Travel Essentials For Safety
We might not want to think about it, but sometimes things do happen. However, there are many things you can do to minimize the chances of this by traveling smarter.Here are the things we always take with us.
You always want to keep your travel documents safe when you are traveling. This Passport and Vaccine Card Holder Combo is useful for keeping your passport and vaccine card together.
You can choose from lots of different colors.
As a very frequent Disney cruiser, I have this Adventure Awaits Passport Cover inspired by the Pixar movie Up.
I love the design and the fact that it is big enough for more than one passport.
Never ever travel without Travel Insurance. Most of the time you wont need it, but when you do you will be so thankful that you have it.
When you are onboard your ship you do not need to carry any money with you all you need is your cruise card. However, when you get off the ship at any port you will need to carry money and possibly travel documents with you.
Therefore you need somewhere safe to carry your valuables with you. I have had one of these Eagle Creek RFID Blocker Travel Money Belt for a long time and its easy to wear and comfortable.
If you are looking for a travel purse I like the Travelon Womens, Anti-Theft Range.
They are reasonably priced and have such features as hidden, slash-proof, Chain Link construction, and an adjustable, cable-reinforced, cut-proof shoulder strap.
Leggings With Pockets Forconvenience
With Disney Genie and Disney Genie+ on the My Disney Experience app, you are going to be looking at your phone a LOT at Disney World.
To make your life easier, pack leggings with pockets to wear at the parks.
I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the 90 Degree Leggings with pockets from Amazon.
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Things You Must Pack For A Disney Cruise
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.
Getting ready to set sail with the Disney Cruise Line? If so, youre in for a treat with fine dining, entertainment, and themed nights aboard most of the ships.
And youll want to pack appropriately with all of that fun in mind. So, to help you prepare, here are our 10 must-haves to pack for Disney cruises!
Heres our list of items youre going to want to pack for your Disney cruise:
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What To Pack For Adults
Specialty clothes
If your cruise includes a meal at Palo or Remy, make sure you read the dress code requirements and pack accordingly. If it doesnt, give some serious thought to whether you want to dress up at all for dinner. Yes, all cruises have a formal night . It isnt a requirement to dress up, however. Feel uncomfortable being the only person not in tux and tails? Dont fear many people opt to skip the ballgowns on formal night. Still not sure you want to feel out of place? Formal night is a great night to do a casual dinner in Cabanas. Are you a hardcore fitness buff? Know that you wont be able to go the length of your cruise without hitting the gym? Want to do the Castaway Cay 5k? Youll want to bring workout gear, but ask yourself how much you really need to bring.
Headphones
Whether your plan includes listening to Enya encouraging you to Sail away, sail away, sail away, or Moana helping you see how far youll go, it doesnt take a lot of room to toss in a pair of earbuds, and it can be a nice thing to have for sitting on a deck chair and watching the sunset.
R& R items
Although this fits in the try not to overdo it category, even though theres plenty to do on a Disney cruise, sometimes it is nice to take some down time with a good book , or play some cards on your verandah. Dont bring the whole library or full-size board games , but tossing a couple small items in your bag can be a fun diversion on a lazy sea day.
A Lanyard To Hold All Of Your Cruise Docs

Upon boarding the ship everyone receives a Key to the World Card. Not only is this your room key and essentially a charge card, it shows pertinent information about your cruise such as: Lifeboat Station, Dining Rotation , dining time, table number, whether your an adult or minor, and your final transportation arrangements.
Buy a lanyard and keep the card in there for the duration of the trip so you wont have to search for it every time its needed.
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Themed Night Dress Code
If you go on a 7-night + cruise, there will be themed holiday nights, like, Pirate Night, Formal Night, or Halloween Night if you go on a Halloween on the High Seas Cruise. There is an optional dress code for each of the themed nights.
Formal Night Dress Code
If you’d like to dress up for Formal night, it’s up to you how fancy you’d like to dress. I’ve seen a range from cruise casual to black tie, so it’s really a personal preference. I wore a long, flowy maxi dress and I felt like I was dressed perfectly. You can see our Disney cruise formal night photos above.
If you do decide to dress up, you might find these clear garment travel bags to be helpful to protect your fancy outfit.
Pirate Night Dress Code
It’s not mandatory to dress up for Pirate Night but it’s really fun, so why not join in? If you want to participate but not wear a costume, you could wear this pirate t-shirt and the Mickey Mouse pirate bandana that your host will leave in your stateroom!
- Women’s Pirate Costume – This is the pirate costume that I wore, and this is the costume that my mom wore on our last cruise.
- Men’s Pirate Costume – This is the men’s pirate costume that my husband wore.
Related:Everything You Need to Know About Pirate Night on a Disney Cruise!
Halloween Night
If you go on a Halloween on the High Seas cruise, there will be a Halloween day during the cruise. On this day, most guests dress up in costumes.
