Disney Cruise Line has released a new discount offering 20% off to the general public on select sailings in Spring & Summer 2026. This is the latest of several special offers that are currently available, including a restricted categories deal that offers savings of up to 35% off. This post shares a rundown of both options along with quick thoughts on the likelihood of more deals throughout this year.
Last year was a good one for DCL discounts, culminating in the 40% Off Sale on Halloween & Christmas Sailings. That lasted one week and was supposedly for World Gratitude Day, a holiday I didn’t know existed until that deal. More likely, it was timed to juice results before the end fourth quarter of the fiscal year. Walt Disney World also had a lot of discounts around that same timeframe.
That was just one of several special offers Disney Cruise Line released last year. There was also ‘50% Off 3rd & 4th Guests on Select Sailings’ special offer, stackable $250 onboard credit for Disney Visa cardholders, as well as a deal similar to the 20% off discount that DCL just released. There were also a variety of special offers on select ‘Categories with Restrictions’ sailings. This is once again available for 2026, so let’s start with the restricted categories deal…
Embark on an unforgettable Disney cruise on select dates and take advantage of special savings on prevailing rates as quoted on disneycruise.com!
For select sailings, receive a discounted rate for Verandah, Oceanview and Inside staterooms. Disney Cruise Line will choose your stateroom for you, and it will be assigned closer to your embarkation date.
Important Details
- Valid for new bookings only.
- Valid only on Guaranteed Stateroom with Restrictions category: IGT (Inside), OGT (Oceanview) or VGT (Verandah).
- The assigned stateroom will be in the selected category or higher and may have an obstructed view.
- A specific stateroom will be assigned at a later time, based on availability.
- Savings based on non-discounted price for the same stateroom type and sailing.
- Discount applies to voyage fare. Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses are not included.
- Full payment is required at the time of booking for all Guests.
- Bookings are non-refundable, except bookings made in the United Kingdom and select countries in the European Union and Latin America, which are subject to applicable cancellation fees.
- Full legal names of all Guests are required at the time of booking, and no name changes are allowed.
- Rate does not include gratuities or Port Adventures.
- Not combinable with Disney Vacation Club Points.
- The number of staterooms allocated for this offer is limited.
- The offer cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts.
- Subject to Disney Cruise Line Terms and Conditions.
Here’s a savings chart for the 2026 DCL Restricted Categories Special Offer:
Again, this is only available for select sailings, but there are options from right now until May 2026. Definitely worth checking out if you have more flexibility!
To take advantage of this special offer, book online, call (800) 491-9744 or contact your travel agent. Here’s the full list of eligible sailings and more details for booking.
20% Off and $250 Onboard Credit in Spring & Summer 2026
Guests can embark on select Disney Wish and Disney Dream sailings and enjoy 20% off voyage fare – plus $250 onboard credit to spend during their vacation at sea.
This offer is available on select sailings aboard the Disney Wish and Disney Dream between April and July 2026.
Important Details
- Available for select sailings on the Disney Dream and Disney Wish between April 2026 and July 2026.
- Must be booked by March 29, 2026.
- Savings based on non-discounted price for the same stateroom category and sailing.
- Discount applies to voyage fare. Taxes, Fees, Port Expenses, Port Adventures and Gratuities are not included.
- Valid on new and existing bookings that meet the eligibility criteria. Must call the Disney Cruise Line Call Center to add the offer on an existing reservation.
- The following stateroom categories are eligible for this offer: categories 04A through 11C. Subject to change.
- The following stateroom categories are not eligible for this offer: Concierge and suites.
- One $250 USD onboard credit will automatically appear on the stateroom account and can be used onboard toward the purchase of shipboard services, merchandise, food and beverage, or Port Adventures.
- Onboard credit is nonrefundable, nontransferable, may not be redeemed for cash in whole or in part and can only be used during the sailing booked with this offer.
- Cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts, including the guaranteed staterooms with restrictions offer.
- Disney Vacation Points cannot be used to book sailing.
- Eligible sailings are subject to change without notice.
- The number of staterooms allocated for this offer is limited.
- Offer is subject to availability.
- Disney Cruise Line Terms and Conditions apply.
Here’s a full list of eligible sailings at deal launch…
Discount Disney Wish Sailings (Port Canaveral)
- April 6, 2026
- April 10, 2026
- April 17, 2026
- April 20, 2026
- May 1, 2026
- May 8, 2026
- May 18, 2026
- May 22, 2026
- May 29, 2026
- June 1, 2026
- June 5, 2026
- June 12, 2026
- June 15, 2026
- June 19, 2026
- June 26, 2026
- June 29, 2026
- July 3, 2026
- July 10, 2026
- July 13, 2026
- July 17, 2026
- July 20, 2026
- July 24, 2026
- July 27, 2026
- July 31, 2026
Discount Disney Dream Sailings (Fort Lauderdale)
- April 10, 2026
- April 13, 2026
- April 17, 2026
- April 24, 2026
- April 27, 2026
As always, we highly recommend working with Be Our Guest Vacations, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. Be Our Guest Vacations is our preferred travel agency, and they have many agents with extensive cruise experience and expertise.
