Disney Wish Review + 3-Night Cruise Experience (Day-by-Day)
- Practically Perfect Pixie Dust
- 19 hours ago
- 24 min read
Updated: 3 hours ago
This post contains firsthand experiences, tips, and opinions from our sailing aboard the Disney Wish in spring 2026.
We are officially in our cruising era, with our first Disney Cruise Line trip under our belt—and another one just around the corner!
Below is an overview of our recent sailing on the Disney Wish out of Port Canaveral. This was a short 3-night cruise with stops in Nassau and at Castaway Cay.
We had an amazing time—learning how cruising works, enjoying the entertainment, relaxing on the beach, and making some fabulous new friends along the way.
Our biggest takeaway?👉 Three nights is just not enough.
🧭 Jump to:
🔎 Quick Answers: Disney Wish 3-Night Cruise
If you’re in planning mode, here are the quick answers we wish we had before our cruise—then we’ll walk you through our full experience day by day.
Is a 3-night Disney Wish cruise worth it?
A 3-night cruise can be a great introduction to Disney Cruise Line—or a fun weekend getaway. That said, with so much to do onboard (and the chance to actually slow down and relax), it felt short. But the time we felt like we were into the groove, it was time to go. We left wishing we had booked a longer sailing.
What is embarkation day like on Disney Cruise Line?
Embarkation day felt a bit more structured than other cruise lines we’ve sailed, especially with the in-person muster drill. Disney does a great job keeping things organized, but it can still feel overwhelming at times, especially if you prefer clear direction and fewer crowds.
👉 We break this down step-by-step in our Disney Cruise Line Embarkation Day Guide.
Should you get off the ship in Nassau or stay onboard?
We’ve done Nassau both ways—and on this shorter sailing, staying onboard ended up being one of our favorite decisions. It gave us time to explore the ship, enjoy lower crowds, and slow down a bit. That said, Nassau can be a great stop if you go in with a plan.
👉 Our Nassau Port Day Without Excursions Guide walks through how to make the most of it either way.
What is Castaway Cay really like?
Castaway Cay is a stunning private island with crystal-clear water, soft white sand, and a relaxed beach vibe. There are activities and areas for all ages, and lunch, soft drinks, and beach access are all included.
What it’s not is a heavily built-up destination with waterparks, upscale beach clubs, or resort-style extras like you’ll find at Perfect Day at CocoCay.
👉 We take a deeper look in our Castaway Cay Guide.
April 17th: Embarkation Day
“It’s Embarkation Day!”
We started the trip with a few days at WDW staying at Port Orleans - French Quarter. If you are staying at a Disney resort (or going directly from MCO) you can book DCL transportation for $45 pp each way. We met the DCL representative in the lobby that morning to check in. Our luggage had already been picked up from our room and Disney handled getting it transferred and onto the ship. It’s super convenient but also important to remember you will not see your luggage until later that evening, so keep anything valuable and important for the day with you. We boarded the bus around 9am and were off, after a quick side stop at Caribbean Beach to get more people.
Getting to Port Canaveral with Disney Transportation
A nice perk of using DCL transportation, especially as a first time cruiser, is that your boarding group is assigned based on your bus arrival time, not when you manage to check in. This is because first cruisers are the last to check in online, so they often end up with the later boarding groups. With DCL transportation, by the time we had arrived and checked in our boarding group had already been called and we got to go straight to making our way on board.
Want to know what happens once you arrive at the port? Our Disney Cruise Line Embarkation Day Guide breaks down all the details.
Walking Onboard & First Impressions
After walking the really long hallway we finally stepped onboard, entering the Attrium for the first time was magical. The Crew Member introduced us and we marveled at the beauty of the area. From the details on the carpet, to the amazing chandelier, to Rapunzel and Flynn waving to us from up above, it was perfect. A magnificent statue of Cinderella filled with fun Easter Eggs could be found next to the grand staircase and the entire expereince felt magical. Cast members were on hand to direct you to your next stop and answer questions.
Where to Eat on Embarkation Day (Skip the Buffet!)
