Disney Newbies. Cruise or Resort?

[DISfirstTimer]

I am currently planning our first Dinsey vacation with my DH, DS (6) and DD (4). Recently my husband has been objecting going to Disney World as he thinks our kids are too young and he only wants to once. He would prefer to go to an all exclusive sort somewhere and really relax. I want to do Disney now while there is still some Magic of the characters. I got thinking that maybe a cruise would be a good alternative. We could do the cruise for some Disney Magic and wait until Disney World until they are 7 and 9. What are your thoughts for first timers? How does the "magic" of a cruise compare to Disney World? Thanks in advance

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I am currently planning our first Dinsey vacation with my DH, DS (6) and DD (4). Recently my husband has been objecting going to Disney World as he thinks our kids are too young and he only wants to once. He would prefer to go to an all exclusive sort somewhere and really relax. I want to do Disney now while there is still some Magic of the characters. I got thinking that maybe a cruise would be a good alternative. We could do the cruise for some Disney Magic and wait until Disney World until they are 7 and 9. What are your thoughts for first timers? How does the "magic" of a cruise compare to Disney World? Thanks in advance

The Disney "feel" on a cruise is much less overwhelming and much easier access to the various characters while onboard.

Really, either vacation will be fine with your kids (we started taking our kids when they were babies). You just need to be realistic about how much they can handle. But only you know how easily, if at all, your kids will melt down in the midst of lots of people, hot weather, and (probably) less sleep than usual.

 

[darnheather]

7 and 9 are not too old to enjoy the magic of the parks and they will probably want to ride more rides and have more stamina. A cruise now would be a great vacation for the grownups as the kids can go to the club at least sometimes.

 

[Bethany10]

With the caveat that I have not done either cruise or parks we went in this direction:

My 2 will be 12 and 9 at the time of the trip, and we opted for the cruise over the parks because they have aged out of the disney "magic" part of the parks. They're all about thrill rides now and I got "the look" when I asked my DD (the 12 year old) if she had any interest in the characters.

I started out planning for the parks, but when I really got into what that would mean for us, a lot of on the go different parks different days, a down day in the middle and one day off site at Universal, it just became too much. I actually asked everyone what they wanted, and their answers led me to the cruise. My biggest answer was my own, to sit, relax and read my book. We're planning on 2 days at Universal on the back end, so they will get their thrill rides in but I feel like the cruise is what works for us.

I think it comes down to what works best for your family. My DH was really nervous about crowds, and I could totally see myself being that mom in the middle of the MK screaming about how we paid all this money to do this and we're going to have a good time darn it. I hope to someday make it to the parks, certainly it will become a bigger draw for us when they open star wars land, but for right now I'd say go with what will work best for you.

 

[tink1970]

Just the idea of taking a 4 and 6 year old to the parks now makes me tired I did take my DD there many times (alone) from the ages of 3-11 but whew, it was exhausting!

I think if your DH is wanting something more laid back then a DCL is a great compromise-the kids can watch Disney movies in the theater and in their room; meet characters onboard; have Disney themed activities in the kids' club; order Mickey bars for dessert while you and DH can have some together time, lay by the pool, etc. Sometimes as parents we want the perfect vacation for our children and overlook what the entire family needs.

 

[mandylovesdisney]

I took my son to WDW for the first time when he was 10. In my opinion, that is the perfect age b/c the magic is still there and he could ride everything. I went for the first time when I was 16 and I thought it was perfectly magical....now I'm 37, it's still just as magical as it was when I was 16. All of that being said.... I agree with Shmoo's statement of - cruises are less overwhelming and the characters are much easier to access.

If your husband only wants to do WDW once, go with the cruise now and wait until they are older for the parks.

Edit to include: My son is now 16... almost 17 and still loves Disney as much as he did at 10. He loves cruising and the parks.

 

[amberwc]

I vote for the cruise, much less intimidating (as I am planning our first FAMILY WDW trip right now and about to go crazy!!!)
It's all magical!

 

[lklgoodman]

We took our dd on her first cruise when she was 6 yrs old. It was the perfect age as far as being into the characters. She's almost 9yrs and still loves going on the cruises, but is starting to not care so much about the princesses. Dh and I love the cruises because we can have some wonderful family time together and when we want some adult time, dd can go to the clubs, which she loves, last cruise there were many times we went to get her and she didn't want to leave!! I've been to WDW, and truly the thought of going with my dd fills me with dread. Long lines, huge crowds, and no way to get some adult only time like you can get on the ships. I love my dd with all my heart, but some times mama just wants to hang out at the adult's pool with a mojito in hand!!

 

[bbn1122]

I think 6 & 4 is just the right age for Disney World. At that age they are throughly impressed with everything. The Characters are special to them and the whole experience is Magical. But then, again so is ages 7 & 9.

