Disney Wish Stateroom 9068 Tour: Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah
On our recent Disney Wish cruise, we stayed in stateroom 9068, a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with a Verandah. Our kids were 5 and 2 ½ at the time of our trip, and this room layout worked really well for us thanks to the split bathroom design, storage space, and sleeping arrangements.
In this post, we’ll take you on a complete tour of stateroom 9068, share some of the things that worked well for our family, and offer a few tips for choosing a stateroom and preparing for a Disney Cruise with young kids.
Selecting a Stateroom
When booking your Disney Cruise, you’ll have the opportunity to select the exact stateroom you want to stay in during your trip. Since there are several room categories, locations, layouts, and price points available throughout the ship, I usually spend a few minutes looking through the different options before making a final decision.
We chose to stay in stateroom 9068 primarily because of its Midship location and close proximity to Deck 11, where the pools and quick-service dining options can be found, without being directly underneath those busy areas. From there, I looked for a stateroom with a verandah because we love having the extra natural light and being able to look out at the ocean throughout the trip.
Don’t Overlook the Sleeping Arrangements Before You Book
One detail I paid close attention to when selecting our stateroom was the sleeping arrangements. Before our first Disney Cruise, I assumed all Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms with Verandahs had the same layout. While researching for our second cruise, I realized that’s not always the case.
For our family, having a Murphy bed, or lower wall pull-down bed, was important because we knew our 5-year-old would be more comfortable sleeping there. Plenty of kids would probably love the ceiling pull-down bed, but we felt the Murphy bed was a better fit for him. When reviewing stateroom options, I specifically looked for rooms that included this feature.
If the Murphy bed is important to your family, take a close look at the stateroom description before booking. Many listings include a queen bed, sofa bed, and ceiling pull-down bed. To find rooms with the additional sleeping space, look for an extra line in the description that specifically mentions a lower wall pull-down bed.
It’s a small detail that’s easy to overlook during the booking process, but it can make a big difference once you’re onboard.
Stateroom Layout
Our stateroom on the Disney Wish was perfect for our family of four. The room felt open and bright thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows and door leading out to the verandah. As a parent traveling with young kids, one of my first thoughts when walking into any hotel room or cruise stateroom is where are we going to put all of our stuff during our trip?
Thankfully, that wasn’t a concern here. Between the closets, drawers, shelves, and space under the bed, it was easy to see where everything would go once we unpacked.
Having previously sailed on the Disney Fantasy, the overall layout felt familiar right away, but the Disney Wish definitely felt a little more modern, while still being just as comfortable. If you’re trying to decide between the two ships, you can also check out our Disney Fantasy stateroom tour here for a closer look at that room.
Main Living Area
While we spent most of our time exploring the ship, we still found ourselves back in the room throughout the day for breaks, getting ready for dinner, or winding down before bed.
We found the main living area comfortable, with a couch that was big enough for all four of us to sit together if we wanted to. There was also a small oval-shaped table that worked great for the kids when they wanted to eat snacks, play with toys, or color.
The TV is located across from the bed but was still easy enough to watch from the couch. My kids loved being able to watch some of their favorite Disney shows and movies on demand while we took a break from all the activities around the ship.
The desk area ended up being one of the most useful spaces in the room. We used it as a landing spot for everything from lanyards and our diaper bag, to snacks and crafts we worked on during the day. The shelves helped keep us organized, and I could place things out of the kids’ reach that I didn’t want them getting into, like toiletry bags or the glasses that come standard in the room.
At night, our kids would typically go to bed much earlier than we did. The privacy curtain that separates the queen bed from the rest of the room helped divide the space and allowed us to keep the lights and TV on without disturbing them. It wasn’t completely blackout, but it worked well enough for our family.
The space underneath the desk ended up being surprisingly useful as a spot to tuck our shoes out of the way when they weren’t being worn. It helped keep the room from feeling cluttered and kept me from tripping over them at night when the lights were off.
Split Bathroom Design
Having the tub in one room and the toilet in another, each with its own sink, was really helpful when traveling with young kids. The bathrooms aren’t the biggest spaces, and one of ours also included the Diaper Genie, but being able to use both rooms at the same time made mornings and bedtime much easier. We could divide and conquer while getting everyone ready for the day or settled down for the night.
There are a couple of shelves in each bathroom that were useful for keeping toiletries organized and out of the kids’ reach. The overall shape and size of the tub worked great for baths at the end of the night. There is texturing on the bottom, so we never had any issues with slipping, and the glass shower door also worked better for our family than a traditional shower curtain. Compared to the round tub and shower curtain in our Disney Fantasy stateroom, I preferred the setup on the Disney Wish.
There’s also a handheld shower that can be adjusted to different heights if your kids prefer to shower instead of taking a bath. One thing I did wish I had brought was a different cup for rinsing the kids off in the tub. I ended up using the glass one from the room, which wasn’t ideal.
