If you have ever been on a Disney Cruise you may have heard of something called a Disney Cruise Placeholder as a great way to save money. I am going to take you on a deep dive into what a Disney Cruise Placeholder is and if it something you want to consider doing on your next sail with the Disney Cruiseline.
What is a Disney Cruise Placeholder?
First off let us start with what exactly is a Disney Cruise placeholder. This is something you can do while you are sailing on your vacation with Disney Cruiseline. It is essentially booking a “dummy cruise” spot to come back on another cruise within 24 months with special discounts and perks. By booking a Disney placeholder cruise you save at 10% off the prevailing rates. By getting a placeholder on sailings of 7-nights or longer you will also get your deposit reduced.
This is helpful since the earlier you book the cheaper the sailing rates are, the rates do go up as the sailing gets closer.
Note: As of September 28, 2019, Disney Cruiseline is no longer giving out up to $200 stateroom credits for Placeholder Cruises.
What Does a Placeholder Cruise Cost?
For each cabin, the placeholder requires a deposit of $250. The plus is that your deposit is fully refundable at any time. So if you have an inkling you would like to sail again I would jump on this special discount.
How to Book a Disney Placeholder Cruise
When onboard your sailing lookout for the Disney Planning location. Here they will have the paperwork you need to fill out to reserve your placeholder cruise. If waiting in line at the planning center doesn’t sound appealing how about booking on your phone? The Disney Cruiseline app has updated to now allow you to book your placeholder right from the app while on the ship.
Remember, the rules are very strict with this discount. It must be done onboard the ship. You can not book a placeholder cruise once you have returned home from your vacation.
Why Book a Disney Cruiseline Placeholder?
The real main advantage of booking this is to save money. Plus there is no drawback to you since the deposit is 100% refundable.
Blockout Dates for Disney Cruise Placeholders in 2020
Of course with all good things comes the exceptions to the rule. There are select sailing through the year to you will not receive the 10% discount. If you decide to move your existing onboard booking to a blocked out date, you keep the onboard credit but will lose the discount.
Disney Magic Sailings
- November 21, 2020 – 7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise from Miami
- December 21, 2020 – 5-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Miami
- December 26, 2020 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Miami
- December 30, 2020 – 5-Night Bahamian Cruise from Miami
- March 29, 2021 – 5-Night Bahamian Cruise from Miami
- April 3, 2021 – 5-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Miami
Disney Wonder Sailings
- April 10, 2020 – 2-Night Baja Cruise from San Diego
- October 16, 2020 – 2-Night Baja Cruise from San Diego
- November 20, 2020 – 7-Night Bahamian Cruise from Galveston
- November 20, 2020 – 7-Night Bahamian Cruise from Galveston
- December 24, 2020 – 6-Night Bahamian Cruise from Galveston
- December 30, 2020 – 6-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Galveston
- March 28, 2021 – 5-Night Baja Cruise from San Diego
- April 2, 2021 – 5-Night Baja Cruise from San Diego
Disney Dream Sailings
- November 23, 2020 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- December 24, 2020 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- December 28, 2020 – 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- December 31, 2020 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- April 2, 2021 – 3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
- April 5, 2021 – 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral
Disney Fantasy Sailings
- November 21, 2020 – 7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- December 19, 2020 – 7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- December 26, 2020 – 7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- March 27, 2021 – 7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
- April 3, 2021 – 7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral
Can You Combine the Placeholder Discounts with Other Discounts?
Unfortunately, this deal cannot be stacked with other deals that Disney Cruiseline offers. This includes Florida resident discounts, military rates, inside guarantee, oceanview guarantee, and verandah guarantee. If you book a placeholder and end up wanting to take one of the previously mentioned discounts don’t worry you can still get the deposit refunded back to you.
Have you booked a placeholder cruise before? Let us know if you thought it was worth it in the comment section below! Also, let us know if you have any other questions about booking your next Disney Cruise sailing.
I have been visiting the parks annually since my parents first brought me at just a year old. Recently I was able to fulfill my life long dream of being a Florida local and moved from the wintery Northeast to the sunshine and fun of central Florida. Now I am hoping to share my Disney knowledge with you so you can have the best vacation possible!
