years the market was awash with consolidation and a steady stream of mega cruise liners emerged from from Princess' rivals. In 2014 Princess began to chart a new course and it hasn't looked back since then.

According to CruiseMarketWatch, Princess has $3.5 billion of annual revenue and carries 1.6 million passengers annually. It is thanks to John Padgett, a veteran of Disney's theme park division, who became Carnival's chief experience and innovation officer in 2014 and took the wheel of Princess itself in 2021.

Princess Cruises' President, John Padgett, has introduced theme park technology to the cruise line ... [+] (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Princess Cruises)

A theme park executive might not sound like someone who could give a magic touch to a luxury cruise line but actually Padgett cast perhaps the most powerful spell on the company in its entire history. Padgett is probably the most important technology innovator in the modern era of Disney and over an 18-year career with the Mouse he rose through its ranks until he ultimately landed a role with the suitably imaginative title of head of game changer experience development. There was good reason for this name.

Padgett is one of the most respected and talented innovators in the leisure industry. He invented and implemented many of the most groundbreaking guest engagement developments at Disney's theme parks including the FastPass+ queue-cutting system, the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique princess-themed children's makeover outlets and the Be Our Guest restaurant which replicates the ballroom scene from Beauty and the Beast .

He holds 35 patents covering everything from itinerary scheduling to digital experience interaction platforms and, crucially, wearable devices. The reason for the latter is that he developed Disney's wearable wireless MagicBand device which revolutionized the entry, ride access and payment process at its theme parks.

The device debuted at the sprawling Walt Disney World Resort in 2013 and is essentially a rubber bracelet with a removable button in the center. The button contains a chip connected to a small antenna as well as a high frequency radio device. Visitors' ticket, accommodation and payment details can be synced to the MagicBand enabling them to enter the parks and their hotel room by tapping the bracelet to wireless receivers. Likewise, they can pay at shops and restaurants in the same way making impulse buys much easier.

MagicBands can even be used to play interactive games in Disney's fairytale-themed Magic Kingdom theme park with guests going on a treasure hunt following clues which appear when the bracelet is touched to receivers hidden in the scenery.

Deploying the MagicBand cost a reported $1 billion but it soon started to make the money back. Disney's chief executive "Bob Iger had amazing foresight and when he saw the original prototype of the MagicBand, he said 'this thing's going to be very special' and he was right," says Padgett.

Not only were customers prepared to pay more for their stays due to the convenience of the MagicBand but it also boosted guest spending and triggered a new collecting craze as fans clamored for the different designs of wristbands that Disney put on sale. Like all of the best technological advancements, necessity was the mother of this invention.

"I used to go into the Magic Kingdom and I would think, people are paying a tremendous amount of money for this experience which makes more money the more people you put into it. But the experience degrades the more you put people into it," says Padgett.

"So to me that set up a broader dilemma in all of travel and it is the same story with cruise ships. They started small and the cruise experience was personalized. It was individualized, and this was before any technology existed on ships. But as ships grew so did the volume of people experiencing their amenities, attractions, restaurants, retail, casinos and the experience actually degrades.

"I wanted to be the person who creates experiences like something an elite person has on a very limited volume but I wanted to do it at scale because scale gives choice, scale gives options. So that's where I started with the MagicBand."

His eureka moment came on a flight from Hollywood Burbank Airport, just a few miles from Disney's headquarters. Padgett opened the Sky Mall magazine and turned to the golf section where he saw the Trion:Z magnetic therapy bracelet which is designed to help players with their swing.

Padgett says it occurred to him that "if someone wore something like this and it seamlessly interacted with everything that you have on a vacation experience, we could eliminate hotel key cards, credit cards, meal vouchers, Fastpass tickets, transportation vouchers and credit cards." That was just step one as he adds that this could also enable guests to "be recognized as an individual so you could have scale but you could also have a personalized interaction." It sounds like a no-brainer but getting it to market was far from child's play.

"The biggest challenge was telling an organization renowned for being the best of the best on delivering experience, that it was not doing it good enough, and that we could do it better. And if you believe in this little thing, and you believe in this theory of eliminating friction, everything improves. At Disney, the business model was built on growing by building attractions but this was saying, 'no, all your content is great. It's improving access to your content that will increase consumption'. So it was a different mindset.

"There was also a lot of challenge around would people wear a device because wearable devices didn’t exist yet. So you had to believe in the philosophy that if you improve the experience, the guests will do it. So you're not telling them to wear this wearable, you're saying, 'if you do it, we will deliver a greater experience with this MagicBand'. And it was universally adopted. Whether you were three years old or 93 years old, it was instant adoption."