Disney also provides shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in a dispenser inside the shower. Our kids have sensitive skin, so we still packed their soap from home, but my husband and I used the products Disney provided without any issues. If you’re trying to save luggage space, it’s nice not having to pack those items yourself.
We ended up using the retractable clothesline in the shower every night. We would hang our bathing suits there before bed so they were dry the next morning. Depending on how you have things hung up, it can get in the way while showering, but since we mainly used it overnight, it wasn’t a problem for us.
One thing I always bring from home when we travel is a small bag of water-safe bath toys. Usually, I pack a handful of animal figures since they’re my kids’ favorites, and it helps make their bedtime routine feel a little more familiar while we’re away from home.
I also make sure to bring a folding travel potty seat for my older son. It fit perfectly on the toilet and stored easily in its travel case when we weren’t using it.
Another small detail I appreciated was the pump hand soap dispenser in the toilet room. It’s such a simple thing, but I find it much easier for little kids to use than the bar soaps you sometimes get in hotel rooms.
One final feature I liked was the night light underneath the cabinet in the toilet room. It provided just enough light for a middle-of-the-night bathroom trip without having to turn on the main lights and risk waking everyone else up.
Storage Space
Regardless of how efficiently you try to pack, traveling with young kids typically means you’ll still end up with a lot of stuff. For our trip, we had four suitcases, a diaper bag, my husband’s carry-on bag, a couple of small backpacks for the kids filled with toys and snacks, and an umbrella stroller for my younger son. All of that stuff needs somewhere to go during your trip.
One thing I’ve found really helpful on Disney Cruises is using packing cubes. Each person in our family gets a different colored set, and one of the first things I do when we get settled into our room is take the packing cubes out of the suitcases and put them directly into drawers or the closet. It keeps us from constantly digging through suitcases and makes it much easier to stay organized throughout the trip.
There was plenty of storage for our luggage. We had no trouble fitting all four suitcases under the bed and stored our other bags in the closets when they weren’t being used. Once everything was unpacked and put away, it felt like we had much more floor space for the kids to move around.
Around the room, you’ll find shelves, drawers, cabinets, and closet space that help keep everyday items off the floor. I really liked the shelves because they have a bar across the front to keep things from sliding off while the ship is moving.
There are drawers and cabinets built into the desk area, additional cabinet space along the wall where the Murphy bed is stored, and nightstands with drawers on either side of the queen bed. The closets also come with several full-size hangers if you have clothes you’d like to hang during your cruise.
One thing I learned from our first Disney Cruise was to keep the size of your stroller in mind. During that trip, we brought our full-size stroller and quickly discovered that it didn’t fit through the stateroom doorway. It also took up a lot of space once we got inside the room.
For this cruise, we brought an umbrella stroller instead, and it worked much better. Since it was smaller and lighter, we didn’t even feel the need to collapse it each night. We simply parked it in the corner of the room near the Murphy bed, where it stayed out of the way but was still easy to grab whenever we needed it.
Verandah
One of the reasons we prefer booking a verandah stateroom is the natural light and ocean views. Even if we weren’t sitting outside, the large windows made the room feel brighter and more open.
Our favorite time to use the verandah was when we were arriving at or leaving one of Disney’s island destinations. As you pull away from the island, the Cast Members who work there gather together and wave giant Mickey hands to guests as the ship sails away. My kids absolutely loved watching this tradition, and when we looked around, it seemed like most of the guests on our side of the ship were out on their verandahs enjoying it too.
The verandah comes with two outdoor chairs and a small table that can be moved around. If you’re traveling with family or friends in an adjoining stateroom, you can also request to have the divider between the verandahs opened to create a larger shared outdoor space.
The safety features were reassuring when traveling with young kids. There is plexiglass in front of the railings, and the door includes an additional lock located at the very top, well out of reach of young children.
Sleeping Accommodations
Stateroom 9068 can sleep up to five people. The queen bed was comfortable, and the bedding felt like it was good quality. Our room was themed to Sleeping Beauty, and there was a beautiful, large painting above the headboard. Each side of the bed has a small nightstand with a drawer for extra storage. I liked having charging options on both sides of the bed. One side includes a European plug and USB ports, while the other has standard U.S. plugs and additional USB ports, making it easy to keep phones charged overnight.
My younger son slept on the sofa bed, which pulls down horizontally and sleeps one person. It felt like just the right size for him. My older son slept on the Murphy bed that pulls down from the wall. There is a reading light built into the Murphy bed area, which was helpful at bedtime. The most accessible outlets in this part of the room were located on the desk directly across from their beds.
When you book your cruise, you can request complimentary items like a Pack ‘n Play and bed rails. There are no traditional cribs available, but the Pack ‘n Play includes the standard mattress pad and a set of sheets. Your stateroom host can set it up and take it down as needed throughout your cruise.
