Welcome aboard, Christine! Congratulations on booking your second cruise with Disney! Since you've already sailed with Captain Mickey once, you know that there is so much magic in store for your whole family on your vacation this year!
Disney Cruise Line's Port Adventures have firm age requirements, and unfortunately, exceptions are not made. In fact, when you go to book your adventures online, the system won't allow you to add your 11-year old to an adventure that requires a minimum age of 12. I understand that can be frustrating sometimes when your child is physically the size of an older child. My son is really tall for his age, and since he's my daredevil, this is great when he's tall enough to go on certain thrill ride attractions at Walt Disney World, (this kid was three years old and dragged ME kicking and screaming on the Tower of Terror! He loved it. Me, not so much!), or the big slides on the ships. But, it is hard when he can't participate in certain Port Adventures that I know he'd love, just because he is a few months shy of the cutoff. Disney works with wonderful teams in each port to ensure the most fabulous Port Adventures for their guests, and safety is always a top concern, and age plays into that. So, we understand, and have always been able to find alternate Port Adventures that we can enjoy together.
The good news, though, is that there are plenty of other amazing
Port Adventure options for the whole family to enjoy, so I hope you're able to find the one that is best for your whole family. Have fun as you continue planning your cruise, Christine! You're really going to enjoy your
Very Merrytime Cruise with Disney this winter!