Padget introduced the MagicBand to Disney's theme parks (Photo by Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews ... [+] Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

Within just two years, more than 10 million MagicBands had been distributed and although it ushered in a whole new world for Disney, Padgett had even grander plans in mind.

"The reality is it only accomplished half of the equation that I had envisioned," he says. "It took friction out of the overall experience. The math behind it was if you eliminate friction, you increase consumption. And so that was the principle behind the MagicBand.

"The other 50% of it was if I can individually recognize you, I can give you a personalized experience and a personalized experience is more valuable than a commodity experience so it's worth more." Not just for guests but for Disney too. "If I can increase volume by reducing friction, and I can increase value by increasing personalization, those things multiply. You create value for the guest and you create value for the enterprise."

However, he adds "the reality is that the personalization element was before its time. The MagicBand was no doubt the leader in eliminating friction from an entire experience spanning a complete city or destination but what it did not do was deliver personalization at scale. My passion was to finish that job."

The MagicBand was a wearable before the category even existed and although it broke new ground, its potential has yet to be fully realized. Many guests only use the device for entering the parks and paying for tickets, merchandise, food and drink but, other than that, the experience is largely the same as before the tech was introduced. Padgett explains why.

"A fundamental element to achieving personalization at scale is individual recognition and identification. And doing that spanning an entire experience. Well, the Disney model eliminated the transactional friction but it wasn't based on a horizontal platform that spanned every element of the experience to interact uniquely in real time."

In short, as the MagicBand's popularity hadn't been proven when it was introduced, it wasn't integrated into the parks and Disney's MyMagic+ digital platform as widely as it could have been. Having seen the success of the MagicBand at Disney World, a year after Padgett joined Carnival he spearheaded the development of a new form of technology which would be integrated across all aspects of the on-board experience and would finally achieve his aim of true guest personalization.

The gold standard in cruising has long been the ratio between the number of guests and staff with the holy grail being 1:1 as it means that travelers should never be kept waiting. Padgett realised that wireless wearable tech could be used to reach this objective without needing to increase staff numbers and thereby costs.

"My vision was that the concept of personalization at scale would change the game in the travel business," he says. It was shared by Carnival's then-CEO Arnold Donald. "Everyone in the cruise industry knows that the ships were getting bigger and bigger and with that, there were more and more guests to handle," adds Padgett. "But also everyone in the cruise industry knows that yacht-class, small-ship sailing has personalization. So to me, the cruise ship was the perfect platform, a complete city-like environment where I could set out to accomplish this vision of personalization at scale."

Wireless technology was moving so fast that by 2015, when Padgett began exploring the use of it on Princess' ships, he was able to develop a completely new cutting-edge platform for the cruise operator. It now operates on every Princess ship and, as Padgett says, it "orchestrates every single guest interaction, every single crew interaction with every single aspect of the entire experience end-to-end with no exceptions. That means every guest is recognized as an individual with their needs, wants and desires in real time.

"It allows Princess crew members to interact digitally or physically and deliver service to that guest in a personalized way and do it on some of the largest cruise ships in the world. We have accomplished the mission of eliminating friction across the entire experience while delivering a personalized experience in real time to anyone in the world on any ship, any time." It is no exaggeration.

At the heart of the system is a Quarter-sized waterproof, heatproof and sand-proof button-like wearable wireless transmitter called the Ocean Medallion. Inside it are two microscopic antennas – one for Near Field Communication (NFC) and the other utilizing Bluetooth Low Energy. The Medallion is given free to every guest and communicates with receivers scattered all over the ship. In technical jargon, it turns the ship into what is known as an Internet of Things (IoT) - a network of interconnected systems which are embedded with sensors, software, network connectivity and electronics to enable them to collect and exchange data.

Princess's Ocean Medallion brings a new level of personalisation to cruising

In practical terms, it gives guests the kind of freedom and flexibility that could previously only be dreamed of on a cruise. That starts on embarkation as filling in seemingly endless forms is a thing of the past. The Medallions are sent to guests in advance and come with a lanyard or they can be clipped to your shirt. All it takes to get onboard is tapping the Medallion on a receiver and showing your ID to staff. Then the device really comes into its own.

Anyone who has been on a cruise knows how similar the floors and corridors can look. It's usually easy to get lost but not with the Medallion as it can connect to an app on your phone to pinpoint your precise position and even the location of others in your group.

