Why Disney Cruises Are Pure Magic for Families with Small Children ✨

Planning a vacation with little ones can feel overwhelming. Will the kids be entertained? Will parents get a chance to relax? Will the logistics be stressful? That’s where Disney Cruise Line shines. It’s designed from bow to stern with families in mind, especially those traveling with small children.

I recently had the chance to sail aboard the Disney Wish with my own kids, and I can confidently say: Disney makes cruising with children not only manageable but truly magical. Here’s why a Disney Cruise should be at the top of your family vacation list.

Stress-Free Travel from the Start

Disney takes the guesswork out of travel. We were able to do a quick Walt Disney World visit the day before the cruise, so we decided to stay on Disney property. The biggest benefit to this for us was adding on Disney transportation from our resort to the cruise port. My biggest concern was getting to the port at a good time without worrying about hauling car seats with us. Disney transportation was the perfect solution. 

Disney Cruise Line picked our luggage up right outside our resort hotel room. The next time we saw it? In our stateroom onboard the ship. No juggling suitcases and strollers through the cruise terminal—just happy kids ready to sail.

The Perfect Stateroom

We stayed in a Deluxe Family Oceanview Room with Verandah, which gave us plenty of space to spread out. The kids loved looking out at the ocean, while we parents enjoyed a few quiet moments with coffee on the balcony.

I understand how a Verandah can spark safety concerns for parents with children, but we truly could not have felt safer. There was a lock way on top of the door to the Verandah that gave us so much peace of mind.

Magic Onboard for Every Age

One of the best parts of a Disney Cruise is that there’s something for everyone.

Kids Clubs: The Oceaneer Club was hands-down our children’s favorite place. They didn’t just “play”, they were immersed in themed spaces, creative activities, and even surprise visits from characters. Parents can rest easy knowing the kids are safe, engaged, and happy. My kids are 5 and 7 so they were able to stay together in the kids club, which helped them be more comfortable. I was truly blown away with how much they wanted to go to the kids club.

Black Panther was hanging out in the Kids Club

Family Fun: From the high-energy Sail Away Party to pools, The Aqua Mouse, and the IncrediCourse in Hero Zone, there was never a dull moment. Watching the kids burn off energy while having fun was a highlight for all of us.

Entrance into the Hero Zone

Pirate Night: Only Disney can throw a deck party complete with fireworks at sea! Dressing up, dancing, and watching the fireworks burst over the ocean created a memory our family will treasure forever. 🌊🏴‍☠️✨

We even saw Jack Sparrow come flying down from the top deck to join the party. The immersive theme of the whole night was spectacular.

Iconic Castaway Cay photo op

Castaway Cay: Disney’s Private Island Paradise

Our favorite day was at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island in the Bahamas. It’s designed for families, with calm waters perfect for little swimmers, sandy beaches made for castles, and plenty of shady spots to cool off.

There were a few different beaches here but we spent most of our day at the beach with the Pelican Plunge. Pelican Plunge was a platform out in the ocean that had a small splash pad and two waterslides that go into the ocean. Children under 48 inches tall did have to wear a life jacket to swim out to the platform, as it got to up to 14 feet deep. The slides were so much fun, we ended up going down three or four times.

Lunch is served on the island at Cookie’s BBQ! We had an allergy in our party, and the night before we docked in Castaway our server had her place an allergy friendly order, that she could pick up from Cookie’s BBQ on the island the next day.

It truly felt like we did not have to worry about a single thing while we were on this cruise!

Dining That Works for Families 

Rotational dining is another way Disney makes life easier for parents. Each night, families rotate to a new themed restaurant, but the same servers follow along. By night two, our servers already knew what our kids liked and had drinks waiting for them. My daughter’s favorite was our night at Arrendelle. We got to see all of the characters and hear all of our favorite songs. Dinner and a show has never been better than on this ship!

For families with little ones, a Disney Cruise truly checks all the boxes: magical entertainment, stress-free travel, safe and engaging kids activities, and unique Disney touches that no other cruise line can match!

Ready to book your own Disney Cruise? Let us help you plan your dream cruise tailored to you! Visit www.thepixieplanner.com/blog1 or reach out to your favorite Pixie Planner to request your free quote today!

We’re The Pixie Planner—We Know Because We Go! ✈️