Disney Cruise: A Packing List for Families with Teens

Planning a Disney Cruise with teens? This guide breaks down everything your family needs to pack, from stateroom must-haves and daily essentials to fun non-screen time fillers and teen-specific tips. Whether it’s your first cruise or your kids have outgrown their little-kid gear, keep reading for first-hand advice.

Planning a Disney Cruise is fun. Packing for it can be fun because it means you’re days away from hitting the high seas. But creating a packing list…not so much. And if you’re cruising for the first time or the first time at this stage of life (goodbye strollers!), it can be hard to separate the must-haves, the nice-to-haves, and the leave-it-at-homes.

So, what should go on your Disney Cruise Line packing list for families with teens?

What’s on this list (and what’s not)?

DCL packing lists are everywhere. And some are so long that I swear they’re competing to be longer than Santa’s naughty & nice lists.

This list isn’t that.

As a competent adult, I’m going to assume you know to bring things like shorts, comfortable shoes & your toothbrush. Swimsuits & bras, I bet, are pretty obvious, too.

Instead, I wanted to create a list of those items that might not be as obvious, especially as a first-time cruiser. Also, sometimes it’s easier to think about (and pack) by ‘genre’, if you will. What do I need to take for port days? For Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay? What items will make our stateroom better? Etc, etc, etc.

A few items will be repeated, so no, you aren’t not seeing things. A few items just fit well into more than one spot.

Before You Leave: Disney Cruise Line Pre-Boarding Checklist

30 days before your trip, you’ll need to check in via the website or the DCL app. This is when you’ll set your port arrival time. You’ll also need to upload photos & identification passports. (If you’re checking in everyone for an extended party, make sure you start gathering these things at least 45 days out.)

1. Put your DCL bag tags on each piece of luggage that Disney will take on board the ship (suitcases, etc.)
2. Choose a specific spot for the documents you need to board the ship. Triple check them!
3. Put your credit card on file.
4. Download the DCL app & set up everyone’s account.

Undercover Tourist has a great post about pre-boarding & your first day.

Important Documents

This section is my one exception to this list. I’m detailed here because, if you forget the basics like passports, you’re not getting on the ship!

Your stateroom has a small safe for your important documents. The boxes are smaller than the ones we’ve found at the resorts, but still have plenty of space.

• Passports or birth certificates
• Driver’s license
• Travel insurance information
• DCL baggage tags (DCL mails the tags 2-3 weeks before you cruise.)
• Third-party excursion details (If you didn’t purchase your excursion through Disney.)
• Port Arrival Form (You can print this out when you check in for your cruise online.)

🚢 If you get locked out of your safebox, DCL has a crew member whose primary job is getting you out of this jam. We learned this the hard (easy?) way. One call to guest services and, 15 minutes later, a delightful crew had disassembled the lock, opened it for us, and made sure it was working again.

Embarkation Day Carry-On Bag

Unlike a trip to Walt Disney World, you don’t take your luggage to your stateroom yourself. If you arrive at the cruise terminal via car, you’ll pull up to the curb where a porter will take your baggage. (You’ll do this prior to parking your car in the parking garage.) If you arrive by Disney bus, they will handle your baggage.

Either way, your bags will be whisked away and won’t make it to your stateroom for several hours. (They’ll be placed in the hallway outside your stateroom.) Heads up! If you’re on the early dining rotation, this means you probably won’t get your bags until after you get back from dinner. Plan accordingly. Pack your carry-on bag well & choose an outfit that will get you through until evening.

In your embarkation day bag:

• All of your documents
• Cash to tip the porter
• Charging cords/pads for your electronics.
• Lanyards for your room key (a.k.a. Key to the World card ) are optional but nice, especially for anyone prone to losing things. If this is not your first DCL cruise, you’ll have a gray lanyard waiting for you in your stateroom.
• Prescription medication (must be in their original containers)
• Swim “stuff” (If you want to swim that afternoon, bring it with you since your bags won’t be available for a bit.)
• For those on the early dining rotation: anything you want to freshen up for dinner.