Since it was lunch time our first stop was for food. We had read that most people converge on the buffet area, Marceline Market. To avoid the bulk of the crowds and give us time to peruse the app, we made our way to Arendelle, which was the main dining location serving lunch. This was an excellent option for us, giving us time to orient ourselves, get our wifi setup, check out what the activities were for our cruise, and have an excellent lunch. It did take some time, so if you are eager to be on your way, racing to the pool or to check our kids into the oceaneer club, it may not be the best option for you, but it was perfect fo us.
After lunch we went and walked around the ship some, finding the main theater, shop (which is never open when the ship is in port), other dining places, and the pool deck.
First Impressions of Our Deluxe Oceanview Veranda Stateroom
Before the muster drill we made a quick stop at our stateroom, which had just opened for guests. We were staying in a Deluxe Oceanview Veranda stateroom on deck 10, toward the aft of the ship but still close enough to the elevators that getting around never felt inconvenient.
Walking into the room for the first time felt a little like stepping into a Disney resort at sea. The theming in our room was inspired by Moana, though in a much more subtle way than one might expect. Disney really does a good job making the rooms feel themed without sacrificing the relaxing cruise atmosphere.
One thing that immediately stood out was how functional the room felt. Cruise staterooms have a reputation for being tiny, but there was much more storage than we anticipated. Between the split bathroom setup, the room under the bed, and all the little hidden shelves and storage areas, it felt thoughtfully designed for people actually living in the space for several days.
Then of course there was the veranda. Because of where our stateroom was positioned near one of the ship’s bump-outs for the lifeboats, our balcony ended up being slightly larger than a standard one. This was actually something intentionally selected by Bren when she was booking the room, because the location was fantastic and having the extra veranda space made a noticeable difference throughout the cruise. It gave us more room to spread out, relax, and enjoy the views without feeling cramped. Throughout the sailing it became one of our favorite places to quietly watch the ocean, especially early in the mornings and at sunset.
It was one of those little room selection details that is easy to overlook when booking online yourself, but can really change how a cruise feels once you are onboard. Working with a knowledgeable travel agent can help make those details feel seamless—and ended up making a big difference for us on this sailing. If you need a little help narrowing down stateroom options or planning your own Disney Cruise, Bren is always happy to put together a free quote.
At that point our luggage had not arrived yet, so we dropped off our extra things and headed out toward the muster drill, excited to finally start exploring the ship properly.
Muster Drill Tips & What to Expect
The muster drill was scheduled for 3:30. This is a mandatory in-person safety briefing before the ship sets sail. Ours was located in the World of Marvel restaurant. It was a bit confusing getting to it, because they didn’t open the restaurant until right before the drill started, so a whole bunch of people were crammed uncomfortably in the hall wondering if we were in the right place. This was less of an issue for people meeting in more generic locations but is definitely something to consider and plan for if you are in a dining location, either arriving early to be at the front of the people or aiming to be right on time, when everyone is already in the restaurant. Another note about the muster drill, following itis when the ship felt the most crowded, with everyone leaving their designated spots all at once and heading in various directions, trying to get on elevators or crowding on the stairs.
🧚♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: If crowds feel overwhelming, arrive at the last second before Muster Drill. While it may be harder to get a seat, it will be less crowded in the hallways. Then hang back after the muster drill and let the rush clear before heading to your next activity.
Sail Away Party: Where to Watch
All safely briefed, we be-lined up to deck 13 for the Sail Away Party. The actual show happens on deck 11 in the main pool area. You can, however see the show from the railing on deck’s 12 and 13, and this area is less crowded and overwhelming. (Deck 13 is the adults only deck, so in general it is the least crowded.) However, there on both decks there is rail space where you can see the the stage, though it is a little limited.
🧚♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: if you plan to watch the shows from either deck 12 or 13 it is a good idea to get there 15-30 minutes before the show starts.
The Sail Away Party was fun and upbeat, getting people dancing around and excited for the impending departure. It was actually quite impressive how they timed starting the sail the ship to when Minnie said “Let’s set sail!” and the horn blowing “When you wish upon a star” brought tears to our eyes. Simply magical! Not that we expect anything less from Disney.
Shopping Strategy: Do You Need to Go Right Away?
