In this video, John and I rapid-fire 20 things we wish we knew before our first Disney Cruise (and honestly… even as non-first-timers, we still learned a lot on our last sailing). I kept notes in real time because the “rookie mistakes” sneak up on you—especially when you’re cruising with little kids like we do (we have three). We cover the stuff that actually impacts your day: stroller strategy (do not bring a double—rent the single onboard), elevator hacks during peak times, and why you should always ask what a line is for before you commit. We also get into port and itinerary surprises—like paying for Port Everglades parking on the way out, the Port Everglades address being weird with GPS, and how much smoother that terminal felt compared to Port Canaveral. Castaway Cay is a big one too: if the ship docks late, activities don’t get pushed back, so you can miss character meets just because the morning went sideways. And for pirate night, my favorite little “hack” is meeting Captain Hook during the fireworks—his line was basically nonexistent. Finally, we share the little things that save your sanity onboard: bring every Key to the World card when you get off the ship, iMessage can disconnect (use the DCL app and activate your party), and yes… the stateroom overhead bed light is a dimmer. How did we not know that?