Disney Cruise vs. Disneyworld

[swanwed6206]

We are Disneyworld freaks - just got back from a great trip and sure enough we are starting to plan... thinking about a cruise... anyone out there have pros and cons???

 

[disneycrazzzy]

I only think in positives:

Pros for Cruising
Typically more relaxing
Great food all the time
Seeing more of the "real" world on excursions
Still good if weather is bad (rain, heat, humidity)
Beaches and Snorkeling
More characters (and easier to visit)
Being on a ship on the ocean under the blue sky or stars
Watching the ocean go by


Pros for WDWing
Can be cheaper
Accomodations are more spacious
The rides
Restaurant choices
Activity choices (waterparks, DtD, Epcot, MK, DS, AK, resorts, mini-golf, DQ)
Do what you want to do when you want to do it

 

[scrump]

Interesting thread, was wondering the same myself.

We are targeting a 2011 Disney cruise. Personally, I am a parks person, and am not yet sold on a cruise, but I am happy to try once! WOuld love to hear other people's thoughts!

 

[philatiger]

We are Disneyworld freaks - just got back from a great trip and sure enough we are starting to plan... thinking about a cruise... anyone out there have pros and cons???

We are WDW fanatics as well. We went on our first disney cruise last year and loved it. Booked on our second next year, 7 day western. We got to see a bit of the world, see disney characters every day and the great service you expect from disney. Disney movies playing in the movie theatre, great stage shows. Fireworks at sea. Pirate night. The list goes on. Maybe think about doing the split week...start on the cruise and end at the parks...this way if the cruise is not everything you expected you would get your WDW fix at the end. We jumped right into the 7 day eastern and had no regrets.

Chuck

 

[wideeyedwonder]

We booked 4 nights of WDW (Beach Club), and 4 nights on the Magic last year.

We had a good time at the parks.

We had an AWESOME time on the cruise.

We are west coasters, do DL twice a year, and we LOVE the rides.

However, the cruise was so much more relaxing and new, and we felt taken care of every step of the way (food, activities, parties, entertainment, etc.)

We rebooked on our next cruise while on board the ship.

We hadn't expected to like the cruise so much, but we are hooked!

 

[Ky Cruisin]

We too are Disney freaks!! no nicer way to put it. We are 25+ times to WDW and we are on our third cruise.(Oct. 3, 2009) I love WDW, but the cruises are awesome. Our kids are getting older and traveling to different places is more appealing now. Don't get me wrong we just returned from WDW 3 weeks ago, and it's as magical as it always is. But there's something to be said about getting to several different destinations and doing nothing but relaxing to get there. If you have never tried a cruise, I encourage you to do so...you won't regret it.

 

[disneydawgs4]

We took our kids (13 & 4) on their first Disney cruise in March and they loved it! They both love the rides at Disney and the parks excitement, but when I asked them if they had to pick the parks or the cruise, they both said cruise with no hesitation! DH and I were sorta shocked, especially that our 4 y.o. DS agreed he loved the cruise. Admittedly, I would like for us to be able to do both and thought we were this fall with the bounceback, but since the Wonder will be in drydock during our fall break, it's just not meant to be.

 

[Dreamsoftravel]

I only think in positives:

Pros for Cruising
Typically more relaxing
Great food all the time
Seeing more of the "real" world on excursions
Still good if weather is bad (rain, heat, humidity)
Beaches and Snorkeling
More characters (and easier to visit)
Being on a ship on the ocean under the blue sky or stars
Watching the ocean go by


Pros for WDWing
Can be cheaper
Accomodations are more spacious
The rides
Restaurant choices
Activity choices (waterparks, DtD, Epcot, MK, DS, AK, resorts, mini-golf, DQ)
Do what you want to do when you want to do it

Great list! We have always been hooked on WDW but when we went on our first DCL, we did not want to get off the ship. The kids begged to go again. We were not smart and rebooked while on board, but my parents did and went without me!

I say if you can do a little of WDW before the cruise, that would be ideal! DCL is such a relaxing vacation, and is so different then the parks, but at the same time, it is so Disney!

 

[Alexander]

The best thing we have found with Disney Cruises vs. DisneyWorld--is there is a limit to how many people can be on the ship! However, in WDW, people just keep coming and coming and coming. We decided to cruise rather that go to WDW this April because my break was over Easter and Easter is just tooooo crowded at WDW. On the cruise however, once the ship is full, it is full.

