Preparing for a Disney Cruise is a magical experience unlike any other. If you rad enough blogs, I’m sure there are more than 101 things you can do to ensure your trip is perfect.
Today, I thought I would share with you five of the tips I learned from others that will ensure your stop at Castaway Cay is perfect and one you’ll remember for years to come.
5 Things to Pack on a Disney Cruise
1. Disney Beach Bag
While you may think you really don’t need to take anything off the boat with you at Castaway Cay because Disney has you covered on shore, a beach bag is a must essential. I fell in love with an adorable Mickey Mouse beach bag on Amazon and picked one up for our cruise.
With a three year old traveling with us, not only was the bag a perfect way to hall all of the other things listed here, but it also made it easy to hall a few extra snacks for the day that we picked up before we left the ship. This allowed us to spend more time playing in the water without having to trek back to one of the restaurants on the island and grab food for our oh so picky toddler.
2. Sand Toys
Prior to leaving for the trip, I visited the local Dollar Tree and picked up a shovel and sand bucket to take along on the trip. I knew this would be our toddler’s first real beach experience, and I wanted her to really get to enjoy playing in the sand.
If you’re participating in the Fish Extenders gift exchange, you might find these adorable sand toys on Amazon a fun way to package your gifts. They serve a dual purpose. Your gifts look adorable and the kids who receive them also have something to use on port days.
3. Sand Ornaments
When my husband and I got married, we decided to collect Christmas ornaments from our adventures instead of trinkets. Every year when we put up the Christmas tree, we relive our magical adventures together.
While Disney does not allow you to take sand and shells from Castaway Cay, I promise you’ll still end up with sand from the excursion on your person when you return to your room, especially if you wore water shoes.
Bottling up your little piece of Disney paradise when you return from port is a great way to capture the time you spent on the island. I purchased a set of small bottles on Amazon and also used them for Fish Extender gifts.
4. Snorkel Gear
One of the tips I always share when going on any type of beach vacation is to purchase snorkel gear ahead of time. That advice is well headed if you want to snorkel on Castaway Cay.
While you can rent snorkel gear on the island for about $30 for adults and $14 for kids, you can purchase the same gear before your trip online for about the same price. If you’re really lucky, you can get it half price during the off season on clearance at a local department store.
5. Sunblock
The sun is bright on the island, and that means you’ll want to pack a lot of sunscreen. We reapplied every 30 minutes to avoid sunburns.
To ensure you don’t end up ruining your day by getting sunscreen in your eyes, make sure you pack sunscreen face sticks, too. These make it easy to quickly reapply sunscreen to your face. After getting sunblock in my eyes once many months before our first Disney Cruise and spending hours in misery, I became a believer in sunscreen face sticks!
Like anything Disney, no matter what you take, your Castaway Cay experience is sure to be one you’ll never forget.
What items would you suggest others take with them for their experience on the island?
