Hi Ben,
Welcome to planDisney and thank you so much for asking us a question. You must be so excited that your Disney Cruise Line vacation is only a few short weeks away – I know I would be!
Disney Cruise Line recently updated the age ranges for the Kids Clubs on board its ships. While previously, cruisers up to the age of 12 could enjoy
Disney’s Oceaneer’s Club,
Disney’s Oceaneer Lab, these areas are now limited to kids 3 to 10 years of age. Your daughter will be able to enjoy the Lab until her birthday, and then she’ll be able to visit during Open House hours.
That said, I do have a potential solution for you and for her. During our last cruise my son was 10 years old and he was allowed to enjoy
Edge, provided I signed a waiver for him and that I was comfortable with him checking himself in and out of that club. It actually worked out really well for him because he found a group of slightly older kiddos and they had a blast together during the cruise.
Tip: The
Disney Cruise Line Navigator App allows you to communicate via text message with other Guests for free via the ship’s WiFi. I brought an old mobile phone with us that was compatible with the app and my son was able to use that to communicate with us onboard. The rule was that, if he switched locations with his friends, he HAD to text us or else he would need to go everywhere with us from that moment onward. While we do have fun as a family, the threat of forced togetherness was enough to make sure that he was super responsible with his freedom!!
I hope my answer helps you plan the perfect vacation for your family. Please don’t hesitate to come back and see us if you have any other questions.
Have a Magical Day,
Lynne