After hanging out and watching the ship departing for a bit, we left desk 13 for deck 5 where the main shop is located. We knew we wanted to get some cruise ears and spirit jersey’s and had heard that sometimes when items sell out on the cruises they are not restocked. The first few minutes after the shop opened it was madness, which was not well advertised when people tell you to go there first. We did manage to snag the ears we wanted, and corresponding spirit jerseys. These are very popular items, with the shelves being cleared pretty quickly after the shop opened. However, it turned out later our fears of not being able to get them if we weren’t in that first wave were unfounded, they restocked all the items we had purchased. It is certainly possible there are items that were more exclusive that did not restock (the towel dog Evie wasn’t even available on our sailing), so it’s still a strategy to bear in mind if you have your heart set on a specific merchandise item, but it seems most of the common items are not at risk of selling out…at least not on the first night.
Evening Shows & Entertainment on Night One
Prized merchandise acquired we went back to the stateroom to drop them off and then headed for today’s nightly show, happening at the Walt Disney Theatre. Each of the Disney cruises has a suite of shows that perform nightly. On The Wish it is Seas the Adventure, The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin. The first night was Seas the Adventure. We loved this show, super cute with misadventures with Goofy, some pixie dust magic, and amazing singing of beloved Disney songs. I won’t give away anymore, but it was an excellent show to start the cruise with.
After the show we stopped off for some photos with the main mouse himself: Mickey! Then it was finally time for dinner.
Late Dining & Snack Planning Tips
We were assigned the late seating: 8:15pm. It is quite late and one of the few things we found lacking on the cruise was available snacking food. While all the main dining, buffet, fast food places by the pool, and soft serve are included in the price of your cruise small bites from the lounges and concessions are not. We ended up purchasing a pack of skittles to munch on with the show to tide us over until our late seating. In future we will be planning to bring our own snacking food along. You do need to be careful if you follow this plan, you cannot bring any opened food on or off the ship (has to do with customs), so make sure any snacking food you bring is the prepackaged sort.
Rotational Dining at 1923
Dinner the first night was at 1923. You get assigned your dinner locations in the app once you board. This restaurant is themed around disney animation, with original sketchwork for all the animated movies spread around the restaurant. Of the three main dining locations this one feels the most intimate, with a lot of little side rooms rather than one giant open space.
Unexpected Highlight: Dining with Table-mates
Here we were sat with three other ladies. We’ll admit, when we first sat down we were not happy with the arrangement. We knew it was a possibility, being sat with other people, but our one dining request had been to be seated by ourselves. Turns out Disney knows more about how to have a good time than we do, dining with these ladies every night ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. After the first awkward hellos and where are you forms, we quickly found ourselves enjoying talking with them. They are Disney nerds like us, so that was an easy commonality. But let me tell you, we did not stay on the topic of Disney the entire time, we talked about everything with these ladies and had a blast doing it! (If you are reading this, thank you for making our evenings so much fun! We need to do it again!)
Hyperspace Lounge Review (Is It Worth It?)
After chatting with our next table besties until after 10pm, we decided to grab a nightcap at Hyperspace Lounge. The Star Wars Lounge was on our must check out list, and it did not disappoint. The theming was amazing, it was so easy to forget you were on a cruise ship in the gulf and not on some actual star ship flying through space. And as an amazing added bonus, a droid walked in and came around table to table to interact with people. His name was Red and he was the cutest thing! These are the same sorts of droids that have been making appearances in Galaxy’s Edge in both Disney World and Disneyland. But there you can only see them from afar, watch as they interact with the Cast Members. Here we got the one on one interaction with him standing less than a foot from us. Absolutely magical! The only downside to Hyperspace Lounge is the prices of the drinks (Lyn might have had a $38 glass of wine…).
From there is was time to call it a day, the excitement of the day had kept us all going well past our bedtime but with alcohol in our systems sleep was calling. We headed back to our stateroom, where our final bags had arrived, unpacked enough to get the things we needed right then, and then fell into bed.
Nassau Day and Pirate Night
Here there be pirates…and lots of other activities.
Nassau Day: Stay Onboard or Get Off the Ship?
