Adding park days AFTER dcl...

[Meriweather]

We always do our park days after. We like it that way.
Just did 6 days after in Jan.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

We were going to do WDW pre cruise, but when the itineraries came out, we switched from a July cruise to the 8 day June 22 cruise, which will mandate WDW post cruise.

If we stay at WDW, will DCL collect our luggage from out stateroom, and have it delivered directly to our resort room if we book the DCL transfer?

No, even if you take DCL transport from port to resort, you will have to collect your luggage that was placed outside your stateroom on the last night of your cruise in the terminal, clear immigration and customs, and take it out to the appropriate port to resort bus. The bus driver will load and unload for you (it’s cusomary to tip for this service). At your resort, bell services can store your bags until your room is ready, since you might arrive at the resort as early as 10:30 am.

 

[Clojel]

Everyone is really selling me on this AFTER the cruise idea, thanks!! I'm getting excited now

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I prefer park after. We fly in, so it is easiest to stay at the Hyatt MCO and hop on the DCL bus early in the AM. It also gives us something to look forward to post-cruise when you are soooooo sad to be getting off the ship. However, when it is time to leave WDW I am usually ready to get away from the crowds and go home...makes that transition easier.
We have done it where we do a combo of a couple days prior to the cruise and a night post cruise as well, and this works nicely too. In those cases, we just relax on the post cruise day...fish, golf, pool, etc...ease back into non-ship life. Only drawback is setting up own transport to ship so you don't get the magic of the DCL bus for that part. I don't want to wait for the bus to pick me up late morning and drive me to 3 other resorts...I just want to wake up and get there ASAP!

 

[Shanti]

so the last time we cruised, we added 2 park days before our 4 night on the Dream and it worked out well bc the parks can be crazy hectic and the cruise is more relaxing. But, this time, we’ll have more time available after the cruise than before. Can anyone talk me into adding days after?

I prefer the park after the cruise.

• We have the parks to look forward to after the cruise. Disembarkation day is much less depressing.
• Going home from the parks always feels fine to me as by then I'm worn out from touring/Disney and am ready to go home to the real world.
• We can arrive earlier to the port taking DCL transfers from the airport/airport hotel, but DCL transfers from Disney resorts get to the port relatively late.
• I'm usually a bit burned out from work by the time I begin a vacation, and the cruise allows us time to relax & get into vacation mode before we have to get energized for park touring.
• We often cruise in winter when the flu is going around. I feel safer cruising first, then touring WDW, as WDW has so many people crammed together and so many things you have to touch on the rides and elsewhere (I'm looking at you, finger ticket scanner), that it is very easy to catch something there. It would be devastating to come down with the flu during our park days, and then have to miss the cruise.