Ahoy, Carole! Welcome to planDisney and thanks for sailing over with your Disney Cruise Line question. I know you must be incredibly excited to step onboard the
Disney Fantasy in a matter of months, so let’s get you ready for your very first sailing where magic meets the sea.
Prior to embarkation, you will be given the opportunity to purchase a
DisneyBand+ directly from Disney Cruise Line for everyone on your reservation to use onboard. However, DisneyBand+ has the same functionality as the MagicBand+ used at some other Disney destinations, including the
Walt Disney World Resort and the
Disneyland Resort. It can be confusing because of the different names, but all of the bands in this generation are capable of doing basically the same thing. Therefore, if the members of your party already have their own MagicBand+ that they use in the theme parks, then you should definitely pack them for your cruise.
In many ways, if you are familiar with using your bands in the parks, then you will already know how to use them at sea. You can use your DisneyBand+ or MagicBand+ to board the ship on embarkation day, for getting on and off the ship as you visit different ports of call, as a room key for your stateroom, and to charge any onboard purchases to your stateroom folio. You certainly do not have to use the bands because Disney Cruise Line still provides all guests with a Key to the World Card once onboard that can be used for all of those things, but I have personally found that the bands are much more convenient. Additionally, just like in the parks, the bands are designed to sync with certain entertainment offerings onboard to add some extra pixie dust. Just be sure to pack your MagicBand+ chargers to make sure you get the full experience for your entire sailing.
I can’t wait for you to experience the magic of Disney in a whole new way as you explore everything that the Disney Fantasy has to offer. Be sure to check out the
Midship Detective Agency, which allows guests of all ages to see some of the artwork come to life in an interactive game that takes you to places all over the ship.
I’m sure you will have a lot of other questions as you get ready to sail in November, so feel free to reach back out to planDisney any time. Happy sailing!
Catherine