1st Disney Cruise w/ 4y/o and 17 mo old

bhawk3

Earning My Ears
Joined
Apr 22, 2018
Hello!

This will be our first Disney Cruise and we will be traveling with a very busy 4 y/o and 17mo old.

Any tips on things to bring/buy ahead of time?

Full size stroller vs umbrella stroller?

Do we need to bring puddle jumpers? or do they have floatation devices there to use/rent?
What about pack n play for youngest?

Thanks!!
 
Hello!

This will be our first Disney Cruise and we will be traveling with a very busy 4 y/o and 17mo old.

Any tips on things to bring/buy ahead of time?

Full size stroller vs umbrella stroller?

Do we need to bring puddle jumpers? or do they have floatation devices there to use/rent?
What about pack n play for youngest?

Thanks!!
Lots of diapers. If you have to buy more onboard, they can be quite costly.

I'd go with the umbrella one. Doesn't take a lot of space, and light to carry, if necessary.

Coast Guard approved life saving equipment is allowed. There are life vests poolside (onboard) and at Castaway Cay.

life vests dream 2014 16005 P1020617 1500.jpg pelican plunge life vest.jpg

You get a pack N play in your room for the littlest one.
 
Just remember that unless the 17 month old is potty trained and 100% does NOT require a swim diaper, s/he will NOT be allowed in the pool (actually ditto the 4 year old if s/he is not). So that would make any need for a life vest for her/him a moot point.
 


We did a cruise in February with kids these exact ages :). Definitely bring the umbrella stroller. As Shmoo posted above they do have vests for free. But keep in mind that if you do anything water related on an excursion, you can't bring the vests off the boat. They will be available at Castaway Cay though. They do provide PnPs, but I found our 18m old did just fine in the bottom bed with rails. We arranged the pillows at the end and we never had an issue with her climbing or falling out. It saved us so much room not using the PnP. My other tip is grab the to go bowls of cereal from Cabanas to use as snacks. My kids loved the novelty of fruit loops and corn pops when they started to get hangry.
 
I would bring water shoes with a nonslip bottom for them. My kids kept falling down on Nemo's Reef at that age (slippery!!) and also there can occasionally be a little coral/rough bottom on Castaway Cay occasionally. I don't know what ship you're on, but for Magic/Wonder you may want a nightlight. (Dream/Fantasy have built-in nightlights.) Ditto a PP's suggestion of bringing snacks that can be quickly accessed in room.
Have kids wear bathing suits under clothes on embarkation day so they can go straight to splash ground.
 
Shoot. I don't think I'm able to reply to each individual message.

Are Puddle Jumpers considered approved? I'm guessing not. is there a fee to use the ones on the boat or castaway bay?

Also - my 4 y/o is potty trained. 17 mo old is not obviously....so you're saying he can't go in the pool???????

we were thinking of bringing the regular stroller - for the bottom storage when we're out and about - on the boat and excursions. are there places around the ship to "park" them? or not really?

and love the ideas of snacks - so there will be things we can't take back to the room etc? no need to pack little snacks for them?

THANKS!
 
Last edited:


Shoot. I don't think I'm able to reply to each individual message.

Are Puddle Jumpers considered approved? I'm guessing not. is there a fee to use the ones on the boat or castaway bay?

Also - my 4 y/o is potty trained. 17 mo old is not obviously....so you're saying he can't go in the pool???????

we were thinking of bringing the regular stroller - for the bottom storage when we're out and about - on the boat and excursions. are there places around the ship to "park" them? or not really?

and love the ideas of snacks - so there will be things we can't take back to the room etc? no need to pack little snacks for them?

THANKS!

Yup. No swim diapers allowed. It's a health issue.

Not potty trained, you can go to the splash zone, but NOT the pool. It's the same rule on any line and pretty much any hotel pool I've been in. (And I HAVE had a 17-month old trained in my pre-school class, so it can happen. Granted she was a girl, but...)

And regarding the stroller, it MUST be stored in your cabin. It cannot be left in the hallway. Or on the veranda if you have one. IN the room.
 
The best recommendation I can make is a portable chair (with tray) that you can attach to the in-room chair so that you can have CONTAINMENT. He can sit in that chair and snack away, while you or your husband get yourselves or your 4 yo ready. It was a lifesaver when we cruised with our 18 mo, otherwise he was climbing everything and getting himself into trouble. Otherwise, if you were eating in the room...it was wild. That chair saved our life. :-)

We also had no problem putting our regular stroller under the bed, or actually folded in the closet. Granted, we didn't have a giant stroller, but still, invaluable in the airports and in the ports and going to/from restaurant with everything you have to schlep. Some of the restaurants have you park the stroller right outside the restaurant door, so it's not that bad. And on Castaway Cay, they have strollers with giant wheels so you don't have to bring your own, and also wagons - but it's first come first serve. We've always just used the wagons.
 
