Going on a Disney cruise as an almost 18 year old ended up being a really fun and interesting experience in ways I didn’t expect. It was my first Disney cruise, and the first cruise I’ve had that has lasted so long, so everything from the onboard activities to the cruise lines culture was completely new to me.

Being one of the older teens gave me a unique perspective, and I got to experience the ship in my own way, figuring out what I loved, what I didn’t and what I’d do again. This is my honest, teen perspective look at life on a Disney cruise and how I made the most of it.

Vibe Disney Cruise

Vibe is one of the teen clubs on the Disney ship. Vibe is for the 14-17 age group, so it’s for the older kids. Edge is for 11-14 year olds, so the younger kids / tweens go there. Although, fourteen year olds can go to either or.

Vibe has a ton of fun fun activities that happen throughout the weeks. In my case, the two weeks across the pacific until the Disney cruise ended in Australia. There’s a lot more things teens can do than I expected on the Disney cruise line ship, and a lot of them I had absolutely no idea about prior to arriving.

Boat Building In VIBE

Another activity on the cruise ship was boat building, which I also had no idea about beforehand. Edge, VIBE, Oceaneer’s Club, and basically every youth space on the ship can compete. As well as every room on the ship, so my family could have made a boat for the competition but we didn’t.

We built a boat in Vibe themed after the movie Hercules. Our counselors created the base of the boat and one of the sails, while the rest of us painted it. I made a second sail, created a Pegasus heads out of tape, and added the drawings and words to the sails.

A lot of the teens in Vibe didn’t help with building the boat but still took photos with it once it was finished, acting like they contributed. It honestly felt like a typical group project, but I still had a lot of fun making the boat and really enjoyed the time spent working on it.

There are three different areas / categories you can win in: most creative, most Disney, and most seaworthy. Our Hercules themed boat won most creative and we got to go on stage to hold and show it off! To test seaworthiness, they made big waves in the pool, placed a full can of Sprite inside the boat, and then put it in the water to see if it would float.

Late Night Activities In VIBE

After 8:00, a lot of more variety of activities happen. There’s karaoke, dance parties, game shows in the D lounge, games on the sports deck, heroes VS villains and other stuff like trivia and human battleships. I was surprised that they had so many high energy activities happening so late, but I guess it’s because most people can be busy with family fun during the day vs at night.

Note: Some parents made their teens leave Vibe and go to bed as early as 7 p.m. Most kids ( around 15-20) didn’t start showing up until after 8 p.m, and that’s when most of the counselors were there as well. In my opinion, making your teen go to bed that early on vacation causes them to miss out on a lot of activities and social time, and really limits the fun the teens can have on the ship.

The VIBE Lounge

The lounge in general is really cute and laid back. They have couches and chairs and an outside view of the private outdoor deck that concierge uses. Something to note is that we can see out of it and we can see the people out there.

We saw a few drunk people dancing, a few tiktokers making videos, and people just hanging out. At night people can see in on us too, which led to a funny interaction with this guy dancing at us and a few of the Vibe kids dancing back.

Let’s Talk About The Counselors…

During the cruise had four counselors in VIBE. Due to safety regulations, there always have to be at least two counselors present, so we were never left alone or unsupervised. My counselors were all really sweet, and I genuinely enjoyed talking to them. They were all in their early twenties, which made them easy to relate to and speak with. They made sure that we had good sun protection when we went out to the basketball court / sports deck! If you don’t have the best sun protection/ sunscreen, check out these sunscreens that I love!

They were also great about reminding us to go to dinner, grab lunch, attend shows, and check out events happening around the ship. Late at night, they would even remind us when food spots on deck, like Daisy’s or the ice cream station, were about to close just in case we wanted to grab something before then.

Gotcha: A VIBE Specific Game

Gotcha was something that almost everybody seemed to know about except me, but not because it’s on the app or online, but because a ton of the kids had been on the cruise before. It’s a game played over the course of about four to five days where you go around the ship trying to get selfies with crew members, win games against counselors, eliminate other teens, and get photos with youth leaders. It’s honestly a really smart way to get teens involved and encourage social interaction, because a lot of kids teamed up to hunt down staff together. It definitely helped create new friends, and it was really fun.

