The Definitive Guide to It's a Small World Nursery: Disney Cruise

The entrance to it’s a small world nursery on the Disney Dream. (Photo Cred: Erica Ellis, https://sites.google.com/view/ericaellis-magicaltravel/)

If you're planning a Disney Cruise with babies and toddlers, you'll want to make sure you have all the information you need to make the most of the onboard nursery. It's a Small World Nursery is the Disney Cruise Nursery, and my definitive guide has everything you need to know about this magical space for the little ones in your party. From hours of operation to age restrictions to tips from this sleepy dad, I've got you covered. Then you can have some much-needed adult time, go to a show or Palo, or maybe just take a long nap. For a more general guide to infants on Disney Cruises, check this post out.

Jump to Section:

Overview and Hours

Age and Cost

Reservations and Scheduling Tips

Drop-Off and Pick-Up

Activities and Amenities

Review and Conclusion

If you have one or more of these, you’ll want to know about it’s a small world nursery

Overview of it’s a small world nursery

Hours of Operation: Varies daily and by ship, opens as early as 8am and closes as late at 12 am. (they will open earlier if you have an excursion that begins before 8AM)

it’s a small world nursery (intentionally lowercase) is the onboard childcare facility for infants and toddlers on Disney Cruise Line ships. The nursery is staffed by trained childcare professionals who provide a safe and fun environment for children to play and learn while parents enjoy some time to themselves. So far for us, each ship has had at least one cast member from the UK, giving us the added comfort of pretending she is a Gen Z Mary Poppins.

On the first day of the cruise, the nursery hosts an open house where parents can enter into the area to play WITH their child. My wife loves this option because it helps the babies get used to the environment while in the comfort of their parent’s presence. Then, the baby recognizes the environment and is excited to continue exploring at drop off. We use the nursery every day we are on the ship because it provides open space and developmentally appropriate toys for our son. It’s tough to explore the small staterooms, and our toy options are usually limited. Plus, the shows may be too loud or overstimulating, and dinner can be downright boring.

The dining staff was accomodating, but he’d probably be more comfortable in a crib in the dimly lit nursery.

On the 4 original Disney Cruise ships (Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Magic, and Disney Wonder), the nursery’s theme is inspired (obviously) by the It’s a Small World ride at the Disney Parks. It has three distinct areas: an acclimation area (to get babies adjusted to the new environment), a play area, and a napping area. The play area has a 3D façade based on the Small World ride with interactive surprises for the kids. For the sanity of the cast members, the song is not on repeat.

Acclimation room in it’s a small world nursery (Photo Cred: Brian Hart https://flic.kr/p/dhWkZF)

On the new Disney Wish, the small world theming is maintained but supplemented by stylized versions of Marvel, Disney, and Pixar characters inspired by animator Mary Blair. The nursery is located on deck 5 for the original ships. On the Disney Wish, all of the youth activities areas have been moved to Deck 2 to improve traffic flow.

As I mentioned, the name is always lowercase. I guess that’s to attract shorter cruise guests. it’s a small world! nursery also uses an exclamation point right in the middle of the word, but that would look ridiculous, and I would feel like I was yelling at you at random intervals, so I’ll stick to not punctuating it. They named it that way because the rides at Disneyland and Disney World have the exclamation point! (See it’s weird if I start punctuating it like that!)

Age, Cost, and other Preliminaries

The it's a small world nursery is available for children ages 6 months to 3 years old (or one year on some longer cruises, which is also the minimum age for babies on the respective itineraries). Unlike the Youth Activities, the it’s a small world nursery does come with an additional cost.

The cost is:
·  $9 per hour for the first child
·  $8 per hour for each additional child in the same family.

If you need to cancel a reservation, do so 4 hours in advance for no charge. If you no-show for a reservation, you’ll be charged full price. If you cancel within 4 hours, you’ll be charged half price. However, we missed a couple of reservations, and I don’t think they charged us. The rate is so cheap compared to everything else on the boat, that we may not have noticed.

Additionally, children must have no signs of illness to be admitted to the nursery. If your child becomes ill or otherwise inconsolable, the cast members will contact you via the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App, so you’ll need to keep your phone with you. Then, you’ll have to be cleared by the medical team before your baby can return. This happened when our little guy had a “protein spill,” luckily for us, it was just an inordinate amount of spit up, no fever, and he was cleared to return later that day.

The nursery cast members will also use the app to notify you of when your nursery reservation is upcoming and when it is about to end.

The it’s a small world nursery is welcoming of children with special needs, but they are not specifically trained for special needs care and cannot provide a one-to-one ratio.

There’s no formal night at the it’s a small world nursery, but he was ready just in case

Reservations and Scheduling Tips

Reservations for it’s a small world are recommended and can be made online through the app (before your cruise) or onboard the ship (in person or by stateroom phone).

