3 Things to Pack for Your Disney Cruise That You May NOT Have Thought Of

Hey there, Disney Fans!

     I'm baaaaaack! We just got back from our amazing 7 night cruise on the Disney Magic and I have SO much to share, including pictures, stories, reviews, etc., but since we have only been home a couple of days, and the Littles had to get right back into the swing of school and The Hubs and I went right back to work, it's going to take me a hot minute to get organized. In the meantime, I wanted to share with you a couple of little tips that I have for packing for your cruise. Namely, I am going to share three items that you may not have thought about packing, which you will find super useful. What are these life-changing, (well, cruise-changing), items? 

1. Zip Top Bags (in various sizes)

These can be a life saver! There are lots of different uses, but here are some of my faves:

- Use them when packing. Just like you have to do with TSA, if you pop any liquids, gels, aerosols or creams that you may be bringing into one of these babies, you're more likely to avoid explosions within your bags, ruining your clothing. Keep in mind that your bags are going to get tossed around A LOT. Put into a cab, car, limo or transfer van, put onto a baggage cart at the port, tossed into a storage room on the ship to get sent to your stateroom, etc. The more preventative measures that you can take to ensure that you do not have any spills, the better.

- Use them is as an emergency protective layer for electronics when you are on excursions. Tropical rain storms can pop up at any time, not to mention, many excursions involve a water element. At the first drop of rain, or before starting your kayaking adventure, toss your family's iPhones, cameras, etc. into a ziplock bag and you won't have to worry if the rain drenches you through to your underwear, or if your canoe starts taking on water. Your electronics will be safe. (Whew! We wouldn't want your teenaged daughter to not be able to Snapchat her friends about how lame you are!)

- Use them to hoard snacks for times when you're away from the buffet line. Ok, this may sound a little old-lady-at-a-wedding-putting-rolls-in-her-purse, but hear me out. Yes, Disney Cruise Line does give you access to food pretty much non-stop, but any time you are off the ship, you are on your own when it comes to food. (With the exception of any excursion that may include lunch.) So why not toss a couple of apples and bananas into a bag, to bring with you? At breakfast, there is access to dry cereals, granola, dried fruit, and more, all of which are good, portable snacks. And even when you're ON the ship, you could bring snacks in baggies to the Buena Vista Movie Theater, the Walt Disney Theater for the nightly shows, or up on deck for sitting by the pool, or watching a movie on the Funnel Vision. Now, I WILL say this... Don't bring your bag up to the buffet line and shovel food items right into them. Put the items you want on a plate, and then put them into a bag either back in your stateroom or at least at a table. Also, be reasonable with this. I don't recommend filling a gallon-sized bag with Craisins, or taking all of the bananas for yourself. And definitely do NOT plan on taking food off of the ship with you when you disembark at the end of the cruise, as this can be illegal according to the FDA's regulations.

- Use them to store wet or dirty clothes in your suitcase for your return trip. Trust me, your kids will want to be in the pool until the very last moment possible. This could mean that when you disembark the next morning, bathing suits may still be wet. Rather than let them dampen all of the other clothes in your suitcase, throw em in a gallon sized zip top bag, and you're good to go. Same thing goes for stinky socks or maybe your sweater that the baby spit up on. Toss them in a bag to prevent them from stinking up the rest of your clothes. 

2. Room Spray

No one likes to think about it, but let's face facts... we all poop. And when a family of four is
sharing a small space like a stateroom, that fact will become glaringly obvious to all of you, quickly. If you throw a room spray in your luggage, (be sure and put it in a hand-dandy zip top bag to prevent accidental spraying on your clothes), you will be SO thankful. You can buy small bottles at places like Bath and Body Works or Yankee Candle. Pick a favorite scent, (especially something tropical or oceany), and bring it along. Aside from using it post-restroom visits, you can also give stinky shoes a squirt, to prevent them from making your nice clothes hanging in the closet smell like sweaty feet. You're welcome. 

3. Sports Bottles or Lidded Plastic Cups

It is totally worth going to the dollar store and buying each family member their own sports bottle before the trip. On the same deck as the buffet on the ships, there is a self-service drink station, which has everything from sodas, to iced tea, and coffee to milk. Disney does provide smallish paper cups for your to use, but if you have your own bottle or cup, the drinks become much more portable, and it will save you from having to run back for refills so frequently. Not to mention, you can fill your bottle with water prior to leaving the ship in port, assuring that you will be able to keep yourself hydrated in the hot, hot sun. (Plus here's a BONUS use.... fill your bottle about 1/2 of the way with milk from the self-serve beverage station. Then go over to the self-serve ice cream station and fill the bottle the rest of the way with your chosen flavor of ice cream. Close the lid securely and shake. Instant milk shakes, for FREE!!!! What can I say except, you're welcome!

And here's a little BONUS packing tip for you....

A Whole Bunch of Ones

As you're preparing the 3,000 other things you need to think of for your cruise, it's easy to forget to bring along a nice, healthy supply of $1 bills. No, there is no strip club on the ship, and yes, you'll be paying for most things with your Key To The World card, which gets charged to your supplied credit card, but you WILL need ones to tip room service, to tip porters that help with your bags at the port, to tip taxi drivers when you're visiting ports, etc. Trust me, they'll come in handy.

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     That's it, kids! My 3 MUST HAVE items when I pack for my cruises. I swear by all of them and hope that you benefit from them too! Please let me know in the comments which ones you will use on your next trip, or if you have your own MUST HAVE items when you sail away! And if you need help planning your amazing Disney Cruise vacation, remember to contact the crew over at Kingdom Konsultant Travel! They are the best!

     Until next week, kids, have a MAGICAL week!

- Jenn aka "Tink"