All good things must end, and a Disney cruise is no exception. At some point, Disney is
going to insist that we all get off the ship (so rude!). But it’s a necessary evil, I’m afraid.
So here are 10 things you should know about that sad day.
- Bags can be cumbersome – Remember when you boarded and handed off your
suitcases so you could roam freely that first day? If you don’t want to deal with
dragging your suitcases down carpeted halls and into crowded dining rooms on that
last morning, I highly recommend putting your bags outside your stateroom for
pickup the night before. It’s no fun packing and missing some of the last evening
of fun, but it sure does make it easier the next day. If you get your bags ready in time,
you won’t have to deal with them again until you are in the terminal the next morning. - Express Walk Off is the quickest option – If you have an early flight or are trying
to get somewhere quickly that morning, you can use what Disney calls “Express
Walk Off.” Guests using Express Walk Off will not put out their bags the night
before but will bring their own bags off. The ship usually clears by 7:30 a.m. or
so, and you will be among the first off and on your way. - Be out of your room by 8 a.m. – The last morning is not a leisurely one. Even
if you don’t go to your assigned breakfast time, you need to be out of your
stateroom by 8 a.m. Your stateroom hosts have a lot to do to get ready for new
guests arriving that day! - Breakfast corresponds with dinner – You will have an assigned breakfast time on
the last morning. If you are on the 8:15 p.m. dining schedule, your breakfast will be
around 8 a.m. If you are on the 5:45 p.m. dining schedule, your breakfast will be around
6:45 a.m. You’ll dine in the same restaurant where you had dinner the night before. - Marceline/Cabanas/Coffee is open – If eating breakfast at 6:45 a.m. sounds like a
horrible idea, the buffet onboard is open until 8:30 a.m. or so. You can confirm the
time with your servers. You can also splurge for one last fancy coffee in Cove
Café or one of the other coffee shops onboard. - You’ll disembark in order – Disney obviously doesn’t want everyone trying to
disembark at the same time, so they generally call guests by the character
(Mickey, Goofy, Donald, etc.) on the luggage tags they were given the night
before. Don’t worry if you aren’t ready when your character is called. You can go
after—they just don’t want you to go early. - The line to disembark can be long – Pack your patience on the last morning
because, even though Disney tries to spread the crowd out, there are times when
the disembarkation line can be quite long! Don’t worry too much, though; it
generally moves pretty quickly. Make sure you have your Key to the World card
handy! You’ll need it to get off the ship. - Porters may be worth the money – Once you get to the terminal, there will be
porters waiting to offer to help with your suitcases. You do need to tip them, but
it’s a small price to pay for help when you have a lot of bags! - Port Canaveral and Fort Lauderdale have fast customs – For many years, the
lines for customs could be even longer than the line to get off the ship. In Port
Canaveral and Fort Lauderdale, Disney now uses facial recognition to expedite
guests through customs, and it’s a very quick process. - Transfers run continuously – If you are on a Disney transfer, they start running
very quickly once the ship clears, and they run continuously until they have everyone
who has reserved a transfer. Sometimes you will have to sit and wait for a bus to
fill up before leaving.
What about you? Do you have any disembarkation-day tips or questions?
Tammy Whiting is our expert author for 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 over 15 years. Though she certainly enjoys vacations of all kinds, her favorite adventures around the globe have been on cruise ships, and she has been on over 50 Disney Cruises. Follow her on Instagram and TikTok.
October 30, 2025
