Six items I was glad I brought on first my Disney Cruise
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As a recent first-time Disney Cruiser, I may have gone a little overboard (pardon the pun) on some purchases I got specifically for the cruise. If you know me, you know I love the research process when it comes to vacations, and I wanted to make sure I had all of the things pro cruisers recommend. So now I’m going to tell you what items I brought that were well worth packing. I’ll also throw in a few things I didn’t bring and wished I had as a bonus
1. DIY Friendship Bracelet Cruise Lanyards
The first item I brought was friendship bracelet style lanyards for our DCL Key To The World Card (KTTWC). These were so fun to make (as a big Taylor Swift fan), but they were also fun to wear.
I made one for everyone in my travel party, and I think they turned out so cute! The main items you’ll need if you want to make your own are string or cord, letter beads, clay beads (or other fun beads), metal hooks/keychains/retractable badge holders, and clear plastic badge holders.
You can also just get cute ready-made lanyards if you don’t want to get crafty or personalize them.
2. Metal Magnetic Hooks
Metal magnetic hooks are so affordable that you really might as well try them out. Because we were on an older ship, we didn’t have a lot of metal walls available to use these hooks, but they were still great to hang our hats, lanyards, and even to display my little Captain Hook plushie (he came along for pirate night of course). I’ve heard that the newer ships have many more metal walls that make these hooks even more helpful.
My main tip here is to make sure you get ones that have a higher weight limit. Ours couldn’t hold something heavy like a toiletry bag, but some are more heavy duty and definitely could handle heavier items. The ones I’ve linked appear to be heavier duty (and they have multiple color options!).
3. DIY Cruise Door Magnets
I knew these would be fun, but I didn’t think through how practical they are. The ship is filled with endless identical white doors, and everyone’s personalized magnets are your chance to get oriented and make it easy to find your room. I thought about buying these on Amazon or Etsy, but I decided to make them myself 1) because I enjoy crafting and 2) because I wanted to be able to make them extra customized.
The supplies were also pretty affordable. I made these using magnetic adhesive sheets, clear contact paper, cardstock paper, acrylic paints, and I was super happy with how our Mickey shaped magnets turned out. I essentially just laid the cardstock on the adhesive side of the magnet. Painted/drew the design, let it dry, laid the clear contact paper on top, then cut them out. Super easy!
4. Versatile and Comfy Sandals
These sandals were a bit of a last-minute swap for me. I am normally pretty casual, and on our Walt Disney World trips, I really never wear “cute” shoes for comfort’s sake. But I knew I would need something to wear with my dresses for dinner. And while I could make basic white tennis shoes work, these were just better. And they were so comfortable that it was an easy choice. I think these are similar to a more popular brand, but I genuinely had no idea when I got them. I’m a big fan. :)
5. Rain Ponchos
Ponchos may not always be necessary, but I think they’re an essential during hurricane season. I packed a disposable rain poncho in my beach bag for our day at Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse point because there was some rain on the forecast, and it turned out to be a great idea. It started pouring rain shortly after our fabulous Junkanoo party ended, so we were in heavy rain for our entire trek back to the ship via the trams and the half mile long walk on the pier.
I love these ponchos in particular because 1) they are super small to pack and 2) they have elastic at the end of the sleeves and a drawstring on the hood so you can truly stay dry. (They’re also great for Walt Disney World, especially Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and Kali River Rapids.)
6. Waterproof Backpack
A waterproof backpack is helpful for a handful of reasons. Firstly, it was super great to save my valuables like my passport, phone, etc. during the deluge mentioned above. And secondly, it’s great for any scenario where you’re near a beach or pool.
I have a pricier option, the Longchamp Le Pliage Medium Backpack, that’s not 100% waterproof, but pretty resistant. There are also some more affordable options on Amazon. I really like this small, simple water-resistant backpack from Carhartt and the Kanken Mini Classic Backpack from Fjallraven,
Bonus Item 1 - Fish Extender
This is something I didn’t bring but wish I had! I had heard of fish extenders before our trip, but I thought they only made sense if you were part of facebook groups or friends with other families on your sailing. It turns out these are great for anyone! A fish extender is essential a pouch that hangs from the fish (or other icons on newer ships) next to your door. It’s essentially a mailbox that other cruisers can drop goodies in if they want to make a little magic for you.
By not having you, you’ve essentially close the door on the potential to get random goodies from lovely strangers. Hence why I obviously wish we’d brought one!
Bonus Item 2 - “Pixie Dust” Giveaway Goodies
Lastly, of course I wish we’d brought goodies so that we could “pixie dust” (aka make magical moments) with various cruiser friends throughout our sailing! This is right up my alley because, as we’ve established, I love a craft.
And apparently this is a big thing on Disney cruises. I’m not sure yet what I’d bring, but I’ve now heard of anything from keychains to bracelets to magnets to stickers to charms, etc.
And that’s it! Those are the items I brought to my Disney Cruise (or wish I had) that I’d definitely bring again!
