Disney Cruise Line In A Jiffy: What Is The Royal Gathering?

Meet & Greets are a key feature of Disney Cruise Line voyages. Every day, you’ll find a variety of Disney characters on the activities schedule. Show up at the listed time (or a bit beforehand, especially if they’re popular), and wait your turn for a short interaction and photo. Depending on who your kids (or you) want to meet, you can spend a lot of your cruise time working around the characters.
Here’s where the Royal Gathering wins. You’ll reserve a time in advance, and you can meet several characters – usually princesses – in one go. Since you have an assigned time, your wait will be relatively short. For efficiency, it can’t be beat.

The specific princess lineup varies based on scheduling. But Royal Gathering appearances have included Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Aurora from Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel from Tangled, Tiana from The Princess and the Frog, Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Snow White, Moana, and, of course, Cinderella (who is usually present).
During the Royal Gathering, Shutters photographers will take pictures of your child (or yourself) with the princesses. You’ll need to pay for these photos, but you are also welcome to take pictures with your own camera.

How to Get Tickets for the Royal Gathering
The Royal Gathering is open to all ages and genders; adults are welcome. But it isn’t offered every day, and it needs to be booked in advance of your trip. The booking process is the same as for any other “Onboard Fun” items, but Royal Gathering tickets follow a different schedule than other activities, such as Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique appointments or wine tastings.
You can reserve tickets beginning 30 days in advance of your sailing, at midnight. And they do go quickly, often within a few minutes, so you will want to be there on the dot. If you’re a first-time cruiser, your Online Check-in opens at the same time. Book the Royal Gathering first: by the time you’re done with check-in you may find that the Royal Gathering is sold out.
To be swift when the clock strikes 12, check which days have a Royal Gathering in advance. Unfortunately, the Royal Gathering times are not visible before booking opens, only the days. That means you’ll also want to be prepared with an idea of which times work well for you on each day, and which ones are right out.
The booking tile will show the date when you can reserve.
If you don’t manage to secure a spot in advance, check at the Port Adventures desk as soon as you board the ship. There are often a limited number of tickets available on your departure day. And if you do get a spot, you’ll want to arrive 5-10 minutes in advance of your appointment time to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Disney Cruise Line in a Jiffy is for first-time Disney cruisers looking to learn about the DCL experience. Got a question about a term that’s unfamiliar to you? Suggest it in the comments below. And if you’ve been to a Royal Gathering, leave your best tips!

Related Posts