We had decided before going on the cruise that we would stay on the ship on Nassau Day. Bren had visited last year and we wanted time to spend on the ship, doing activities and hanging by the pool.
Want a peek into how to tour Nassau without excursions? Our Things to Do in Nassau on a Port Day (No Excursion Needed!) Guide if full of insights into how to have an amazing day.
A Slow Start to the Day (and Buffet Crowds)
We started a morning with a plan to sleep in and then enjoy a room service breakfast. IN reality, Bren and Kim slept in. Lyn’s internal clock is too strong so she was up early even without an alarm. So as not to wake the others she crept from the room and went in search of breakfast at the Marceline Market buffet. It was packed with people. (In retrospect this makes sense, these were likely mostly people preparing to leave the ship for Nassau.) The eggs Benedict, fresh fruit, and yogurt were delicious, but her main takeaway was to avoid the buffet at peak dining times. From there she went to deliver our Fish Extender gifts and then headed back to the stateroom.
Not long after she returned, the room service breakfast arrived. You can order room service any time on a Disney cruise, it is a 24/7 service that is included with your cruise (just make sure you have tipping money). For breakfast, you can order it the night before by filling out a door hanging placard and placing it outside your room before 3am. The breakfast options are more continental fare (cereal, bagle, fruit, coffee, etc) but it is a lovely thing to have it delivered right to your door. We watched the ship coming into port at Nassau from our veranda while enjoying our breakfast.
🧚♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Order breakfast the night before for a relaxed start—room service is included (just remember to tip).
Pool Deck Time on a Port Day and a Little Disney Trivia
After the ship announcement that people could leave for Nassau came, we decided to relocate our relaxing to the pool deck. We found some chairs, soaked in some sun, and enjoyed the vibes for a bit.
🧚♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Port days are one of the best times to enjoy the pool with lighter crowds—especially if you stay onboard.
From there we went to participate in Level 2 Disney Trivia. When they said level 2, they meant it, these questions were not for the faint of heart. From what time is on the White Rabbit’s watch in Alice in Wonderland, to what was the first wholly original story in a Disney animated film (for those wondering it is 12:25 and Lion King respectively). We actually did pretty well, coming in second place, beat out by just one point.
Lunch on the Pool Deck: What to Expect
After using our brains we went in search of early lunch up on the pool deck at Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods. The lines were already pretty long, and since we had pedicures scheduled we opted for pizza because it had the shortest line. It wasn’t bad, but there were better food options we found later on.
🧚♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: If you’re on a schedule, look for the shortest line instead of the “best” option—quick wins matter on busy cruise days.
Spa Time at Untangled Salon (Is It Worth It?)
Next up was the aforementioned pedicures as the Untangled Salon. Pedicures are something we regularly do when together, so it seemed fitting to indulge. And it was an indulgence, at $89 each plus tip. But it was fun, chatting with each other and the crew members while getting our feet were scrubbed, messaged, and toenails painted.
🧚♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Spa treatments are a fun splurge—but book early if it’s something you don’t want to miss.
Pampering done we headed to our room to throw on our swimsuits and head to the adult only deck to have some pool time. We only had about an hour before our next planned activity, but it was fun to relax in the water and take in the view for a bit.
Hidden Details Tour: Booking Tips
When the time came we headed back to our room to change again and then head to the Enchanted Sword Cafe where we joined a group waiting for a tour of the ship. This was a free activity that had to be booked in advance. You cannot book it until you are on the ship though, so if you are interested make sure to check your app when you get onboard. Our tour guide was (insert name) and she was very knowledgeable about the ship. This was not a behind the scenes tour but rather a tour to highlight the overlooked details and nuances of the ship’s decor. We’ll put together another post covering what we learned, but suffice it to say an incredible amount of thought and love went into the design of The Wish. Plus the theming at the front of the ship is forest ( F for front and forest) and at the back is blue (B for back and blue) which we thought was a fun way to help orient yourself.
🧚♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Check the app as soon as you board—popular activities like tours can fill up quickly and can’t be booked in advance.
🏴☠️ Pirate Night Character Meet & Greets and Show Time!
