Ahoy there, Jessica! Thanks so much for sailing back over to planDisney--it's great to see you again. I'm so excited that you'll be celebrating a special birthday on your upcoming voyage with
Disney Cruise Line--what a great way to enjoy this family milestone. Let's chat about how to handle your precious cargo!
I LOVE bringing gifts on our Disney adventures to add a little extra pixie dust, so this question feels very familiar to me! Jessica, all baggage coming onboard one of the DCL ships is carefully screened to ensure a safe sailing for all. While wrapped gifts may pass inspection, there is no guarantee that they will not need to be opened for additional screening. To save you the trouble of pre-wrapping the packages and having to have them opened (thus possibly spoiling a birthday surprise!), I recommend packing the gifts and wrapping paper separately in your checked bags. Personally, I am
terrible at wrapping gifts, so I usually pack some gift bags and tissue paper to make things a little bit easier!
To make your packing lighter, you can also check out the current offerings from
Onboard Gifts. They can deliver everything from personalized cakes to adventure gear directly to your stateroom. There's even an option to have your stateroom decorated for the big day!
Often, we give our daughters a Disney Gift Card for birthdays or other occasions before our next vacation. On Disney Cruise Line, your son will find all sorts of great souvenirs in the onboard shops, and may enjoy having some independence to select something that he really loves!
Jessica, I hope this information is helpful for your planning purposes. I am sure your family is going to have such a wonderful time together on your sailing--it will be here in just a few weeks! If you have any other last-minute questions before your departure, please reach out to our planDisney crew and we'll be happy to help.
Bon Voyage!
Susan