First-timer basics
The five-minute version of everything we wish someone had told us before our first sailing.
What's included — and what isn't
✓ INCLUDED IN YOUR FARE
🍽️ All main dining
🥤 Sodas, coffee & tea
🎭 Broadway-style shows
🧒 Kids clubs (ages 3–17)
🏊 Pools & waterslides
🎆 Fireworks at sea
🐭 Character meets
🍕 Room service (most of it)
Yes — really. Free soft drinks and included kids clubs are rare among cruise lines.
✗ COSTS EXTRA
🍷 Alcohol (per drink)
🥂 Palo, Remy & Enchanté
🚌 Port excursions
💵 Gratuities (~$16/night pp)
💆 Spa & under-3 nursery
📶 Wi-Fi (app tier is free)
👗 Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
📸 Photo packages
Rule of thumb: budget ~20% on top of your fare for tips, one splurge dinner, and a port day.
The booking timeline
1
Pick & book early
Disney fares generally rise as ships fill — the opposite of airline sales. Booking at release is usually the best price.
2
Pay in full at 90 or 120 days
Final payment lands 90 days out for sailings of five nights or fewer and 120 days for six nights or more. Once that date passes, discounted GTY rates sometimes appear on rooms Disney hasn't sold.
3
Book activities at your window
Excursions, Palo, and nursery open 75–123 days out depending on your Castaway Club level. Set an alarm — things sell out.
4
Check in at 30 days
Online check-in opens at midnight ET. Do it right away — it sets your port arrival time, and early slots go fast.
Stateroom types, decoded
Typical price ladder from the tracker — each step up runs roughly 15–30% more.
Inside
CHEAPEST
No window — but on newer ships a "magical porthole" shows a live sea view. You'll barely be in the room anyway.
Oceanview
MIDDLE GROUND
A real porthole or window. Great for Alaska and scenic routes where the view matters more than a balcony.
Verandah
FAMILY FAVORITE
Private balcony — naps for the kids, sail-aways for you. The sweet spot if the budget stretches.
Concierge
THE SPLURGE
Suites, a private lounge, earliest booking windows for everything. Often 2–3× the verandah price.
What's a GTY rate? "Guaranteed" staterooms are discounted rooms where Disney picks your exact cabin later. You're guaranteed the category (or better) — a great deal if you don't care about location. They show up in our tracker as the cheapest fares.