Cruise or disney first?

[smbrown28]

Looking for advice from those that have done land and sea before. Do you prefer starting with Disney and ending with your cruise, or reverse? I currently have it booked the opposite but have heard it may be more relaxing to end with the cruise. any thoughts???

 

[Justacruiser]

Definately the parks first. No doubt about it. The family will be built up and ready for the hustle and bustle of the parks and then....... relax on the cruise.

 

[STLDisney_Freak]

We are doing 3 days at the park and then a 7 day cruise in May. I have told my kids I am going to walk them to death in the parks , but once they get on the boat they can chill all they want. So for us parks first boat second.

 

[lbgraves]

We have done both, but definitely prefer going to the parks first. The hussle of the parks is a rude awakening after the calm of the cruise to me. Also quite rude that everyone at the parks expects you to pay for everything you want to eat after a week of not worrying about that.

 

[mbrocker]

After my last few cruises (not DCL) I spent a couple of days trying to lose my sea legs. It was particularly bad after my last cruise - almost 4 days of on and off land legs dizziness. I would hate hate hate to have that happen if I was trying to walk around the parks.

 

[Heyriddle]

Looking for advice from those that have done land and sea before. Do you prefer starting with Disney and ending with your cruise, or reverse? I currently have it booked the opposite but have heard it may be more relaxing to end with the cruise. any thoughts???

Definitely do the parks first. We did both one year and were so thankful we ended with the cruise. It was a nice way to relax and decompress after a week of rushing around.

 

[Heyriddle]

After my last few cruises (not DCL) I spent a couple of days trying to lose my sea legs. It was particularly bad after my last cruise - almost 4 days of on and off land legs dizziness. I would hate hate hate to have that happen if I was trying to walk around the parks.

That's actually a really good point. I usually feel like I'm still rocking for days afterwards. I even continue to take my sea sickness meds. I can't imagine going on a ride feeling like that

 

[WeLoveDisneyAlways]

I'm the other way I like to go to WDW after the cruise. To me the whole Hype is the cruise I wouldn't want to feel rushed through WDW wishing the cruise would get here already. I also don't like getting off the ship and having to go home. What we did and are doing for our next cruise is spent 1 night before the cruise at a splurge WDW resort somewhere we couldn't justify spending a weeks vacation at. Last time it was BLT this time were thinking AKL. We had a nice character dinner, watched fireworks from our room we were nice and ready for our cruise. After the cruise we spent 4 nights at CSR and did the full Disney experience. It really worked out great can't wait to do it again.

 

[reimero]

I'm also of the opinion, parks then cruise. The parks tend to leave me tired and feeling like I need a vacation from my vacation. Cruises relax me. I won't go as far as to say I'm "ready" to come back to work, but I'm certainly more energized!

 

[DLW8]

I definitely prefer the parks before the cruise. I am always exhausted when we leave a park vacation, but when we leave the cruise, I am totally relaxed and refreshed.

 

[darkwing818]

We are a little bit contrary to the PPs, we do the Parks before & after our cruise. After our 1st Disney cruise, we hit the road straight home (11 hours of drive time ). Trust me after just getting off the ship & then driving straight home for 11 hours is miserable. So 8 cruises later; we pretty much do about 4 days at the parks before boarding the ship & usually 2 or 3 days after, usually at Beach Club villas (great pool & easy access to EPCOT). I suspect if we were flying we'd do the parks first, but if we flew, we couldn't afford tp stay the extra days at the park.

 

[MichelleVW]

After my last few cruises (not DCL) I spent a couple of days trying to lose my sea legs. It was particularly bad after my last cruise - almost 4 days of on and off land legs dizziness. I would hate hate hate to have that happen if I was trying to walk around the parks.

That's actually a really good point. I usually feel like I'm still rocking for days afterwards. I even continue to take my sea sickness meds. I can't imagine going on a ride feeling like that

This was me in January. I had the worst case of land legs I have ever had. Going to the parks like that was NOT fun. On our cruise summer 2011 we didn't have time for the parks, but after we got off the ship we checked into Port Orleans French Quarter for the night. Relaxed by the pool and went to DTD, it was a nice way to end the vacation.

 

[manateesmom]

We'll be doing a few days at WDW after our cruise, but we don't really plan to "do" the parks, if you know what I mean. We don't need to hit everything - we'll book a resort we enjoy, plan to hit a few high points in the parks (new Fantasyland, EPCOT). If we wanted to really see and do it all in the parks, we'd do them first, but since we'll be more laidback with a 3 year old, we'll just do what we can do and try to enjoy. We'll also be going at an off-peak time - I'm not sure I'd want to deal with crowded parks after the cruise.

 

[smbrown28]

This was me in January. I had the worst case of land legs I have ever had. Going to the parks like that was NOT fun. On our cruise summer 2011 we didn't have time for the parks, but after we got off the ship we checked into Port Orleans French Quarter for the night. Relaxed by the pool and went to DTD, it was a nice way to end the vacation.

This is a really good point! It's my kids first cruise so I don't know how they will feel. And I agree with the needing a vacation after the vacation. Very good points from everyone. I think park first sound like the way to go.

 

[sunryzez]

I would say the parks first. the day I get off the ship I am EXHAUSTED!! The thought of doing the parks would be too much. After this last cruise since we went out of Miami we drove 1 hour to west palm beach to vacation there for a few days but that first day we literally didnt leave the hotel room, even ordered a pizza for dinner. Even the kids werent in the mood to do anything!

 

[DisDiana]

I have a timely report as I'm waiting at MCO for our plane to get here so we can fly home after our vacation. Because the flights were so much cheaper in the middle of the week, we flew in mid-week, spent two nights at AKV, did the 3-night Bahamian, then three more nights at BLT.

To all the previous posters that say that the cruises are "relaxing," you can't possibly mean a 3-night Bahamian! We were go-go-go the whole time and only booked it because my dad was scared to cruise and we were treating my parents.

We also did the 7-night California Coastal cruise in September and followed it with four days at Disneyland. This itinerary was, again, dictated by the lowest plane fare, but we had a great time.

We always take an extra day off of work to "relax" after our vacations. I hope that helps!

 

[MichelleVW]

I have a timely report as I'm waiting at MCO for our plane to get here so we can fly home after our vacation. Because the flights were so much cheaper in the middle of the week, we flew in mid-week, spent two nights at AKV, did the 3-night Bahamian, then three more nights at BLT.

To all the previous posters that say that the cruises are "relaxing," you can't possibly mean a 3-night Bahamian! We were go-go-go the whole time and only booked it because my dad was scared to cruise and we were treating my parents.

We also did the 7-night California Coastal cruise in September and followed it with four days at Disneyland. This itinerary was, again, dictated by the lowest plane fare, but we had a great time.

We always take an extra day off of work to "relax" after our vacations. I hope that helps!

Lol it depends on how you cruise. We have done 3-4 and 5 day cruises and they are while the 3 day is too short we do the same amount of nothing lol! We pretty much lounge in deck chairs or lounge on Castaway Cay! We're not the go go go type on cruises at all.

 

[disneyfan888]

100% Parks first. While the parks are extremely fun, after a couple of days of endless hours in them, your body starts to feel it. So, definitely parks first and then nice relation and sea bliss....

 

[SG101]

Definitely do the parks first and then end it off with the cruise. Our friends did it backwards and they were wiped out.

 

[closetmickey]

I'm always in the minority here....the only way I can bear getting off the ship is knowing we are headed to the parks!
Ps....we have done it both ways as well.