How to Read your Disney Cruise Key to the World Card Like a Pro

Imagine this… you just checked in for your Disney Cruise, received your boarding group and the weekly Navigator, and you were starting to slide your Disney Key to the World card into your lanyard…

But, wait.

What do all those abbreviations on your Key to the World card mean?

Are they important? (Hint, most are!)

Here’s what you need to know.

What is the Disney Key to the World card?

Before we discuss how to read it, you may be curious as to what you need it for. Here’s a quick outline:

1. Room key – Simply tap your key to the door sensor
2. Identification for boarding – Your KTTW card will be scanned every time you leave the ship, then when you return. In fact, they know who you left with! One time, Kevin wanted to walk around the port more, so he didn’t come back with me. The crew member asked me if he was returning later.
3. Credit card – No need to carry money with you as Disney’s Key to the World card charges your main account. Things like onboard merchandise, coffee at the Cove Café or any specialty drinks can be charged.
4. Disney photos – Often, the Disney photographers will scan your card (other times they just ask for your room number) before they take your picture (similar to how they do it at the parks).

Line 1

Okay, this is pretty obvious – these are your sailing dates.

Line 2

Three pieces of information are listed here:

• Your ship name
• (A) – adult or (M) – minor
• Transportation purchased through Disney
  • P – to the port
  • A – return to the airport
  • R – return to a Disney World resort

You can have a combination of these, such as mine reads ‘PA’ means I purchased Disney transportation to the port as well as back to the airport.

Line 3

Another obvious one – your name

Line 4

This is your Castaway Club membership. Each person in your stateroom will have a unique number. In addition, if this is your first time cruising (like it was mine), it will only have this number. If you have previously sailed with Disney Cruise Line (and saved money booking a Disney placeholder cruise), it will say your status such as Silver, Gold or Platinum.

If your Key to the World card is yellow instead of blue, you are booked in a Concierge room and have access to the Concierge Lounge.

Line 5

Dinner seating time and table number. If you are eating in one of the main dining room restaurants, this is what time you should be at the doors. Your table number will be the same even as you rotate among restaurants.

Line 6

Your dining rotation. On Disney Cruises, dinner seating is rotated among the three restaurants. Follow this chart so you know where to eat!

Disney Cruise restaurant names and symbol for each ship:

Disney Fantasy:

• (E) – Enchanted Garden
• (R) – Royal Court
• (A) – Animator’s Palette

Disney Dream:

• (E) – Enchanted Garden
• (R) – Royal Palace
• (A) – Animator’s Palette

Disney Magic:

• (A) – Animator’s Palette
• (L) – Lumiere’s
• (C) – Carioca’s

Disney Wonder:

• (A) – Animator’s Palette
• (TI) – Tiana’s Place
• (TR) – Triton’s

As a side note, your disembarkation breakfast is always served in the restaurant where you had dinner the night before. For example, on our Key to the World card, ‘A’, for Animator’s Palette, is where we had dinner on our last cruise night and also where we had breakfast before leaving the ship.

Line 7

Two items are listed here. First is the station number of where you checked in. This doesn’t really mean anything.

Then, in the bottom right corner of your Key to the World card, you may find a ‘DV’ or ‘NC’. The DV means your Disney Visa card is on file and some discounts could apply to you.

‘NC’ means no charging. When checking in online, you have the option to give your children charging privileges or not. I chose not to, therefore, my daughter’s card shows ‘NC’.

The final piece of information is the large letter in the bottom left corner. This is your muster station. It is where you need to go for the mandatory muster drill before the ship sails. Be sure to bring your Key to the World card (only one card needed per stateroom) as crew members will swipe it to verify you were there.

Now you know everything!

Ok, now that you know every single piece of information on this card, where are you going to put it? If you have cruised with Disney before, they provide you with Disney Cruise lanyards. If this is your first cruise, you need to bring your own. Pick up some cute ones on Amazon like these:

Want some more Disney Cruise advice? Click on the following links!

• 15 Things to do on your Disney Cruise Embarkation Day
• How to Organize your Disney Cruise Stateroom
• Connect at Sea – How to use the Disney Cruise Wifi

Do you have any other questions regarding your Disney Cruise Key to the World card? If you do, please post them in the comments!

PIN this for future reference!  Thank you.