Is a Disney Cruise an Autism-Friendly Vacation?

Trying to decide if you will take that cruise and what that might be like for your family? Is a Disney cruise an autism-friendly vacation experience? We found that it can be.

Rather than visit Walt Disney World again, we decided to try a Disney cruise. As I started to research the Disney Cruise options, the more I learned, the more confident I became that it was going to be an autism-friendly vacation option for our family.

Our initial concerns were mainly about the crowds, lines, noise, and activities being too overwhelming. I am going to share a few things we learned and how we managed to have an autism-friendly family cruise vacation.

I’ll talk about:

1. Navigating the crowded and louder parts of the ship
2. Understanding the dining options
3. Getting a private family table for dinner
4. Using the Disney cruise app
5. Visiting the kids clubs

Our Disney Cruise Itinerary

First, let me share our Disney cruise itinerary. We embarked on a 4-night cruise on the Disney Magic our of the Port of Miami. Our stops included Nassau, Bahamas and the Disney private island, Castaway Cay.  Our room was an Oceanview Family Stateroom.

In addition to the classic Disney customer service, a Disney cruise includes in the price:

• Food – All meals & room service, non-alcoholic drinks (speciality dining is additional cost)
• Entertainment – Broadway-quality shows, Disney character encounters, fireworks, first-run Disney movies
• Kids clubs (Ages 3-17)
• Pools and fitness club
• Adult-only areas

If your cruise includes a stop at one of the two Disney private island, lunch, most activities, and the kids club are included in the price as well. The Disney private island ports are Castaway Cay and Lighthouse Point.

Navigating the louder spaces on board

If anyone is sensative to sound, I highly recommend noise-cancelling headphones. Noise-cancelling headphones proved for us to be one of the most important items to pack. We pretty much always have ear defenders or noise-canceling headphones, but this is just a reminder if you don’t use them presently, you might want to try them out.

Places we found more overwhelming and loud:

• Main dining rooms during dinner
• Buffet dining room at lunch
• Pool deck during the Sail Away Party
• Pool Deck during the Pirate Party (with fireworks)
• Cruise terminal (boarding and disembarking)

 

 

The ship can be less crowded in port at the island because most people go ashore. With more people off the ship, the pool is less crowded, shorter lines for the water slides, more spots to sit on the pool deck, and a calmer experience all around. Be aware that while in port, some activities on board are unavailable. We didn’t spend too much tim in Nassau because we wanted to get back on the ship to enjoy the quieter times.

The main place of quiet when a reset was needed was our stateroom. The benefit of a cruise vs Disney World is that your room is only a short walk away, no need to wait for a shuttle bus!  There were times when the crowds, people or other things would cause over stimulation and the stateroom being close was great to escape and reset. We enjoyed an Oceanview room and the window was big enough to sit in, but if we cruise again I would consider a balcony for the time we spent in the room.

Exploring the main dining room options

On board the Disney Magic there are three rotational main dining room options:

• Rapunzel’s Royal Table – Main dining room themed after Rapunzel’s movie
• Lumiere’s – Main dining room themed after Beauty and the Beast
• Animator’s Palate – Main dining room featuring a display of Disney animations over the years

Disney cruise lines has rotational dining. Rotational dining means that each night you rotate to a different main dining room for dinner. Your wait staff will be assigned to you for each dinner and will meet you at your table in the assigned dining room. Since you have the same wait staff, they get to know you and your family.

There are sometimes character appearances, live music and shows during dinner in the main dining rooms. When mixed with talking voices, clanking plates and quickly moving servers, the dining area can become over stimulating. On the Disney Magic, Lumiere’s dining room does not have live entertainment and was the most quiet and calm dinner experience.

Rupunzel’s Royal Table was loud for most of dinner since there was live entertainment. While one child loved it, the other could’t wait to leave.

Addtional options for places to eat:

• Cabanas – main buffet
• Duck-In Diner
• Pinocchio’s Pizzeria
• Eye Scream Treats
• Palo (Adult Only)

While a buffet seems great because you don’t have to wait for your food, Cabanas was loud with long lines and lots of movement. We actually only ate inside of Cabana’s once because the experience was too overwhelming.

A great alternative is to find a table on the pool deck away from the noise to enjoy your breakfast or lunch from Cabana’s. For a different experience, you can always take your food back to your room, or order room service (it’s included).

Request a private table for dining

When you are completing your online check in, you can request a private table for dining in the main dining rooms. Once you have paid for your cruise, you can request a private table in the Disney Navigator app or online. I made the request online and we were given a private table for the main dining rooms.