Guests store their name and personal preferences on the app so staff at bars and restaurants know who you are and what you usually order before you get to the front of the queue. Like the MagicBand, it can also be used for payment but that's just the start.

If a guest places an order at the bar and then rushes out to the deck to see a school of dolphins in the sea, the server can use the system to locate them and bring their drink over. The same goes if guests head up to one of the restaurants only to find that it's fully booked. The staff can find them if there's a cancelation before they get a table elsewhere. On other cruise liners guests would have to be contacted by cell phone which can come at quite a cost using satellite connections in the middle of an ocean.

The Medallion even opens the door to their room as they walk up without needing to touch the handle. It even helps guests to get more shut eye as they don't have to be up when housekeeping come round. Thanks to the Medallion locator, housekeeping know when guests have left the room so they can come over to clean it then.

As Padgett says, it is "by far the most advanced experiential IoT that exists on the planet and it is operational at any scale." He explains that two advancements were crucial to its creation. The first was advancements in radio technology and the other was the development of the bespoke Princess OceanPlatform that is installed on hardware throughout the ship to interact with the Medallions.

Padgett says that it is different to the MagicBand tech in almost every way but what really makes the difference is the function of the sensors and receivers scattered around the ship. "We have an embedded sensor network on all the ships that is pervasive versus being at transactional points. The pervasiveness of the sensor network facilitates individual recognition in real time everywhere. Whereas within the theme park model, and I won't say just Disney, I'll say the theme park model, the technology is fundamental to transaction points. On a Princess ship, it's the whole. Generally speaking, the mindset is real time identification and delivery of service any time anywhere. It's dynamic."

Without the OceanPlatform pulling the different sets of data together, the system wouldn't be give guests anywhere near as much flexibility. Padgett adds that Disney lacks this because “it was before its time. When the magic band was created we were still using Blackberries. So the concept of an iOS that would span a physical infrastructure was not conceived. What happened is the MagicBand took you to a level where you could see more potential but you could also see the next hurdle and that was the creation of a platform that spanned all legacy systems."

He says that the OceanPlatform "extends across every single vertical, and when I say that, I'm talking hospitality, restaurants, bars, casinos, recreation." It even operates in the shops at some of the ports Princess' ships stop at "so there's never a break that you have to pull out your credit card.

"It's one thing to say you operate within a theme park, or you operate within a cruise ship, but can you extend that umbrella out to include assets and experiences that you don't physically control, own or operate? The answer is yes and I think more than 12 countries and over 200 different outlets participate in our ecosystem." He says that more are on the way and there's a very basic reason for this.

"The most simple interaction – recognition of your name, your needs, wants, desires and relationships in real time – blows people away so it takes hospitality back to its core. It's weird that we have the most technologically advanced IoT on the planet, enabling a fully connected mobile smart city in real time but the value comes from the most organic service interaction. There is an irony there." It took more than the wave of a magic wand to pull it off.

"The challenge was taking 15 cruise ships that never stop, that are always full and only go into dry dock once every three years for 13 days, and installing a complete IoT infrastructure without altering the economics of the assets, which is to keep them running.

"We did that and I would say that the biggest challenge was figuring out how to do it, which was a tremendous amount of planning. We ended up with a method by which we could do it and not change the overall economics of our dry docking. Then Covid hit and it was very hard to access ships but we were actually able to complete 10 ship transformations during the Covid pause. When everyone else was going home, we went to the ships and finished our job."

Each upgrade involved the installation of 72 miles of cable, 4,000 sensors, 650 readers, 500 edge computing devices and more than 4,000 interactive portals.

Despite getting an unexpected boost from the pandemic, the entire Medallion development process from inception to completion of installation still took seven years from 2015 to 2021.

Padgett explains that at sea "everything is harder than on land. One giant reason is the ship is made of 19 decks of steel. One of the most challenging aspects to deal with is connectivity. Another challenging element is working through satellites versus terrestrial communications. And then the others are all about weight, heat all of those engineering factors are taken to the next level in a maritime environment because of the extreme focus on safety. And the whole thing is moving all the time, even when a ship is in port"

The IoT devices, software, firmware and digital interaction layers for guests and crew were all developed for Princess. It came at quite a cost. "You're talking hundreds of millions. That's complete. That’s development, hardware, software, implementation at scale across a whole fleet of ships."

