One of the most important things I’ve learned from sailing Concierge on Disney Cruise Line is that the experience does not begin when you step onboard.
It starts months before your cruise—with an email and the opportunity to ask for what you want.
And I really do mean ask.
We have made requests for ourselves, added friends who were not sailing Concierge, asked for activities without knowing exactly when they would be offered, and even contacted Concierge after booking a cruise at the last minute. Not every request is guaranteed, but Shoreside Concierge has surprised and delighted us often enough that my philosophy is simple:
Ask politely, include the information they need, and let them tell you no.
You may be pleasantly surprised by how often the answer is yes.
The Disney Cruise Line Concierge request timeline
There are three dates Concierge guests should understand:
135 days before your cruise: Shoreside Concierge emails you with information about your upcoming booking window.
130 days before your cruise: Beginning at midnight Eastern Time, you can email your requests.
120 days before your cruise: You can see which activities were secured in the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app or on DisneyCruise.com.
Always follow the exact date in your 135-day email. Disney states that requests are processed in the order received, but requests sent before your window opens will not be accepted. If you send your email too early, you will be asked to submit it again at the correct date and time.
The email will also tell you what information to include. At the time of my most recent request, Disney asked for my full name, reservation number, and phone number in all correspondence.
Disney will send a follow-up after processing your requests, but everything remains subject to availability and change.
Do you really need to email at midnight?
If you want a cabana at Castaway Cay or Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, my answer is yes.
Stay awake, schedule the email in advance, or do whatever works for you—but do not casually wait until the next morning if a cabana is one of the most important parts of your trip.
Disney has added more cabanas at Castaway Cay, which may help alleviate some of the shortage, but cabanas are still the request I would never delay submitting.
For most other requests, I do not think the difference between midnight and breakfast time is necessarily going to make or break your vacation. Still, requests are processed in the order received, so I prefer to send mine when the window opens—especially when something is important to our group.
Start by thinking about your actual cruise
There is no universal “perfect” Concierge request list because the right priorities depend on your itinerary.
Our Transatlantic and South Pacific cruises did not visit Castaway Cay or Lookout Cay, so cabanas were irrelevant. Shore excursions and group plans mattered much more.
We have also found that not every excursion is offered on repositioning cruises. Shoreside Concierge can usually send us information about what is expected to be available, which makes it easier to build a realistic request list.
For our upcoming Transatlantic cruise, my biggest request was the private dining room at Palo for a group dinner with friends we met through Adventures by Disney and our South Pacific trip. I was nominated to take the lead, so I listed everyone’s information and made that request my priority.
My advice is to ask yourself:
What would be hardest to book without Concierge?
Is there one experience that would make the cruise feel especially memorable?
Are you coordinating with another stateroom or a larger group?
Does your itinerary include a day when demand will be unusually high?
Are there themed activities unique to this sailing?
On our Marvel Day at Sea cruise, I did not try to predict every Marvel offering. I essentially asked Concierge to book us for any and all Marvel-related activities.
They knew the schedule. I did not need to.
My favorite Concierge trick: ask to include your travel companions
One of the best pre-sailing advantages we have experienced is Concierge helping us make plans with friends or family who were not booked in Concierge.
When we are traveling with friends in another stateroom, I include their full names and reservation numbers in my request. We have successfully added non-Concierge friends to shore excursions and beverage tastings with us—even when they had a lower Castaway Club status and were still far from their own activity-booking date.
I always make these requests expecting that Disney may say no. Availability, eligibility, capacity, and onboard policies can all affect the outcome, so I would never present this as a guarantee.
Still, we have repeatedly been delighted when our plans appeared in the app with everyone included.
This can also be helpful for dining. Shoreside Concierge can link your dining with guests in other staterooms, so you are not trying to sort out your group after boarding.
The important part is giving Concierge the information they need. Include each guest’s:
Full name
Reservation number
Requested activity
Preferred date or time
Acceptable alternatives
The clearer you make the request, the easier it is for the team to understand exactly what you are trying to coordinate.
Make your priorities clear—but give Concierge flexibility
I am probably looser with my request-email format than some Disney Cruise planners. I do not create an elaborate spreadsheet or write a novel explaining every decision.
I put my most important request first and offer alternatives whenever I can.
If I want a cabana, I might list my favorite cabana numbers but add that any cabana would be great.
For our Palo private-room request, I listed two preferred nights and then explained that we were open to any sea day, ideally toward the middle of the cruise.
That flexibility matters. A request that only works on one specific night at one specific time gives Concierge fewer ways to help you. If several options would make you happy, tell them.
A useful format looks something like this:
Sample Disney Cruise Line Concierge request
Hello,
We are excited about our upcoming cruise and would love your help with the following requests, listed in priority order.
1. Highest-priority request
Preferred date or time:
Alternative dates or times:
Guests and reservation numbers:
2. Second request
Preferred date or time:
Alternative dates or times:
Guests and reservation numbers:
3. Additional requests
Include any dining, spa, tasting, excursion, celebration, nursery, character, or stateroom requests here.
Our full name, reservation number, and phone number are included below. Please let us know if you need any additional information.
Thank you!
You do not have to copy that exactly. The goal is to make your priorities and backup choices easy to understand.