The bed rails are really helpful for little ones. However, on our recent sailing, Disney had actually run out of bed rails and we were unable to get them. Thankfully, our stateroom host was fantastic and knew exactly what to do. He created bed rails using rolled-up blankets and towels tucked underneath the fitted sheet so they wouldn’t move during the night. It actually worked out better than I expected because they were softer than traditional bed rails and extended the entire length of the bed. If you find yourself in a similar situation, don’t panic. Your stateroom host will likely have a similar backup solution that works just as well. My kids slept great all week during our trip.
One final feature we really appreciated was the blackout curtains covering the verandah door and windows. My kids will wake up as soon as the sun comes up, so having a dark room makes a big difference. The blackout curtains worked extremely well and helped everyone get a little more sleep during the cruise.
Special Discoveries and Amenities
Disney Cruise Line staterooms are full of little surprises and amenities that help make your stay more comfortable. Several items are already provided in the room, which can save valuable luggage space when packing for your cruise.
You’ll find a hair dryer stored in one of the drawers, along with a beverage cooler that can be used to keep drinks cold throughout your cruise. Just keep in mind that it doesn’t get quite as cold as a traditional refrigerator, so you may not want to rely on it for storing food. There’s also a safe located in the closet that we typically use for travel documents, car keys, wallets, and other valuables. It’s not very wide, so larger items like some laptops or bigger tablets may not fit.
My kids always get excited about the magnetic walls found in many Disney Cruise Line staterooms. It can vary slightly depending on the ship and room type, but many interior stateroom walls are magnetic. I brought a small bag of magnets for them, and they had a lot of fun decorating the walls and the adjoining door between our room and the neighboring stateroom.
The magnetic walls can also be useful for parents. If you bring a few magnetic hooks from home, they create additional places to hang things like hats, lanyards, swimsuits, or Mickey ears without taking up valuable storage space.
If you need a diaper pail during your cruise, it’s possible one may already be set up in your stateroom depending on the ages of the kids listed on your reservation. If not, ask your stateroom host once you get settled into your room and they’ll be able to help you. We had ours set up in the bathroom, and our stateroom host emptied it throughout the cruise.
Tips for Making the Most of Your Disney Cruise Stateroom
After going on a few Disney Cruises now, there are a handful of things we’ve learned that help us make the most of our stateroom.
Before your cruise, be sure to request any complimentary items your family may need, such as a Pack ‘n Play, bed rails, or a booster seat for rotational dining meals. Disney Cruise Line offers several complimentary items for families traveling with little ones. For a complete list of what’s available, check out our guide to complimentary items for kids on Disney Cruise Line here.
Even though you’ll likely spend most of your time exploring the ship or visiting your Ports of Call, there is still some downtime throughout the day. We like to bring a handful of small activities for the kids, including magnets, puzzles, Crayola Color Wonder pages, and reusable sticker books. They’re easy to pack and help keep little ones entertained during breaks in the room.
Many people also choose to decorate the outside of their stateroom door. Be sure to review Disney Cruise Line’s current policies, but in general, decorations must be magnetic and limited to your stateroom door. It’s a fun way to personalize your space, and a surprising number of families participate.
There is complimentary room service available 24 hours a day. If you’re looking for a late-night snack after the kids have gone to bed, you can order favorites like chicken tenders, burgers, cookies, and even Mickey Premium Bars delivered right to your stateroom.
Disney Cruise Line also offers a complimentary continental breakfast delivery service. Simply fill out the order card located in the desk drawer and hang it outside your door before bed. The menu is fairly limited, but it’s a convenient way to get coffee, fruit, pastries, or juice delivered to your room before heading out for the day.
The night before a Port of Call, I like to spend a few minutes getting our bags packed and laying out everyone’s clothes for the next morning. Having everything ready to go makes the morning feel much less rushed and helps us get breakfast and head off the ship without scrambling to find swimsuits, sunscreen, or shoes.
The Disney Cruise Line Navigator app is also worth checking each evening. It’s a good way to review the next day’s activities, and before a Port of Call, Disney will send important information like arrival times, all-aboard times, and required documents.
Final Thoughts
We really enjoyed our stay in stateroom 9068. The layout worked well for our family, and between the split bathroom, storage space, sleeping arrangements, and verandah, we had everything we needed for a comfortable trip.
We liked this stateroom so much that it’s the same category we already booked for our next Disney Cruise. Stateroom 9068 was in a great location too. It was close enough to Deck 11 that we could easily take the stairs to the pools and quick-service dining, but we never noticed noise from above, below, or outside the room.
If you’re still planning your cruise, be sure to check out our Disney Cruise countdown guide, where we walk through everything from booking your cruise to embarkation day so you know what to expect before you sail.