DISNEY DREAM CRUISE | FAMILY TRIP | HomeOfTheHarveys.com

We were invited on a 5 day Disney Cruise with the Creators Celebration and it was incredible. I wanted to share everything about the trip since I researched like a mad woman prior to this trip to make sure I was READY. Here you’ll find what we did on and off the cruise, what we packed, what we needed, and what we didn’t. Hope this source will be a blessing to those type-A moms stressed out for a vacation haha. ENJOY!

THINGS TO PACK:

For Disney Themed Items:

Pirate night – bought these adorable little pirate kits the kids could play with when we got home too. Matthew and I snagged these last minute amazon pirate pieces that took minimal space.
Disney Princess Dresses – We packed our own dresses even though we still bought some from the Bibbidi Bopidi Boutique. I grabbed these dressy flats for the girls to wear with them and they took up hardly any space. I also picked up this cute prince charming costume that we got Simi to wear just one day haha.
Marvel + Heroes vs Villains Night – people really dress up for these things so I’m glad we got a full family outfit for the Heroes vs Villains night. I found a bunch of really cute marvel clothes for Simi to wear from H&M + Zara, linked them all here.
Vacuum bags – These were a life saver and how I got 98437 costumes in one small carry on bag. I use this portable vacuum everywhere I go, it’s tiny and powerful.

For the Room:

Door Magnets – People decorate their doors and get REALLY into it. I bought these two magnets, but after seeing how much the kids adored everyone else’s door, I’ll go harder next time.
Collapsable Laundry Basket – idk why I didn’t get this sooner for all of my travel but it fit right in the bottom of the closet to keep our room tidy of all our dirty clothes.
Non Surge Multi-plug adapter – the intention was for multiple devices to charge at once, because there are limited outlets. They confiscated this one Multi-plug adapter because it was a surge protector… oops. Having items they have to confiscate, will delay you getting your bag on embark day.
Motion Sensor light – This was for the bathroom so you didn’t have to turn on a bright light and wake everyone up if you had to pee in the middle of the night.
Clothes organizer – Although you can’t hang over the door, I did get these strong magnet hooks to hook on the outside of a door/ walls of the room for extra space for clothes, but the Disney Dream Cruise had plenty of closet and drawer space so I didn’t need them. Possible for a different kind of Disney Cruise?
Wrinkle Release Spray – there are no irons in your room, so this had to do.
Toiletry Hanging Bag – I use this for every place I travel but it’s especially convenient on the cruise since there was a hook for this in the bathroom.
Sound Machine – You aren’t allowed to bring plug in sound machines so we packed our travel sound machine and we slept soooo good!
3 in 1 charging station – we always travel with these, definitely made it easier with limited outlets.

For the Activities:

Travel Stroller – We usually travel with a stroller and one or more of our kids usually falls asleep at dinner or during an event so it’s nice to bring one to keep the party going. We bought this super light easy foldable stroller from Amazon so that if we didn’t want to take the elevator (they can get crowded) we could fold it up and take the stairs on the cruise. I will say that I’m glad we did for the islands too. It was quite a walk getting to the islands from the boat and we ended up fitting the two littles on one stroller to make that venture out.
Beach toys – someone said to bring your own and I didn’t listen. If you want to relax on the beach, some toys are necessary. We bought some on the island for a steep price, also everyone on the beach did the same thing, so all the kids had the exact same toys. I wish I would have found these ones sooner with the collapsable bucket, perfect for travel.
Mesh Catch All Bag – For the beach or pool, I like to carry and big bag that carries everything where I can through wet clothes in, or sandy beach toys or sandals.
Disney watch band – These were necessary for the kids club, but also so convenient to open our room door and get on and off the boat. No worries if you lose a key card… which we did! These are also easy access for the crew to scan when they take your photos which you can collect for free at the end of the cruise!
Popcorn bucket + Candy – For the shows, we bought some at the concessions every time! Wish I would have listened to the blogger that told me to pack my own because it’s pricey! If you bring your own Disney popcorn bucket, you just pay for the refills.
Passport holder – I use these for anytime we travel internationally, but it was great to keep all of our important info/ cash/ keys/ etc in one spot.

You can find all our cruise outfits linked here

TIPS & THINGS TO KNOW

Bring a small bag with you to get on the ship and let the cruise line check your luggage. Your room may not be ready and your bags may not be through clearance yet, so to carry around the necessary things you need for the day was so helpful. Here’s what we had in our carry on backpack:

Passports (you will need these on you to get on the boat)
Swim suits (we wore ours under our clothes)
Sunscreen (it gets hot and you’ll most likely take advantage of that pool right away)
Medication (anything you’ll need right away)
Snacks (some food places were open but not until later in the day, if your kids need snacks, have those handy)
Water bottle (we just carry one community bottle for the family, it’s just easier to carry 1 than 5)

Board as early as you can, so you can tour the boat before it gets crowded.

Kids Club – if you want to utilize the kids club but feel hesitant, check them out when they have open door times so parents and kids can explore the area together. Not potty trained 3 year olds and younger are charged $9/hour in a nursery and the older kids are on the Oceaneers side, which is massive.

Adult side of the boat – if you have a kid free moment, head upstairs to the quiet side of the boat for 18+ section. It had the best views.

Coffee shops – although these weren’t free, they made a killer turmeric latte, make sure to say yes to add a character on top of your hot coffee!

Room service is free – use it!

Don’t skip out on the shows, these were our favorite parts of the cruise. They truly go above and beyond when it comes to talent, production, and all the things!

For Disney Lookout Cay, make sure you get off the boat early so you can snag a wagon for your kids, it’s a long walk and they have a limited supply!

Download the Disney Cruise Navigator App. This is how we scheduled our day and found out what times each activity or show was starting on this day.

If you can carry all your bags off the boat, do it. This is express debarking. If you want the cruise line to get your bags off the boat, you have to pack the night before and leave it outside your room before 10pm. The place where you pick up your bag is a mess and it’s mixed with everyone else’s bags so it took us awhile to find ours. We also forgot one!

Check out our Disney Cruise Vlog here: