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WDW Radio Tip of the Week: Two Things to Bring on Your Next Disney Cruise Line Cruise!

Growing up, I sailed the seas on many cruise lines, but in 2007, I discovered the magic of sailing with Disney Cruise Line! I have sailed with DCL 14 times for 81 nights in total on all four ships, and traveled to over 21 countries.  On each trip, I have learned several things that help make the next cruise more enjoyable, and I want to share two with you today.

 

Bring an old used gift card on the Fantasy and Dream ships.

Two Items to Take on a Disney CruiseIn 2011, Disney Cruise Line launched the Dream Class ships: the Dream (2011) and the Fantasy (2012).   The new ships are larger than the first two ships and have the latest technology available.  Prior to this, DCL only had two ships in its fleet, the Magic (1998) and Wonder (1999).  These two original ships, while magical in their own way, lacked new technology that was used in the Imagineering of the Dream Class.

One new feature is how the lights and A/C are turned on in your stateroom.  You need to insert your Key to the World card into a slot in order to make the stateroom lights and air turn on.  This is an efficient way for DCL to save energy and money, but can also pose a problem to guests.  On our first cruise on the Dream, someone in our party would always accidentally forget to remove their KTW card and the door would close, leaving the card inside and the lights on, or worse yet, leaving us locked out!  One cure for this is to always bring an old used gift card/KTW when sailing with DCL.  These cards are the same dimension as the KTW card and can be used in the light switch slot.  It is also possible to pull the card out slightly when leaving the stateroom, which turns off the lights/air but keeps the card ready for its next use in the switch.

 

Never under-estimate the magic of a magnetic clip.

Two Items to Take on a Disney Cruise

A little magnetic clip will come in handy so often on your next sailing that you might want to bring a couple.  Here are a few suggestions of to use your magnetic clip:

       

Holding your extra gift card used for the stateroom lights.  In case you don’t want to leave the card sitting in the switch as mentioned above, you can clip the magnet on it and hang it on the back of the door.  By keeping the clip attached to the card, you can quickly remove it from the light switch reader, and put it on the back of the stateroom door.  This way, the next time you enter the cabin, you can find it quickly.

 

Two Items to Take on a Disney Cruise

 

 

Keep the curtains closed.  The sun can rise very early and shine into your stateroom because the curtains don’t quite stay together in the middle, allowing sun to stream in.  By clipping the curtains together, you can prolong your mornings and enjoy a little more sleep.

 

 

 

 

Hold your towel on your chair at the pool.  It’s windy up on the pool decks and it never fails that your towel slips off or worse, blows off the chair while you are swimming or grabbing a bight to eat.  Simply clip your towel to the back of the chair, and the problem is solved!  Just remember to take it off when you leave, plus be courteous to other guests, and don’t leave it there all day if you do not intend to return.

 

 

Two Items to Take on a Disney CruiseTwo Items to Take on a Disney Cruise

 

Secure clothes. These magnetic clips are also very handy to secure wet clothes on the clothesline in your bathroom.  You can also use them to secure items to chairs when drying them outside.  However, hanging items to dry on the verandah is not encouraged while the ship is sailing as items tend to blow away.

 

 

I hope you try these two handy items on your next Disney cruise.  Please share any other simple fix ideas in the comments below.  Happy Sailing!

 

(Tip of the Week logo property of WDW Radio.  All photos are property of author.)

 

To learn more about Vanessa and read her recent posts for WDW Radio, visit her author page by clicking the link on her name at the top of this post.

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About Lou Mongello

Lou Mongello is a former attorney who left the practice to pursue his passion, and is now a recognized Disney expert, author, speaker, and host of WDW Radio. Learn more…

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