Ahoy there, Cecilia! Welcome aboard, planDisney!
I’m happy to answer this question for you, as I also have experience taking an almost 3-year-old on a Disney cruise. In fact, I had planned a cruise to celebrate my daughter’s third birthday, and we actually boarded the day before she turned 3!
From my own experience, I can tell you that, no, your daughter
will not be able to enter Disney’s Oceaneer Club during operating hours, until she is exactly 3 years old. My daughter had to wait until she turned 3, the next day, to join. So on the first night of our sailing, when she was technically still 2 years old, she could not enter during operating hours.
I know that’s probably not what you were hoping to find out for your cruise. However, it's not a “maturity” issue, as your daughter sounds very mature! (Side note: congrats on nailing down that potty training, because, from experience, that is a HUGE parenting milestone!) Disney Cruise Line has these
regulations in place for the utmost safety of our kids, and that’s their priority, always. Never fear, however, as there is SO MUCH FUN to be had for her, including in
Disney’s Oceaneer Club with her cousins!
While she can’t enter alone during operating hours, she can enter during
Youth Activities Open House hours with you! During these hours, she can play with her cousins and enjoy all that Disney’s Oceaneer Club has to offer, including the activities and Character Experiences during that time! There are multiple Youth Activities Open House hours offered each day at Disney’s Oceaneer Club. You can find them for each day of your cruise on the Daily Schedule of the
Disney Cruise Line Navigator App. I also suggest visiting Disney’s Oceaneer Club during Toddler Time, which will also be in the Daily Schedule, where there are activities geared just for toddlers, preschoolers, and their families.
She also has many other
fun activity options onboard! She can visit
“it’s a small world” nursery!, for a fee, to play with kids her own age. There are many Character Experiences, as well as splash areas and pools, that she and her cousins would have a blast splashing around together in! My kids always loved watching evening shows in the
Walt Disney Theater with their cousins, and believe it or not, they’re so entertaining that even as preschoolers, they loved sitting through them! Plus, add in the unlimited soft-serve ice cream and Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars that she can order both at dinner and through Room Service, and she’s sure to be a happy cruiser!
Cecilia, I don’t doubt that your daughter is going to have a wonderful cruise, from one mom of a former toddler who would beg me to sail aboard Disney Cruise Line as often as we could, even when she was just 2-years-old. I wish you both the most magical memories together, and please sail back to planDisney if you have any more questions.
Bon Voyage,
Rana