Like the MagicBands, different bracelets can be bought for the Medallions and Padgett says that the look of the device itself can be "personalized to you based on you as an individual, whether you're in a military branch, your favorite pet, your favorite color, or all of those things."

The Medallion can be personalised in a variety of ways

However, he adds that the system isn't designed to be a revenue generator and is instead "inherent in our overall business model. Apple doesn't look at their iOS segmented from their mobile device or apps. The enterprise value of Apple increased with the advent of iOS but they don't sell iOS itself.

"The overall revenue driver is the personalized experience that it enables you to deliver. So you make money on the whole, not the thing. The value comes from making sure you remember that the thing itself doesn't deliver any value. The experience becomes personalized and hassle free and that is the value to the consumer.

“Value comes from benefiting the consumer holistically across the experience so that they pay more overall both on their initial visit and their repeat visits. That is where you really create value. Differentiation and loyalty are the two key points.

"This is completely unique to Princess and it has become so synonymous with the Princess point of differentiation. Every cruise brand picks a point of differentiation with which to compete and Princess has become synonymous with personalised service at scale."

Indeed, the system is so transformational that Princess created a new name, called MedallionClass, for the category of service which can only be found on its ships. It isn't marketing mumbo-jumbo as the Medallion has won more than 10 major awards and been nominated for a prestigious innovation prize at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Importantly, Padgett says that after it was introduced "we saw double-digit improvements in our experiential levels." It also led to a sea change in the approach towards the lifespan of the ships themselves.

"Before the advent of this, and this happens in theme parks too, the belief was that as your assets get older, your experience goes down. Once we moved to a platform based service delivery, we actually proved that the service level can be ubiquitous, regardless of the age of your physical platform. It was a mindset shift that if an old ship has a universal service delivery that's consistent with your new ships, you can score experiential levels just as high.

"When you put that in the context of a cruise ship roughly costing a billion dollars, spending a few hundred million that can raise the productivity of your entire fleet is a very efficient investment."

It enabled Princess to maximise the use from its assets which increased their return on investment and contributed to Padgett being promoted to president of the brand in 2021. There is more to come from his invention as he says "let's just say that at this point, there's a lot of capabilities that we haven't manifested yet and so we still have a lot in our tank."

Ironically, although Disney pioneered the MagicBand in its parks before any of its rivals more than a decade ago, it only launched it on its cruise ships last summer. Padgett won't comment on why he thinks it has taken the Mouse so long to bring its wearable tech to sea but there is no doubt that with Princess firmly docked in this space it will be tough for Disney to make waves.

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Breaking news, breathtaking video shows pregnant disney cruise passenger dangling over the ocean in coast guard rescue.

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Dramatic video captured the moment a pregnant woman suffering medical complications was airlifted from a Disney cruise ship.

Footage posted by the US Coast Guard shows a rescuer being lowered onto the Disney Fantasy on Monday in the Atlantic Ocean, about 180 miles northwest of Puerto Rico.

The 35-year-old woman, whose identity was not released, is then seen being raised by a Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk chopper to be flown to a hospital.

“Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a communication from the Disney Fantasy Monday morning requesting medevac assistance as the cruise ship was transiting 260 nautical miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico,” the agency said.

The Coast Guard also deployed an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from Air Station Miami to rendezvous with the cruise ship.

“Once on scene, the Coast Guard Jayhawk aircrew deployed their rescue swimmer aboard the cruise ship, who prepared a rescue basket and litter to safely hoist the patient and cruise ship doctor aboard the aircraft,” the Coast Guard said.

The woman was transported to the Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she was treated at Centro Medico Hospital, officials said.

“Our crew was able to quickly, safely, and efficiently execute a long-range MEDEVAC for the patient to receive the higher level of care she required,” Lt. Cmdr. Todd Stephens said in a statement. “This case demonstrates the value of good crew resource management and the capabilities of our Jayhawk helicopter.”

Ensign Michael Riccio, Coast Guard Sector San Juan operations unit leader, said his crew was “glad everything came together to help this passenger.

“The competency displayed by the Disney Fantasy crew and the Coast Guard personnel and units involved made all the difference,” he said.

It was unclear if the woman’s emergency was related to her pregnancy.

The Post has reached out to Disney Cruise Line for comment.

According to the company’s frequently asked questions , women must be no more than 23 weeks pregnant in order to set sail. If they enter the 24th week of pregnancy during the sailing, “they will be refused passage due to safety concerns.”