Let Concierge use information you may not have
One reason I value Shoreside Concierge is that they know the cruise schedule before I necessarily know every detail.
I hate the Pirate Night dinner menu, so I often request Palo for Pirate Night.
I do not need to know which night Pirate Night will be. Concierge does.
That is especially helpful on themed or unusual itineraries. Instead of trying to reverse-engineer the schedule, explain the outcome you want:
“Please reserve Palo for Pirate Night.”
“Please request any available Marvel activities.”
“We would like a private group dinner on a sea day.”
“Please send the Port Adventures expected to be available for this itinerary.”
Tell them what matters and allow them to work with the schedule they have.
Ask about more than cabanas and Palo
Disney’s pre-sailing Concierge email includes a much broader range of activities and services than many guests realize.
Depending on your sailing and availability, requests may include:
Port Adventures
Palo and Remy reservations
Spa appointments
Rainforest Room passes
Beverage tastings
Virtual sports or golf simulators
Royal Gathering
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
Pirates League on select sailings
“It’s a Small World” Nursery
Professional photography
Dining rotation and seating requests
Stateroom requests
Onboard gifts and celebrations
Ground transportation
Some guests care deeply about requesting a particular dining rotation. That has never been a major priority for me—but to each their own! The point of Concierge is not that everyone should request the same things. It is that you can ask for the things that matter to your family.
Definitely tell Shoreside Concierge about birthdays, anniversaries, and other celebrations. I have emailed to let them know that someone in our party was celebrating a birthday, and I routinely ask them to link us with friends or family in other rooms.
Concierge may be able to help with last-minute requests too
The 130-day window is important, but missing it does not mean you should give up and wait until embarkation.
Before one Marvel Day at Sea cruise, my best friend and I decided at the last minute that we wanted pedicures. Concierge got us appointments together early on day two without a problem.
A coworker booked her first Disney cruise on the Fantasy in Concierge much closer to sailing. Shoreside Concierge still managed to secure a cabana for her family, and they loved it.
That does not mean a last-minute cabana will always appear. It means you should ask.
Availability changes. Plans change. Other guests cancel things. Concierge may have options you cannot see or may be able to identify an alternative that still works for you.
What Shoreside Concierge cannot guarantee
As much as I appreciate what Concierge can accomplish, the process is not perfect.
For our upcoming Transatlantic cruise, I requested the private room at Palo for our group. The initial response said the request had been sent to the ship to arrange.
When I followed up about a week later—because the rest of the group understandably wanted to plan around the dinner—I learned that it would not be confirmed until roughly one week before embarkation.
I wish that limitation had been clearer in the initial response.
I am optimistic that it will work out. The last time we wanted the private dining room, we did not even ask until we were onboard, and the team made it happen. Still, waiting until the week before a long-planned group trip feels unnecessarily uncertain.
That experience is a good reminder that Shoreside Concierge can submit and coordinate requests, but that does not mean every detail can be confirmed immediately. Some decisions remain with the ship, and all requests are subject to availability.
If a request affects a large group, ask when you can realistically expect confirmation so everyone understands the timeline.
The biggest mistake Concierge guests make before sailing
Honestly? The biggest mistake is not asking for what they want.
Do not assume your request is too unusual.
Do not assume your non-Concierge friends cannot be included.
Do not assume it is too late because you booked after the 130-day window.
Do not assume you need to know the entire onboard schedule before emailing.
Be courteous, provide the relevant reservation information, explain what is most important, and offer alternatives. Then let Concierge tell you what is possible.
You paid a significant premium for the Concierge experience. Shoreside planning is part of that service, so use it.
My Disney Cruise Line Concierge request strategy
If I had to reduce my approach to a short checklist, it would be this:
Watch for the Concierge email 135 days before sailing.
Follow the exact request date provided in that email.
If you want a cabana, send your request at midnight Eastern 130 days before sailing.
Tailor your priorities to your ship and itinerary.
Put your most important request first.
Include backup dates, times, or options.
Add the names and reservation numbers of friends in other staterooms.
Mention celebrations and group connections.
Ask even if you booked late or think the answer might be no.
Check the Navigator app or DisneyCruise.com at 120 days to see what was secured.
Disney Cruise Line Concierge cannot guarantee every wish, but our experience has taught me that Shoreside Concierge can often do more than guests realize—especially when you make it easy for them to understand what would add the most value to your cruise.
If you are still deciding whether the upgrade makes sense, read my honest review of whether Disney Cruise Line Concierge is worth it after sailing Concierge on four ships.
You may also enjoy my comparison of the Concierge lounges on the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder and my look at why I never get bored during sea days on Disney’s repositioning cruises.
What is the most important item on your Disney Cruise Line Concierge request list? If you have already sailed Concierge, share your best pre-cruise request or planning advice in the comments.
Explore more Disney Cruise Line Concierge advice: My Disney Cruise Line Guides page includes Concierge reviews, ship comparisons, planning tips, and help deciding whether the upgrade is right for you.
Disney Cruise Line procedures, activities, and availability can change. This article reflects my firsthand experience and a Concierge booking email reviewed in July 2026. Follow the dates and instructions in the email sent for your specific sailing.
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