🚢 Did you lose your Key to the World card during your cruise? No problem. A trip to Guest Services and you’ll be all set. But don’t be like the guy on one of our cruises. He was in front of me, requesting his fourth card. On a 3-night cruise.

Toiletries to Pack for a Disney Cruise (What Disney Provides & What to Bring)

Disney Cruise Line provides shampoo, conditioner, and body wash (Sea Marine, similar to the old H20). They’re better-than-average quality, so make it easy on yourself and skip packing those. One of my teens is, shall we say, a bit ‘particular’ about his hair products, and even he likes them.

If you aren’t prone to headaches, sea sickness, etc., you can purchase quite a few OTC meds at one of the onboard shops. Yes, you’ll pay more than you would at home. But if you’d have to buy them anyway & aren’t likely to need them at home, maybe take your chances.

The one OTC medication that I don’t recall seeing is anything for heartburn.

If you’re traveling with young kids, though, I’d definitely bring kid versions. If an earache hits in the middle of the night, the stores are closed & who would want to go looking for something at that point anyway?!

• Prescription medications in their original containers.
• Motion sickness medicine (These patches are our go-to for cruises, the theme parks, etc. Sea Bands are another popular non-medicated option.)
• OTC medications (We love this divided container, which comes with labels, making it easy to take small portions of multiple OTC products.)

• Sunscreen (bring more than you expect to need, especially if you’ll be swimming often)
• After-sun products (like aloe vera or sun lotion)
• Curling Iron/ Straightener (A hot mat is located in the stateroom vanity.)

A decent hair dryer is available in each stateroom’s vanity. If you want to bring your own, be sure it meets the voltage requirements. (Looking at you, Dyson hair dryers!) As a curly girl, I pack a diffuser attachment.

One more note — DCL provides special dark-colored cloths in the bathroom for make-up removal.

Stateroom Items

If you go searching for stateroom must-haves, you will get some really elaborate lists and room decorations. That’s really not necessary. Decorations, in your room or on the outside of your stateroom dorm, can be fun, especially if you’re celebrating something. But don’t get bogged down by what you see online!

On our last cruise, we added magnetic hooks to our packing list at the last minute. We put them on the bathroom wall, so we could hang our lanyards, hats, etc as soon as we came into the room. While these weren’t on our list the first time, they’ll stay on it now.

The staterooms have multiple charging ports/plugs. On our last cruise, our three teens shared a stateroom and had no difficulty charging all of their devices overnight.

• Magnetic hooks
• Hamper for dirty clothes (We like these because they fit well in the closets.)
• Multi-device USB charging hub + cords (TIP: Choose a brightly-colored one so you’re sure to see it & not leave it behind!)
• Refillable water bottle (There are water fountains/bottle refillers around the ships, as well as on the pool deck. If you don’t want to bring a bottle, you can also pop into any of the lounges for a glass of water or get one from the soda fountains on the pool deck.)

Consider adding a bit of non-screen time fillers, too. Playing cards, a travel guide to your cruise’s stops, or a Disney trivia book are good ways to stay occupied (and off your phones) as you wait for everyone to be ready for dinner or such. Keep scrolling for a section with more ideas.

🚢 If you’re taking a Christmas cruise…We got the Christmas Holiday Magic stateroom package, and it was a fun add-on (that I’d only do once). For just $115, we came into a room decorated with take-home souvenirs: a Christmas-themed sherpa blanket, a plush pillow, Minnie & Mickey photo banners, a stocking & a small Mickey plush.