We’ve dressed up in the following costumes:
What To Pack For A Disney Cruise: Dining Attire
Dining attire varies by ship, cruise and restaurant, but on most nights, families will eat in the main dining rooms, where attire is cruise casual . Swimwear and tank tops are not permitted in the main dining rooms.
All of the ships also offer exclusive, adults-only restaurants for an additional charge. These restaurants are more elegant and have a dress code, so be sure to check the dress code for your specific ship and restaurant, as they vary. In general, no flip flops, sneakers, hats, shorts or torn clothing are permitted in the adults-only restaurants.
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Passport Holder Purse Organizer Family Travel Wallet Rfid Card Holder With Phone Touchscreen Pocket
Passports are not yet required on all cruises, but you should still bring them. If for any reason, you get stuck in a foreign port, you will have a very difficult time travelling back home and it will cost you a lot of money. Save yourself the headache and bring them with you. This passport holder can hold all of your familys passports , credit cards, cash, and your phone. It has RFID technology to prevent credit card theft. Also, the long strap and hook make it easy to wear under your shirt for extra protection.
Don’t Forget Your Pirate Garb For The Cruise’s Buccaneer Bash
Finkelstein said most Disney cruise itineraries host a pirate party one evening of the trip.
Here, passengers can expect a pirate-themed dinner, a “Pirates in the Caribbean” show, and a deck party. Plus, there are often other events like pirate trivia and meet-and-greets that day.
Finkelstein said it’s fun to embrace the theme and always makes sure her entire family has pirate gear to wear.
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What You Really Wear On A Disney Cruise In A Day
The cruise schedule is jam-packed with super awesome activities. So, I thought I would break down what exactly we wear in a day onboard.
- Morning- T-Shirt and Shorts
- Afternoon- Swim Attire
- Evening Resort Casual Dress with a Cardigan for the girls, Lightweight Pants or Shorts with a Polo Shirt for the boys. *Unless it is Pirates Night or the adults are eating at Remy or Palo.
Do I Need To Bring Shampoo On A Disney Cruise
No, you don’t need to bring shampoo on a Disney cruise with you because DCL provides it for you. Recently, DCL transitioned away from the travel-size bottles of toiletries to larger shampoo bottles in the shower.
This is the brand of shampoo and conditioner that they have on board the ship, just in case you fall in love with it and want to buy more when you get home to remind yourself of being on the cruise.
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What To Pack For A Disney Cruise: Embarkation Day Essentials
When it comes to cruising, you need to prioritize what youll be carrying on to the ship. Most cruise lines will take your luggage directly from the airport or cruise terminal to your stateroom. While this makes your arrival to the ship super easy, it also means you wont see your bags for a few hoursespecially with everyone boarding at the same time. Pack these essentials in a day bag so you dont have to wait to start your vacation!
- Closed-toe shoes for adventure excursions
Disney Cruise Pirate Attire

The second night on a Disney Cruise to the Bahamas is pirate night. It is not required to dress up as a pirate, but lots of families will be dressed in their finest pirate gear. Elizabeth went all out in her pirate costume and makeover from the Pirates League.
The Pirates League is like Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique except you are transformed into a pirate instead of a princess. Mr. Smart Mouse opted for normal clothes.
I didnt want to skip Pirate night attire or wear a costume so I opted for something in the middle. I wore a pirate inspired outfit of black jeans, a striped t-shirt, a long burgundy scarf I used as a sash, and some large hoop earrings.
If you want to learn more about Pirate Night heres a video we made of the activities including Pirates League.
Pirate Night Items
- Dress pants or dressy jeans
- Necklace or other jewelry
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Bonine Motion Sickness Tablets
If you are not too concerned about seasickness or dont want to spend the extra money for the relief band above, its still a good idea to have some Bonine as a just in case measure. Again, cruises cost a lot of money. You dont want to spend any part of it feeling sick. Take one of these at the first sign of seasickness and you should be fine for up to 24 hours.
Free Printable Disney Cruise Packing List
I compiled all of the lists that we just went over into categorized printable checklists to help you pack for your Disney cruise! You can see an example of what the checklist pages PDF looks like below.
Get your FREE printable Disney cruise packing list, here.
This is an example of what the FREE printable Disney Cruise Line packing list looks like!
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Disney Mickey And Minnie Mouse Drawstring Backpacks Plus Lanyards With Detachable Coin Purse And Autograph Books
Filling these bags with new goodies for the kids to take with them on their Disney cruise is one way for a good start to your vacation. Or, let the kids fill the bags with their favorite toys to bring with them. With all the Disney characters they will meet, this set comes with autograph books they will enjoy getting filled.
