Disney Cruise Royal Gathering: Everything You Need to Know (2026)
Hoping to snag a spot at the Disney Cruise Royal Gathering? You’re in the right place. I’ve reserved spots for the Royal Gathering three different times – the Disney Wonder, the Disney Wish, and our most recent cruise on the Disney Treasure.
On the Disney Wish cruise, my daughters were 12 and 3 years old. I worried that they were both too old and too young to really enjoy the Royal Gathering – but it ended up being a really special experience and I’m so glad that we got a spot.
Knowing how popular the Royal Gathering on the Disney Wish was, I stayed up until midnight to book it. Even though I refreshed my page right at 12am, there were already several time slots that were sold out by 12:01am.
I’m going to share with you:
- Our experience with the Royal Gathering (is it worth the effort? + what you can expect if you get a spot)
- How to be almost certain that you’ll get a spot
- Good alternatives to Royal Gathering in case you don’t get a spot (it’s a nice experience but its not the end of the world if you don’t get a spot)
So, let’s jump in – what you need to know about the Disney Cruise Royal Gathering!
What is the Royal Gathering?
The Royal Gathering is just like all the other character meet and greets that happen on the ship.
The only difference is that here, there are four or five princesses all at once. Kids get a chance to say hello, chat for a minute or two, and get their photo taken (and ask for autographs if they want) with each princess.
The whole experience lasts about 10 minutes (a couple minutes with each princess, give or take.) So its a fairly short experience. It saves you time because, rather than line up for each of these princesses individually – you get to see them in one shot at the Royal Gathering,
I definietly recommend trying to sign up for the Royal Gathering, because its free of charge and the benefit of meeting all four princesses at once. Both daughters really enjoyed it, and we cherish the photos and videos we got of it.
I’ll give you tips on how to be pretty sure you can snag a spot – and alternatives in case you’re not able to.
Pro Tip: Don’t get your heart set (or your child’s heart) set on any particular princesses being at the Royal Gathering. Based on the many YouTube videos I’ve watched, its often Belle, Cinderella, Tiana, Rapunzel and Moana. But on our cruise, Belle was not there. (Which was fine – but we had to make plans to meet Belle separately because she’s my 3 year olds favourite!) Regardless, it seems that which Princesses are present at the Royal Gathering is subject to change
How to Raise Your Chances of Getting a Royal Gathering Spot
While I can’t guarantee these tips below will land you a spot, they will significantly raise your chances. Here’s how I got spots twice
Tip # 1: Longer cruises are much easier to get a spot
Our Disney Treasure cruise was a 7-night cruise, and it was very easy to get a Royal Gathering spot for that one. There were multiple days that it was offered, and one of the days still had several time slots available, even days after the sign up opened.
We still stayed up until midnight to book the Royal Gathering for this one, because I wanted to be sure I got it. But its much easier, and I don’t think anyone missed out who wanted it.
Tip # 2: Be logged into your Disney Cruise account right before midnight
The Royal Gathering spot (especially on shorter, more popular cruises) can fill up in minutes after midnight. When we sailed on the Disney Wish, there were many people who tried to do it at midnight and still weren’t successful in getting spots.
So make sure you’re there right before 12:00am. (Not 12:10, or 12:15 – it will likely be full by then.)Once it’s 12am, refresh your page, and grab the first time slot you see available.
Tip # 3: Book Royal Gathering before the Port Arrival Time
If this is your first Disney Cruise, then your online check-in will be the same time as the Royal Gathering booking.
Decide whether potentially boarding the ship earlier, OR being able to do the Royal Gathering is more important to you. If you’re dead set on the Royal Gathering, then book that first before choosing a port arrival time.
The Disney Cruise online check in process takes about 15 minutes, (see my video on how to check in for your Disney Cruise here), so if you do that before signing up for Royal Gathering on a cruise when it’ll be on high demand, then you may not get a spot.
Tip # 4: Be flexible on your itinerary
Find out in advance what day the Royal Gathering will be taking place on, and make sure you don’t overbook yourself on that day, so that you can be more flexible at midnight when you’re trying to select a time.
You can check in advance which day(s) the Royal Gathering will be on by visiting your My Reservations tab, and then click on My Plans and then “Onboard Fun” – it will show you which days you can add the Royal Gathering, and when you can book it.
The Royal Gathering usually takes place in the morning, at set times. On our cruise, there were different time slots to choose from- 9:00am, 9:15, 10:30, and so on.
The more open you are, the better chances you have of getting something. I grabbed the first time I saw that wasn’t already booked.
Tip # 5: Join your Disney Cruise Facebook group
If you don’t manage to get spots, one way to increase chances is if you join your cruise Facebook group.
There were one or two people that I saw giving away their Royal Gathering spots in the group. (You can’t really give them to someone else, but they coordinated to let the other person know when they’d cancel, so that they could snatch it up immediately after.)
Head straight to Guest Services once you arrive on the ship – I’ve heard that spots are often released at the beginning of the cruise.
