5 Disney Extras I Highly Recommend on Your Disney Cruise

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I know, I know. A Disney cruise is already a splurge. And if you’re like my husband, you don’t want to spend another penny after what you just paid to book it. When it comes to deciding how to spend your money, obviously everyone is going to having different opinions and preferences. But I’m going to break down my tried and true recommendations on Disney extras you might want to splurge on during your Disney cruise.

A Disney Cruise by itself is a magical experience and there is a lot included on every Disney cruise. Even if I didn’t pay extra for any of these Disney splurges, I would still feel that a Disney cruise is completely worth it. However, these are the Disney extras I feel are worth the splurge.

These add-ons can also make for really good gift ideas leading up to the cruise.

Disney Extras: A Specialty Dinner or Brunch

There are one or two specialty restaurants on board the Disney ships. These are adult-only restaurants that will cost extra. They also have a dress code you must adhere to if you choose to dine there.

Before our first cruise on the Disney Fantasy, I heard so much about Remy and Palo, and I had no idea what they were. I had taken a decent number of cruises in the past, and I was never tempted to spend extra money on specialty dining. I am totally fine with what is being served in the main dining room. And I would be on a Disney cruise as well. However, I wanted to try what everyone was raving about, so I booked a dinner at Palo… and it did not disappoint.

Palo is an upscale Italian restaurant that is available on the Disney Fantasy, Disney Magic, Disney Dream and Disney Wonder. The Disney Wish also has a version of Palo, but it is a Palo Steakhouse.

I liked Palo so much that I booked it again when I did a Western Caribbean Cruise on the Magic.

Remy is the more luxurious dining option, available on the Disney Fantasy and the Disney Dream. This fine-dining eatery serves French fare and is inspired by Disney’s “Ratatouille.”

These restaurants used to only offer fixed pricing on a set menu, but they have recently revamped their options. You can now choose between fixed prices on a set menu, or you can order a la carte items.

The fixed pricing for dinner or brunch at Palo is $45 per person. The fixed pricing for dinner at Remy is $125 per person. Brunch at Remy costs $75 per person or $105 for brunch with the champagne pairing.

Unlimited Photo Package

Part of the magic of a Disney cruise is seeing my kids interact with all the different characters and princesses on the ship. There are a variety of Disney Cruise photo packages to choose from. But if you are traveling with kids or if this is your first Disney cruise, the unlimited photo package is one of the Disney extras I recommend the most. The price for this varies depending on the length of the cruise, but you can save a little bit of money by purchasing the package prior to being on the ship.

On our first Disney cruise, we did so much. Character meet and greets, character breakfasts, the Royal tea party, etc. There were photographers to capture all of it. On our second cruise, our kids were so into the freedom of being with friends at the kids club, so we didn’t take nearly as many character pictures, but we still took family pictures before dinner each night. You might not want to purchase the unlimited photo package on every cruise, but I highly suggest it on your first Disney cruise.

Disney Extras – A Verandah

A Verandah is Disney’s term for balcony. And if you are debating whether or not it’s worth it, here’s why it is for us. When we first started cruising with our young kids, they were still taking naps and going to bed early. Having the balcony allowed us to put them to bed and still enjoy sitting on the balcony and not just feeling like we were stuck in a room. We’d have a glass of wine out there, or my husband would go out (or call room service) to get some food so we could enjoy some snacks on the balcony as well.

Now, even though our kids no longer nap, it’s still nice to relax on the verandah as everyone is getting ready for dinner. I’ll usually enjoy a pre-dinner drink out there, or even read a book. It’s so peaceful and beautiful. Be sure to book your cruise early enough if you’re hoping to get a good verandah room.

Disney Cruise Excursions

Prices of Port Adventures will vary significantly depending on what you are looking at doing. And truth be told, you can probably get off the ship and do similar activities on your own for less. But there are perks that make booking your Port Adventures through Disney worth it.

First off, you can book ahead of time and ensure that you will get to do exactly what you want to do. If something happens and the ship doesn’t get to dock on the day you were expecting to, your plans will automatically be canceled and refunded, or rescheduled if available.

Another perk of booking your Port Adventures directly through Disney is that the ship will wait for you if your excursion is running behind. I’ve been on two different Disney excursions that have returned later than they should have. In both cases, I didn’t have to worry at all. I knew that the tour guide was in constant communication with the ship and that we wouldn’t be left behind.

Royal Court Royal Tea Party

If you have a young daughter who loves princesses, I think the Royal Court Royal Tea is must do. The royal tea features some of your favorite princesses singing and dancing while you’re being served tea and two courses of food—one sweet and one savory.

Besides the photo ops and the experience of your little enjoying tea with “real” princesses, this experience also includes even more Disney extras.

Girls will receive princess-themed gifts while boys receive knight-themed gifts. When we went, my daughter received a large Cinderella doll, a musical jewelry box, a link bracelet, a charm necklace with charms of the princesses at the tea, a tiara, and an autograph book with a pen. That was basically worth what we paid to book the tea. I don’t feel the need to do this tea every time, but I am happy we did it at least the once.

Interested in more? Check out these Disney Cruise tips for everything you need to know before you go.