This past week we set sail on our second cruise, and our first ever Disney Cruise (you can read about our experience with Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas here). The Disney Cruise was something the kids had been asking to do for a while now and we found a perfect itinerary to set sail out of San Diego.
Sailing out of San Diego
After sailing out of Long Beach for our first cruise, sailing out of San Diego was a much simpler process. The port is smaller and for those that are traveling from out of the city, there are hotels easily accessible from the port. I would highly recommend staying at the Intercontinental if you are planning a partial vacation + cruise out of San Diego.
If you are looking to sail out of San Diego, the following cruise ships depart from San Diego:
- Disney Cruise Line
- Holland America Line
- Princess Cruises
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Celebrity Cruise Line
Most of the cruises out of San Diego sail out to Mexico, so you will want to ensure you have your passports with you and plan ahead by uploading all of your required travel documents and vaccination cards prior to your arrival to ensure a smooth and easy boarding process.
The Disney Wonder
The Disney Wonder is one of Disney’s smaller ships. It has a capacity of roughly 2,700 passengers and it was refurbished in 2019.
The benefits of sailing on a smaller ship is that it’s easier to get around and at no point did it feel over-crowded. There is also plenty of staff to ensure the ship stays clean at all times and we felt the crew went above and beyond with their customer service at all times.
What’s included with a Disney Cruise?
We love an all-inclusive trip and I really liked how all of the dining options on the Disney Cruise were included. The only exception is Palo, Disney’s adult-only dining that is available at an additional expense. Snacks at the concession are also available at an additional cost.
Coffee and alcohol is not included and it’s highly encouraged to take care of your wait staff and tip them accordingly. Disney will automatically add a gratitude for you at the end of your trip, you can opt-out if you prefer to tip in cash or nightly.
Here’s everything that’s included:
- Dining
- Entertainment
- The Kid’s Club
- Character interactions
Rotational Dining
This was our first time experiencing rotational dining and I loved experience. If you’re unfamiliar with rotational dining, your servers and wait staff follow you to the various restaurants each night for dinner. Your servers become familiar with your ordering habits to best serve you and it makes for an all around really nice experience.
The restaurants on each of Disney’s ships vary, on the Wonder, you will experience:
- Triton’s
- Tiana’s Place
- Animator’s Palate
For a 3-night cruise, you will experience each restaurant once for dinner and if you are cruising for more than 3 nights, you will repeat a restaurant. If you want to change your repeat restaurant, make sure you speak to customer service at the start of your trip to see if they are able to accommodate you.
In addition to dinner being included, you’ll also get included breakfast and lunch options.
For breakfast, you can choose to have a continental breakfast in your room, have a buffet style lunch at Cabanas, or dine at Triton’s for a sit-down breakfast. We tried all three options and the best option seemed to be Triton’s.
For lunch, there are also several quick-serve dining options that you can find around the pool deck. In addition, Tiana’s Place opens up for a sit-down lunch or you can visit Cabana’s for a full buffet.
Shows & Entertainment
There is no shortage of entertainment when sailing and Disney Cruise Line is no exception. With all of the entertainment catered towards kids and families, we all found it enjoyable and there was always something to do.
Pirate Night
Disney hosts a Pirate Night on all of their cruises. During pirate night, everyone is invited to dress up as a pirate and get into the spirit. On Pirate Night, a deck party will take place on the ship where you’ll see fireworks, your favorite Disney characters dressed up as pirates and experience a dance party by the pool. It’s an amazing experience that really showcases the magic of Disney.
Broadway shows
Depending on your dining time, you will either experience a Disney-themed showed before or after dinner. If you have little kids, I highly recommend the earlier dining time (5:45 PM) to accommodate to earlier bed times.
Every night Disney puts on a broadway-style show and every single one we saw was incredible. Anywhere you sit in The Walt Disney Theatre will provide you with a good view of the show. You can also purchase popcorn (and yes, souvenier buckets) and other concessions before walking into the show.
The shows you’ll find on the Disney Wonder are:
- The Golden Mickey’s
- Disney Dreams- An Enchanted Classic
- Frozen, A Musical Spectacular
Character Interactions
One of my favorite aspects of the Disney Cruise was the accessibility to characters. We were able to interact and spent time with more characters on the cruise than we have ever been able to do at the park. The characters take their time with each of the kids and you can purchase photo packages as a keepsake.
Some of the characters we saw on the ship include:
– Mickey & Minnie
– Goofy
– Chip & Dale
– Sanderson Sisters
– Cinderella
– Bell
– Tiana
– Rapunzel
– Donald & Daisy
Kid’s Club
The kid’s club on all of the Disney Cruises are quite impressive. The Disney Wonder’s kids club, called the Oceaneer Club, allowed parents to drop off kids to play games, watch movies and more.
Our kids have been to several kids clubs and the Disney Wonder topped all of the others.
As a parent, what I appreciated the most was the magic bands that the kids would use to check in and check out of the club. The bands are linked to your stateroom so it keeps the kids safe and if your child were to get lost, they would be able to contact you directly. A secret word also needs to be established between kids + parents when checking out to ensure safety for the kids.
Adult Amenities
The Disney Wonder is truly centered around families and kids but there are a few things that you can do if you are looking for adult-only experiences.
There’s an adult-only pool and jacuzzi with a bar on the deck where you can lounge out and relax while the kids are at the kid’s club. There’s a spa where you can enjoy facials or a massage. Or you can spend time at one of the bars or lounges on the ship.
Bippity Boppity Boutique
If you are looking for a truly magical Disney experience, budgeting for Bippity Boppity Boutique will do that for you. The Boutique transforms kids into a princes or a princess with a complete royal makeover. The staff of fairy godmothers will sparkle pixie dust, do your hair and make up and make kids feel like the prince or princess that they are. There are also a variety of dresses to choose from. The cost for the full experience is about $200.
On pirate night, you can also experience a pirate makeover to prepare for the ship’s Pirate Party.
Halloween on the High Seas
If you sail with Disney in September or October, you will likely experience Halloween on the High Seas. In addition to Pirate Night, you will also experience a Halloween party, Pumpkin Tree lighting ceremony and have a chance to see the characters dressed up in Halloween costumes. It makes for a really fun addition to the itinerary and it is so much fun to see all of the guests get in the spirit as they dress up in their costumes.