Shoot. I don't think I'm able to reply to each individual message.

Are Puddle Jumpers considered approved? I'm guessing not. is there a fee to use the ones on the boat or castaway bay?

Also - my 4 y/o is potty trained. 17 mo old is not obviously....so you're saying he can't go in the pool???????

we were thinking of bringing the regular stroller - for the bottom storage when we're out and about - on the boat and excursions. are there places around the ship to "park" them? or not really?

and love the ideas of snacks - so there will be things we can't take back to the room etc? no need to pack little snacks for them?

THANKS!
Puddle Jumper - if you're referring the actual "Puddle Jumper" product (manufactured by Stearns):
f5b41d56-e9ae-4f78-9bbf-22968b5f4618_1.9690ef10d2ee91c976f92aaf92eab6b2.jpeg

They are Coast Guard approved. It should say so somewhere (on a tag, or with the paperwork, or on the box it came in). If you mean something LIKE a puddle jumper, maybe not. You'd have to check the packaging/item for the approval statement.

As noted, when not in use your stroller has to be stored in your room. There are areas in the public spaces that could accommodate "parked" strollers, but not really a lot (really, most space onboard ships is pretty dedicated). I'll also point out, when in port, the sidewalks (if there are any) and roads are often not all that stroller-friendly.
 
You can take any and all the food/drink back to your cabin that you want. You'll have a very small frig(dorm size) in your cabin. We often get yogurt, a small bowl of fruit, and small cartons of milk from Cabanas each morning and put it in the frig so my dd could have a snack. My dd also likes the small containers of cereal. Keep in mind that you can't take any fresh fruit off of the ship. If you want to take snacks for your kids it has to be factory sealed, otherwise you could be heavily fined. My dd was old enough that she never needed a stroller when we started cruising with her. But I did notice that when we cruised on the Wonder that the elevators are really small. If you use a regular size stroller, it will take up most of the room in the elevator. Seems like the elevators were bigger on the Fantasy.
 
Our regular stroller fit fine folded up under the bed. There really is a lot of space under the bed, and we liked having a "real" stroller with full recline for naps, plus the stroller storage was handy when we were out an about.

Yes, the little one who is not potty trained cannot go in the pools, but our little one enjoyed getting in the ocean water on castaway cay day, and frankly the pools were so crowded I would not be comfortable letting him in with the rowdy older kids.

Be sure to request a pack and play in advance (can do this in the "special requests" area on your DCL website reservation page). I saw a dad screaming at guest services on the first night because he did not request one ahead of time and they had run out of pack and plays. Not sure what he expected them to do as we had already set sail. I note, however, that we actually ended up giving up our reserved pack and play because our stateroom host was able to set up the sofa bed with a bed rail which was low to the ground, and our toddler preferred that as it was much more comfy than the thin pack and play mattress. So if you think your 17 month old is old enough for a "toddler style" bed that might be a better option.
 
Definitely request a pack n play in advance like the above mentioned poster said! We cruised last fall on the Wonder with our then 15 month old and 3 and a half year old. Our 3 year old slept on the sofa with a bed rail, and we used a pack n play for our 15 month old. It made the living area a little cramped, but everyone had their own place to sleep. We asked the stateroom host to leave the pack n play up for us all day so that we could use it in the afternoon for naps... or else they can take it down during the day if you want the space.

We packed enough diapers to get us through our 4 night cruise. I didn't want to spend big bucks buying them on the ship. I also packed some packaged snacks I knew my kids would enjoy. While not necessary... the ship has tons of food, I have a picky eater and didn't want to run around the ship getting snacks when we needed.

Having 4 of us with luggage, we used up the under-bed storage with our suitcases... leaving little space for strollers. Thankfully we just took our umbrella stroller, and it worked perfectly. We barely used it.

Since we had car rentals during our trip, we opted to bring our kids car seats as well. We stored one in the stateroom closet, and the other we stored in the shower when not in use. Just something to think about if you're taking car seats.

You guys will have a great time!
 
Definitely request a pack n play in advance like the above mentioned poster said! We cruised last fall on the Wonder with our then 15 month old and 3 and a half year old. Our 3 year old slept on the sofa with a bed rail, and we used a pack n play for our 15 month old. It made the living area a little cramped, but everyone had their own place to sleep. We asked the stateroom host to leave the pack n play up for us all day so that we could use it in the afternoon for naps... or else they can take it down during the day if you want the space.

We packed enough diapers to get us through our 4 night cruise. I didn't want to spend big bucks buying them on the ship. I also packed some packaged snacks I knew my kids would enjoy. While not necessary... the ship has tons of food, I have a picky eater and didn't want to run around the ship getting snacks when we needed.

Having 4 of us with luggage, we used up the under-bed storage with our suitcases... leaving little space for strollers. Thankfully we just took our umbrella stroller, and it worked perfectly. We barely used it.

