Disney Kids Clubs - All You Need to Know!

Disney Cruise Line – Kids Clubs!

Disney Cruise Line youth clubs are renowned worldwide as the gold standard when it comes to entertaining and caring for children. They include wonderfully immersive themed rooms to awaken your child's imagination, exclusive character interactions and endless activities that will keep them excitedly asking to come back for more. Plus, they are staffed by outstanding counselors who are experienced with working with children and ready to create some magical memories!

I worked for Disney Cruise Line from 2017 – 2024, first as a youth counsellor and then as a member of the entertainment host team. So, I got the opportunity to be part of the magic and see first hand how Disney pulls out all the stops to make sure every child has an exciting and memorable experience every time they check in to kids club. So I’d love to use my experience and expertise to tell you all about the ‘Disney difference’ you can expect to enjoy aboard the DCL ships!

No matter your child's age, there is always something on offer for them. For babies aged 6 months to 3 years there is ‘It’s a Small World Nursery' – available for an upcharge and with reservation. For children aged 3 – 12, there are not one but two dedicated kids club spaces – ‘The Oceaneers Club’ and ‘The Oceaneer Lab’. For tweens there is ‘Edge’ and for teens there is ‘Vibe’. Each space is specially themed and designed with the age range of the kids in mind, from the decor of the space to the activities on offer.

Activities

Oceaneer Club & Lab

Aboard Disney Cruise Lines first four ships (Magic/ Wonder/ Dream/ Fantasy) there are two themed clubs for children aged 3 - 12 - The Oceaneer Club and the Oceaneer Lab. The Oceaneer Club brings together the magic and whimsy of Disney stories, while the Oceaneer Lab offers a unique nautical themed space to explore. On the newer ships (Wish / Treasure) these spaces are combined into one big Oceaneer Club, with all the fun under one roof!

Like walking into a dream come true - the Oceaneers Club & Oceaneers Lab offer endless activities for your children to enjoy. The space is made up of a number of different themed rooms that vary from ship to ship, but each bring an unforgettable element of Disney magic to immerse your child in some of their favourite stories. For example, on the Disney Dream your little explorers can launch into the story of Star Wars when they visit the Millennium Falcon themed room. Or maybe they are MARVEL fans – if so, they will love the Super Hero Academy with classes on offer, where they can learn what it takes to be a hero and encounter some of their favourite Avengers. And an absolute favourite among children of all ages – on the Fantasy/ Dream/ Magic/ Wonder you will find Andy's Room, where they will encounter Rex, Hamm & Mr Potato Head as they play amongst the setting of the original Pixar movie, Toy Story.

There are dedicated movie rooms with comfy bean bags to relax and watch Disney/ Pixar movies. Also craft rooms with supplies where kids can create something from their imagination or follow the counsellor led craft on offer. Along with drawing and tracing supplies, games such as UNO or Jenga and video games such as 'Mario Kart' and 'Just Dance' are all available throughout the day. There is a dedicated and packed schedule of counsellor led activities and host led shows to keep even the most energetic children entertained for hours on end. You can check the schedule via the DCL navigator app, the screens outside the spaces or just ask any of the youth activities counselors who will be happy to help you. Inside the spaces, these offerings will be announced over the microphone to encourage kids to join in with something new. Whether your little ones have lots of energy and want to play a crazy game of ga-ga ball, or make new friends by following clues to solve a scavenger hunt together, or maybe just chillax making a craft, there is always something to keep them happy.

Edge & Vibe

Edge – the Tween Space and Vibe – the teen space offer older kids activities more suited to their age range. They will still be spoiled for choice with an engaging schedule of offerings such as trivias, video games challenges and even flash mob dance rehearsals. But also, they are free to do as much or as little as they want. Oftentimes, their favourite aspect of Edge/Vibe will be the opportunity to make friends and just hang out with other kids their age. Tweens/ teens are allowed to bring food into Edge/Vibe, so parents often comment that they won’t see their teens till dinner in the evening, because they are having too much fun spending time with their new friends going between Edge/Vibe and the free ice cream!

It's worth mentioning that it's a really good idea to encourage your teens to visit Edge/Vibe on the first night of the cruise because the counselors make a special effort to host ice breaker activities that will help introduce the teens to each other, the counselors and the rules of the space. Plus there are some cruise-long activities such as ‘Gotcha’ - a last man standing scavenger hunt type game – which will begin registration on the first night.

Nursery As for ‘It’s a small world’ nursery, the little ones enjoy an array of interactive toys, relaxing lullaby music as well as special care and attention provided by the nursery counsellors - all of whom have experience and special training regarding caring for young infants. From time to time characters will spontaneously drop by for play time. So the littlest cruisers may be enjoying watching 'Mickey Mouse Club House' and then be delighted as Mickey himself strolls in for a visit!

