I spend an unreasonable amount of time on the Disney Cruise Line website, so I was surprised recently when I found a resource I’d never seen before.  Disney has a downloadable PDF called My Disney Cruise Adventure.  It’s perfect to help you get your child ready, particularly if he or she hasn’t cruised before.  It may also serve somewhat like a social story for guests with autism spectrum disorder or others who do best when they know what to expect.

What’s in there?

The book starts with preparing for the trip and goes all the way to disembarkation at the end of the trip.  There are pictures and illustrations throughout.  There are things for kids to fill in like how they will get to the port and their favorite activities on the cruise.  It has lots of very practical information like how to go through security at the port and how to use the toilets on board.  There are also special tips for parents in it as well.

How to use it.

I would totally have used this resource if I’d known about it before our first trip.  It’s a 30 page document with a landscape orientation.  You could easily put the book together in a binder using page protectors. Just stapling the corner to make a packet would also work.  Some parts of the book can be filled out and read before the trip. Other pages are made to be filled out while onboard such as the names of your servers at dinner.  There are even coloring pages and a page for collecting character autographs. 

After the trip is over, the booklet makes a great keepsake. You could help your child add a few keepsakes (free postcards in the stateroom desk, for example) and a few photos to make an easy scrapbook.

To get the downloadable My Disney Cruise Adventure PDF go to the Traveling with Little Ones page on the Disney Cruise Line website. Scroll to the bottom where you will see My Disney Cruise Adventure Booklet. 

Have you used this resource?  Please be sure to scroll down to leave a question or comment below.

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