Disney Cruise Placeholder Reservation: What It Is and Is It Worth It?
While sailing with Disney Cruise Line, you’ll often come across exclusive onboard offers, including the option to book a placeholder reservation for a future cruise. On our first Disney Cruise, we almost skipped this completely because we had no idea what it was or how it worked. Now, it’s something we always consider before the end of a sailing.
In this post, we’ll break down exactly what a placeholder reservation is, how to book one, and what’s included. We’ll also walk through the pros and cons and help you decide whether it’s worth it for your family.
What Is a Disney Cruise Placeholder Reservation?
A placeholder reservation is essentially a booking for a future cruise, but it’s important to know that it’s not a confirmed reservation yet. You’re not picking a specific ship or sailing date when you purchase it. Instead, you’re putting down a deposit while on board your cruise that you can use toward a future sailing later on.
Right now, that future cruise must take place within 24 months of when you purchase the placeholder. If you decide not to use it, or don’t book within that timeframe, the full deposit, typically $250, is completely refundable, which is a big reason a lot of families choose to do this.
Placeholder reservations are booked per household, and each household can usually purchase placeholders for up to two staterooms per sailing. Each stateroom does require its own deposit though, so if you’re planning to book multiple rooms, you’ll need to pay the $250 deposit for each one.
When you’re ready to book your cruise, that deposit gets applied toward your total, and you’ll typically receive 10% off the cruise fare per stateroom.
There are a few limitations to keep in mind. Placeholder reservations are only valid on select sailings, and blackout dates do apply, often around holiday and peak travel periods. If you already have a specific timeframe in mind, it’s a good idea to take a quick look at those dates first so there aren’t any surprises later.
From time to time, Disney Cruise Line also offers enhanced deals that go beyond the standard 10% discount. You may also find that certain sailings, especially longer cruises 7 nights or more, offer reduced deposit requirements when booking with a placeholder.
What Does a Placeholder Reservation Include?
When you book a placeholder reservation, you’re essentially locking in a few key benefits for a future cruise, even though you’re not choosing your dates or ship just yet.
A future cruise booking
You’re reserving the ability to book later, not selecting a specific sailing at the time of purchase.
A 10% discount on your cruise fare
This discount applies to the base cruise fare per stateroom, not the total cost of your trip, so things like taxes, fees, and extras like WI-FI aren’t included. This is something I didn’t fully realize the first time we booked with a placeholder.
If you’re booking multiple rooms, you’ll need a separate placeholder for each stateroom, and the 10% discount is applied to each one individually.
A $250 payment that goes toward your future cruise deposit
You’ll pay $250 per stateroom while on board, and that amount is applied toward the full deposit required when you book your cruise.
The option to book up to two staterooms per household
Each room requires its own placeholder and payment.
Flexibility to book later
You’ll have up to 24 months to apply your placeholder to a cruise, and if you don’t end up using it, the payment is fully refundable.
How to Get a Disney Cruise Placeholder Reservation
Placeholder reservations must be made while you’re on board your current Disney Cruise Line sailing, so it’s something you’ll want to take care of before the end of your trip.
The easiest way to purchase one is through the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app. Once there, you’ll find a button labeled “10% Off a Future Cruise,” which will walk you through the steps to complete your purchase.
You’ll pay $250 per stateroom at the time of booking, so it’s helpful to decide ahead of time how many rooms you may want to reserve. Each household can typically reserve up to two staterooms per sailing.
Once everything is complete, you’ll receive a reservation number that you’ll use later when you’re ready to book your cruise.
Pros of Booking a Disney Cruise Placeholder
There are a number of benefits that come with booking a Disney Cruise placeholder reservation.
Save money on a future cruise
With a placeholder reservation, you’ll receive a 10% discount on cruise fare, and your $250 payment per stateroom is applied toward the total required deposit when you book.
May get a reduced deposit on longer sailings
Certain sailings, typically 7 nights or longer, may offer a discounted deposit when booked using a placeholder reservation.
Occasionally, there are even better offers
Disney sometimes releases special promotions for placeholder bookings, and select sailings may offer savings beyond the standard 10% discount.
Completely refundable
This is probably one of the biggest benefits, and honestly one of the main reasons we always consider booking one. If you don’t end up booking a cruise, your $250 payment per stateroom is fully refundable.