There was a point system based on the position of the person you took a photo with and the number of stripes on their shoulders. Everyone also had a code name, and photos of all the players were hung up on a wall with their code names in vibe. Each person was assigned someone to eliminate using their code name. If you eliminated your target, you would get around (50?) points and be assigned a new one.

You could eliminate someone by taking a voluntary picture with them, fist bumping them, or placing “poison” (a red or blue sticker provided by Vibe) on their plate or drink. Although, the sticker couldn’t be touching their food, someone in Vibe had to witness it and it couldn’t be in a restaurant. Someone could do the same thing to you, so you always had to stay aware.

I ended up winning the first round of Gotcha, even though I didn’t eliminate anybody. My biggest tips for winning are to always check near the bow/front elevators on the 3rd and 4th floors, because the Disney cruise line captains and high ranking crew members pass through there often.

I also went down to the medical center and got pictures with the medical staff, since they also hold officer positions and have stripes. Obviously, don’t bother them if it’s busy, but I went when no one else was there and it was a good idea my dad had. I also went to the oceaneers club and to Edge during open house to get pictures with the staff working there.

At the end of the cruise I won a Disney cruise line hat, glasses, and a certificate.

Character Meet And Greets In VIBE

We had a ton of characters come into Vibe almost every day at random times. My theory is that they came up after performances for the little kids or once open houses at Oceaneer’s Lab wrapped up early. Captain Hook and Smee came by about three times, Chip and Dale visited, Mickey came by twice, Goofy came by twice, and Donald and Minnie came up once.

You can get pictures and autographs with them, you just have to be a little quick with it. It’s definitely not as high stress as the meet and greets to the public and fun to interact with them when they come up.

Note: My sister and I used the Disney specific Aloha bags sold in the shops on board for autographs instead of traditional autograph books.

They ended up being really worthwhile purchases and, honestly, much better than autograph books since we actually use the bags and are fans of aloha bags in general. I’ll probably keep mine through college and past, which makes it feel a lot more meaningful than something that would just sit on a shelf.

Games In VIBE

Vibe had a lot of video games and board games available. The video games included things like Mario Kart, Donkey Kong, Minecraft, Mario Party, and more. I personally didn’t touch the video games at all since I prefer mobile games like Cooking Dash and Gardenscapes. I did, however, play a ton of board games. They had over 50 different board games, but the most commonly played were Bananagrams, Skip Bo, Monopoly Deal, The Game of Life, and a few Disney-specific games. The councilors played a ton of games with us, so you never really had to worry about not having anyone to play with.

There were also scavenger hunts for us to do around the boat. For one of them, we split up into girls vs boys and we had 30 minutes to run around the ship and find a ton of hidden Mickey’s.

We had to take photos with them and with certain requirements. For example one of the Mickey’s had to be green or be with something green and we got points for it. It was a team effort thing, and the winning team got gotcha points.

What Is Heroes Vs Villains?

Heroes vs Villains was something I knew absolutely nothing about until after I had already registered with Vibe as a villain. Basically, during registration you choose a team, which determines which side you’re on for team challenges that happen in the afternoon and around midnight.

The team that wins the most challenges by the end of the cruise earns bragging rights, but I think the teams are more for making the teens interact with each other more.

Disney Cruise Ears And Dressing Up

I personally liked dressing up and wearing cruise ears. I thought a lot of the other teenagers probably wouldn’t wear them, and the ears weren’t really things teens liked, but I was surprisingly wrong!

Quite a few younger teens and older teens wore Disney ears and dressed up. Especially for pirate night, formal night and the equator crossing. It’s not considered lame to dress up and have fun!

