What’s Included on a Disney Cruise
After doing ten cruises with Disney Cruise Lines (Hooray Platinum Status), one of the biggest questions we hear when families start comparing cruise options is:
“Why does a Disney Cruise seem more expensive than other cruise lines?”
The answer is simple: what Disney includes.
On our most recent Disney Cruise, we did not have to worry about paying extra for dinner service, water or soda packages, character experiences, or youth programming; many of the things families value most are already part of the fare.
This means fewer surprise charges once you are onboard and more freedom to enjoy your vacation without constantly watching receipts.
Some cruise lines offer a pay-as-you-go approach, allowing passengers to purchase food, beverages, and experiences individually.
Disney focuses on providing a relaxed vacation experience, particularly for families with children and teenagers.
The Disney Difference: What’s Included
Raul and I were discussing why we like cruising with Disney, and the ease of mind you have knowing that even the smallest details, such as the drinking water on your cruise, are included in the price.
When you book a Disney Cruise, your fare includes the following:
Stateroom
You will have a room host or two, depending on whether you stay in a Concierge room.
They will tidy up your room after you wake up and provide turndown service before you go to bed. If you have any issues, you can ask them for help.
Rotational dining at three restaurants
There are three crew members, a Head Server, a Server, and an Assistant Server assigned to your dinner table.
They will provide you with suggestions on menu items, help with any food allergies or dietary needs. They might even bring you something that is off the menu once they get to know what you like.
Quick service areas
Typically open from lunch until evening, they offer a variety of options, including pizza, salads, fruit, sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, barbecue, and more, depending on the ship.
Check the Navigator App for exact time openings and food options once on board.
Soft drinks, coffee, water, and tea
You can find these items on the pool deck at the drink fountains and inside the buffet areas of Marceline Market and Cabanas. You can frequent the pool deck at all hours of the day and night for these drinks.
We recommend bringing reusable water bottles for nighttime use. They do provide cups at these stations as well.
24-hour room service and unlimited soft-serve ice cream
You can call room service any time of the day or night for late-night munchies. Room service stops operating at 1:30 a.m. the night before you disembark. Tips are not included for room service delivery. You can find the menu on the Disney Navigator App. There is unlimited soft-serve ice cream available for you to either serve yourself or be served to you by the crew members at that station.
They have Chocolate, Vanilla, Chocolate Swirl, Blueberry, and other flavors.
Broadway-style shows
In our experience, the Disney Shows are something that the entire family enjoys and you can’t miss. There is singing, dancing, and laughing with top-notch performers.
You might see them as characters at one of the rotational dining rooms, or they might even perform at the Sail Away party. If you see them around the ship, let them know how your experience watching them on stage was.
Disney’s newest movie screenings
You can find movies playing on the top deck and in their movie theaters. We’ve seen the release of movies on board, such as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, before being released to the general public.
We saw Elio on the Disney Wish and, most recently, Fantastic Four on the Disney Magic. If you haven’t had time to go to the movie theatres at home, here is your chance to see movies with the entire family, whether on the top deck during the day or night, or in a movie theatre.
Themed deck parties
You will enjoy your Sail Away, Holiday (Halloween or Christmas), Pirate Night, or themed cruise deck parties (Pixar and Marvel Days at Sea) on the top deck. Having recently sailed on the Disney Magic, the Sail Away party was relocated inside due to the weather.
We did get to enjoy the nighttime Halloween on the High Seas Deck Party, Mickey’s Masquerade Party. You will see performances by the Fab Five along with Chip' n’ Dale and Pluto. You will see a Pirate Band and all the characters in Pirate outfits for Pirate Night celebrations.
The night concludes with Fireworks at sea during Pirate Night. (For families with children who are sensitive to noise, bring noise-cancelling headsets.)
Character meet-and-greets
When our daughter Daniela was little, we would wait in long lines at the Walt Disney World parks to meet all of her favorite Disney characters, sometimes in the Florida heat. This takes time and patience due to the popularity of the characters.
