Welcome aboard, Amy! Pretty soon you'll be off on your high seas adventure with Disney Cruise Line!
My first "to-do's" when online check-in opens are always the
Adult Exclusive Dining and the Special Character Events. Since you mentioned that you're not as much interested in dining at Palo or Remy, I'd suggest you check out the Character Greetings first. There are
Character Meet and Greets every day with lots of your favorite Disney friends that don't require any advanced reservations. However, there are a few special events with Disney characters that do require an advanced ticket, so you'll want to book one of those as soon as you can since space is limited. My daughter has always loved the Princess Gathering when four or five of her favorite Disney princesses are all in the atrium to meet with cruisers, sign autographs, and take photos. How sweet to meet each one down the line! And then there is the Frozen event with Anna and Elsa! It's extremely popular, so if you can score a ticket during online check-in, grab it! You'll also not want to miss booking a magical Character Breakfast, if it's offered on your sailing (7 nights or longer).
While you're completing your check in, even though you said you're not as interested in
Port Adventures, I'd encourage you to at least check out the variety of exciting options that are offered in each port, as Disney really has some great adventures! In fact, you can browse those now, just in case you do see one that you would like to book, so you'll be ready to do so when your check-in time opens.
Please stop back again as you get closer to your sailing if you have any other questions. We are happy to help, Amy!
Marcy