Our Spring Break on the Disney Wish Cruise: What We Loved (and Didn’t)

We just got back from Spring Break on the Disney Wish —it was such a fun trip, especially for the kids. If you’re considering it, here’s the honest, mom-level rundown. A Disney cruise is a first for us- and I learned a lot!

What We Loved on our Disney Cruise

1. What we loved

We had a lot of rain, and thankfully the ship is packed with indoor activities. Movies, shows, character meet-and-greets—you name it. My kids refused to try the kids club, honestly, I think they would’ve liked it. They just heard they wouldn’t be in the same areas because of age and my youngest said a firm no.

2. The Ship

The Wish is stunning. Like, everywhere you turn is Instagram-worthy. It also felt really clean, and the staff was incredibly friendly—like genuinely happy to be there. Our waiter made the girls origami each night the girls and they couldn’t believe it. It was so special to them that our last day we took an hour and colored him pictures to give him for our last night of dinner. We even found him at breakfast and said Hi! Each waiter goes with you from restaurant to restaurant each night which is really nice it feels like a very personal touch.

3 Changing Plans

We boarded hoping to snag two things: an earlier dinner time and Royal Gathering reservations… and somehow got both. If you know, you know—that’s a BIG win. These were things that sort of had been stressing me prior to getting on the boat. We woke up at midnight, did all the things and still couldn’t get the reservations. Our travel agent called and still nothing. To some people I get it, chill out and be flexible for the later dinner. However, I really didn’t know if my youngest could hang till 8:15 for dinners. Right when we got on (I mean the second after they called our names) we went to Tritons Lounge and met with the staff to get on their waitlist, by 4 pm they got us moved and it was really perfect for us!

The Royal Gathering wasn’t a super big deal, but I knew if our girls saw all those Princesses they would want to meet them. After I got on the dining waitlist we went to Guest Services and then got on anther waitlist, that also worked out. We were able to meet all their favorites, it actually was super special.

What We Didn’t Love on our Disney Cruise

Pools were crowded
There are multiple small pools, but not all were open every day. With closures + rainy weather, it got crowded fast.

Slide timing = questionable
One of the main slides (the yellow one) didn’t open until 1 PM, which would’ve been fine… except it rained almost every afternoon. Bad timing.

Food

Overall, the food was great!

• Breakfast = tons of options (Mickey waffles were a hit, obviously)
• Churro waffles = worth the hype
• Lunch = solid (I lived on the Mexican bowls, the chicken was yummy)
• Pizza = a family favorite

Things I’m Glad I Packed

• Wrinkle release spray (no irons allowed )
• Multi-plug cube (game changer for charging everything)
• Portable charger
• Comfortable shoes (this ship is HUGE—we walked a lot)
• Dress-up outfits for the kids (they LOVED the themed nights, especially Pirate night 🏴‍☠️)
• Popcorn bucket (refills are cheap and worth it!)
• Our water-bottles- you can refill at anytime.
• Magnets for your door – its a thing!

What I Didn’t Need

• Magnetic hooks (never used them)
• Workout clothes … ambitious of me
• A fan- I read everywhere it gets hot and if you are “fan people”- which Andrew most defiantly is- we were able to keep our room plenty room and didn’t even use it. The girls and I actually had to ask for blankets!

What I Forgot (and regretted)

Goggles. Big mistake. The kids’ eyes were burning after one short swim, and we had to buy some onboard.

Final Thoughts

Compared to a kid-friendly all-inclusive resort (which is the only other place weve taken our kids last SB) I’d probably choose the resort again. The Disney Wish felt more like a “once or twice” kind of trip for us.

That said, the Disney magic is very real for kids, and I’m so glad we did it while they’re at this age—it made the whole experience extra special.

Packing List

Disney Cruise Packing Checklist

👗 Clothing

• Comfortable daytime outfits
• Dressier outfits for dinner (optional but fun)
• Themed outfits (pirate night, princess vibes, etc.)
• Pajamas
• Undergarments & socks
• Light jacket or sweatshirt
• Swimsuits (at least 3 if you can)
• Cover-ups

👟 Shoes

• Comfortable walking shoes (must!)
• Sandals/flip flops
• Dress shoes (optional)

🧴 Toiletries & Health

• Toothbrush/toothpaste
• Hairbrush & hair products
• Skincare/makeup
• Sunscreen
• Medications
• Wrinkle release spray (no irons onboard!)

🔌 Tech & Essentials

• Phone + charger
• Portable charger
• Multi-plug outlet cube
• Headphones/AirPods

👧 Kid Must-Haves

• Goggles (don’t forget these!!)
• Favorite outfits/costumes for themed nights
• Small activities or comfort items
• Pajamas

🎒 Day-to-Day Items

• Small backpack or tote
• Reusable water bottle
• Sunglasses
• Hat

✨ Nice Extras

• Popcorn bucket (if you have one!)
• Ziploc bags (for snacks/wet clothes)

❌ Skip These (from experience)

• Workout clothes (unless you’re very motivated 😂)
• Magnetic hooks (didn’t use them)

Truly a Disney Cruise is fun for the entire family & definitely full of entertainment. I hope this was helpful to you and any future cruises you may have!

If you are in need of a spring break family destination idea, make sure to check out our trip from last year here.