On Disney Cruises, lines are nowhere near the ones you might encounter at the parks.
Use your Disney Navigator app to set reminders for the characters you will want to take pictures with. Kids in the Youth Clubs also meet and greet with surprise characters, which is always fun to hear about. There is usually a photographer at these locations, or you can snap pictures with your own camera. Raul and Daniela love taking pictures with Chip and Dale in their Chip and Dale t-shirts or sweatshirts. You will also see characters in themed outfits for Halloween, Christmas, Pirate, and even in formal wear for Formal Night.
Youth clubs
Children ages 3 to 17 have a place to go, and it’s divided into three areas called the Oceaneers Kid’s Club and Lab (ages 3-10), Edge (ages 11-14), and Vibe (ages 14-17). For children ages 11-17, you can have the option for them to check themselves in and out. You can pick up and drop off your kids at any time, but rest assured, it might be hard to get them out because the Youth Activities Crew members are so awesome that they won’t want to leave.
For young adults ages 18-20, there is the 1820 Society. They will gather at Cove Cafe for a coffee social, along with other activities suitable for this age group.
Check what is going on or what activities are available on the Disney Navigator app.
Multiple pools and water features
Depending on your ship, you will either get dunked via the AquaDunk, go down a water slide, or ride on a raft through the Aquamouse.
There are family pools and adult-only areas. For the smaller guests on board, there are splash pad areas decorated with all sorts of Disney-themed characters.
Even at Disney’s private destinations, there is no extra charge for chairs, towels, and umbrellas. Go down the slide at Pelican Bay on Castaway Cay or use the newest splash pad area at Lookout Cay without worrying about an extra fee for the kiddos to have fun.
There is no extra charge for the food, fountain drinks, or the unlimited soft-serve ice cream on the islands as well. For an adults-only cruise, the private destinations have an adult-only area with the same offerings for food, drinks, and ice cream.
Fitness center access
Your teens ages 14 and over can tag along with you as you work out at the state-of-the-art fitness center. There are free weights and machines you can use, with a few crew members there to answer any questions or issues you may encounter.
They have plenty of treadmills facing huge windows so you can work out to the views of the sea or ports.
Taxes and port fees included
Taxes and port fees are already built into the total price.
Other cruise lines often charge extra for items such as water, soft drinks, kids’ programming outside certain hours, and late-night room service. Those small add-ons can add up quickly, especially for families.
With Disney, the things you come to experience are already included.
But what about gratuities on a Disney Cruise?
Gratuities are not included in the base fare, but Disney makes tipping simple and fair. You may pre-pay gratuities before your cruise, or they will be automatically added to your onboard account.
These gratuities support:
Your Stateroom Host or Hostess
If you’re staying in a Concierge room, you will have Stateroom Host and an Assistant Stateroom Host/Hostess who will also receive a gratuity envelope.
They come in twice a day to tidy up your room, including turn-down service and a cute towel animal surprise.
Your State Room Host or Hostess is the one you will call if you need any extras or if maintenance issues arise.
Main Dining Room Head Server, Main Server, and Assistant Server
The Main Rotational Dining Room team will assist with food allergies or sensitivities, dietary needs, and even bring dishes that are not on the evening's dining menu.
They are with you every evening for dinner, and you may see them throughout the ship working at the restaurant that is open for sit-down breakfast and lunch, Cabanas or Marceline Market, or wherever they are needed during the day.
They welcome feedback to ensure that you are satisfied with every meal you eat.
Concierge Team (for Concierge Level guests)
For those staying Concierge Level, a gratuity is also added for the Concierge team in this area. On our most recent cruise on the Disney Magic, this seven-person team is split into two areas: the Concierge Hosts and the Concierge servers.
The Concierge hosts are available to assist you with Adult Dining Reservations, Spa Reservations, and booking last-minute excursions, as well as addressing any customer service issues.
The Concierge servers are constantly refreshing snacks, helping you get extra sweets, and manning the bar after 5:00 p.m.