The whole culture around Disney cruises is to have fun and be a nerdy with dressing up. so I recommend doing it if you want to. I also got a ton of compliments on my everyday clothes which I didn’t really expect. So, here are some of my clothes for inspiration on what to bring on your cruise to wear!

Ship Activities I Didnt Know About Before

Open Houses

Open houses are listed on the app, but basically during open house anyone can go to the Oceaneers lab, Edge and Vibe.

In Vibe nobody but teens were allowed to be there except during open house, so if you wanted your family yo come by open house is the time for that. Plus, activities were going on most of the time during open house in Vibe.

Pixie Dusting

I learned about pixie dusting from my friends I made on the ship. I had no idea that it was a thing that the boat did, but it’s in the Bibbidi bobbidi boutique and basically you can go there and get glitter pixie dusted on your head for free. It’s not on the cruise line app and I haven’t heard about it anywhere else, so I didn’t know it was an option.

But I went to do it and it was very fun. Keep in mind that during the last two days and when you arrive in Australia, they close the Bibbidi bobbidi boutique and they also start closing the gift shops downstairs, so you have to do it before then. For info on more things you DON’T want to miss on the Disney cruise, check out this post!

The Sail Away Party

The sail away party is mostly a singing and dancing show on deck. You don’t actually leave the port while the party is happening and it’s just kind of something to get you excited about leaving.

If I were to go on another cruise, I would probably watch it for a little bit, but I wouldn’t stay for the entire thing.

Pirate Night

Pirate night is one of the themed nights where everybody dresses up like pirates! On pirate night, Vibe does a dance on stage with Edge (the 11–14 year old club), which I didn’t participate in.

During practice in Vibe, everyone seemed to know the dance except for me and two other kids who had never been on a Disney cruise before. I didn’t want to dance, which some of the other teens didn’t understand and tried to convince me to join in the dancing. They told me to “not be lame” and that I was going to miss out. I understand that they were likely trying to be nice and encouraging, but I still didn’t feel like participating.

If you’re a teenager and don’t feel like doing the dance, like I didn’t, I recommend using the same excuse I did to avoid explaining yourself. I simply said I didn’t have the proper shoes for dancing (which is a requirement to dance on stage) and only had sandals, so I couldn’t participate which ended the conversation pretty quickly and everyone quickly moved on.

There are fireworks on deck after the pirate show, which were really cool. I enjoyed watching them with the friends I made and our counselors, who joined us for the party. Apparently the fireworks explode into fish food too, so they’re environment friendly.

The Disney Cruise Equator Party

The equator party was definitely my favorite event of the whole cruise. They did a short show and a crossing countdown, which was really fun because it’s traditional for sailors to swim when crossing the equator. One of the managers back flipped into the pool and the counselors and a ton of people in the crowd jumped into the pool afterwards.

I didn’t realize they were going to open the pool specifically for this, since it’s usually closed during shows, so I didn’t have a bathing suit. If I had known, I would have jumped in, so definitely bring your bathing suit just in case!

Disney Cruise Formal Night

Formal night wasn’t anything too special for me. I liked dressing up and getting pictures with my mom, but it was really just for dinner before I changed and went back to Vibe.

The part I was most excited about was that a lot of officers and captains stood in the atrium for photos, which made it a great opportunity to get pictures for Gotcha. If you

The Disney Cruise Line Restaurants

The restaurants on the Disney cruise have rotational finding and a different menu each time, so you’re better off trying everything you want to every night.

We were told that the majority of food that isn’t ordered gets thrown out/ into the ocean, so in a way it’s going to waste. You’re better off trying everything and using up a bit of everything instead of the whole meal going to waste.

Disney Cruise Animator’s Palate

Animators palate was hit or miss. The food was okay, but the decorations and shows were really fun and made the experience enjoyable.

The dancing animation show that use the guests drawings happens during the last time you’re in animators palate. My sister was super excited about it and not sure what night it would happen. I don’t know if it’s different on other cruises, but it happened at the end for us.

Disney Cruise Triton’s

My favorite restaurant on the ship was without a doubt Triton’s.