I have 3 sons And the magical dies off faster than with girls.

A cruise is relaxing, but I found more relaxing for me as our kids got older. And as they got older, the parks were not so important.

I would do parks now and cruise later. Who knows maybe your husband could see himself at WDW more than once.

We did WDW every 2-3 years as my boys were growing up, beginning with the, being 2 1/2, 4 1/2 and 8. And we were just there last year, at 16, 18 and 22. Our first cruise they were 10, 12 and 16. Perfect age.

Just my 2 cents. Good luck.

 

[cmph]

I get the point about "remembering it" if it's a one time thing. DS8 barely remembers our WDW trip when he was 5; DD11 barely remembers our Disneyland trip when she was 6. Certain bits stuck with them, but definitely just bits.

Putting WDW off a few years means not dealing with strollers and/or necessary naps. That alone would be worth waiting for, to me! We are the weirdos who did not bother with strollers even for a (young) pre-schooler. We piggy-backed him now and then, but he mostly walked. That's a rarity, I will say. My niece was 4 for the trip when DS was 5, and she rode in her 1yo sister's stroller a couple of times, but walked 99% of the time and was fine. From the looks of it, a lot of people still use strollers for 4yo kiddos. It kind of depends on the individual 4yo's stamina, I think. She has it in buckets. Similarly, she was done with afternoon naps, as was DS (he was in pre-k, having just turned 5). They both slept longer in the morning than normal, but we never needed to get back to rooms to nap. If either child will need a nap - the cruise will be so much easier.

I think there is plenty of magic on a cruise!! Sure, there are lines to meet characters some times, but generally better than the lines at the parks; and you might also happen upon one who interacts with your child in a fun and unique way. Heck, even I had that happen with pirate Stitch as an adult! Plus the character breakfast is included, and you can get advance tix for princess meet n greets, and you can see a few character-based shows super easily (on a 7night). Plus you have the added "magic" of the ship itself. My kids think cruise ships are AMAZING.

If relaxation is what your husband wants, a cruise is surely a better bet than WDW. I love the parks, but there is (almost) nothing relaxing about the parks, and even less with a pre-schooler.

 

[Sun_soakin]

I think 6 & 4 is just the right age for Disney World. At that age they are throughly impressed with everything. The Characters are special to them and the whole experience is Magical. But then, again so is ages 7 & 9.

I have 3 sons And the magical dies off faster than with girls.

A cruise is relaxing, but I found more relaxing for me as our kids got older. And as they got older, the parks were not so important.

I would do parks now and cruise later. Who knows maybe your husband could see himself at WDW more than once.

We did WDW every 2-3 years as my boys were growing up, beginning with the, being 2 1/2, 4 1/2 and 8. And we were just there last year, at 16, 18 and 22. Our first cruise they were 10, 12 and 16. Perfect age.

Just my 2 cents. Good luck.

Yes, this, 100% agree w/ everything you wrote.

My oldest is 13 and he prefers Universal now. My girls (10 and 8) still love Disney, but the princesses were so real to them back when they were 3-4; it was magical. Go enjoy WDW, your DH might change his mind and want to go back. We've loved all our DL and WDW vacations, just don't pack too much into a day. Full disclosure though...my family gets bored at all inclusives, we like to have a lot going on.
Either way, Disney vacations are so great w/ small children, you really can't go wrong.

 

[Mighty Mouse Mama]

Lol. OP, I feel like our husbands might be related. Our children are the same ages as yours and I was planning a trip to WDW. My DH looked at me one night as I was telling him about some of the things we could do and he just sighed and said, "Honey, I'll do it for you and the kids, but what you're talking about sounds like a whole lot of work and nothing like a vacation." It was right about then that I started looking into DCL. I think it sounds like the perfect compromise. I get lots of activities, shows, excursions, the Rainforest Room and amazing family memories. The kids get tons of character interactions, the pools, the AquaDuck, CC, and the kids clubs. My husband gets to sleep in every morning, eat as much as he wants, sleep next to the pool, sit in a hot tub, and watch movies in the theater. It sounds like heaven.
In a couple more years when I'm not as worried about meltdowns from walking all day and standing in long lines in the hot sun, and the kids can be sure that they're tall enough to ride everything they want to, we'll do WDW. It'll still be magical. Maybe they won't care as much about meeting some of the characters then, but that'll be fewer lines we have to stand in. They'll still be excited at the parades (I know I was at that age) and the rides will be just as exciting and more likely to be remembered. And (major bonus) I will have a nice chunk of credit with my husband for having booked a true vacation for him this time around. And who knows...maybe if WDW wears him out when we go in a couple years, he'll book us another cruise so he can relax again!

