What Makes the Kids Club on the Disney Wish Special

If you are considering a Disney Cruise, quality children’s programming might be part of the draw. Here is what makes the Kid’s Club on the Disney Wish so magical!

Kids’ Clubs on Disney Cruise Line

One of the things that makes Disney Cruise Line so appealing to families is the availability of awesome programming for children. Parents can enjoy their time experiencing onboard activities while kids have even more fun in clubs designed JUST for them.

Disney Cruise Line currently has programming for children of all ages. There is the Oceaneer Club for children ages 3-15 (Select ships also have the Oceaneer Lab); Edge for children 11-14; and vibe for children ages 14-17. And, for little ones 6 months old and under 3, there is a nursery available at an additional cost.

This particular article focuses on the Oceaneer Club for the Disney Wish. Many travelers do not realize that while every ship does have an Oceaneer Club, they are not all alike. What you may find aboard one ship can look very different from what you find on another. And, the Wish has arguably one of the best versions of the club of all.

Oceaneer Club Aboard the Wish

Like so much else on the Disney Wish, the Oceaneer Club is truly a fun and special place for kids to visit! Parents can sign their children in at any time during it’s scheduled hours.

Parents and kids can also look for special programming planned for the club. A daily schedule is available for all the fun happenings.

As it is the way on all Disney ships, parents must provide a secret word at check-in that they will use to check children out at the end of their visit to the club. For an additional layer of security, children will all wear a MagicBand during their visit. If they have their own, that is great; the staff will add a special lock. Those who do not have a MagicBand can borrow one at check-in, and if they don’t return it, it will simply be charged to the stateroom.

Parents wishing to preview the Oceaneer Club before they determine whether it is right for their children may do so during a visit to a scheduled open house. Parents can tour the club with their children and try out some of the fun activities.

Pirate Tip: Even if you’re on a childless trip, definitely go to the FREE open house for the Oceaneer Club!

Sliding In

There are two places for parents to check their children into the Oceaneer Club on the Disney Wish. They can use the traditional check-in desk on Deck 2.

But, for a more whimsical check-in, families can also head to Deck 3. Here, they will find a Cast Member who will check children in and then send them sliding down a whimsical rabbit hole into the club on the deck below!

What could be a more exciting way to start a visit to the kids’ club than a slide? My (Kate’s) own little one loved that slide so much that more than once she had me check her in at the top only to check her out right away at the bottom and continue on our way to wherever it was we were off to.

The Magical Sinks

Once you slide (or walk) into the kids’s club, there is a very important step. All visitors must wash their hands.

However, the sinks in the kids’ club are VERY special. They are more like hand-washing machines. Children simply stick their hands inside the basins, and the machines do the rest from applying soap to rinsing. It is like a car wash for hands! My kids both want to install one at home!

The special hand washing machines are always a hit on a Disney Cruise.

Kids also have to wash up when they exit the club. And of course, there are plenty of magical sinks in the club’s restroom as well!

The Central Hub

Our tour of what’s inside the Oceaneer Club on the Disney Wish really should begin with the Central Hub. Here you will find tons of black-and-white sketches of beloved characters from your favorite Disney films! And some of those characters might just show up live and on stage!

The hub also has its own show area with room for fun! Participants gather around for visits from characters, shows, and dance parties! During Open House, the kids had a dance party with Captain Minnie and Mickey Mouse!

Last, but not least, the hub is also where you will find the Pixar Themed restrooms. Each stall has a Pixar-themed door. And the wash station is readily available with plenty of those aforementioned magical sinks.

Fairytale Hall

Next up is the most whimsical of the club’s spaces. Fairytale Hall has several enchanting themed areas including spaces dedicated to Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, and Tangled.

Kids can enjoy arts and crafts at Rapunzel’s Art Studio. My little one brought several paper crafts/popsicle stick projects back to the room with her.

Over in Belle’s Library, there is plenty of space to sit and enjoy a nice book! Or, kids might act out familiar stories with help from beloved characters. There is even a painting over the fireplace that brings tales to life!

Frozen fans will want to make time for Elsa and Anna’s Sommerhus. Here, there is an enchanted screen where Olaf hosts gesture-based games.

Mickey and Minnie’s Captain’s Deck

This area is a little playground with small slides and tunnels for younger children to enjoy. Children might also discover wheels to turn and busy boxes to amuse themselves with.

From time to time, Captain Minnie leads “Minnie’s Captain Academy” which features games and dancing! Participants might just become honorary captains!

Walt Disney Imagineering Lab

Walt Disney Imagineering Lab was a space both of my children loved. Unlike some of the other ships in Disney’s Fleet, The Disney Wish does not have a separate Oceaneer Lab. This space within the Oceaneer Club acts as the lab space.

There is special programming that includes hands-on activities and experiments. Sorcerer Mickey might even involve himself.

But the activity my kids enjoyed the most was the Ride Studio. This virtual activity allows kids to design and test their own roller coasters!

Kids simply tap their MagicBands to begin designing. Once they have completed a design, they can work their way over to a ride vehicle in front of a screen. They simply tap to test out their roller coaster creations!

My two kids must have designed a dozen coasters during our cruise. We felt lucky to experience it with them during the open house. Each of them designed a ride and the whole family got to go along for the test drive. I imagine they had just as much fun each additional time they decided to make a design.

Star Wars: Cargo Bay

At the very least, Star Wars: Cargo Bay is cool to look at. It is a well-themed, immersive space that features the creatures you may remember from the films.

If you take a look around the room, you will discover creatures like Loth-cats, worrts, and of course porgs! Interactive data pads equipped with augmented reality capabilities allow visitors to study the animals throughout the duration of the cruise.

Speaking of missions, this space is probably the one that is most reliant on the scheduled programming. The “Star Wars: Creature Challenge” will test the animal caretakers who participate. They must feed and care for the animals in a mission that leads to some dangerous twists and turns! They even face the ship’s potential destruction! Rey and Chewie might even show up to lend a hand!

Marvel Super Hero Academy

Kids who love technology tend to gravitate toward Marvel Super Hero Academy. Sometimes they have to be patient and take turns is this is an especially popular area.

Every superhero needs a suit. Kids get to design a suit that then knits itself around a mannequin for them to preview!

Once their suit is ready to go, they can play “Avengers: Mission Training.” This is a gesture-based game where their movements control gameplay. They get to wear their new suit and fight villains.

Meanwhile, over at Pym Technologies or Wakanda Design Group, the Black Panther could show up to stop a plan devised by Taskmaster to hack into the academy’s system to steal all the cool technology. Participants can help save the day!

Final Thoughts

The kid’s club offerings shouldn’t be the first thing you consider when booking a Disney Cruise. Such things will certainly be outranked by dates, budget, and itinerary. Even so, knowing what the clubs have to offer is helpful in determining how to enjoy your party’s time on your next cruise.

And certainly, knowing all about the kid’s club might help children who are reluctant to go feel comfortable going. It also might help parents who are torn on leaving their child feel more comfortable letting them go play there for a bit.

As for my own children, they both loved the Oceaneer Club! Of course, they loved visiting Castaway Cay and enjoying all the onboard activities. But, they both wished they’d had even more hours in the day and more days on the cruise so they could spend more time playing in the club.

Have your kids ever been to the kid’s club on a Disney Cruise ship? Did they enjoy it? Let us know. And be sure to pass the story along to friends and family so they don’t miss out when they take a Disney Cruise of their own!