For me, it had the best menu and food overall, and breakfast there was amazing. Triton’s was easily my top choice.

Disney Cruise Tiana’s Place

Tiana’s Place was my least favorite dinner restaurant. I didn’t enjoy the food about 80 percent of the time, but that was okay because we rotated restaurants every night. It wasn’t really Louisiana inspired, and they didn’t serve anything from the movie besides beignets once or twice for dessert. The menu choices felt odd most nights. Lunch at Tiana’s Place, however, was completely different. Lunch there was amazing, and I wish I had eaten there more than once.

For quick food on deck, Daisy’s and Pete’s were the places I ate from the most. As someone who genuinely hates crowded and chaotic environments, I really disliked Cabanas. Most families with younger kids go there for breakfast since it’s grab and go and open longer than Tritons, but the food was not good at all. I don’t recommend it. Eat breakfast at Triton’s instead, and grab lunch from Daisy’s or Pete’s.

Disney Cruise Shows

I went to a few shows during the cruise with my family and some friends from Vibe. My favorite was the Frozen show. The best part about it for me was that it had a lot of puppets, beautiful sets, and didn’t feel childish at all like I expected it to.

It was just like the movie but shorter and with confetti. The Disney Dreams show was also fun to watch, especially for the whole family. As someone who was almost 18 at the time, it did feel a bit kiddy, and I probably wouldn’t see it again if I went on a second Disney Wonder cruise, but since you can only see it once, and only on the Disney Wonder, it was still worth it. The costumes and puppets were also stunning. I loved Belle’s dress so much!

I also watched the crew talent show. Everyone sang and they were all very talented, but I probably wouldn’t go again.

Disney Cruise Movie theater

I only went to the Buena Vista movie theater once, and it was to see Disney’s new Tron movie with my little sister. It wasn’t very packed, but people did tend to crowd each other a lot. My sister and I purposely sat away from others, and a group of adults still came and sat directly behind us. In the end though, we forgot about it and enjoyed the movie anyway.

Popcorn is not included on the ship and costs extra. We filled our Hyatt water bottles with fountain drinks to bring into the theater, which worked really well.

The Bad Part About Disney Cruises As A Teen

Disney adults were the people who made parts of the cruise frustrating. I had several grown adults bump into or push me, close elevator doors on me, and rush in front of me for character meet and greets. I understand that adults are there to have fun too, but some of them take it wayyy too seriously.

I also joined an unofficial group chat before the cruise to make fast friends, but it was mostly 14 to 15 year olds. As someone who was almost 18, I had trouble relating to a lot of the teens in there, and of course a handful of them already had cliques going on so they weren’t active in the chat. I messaged a moderator asking if I could join the 18 to 20 channel within the group chat and received a response that I found distasteful and disrespectful, especially coming from a grown woman toward someone who was just trying to be around people their own age.

That interaction completely put me off and I kind of just stopped being active in that chat afterwards. About a week into the cruise, I met another girl who was also 17 and only a few months from turning 18. She was able to go between Vibe and 18+ events like bingo and raffles. If you’re a teenager around that age, I would recommend asking the front desk if a waiver or shared access is possible.

Another thing to note is that for the cruise there are specific thingsI would recommend having. Specifically things like battery banks, travel deodorant for your purse etc. You want to have these things especially in vibe so you don’t have to worry about leaving to get them. Check out this collection to see what I recommend having!

During the cruise, a woman accused a group of “sketchy teenagers” of stealing her trading pins that she had left outside her room. While I can’t say whether the large group of teens who weren’t often in Vibe were involved, I know that neither I nor any of my friends were, since we were in Vibe at the time it happened. What stood out to me was that teenagers were immediately blamed despite her not actually seeing anything happen, and that afterwards she didn’t go to the front desk to report it or have the situation properly handled.

My Experience With The Other Teens

Overall, I had a lot of fun making friends in Vibe! Most of the kids were really nice, though there was a noticeable maturity gap due to my age. I was the oldest teen consistently in Vibe and one of only four 17 year olds.

