No detail spared for Disney Cruise Line youth clubs!

Allison Flynn7.9.19Imagine a space that’s designed just for children – even down to the bathrooms. Now imagine that colorful, imaginative space can be found in the middle of the ocean. It’s exactly what your kids will find when you cruise with Disney Cruise Line!I had heard of the magnificence of the kids activity centers onboard Disney Cruise Line, but was even more blown away when we experienced them in person. Both Oceaneer’s Lab and Oceaneer’s Club were incredible – almost too incredible to put into words.You can register your children ages 3-12 for these clubs prior to your sailing through your online Disney Cruise Line account. This can also be done at the port when you arrive or even onboard. We registered our boys prior to sailing, and then visited the sign-up area in port to get their club bands. These are similar to MagicBands (if you’ve been to Walt Disney World, then you’re familiar with these), and serve as entry to the clubs.I was concerned about safety for my boys in the clubs, but once we visited both during open house (just after boarding), those fears were set aside. You have to select a passcode for pick-up, and your picture is taken as the adult(s) who will be picking up your kids. Those ages 10 and older can be given the go-ahead from a parent/adult to sign themselves in and out of the kids club. We did this for our older son, but set many ground rules around this before agreeing to it. (We sent him with one of the WAVE phones from our stateroom so that we could stay in touch with him throughout the day.)More on the safety – kids may go between the two clubs. How? There’s a back passageway between them, so even the smallest of travelers don’t have to go out into common areas to transfer. And, they are escorted by a club cast member.There is so much to do inside the clubs that I highly recommend parents attend with their children during the open house times. Those are the only times that “big kids” are allowed inside to play. We enjoyed playing video games and taking part in art projects with our boys.Our youngest son enjoyed the clubs so much that on our last night we let him stay until 11pm. And he still cried when he had to leave! And who could blame him? His favorite area was the oversized Andy’s Room, and coming down the slide was all he wanted to do for a while.For those children who just really want to stay in the kids club, they can do so even at mealtimes. Kids simply need to be checked in at least 15 minutes prior to mealtime. (This doesn’t guarantee your picky eater will magically eat, however. Club cast members do encourage them to do so!)As a mom, I truly appreciated all the touches in the clubs – even down to the handwash stations that were mandatory upon entering to the restrooms that had stools to accommodate smaller kids. You do want to note that children who are not toilet trained are not allowed in the clubs, even if they meet age requirements. But, they can come with you to visit during open house times.I’d love to share more of the magic found on Disney Cruise Line and assist with planning your adventure at sea. Please contact me at allisonf@wishesfamilytravel.com or visit my Facebook page for information!