What Not To Pack on a Disney Cruise

Last Updated on February 6, 2020

There is so much advice about what to pack on a Disney cruise that you may have missed the fact that some items are prohibited.

According to Disney Cruise Line, If found, the items listed, and anything similar will be held in storage for the duration of the cruise. When I hear words like “and anything similar”, I think of things like “at the discretion of the staff”. This is the type of situation you don’t want to be in. If you see anything listed here that you believe you NEED to take with you and CAN’T be purchased or provided on board, please call at (800) 951-3532 for clarification.

Prohibited to bring on board

Over the Door Hanging Organizers

Once upon a time, it was recommended (by peers) that guests bring over the door hanging organizers for their toiletry bags, swimsuits, shoes, and overall organization needs. Due to the hooks on the organizer’s damaging doors and walls on the ship Disney Cruise banned over the door hanging organizers.

However, you can increase the storage capacity in your Disney cruise stateroom without violating the rules. Packing Cubes are one of the best things you can buy to make packing and travel easier.

For more organizational tips, check out this friendly guide; Best Packing Tips More Organized + Less Stressed

Extension Cords or Surge Protectors

The problem is that there aren’t that many outlets on all the Disney cruise ships, even after all the dry dock improvements. Between my tablet, laptop, cell phone, his tablet and cell phone, camera equipment and anything else we can think of, there just aren’t enough outlets in a single room.

The solution? We have this 4-Port USB Wall Charger. It is great because you can charge up to 4 devices at a time just using one wall socket. But don’t leave anything plugged in while you are not in the room. They don’t even suggest leaving them plugged overnight but so far, this is only a suggestion and not a rule.

Electrical Appliances

Electrical appliances such as rice cookers, hot plates, coffee makers, blenders, electric irons, electric blankets, heating pads, bottle sterilizers and warmers. DVD, VCR, Blu-ray players and Gaming systems.

While I have never been tempted to bring any of these appliances on board with me, I have heard of others asking if they can and why they can’t. I guess they want to cook their own meals? All of these items pose a potential fire hazard, should something go wrong with the electrical outlets.

“Cruise ships are self-contained cities in-and-of-themselves, which makes the situation very dangerous when a fire breaks out at sea. Passengers may have limited options to escape from a fire and loading hundreds or thousands of passengers onto lifeboats to leave a ship is impractical when a fire breaks out.” – Lipcon

There are a limited number of approved bottle warmers and bottle sterilizers are available upon request through Guest Services and irons are available at the laundry rooms.

Weapons

Firearms, ammunition, knives (including dive knives), swords, daggers and any other types of weapons

Thankfully, Disney does not allow weapons of any kind on board. Political opinions aside, I don’t see a need in a confined space, in the middle of the Gulf.

On the other hand, Disney Cruise Line also does not allow weapon-like toys either. Replicas that could be mistaken for weapons, even from a distance, as not allowed. Swiss Army Knives are considered knives (for obvious reasons) and will also not be allowed past security.

Certain types of Medications

Non-prescribed controlled substances, illegal drugs, medically prescribed and synthetic marijuana

But why doesn’t Disney allow medical marijuana on board cruise ships? There are rumours that this law applies because the ships are registered in the Bahamas, which have very strict laws regarding marijuana, and where medical marijuana is not legal. Know that the ship, as a foreign flag vessel, is governed by the laws of the flag state, the Bahamas, not the US, and even while in a US port, US law in many cases takes a back seat to flag state law while onboard.

Sports and Scuba equipment 

Masks and snorkels are allowed, as are Golf clubs, as long as they are stored inside your stateroom.

Prohibited items include tanks, spears, spear guns, slings, dive knives, pry bars, and underwater scooters. Potentially dangerous sporting equipment, including baseball and cricket bats, hockey and lacrosse sticks, pool cues, ski poles, fishing gear, and archery equipment are also prohibited.

Toys and Things on Wheels

Bicycles, scooters, skateboards, hoverboards, inline & roller skates, any footwear with wheels (i.e. Heely’s type shoes) and Segways, or other wheeled mobility devices with less than 3 wheels and devices that cannot maintain stability and balance when stopped, unpowered or unoccupied. Training wheels or similar modifications are not permitted.

There is so much to do on board, that one doesn’t need to bring a whole lot to entertain the children or the young at heart. As you can see, strollers and mobility devices are allowed, as long as they meet the criteria mentioned above.

Pets

While we would all love to bring our beloved pets with us on vacation, this is simply not possible with Disney Cruise Line. The allergies, clean up, and rooms taken away from human guests would be a logistical nightmare.

Other Random Things

Don’t bring Musical Instruments, Metal Detectors, Drones, Candles, homemade, precooked or perishable foods or open food containers, or Flammable Liquids.

I love scented candles as much as the next girl, and homemade cookies during vacation really hit the spot, but those will have to be eaten before boarding the ship (oh no, that sounds horrible). Being in such tight quarters, anything can happen and Disney Cruise Line doesn’t want foreign contaminants if they can help it.

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