Packing for a Disney Cruise? These New Rules Could Affect What You Bring On Board

If you have a Disney cruise on your calendar, it may be worth taking a few extra minutes to review the latest policies before you start packing.

Disney Cruise Line has updated several of their onboard guidelines, and some of the changes involve items most of us bring along on every cruise. 

From stateroom decorations to selfie sticks and wine allowances, a few familiar cruise habits may now look a little bit different.

Disney Cruise Door Decorations Are Getting New Limits

One of the most noticeable updates affects a long-standing Disney cruise tradition. Guests like to decorate their stateroom doors with magnets, signs, fish extenders, and personalized decorations to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, family reunions, and first cruises. 

Under the updated rules, however, Disney cruise door decorations are now limited to the stateroom door itself. Decorations may no longer extend onto corridor walls or ceilings. 

Disney also continues to prohibit tape, glue, gel adhesives, and over-the-door hanging organizers that could damage ship property. Sound and video elements aren’t permitted, either, and anyone who damages their door may face a $100 repair fee.

The good news is that door magnets are still welcome. You just can’t turn the entire hallway into your personal scrapbook anymore.

Disney Cruise Selfie Stick Rules Have Changed

Another update involves photography equipment. Under the revised Disney cruise selfie stick rules, guests can bring selfie sticks, extension poles, and tripods on board, as long as they measure less than 18 inches when folded. 

Equipment that exceeds that size may still be brought on the ship, but it must be stored in your stateroom and can generally only be used while ashore in port.

If you’re hoping to fit everyone into a castle-themed vacation photo, that's a helpful clarification. It also provides clearer guidance for content creators and photographers who regularly travel with camera equipment.

The Disney Cruise Wine Policy Is Officially Different

The biggest change for adults may involve what they're allowed to bring on board. According to the updated Disney cruise wine policy, guests who are 21 and older may now bring a maximum of one unopened bottle of wine or sparkling wine, up to 750 milliliters, or six beers at the start of the voyage.

And that bottle must be packed in your carry-on luggage, rather than your checked baggage.

Disney's policy also states that any wine beyond the one-bottle limit is prohibited and must be discarded before you board. That's a notable change for repeat cruisers who may have the previous two-bottle allowance in mind.

Guests who bring their own wine into a dining room will also be charged a $20 corkage fee per bottle.

A Reminder About Alcohol Purchased in Port

This is another rule that might surprise first-time cruisers. Again, according to Disney's FAQs, any alcohol purchased during a port stop, including wine, beer, liquor, or spirits, will be collected and stored by the ship until the cruise ends.

In other words, that bottle of wine you find in Barcelona or that specialty rum you pick up in the Caribbean won't be coming back to your stateroom that evening.

Disney will return those purchases at the end of your trip.

A Quick Packing Check Before You Set Sail

Most of these Disney cruise policy changes aren't dramatic enough to change your vacation plans. But, they’re the sort of details that can create surprises as you’re embarking if you haven't checked the latest guidance.

The updated Disney Cruise Line rules still allow everyone to personalize their doors, bring photography equipment, and enjoy their favorite bottle of wine. 

You'll just want to make sure everything fits within the new limits before you head for the port. A few minutes spent checking the rules at home is a lot easier than reorganizing your luggage at the cruise terminal.

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