No need to commit to dates or a ship right away
With a placeholder reservation, you’re not locking in a specific sailing yet. You can choose your ship and travel dates later, as long as your cruise departs within 24 months of your original purchase.
Cons of a Disney Cruise Placeholder
Overall, there aren’t a lot of true downsides to booking a placeholder reservation, especially since it’s refundable. That said, there are a few important things to be aware of that could impact your decision. Many of these are details I didn’t fully understand until we went to book our first cruise using a placeholder.
Only valid on select sailings (blackout dates apply)
Placeholder reservations can’t be used on every cruise, and there are blackout dates, often around holidays and other peak travel times.
This is something we ran into when we first tried to book. We were hoping to book a Very Merrytime sailing around Christmas, but those sailings were part of the blackout dates, so we wouldn’t have been able to use our placeholder.
There are still plenty of other sailings to choose from, but if you have a very specific timeframe in mind, it’s worth checking those dates before purchasing.
Can’t always be combined with new booking offers
Disney often runs promotions that are only available for new bookings. Since a placeholder is considered an existing reservation, you may not be able to take advantage of those deals.
For example, when we booked, there was a promotion where only 50% of the deposit was due at the time of booking. Since we were using a placeholder, we weren’t eligible for that offer.
One placeholder per stateroom
Each placeholder can only be applied to one room. If you’re booking multiple staterooms, you’ll need a separate placeholder and deposit, for each one.
This was something we ran into when our plans changed. We originally purchased one placeholder, but later decided to travel with a larger group and needed two rooms. What I didn’t fully realize at the time was that the discount is tied to each placeholder, so we were only able to apply it to one of the staterooms.
Limited stateroom category availability
Placeholder reservations are typically only valid for certain stateroom categories, so you may not always be able to book your first choice of room using the discount.
Occasionally, Disney will run special promotions that open up more room options, but it’s not guaranteed.
Using Your Disney Cruise Placeholder Reservation
When you’re ready to use your placeholder reservation and select a specific ship and sailing date, the process is usually pretty straightforward.
If you have one placeholder and are booking one stateroom, you can log in to the Disney Cruise Line website and complete your booking online. You’ll find your placeholder under the “My Reservations” section, and from there you can follow the steps to finish your booking.
You should also have received a confirmation email when you purchased your placeholder. This includes important details like your reservation number, which you’ll need when completing your booking.
If you’re booking multiple rooms, the process can be a little different. You’ll typically need to call Disney Cruise Line or your travel agent to complete the booking. In our case, we had one placeholder but later needed two rooms after our plans changed.
We called Disney to complete our booking, since we were reserving one room with the placeholder and one without. This required two separate transactions. The room with the placeholder received the 10% discount and had the $250 applied toward the deposit, while the second room was booked as a new reservation, which allowed us to take advantage of any current promotions.
The Cast Member we spoke with was very helpful and was even able to help us secure adjoining rooms.
One thing I noticed while on the phone was that stateroom availability looked a little different than what I was seeing online. If you’re having trouble finding the room type or setup you’re looking for, it may be worth calling to see if they can help.
Once your booking is complete, your placeholder reservation is applied and becomes part of your confirmed cruise reservation.
Is a Disney Cruise Placeholder Reservation Worth It?
In most cases, yes, a Disney Cruise placeholder reservation is worth it. The $250 payment per stateroom is completely refundable if you don’t end up booking another cruise within the 24-month window, which takes a lot of the pressure off. In exchange, you have the opportunity to save on your next Disney Cruise Line sailing, without having to choose a specific ship or date right away.
If there’s even a small chance you’ll take another Disney cruise within the next couple of years, I’d recommend booking a placeholder while you’re onboard. It gives you the flexibility to figure out the details later, while still locking in potential savings.
On the other hand, if you only plan to cruise once, or you have a very specific sailing in mind, like a holiday cruise that may fall within blackout dates, it might not be the best fit. In those cases, you may be better off waiting and booking when the timing is right.
For many families though, having a little flexibility goes a long way. You can secure the option to save now without committing to anything and if your plans change, you can always get your money back.
Final Thoughts
A Disney Cruise placeholder reservation is something we now plan for before the end of every sailing. It’s a quick step to take while you’re onboard, and once you understand how it works, it’s very straightforward to use when you’re ready to book again.
At the end of the day, there’s very little downside. You’re giving yourself the opportunity to save on a future cruise without needing to commit to anything right away.