If you are like me, you are very particular on who watches your children, especially in a childcare situation when there are a lot of other children with various temperaments and personalities involved. It’s not that I don’t trust others with my children, it’s just hard leaving them in an unknown environment when I don’t know the caregivers and am not familiar with the space they will spend their time in without me. So I am maybe a little more paranoid, overprotective, and skeptical than some other moms, but I am sure most moms can agree that their child’s safety is most important when it comes to their offspring.

 

So when we first boarded our first Disney Cruise, I was still debating whether or not I would use the childcare on the ship. I had heard many great things about the childcare onboard, but mostly from moms who had older more self sufficient children. I hadn’t heard anything about the nursery and I felt like I was swimming solo in uncharted waters. But unexpectedly my husband was unable to come on the ship with us for the trip, so I didn’t have much of a choice to use the childcare to get some of the work I needed to get done onboard and enjoy some aspects of the trip exclusively for adults. Managing being on a cruise ship with a Kindergartener and a toddler for 3 nights, it was almost impossible not to use it. So I put my big girl pants on and took the plunge and used the onboard childcare and I am SO GLAD I DID!!!!

 

Let me start by telling you about the onboard childcare options so you are informed about your choices for your next cruise. I will be talking about the “It’s a Small World Nursery” or “The Oceaneer Club” because these are the two that I personally used and have experience with, but there is also the “Vibe” a teens-exclusive space to hang out, listen to music, watch TV, and play games.

 

It’s a Small World Nursery

 

 

The nursery is for children 6 months to 3 years old (or from 1 to 3 years old on Transatlantic and Panama Canal itineraries). And my son used this colorful, clean, and calm childcare space because even though he is newly 3 years old, he isn’t potty trained yet. While he was in there he was able to do crafts, color, read books, play with toys, watch Disney movies, and even get his face painted!!! In addition to those activities, there is:

• An acclimation zone, designed to help youngsters adjust to their new environment
• A main play area featuring a 3D façade of the “small world” attraction, filled with hidden interactive delights
• A separate quiet room with cribs for naps

I didn’t make any reservations until I was onboard the ship, but advance reservations are required and can be made online:

• Up to 120 days ahead for Concierge and Platinum Castaway Club Guests
• Up to 105 days ahead for Gold Castaway Club Guests
• Up to 90 days ahead for Silver Castaway Club Guests
• Up to 75 days ahead for all other Guests

Reservations can also be made on a first-come, first-served basis during the open house on Embarkation Day or anytime throughout your cruise!!

 

 

The first time you check your child in, they will receive a custom magic band for $12 to check them in and out, but if you return your Childs magic band by midnight the night before your cruise ends you can get that money returned on your cruise account! Each time you check them in, you will fill out a form on whether you want a nap that day, a snack, lunch or dinner, etc. You can customize their visit by picking from drinks like water, juice, or milk and snacks like yogurt, banana, or crackers. You can also bring your own food, drinks, blankets, pacifiers, medicine, diapers and wipes!

 

 

Childcare in the nursery is an additional rate to your cruise and there is a minimum reservation of one hour:

• $4.50 per half hour for the first child
• $4.00 per half hour for any additional children in your family

 

Cancellations may be made without penalty 4 hours or more before your reservation time. No-shows will forfeit the entire cost of care for the time reserved while Guests who call to cancel fewer than 4 hours before their reservation time will forfeit half the cost of care. Once I was running late to pick my son up and I asked for them to watch him a little longer and luckily that had space and were happily able to accommodate me! And once I needed more time before I dropped him off and as long as I called to tell them, they pushed my reservation back a little to also accommodate my needs – so just call and ask and they will do what they can to help you!

 

 

Disney’s Oceaneer Club  

The Disney’s Oceaneer Club is available to potty trained children 3-12 years old. And as a play therapist, this was one of my favorite areas on the ship!!! And most of all, my daughter loved it!! There are multiple play areas in this large, fun, clean area where kids can play with toys, interact with characters, play video games, do crafts, get their face painted, and more!!! They have different themed activities on various days and times while you are on the ship, and your child can even eat lunch and or dinner in there!

 

When you check in your child for the first time you will be given a custom magic band that they will securely lock on your child’s wrist so it won’t come off for the duration of the cruise. These magic bands are also waterproof! Just make sure to return it by midnight the night before the cruise ends so you won’t get charged a $12 fee! Otherwise, you don’t need a reservation to take your children here anytime day or night and this childcare area is included in your cruise fare, so no extra money is needed if your child goes there!

 

Here’s what to expect from the playrooms:

 

• Andy’s Room: Reach for the sky! Hang with Hamm, Rex and the rest of the gang from Disney·Pixar’s Toy Storytrilogy as this colorful world comes to life!
• Disney Infinity Game Room: Test your skills with an archery challenge, get revved by the Disney Racers program or summons your inner Picasso with Infinity Draw.
• Pixie Hollow: Visit the whimsical world that Tinker Bell and her fairy friends call home! In this fanciful forest setting, play dress-up, work on individual craft projects, use kid-friendly tablets and listen to stories.
• Star Wars: Millennium Falcon: Join the Rebel Alliance in this intergalactic arena! In addition to arts and crafts, kids can design a starship, train like a Jedi or climb into Han Solo’s cockpit and send the “fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy” soaring through the Star Wars universe!

 

 

 

 

 

 

And when you are on Disney’s private island Castaway Cay, the club is closed on the ship while you are in port and they have an exclusive club called Scuttle’s Cove on the island where children can participate in various activities and play in the sand (with some shaded areas) the same way as on the ship!!!

 

 

 

So now that you know a little about the two main childcare options for children 12 years old and younger, here are my top reasons why you need to use them on your next Disney cruise!!!

 

1.The Disney cruise crew members are trained childcare providers who have had background checks and extensive training. And may I add that every single crew member that worked in either “It’s a Small World Nursery” or “The Oceaneer Club” was extremely friendly, helpful, and supportive.

 

2. Both facilities are clean, safe, and easy to use. Before each child enters the Oceaneer Club, they are required to wash and sanitize their hands. And most importantly, did I mention they are super safe? First of all, both locations require a secret password that only you and they have on file and you have you use that secret word to drop off and pick up your child. They both also have magic bands that they scan to make sure they see the name and photo of your child when you check in and out of the facilities. You will also need your cruise stateroom card to check your child and and out of the childcare areas so crew members can see your name and photo. Both facilities have double sided locked doors so there is no way your child can sneak out or escape the area on their own. So whether you want to come in or out, they have to swipe their magic band, check photo ID, check your secret password, and have double locked doors! Now that is safety at its best!!!

 

3. My kids were extremely happy when I picked them up! I used both childcare areas each day of the cruise for hours at a time and they both were in great moods when I picked them up and at one point, asked to stay longer because they didn’t want to leave! When my kids are happy, I am happy!!! They both looked forward to going each day to play, made some friends, and even asked to go on occasion even when I wasn’t planning on taking them!

 

4. And as a parent, I loved how easy it was to make a reservation and appreciated the reservation reminders that were sent via the app right to my phone before each reservation I made. I was also given updates on exactly what happened when they were there from crew members – what they did, what they ate, how they behaved, etc. I love being informed and they were great about making me feel like my child was a priority!

 

5. I love that the Oceaneer Club has scheduled Open Houses where you can go alone and or with your child to check out the facility before you use it. And each time I picked up my daughter, I was allowed to go inside to find her (they would tell you exactly what room she was in and what she was doing upon pick up).

 

I honestly don’t know what I would have done without the childcare on the ship! Another win for #DisneyCruiseLine!