Tammy Whiting, our Disney Cruise Line expert, shares 10 helpful hints for those traveling with babies on a Disney Cruise.
Not surprisingly, Disney Cruise Line tries to make traveling with a baby as easy as possible. After all, Disney knows young families are its target audience. Having recently returned from a cruise with a 6-month-old, I’ve got some tips that will help you be prepared!
1. Pack ‘n Play – There are Pack ‘n Plays available to use onboard at no cost! There are a limited number, so ask for them early under “Special Requests” in your reservation or by calling. Your travel agent can also call and request one for you. Also, we didn’t get ours until later in the afternoon on the first day, which pushed nap time back. Keep that in mind if your baby needs one right away.
I also highly recommend a stateroom that sleeps 5. That extra space really helps when you are trying to figure out where to put said Pack ‘n Play. If you happen to have a cabana, you can also have one of the portable cribs set up inside.
2. Bottle Supplies – Disney has both bottle warmers and bottle sterilizers to use onboard at no cost. That saved us a lot of room in our suitcases!
3. High Chairs – All the dining rooms have high chairs to use. This was our little one’s first time in a high chair, and we were pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to get and use.
4. Diaper Genies – Disney has Diaper Genies onboard for guests to use. Request them before boarding or at Guest Services onboard.
5. Baby Food – You are welcome to bring baby food in jars onboard. There is also a limited amount for sale in the shops. The chefs are always happy to puree any kind of food you would like as well. We requested carrots and were rewarded with a bowl of pureed carrots large enough to feed a small army of hungry babies.
6. Heating Food – While Disney cannot warm your baby food or bottles, they can give you hot water to heat it up in. Just ask!
7. Wagons and Strollers – There are strollers available onboard, and on Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay, both strollers and wagons are available. All are complimentary, and all are first come, first served.
8. Earphones – Noise-canceling earphones made the deck parties and fireworks easier for us! The little one loved watching the activities without us worrying that things were too loud. We did bring our own.
9. To Verandah or Not to Verandah – Many parents hesitate to get a stateroom with a verandah when their child gets mobile. While I can’t tell you what is best for your child, I can tell you that it’s hard to open the verandah doors. The locks for the verandah are very high (above 5 feet) and tricky. Sometimes, it takes me several tries to figure out how to open the door! A baby in its crib cannot get out of bed and roam around the verandah. After all, parents do not leave babies alone in the cabin or on the verandah.
10. Supplies Onboard – The shops onboard have small sections of baby supplies if you find yourself in need. Supplies include diapers, wipes, baby food, pacifiers, baby shampoo, formula, and bottles. When our Disney Wish cruise was extended due to a hurricane, we beelined it for the store to get more diapers, just in case! We bought the last package in the size we needed, but a few hours later, there were more. So there are some restocks in the back!
About the author of the blog: Tammy Whiting is the coauthor of The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line. A blogger, Space Force wife, and mother of two, Tammy has been involved in the travel industry for more than 15 years. The 2025 edition will be available December 3rd. Pre-order your copy now!
Though she certainly enjoys vacations of all kinds, her favorite adventures around the globe have been on cruise ships. Tammy spent five years of her childhood in Europe as a military brat and has been a military spouse for over 30 years, living in almost every corner of the US. When she isn’t traveling, you can find her enjoying her family, buying camera equipment, and planning her next trip!
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