After the tour it was time for Pirates Night! Or at least Pirates Night character meet and greets. We popped over to the Grand Hall to stand in line for Daisy, Minnie, and Donald in quick succession. We did end up missing out on Mickey, but since we saw him in his sailing outfit the night before we decided we would live.
Our inner children satisfied we headed to the Walt Disney Theatre for that evening’s show: The Little Mermaid. The Little Mermaid is only shown on The Wish, so it was a must see (not knowing when we will be on The Wish again). It was very well done, a full scale production in one hour that didn’t feel rushed and told the story beautifully. We really enjoyed it.
🏴☠️ Pirate Night Shows: Mickey's Pirates of the Caribbean
Following the show we headed back up to deck 13 to claim a rail spot to watch the first of the Pirate Night shows: Mickey’s Pirates of the Caribbean. This was a cute show, but geared more toward the kids in the audience. Mickey and friends teach everyone how to be a pirate, then Captain Hook comes out and challenges Mickey to a Captains duel and the crowd helps Mickey win by going through the pirate things Mickey and friends just taught everyone. We were glad we made the time to see it, but I don’t know that it will be a priority for us when we sail again.
🍽️ Dinner at World of Marvel
Dinner time, we made our way to World of Marvel, our assigned dinner for day two. This restaurant exudes Marvel, looking all hightech and Stark-esque. There are screens all along the walls where the show plays out. It starts with Ant-Man giving a demonstration on various tech. But as you may imagine, it doesn’t go as planned and eventually Ultron shows up to try to steal the tech and everyone must help save the day. It’s filled with fun cameos from Marvel favorites: The Wasp, The Falcon, Mrs. Marvel, Captain Marvel, and even Spider Man (who may or may not make an actual appearance in the restaurant). The show was cute and funny…or at least what we saw of it. Cause we were back with our table besties and so spent dinner chatting away.
🎆 Pirates Rockin’ Parlay Party & Fireworks at Sea
After dinner we all, table besties included, made our way back up to deck 13 for the second main deck show, and in our opinion the best part of Pirate Night: the Pirates Rockin’ Parlay Party!
Here a band of pirates play 80 rock songs while a little story about summoning nearby pirate captains plays out. It culminates with a dramatic appearance by Captain Jack Sparrow and finally the moment everyone is waiting for: fireworks at sea. We’ve seen Disney fireworks a million times. It is one of our favorite things to see when we visit the parks. But there is something different about fireworks at sea, the magic of being surrounded by nothing but pitch black and the sky lighting up, was amazing.
We hung around a but longer, jamming to songs, before heading back to our rooms to prep for the next day before falling asleep.
Castaway Cay
The most beautiful (and hot) place on earth.
Castaway Cay: What It’s Really Like on Disney’s Private Island
Castaway Cay is Disney’s private Island in the Bahamas. When choosing our cruise we had the option to either sail this cruise or one that would take us to Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. We decided we wanted to check out the OG island and it did not disappoint! (though I’m sure Lookout Cay is delightful too)
On the third day of our cruise we woke up early so we could watch the ship sailing up to Castaway Cay from our verandah. Our room was on the port side of the ship so we got some amazing views as the ship sailed up to the island. Once docked the starboard side has a better view of the beaches, but getting to see the island going by with the sun rising was stunning.
Getting Off the Ship: Timing & What to Expect
Once the ship was docked it was still a wait before guests were allowed off the ship. While there is a small skeleton crew that lives nearby who come and get the island setup for ships, most of the island is worked by crew members from the ship. So after docking they need time to disperse and get things going before the guests descend. We took that time to enjoy our room service breakfast again and slowly get ready. Swim suits donned, sunscreen applied, and bags packed, we were ready to go when the announcement came that guests could leave the ship.
Exit Strategy Mistake (Learn From Us!)
We were so excited to get to experience the island that we didn't fully think through our exit strategy. We ended up exiting at the front of the ship…and then walking the length of the ship…in the immensely hot sun. We were already sweating by the time we made it to the end of the ship, starting to melt as we stopped for photos, and bordering on grumpy when we made it to the tram.