My favorite dining room was Animators Palate. The whole family loved watching Disney artwork on screens located throughout the dining room. It begins with black and white sketches and by the end of dinner you see completely drawn movie versions of so many classic Disney characters.

For breakfast and lunch we found the main dining rooms much more relaxed than the buffet restaurants. During those hours, there are no characters in the dining rooms and fewer people moving around making for a more relaxing experience.

Research food options available before you go

Many autism parents understand the struggle of going out to eat and needing to know if the safe foods will be available. Yep, we have a short list. Pizza, french fries, dry cereal, waffles, no sauce pasta and a few others. The good news is that even a challenged sensory eater can likely find something to eat on a Disney cruise ship.

Disney is well know for their customer service. A perfect example of that classic Disney customer service is in the main dining rooms. You can request items that are not on the menu and they will try to see if they can accommodate.

When I didn’t see pizza on on the kids menu one night, I simply asked and our waiter made it happen. On another occasion I requested spaghetti noodles with no sauce, and without hesitation they served us just that.

Overall, many familiar foods are available such as favorites like pizza, french fries, burgers, pasta noodles, various types of cereal, waffles, cookies, and chicken nuggets. There are lots of menu options across the ship. Additionally, there are a variety of soft drinks and juices, water, unlimited ice cream.

If your child has very specific needs or dietary restrictions, you can contact Disney Cruise customer service. You are able to bring some sealed non-perishable foods on board. Even with all of the food available, I still brought some preferred snacks that are must haves. As long as the food is in the original sealed packaging you should be fine, however you should always check the latest information on the Disney cruise website.

Use the Disney Navigator cruise app to limit your wait times

By using the Disney Navigator cruise app while on board, you can save yourself time and headaches. The app provides the time and location of every event, let;s you book excursions and make reservations. By using the app you will know where to go and can get a jump on the lines, especially for character meet and greets. If you use the kids clubs, the Navigator app is how the staff communicate with parents.  It is going to be your pocket guide for your cruise.

The Disney characters walk around the ship often and are even on the island. It was much easier to interact with them onboard than in Disney World. At one point, we ran into Goofy and Donald just walking around. If you set out to attend a character meet and greet, Disney  allows you to have just one person stand in line, while the others in your party can wait elsewhere. If you have more than one person in your party, this would be the best option to limit wait times for a less patient child or adult.

As a time saver, I also recommend taking a look at the dinner menu in the Disney Navigator app before you arrive. We were usually able to order as soon as your waiter arrived at the table which allowed our order to get in more quickly.

Explore the Kids Cubs Together First

At the time of our cruise the Oceaneer’s club was for ages 3-10 so our kids could go together.  The other clubs on the Magic are Edge for tweens, Vibe for teens and the It’s a Small World nursery for babies and toddlers. The age group policy tends to be pretty strict to ensure the safety of all cruisers. You can of course, always ask.

When you board your cruise, check the schedule to learn when the family Open House hours are being held. Open house is the only time parents and older kids are allowed in the kids clubs. Visiting during open house allowed the kids to get familiar with the space while we were with them.

Our kids spent a little time in the Oceaneer’s Club. The staff was great and attentive and when we dropped our kids off, I expressed my concerns and some behaviors to be aware of. When your child is ready to leave Oceaneer’s Club, they tell a staff member and the staff member will send you a text message via the Disney Navagator app that they are ready to be picked up.

For Edge and Vibe, they are allowed to check themselves out of the clubs so you need to be comfortable with that idea.

Caregivers need a break too

The major difference in our cruise experience vs going to Disney World was that it felt like my husband and I got to have a vacation too. On board, everything is right there for you, so less running around and waiting in lines. For me less thinking about when and where to eat dinner and if they have the right foods.

No shuttles to the parks, figuring our which rides to get on, super long lines, and the amount of walking can make Disney World feel like a workout! But, on board a cruise I didn’t have to think too hard about if a ride would cause a meltdown, and or what time the shuttle was coming to get back to the room.

I was able to lounge in a chair and read a book, my husband and I enjoyed brunch at the adult’s only Palo, my daughter and I loved the live Disney shows every evening, and we ate a lot of great food. We left our vacation feeling like we… had a vacation! And, when you are a caregiver, recharging is a must.

The Disney Cruise website provides information for researching any accommodations that are made for special needs families. Additionally, you can also call Disney Cruise Special Services. https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/guest-services/guests-with-disabilities/. You can also join Facebook groups about cursing and cruising with special needs and find answers to so many questions.

At the Disney parks, guests can take advance of the Disability Pass (DAS) but on board, that service is not available. The host of services available for hearing and vision impaired travelers, wheelchair accessibility, dietary requirements and other necessary assistance can be obtained online as well as by calling Disney Cruise line.