Disney Cruise Line: Kids Clubs

Click here for Disney's Magic Kid's Clubs Image gallery.

The Disney Magic has 3 clubs for kids, the Oceaneers Club, Oceaneers Lab, and Ocean Quest. They are all designed for the different age groups. The youngest club is the Oceaneer club and is for children 3-7. It has a stage for performances, a pirate ship for them to climb up and slide down, and also a computer room. The next club, called the Oceaneer Lab, is also on the same level of the ship and is for children ages 8 to 12. It is has computers and TV’s, video games, and lots of hands-on activities. The last club is the Ocean Quest for children 11 to 13 and is on a different floor. Geared for young teenagers, Ocean Quest offers a lot of computer and video games and activities for that age group. The Ocean Quest also includes a replica of the ships bridge so they can play captain.

Children are required to be signed in by a parent, and prior to the first visit parents must complete paperwork and other forms. When you register your child, Disney cast members issue the parents a pager so the kids can communicate with the parents when necessary. They give each child a wristband with their information to help the counselors. They encourage the child to keep the wristband on for the duration of the cruise in case the child becomes lost on the ship – the wristbands can help cast members locate parents.

The kids club has various activities held in the club and also at various locations on the cruise ship. The schedule is posted daily and is also on the daily navigator (the newsletter Disney publishes each day listing all shipboard activities). There are times when you are not able to check your child in during a transition from one activity location to another.

Overall, the Kids Club cast members were very helpful and accommodating to our son. We explained his needs and what he was capable of doing – what he liked and disliked, etc. For example, he would not wear the wristband so we would place his wristband daily on the back of pants (linked to a belt loop). The computer system would also keep notes on him for other staff members. He has a younger sister and we asked to keep them both together, even though our son was in the next age range up. We also realized that he preferred the younger club, so we talked with the counselors and allowed him to be in that one instead of his age group. To make this successful, communication is really important with the club staff so they can work with you on the right placement and activities for your child. They are really accommodating as much as they can be.

Something else you can do is to stop by the Kids Club as soon as you board the cruise ship to complete the paperwork. The place is not open for activities, but the counselors do allow the child to explore while you are fill out paperwork and speak with the counselors. The kid’s club staff during our cruise were wonderful with our son – our experience in the club was one of nicest things about the cruise. So much so that our non-verbal child knew how to say the word “club” after just a day or two, indicating his desire to go back and play.