Hello!! We are a family of 6 (2 adults and 4 ... | planDisney (2024)

Ahoy there to our northern neighbors, Anne-Marie! Thank you for sailing our way here at planDisney with your question about your crew!

I come from a family of six, so I know all-too-well about how that can complicate sleeping arrangements on some vacations. On more than one occasion, I was known to take all the extra blankets and sleep in the tub on road trips - more comfortable than some of those rollaway beds though...BUT we're not talking about road trips, we're talking about the luxurious staterooms on the Disney Cruise Line fleet!

Currently, there are only a few stateroom categories that sleep six to eight castaways in a single stateroom. Among them are theConcierge 2-Bedroom Suite with Verandah on the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder as well as the Concierge 1- and 2-Level Royal Suite with Verandah options on the highly-anticipated Disney Wish. Oh, and who can forget the Moana-inspired Concierge Wish Tower Suite...I mean, it may be inspired by Moana, but like our friends at the Snuggly Duckling say, "I've got a dream," right?

While all those options certainly would allow your crew to stay all in one stateroom, they may or may not satisfy the second part of your question on how not to break the bank. My best suggestion, in this case, would be to look for and compare the cost of adjoining staterooms! There are numerous sets of staterooms aboard each ship that contain what I've always called "the extra special doors" that turn staterooms that usually sleep 3-4 into double staterooms that sleep 6-8 with their fold-down beds and upper berths that lower from the ceiling in most!

You can find these rooms on the deck plans of whichever ship you are considering indicated by what looks like open doors on a shared wall between staterooms. You'll find that all the ships have adjoining staterooms across nearly all category types, including staterooms with verandahs! Once you find where you'd prefer to call home on the ships, you can compare pricing on adjoining staterooms and the suites to see what works best for your budget!

My wife and I spent our early years together with the benefit of only traveling with a party of two most cruises, but that doesn't mean we are any less budget-conscious! Now that we've welcomed our own little Jack-Jack, we know it can sometimes feel like an incredible task to take a Disney Cruise Line vacation on a budget, but we've found a few things that could help make the magic work for your party:

• Be as flexible as Elastigirl: Try to stay open to sailing at a different time of year and on a different deck than you may have originally thought. We tend to sail in January and November before the holidays and notice we have been able to find great rates at non-peak times like school breaks.
• Book as far on the horizon as you can: Rates are often the absolute best they can be right as itineraries are announced.
• Consider Inside staterooms: I know they're not for everyone, but we LOVE inside staterooms. they stay super dark at night for sound sleeping, and we've found them to be quieter and less affected by the ships' motion in many cases! Ooh, and on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, two words: Magical Porthole!

Anne-Marie, I hope that gives you a clear heading on which direction to sail toward as you continue planning. If I can be of any other help, you can always drop me a line!

I wish you fair winds, following seas and happy planning!

Andrew