🧚♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Exit from the back of the ship if you can—it saves a long, hot walk and gets you to the tram much faster.
Getting Around: Tram vs Walking
They hand out towels as you exit the ship, I assume you could track down a towel if you needed when on the beaches, but they told us we needed to grab towels at the beginning so we did. Then Kim and Bren hopped on the tram that would take them to the adult beach: Serenity Bay. It isn’t a direct tram, you have to get off at Pelican’s Point and transfer to another tram, but it is way faster than walking, and in the heat they wanted the coolness of the sea breeze sooner rather than later.
Lyn stayed, braving the heat to wait for photos with characters in their beach best. She saw Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, and Goofy. Then she walked to Pelican Point, taking in the sights of Castaway Cay. It’s not a bad walk, and there are some lovely views, but the tram is definitely quicker. At Pelican Point she waited for the second tram to take her to Serenity Bay where she joined the others for some beach time.
Serenity Bay: Adults-Only Beach Experience
The beaches in the Bahamas really are that stunning. The water is crystal clear and the brightest blue. The sand is white and soft. The trees are a brilliant green to offset the white and blue. It’s just magical. One thing to note about Serenity Bay, the beach is kinda steep. Walking along where the chairs are is hard, with that soft sand slipping under your feet making it hard to walk normally. We all made the mistake of flighting through the sand to get to some chairs about halfway down the beach. We learned that if you went to the waterfront the sand was compacted by the water and much easier to walk on.
Kim and Lyn spent some time wading through the water while Bren chilled in her chair reading a book. It was so serene. We found a bright red starfish, saw a stingray, and brushed up against lots of little fish. Unfortunately we forgot our waterproof camera on the ship, so we have no photos to show of the wildlife so you’ll just have to take our word for it how amazing it was. Kim and Lyn then joined Bren in the sand and shade, enjoying some virigin Pina Coladas and channeling 5 year olds to play in the sand (Disney is for the young and young at heart).
Lunch on Castaway Cay: What’s Included
Around 1pm we abandoned our shaded chairs in search of lunch. Castaway Cay is an extension of the ship, making it really convenient to purchase things (you can charge to your stateroom using your magicband) and food and fountain drinks are included. Lunch on Castaway Cay is always barbecue, and really good barbeque it was! The melt in your mouth rib meat was perfection, sides of mac’n’cheese, corn bread, potato salad, and fruit rounded out our choices, but there were plenty of other food options.
☀️ Sunburn Reality Check (Big One!)
Bellies full, we found ourselves lagging after a morning in the sun, so we headed back to the ship to shower and nap. Unfortunately, we discovered that our one round of sunscreen had not been enough to completely protect us from the sun and we were all sunburnt on our shoulders and chests. Thankfully our hats had protected our faces at least. We had planned to reapply sunscreen after lunch if we hadn’t headed back to the ship, but clearly more applications were needed. Next time we will be better prepared.
Want to take a deeper dive into all things Castaway Cay? Our Castaway Cay guide is full of all the fun details and activities, plus how to make the most of your time there.
Final Night Show: Aladdin
We all slept for a few hours and by the time we were awake and moving again the ship was leaving the island and it was time to get ready for the evening’s show. The final show was Aladdin, where (unsurprisingly) the genie stole the show. While we decided that Seas the Adventure was our favorite of the evening productions, the genie was the best character by leaps and bounds.
🧚♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Money-Saving Tip Most People Miss
After the show we made a stop by guest relations so we could put the room charges on gift cards. Tip: if you have a Disney visa card as your on file card you get 10% off merchandise and the photo package. You can then at the end of your trip transfer the charges to a gift card (which if you buy from Sams Club or Target you can get for 5% off) and up your savings. We then headed to dinner: the last night was at Arendelle.