A few kids were rude. I’m homeschooled, so I don’t care for cliques or mean girl behavior, which did happen from two girls in a large group that only came to Vibe after 8 p.m. and stayed for about 30 minutes. The group itself was fine, but they were disrespectful toward the counselors. If you don’t enjoy Vibe, that’s completely understandable, but there’s no reason to treat the staff poorly. Especially because they already work from 10 to 12 am.

Some teens never tried to socialize at all, and many already knew each other before the cruise. Out of about 40 teens enrolled in Vibe, only 15 consistently showed up, and I only really connected with around 8 of them. Those are still pretty good odds, and if you come in with an open mind, it’s very easy to make friends on the ship.

How To Enjoy The Cruise Without Forcing It

A lot of the late night parties can become very overstimulating very quickly because of the noise, lights, and crowds. I think they’re worth checking out, but not necessarily staying until the very end. Most of the time, I would watch the show portion and then leave afterward. The only exception would be if you actually want to get on the Jumbotron, because by the end of the night the crowd thins out a lot.

Check out this blog post for more information on the Disney Wonder!

There were also plenty of times when I went down to the deck and sat at a table by myself for a bit just to wind down. It’s important not to drain your social battery or overdo it by trying to participate in everything. Burning yourself out makes the cruise way less enjoyable.

A lot of activities are repeated throughout the week, so on the first day before the ship left Hawaii, I went through the schedule for every day and hearted what I actually wanted to do. I spread things out instead of trying to do everything every single day. For me personally, that approach was way more enjoyable, and less people went to meet and greets and things towards the end of the cruise because most of them had already done it.

Note: I also got sea sick for a day or two on the cruise. I struggle heavily with motion and sea sickness, but we were able to buy these sea sickness bands that worked really well for me!

Does Disney Really Know What To Do With Older Teens?

A lot of the activities in Vibe felt more geared toward 14 to younger 16 year olds rather than older teens around 16 to 17 Years of age. While I still had a lot of fun overall, I think I might have enjoyed my time even more if I had been allowed to participate in some of the 18+ activities on the ship. Being almost 18 put me in a weird in between space where I didn’t fully fit into either category.

Regardless, the cruise overall was really fun and I’m glad my family members took me on it. I really enjoyed spending time with my family, meeting new people, and doing all the things that the cruise ship had to offer as well as getting off the boat in so many different locations. I would say that the cruise, despite a few bumps is most definitely worth it, especially for families with teens.

Planning a Disney Cruise Line Vacation?

If you’re deep in Disney Cruise planning mode (or just starting to dream), we’ve put together a full library of Disney Cruise Line guides to help you plan smarter, save money, and know what to expect before you sail.

Here are a few helpful reads to check out next 👇

Disney Cruise Planning Guides

These are best if you’re still deciding what to book or how to budget and plan.

• Disney Cruise Military Discount: Rates, Deals & Tips
• Disney Repositioning Cruise: The Secret Way to Cruise Longer for Less
• Disney Cruise vs Disney World: Which Is Better for Your Family?
• Disney Wonder Cruise: The Classic Ship Everyone Forgets
• Disney Cruise Concierge: The Ins and Outs Explained
• An Honest Disney Cruise Review for Teens by a Teen
• How to get Free Wifi on Disney Cruise Line Tips

Disney Cruise Tips for First-Time Cruisers

These are helpful once you’ve booked and are getting ready to sail.

• Disney Cruise Tips and Tricks: Advice for First Time Cruisers
• Disney Cruise Tips and Tricks: Free Stuff You Don’t Want to Miss
• Disney Cruise Packing List: Must Haves You Can’t Skip
• Disney Cruise Food Worth the Hype: What You Should Really Try
• Disney Cruise Door Decorations: Ideas, Rules & Free Printables

If this is your first Disney cruise, start with the first time Cruisers section. If you’re still deciding whether Disney cruising is worth it, the Planning Guides will help you narrow things down fast.