10 Questions to Ask When Choosing Excursions for Your Disney Cruise

One of the most asked questions by Disney cruisers is which excursion they should book. In a short blog post, and without knowing your party makeup, likes, and dislikes, I can’t answer that! But I can give you some questions you should be asking to narrow it down. Here they are!

1. How Long Is It? – The length of the excursion may tell you right away if it’s something you’re interested in. If you want time to shop in port by yourself or relax on the ship, a 7-hour excursion likely isn’t going to give you that, no matter how long you’re docked. There’s nothing wrong with a 7-hour excursion, and sometimes that’s exactly what you want! So, make sure you check and make your decision accordingly.

2. What is the Transfer Time? – The transfer time is another important decision factor. Some wonderful excursions are a long way from where the ship docks. No matter how wonderful it is, if sitting in a bus for two hours (maybe each way) is going to ruin your day, choose something else.

3. What is the Activity Level? – Disney categorizes their excursions by activity levels of mild, moderate, or athletic. Make sure you check that! Don’t book grandmom and her walker on an athletic excursion.

4. Are There Any Age Restrictions? – Disney excursions have a minimum age. Sometimes the minimum age is 0, and all are welcome. Many others will have a more substantial minimum age. Not all excursions are made for everyone. When you’re getting ready to book, make sure to check that while making plans.

5. Are There Any Weight Restrictions? – Some excursions have a weight restriction. Check the Know Before You Go section on the excursion page. These weight restrictions are safety issues and are taken very seriously. All guests will be weighed before the excursion begins.

6. Is It Something You Can Do at Home? – If I live in a state where ziplines abound, I probably won’t book a cruise excursion to do them. In the same way, if I live in Hawaii with beautiful beaches, I may not be overly excited about spending money to go to a beach.

7. Will My Kids Be Bored? – A day of museums and tours may sound wonderful to you! Will it sound wonderful to your kids? It’s going to be much harder for you to enjoy yourself if the kids are miserable.

8. Does It Include Food or Drinks? – This is one of the first things I check! I know how long I can go without food without getting cranky. If it’s not included or there is no way to purchase it, I choose something else.

9. What can I bring? – Can you bring a stroller? How about a big camera? Check the list of what is allowed and prohibited, and make sure it will align with your plans for the day.

10. Am I Doing the Same Thing Multiple Days in a Row? – I like to vary it up when I’m on a cruise, and not do the same thing every day. Even the most beautiful beaches can start to look the same at some point!

I’ve found that most of the time when someone is disappointed with an excursion, it’s because they didn’t fully understand what they were getting. Make sure you read the details and descriptions very, very carefully!

Do you have any advice for choosing excursions?