What Teens Should Pack (and Know) for a Disney Cruise

What to discuss before the cruise

1. Set a curfew & return-to-stateroom plan. Teen club activities often go quite late. And the hallway lights are bright! Remind them of sleeping family members, so shut the door quickly & move quietly.
2. How will you communicate? If you don’t all have Apple phones, the DCL Navigator app has an in-app chat that’s pretty reliable. Set up everyone’s accounts before boarding, and connect everyone once you’re on board. And what expectations do you have around checking in?
3. WiFi is limited. Really limited, unless you’re purchasing an internet package. Texting photos to at-home friends isn’t going to happen.
4. Charing privileges need to be set if you want them to use their Key to the World card. Depending on the ship, there are several places your teen may want to buy something, including coffee shops, candy/ice cream stores, and gift shops.
5. Wake-up times. And any other important items. onthe schedule. Are they expected to come to each sit-down dinner, or can they grab a counter-service meal with the other teens? Do you want them there for the evening shows? Can they sleep in?
6. Try the teen club. More than once. And go on the first night. Bonding happens quickly, and the first night will be focused on getting to know each other. Some of the cast members will be better at engaging teens than others. There are many structured & unstructured activities for teens.

teen packing list

Our top picks are in the first set; the second set is nice-to-haves.

• Lanyard or phone wallet for Key to the World card (Teens lose things. Full stop.)
• Charging cord or portable charger
• Light jacket or sweatshirt
• One non-screen activity
• Closed-toe shoes (Hero Zone & other teen activities)

• Second swimsuit
• Refillable water bottle
• Light jacket or sweatshirt
• Small backpack or sling (for port days, wandering the ship)
• Headphones or earbuds

Daytime Clothing & Gear

You know the basics already, so just a few less obvious things.

• Wrinkle release spray
• A second bathing suit (if you’ll be swimming often)
• Closed-toe shoes for the Hero Zone (They’re strict about this!)
• Athletic wear (if you’re running the 5k on Castaway Cay)
• A thin jacket or sweatshirt in case of a cool night or you’re under a vent in the theaters (learned that the hard way!)

What to Wear to Dinner on a Disney Cruise

“How nice do I need to dress for dinner?”

If this is your first Disney cruise, you’re probably wondering what to wear. And if you have teens who are reluctant to dress up, they can rest easy. There is no dress code at dinner.

Each night, you (and your wait staff) will rotate through each of Disney’s three restaurants. Some restaurants, like 1923 on the Disney Treasure or Triton’s on the Disney Wonder, may feel more formal than other restaurants, such as Rapunzel’s on the Disney Wish. And some guests adjust their outfits based on that.

(The restaurants that have an additional charge, like Palo, however, do have a dress code.)

So, what should you wear? At dinner, you’ll see outfits running the entire gamut, from casual shorts & T-shirts to “Sunday best.” My teenage boys typically wear nice(ish) dress shorts and a button-down shirt. One kiddo wears Hey Dude-type shoes, and the other, I can’t get into anything but tennis shoes. My husband wears something similar, though he usually opts for dress pants or khakis. I wear nice capri pants, a casual dress, or a skirt/shirt.

The one exception: If you’re going to dine at one of the adults-only restaurants, be sure to follow their guidelines closely. Those dress codes are enforced.

If you’ve purchased one of Disney’s photo packages, you’ll find backdrop photo spots all evening in the main lobby. They typically open around 5:00 and go on for hours. The lines can get really long, so we did them after dinner most nights.

(We’ve only purchased the package once. In May 2025, we went on a cruise to celebrate our oldest kiddo’s college graduation. Because of the stage of life we’re in, that’ll likely be our last vacation with just the five of us. The photos were a mixed bag. We had quite a few really good ones, quite a few with weird facial expressions, and a handful that would have been really good if the photographer had angled/rearranged us better. )

🚢 What should you wear to Pirate Night?  Oh, you’ll see it all. Many people go all out with costumes, pirate-inspired outfits, etc. Others won’t look any different than any other night of the week.

If you don’t want to buy anything special, Disney provides a pirate-themed bandana to everyone in your stateroom. Amazon & Etsy are full of ideas if you do want something more than a bandana.

