Disney cruise kids clubs are some of the best in the cruise industry. Each of Disney Cruise Line‘s ships offer huge play spaces for kids, nurseries for babies and hip hangouts for teens and tweens. Plus, the line can lean into all of the Disney-owned properties and brands to enhance its youth activities; there’s theming around Mickey and friends, princesses and other Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel movie characters and plotlines.
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Learn more about Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Lab, Edge, Vibe and the It’s a Small World Nursery to see just what makes the line’s kids clubs so beloved by cruising families.
What are the Disney cruise kids clubs?
Disney Cruise Line has one of the best kids’ programs at sea, with age-appropriate hangout and play spaces for babies through older teens.
The Disney cruise kids clubs start with the It’s a Small World Nursery for babies and toddlers. Its biggest kids clubs are the Oceaneer Club and Lab, connected spaces for preschool to elementary school age kids. Tweens and teens also have their own lounge spaces, called Edge and Vibe, respectively.
Disney Wish is the first ship in the fleet to offer a dedicated space for the oldest kids. The Hideaway is the Disney cruise kids club for late high school and college-age young adults.
Related: Best cruise ships for kids
What are the age groups for kids clubs on Disney cruises?
The Disney cruise kids club ages affiliated with each space are as follows:
- It’s a Small World Nursery: 6 months to 3 years old
- Oceaneer Club and Lab: 3 to 10 years old and fully toilet trained
- Edge: 11 to 14 years old
- Vibe: 14 to 17 years old
- The Hideaway: 18 to 20 years old
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Note for sailings departing prior to December 21, 2023, the Oceaneer Club is accessible to kids up to age 12, giving middle schoolers the choice between the club and Edge. Based on guest feedback, Disney has made a change to bump 11- and 12-year-olds to Edge, beginning with cruises departing December 21 or after.
Disney Cruise Line makes sure their age group policies fit an array of preferences. You’ll notice some overlap in the Disney cruise kids club ages. That’s because Disney understands that siblings or travel companions of different ages might want to go to the kids clubs together; it also recognizes that kids at the ends of the age ranges have different maturity levels and interests.
For example, 14-year-olds can choose if they prefer to hang out with younger middle schoolers or older teens, depending on where they feel comfortable. A young 3-year-old might feel more comfortable in the smaller nursery than in the large, choose-your-own-adventure Oceaneer Club.
In addition, parents can sign a permission form allowing mature 10-year-olds to go to Edge and 13-year-olds to go to the teen club Vibe on a Disney cruise. This is especially useful if younger kids want to be in the same group with older friends or family.
How does the kids club on a Disney cruise work?
Parents or other responsible adults should register their kids and teens for the Disney cruise kids club either online pre-cruise or on embarkation day once on board. Kids will receive a wristband (or a special coded cruise card) that enables them to sign in and out of the clubs.
Special activities in each of the clubs will be listed in the daily schedule on the Disney cruise Navigator app. Kids can also choose to participate in the always-available activities at the clubs instead. In the connected Oceaneer Club and Lab, for example, multiple activities will be happening at once, and kids can choose what interests them. Youth counselors will assist the littlest cruisers in finding a suitable activity. Reservations are not necessary.
Parents must sign their children in and out of the Disney kids club until they’re 8 years old. Parents can choose to give older kids permission to sign themselves in and out. Tweens and teens can come and go from Edge and Vibe as they please.
Children with special needs are allowed at the youth activities and kids clubs. However, they must be toilet trained and able to participate in the activities and interact with other kids in the clubs without special assistance.
Related: The 3 types of Disney Cruise Line ships, explained
What activities are available for kids in the Disney Oceaneer Club and Lab?
On ships with a separate Oceaneer Club and Lab, the Club activities will skew a bit younger and the Lab activities a bit older. Disney Wish and Disney Treasure feature just the Oceaneer Club for all activities. Counselors also invite 3- and 4-year-olds to attend special guided activities.
Activities in the Oceaneer Club might include arts and crafts at Tinkerbell’s Pixie Hollow, playtime in Andy’s Room with Toy Story-themed play structures or a Star Wars-themed flight simulator game in the Millennium Falcon area. Kids can meet characters, listen to stories, dress up and watch Disney movies. Signature activities include Jedi and Lion Guard training, Woody’s roundup with games and stories and Mickey’s Roadster Races.
The nautical-themed Oceaneer Lab might include the Animator’s Studio for crafts, a media room for movies and video games and the Wheelhouse for interactive video games. Some ships have Magic PlayFloors where you work up a sweat playing virtual games. Fan favorites include carving race cars out of soap in the Piston Cup Challenge, making a mess with Super Sloppy Science and baking chocolate chip cookies.
On Pirate Night, expect pirate-themed activities, perhaps with an appearance from Captain Hook.
Related: Best Disney cruise ships for everyone — even Disney adults
What activities are available for tweens and teens in Edge and Vibe on a Disney cruise?