Shows & character interactions

Just like the theming of the rooms, the youth shows vary from ship to ship. Some of them are specific to only one ship and some have a variation across the fleet. But on every Disney ship, there is plenty on offer, especially in the Club and Lab. A lot of the shows include a surprise visit from a character. For example, during ‘Once upon a time’ they may be listening to Beverly the Storybook maker tell a beloved classic story and then be thrilled when one of their favourite Princesses arrives to join in the telling of her story. Or maybe they are helping out the Resistance as part of a Star Wars mission and they get to encounter Rey, who teaches them about the importance of teamwork. There are science shows where your children can enjoy hands on interactive learning, led by an eccentric and entertaining Scientist host. ‘Puzzle play time with Mickey and friends’ is an opportunity for the children to sing, dance and play games with some of their favourite Disney friends. There are Disney Junior shows that are aimed to delight your littlest cruisers and a firm favourite for repeat cruisers is always ‘PJ pals’ (Previously Plutos Pyjama party) where your kids are invited to the funnest PJ party on the seven seas, involving games, dancing, plenty of character interaction and perhaps even a freebie souvenir to take home!

**Secured programming versus open house **

If it's your first time cruising aboard a Disney Cruise Line, or taking your kids to any of the youth spaces – it's useful to be aware of the difference between ‘secured programming’ and ‘open house’ offerings. Secured programming is where your children are registered to the space and then checked in. So they will be in the care and supervision of the youth counselors on duty. It's worth noting that there are minimum requirements of how many counselors will be stationed at every room to ensure that each room is staffed and monitored to keep the kids safe and comfortable. Only children in the appropriate age group will be allowed into the space during secured programming.

Whereas, during open house, the gates to the space are opened and any guest of any age is welcome to come explore and enjoy the fun themed rooms and activities. This means the whole family can enjoy all the fun offerings together and this is a good option for siblings who fall under different age categories to spend time playing together. Open house is also very helpful for when kids are maybe a little nervous at the prospect of going to kids club. They can ease into the new experience as they get to explore the space with their family and learn about all the shows and activities that they are invited to take part in.

If you want to get cute photos of your kids enjoying Andy's room or Pixie Hollow – then open house will be your opportunity, because photos and videos are permitted during open house, but not secured programming. There will be an open house opportunity every day of the cruise for the Club, Lab, Edge and Vibe. Just take a look at the DCL navigator app to see when open house is scheduled for the space you are wanting to visit. Often, there will be open house offerings of some of the most popular shows and activities. For example on the Disney Fantasy – ‘Becoming Worthy’ – a Super Hero class led by the mighty Thor, is often offered in open house. So the whole family get the opportunity to meet the God of Thunder himself! It’s a Small World Nursery offers open house times on embarkation day.

Registration

For your children to visit any of the kids clubs, they will need to be registered. Before boarding the ship, you can fill out part of the registration process online, but keep in mind that it will need to be completed on the ship when you first visit the space in person and with your child. You can register them any day of the cruise, but most people prefer to register them on embarkation day, so that they can jump into the fun straight away!

For both Edge and Vibe, once they are registered, they will either be given an Edge/Vibe key card or the counselors will put a sticker on their Key to the World card (room key). They will need to bring it with them each time they visit because the counselors will periodically check their cards to ensure everyone is in the correct space for their age and registered. Both Edge and Vibe kids are allowed to come and go to the space as they please. So once they are registered, you don't necessarily need to drop them off or pick them up if you are comfortable with them finding their own way around the ship.

With the Club/ Lab it works a little differently. Once your child is registered, they will be issued and fitted with a Magic Band (like a smart wristband) that they will wear throughout the cruise (don’t worry, it is waterproof!) and they will use it to scan in at the check in desk when they arrive. The magic band will also track their location within the kids club.

For the Nursery, they will be issued with a Magic Band but also a small drawstring backpack in which you can put some of their items – diapers, wipes, pacifier, blanket etc. It is not encouraged to send them in with personal toys.

Regardless of the age of your children, at registration you will be asked if there are any medical issues that the counselors should be aware of, such as allergies or seizures. You can also share any information that will enable the youth team to help calm them down if they become upset. For example, if your child has autism/ ADHD and they get overwhelmed in new environments, you can let the youth team know that they love the movie 'Cars' and putting it on would be likely to soothe them. Keep in mind that the care provided is not one on one, but the youth team will work together, use the information provided and do what they can to help your child feel comfortable and happy in the space.

18-20s Society

Maybe your children are young adults who have just recently aged out of Vibe. Not to worry because Disney Cruise Line entertainment has thought of everything. There is an 18-20s society for young adults to meet, make friends and participate in activities led by one of the cruise staff entertainment team. Activities include ice cream socials, coffee shop trivia, crazy golf and a session of basketball with the court reserved just for them. To find out times and locations for 18-20s meet ups, just check the DCL navigator app, or else ask any member of the cruise staff entertainment team.

The Disney Difference

There is a reason that Disney Cruise Line continues to win awards for family cruising year after year. The ‘Disney difference’ extends to every element of the ships, but most especially to the kids clubs. Disney Cruise Line provides immersive story-telling experiences, character interactions and world class entertainment like no other cruise line can. I personally think that the success of the Disney company is built upon Walts’ understanding of the magic of childhood. The Disney company continues to innovate and grow with his guiding principles – that the stories that we connect with in our childhood stay with us for forever. So what better way to create lifelong magical memories for your children, than to take them aboard the most magical cruiseline on Earth!

Allow me to use my Disney Cruise Line expertise to help design your dream vacation!

Rochelle Rochelle@windwaveswands.com