Rory had a blowout thirty minutes after we boarded the Disney Fantasy for our second sailing. We were still in our embarkation clothes, the stateroom wasn’t ready yet, and our checked bags were somewhere in the bowels of the ship. I had one spare onesie in my backpack and zero wipes because I had convinced myself that I packed enough in the checked bag and didn’t need extras in my carry-on.
I changed him on a bench near the pool deck using a receiving blanket as a changing pad, one travel pack of wipes I borrowed from another mom, and the specific expression on Alan’s face that communicates “I told you so” without him actually saying it. He did not say it. He is a smart man.
After three Disney cruises with kids who were 3, 2, 1, and newborn-adjacent in various combinations, I have a packing system now. A real one. Here is what is actually on it, including the things you will not find on the Pinterest lists.
We keep a full updated packing list with Amazon links at our complete Disney Cruise Packing List.
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The Non-Negotiables in Your Carry-On (Not the Checked Bag)
This is the most important section. Your checked luggage will not arrive at your stateroom until mid-afternoon. You will board around 11am or noon. That is three or four hours of cruise ship with toddlers and nothing but what is on your back. Having this bag ready is especially important on embarkation day when you are trying to hit the pool deck and Cabanas before your stateroom opens.
Extra full outfit for each kid, plus one for yourself. I said what I said. Blowout. Spilled juice. Fell in the splash pad. Gracie once walked directly into a soft serve machine.
Full travel pack of wipes, not the small single pack. Just the big one. Bring it.
One or two favorite snacks from home. The ship has food everywhere, but Rory goes through a phase roughly every three weeks where he refuses all food except a specific brand of cheddar crackers. I bring those crackers. It is not worth the fight.
A small first aid kit. Band-aids specifically. Gracie gets a scrape and acts like she is being filmed for a medical drama. Having a band-aid on hand immediately cuts the crisis time in half.
Any prescription medications or things that would be hard to replace. Sunscreen too. I know the ship sells it. I also know it costs $24 for a small bottle.
What I Pack That Most Lists Skip
Swim Diapers in Multiple Sizes
The ship sells swim diapers, but they are one brand and one size range. Rory is on the small end for his age. I bring our own in the size that fits him right now, not the size the package says should fit a 2-year-old.
A Small Portable travel white noise machine that saved Gracie’s nap schedule
This one I never see on cruise packing lists. The Fantasy staterooms are not loud, but there is hallway noise, particularly on port days when half the ship is up at 6am. Gracie is a light sleeper. The travel white noise machine that saved Gracie’s nap schedule we have at home is a little hockey puck shape that charges by USB. It lives in my packing cube now.
these small dry bags for wet Castaway Cay towels for the Beach Days
Castaway Cay and Lighthouse Point both involve water, sand, and the long trek back to the ship. Soaked towels in a regular beach bag are miserable. I pack two these small dry bags for wet Castaway Cay towels so wet stuff stays separate from phones, wallets, and the cheddar crackers.
Medicine for the Transitions
Gracie gets a little constipated when travel disrupts her schedule. I always pack children’s Miralax. I learned this one the hard way on our first cruise when she was deeply uncomfortable on day three and I had to ask the ship’s medical center for something, which felt like a production. Just bring it.
A Stroller Fan and a Clip
The embarkation port is warm. Castaway Cay is warm. The line for character meets can be warm. The little battery-powered stroller fans that clip to a stroller are worth every penny. I have two.
The cheap umbrella stroller we designate only for port days
We have a real stroller and we love it, but our everyday stroller is big and nice and I do not want it sitting in the sun on a cruise ship dock. We have an old lightweight umbrella stroller that is dedicated cruise travel. It folds down small, we don’t care if it gets beat up, and it holds both kids in a pinch if we do some creative stacking.
The $7 mesh bag that keeps wet swimsuits from taking over the stateroom and Rubber Bands
Sounds weird. Here is why: with two kids in one small stateroom, dirty laundry takes over fast. I pack a lightweight mesh laundry bag and rubber band it to something when it’s not in use. At the end of each day, everything dirty goes in the bag. The stateroom stays manageable.
The Full Packing List
For the Kids
- Swim diapers (multiple sizes if your kid is between sizes)
- Regular diapers or pull-ups, enough for the trip plus a few extra
- Wipes, full pack
- Sunscreen SPF 50+, enough for the whole trip
- Rash guards (easier than reapplying sunscreen every hour)
- One outfit per day plus two or three extras
- Pajamas
- One pair of sandals, one pair of closed-toe shoes
- Life jackets are provided on the ship but toddlers with their own swim floaties might feel more comfortable in the water
- Swim diapers, yes I listed these twice, bring them
For the Stateroom and Sanity
- the travel white noise machine that saved Gracie’s nap schedule
- Baby monitor if your kids are still at the age where you want to step onto the verandah after they fall asleep (we used one on our second cruise)
- Night light, small plug-in style, the staterooms can be very dark
- this over-door bathroom organizer (stateroom counters are tiny)
- this exact power strip we bring every sailing (surge protectors are not permitted on Disney ships, but regular power strips are fine — you will need the outlets)
Medications
- Children’s Tylenol and children’s Motrin
- Children’s Benadryl for allergic reactions
- Seasickness medication, kids’ and adult versions
- Your specific kid’s specific thing, whatever that is for you
Beach Bag Essentials
- these small dry bags for wet Castaway Cay towels
- the waterproof phone pouch we use at every beach port
- Small cash for tips or any independent port activities
- Reef-safe sunscreen if that matters to you, Lighthouse Point in particular feels like a place where it should
What I No Longer Pack
I used to bring a huge entertainment bag for the kids. Coloring books, sticker sets, a small tablet loaded with shows. I still bring the tablet for the drive and any potential delays. But on the ship itself? They do not need it. Gracie and Rory are busy from the moment they wake up to the moment I physically carry one of them to bed. The entertainment on a Disney cruise is actually that good for little kids.
I also used to overpack formal night clothes for the kids. Gracie had a full princess dress for our first sailing. It lasted about forty-five minutes before she wanted it off because it was itchy. Now they wear whatever they look cute in from their regular wardrobes and I do not stress it.
One More Thing
Pack a bag specifically for the car or shuttle home at the end. Put things in it before you start disembarkation day: extra clothes, medications, the sound machine, snacks. Disembarkation is chaotic and the kids will be tired and you will not want to dig through luggage in a parking garage. Having a ready bag makes the last stretch much more manageable.
Alan handles the car loading. I handle the kids. It is the system that works for us and I am not changing it.