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Pregnant Disney Cruise Passenger Airlifted Off Ship by U.S. Coast Guard: See Video

The 'Disney Fantasy' was 180 miles out at sea when Coast Guard members responded to a medical emergency involving the 35-year-old patient

Natalia Senanayake is an Editorial Assistant, Lifestyle at PEOPLE. She covers all things travel and home, from celebrities' luxury mansions to breaking travel news.

• A video shared by the U.S. Coast Guard on April 16 shows a passenger aboard the Disney Fantasy being airlifted into a helicopter 
• In the clip, the U.S. Coast Guard successfully performs a medevac for the pregnant patient
• The Disney Cruise Line ship was located 180 miles from land when the Coast Guard responded to the call

A pregnant passenger aboard the Disney Fantasy was airlifted from the ship after experiencing health complications on April 15. 

The Disney Cruise Line vessel was 180 miles northwest of Puerto Rico in the Atlantic Ocean when the passenger “required a higher level of medical care ashore,” according to an April 16 press release from the U.S. Coast Guard. 

A video of the incident shows the Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter aircrew executing a medevac in order to transport the patient safely to land by helicopter. 

In the harrowing clip, an aircrew member gets lowered by rope onto the ship and at least seven crew members are seen carrying the woman on a stretcher. Per the release, the aircrew’s rescue swimmer then “prepared a rescue basket and litter to safely hoist the patient and cruise ship doctor aboard the aircraft.”

United States Coast Guard

The patient was met by local emergency medical responders at the Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She was then transported to the local Centro Medico Hospital.

According to the release, Coast Guard members first got the call that there was a medical emergency aboard the ship on the morning of Monday, April 15. 

“Watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a communication from the Disney Fantasy Monday morning requesting medevac assistance as the cruise ship was transiting 260 nautical miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico,” according to the release. 

Lt. Cmdr. Todd Stephens stated in the release: “Our crew was able to quickly, safely, and efficiently execute a long-range MEDEVAC for the patient to receive the higher level of care she required. This case demonstrates the value of good crew resource management and the capabilities of our Jayhawk helicopter.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

Echoing a similar sentiment, Ensign Michael Riccio, Coast Guard Sector San Juan operations unit leader for the case, said, “The competency displayed by the Disney Fantasy crew and the Coast Guard personnel and units involved made all the difference.”

Disney Cruise Line did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

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Disney Cruise Line passenger rescued by US Coast Guard after emergency off Puerto Rico

Drone footage captured the moment a pregnant woman was airlifted from a Disney cruise ship by the U.S. Coast Guard on Monday.

A rescuer could be seen rappelling down from an MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter onto the Disney Fantasy, floating in the Atlantic Ocean northwest of Puerto Rico , in video shared by the Coast Guard. 

The 35-year-old woman was strapped to a gurney and reeled into the helicopter in the heart-pounding moment. The agency said the woman "required a higher level of medical care" than what on board doctors could provide in the ship's medical bay. 

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"Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a communication from the Disney Fantasy Monday morning requesting medevac assistance as the cruise ship was transiting 260 nautical miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico," the agency wrote in a press release.

"Once on scene, the Coast Guard Jayhawk aircrew deployed their rescue swimmer aboard the cruise ship, who prepared a rescue basket and litter to safely hoist the patient and cruise ship doctor aboard the aircraft," the Coast Guard said.

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An HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft was also flown in from Air Station Miami for the rescue. 

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The passenger was airlifted to Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. From there, the agency said, she was whisked to Centro Medico Hospital. 

"Our crew was able to quickly, safely, and efficiently execute a long-range MEDEVAC for the patient to receive the higher level of care she required," Lt. Cmdr. Todd Stephens said in a statement. "This case demonstrates the value of good crew resource management and the capabilities of our Jayhawk helicopter."

"We are glad everything came together to help this passenger," said Ensign Michael Riccio, Coast Guard Sector San Juan operations unit leader for the case. "The competency displayed by the Disney Fantasy crew and the Coast Guard personnel and units involved made all the difference."

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The cruise had launched two days earlier from Port Canaveral, Florida, according to Cruise Hive .

The ship is currently sailing a seven-night itinerary in the Eastern Caribbean, visiting Tortola on Tuesday, and is scheduled to dock in St. Thomas on Wednesday and will visit Disney's private island Castaway Cay before returning to port, Cruise Hive reported.

Disney Cruise Line did not immediately return a request for comment. 

Original article source: Disney Cruise Line passenger rescued by US Coast Guard after emergency off Puerto Rico