Ahoy there, Lisa! Welcome to planDisney!
I love that your daughter is into horseback riding and has been taking lessons! I’m sure this helps round out some pretty awesome experiences! One of my favorite things about Disney Cruise Line is how many of my kids' favorite activities at home carry over onto our cruise. For example, during a period when my kids were taking cooking classes, we sailed on board the
Disney Fantasy, where they took a cooking class on pie making, taught by none other than Chef Remy! It sure made for a great memory!
Like many of the activities they’ve taken part in over the years, they've had to wait until the appropriate age outlined by Disney Cruise Line to participate. This has held for many activities, including any
Port Adventures we've wanted to participate in.
While your daughter is just shy of turning 12, and is an experienced horseback rider, unfortunately, she won’t be able to participate in the
horseback riding Port Adventure if she’s not officially 12 by that day. In fact, you probably won’t even be able to register her for it in the “My Plans” section of the
Disney Cruise Line Navigator App until she’s 12 years old, as age is a primary identifier for registering guests for activities. This is for safety guidelines, as Disney Cruise Line works closely with the Port Adventure vendors at each Port of Call.
If it helps, I have personal experience with watching my kids grow to take part in certain activities on board. In my experience, it makes the day they can finally take part much more celebratory! On one particular cruise, after being too young to visit
Disney’s Oceaneer Club, and watching her older sister go in cruise after cruise, we boarded when my daughter was 2 years old, just ONE DAY shy of turning three—and she was still unable to visit Disney’s Oceaneer Club that day. The very next day, on her third birthday, she was SO excited to wake up and run over there! Seeing her reaction that day made waiting for her to finally turn 3 years old an absolute core memory, and I was so glad we waited till that cruise! All this to say, that sometimes the very best activities are worth waiting for!
In the meantime, if your daughter loves other animals, I suggest finding a Port Adventure with an animal encounter. There are plenty to choose from at the Ports of Call that you’re visiting! My daughters are now about the same age as yours, and when choosing a Port Adventure, I like to pick out a few to start with (mom's guidance in the right direction) and then have them choose the eventual one that we do together. I find that this helps keep them involved, while simultaneously getting them excited for our upcoming Disney cruise adventure! As for a horse-related activity, you could watch
Zootopia 2 together in the movie theaters on board, as a horse is a character (and one of my favorites), or in the comfort of your stateroom with late-night cookies and milk ordered from
Room Service!
Lisa, I hope I offered alternatives for great adventures ahead. I wish you and your daughter the most beautiful memories together. Please sail back to planDisney if you have any more questions.
You’ve Got a Friend in Me,
Rana