Hi, Amy!
How exciting that you’re planning a Disney Cruise with a large group! My family did something similar on the Disney Magic in the summer of 2024, with some of us sailing
Concierge Level while others did not. It worked out beautifully, and I’m happy to share what I learned!
The good news is that you can absolutely enjoy your Concierge benefits while still spending plenty of time with your friends and family. There’s no separate dining for Concierge guests, so as long as your reservations are linked, you’ll all be seated together at dinner.
One of my favorite Concierge perks was priority boarding. You’ll check in separately from your group and board before general guests, and there’s an optional Concierge-exclusive lunch when you arrive. If you’d like, you can attend that and then plan to meet your group at the pool afterward. At the end of the cruise, priority walk-off makes disembarkation super smooth, which was a big plus.
The biggest advantage of sailing Concierge is the early booking window. You can start making requests 130 days before sailing and the
Shoreside Concierge team books everything for you. This is especially valuable if you’re hoping to snag a private cabana at
Castaway Cay or
Lighthouse Point. We were able to get a Grand Cabana for our group, and it was an incredible experience! If your friends’ reservations are fully paid by the time your booking window opens, you can also book adult dining like
Palo or
Remy for your party as long as you're all dining together.
Spending time in the Concierge Lounge was one of the best parts of the experience. I loved stopping by for specialty coffees and chatting with the hosts in the morning, and the evening happy hour was a great perk. If you go, you can always meet your group in the dining room afterward. Concierge guests also get reserved seating in
The Walt Disney Theatre for shows, but you’re not required to use it. We loved grabbing the complimentary popcorn from the lounge and sharing it with our friends during the shows—a fun little extra touch!
Aside from the exclusive Concierge Lounge, there’s no difference in the overall cruise experience, so you’ll still be able to enjoy all the onboard entertainment, activities, and dining with your group. It helps to set expectations ahead of time, like letting them know you’ll be spending a little time in the lounge before dinner but will meet them at the restaurant. They’ll probably appreciate some downtime, too!
Sailing Concierge was such a wonderful experience, and it blended seamlessly with our larger group. My biggest tip? Take advantage of the benefits while making time for your friends and family. It’s the best of both worlds!
Hope this helps, Amy, and wishing you an absolutely magical cruise!
Eean