For most land vacations, you can choose your room type at a hotel or resort but rarely a specific room. On a cruise, you can actually pick a particular stateroom! There are times, however, when you can’t or may not want to. In that case, here are 10 pros and cons to letting Disney choose for you.
1. Pro – Letting Disney Choose Your Stateroom May Save You Money – If you are booking a “restricted” rate (IGT – Inside Guarantee, OGT – Oceanview Guarantee, VGT – Verandah Guarantee), you’re picking a broad stateroom type. In exchange for a full commitment to a particular sailing and letting Disney choose your stateroom, you can enjoy significant savings.
2. Con – You Aren’t Saving Money or Getting the Stateroom You Want – Don’t confuse the restricted rates above with GTY categories and think that you are getting a discount. GTY means that a specific category (i.e., 4B, 9A, etc.) is almost full and Disney doesn’t want to assign the last few staterooms (so they have more flexibility to move people as needed). If you truly don’t care which stateroom you are in, there’s no harm in choosing a category that is in GTY status. But if picking your stateroom is important to you, you should downgrade or upgrade slightly to a category that will let you choose.
3. Pro – Sometimes You Get Upgraded – In no way, shape, or form should you count on an upgrade. Upgrades are few and far between. But they do happen! And if Disney knows you aren’t particular about a stateroom location, you may be in the easiest group to upgrade.
4. Con – You May be Locked In – If you choose a restricted rate mentioned above, you are locked in. You cannot change or cancel these reservations, and you must pay in full at the time of booking. If you are worried the cruise might not work for you, do not choose a restricted rate.
5. Con – You Can’t Make Requests – Disney doesn’t take requests for staterooms if they are choosing for you, so you take what you get!
6. Con – You Can’t Pick a Super-Popular Stateroom Type – Some stateroom types are very popular, and for good reason. There are some oceanview staterooms that are categorized as inside staterooms because of restricted views, some huge oceanview staterooms with divider walls between the living and sleeping areas for easy sleeping for families, or even some staterooms that are set up like actual suites with walls and doors to the bedrooms because of their ship location. Because these staterooms are snapped up quickly, the odds that you’ll be assigned to one of these staterooms are almost zero. If you want one, book one.
7. Con – You Can’t Be Near Your Travel Party in Different Staterooms – If you are traveling with friends or family, you can’t choose staterooms near each other if you let Disney select for you. If that’s important to you, choose your stateroom yourself!
8. Con – You Can’t Ensure You Have Separate Beds – Some travel parties like the maximum number of beds in a stateroom, so no one has to share. Or sometimes a family of three has a child who loves to sleep in a bunk bed! Not all staterooms have the maximum number of beds for a particular category, and many parties of three will be assigned to a stateroom with no pull-down bunk.
9. Con – You Can’t Pick Midship Staterooms – If you are worried about stateroom location for convenience or maybe something like seasickness, don’t let Disney pick your stateroom.
10. Con – You Can’t Pick a Favorite – If you’ve grown attached to a particular location or stateroom on the ship, there’s nothing you can do to get it if you don’t choose your stateroom. It’s the luck of the draw—or the whims of Disney!
Do you have questions about choosing staterooms? Ask us below!
About the author of the blog: Tammy Whiting is the coauthor of The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line. Blogger, Space Force wife, and mother of two, Tammy has been involved in the travel industry for more than 15 years. 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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