Welcome to planDisney, Johanna! We’re so glad you sailed by with your question. Planning a Disney Cruise Line vacation is such an exciting time, and I completely understand wanting your children to feel comfortable!
On our family’s first cruise aboard the Disney Dream, my three boys were a little hesitant to try the youth spaces at first. But by the end of the trip, it was tough to get them to leave! When their ages overlapped, they could spend more time together in the same clubs, which definitely made things easier. As they got older, they started enjoying having their own spaces and meeting new friends, too.
Disney Cruise Line offers different youth spaces for specific age ranges:
•
Disney’s Oceaneer Club and
Oceaneer Lab – Ages 3–10 (potty trained)
•
Edge – Ages 11–14
•
Vibe – Ages 14–17
Since your oldest is 11, she would be in Edge, while your younger child would enjoy the Oceaneer Club/Lab. While there are sometimes exceptions, such as if a child is close to the next age group, parents can sign a waiver allowing them to “age up” into an older space, Disney doesn't makes exceptions for a child to “age down” into a younger club. Unfortunately, that means your 11-year-old would not be able to join her sibling in the Oceaneer Club/Lab during secured programming.
That said, I definitely recommend dropping by the clubs on embarkation day for Open House hours. During these times, all ages (including parents) can explore the clubs together, enjoy activities, and get comfortable with the spaces. It’s a great chance for your children to experience the Oceaneer Club/Lab and Edge side-by-side before joining their own age groups. You can find these times listed in the
Disney Cruise Line Navigator App once onboard.
One more tip that helped my kids, is if your 11-year-old is heading to Edge, try encouraging her to go the first night after dinner. This is when they often do icebreaker games, which makes it easier for kids to meet others right away and start building friendships that last the whole cruise. I know it can be nerve-wracking for kids to branch out, but from experience, I’ve seen how quickly they can warm up once they meet the amazing Youth Counselors and join in the fun. Before you know it, you might be reminding them to come back for dinner!
Wishing you and your family a magical cruise, Johanna!
Sea ya real soon,
Eean