We absolutely love Disney cruises! They are such a perfect blend of relaxation, entertainment, and Disney magic! We’ve taken four Disney cruises just within the last 18 months and have found that there are some items that can be really helpful to have with you to make your experience even more enjoyable! So, today, we wanted to share with you 15 things to bring on a Disney cruise!

Things to Bring on a Disney Cruise for Onboard Fun

Pirate Night Attire: One of my favorite parts of a Disney cruise is Pirate Night! (almost) Every Disney Cruise Line sailing offers a pirate night with a deck party, late night buffet, and fireworks at sea. Your dinner menu will even be themed to celebrate. You’ll receive bandanas from your stateroom host or hostess, but our kids always love glow sticks, costumes, eye patches, and tattoos.

Autograph Book or Photo Mat: You will have the opportunity to meet a number of Disney characters throughout your sailing! Many guests ask the characters to sign an autograph book so they can keep the signatures all together in one place. We also love these photo mats so that we can display our favorite vacation memory inside when we return home.

Fish Extender Holder: A popular experience for many Disney Cruise Line guests is the fish extender gift exchange. This gift exchange is generally organized through your cruise’s Facebook group prior to sailing. It is a fun way to exchange gifts with fellow cruisers. Some guests will also leave “pixie dust” gifts for fellow cruises without any type of organized exchange. To participate, you’ll need a fish extender holder for your gifts to hang outside of your stateroom.

Candy or Snacks for Movies & Shows: One of the few things not included in your cruise fare is the popcorn and candy available outside of the theaters. We can’t help you resist the fresh buttered popcorn smell, but you can bring prepackaged candy and snacks to enjoy during the evening Broadway style shows and movies onboard.

Magnets: Disney Cruise staterooms doors are magnetic so you can decorate your door. Show off your Disney side with magnets that can be customized with your family name, ship, sail date, and more! We also love this port hole Mickey that fits around your stateroom door’s port hole.

Things to Bring on a Disney Cruise to Use In Your Stateroom

Laundry Bag: Space is limited in a cruise stateroom so it can be nice to have a dedicated location for dirty clothes. Although your suitcases fit under your bed, you probably won’t want to have to pull them out to put dirty clothes away. We recommend packing a laundry bag or pop up hamper to save space and keep all of your dirty clothes easily together in one place.

Shoe Rack: As you may know, space is often at a premium in cruise staterooms. Although Disney does offer some of the largest staterooms, you can maximize your space with a shoe rack. It can be a great way to store toiletries in the bathroom or even drink cups and kids toys in the stateroom.

Clothes Pins: Clothes pins can be really useful to have in your stateroom with wet swim suits. There is a clothes line that can be hung across your bath tub. You can fit more on the line and not have to worry about anything falling off when you can secure them with clothes pins.

Night Light: If you’re in an inside stateroom, it can be pretty dark in there at night. If you are traveling with little ones or just want to be able to easily find your way around the room at night, we recommend packing a night light.

Dry Erase Board: Many guests hang a dry erase board on their (magnetic) stateroom door. This way, your fellow cruisers can leave messages or artwork. You never know who might leave you a message. It’s also especially helpful if you are traveling with any family and friends.

Magnetic Hooks: You may also find a magnetic hook helpful for hanging your lanyard inside your stateroom. These can also be used for jackets, wet swim suits, and more.

Things to Bring on a Disney Cruise to Make Travel Easier

Tumblers/Cups/Water Bottles: Soft drinks are included with your cruise fare. They are readily available up on the pool deck during your Disney cruise. Although Disney provides small paper cups, we enjoy bringing something bigger and more portable like these water bottles. We especially love our stainless steel Mickey Tervis for both hot and cold beverages!

Sea Band or Non-Drowsy Dramamine: If you are concerned about motion sickness, we highly recommend packing sea bands and/or non-drowsy dramamine. It’s always better to be prepared. We’ve found rougher seas going in and out of port so you may want something to help relieve discomfort before the gift shops have opened. You can even order some dramamine for kids.

Reusable Straws: In an effort to be more environmentally responsible, Disney has eliminated plastic straws on board. Although you can request paper straws, we find that they are difficult for small children. They don’t hold up very well so we prefer to bring reusable straws like these metal straws or these silicone straws. The silicone straws even come with a cleaning brush and portable case.

Lanyards: You will receive a plastic Key to the World card for your room key and all purchases onboard. We find it convenient to wear a lanyard to easily access (and remember) our Key to the World card. We recommend one of these fun Mickey and friends lanyards.

What items have you found most useful to bring on a Disney cruise?

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