One of my favorite things about cruising on the Disney Cruise Line is that you can feel that Disney magic from the second you step onto the cruise ship until the moment you walk off. I’ve been lucky enough to (as of January 2020) sail on the Disney Dream three times now. And I’m so excited to be sailing on the Fantasy (my fourth Disney cruise) this summer.
Seriously, is it August yet? There are a ton of amazing activities abroad the Disney Dream. So much so that you won’t be able to experience absolutely everything on your cruise.
But there’s one activity that can’t be missed: the Sailing Away Deck Party!
The Sailing Away Deck Party takes place during the first few hours aboard your Disney Cruise adventure. It normally takes place at 4:30 p.m., as you are pulling away from the port. Weather permitting, the Sailing Away Deck Party will take place on Deck 11 and Deck 12, Midship on the Disney Dream. However, on 2/3 of my cruises the Sailing Away Party had to be moved to the Atrium. (More on that later in the post!).
The Sailing Away Deck Party is such a fun way to officially start your Disney Cruise.
The Sailing Away Deck Party is a fun half hour event that consists of dancing, singing and celebrating with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, Goofy and Chip ‘n Dale.
It doesn’t get much cuter than seeing Chip ‘n Dale do the YMCA dance!
Get it Minnie!
Pro Tip: It can get a little crowded during the Sailing Away Deck Party, so if you aren’t a huge fan of crowds or constantly having to bump into people, you can always watch the party from the upper desk. As the party is taking place, it’s also being broadcast on the Funnel Vision screen. This way you’re still partaking in all the fun but you have a little breathing room!
(Because man does it get crowded down on Deck 11 directly in front of where Mickey and the gang are performing).
The Sailing Away Party ends with Mickey and Gang celebrating with ribbons as the ships horn sounds and you officially exit the port.
The Sailing Away Deck Party will always take place, however, if the weather is bad the party will be moved inside. Like I said earlier, this has happened on 2/3 of my Disney Cruises.
The Sailing Away Deck Party that takes place in the Atrium is virtually identical to the party that takes place outside, this one is simply indoors.
The party still consists of Mickey, Minnie and all your Disney pals dancing and celebrating the start of your Disney Cruise adventure.
If you’re on a Disney Cruise and the weather does not permit the Sailing Away Deck Party to be outside, I highly recommend going to the higher desks to watch the Party in the Atrium. You get a much better view (and it’s less crowded) than if you were to stand directly in the Atrium.
Whether it’s your first or fifth Disney Cruise, the Sailing Away Deck Party is not to be missed!