Since we had car rentals during our trip, we opted to bring our kids car seats as well. We stored one in the stateroom closet, and the other we stored in the shower when not in use. Just something to think about if you're taking car seats.

You guys will have a great time!

THANKS!! we're also from MI = looking forward to some fun in the sun!!!! ok. so regular storage with storage underneath not really necessary getting kids to/from pool and/or on excursions? We have the full size baby jogger stroller with glider board for the 4 year old to stand on....concerned about trying to carry the little one everywhere long distances....and keeping the 4 year old in the right direction!! ha
 
THANKS!! we're also from MI = looking forward to some fun in the sun!!!! ok. so regular storage with storage underneath not really necessary getting kids to/from pool and/or on excursions? We have the full size baby jogger stroller with glider board for the 4 year old to stand on....concerned about trying to carry the little one everywhere long distances....and keeping the 4 year old in the right direction!! ha

We live in AZ now, but my family is still in Michigan. I’m sure you’re ready for some warm weather and sun!

Our umbrella stroller was perfect for on the ship. As mentioned before, the elevators are tight with a big stroller... as well as trying to find a place to store it in the room.

What kinds of excursions are you doing? I’m not sure I would bring a large stroller just for an excursion. I get the dilemma though. Trying to keep 2 little ones together can be tricky! :-)
 
Random Recommendations:
Costumes for pirate night
Clothespins to hang swimsuits in shower (you can throw them over the retractable line in the shower, but I like to have them hang fully so they dry faster; 8-10 will do)
Disney-related activity books for quiet times and restaurants (I use a mini-backpack with these items in them; something new for each night entertains best)
Bibs (I use silicone "bucket bibs" which can be rinsed in a sink; I pack 1 for short trips and 2 for a week+)
Mini-dish detergent and disposable dishcloths (to clean bibs and sippy cups; pack in a ziploc in case of leakage)
Pack Light: All that is packed, and unpacked, will have to be accounted for and packed again (sigh)
Mini-toiletry bag with sunscreen, baby wipes, antibacterial, tissues (I hate packing up items everyday; this bag remains packed at all times)
Pouch for diapers and wipes (I never carried a diaper bag, even at home; I used a pouch for 2 diapers and a mini pack of wipes that was carried in my purse)
Bottled water, or large refillable cups that you can use to fill with water and store in your cabin's refrigerator (easy access when kids are thirsty)

We have traveled all over the Western hemisphere with our kids. The Disney cruise was the easiest trip for our family (especially for me!). Y'all are going to have the best time!!

Happy Vacation!
 
Random Recommendations:
Costumes for pirate night
Clothespins to hang swimsuits in shower (you can throw them over the retractable line in the shower, but I like to have them hang fully so they dry faster; 8-10 will do)
Disney-related activity books for quiet times and restaurants (I use a mini-backpack with these items in them; something new for each night entertains best)
Bibs (I use silicone "bucket bibs" which can be rinsed in a sink; I pack 1 for short trips and 2 for a week+)
Mini-dish detergent and disposable dishcloths (to clean bibs and sippy cups; pack in a ziploc in case of leakage)
Pack Light: All that is packed, and unpacked, will have to be accounted for and packed again (sigh)
Mini-toiletry bag with sunscreen, baby wipes, antibacterial, tissues (I hate packing up items everyday; this bag remains packed at all times)
Pouch for diapers and wipes (I never carried a diaper bag, even at home; I used a pouch for 2 diapers and a mini pack of wipes that was carried in my purse)
Bottled water, or large refillable cups that you can use to fill with water and store in your cabin's refrigerator (easy access when kids are thirsty)

We have traveled all over the Western hemisphere with our kids. The Disney cruise was the easiest trip for our family (especially for me!). Y'all are going to have the best time!!

Happy Vacation!

Do note that if you go the "bring your own bottled water" route you are supposed to carry it onboard with you, NOT check it. Will porters take it? Probably because they want their tip. BUT if the bottles break (which they could if they end up in the middle of a pile of luggage) and damage others' bags, YOU will be responsible to cover the cost of the damage.
 
Our dc were th exact same ages. I recommend a cheap small umbrella stroller to fit through the halls as well as through the narrow stateroom doorways. A regular stroller probably wouldn’t fit. I used a baby carrier for excursions. I used the munchkin bibs with a disposable bib on top. The munchkin bibs dry so fast they would be dry by the next mealtime. Brought clothespins for hanging bathing suits on the lines in the shower. Bring extra washcloths. Room service breakfast is a saving grace if your toddler is up at 5am like ours! Cheese/fruit snack platter is an awesome afternoon room service snack. I brought a pocket shoe organizer with a ribbon looped through the holes and hung it on the hooks near the bed for a makeshift diaper station. It kept all the diapers, wipes, creams, etc. nearby but off the bed.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!














Top