You May Want To Bring Your Own Coffee
If you are a coffee connoisseur like myself, you might want to bring instant coffee packets and your own thermal mug. The coffee served on-board was not my favorite and I ended up paying for coffee at the Cove Café everyday. Quite expensive for someone with a twice a day habit.
Also, room service is included on the ship, so those who want a lot of coffee in the morning might want to order a carafe to be delivered to their room.
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Usb Charger Ravpower 60w 12a 6
Cruise ships have very few outlets in their staterooms and heavy restrictions on the type of surge protectors you can bring on board. Basically, you cant bring them. If you try to hide it in your luggage, they will find it. Luckily, most of our devices nowadays are powered by USB. Enter this amazing USB charger. You can power up to six devices using up only one outlet. The best part is that charging multiple devices wont slow down the charging speed. That point is key. You dont want to wake up in the morning and find that each of your devices is only powered to 30%.
What About Alcohol On Disney Cruise Ships
Disney cruise guests aged 21 and older can bring two bottles of unopened wine or champagne or 6 bottles of beer on board at each port of call.
These must be carried on and cannot be stowed in check luggage. If you want to have these at dinner, there is a corking fee. If you want to enjoy in your room, dont forget a corkscrew.
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Items To Carry With You On The Ship
- Cash for tips – Mostly $1’s and $5’s for tipping and for shopping at the ports.
- Backpack or Small Purse – I carried my small Belle backpack around the ship and I brought it out on port days too. It was very convenient, I didn’t even use any of the purses that I packed. If you don’t want a Disney-themed backpack, I also love this slim anti-theft safe backpack.
- Necklace Fan – This was the most important item to pack for me , I wore my necklace fan every single day. The ship sways quite a bit and it bothered me sometimes during dinner. Having the fan around my neck with the air blowing up at my face helped to distract me from noticing the swaying. It was also really helpful at the ports because it was extremely hot!
- Disney Cruise Lanyard – Travis wore a lanyard the whole cruise and kept our KTTWC in the plastic holder for convenience. You need it for everything! Getting on and off the ship at port, to buy souvenirs at the gift shop, even to check-in at the fire drill.
- Clear Zippered Bags
- Blister Bandaids– If you ever get blisters on your toes, these are the best band-aids to use! For those of you that like to break in new shoes or heels on the cruise, you’ll be happy you brought these!
What To Pack For A Disney Cruise: Complete Packing List

Packing for a cruise is unlike packing for any other trip. If you are taking your first cruise, there can be a lot of uncertainty. What is the right cruise attire? What items need to go in what bags? What items might you want that would have never thought of? If you are planning a Disney Cruise, heres our best guide on what to pack.
Note: This post contains some affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase using a link, I may get a small commission at no cost to you.
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Camera And Charger + Extra Memory Cards
Disney Cruise vacations are truly magical! So youll want to be sure to capture those memories. I usually bring my DSLR and my GoPro. The GoPro is especially helpful if you plan to snorkel and want to get some underwater videos or photos.
And dont forget the extra memory cards! One mistake I made a lot when I first started traveling with my daughter was that I would never bring enough memory cards. Pack a couple of extras just in case.
Super Comfortable Walking Shoes For Walking 5+ Miles
Its fun to wear a cute pair of sneakers, but you will be walking a LOT at Disney World.
Pack a comfortable pair of walking shoes and get Dr. Scholls inserts to add extra cushion to your shoes.
I personally LOVE the pink Nike Pegasus shoes and the On Cloud shoes without shoelaces .
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Fish Extender Disney Cruise Fitted
One of the many cool things that you can do on a Disney Cruise is participate in a fish extender gift exchange. Basically, you place these hanging pockets on the fish decor outside your stateroom. Then you swap gifts with other people that are doing the same thing. This should be pre-planned with other families and groups that you find in a facebook group for your particular sailing.
Disney Cruise Line Food And Beverage Policy
If you choose to bring food or drinks onto Disney cruise ships, they MUST go in your carry-on. DCL limits guests 21 and older to two bottles of unopened wine/champagne or six beers at the beginning of your sailing. Dont forget your own corkscrew if you plan to open your wine in your stateroom!
Wine/champagne may be brought to the main dining rooms. There is a $25 corkage fee per bottle, and the Cast Members will store your bottle for you to drink each night at dinner.
As far as other food goes, the DCL website states that guests MAY BRING:
- Nonperishable snack foods in sealed, original packaging. All items must either be consumed prior to returning to your home port or remain unopened.
- Breast milk, in carry-on luggage only.
- Coolers no larger than 12 x 12 x 12, as carry-on luggage for storing medications, baby food or items related to dietary restrictions only.
One of the perks of sailing on a Disney cruise ship is that all sodas, coffees and teas are included in the cost of the cruise with meals and at the beverage stations. Bar drinks, beer, wine, smoothies, specialty coffees and bottled water are an additional charge.
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