Ahoy there, Amanda! I’m so glad you sailed by planDisney with this great question. I couldn’t help but notice your cruise is right around the corner! It looks like you’ll be setting sail on the Disney Magic, and I just know you and your crew are going to have a spook-tacular voyage.
You’ll be happy to hear that
Disney Gift Cards are welcome in the onboard shops. Your kids can present their gift cards directly at the registers, which makes it easy for them to shop without linking the cards to your main onboard account. Just make sure to bring the physical gift cards with you, as
they must be purchased prior to sailing. For things like Port Adventures, spa treatments, or specialty dining, those do need to be charged to the onboard account first, but it sounds like your little sailors are mostly thinking about souvenirs, so the gift cards will work perfectly.
Since you mentioned shopping, I'll share a couple of helpful tips from my own sailings. Ship merchandise supplies are a bit more limited than in the parks, so if your children spot something they absolutely love, it’s best not to wait too long before purchasing, because it might not be there later. The two main shops,
Mickey’s Mainsail and
White Caps, tend to be busiest right before and after the evening shows in the Walt Disney Theatre, so if you’d like to avoid the crowds, pop in at another time. And since your sailing falls during
Halloween on the High Seas, you’ll find some frightfully fun holiday-themed merchandise onboard, along with
Pirate Night goodies for your swashbuckling crew.
I hope this helps set your mind at ease, Amanda. Wishing you and your family a magical sailing (and maybe a few treasures tucked into your luggage on the way home)!
Sea ya real soon,
Eean