To ensure you get the most out of your Disney Cruise with infants and toddlers, it's important to make reservations for the it's a small world nursery prior to your cruise. Reservations can be made online or onboard the ship, but it's recommended to book as early as possible to secure your preferred times.

Here’s the earliest you can book before your cruise, based on your Castaway Club or Concierge level:

• Up to 130 days ahead for Concierge and Pearl Castaway Club Guests

• Up to 120 days ahead for Platinum Castaway Club Guests

• Up to 105 days ahead for Gold Castaway Club Guests

• Up to 90 days ahead for Silver Castaway Club Guests

• Up to 75 days ahead for all other Guests

You’re currently allowed to book up to 10 hours prior to boarding. IMPORTANT: This DOES NOT MEAN you only get 10 hours during your cruise. The rest of your booking (as many hours as you want) can be done once you board the ship. Therefore, IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT to go directly to it’s a small world once you board the boat to secure the rest of the nursery times you want. On most cruises, reservations will fill up, especially for days at sea.

Pro Second Dad to the Right Tip: Have a plan beforehand of what you want, so that you can rush through the booking process both beforehand and once onboard. Again, GO DIRECTLY THERE when you get onboard, or else the other parents will take all the good spots. Get more reservations than you think you’ll need. You can always cancel them later.

Another Tip: If you’re comfortable with it, you can leave your child on the ship when you’re in port. If you have a booked excursion, you get a guaranteed reservation for the nursery even if it’s full. You can also leave your child at the nursery during Castaway Cay, but there is no guaranteed reservation. However, if you leave the boat, you must have your phone connected to a network to receive calls, in case of emergency. It will be a real phone call, not through the app, if you are off of the ship.

We found it significantly easier and safer to climb the Dunn River Falls without an infant

Final Pro Tip: If you discover an adult activity you want to participate in that you didn’t schedule for, drop by the nursery. If they aren’t full or closed, they’ll take your cute bundle of perfection so that you can go play Star Wars Trivia.

What to Expect During Drop-off and Pick-Up

Drop-Off

When dropping off your child at the it's a small world nursery, you will need to provide their MagicBand (which the staff will give you) to check them in. You will also need to provide any necessary items such as diapers, wipes, and a change of clothes. The nursery staff will use the Disney Cruise Navigator App if they need to contact you during your child's stay. Finally, you will need to fill out detailed instructions on feeding times, snack choices, and everything you brought with you. This is tedious (but understandable), so make sure you give yourself a couple of minutes before your scheduled activity.

Our buddy playing at it’s a small world nursery. He colored his eyebrows for April Fools.

Another note about drop off: The smaller ships (Wonder and Magic) have limited room for you to leave your stroller. Aboard the Magic last month, they originally wouldn’t let us leave our strollers, but then changed their minds later in the week. If your particular sailing doesn’t allow strollers, it’s probably easier to carry your child to the nursery than walk your stroller back to your stateroom after drop off.

Pick-Up

When picking up your child, you will need to present your Key to the World card and sign them out. Only guests you authorize can pick up your child. The nursery staff will provide you with a report of your child's activities and any important information you need to know.

Pro Tip: DO NOT forget to return the Magic Band to the nursery at the end of your cruise. It will refund you the $20 they charged you at the beginning of the trip. The Magic Band is cool, but it won’t work in the parks, so it’s not worth it.

Activities and amenities offered in the nursery

The it's a small world nursery on Disney Cruise Line offers a variety of activities and amenities to keep your little ones happy. Most of the activities are unscheduled and based on your child’s inclinations and mood. These activities and amenities include age-appropriate toys and games, activities such as crafts, movies, scheduled feeding, and napping (at your request or the baby’s request). The nursery also hosts special events such as story time and character visits. My little dude was apparently not a fan of Mickey. Mickey is usually his favorite, so I can only assume it’s because he was hoping the special guest was me.

Nap Room in the it’s a small world nursery (Photo Cred: Brian Hart https://flic.kr/p/dhWkhm)

Review and Conclusion

Our little guy has already sailed twice for a total of 12 nights, and we have been blown away by how awesome the staff is. They are professional and careful, focused on safety within the room as well as during pick up. They are also amazingly friendly and engaged with the babies. If you ride the Disney Fantasy, say hello to Gabby for us. She was amazing. They were quick to contact us if we were needed, as well as helpful to remind us of our scheduled times. Most importantly, our son absolutely loved it there.

I hope your baby loves it there, too. And I hope these tips and guidelines make the process faster and less stressful for you, so that you can spend more time at that Silent DJ party.

Silent DJ Party without the baby

In our experience, babies are indifferent to silent DJ parties.

Further Reading

For information about the best stroller for a cruise, head here.

For general information about taking your baby or toddler on a Disney Cruise, head here.