Welcome to planDisney, Leon! I love surprises, so I'm happy to help you get started with your planning. Your secret is safe with me!
Very Merrytime sailings on Disney Cruise Line are popular, so first things first. If you have your dates selected based on the school schedule, then you need to decide how many nights you want to cruise and the port you want to leave from. For the
2024 Holiday season, the shortest itineraries are 3-Night Bahamian Cruises from Port Canaveral on the
Disney Wish. The longest itineraries are 7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruises and 7-Night Western Caribbean Cruises, both from Port Canaveral on the
Disney Fantasy. There are also 4-Night, 5-Night, and 6-Night itineraries either leaving from Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, or Galveston, TX. All of the ships will have
Youth Activities for kids. Take a look at all of these options to see what will fit with the school calendar.
You will also need to decide on the type of stateroom you want to book:
Inside, Oceanview, Verandah, or Concierge. They each have capacity limits, so the type of stateroom you can book will depend on the number in your traveling party.
You can book a sailing yourself on the Disney Cruise Line website,
call Disney Cruise Line directly and a reservation specialist will help, or use an Authorized Disney Travel Agent to make your plans. Since it is your first time cruising, I think it would be easier to have someone walk alongside you during this process, so calling Disney Cruise Line or using a travel agent to book your cruise would be my top 2 suggestions.
One of the great things about Disney Cruise Line is the
flexible payment program. You can place a hold on a cruise for up to 3 days and then place a deposit with as little as 20% down. At that point, you are free to make payments when you want, for however much you want, up until the final payment due date. There are also some
special offers that you could be eligible for as well.
Leon, I know this is a lot to think about, but you have a friend in me. You have made a great first step to planning a great surprise, and my
planDisney pals and I are happy to answer any other questions you may have.
Happy Planning!
JoVonn