They are a dedicated team of highly professional, customer service-oriented cast members who go above and beyond to make your experience a memorable one.
You may increase or add additional cash tips based on the service provided by anyone on the cruise ship, not just the Dining, Concierge, or Stateroom hosts.
What’s included in your Disney Cruise fare vs additional costs
Here is what is included in your Disney Cruise fare, as well as the additional costs.
Food & Dining: What’s Included vs Extra
| Included | Extra Cost |
|---|---|
| Breakfast & lunch in main dining rooms | Specialty coffee drinks (cappuccinos, lattes) |
| Dinner in rotational dining (3 restaurants) | Smoothies & premium non-alcoholic drinks |
| 24-hour room service food | Adult-exclusive dining (Palo, Remy, Enchanté) |
| Soft drinks, water, tea & non-specialty coffee | Bar purchases & wine tastings |
| Quick-service snacks & unlimited soft-serve ice cream | Souvenirs & photo packages (food-related photos too) |
Entertainment & Activities: What’s Included vs Extra
| Included | Extra Cost |
|---|---|
| Broadway-style theater productions | Port Adventures (shore excursions) |
| Movies in theaters & on deck | Internet / Wi-Fi packages |
| Deck parties & themed celebration nights | Babysitting for infants (It’s a Small World Nursery) |
| Character meet-and-greets | Travel insurance (optional add-on) |
| Youth Clubs: Oceaneer, Edge, Vibe | Premium adult experiences or paid specialty events |
| Pools, water slides & splash zones | Some spa classes or premium activities |
Onboard Essentials: What’s Included vs Extra
| Included | Extra Cost |
|---|---|
| Fitness center access (equipment & cardio machines) | Spa services & salon treatments |
| Daily activities, trivia, & family game shows | Self-service laundry, dry cleaning, & pressing |
| Pool access, loungers, towels, & splash zones | Travel insurance (optional) |
| All taxes, fees, & port expenses | Pre/post-cruise hotel & ground transportation |
Why Families Often Find Disney the Better Value
Although Disney prices may appear higher at first glance, the onboard spending pressure is significantly lower.
There are crew members who will sell you Water and Wine/Beer packages once on board, but you don’t have to purchase them. What we love the most are the following, because we know that these items are included in your price and there isn’t any penny pinching or accounting of what anyone has spent:
- No soda or water plan to buy (we drink lots of water onboard and bring 2 refillable 32 oz Hydroflasks)
- No add-on fees for character experiences
- No surprise charges for the Oceaners Kid’s Club/Lab, Vibe, or Teen youth activities (there is a charge for the nursery called It’s a Small World)
- No ticket prices for Broadway-style shows
- No guessing where you will eat dinner for the duration of your cruise — the Disney Navigator App will remind you of which restaurant you will eat at every night
When you add up what competing cruise lines charge, the cost difference often narrows — and sometimes, Disney comes out ahead.
Ready to Plan the Right Disney Cruise for Your Family?
Work with Laugh & Gear Travel Advisor Raúl Colón
Raúl specializes in helping families make confident, money-smart cruise decisions.
- Comparing cruise lines based on actual value — not just price
- Recommending the right ship and itinerary for your family’s goals
- Custom planning for multi-generational groups (adults, teens, kids, grandparents)
- Providing expert planning services at no extra cost to you
He’ll also help you:
- Find the best sale dates and promotions
- Select the right room category for comfort and budget
- Understand what’s included vs what’s optional
- Get the most magic out of your cruise — without overspending
With ten sailings across four Disney ships and experience with itineraries to the Bahamas, Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean, and Southern Caribbean, Raúl brings real, first-hand guidance to every family he helps.
Let’s start planning your Disney Cruise
Tell Raúl your travel dates or budget, and he’ll send you free side-by-side cruise options so you can compare real numbers and choose confidently.
There’s no obligation — just helpful guidance.
✨ There is no additional cost to you for planning your trip with me!