Tip # 6: Sailing off-season raises your chances
Getting Royal Gathering spots is much easier on an off-season cruise than it is for one of the peak, holiday Cruises (Halloween on the High Seas, or Merrytime.)
The holiday cruises tend to be a lot more popular, so you’ll need to really be on top of your game if you want Royal Gathering on those cruises. However, it’s still possible. Our most recent cruise was Halloween on the High Seas and I got Royal Gathering spots for both my kids.
Pro Tip: While its certainly easier to book ‘extras’ like the Royal Gathering on non-peak time cruises, I wouldn’t plan my whole holiday around that. It’s just worth it to keep in mind how popular your cruise may be, so you can take the necessary action if you want to score a spot.
What Happens at the Royal Gathering? + Tips for Success
When you show up for the Royal Gathering, you will be asked to line up for the spot you reserved for.
For example, everyone who signed up for 9:15 will line up in the same spot. It doesn’t matter if you get there earlier than the 9am people – you will still need to line up for the spot you signed up for.
Royal Gathering is suitable for all ages. I saw babies meeting the Princesses, and other kids who were even older than my 12-year-old daughter.
Once they call your time (ie: “9:15am”) then everyone that signed up for that time slot, which is usually about 20 people will line up – and start the meet and greet process.
Pro Tip: If you don’t want to wait in line, then arrive early for your Royal Gathering. If you have a 9:30am booking for example, then show up at 9:20 so that you can be one of the first in your group and don’t have to wait in line.
Tips for Making the Royal Gathering on the Disney Cruise a Success
✅ Arrive 5-10 minutes before your time slot to avoid a long lineup. There are up to 20 people reserved for each time slot.
✅ Don’t forget your key card or Disney Band. They use it to connect the professional photos taken to your account, so you can purchase them later if you want to.
✅ A professional photographer will take photos (which you can purchase if you choose), but you are also permitted to take your own photos and videos of the experience
✅ If your child is younger and shy (as mine was) then show them YouTube videos of the Royal Gathering before their cruise. I did this, and it seemed to really help my 3-year-old warm up to it.
Alternatives to the Disney Cruise Royal Gathering
Whether you get a spot at the Royal Gathering or not (but especially if you don’t) then here are some alternatives to still create that Disney magic for your little one
1) Meet the Princesses Individually
Not scoring Royal Gathering spots does not mean that your child won’t be able to meet the Princesses. They just won’t see them all together in one go.
Each of the Royal Gathering Princesses will have character meets where you can still meet and get photos with them. Check your cruise app and find out what time each one is.
Yes, it takes a little more effort to meet them all individually, but its very doable.
Belle was not included in our cruise’s Royal Gathering, so we made sure to meet her separately as she’s my youngest’s favourite.
2) Olaf’s Royal Picnic (Disney Wish) or Royal Court Royal Tea Party (other cruises)
Olaf’s Royal Picnic and the Royal Court Tea Party are paid experiences (and quite expensive) but they are more exclusive and give you more time with Princesses than the Royal Gathering does.
In addition to the Royal Gathering, we did Olaf’s Royal Picnic on our most recent cruise, and it was a really special experience. Read my review of it here.
In a Nutshell: Ultimately, if you don’t manage to get Royal Gathering spots – don’t sweat it. Yes, its a cool opportunity to be able to see four princesses at once. But there are so many things to do on the Disney Cruise, that you will have no problem substituting the time doing something else that is just as magical instead – I promise.
Disney Cruise Royal Gathering FAQ
Here are the most commonly asked questions about the Royal Gathering on the Disney Cruise
Can you meet princesses on a Disney cruise?
Yes, you can meet princesses on a Disney Cruise. You can either meet them individually for free by showing up at their character photo times, do the Royal Gathering (where you meet four princesses at once), or attend Olaf’s Royal Picnic. Sometimes Princesses come to dinner as well, to briefly meet people.
What is the royal gathering on Disney Cruise Line?
The Royal Gathering on the Disney Cruise is a meet and greet with four different princesses. You will not know how the princesses are until the day of, but it is usually four popular ones. It’s free of charge, and is the same as any other character meet and greet, but with four of them all at once.
What time can I book Royal Gathering Disney cruise?
You can book the Royal Gathering right at midnight on the day the bookings open. I recommend doing it right away, as it often fills up fast. On the recent cruise I was on, the Royal Gathering was full within minutes after midnight.
Final Thoughts on the Royal Gathering
I hope that this article has prepared you for getting spots on the Disney Cruise Royal Gathering, and given you an idea of what to expect from it.
Watching my daughters be able to meet some of the most iconic Princesses, and get some specialized attention from them was really special.
While I loved the Royal Gathering and am so glad we got to do it, I don’t think it should ruin your cruise or big a huge disappointment if you don’t get a spot. You can meet every single one of those Princesses individually if you want to, plus many other iconic characters on the Disney Cruise.
The Disney Cruises have so many fun things to do, that it can be hard to prioritize your time. The Royal Gathering is awesome, but if you don’t get a spot, then I have no doubt you’ll find something equally fun to do.