Disney Cruise WiFi Review: All You Need to Know

Does Disney Cruise Line have wifi on board? It does! And now effective 10/23, all Disney Cruise Line ships have the upgraded Wifi. If you’re sailing on a Disney Cruise in 2023 or 2024, the wifi increased in price in August 2023. Here’s everything you need to know about Disney Cruise Line Internet like how much it costs, how to connect to the internet while sailing, and how much data you’ll need to purchase. 

Disney Cruise Line Wifi Cost

Currently, the Disney Cruise WiFi prices start at $18 a day for the entire cruise. Disney Cruise Wifi options and prices are the same for the Disney Fantasy, Disney Dream, Disney Wish, Disney Magic, and Disney Wonder.

The 2023 Disney Cruise Line Wifi Package Prices Start at:

• Stay Connected – $18 per day for a 24 hour period
• Basic Surf– $28 per day for a 24 hour period
• Premium Surf– $42 per day for a 24 hour period

If you book a wifi package for your entire voyage on Disney Cruise Line, then you’ll receive a 20% discount on the wifi.

The price for Disney Cruise WiFi is per device in the room, not per room. So the price is cheaper per day if you choose wifi for the whole voyage. If not, you can choose 24 hour increments. 

So for example, if you purchase Disney Cruise wifi on a Saturday at 5:00 p.m., you’d have until 5:00 p.m. on Sunday to use it before it shuts off. 

The graphic below shows how it works, but the prices are before the increase.

Disney Cruise Wifi Internet Packages

All Disney Cruise Line ships have upgraded wifi packages for 2023 and 2024. Knowing Disney Cruise WiFi prices ahead of time will help you factor it into your budget.

The new and improved Disney Cruise Wifi is currently on the Disney Wish, Disney Magic, Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream, and now the Disney Wonder. The Disney Wonder was the last hold out. They introduced the new Disney wifi packages in 2022 and basically coincide with the old wifi packages – small, medium, and large – based on what you can do with them. 

• The Stay Connected package says it will allow you to post pictures on popular websites and applications like Facebook Messenger, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Tumblr. However, some guests have reported to not be able to send photos.

You can also try one package and if it isn’t working the way you’d like, then you can upgrade. One of the benefits of the Stay Connected plan is that it’s the cheapest.  The Stay Connected package starts at $18 a day. It used to start at $12 a day.

• The Basic Surf package seems to work for guests who want to post on social media, check some emails, and use basic internet activity, plus send or receive photos. “Surf the web, read the news, check the weather and visit your other favorite websites, send and receive emails, and make audio calls.” The Basic Surf Package starts at $28 a day. 
• The Premium Surf package is said to have faster connection speeds on a Disney cruise ship. “Make video calls, listen to your favorite music streaming platforms, surf the web, view short-form videos like TikTok.” This plan still does not support video streaming like Netflix. 

If you ever used the old Disney Cruise wifi, you know it was a struggle and it was slow. This new Disney Cruise wifi is definitely improved, though you still have to be patient, because you’re at sea. 

Pay-As-You-Use Disney Cruise Internet Prices

The old Disney Cruise Line WiFi  was a pay-as-you-use plan that started at $.25 per megabyte used. The Disney Wonder used to have the old wifi packages, but now as of October 2023, the wifi has been upgraded and matches the rest of Disney Cruise Line.

 

How Do You Connect Online on Disney Cruise Line?

When you board your Disney Cruise, you should be able to use your regular data plan for internet until about 10 minutes or so after you leave your port. However, to actually use the Disney Cruise Line app, you need to connect to guest wifi on board and be in airplane mode. The DCL app is where you find information about activities, schedule, stateroom, dining rotation, etc.

There is no cost for connecting to the ship’s Wi-Fi network when used only for the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app.

However, if you want to connect to the wifi on a Disney Cruise ship, there is an additional cost. Once you’re on the Disney Cruise Line app, you’ll see the options to Connect@Sea. Then you’ll need to set up an account if you don’t already have one.

Again, the Disney Cruise Line wifi packages are per device, and not per stateroom. 

Then you’ll select your package, how many devices, and connect.

 

Disney Cruise Wifi Hack: If you have an iPhone and use iMessages and are logged in before you board, my party was still able to text people on land that had iPhones. It didn’t work 100% of the time, but as long as I had logged into iMessages before I boarded the ship, I could text while at sea for free.

This is a nice perk to be still be in contact with friends and family back home.

Is Disney Cruise Line Wifi Worth It?

If you need to work or want to browse the internet, then wifi on Disney Cruise Line is worth it…if it’s necessary. However, it still can be glitchy at sea. 

If you don’t absolutely need to use it, then maybe wait until you’re in port to do what you need to do. Sometimes it’s also nice to disconnect from the world while on vacation.

You’re not always going to get the fastest wifi while on Disney Cruise Line or at sea, so I wouldn’t schedule an important meeting just in case there’s a glitch. However, the Basic Surf package should be enough to do what you need to do, provided you don’t need to make Zoom calls. 

With the price increase of Disney Cruise wifi, it’s not as cost effective and may not be in your budget. If you don’t have to use it, then save your money and buy Palo Brunch instead. 

I suggest trying it out for a day and then you can increases your package if necessary. If you find that the internet is not working, then you can also talk to Guest Services about their suggestions or request a refund if necessary.

Bon Voyage and have a great cruise!!

For more Disney Cruise Line tips, here is information on the Castaway Cay 5K and these are the 2023 Bibbibi Bobbidi Boutique Disney Cruise prices. 

If you’re doing a land and sea vacation, then these are the closest Disney Character Warehouse outlets to Disney World!