 

[Momof4girls]

C) All of the above.

Seriously, though - you're so close to port - why not do both?

I can't imagine going all the way to orlando and NOT going to the parks.

It's like saying do you like cheese OR wine. Do I have to pick one?

Truth be told, they're totally different experiences. We are excited about the sea segment of our trip, but, man - there is NOTHING like the experience of the parks. I think the cruise may be a little too laid back for me - I like excitement after excitement. But, I think having a cruise break in the midst of two weeks at the park will be the perfect balance.

 

[castledoll]

We did both WDW and DCL

3 nights WDW before the cruise
7 nights Western
4 nights WDW after the cruise

Intead of double dipping, we figured that this is better for us and it was. A little bit cheaper too than doing the double dip.

 

[slygirl]

Hi there. We've done the parks for 12 years in a row, then did a land/sea option and LOVED every minute of it..we only wish it was for longer. We swore our next visit would be a 7 day, but ended up doing land/sea again. Now, this year, we've finally booked the 7 day (no parks). I say start with a land/sea package, then you can get a feel for whether you like cruising or not...we all love it (Me (47) DH (50) 2 DD's, now 12 and 15)...also, I'd recommend doing the parks the first half, then you can relax a bit on the cruise afterwards. Normally, a full week at the parks exhausts me and I'm pooped when I return to the office. Enjoy!

 

[kcashner]

Mom is still "on duty" in the parks...making sure everyone gets to do at least some of what they want, coordinating restaurants, etc. On the ship, mom is on vacation too.

 

[imanazd]

We LOVE WDW too, but had our first Disney cruise in March and it's hard to say which is better. As people have stated above there are pros for both, but if you want to relax (which when we are at the parks we just go, go, go) then I say cruise!! We were still go, go, go, but at a slower pace (if that makes sense). Very few lines (and those are mainly for the characters...which are MUCH shorter then what you have to wait in at the parks), awesome shows (WDW has awesome shows too, but I think I like DCL a tad better...except that they don't have Beauty and the Beast), great dining experiences and just being on the ocean with the pretty BLUE water. You still get the "Disney" experiences and can take time to breath.

 

[carmie3377]

I can't imagine going all the way to orlando and NOT going to the parks.

That's how I feel. We are taking our first cruise this December. I told DH that I didn't think I could be in Central Florida and not visit WDW. Therefore, the kids and I are staying either the week before or after our cruise.

Now, after our cruise, I may feel differently. Perhaps I'll like the cruise so much more that I'd rather do 2 weeks of cruises instead of one week of each. However, as much as I love WDW, I think I will always want to visit the parks if I'm in Central Florida.

 

[Carol G]

My DF took me on my first WDW land/sea vacation in '06. I enjoyed DW but when we went on DCL...that was the thrill of it all. Relaxing, no crowds or lines, peace of mind, but so much to do.

After that first time I became a Disney Cruise Addict. My DGF and I booked another cruise (this time~girls cruise) for this coming Dec on the Wonder. We're going to have a blast! We're already planning a get together with other cruisers.

 

[ppony]

WDW lovers here too. We wanted to do both this trip but couldn't really do it well due to $. SO We decided to book a cruise but come in 2 days before we sail and do MK for one day and hit DTD the night we arrive. HEY! Better than nothing. Then we'll book a WDW trip next year. Normally we can't afford that back to back years, we're just being more frugal this time than normal and going for only a week, not the 2 we usually do. So one week in back to back years beats 2 weeks every 3 or 4. For ME anyway.

The big draw in trying the cuise this time was how friends that have gone said how pampered you feel. I'm ALL about that!

 

[TraciM]

I have medical issues that limit my mobility. I have done both and prefer the cruise. Less walking, no ride lines and it can be less crowded at times. But both are fun.

 

[Yonkrs_Girl]

We've been to WDW 20+ and loved every minute. We use to go as often as 3x a year. I can see this as a shift to DCL as part of the evelution of where we vacation. The first 10 we went as husband and wife, the next 10 with the kids, the next 10 we will do on DCL as a family with the ocassional trip to WDW thrown in. Another point is the relaxation. When we are at WDW we walk at least 10 miles a day running back and forth to the different attractions. On DCL it is more of a relaxed vacation. Yes there are planned times and event to go do something, but it is definatly a more relaxed effort.

 

[cctimmom]

on a cruise, you are dealing with about 2,000 people...

at WDW, you are dealing with tens of thousands of people...