How to Save Money on Drinks on Your Disney Cruise

By Jennifer Stuart

Cruising is expensive  and there are lots of extras that can add to the price of a cruise. Read on for our best tips on how to keep your drinks costs down.

Drink of the Day

Enjoying the drink of the day --Mai Tai -- near the pool

Each day of the cruise there will be one alcoholic and one non-alcoholic drink of the day.  This drink is substantially cheaper than normal.  Think of it as the drink special that is available in all bars and lounges.  The drink of the day will be listed in both the paper Personal Navigators and in the Disney Cruise Line app for the day.  Any server will also be able to tell you what the drink of the day is. The alcoholic drinks are $4.75 plus tax and 15% gratuity, which make them $5.46. The non-alcholoic drinks are $4.25 plus tax making them $4.89.  Normally cocktails range from $6-11, depending on the drink.

Wine Packages

Wine Package information will be available on your table the first night when you go to dinner. Packages offer a savings of approximately 25% over ordering the same number of bottles individually.  For more information read our post What you Need to Know About Wine Packages on Your Disney Cruise. Remember, if you don't normally drink a whole bottle of wine at dinner you may want to buy less nights than the length of your cruise  (we bought a 4 night package for a 7 night cruise).

Beer Mug 

The Beer Mug program can be a good value for beer drinkers.  For $16.95 you can purchase a Disney Cruise Line beer mug filled with  22oz of  beer.  Refills of the mug are then offered at the same price as a 16oz beer.  There is no need to carry around an empty beer mug as when you are done with your beer, hand the mug to the bartender and he will give you a paper beer mug token.  The next time you want a beer you give the waiter the token with your order to receive your beer in a new clean mug.  At the end of your cruise hand in the token and take home your clean beer mug as a souvenir.

Non-alcoholic Drinks

Most non-alcoholic drinks on your Disney Cruise are included in the price of your cruise, but there are exceptions.  To save money on these your best bet will be the beverage station located on Deck 9 on the Wonder and Magic and on Deck 11 on the Dream and Fantasy.  The beverage station is a self-serve option for soda pop (Coke Products) as well as lemonade and ice water. There are cups available but our favourite money saving tip is to bring your own insulated cup on board with you.   These cups tend to be larger and stay cold longer than a regular paper cup.  These can be carried around on board or back to your stateroom as needed. 

These kinds of cups are readily available at many places.  Our were customized by a friend for our cruise.

Concession outside Walt Disney Theatre on the Disney Wonder

One of the exceptions to the free soda pop is at bars/lounges and the theater concession stands.  Here you will have to pay for your drinks.  This is where it pays to be prepared and to make a stop at the beverage station for a free drink to take in with you. 

Free hot beverages (coffee, decaf, tea and hot chocolate) are also available at the beverage stations 24 hours a day.

Smoothies and Specialty non-alcoholic drinks

Smoothies are an additional cost item.  If you (or the kids) are hooked on smoothies make sure to take advantage of the frequent sipper punch card.  Just ask the crew member at the smoothie bar (Sully's Sips on the Wonder) .
Other specialty non-alcoholic drinks that you find on the menus are also an extra cost.  To save on these consider ordering the non-alcoholic drink of the day.
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Insider Tip:
If you want a fun and icy drink that is free consider making your own float.  Take a cup to the soft serve ice cream bar (free), add some ice cream and then walk over to the beverage station and fill up with your choice of soda (also free). Our son LOVES this tip!

Specialty Coffee

All specialty coffees at Cove Cafe are an extra charge

Partial desert menu for Tiana's Place. There will be an extra charge for specialty coffee and for after dinner alcohol but tea and regular coffee are included

Specialty coffee such as a latte or cappuccino is always an extra charge whether you order it in the dinning room or from the adults only Cove Cafe.  If you really like your lattes then consider getting the Cove Cafe punch card.  If you don't fill it up on one cruise just keep it for the next.

Room Service

Room Service is included in your Disney Cruise and can be a great way to start or end the day.  This picture is tea and coffee delivered to our room for a leisurely start to the morning.  It was great to have a cup in bed in the morning before getting ready for the day.    It can also be a great way to end the day.  We ordered cookies and milk for the kids to enjoy while watching movies on the TV one night.  (If they prefer warm milk --just ask).  Be aware that you will want to avoid ordering soda pop, water or other bottled beverages from room service.  These items come at an extra charge.  
Insider tip: We kept a few water bottles in the fridge, some with water and some with soda that we filled up at the beverage station to enjoy in our room.

Bringing It Onboard

Disney Cruise Line permits guests to bring a limited amount of wine, champagne or beer onboard at embarkation.  On other cruise lines, they will confiscate your beverages and return them at debarkation. There are a few rules to keep in mind.

• Alcohol must be carried on with you at embarkation. Any beverages found in checked luggage will be removed, stored, and returned at the end of the cruise. The main reason for this is that the bottles can break and ruin not only your clothes, but other guests’ luggage. 
• You may bring on two bottles of wine/champagne or 6 bottles of beer per guest over age 21 at each port of call.
•  Any alcohol brought on board may not be consumed in any lounge or public areas. In other words you need to drink it in your cabin or on your balcony, if you have one. You can bring  bottles of wine to dinner for a $25 corking fee. -- but this would only save you money if you were drinking a very expensive bottle.
• No hard alcohol can be brought onboard--if you buy any at a port of call it will be taken away as you get on the ship and returned at debarkation (the same for any duty free purchases). Any information saying that you can bring hard alcohol onboard is outdated.
• For current information on the alcohol policy for Disney Cruise Line click here 

All Photos by Jennifer Stuart

Questions? Comments? We would love to hear form you.