Cruise first or later??

[disney1474]

Just wondering what most of you do when you combine a Disney trip with a Disney cruise. Cruise the beginning of vacation or at the end? Any pros or cons either way?

 

[Homemom]

If you check out the cruise board most will tell you parks, then cruise. It's the mentality that you'll go go go and wear yourself out at the parks and then spend the rest of vacation relaxing on the cruise.

 

[herb102211]

If you check out the cruise board most will tell you parks, then cruise. It's the mentality that you'll go go go and wear yourself out at the parks and then spend the rest of vacation relaxing on the cruise.

I agree. We've always done parks and then the cruise. This December will be the first time that we are doing the cruise first, but we only plan to stay one night for MVMCP. If you were staying at the parks for a length of time, I would recommend doing those first. Then you can relax on your cruise!

 

[mgroshans]

We're taking our first Disney cruise November, 2012. Going to WDW for 5 nights first, then doing a 3 night cruise!!

 

[disney1474]

Thanks for your comments. We plan on staying in disney for 7 nights and doing a 3 day cruise. We are leaning towards doing the cruise last.

 

[lilpooh108]

Definitely cruise last. We did cruise first last year...and had a great time on the cruise. Then we were bombarded with the Christmas crowd after the cruise and everyone was noticeably irritable...where's my room service? Why are there thousands of people waking around? Where's my "free" food? Where's the server guy with my drinks?!

 

[OurDogCisco]

I've done both and just recently did the park both before and after the cruise. We did 7 nights before and 4 nights after. I'll have to say I did like the after park just because it was a great time to lose weight that I gained on the cruise by walking around the parks. So, I had the best of both worlds as I loss a few pounds before I got on the cruise and gain some of it back and then, loss it again at the parks.

 

[thepops]

We just did the before and after as well. We really enjoyed it.

 

[disney1474]

We just did the before and after as well. We really enjoyed it.

I never thought of doing it this way. I'll have to think of this one

 

[n2mm]

We are a before and after family too. Last November we did 5 park days, a 3 day cruise, then 6 more park days. Next Spring we are doing 1 day before cruise, then a 4 day cruise, then 9 park days.

 

[taaren]

Before & after if you can afford the time.
Next year we're planning our first WDW trip in 20 years, and we don't plan on making it to FL often since its a much longer flight than to Cali, so we're doing 6 days before, 3 day cruise to check out Castaway Cay, hopefully regroup and figure out which parks we want to focus on for the second half of the trip, then another 6 days after.
This year we're cruising first then parks since the repositioning cruise we're on ends in L.A. and since we're DLR vets our home park is relaxing to us, esp since we can wander into and out of our villa to the parks.

 

[AnnaS]

Out of our four cruises we have done the parks after three times. After our first cruise, we headed straight to the airport and we felt down after such a great cruise. We had said that the next time we cruised, we would go to the parks and that was what we did.

I would like to try the park first next time and at the same time - no worry about getting there the night before "just in case". We might even consider what everyone here has done - if time allows - parks before and after

I think it will work both ways.

 

[mickeys girl 52]

In June we did 5 day Tree Houses, 5 day Cruise than 4 day Beach club. We had a great time . The last part of our trip we didn't run around allot and just enjoyed the resort.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

We've done it both ways but prefer to do the parks first then cruise

 

[disney1474]

Again, thanks for all the replies. I'm thinking I shouldn't have asked the question because now I really don't know what to do!!!!

 

[dvcbrad]

Before AND after certainly sounds nice, but not in our time or financial budgets at the moment, so then I'll cast my vote for cruise after. We cruised before once and then went to the parks ... went from being nice & relaxed on the cruise to being hectic and tired from the parks. Another time, though, we did parks, then crusie (4 nighter) and then Vero ... that was a nice combo.

 

[Dziactor]

I did the Cruise before the parks in May. Was fun but a huge culture shock getting off the boat then doing the parks.

 

[quirty30]

Many years ago on my honeymoon, we cruised on the Big Red Boat, then went to WDW. I got sick at WDW with a horrible cold but my ex insisted I get up every morning and hit the parks so we could get our money's worth!!

20 years later (next year) I'm now divorced and taking my kids for their first cruise on the Fantasy. Going for a week and following it up with 3 nights at AKL Jambo on the concierge level. We have no intentions of hitting any theme parks. Possibly one of the water parks one day. We're just going to relax, enjoy the pools and the CL offerings, and do laundry.

Agree with those who suggest WDW first, then cruise if you are going to be doing the theme parks. But I would also HATE to have to go straight to the airport from the cruise. I love that we have a few days at Jambo after our cruise next year.

 

[thepops]

quirty .... what a nice way to do laundry if you have to after a cruise! CL at Jambo. Now only if concierge would fold it for you!

 

[Plutofan]

Definitly cruise later. We always need a rest after a WDW trip so doing the cruise after WDW has been more relaxing for us.