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How to Choose the Right Stateroom for your Family on Disney Cruise Line


Disney Cruise Line staterooms are among the first in the industry to be made specifically with families in mind but how do you choose the right stateroom for your family?  I'm glad you asked!  There are many things to consider before choosing your stateroom like how many people will be cruising with you and how much time you plan on spending in your room.  Here are some questions you should ask yourself that will help you determine which stateroom is right for you and your family.

Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah
How many people will be joining you on the cruise?  If you are traveling with 3 to 4 guests, you won't have any trouble finding a stateroom that fits your needs.  You can choose from the Inside Staterooms all the way up to the suites and have plenty of room for your family.  If you are traveling with a larger party, it may seem like there are less options but there are, in fact, many options for you as well!  The largest stateroom on the Magic & Wonder sleeps up to 7 and the largest stateroom on the Dream & Fantasy sleeps up to 5.  Instead of booking a suite, it can often be less expensive to book two staterooms in a lower category. If you your entire party won't fit in a suite, you can split up between two staterooms.  If you do split up, please note that at least one adult must be in each stateroom.  There are numerous staterooms on Disney Cruise Line that are connecting staterooms so your entire party can stay together!  Open up the door between your rooms and you can instantly turn your two staterooms into one joint living space.  For even more fun, the verandahs between the connecting staterooms can be opened for one large private balcony.  Now your entire party can enjoy the luxuriousness!

Does anyone suffer from motion sickness?  If you suffer from motion sickness it doesn't have to be a deal breaker for taking a cruise.  There is medication that you can take or bracelets that you can wear to help you but you can also help yourself when choosing a stateroom.  Choose a room mid-ship and on a lower deck as those rooms don't move as much as the rooms forward or aft.  You may also want to consider getting a room with a verandah.  I personally suffer from motion sickness but a little fresh air can do wonders.

View from a private verandah
Does anyone get claustrophobic?  Disney Cruise Line staterooms are some of the largest in the industry so you may not have a problem even if you do suffer from claustrophobia.  However, if the thought of being in the middle of a large ship surrounded by multiple decks and partially underwater freak you out, you may want to choose a stateroom with a verandah on a higher floor.  The rooms are very spacious to begin with but the extra space for the verandah and being able to step outside whenever you like right from your room will make you feel a lot more comfortable!

Do you want to be close to the adult only pool area or the restaurants?  Before you choose your stateroom, take a look at a deck plan to see what's near your room.  You will be using the stairs or elevators closest to your room most often so take that into consideration.  A forward room is closer to the adult only pool area but is farther away from the restaurants.  If you are concerned about doing a lot of walking, a mid-ship room might be the best choice since it's in the middle of the ship.

Lots of storage space available under the queen-size bed
How much time do you plan on spending in your room?  Do you plan on spending all of your time lounging by the pool?  Are you only going on a 3 or 4 night cruise?  If so, a stateroom with a verandah might not be necessary for you.  Do you plan on relaxing in your room for a midday break with your family of 5?  Do you love the idea of spending your time enjoying the sun and sea on your own private verandah?  If so, a stateroom with a verandah might be a must for you and your family.  Only you know how much time you plan on spending in your room during your cruise so take that into consideration when picking a stateroom.

A great resource to use when choosing your stateroom is the deck plan. Click here for the deck plan for the Magic & Wonder and click here for a deck plan of the Dream & Fantasy.  Once you have answered these questions and looked at the deck plan, you can use the list below for additional help in selecting your stateroom.

Disney Cruise Line Staterooms


Inside Stateroom with Magical Porthole
Standard Inside Stateroom
Sleeps: 3 or 4
Size: 184 square feet (Magic & Wonder), 169 square feet (Dream & Fantasy)
View: No exterior view (Magic & Wonder), Magical Porthole with real-time views (Dream & Fantasy)
Room configuration: Queen-size bed, single convertible sofa, upper-berth pull down bed (in some on Dream & Fantasy), bath with tub and shower (in most on Dream & Fantasy)

Deluxe Inside Stateroom
Sleeps: 3 or 4
Size: 214 square feet (Magic & Wonder), 200 square feet (Dream & Fantasy)
View: No exterior view (Magic & Wonder), Magical Porthole with real-time views (Dream & Fantasy)
Room configuration: Queen-size bed, single convertible sofa, upper-berth pull down bed (in some on Dream & Fantasy), split bath with tub and shower (in most on Magic & Wonder)

Oceanview Stateroom
Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom
Sleeps: 3 or 4
Size: 214 square feet (Magic & Wonder), 204 square feet (Dream & Fantasy)
View: One large porthole window on Deck 2 or 2 small porthole windows on Deck 1 (Magic & Wonder), One porthole window - some with obstructed views (Dream & Fantasy)
Room configuration: Queen-size bed, single convertible sofa, upper-berth pull down bed (if sleeping 4 on Magic & Wonder, in some on Dream & Fantasy), split bath with tub and shower (in most)

Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom (Only available on Dream & Fantasy)
Sleeps: 4 or 5
Size: 241 square feet
View: One large porthole window with built-in seating
Room configuration: Queen-size bed, single convertible sofa, wall pull down bed (in most) or upper berth pull down bed (in some), split bath with round tub and shower (in most)

Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Navigator's Verandah
Sleeps: 3 (Magic & Wonder), 3 or 4 (Dream & Fantasy)
Size: 268 square feet including verandah (Magic & Wonder), 246 square feet  including verandah (Dream & Fantasy)
View: Private verandah and a large open-air porthole in the solid white wall above the railing (Magic & Wonder), Undersized and/or Obstructed View Private Verandah (Dream & Fantasy)
Room configuration: Queen-size bed, single convertible sofa, wall put down bed (in most on Dream & Fantasy) and upper berth pull down bed (on Dream & Fantasy), split bath with tub and shower (in most on Magic & Wonder)

Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah
Sleeps: 3 or 4
Size: 268 square feet including verandah (Magic & Wonder), 246 square feet  including verandah (Dream & Fantasy)
View: Private verandah (On the Magic & Wonder some staterooms in this category include a solid white wall verandah)
Room configuration: Queen-size bed, single convertible sofa, upper berth pull down bed if sleeping 4, split bath with tub and shower (in most)

Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah
Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah
Sleeps: 4 or 5 (Magic & Wonder), 3 to 5 (Dream & Fantasy)
Size: 304 square feet including verandah (Magic & Wonder), 299 square feet including verandah (Dream & Fantasy)
View: Private verandah (some staterooms in this category include a solid white wall verandah)
Room configuration: Queen-size bed, single convertible sofa, wall pull down bed (in most on Dream & Fantasy) and upper berth pull down bed (in some on Dream & Fantasy), split bath with tub and shower (in most)

Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah (Available only on Dream & Fantasy)
Sleeps: 5
Size: 306 square feet including verandah
View: Private verandah
Room configuration: Queen-size bed, double convertible sofa, upper berth pull down bed, full bath (vanity, sink, round tub and shower), half bath (vanity, sink and toilet)

Concierge 1-Bedroom Suite with Verandah
Sleeps: 4 or 5 (Magic & Wonder), 5 (Dream & Fantasy)
Size: 614 square feet including verandah (Magic & Wonder), 622 square feet including verandah (Dream & Fantasy)
View: Private verandah
Room configuration: 1 bedroom with queen-size bed, living area with double convertible sofa, single wall pull down bed in living rooms (in some on Magic & Wonder), walk-in closet, 2 bathrooms, wet bar (on Magic & Wonder), whirlpool in the master bathroom (on Dream & Fantasy)

Concierge 2-Bedroom Suite with Verandah (Available only on Magic & Wonder)
Sleeps: 7
Size: 945 square feet including verandah
View: Private verandah
Room configuration: 2 bedrooms (a queen-size bed in the master bedroom and 2 twin beds in the second bedroom), living area with convertible sofa, 2.5 bathrooms including whirlpool tub, walk-in closets, wet bar

Concierge Royal Suite with Verandah Sleeps: 7 (Magic & Wonder), 5 (Dream & Fantasy)
Size: 1,029 square feet including verandah (Magic & Wonder), 1,781 square feet including verandah
View:  Private verandah
Magic & Wonder Room configuration: 2 bedrooms (one with queen-size bed, one with two twin beds and two pull down upper berths), 2.5 bathrooms including whirlpool tubs, living room, media library with wall pull down bed, dining salon, pantry, wet bar, walk-in closets
Dream & Fantasy configuration: 1 master bedroom with queen-size bed, 1 wall pull down double bed and 1 wall pull down single bed in the living room, 2 bathrooms including master with double sinks, rain shower and whirlpool tubs, living room, media library with wall pull down bed

Choosing a stateroom can be confusing, especially for first time cruisers, but with Disney's spacious staterooms it's hard to go wrong.  Hopefully these questions and list of staterooms will help you in choosing the perfect stateroom for your family's next Disney cruise!  If you are concerned about a certain stateroom or just want to see what other people thought about the stateroom, check out some stateroom reviews on WDWMagic.com.  And remember, if you still aren't sure which stateroom is right for you, you can always ask your Kingdom Konsultant agent for advice!

Ashley is a Gold Castaway Club Member and has sailed on all of the Disney Cruise Line ships. You can email Ashley at ashley@kingdomkonsultant.com.

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