(Non-Screen) Time Fillers

Some of our favorite vacation stories happened not when we were on a big excursion or at a big dinner. Rather, they happened in those moments when you’re standing in line, chatting with strangers, or killing time before the next round of Disney trivia. Some of our hardest laughs on our last cruise were over bedtime milk & cookies (free from room service!).

That sounds cheesy & a bit AI-generated, but it’s true.

When we’re bored or waiting, it’s easy to default to our phones. (Guilty as charged.) But there are lots of moments on a Disney cruise when having a simple, low-effort activity makes the time more fun — especially late at night in your stateroom (milk and cookies from free room service in hand) or while everyone’s getting ready for dinner at different speeds.

If you want to be more intentional about those moments, here are a few of our favorite no-setup, easy-to-pack time fillers:

• Disney Eye Found It — Fast game play & easy to include strangers
• Playing cards — Endlessly flexible & great for all ages.
• Disney trivia — This one for teens & adults, or this one for younger kids.)
• Travel guide to the ports (even if you’re not getting off)
• Conversational cards — Great for dinner conversations or chatting with line-mates
• Heads Up! app — Okay, it is a screen, but it’s an interactive game that includes both Disney & non-Disney prompts. (Install before boarding.)
• Shipboard interactive games like Midship Detective Agency, Uncharted Adventure

And some ideas for just one person:

• Book or e-reader (load it up before you get on the ship)
• Sketchbook (drawing, journaling, tracking funny moments)
• Small puzzle book

Day at Sea

Before we took a 7-day cruise, I thought a day at sea sounded a little boring. What were we going to do all day??! There’s only so long that reading on the deck can entertain me! As it turns out, we needed the day to be longer to fit it all in.

As you’ll see, the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app will be your BFF, especially on the days you’re spending on the high seas. So my number one necessity for these days? A portable battery pack. While there are spots to charge your phone around the ship, they can be limited & in high demand. You’ll need to provide your own charging cord (and possibly plug) for those locations. Do yourself (and your teens!) a favor and bring a portable charger or two.

• Battery charger packs (These give you a couple of charges.)
• Multi-color highlighters (If you get a paper DCL Navigator, this is a good way for each person to indicate what they want to do.)
• Refillable cup or water bottle
• Time Fillers (scroll back up!)

Excursion & Beach Bag Essentials

Whether you’re driving around the island, spending the day kayaking, or simply enjoying a day at Castaway Cay, a small excursion bag will be helpful. The items below work for all three, just check for anything specific you might need for an excursion.

It bears emphasizing: the sun on your cruise can be brutal. Take more caution than you think necessary to cover up & protect all your parts, lips, ears, & scalp included. No one wants to go to dinner with their clothes hurting every part of their body.

Don’t worry about towels for Castaway Cay; you’ll find an abundance of them on the island, along with bins to collect your used towels. Look for the cast members handing out the towels as you disembark.

In your embarkation day bag:

• Sunglasses & hats
• Sunscreen + lip balm
• Insect repellent if you’re doing anything that takes you into vegetation
• Cash (While credit cards are taken most places, roadside stands and small stores may not.)
• Water shoes (We wear them off the ship.)

And the Extras

• Fish Extender Gifts (We haven’t done these & we don’t plan to ever do them. But some people love them!)
• Disney Trading Pins
• Alcohol allowance: Cruisers 21 years and older can bring up to 2 unopened bottles of wine or champagne or 6 beers on board.
• Door decoration magnets

Disembarkation Day Bag

Like embarkation day, your bags won’t get off the boat with you (if you need DCL to transfer them). So packing a few items to tide you over on your trip to the airport or WDW is important.

• All of your documents
• Chargers
• Water bottle (to fill up after you’re through airport security)
• Jacket or sweater for the airplane
• Park must-haves if you’re going straight to Walt Disney World (lanyard, backpack, etc.)