Want more money saving ideas? Our Disney on a Budget guide helps examine the best ways to save money on a vacation
❄️ Final Dinner at Arendelle
I love how amazing the theming in each of the main dining areas is, the sketches in 1923, the technology in World of Marvel, but Arendelle really takes it to another level. It’s like you’ve stepped off the Wish and into the movie. There are portraits along the walls straight out of the movies (hang in the Joan), busts of Anna and Elsa, and then the dining area itself is like a grand banquet hall. There is a stage at the center where a show is performed throughout dinner. Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Oaken, and Olaf all come out to sing and interact with guests. The Frozen characters along with a small band of musicians sing lots of and lots of songs from both movies. Olaf in particular was delightful, he was a proportional puppet riding around on a serving cart. While the other characters just walked by and waved we got to actually interact some with Olaf as he told us a story. The atmosphere in this restaurant was just fun, very upbeat and joyful. Though as with every other night, we spent a lot of the evening chatting with our table besties, we would pause to sing songs (cause how can you not when everyone around you is belting out Let It Go). Since it was out last evening with our table besties we hung out for a while chatting and were one of the last to leave the restaurant, snagging a group photo before we departed.
Packing Night & Luggage Strategy
Sadly that was essentially the end of the trip, we made our way back to our room to pack up and go to bed. If you are more on top of your packing than we are, Disney will pickup any luggage left outside your stateroom (with a luggage tag they provide earlier in the day) by 10pm and handle getting it off the ship. Then if you are taking DCL transportation anywhere they will load it up and give it to you at your final destination or you can collect it after you disembark the ship. It convenient because you don’t have to be the one wheeling your bags through the ship, to breakfast, and then all the way off the ship. We were not that organized, so we finished out packing after 10pm and had to handle it all ourselves in the morning.
Disembarkation Day: What to Expect Before You Leave the Ship
See Ya Real Soon
Breakfast on Disembarkation Day (What Actually Happens)
On the last morning you cannot order room service (sad for us) and everyone is assigned one of the main restaurants to get breakfast in starting at 9am. Since we were returning to WDW for one night before flying home we took DCL transportation back to the parks. This meant we had to be leaving the ship by 8:15am. See the time discrepancy there, how were we to eat breakfast if we needed to leave the ship before breakfast started. We found out that Marceline Marker was open from 6:30 to 8:30am on disembarkation day. So that morning we finished packing up and wheeled our luggage to deck 11 for the buffet.
🧚♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: If you have an early departure time, skip your assigned dining breakfast and head to Marceline Market instead—it’s your best option before leaving the ship.
Navigating Breakfast with Luggage
We were directed by a crew member to leave our luggage in the hall before entering. There were people who brought their bags in, but it was much easier to navigate the buffet without them in tow. Only one side of the buffet was open. Normally there are two identical sides, but they only had one side serving food on the last morning. That side of the dining area was packed, while the other side was completely empty. After weaving through the crowd to get food we walked to the empty side and sat at a table. There were no signs that said we could not do this, and multiple crew members walked by without a word. The only things we noticed was how quickly they would come to clear our dishes as we finished. This makes sense, because they are already trying to start turning over the ship for the next sailing later in the day, but do know you are not forced to stay on the packed side.
Leaving the Ship & Customs Process
After breakfast we headed to deck 3, and joined the queue to leave the ship. The queue was pretty long, snaking around the ship some, but it moved fast. We then traversed back down the long hallway and through customs in an amazingly short time. We exited the terminal, found our DCL transport bus and settled in for the ride back to WDW.
Final Thoughts on Our Disney Wish Cruise
We had an amazing time aboard the Disney Wish and were so sad when the trip came to an end.
There were still so many things we didn’t get to see and do—which honestly reminded us a lot of visiting the Disney parks. There’s just too much to experience in one trip… and it’s the perfect excuse to come back again.
Luckily, we already have our next adventure planned—an Alaska sailing aboard the Disney Magic in just a few weeks—and we can’t wait!
Pixie Dust Hugs,
Bren, Lyn, and Kim 🧚♀️
💙 Planning Your Own Disney Cruise?
If you’re thinking about booking a Disney Cruise, there are so many little decisions that can make a big difference—how long to sail, whether to get off the ship in Nassau, what to prioritize onboard, and more.
✨ That’s exactly what I help my clients figure out.
If you book your cruise with me, I’ll help you:
choose the right ship and sailing length
plan your onboard and port days
walk through all the little details (like transportation, dining, and must-do experiences)
👉 You can learn more or start planning here: Book with Bren link