Edge is the tween club, and it offers a mix of structured activities that 11- to 14-year-olds would enjoy, plus time for board games, video games and crafts. The cool hangout space is tricked out with giant TVs, gaming consoles, comfy seating, and tables and chairs that can be commandeered for various activities.
On Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, it’s in the ship’s forward faux funnel. On Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, the room is designed to look like an old ship’s boiler room. On Disney Wish, the space is inspired by a New York City loft, complete with a faux grass picnic area.
Scheduled events might include karaoke, improv class, trivia games, foosball or video game challenges, crafts, scavenger hunts, and parties with photo booths and dancing.
The teen club Vibe is even more laid-back with spaces for teens to chill out. They also offer group activities led by cool counselors. Of course, kids can lounge about and chat with new friends, play video games and watch movies, or sunbathe on ships where Vibe has its own outdoor sun deck.
Scheduled activities might include movie making, a shipwide game of Gotcha, karaoke competitions, talent shows and group games.
On Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, Vibe has a secret entrance off the ship’s promenade deck, a high-tech media room, a central pit for group gatherings, and a sun deck with a hot tub and plunge pool. On Disney Wonder and Disney Magic, the teens get the faux funnel space with an industrial vibe and multiple TVs for gaming and movies. On Disney Wish, Vibe is inspired by an artist’s loft in Paris, with floor-to-ceiling windows.
Related: The 5 best cruises for teens
That sounds cool. Can adults go into the kids club on Disney cruises?
Yes, but not when drop-off kid programming is going on.
Disney Cruise Line ships schedule open houses in the different kids and teens clubs each day. During this time, anyone — adult or kid — can come and try out the kids club features. That means adults can fly the Millennium Falcon or play video games, toddlers can crawl around Andy’s room with their caregivers and younger kids can check out the hip teen spaces.
Usually, when the Disney Oceaneer Club or Lab is having an open house, there will be drop-off programming in the other space.
Additionally, Disney Wish is the first ship to have a hangout for young adults ages 18 to 20. Newly minted adults can hang out in The Hideaway, which features a dance floor and DJ booth, as well as lounge space.
How do I use the It’s a Small World Nursery on a Disney cruise?
Families with children ages 6 months to 3 years can drop off their children for highly supervised playtime at the It’s a Small World Nursery. Unlike the other kids clubs on board, the nursery is not free. Families will pay $9 per child, per hour ($8 for each additional child in the same family).
The nursery is also not a drop-in-at-will space. Parents must sign up for hour-long slots in advance. You can book up to 10 hours per child before your cruise and add or adjust hours once on board. The advice is to prebook the most important spots, such as when the adults have booked a special meal, spa treatment or shore excursion.
At the nursery, kids can play with age-appropriate toys, watch movies and cartoons, and listen to stories. Cribs are available for nap time in a quiet room separate from the playroom.
Parents and caregivers dropping off their children may send them with baby food and formula or milk; diapers, wipes and pull-ups; a change of clothes; blanket and/or pacifier.
Children with special needs are welcome at the nursery.
Related: Cruising with kids: 10 mom-tested tips for smooth sailing
What time do the kids clubs open on Disney Cruises?
Typically, the kids clubs open at 9 a.m. (or whenever the ship arrives in port) and close at midnight. Edge and Vibe’s open hours vary but often run from 10 a.m. until 1 a.m.
Are Disney cruise kids clubs free? How much does Disney cruise daycare cost?
Disney cruise kids clubs are free to use throughout the day and evening. Unlike other other cruise lines, the late-night open hours do not incur a fee.
The exception is the It’s a Small World Nursery, which charges by the hour. The fee is $9 per child per hour ($8 for each additional child within the same family). You can cancel up to four hours before your reservation time with no penalty. If you cancel after that time, you’ll have to pay half the fee. No-shows must pay the total amount.
Related: How to save money on a Disney cruise
What else does Disney Cruise Line offer families with children?
Kid-friendly activities do not just take place in the Disney cruise kids clubs. Disney Cruise Line ships offer a huge array of events and attractions for young cruisers.
All ships have pools, splash areas and waterslides or rides, as well as movies both on the pool deck and in a dedicated theater. Activities for the whole family take place in the D Lounge and might include games shows, trivia, crafts and karaoke.
Disney’s Broadway-style shows and evening deck parties are designed with kids in mind. Kids can meet and pose with photos with their favorite characters and princesses, or join them for dance parties. For a fee, children can get princess and pirate makeovers in the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or attend a tea party with princess hostesses.
Bottom line: Disney cruise kids club
Whether your kids are 6 months, 6 years or 16 years, they will find something to love about the kids clubs on Disney Cruise Line ships. Your child might beg to stay in the Disney cruise kids clubs all day or just attend for specific activities. Still, your entire family will always find a ton of activities to keep them busy and happy from sunrise to bedtime on a Disney cruise vacation.
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