Using a travel agency is incredibly advantageous when it comes to cruising–most will provide on-board credits based upon the size of the booking, along with itinerary advice and suggestions for the cruise. They’ll also deal with Disney on your behalf and, speaking from experience, this can be invaluable when something goes wrong. Especially if, like me, you hate talking on the telephone.
Our Commentary
DCL’s ‘deluge of deals’ is something we first discussed in Rising Tide of Disney Cruise Line Discounts. I don’t want to rehash all of that, but the core point was that prices had skyrocketed for DCL due to pent-up demand for cruising, which lagged the theme parks due to the slower phased reopening.
Basically, that people had done theme park trips first, then cruises. As with theme parks, which saw pent-up demand exhaust itself starting in 2023-2024, DCL was seeing the same trend play out, albeit delayed by 18 months to 2 years. And as with theme parks, the price increases driven by the pent-up demand era were unsustainable longer term, hence more discounting.
As anyone who follows Walt Disney World or Disneyland deals can tell you, we’re still seeing this dynamic with the theme parks. Now it seems like it’s Disney Cruise Line’s turn for its own price “correction,” but since Disney never lowers base prices, the solution is likewise more special offers.
It seems like the same story with Disney Cruise Line, but with a few new wrinkles added to the mix. The big one with DCL is the new ships that have come online, significantly expanding fleet capacity servicing existing markets.
Disneyland and Walt Disney World have not meaningfully expanded park capacity in the last ~5 years. If anything, they’ve reduced it, as reflected in attendance still being far below 2019. This seems purposeful; they’re making up for the lower crowds with higher guest spending.
By contrast, Disney Cruise Line has every incentive to fill all of those extra staterooms, which are perishable products since their value drops to zero when the ship departs. With the Wish, Treasure and now the Destiny added to the mix, DCL now has a lot more capacity to sell. (The Adventure should be a non-factor since it serves a new market.)
I won’t pretend to have my finger on the pulse of the cruise industry; nor do I track DCL discounts as (over)zealously as with Walt Disney World and Disneyland. With that said, Disney Cruise Line has already been following the post-COVID trajectory of the parks. I’d assume that means even more aggressive DCL deals in 2026–and there were already some pretty attractive ones last year. If anything, the biggest difference is that DCL keeps adding capacity; it should be a simple numbers game when it comes to special offers!
Disney Cruise Line is probably seeing demand dry up–or at least not increase, as needs to occur–as consumers balk at higher prices. This still hasn’t been discussed during quarterly earnings calls, but a lot can be masked by the introduction of new ships.
At the risk of stating the obvious, DCL’s year-over-year revenue numbers are going to continue going up as long as Disney Cruise Line has new ships coming online and keeps opening up new reservations. Frankly, it would be cause for serious concern if DCL saw a downturn in raw numbers at any point between now and ~2030.
It’s like Comcast and Epic Universe. There’s obviously going to be growth when you add a new theme park or cruise ship that did not exist in the prior year. But is it performing at or below internal expectations? What about per capita spending, capacity or occupancy numbers?
Ultimately, all of this is a good thing for consumers. Obviously, lower prices and bigger discounts are better. In this case, the biggest beneficiaries are relatively last-minute travelers, but that’s almost always the case with Disney Cruise Line discounts–the goal is filling staterooms that are a perishable good and would otherwise go empty. And it’s clear that targeted discounts to Floridians, Cast Members, Canadians, etc., won’t be enough, so we should see more general public deals!
The exhaustion of pent-up demand and Disney Cruise Line bring new capacity online via fleet expansion is fantastic for fans. It should put downward pressure on pricing, and not just via discounts. DCL pricing has skyrocketed in recent years, to the point that rational consumers doing a cost-benefit analysis of Disney versus other cruise lines might have a tough time justifying the latter. Of course, with all things Disney, emotion comes into play just as much as cold, hard logic. But it’d nevertheless be nice for the objective comparison to pencil out a little more favorably!
Planning to set sail aboard one of the DCL ships? Read our comprehensive Disney Cruise Line Guide to prepare for your voyage, plus plan entertainment, activities & excursions, and learn what to expect from your Disney cruise! For personalized planning & recommendations, click here to get a cruise quote from a no-fee Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. They can find you all of the current discounts, and help you plan the details of your cruise!
Your Thoughts
Thoughts on this new 20% off select DCL sailings in Spring & Summer 2026? What about the restricted categories savings of up to 35% off for now through May 2026? Will you be taking advantage of either special offers? Any recent experiences with DCL discounts or pricing that you care to share? Agree or disagree with our assessment? Hearing from you is fun and helpful, so if you have questions or thoughts, please share them below and we’ll try to respond!