 

[DISfirstTimer]

Mighty Mouse, we are in the same boat! The more I read makes lean to cruise first. I think I may consider adding Legoland on for a day or two before or after to give the kids the theme park adventure also. My son has been requesting to go there.

 

[mernin]

We took my girls to WDW when they were young - first trip dd was 3, second dd's were 7 & 2, third they were 9 & 4 which we also cruised a 4 night on the Dream. They loved the rides and the magic was real for those little years, although there are fewer rides they can do. It is also more of a production with strollers, bags, breaks, etc. For the older years, it got easier and she wanted to ride more. She was over characters by 7 especially princesses. At 9 she didn't see many characters at all.

The cruise was fantastic and they could choose to gave the Disney magic if they wanted. I don't think you can go wrong, but as they get older they may find Disney not as exciting as some other options.

Legoland was pretty cool...we went there at 7 & 2 and they both loved it (and complained we didn't go there on our last trip)!

 

[Mighty Mouse Mama]

Mighty Mouse, we are in the same boat! The more I read makes lean to cruise first. I think I may consider adding Legoland on for a day or two before or after to give the kids the theme park adventure also. My son has been requesting to go there.

I've thought about doing the same thing! Or maybe doing just one day at the Magic Kingdom since my DD is dying to meet Princess Elena (and that isn't going to happen on the ship). I figure my DH can survive that. How bad could one day be, anyway?

 

[jhoannam]

I can't tell you which is better, because we haven't been on our cruise yet. But we took our girls to WDW for the first time when they were that exact age. And as you can see in my signature, we haven't stopped going since then. My DH and I had those exact same conversations, I promised him one and done, so he agreed. Because in all honesty how relaxing is it to sit on the beach with two kids? All I do is panic about the size of the waves, and both my girls are strong swimmers.

We had a Yellowstone vacation planned for this year, we were going to take a Disney break, but then we realized that they will enjoy Disney way more than they'll enjoy hiking. It took less than 24 hours for DH to agree to change our vacation.

 

[LSUfan4444]

From a cost perspective you could probably do a trip to WDW for you and the kids and a trip to an all inclusive for the adults for the price of a Disney Cruise (just sayin).

 

[wajones2]

We love both (DD is 7), but started when DD was 2 1/2 with a cruise. We actually visited WDW for the first time with her at 3 as a day stop on another cruise. We have been annual pass holders the past 2 years going at least 3 times/year to WDW. She will be 7 in 10 days, and we are cruising only this year - 12 night British Isles. She is very excited and LOVES the ship. The kid's areas and Youth CMs are amazing, the character interactions are so much more intimate on the cruise vs. the parks. Yes, there are "meet & greets" with long lines on the ship, but there are also those moments when you ride an elevator with Goofy, chip and dale or Stitch; have Tiana tell you a story in the club, Mickey lead you in a parade, stumble upon Belle reading a book in a nook somewhere...I can't even begin to list all the "special" character interactions we have had on the 4 cruises we have been on...I have only had it happen once at Epcot when we happened to walk out with Tigger and Pooh in UK.

I vote cruise...and the longer the better!

 

[lklgoodman]

I can't tell you which is better, because we haven't been on our cruise yet. But we took our girls to WDW for the first time when they were that exact age. And as you can see in my signature, we haven't stopped going since then. My DH and I had those exact same conversations, I promised him one and done, so he agreed. Because in all honesty how relaxing is it to sit on the beach with two kids? All I do is panic about the size of the waves, and both my girls are strong swimmers.

We had a Yellowstone vacation planned for this year, we were going to take a Disney break, but then we realized that they will enjoy Disney way more than they'll enjoy hiking. It took less than 24 hours for DH to agree to change our vacation.

There's a kids club with all kinds of fun activites on CC, includes a splash pad. You can drop your kids there for awhile to give yourself some relaxation time. My dd loved it, it's called scuttle's cove, right by first tram stop. They don't take them to the beach/water, but have lots of fun sand toys for them to play with.

 

[MunFam]

When our DD was 4, we took her on a 15 day DCL Cruise through the Panama Canal. I read great things about the lack of children on board and the incredible one on one attention from the characters and crew. This was 100% the case for us. We are so happy we opted for the cruise. DD got to meet all of the "real characters" and we also got an all inclusive vacation. We felt like taking her to Disney Land (we live in SoCal) or Disneyworld (MIL lives in Orlando) would be spent waiting for shows, waiting for characters and not much else since there are so few rides for little kids. We definitely got our money's worth on our cruise...I will note that our oceanview room for 3 was $4,200, less my $600 commission for booking the trip. I do corporate travel, but still make money on my own travel bookings It was less than $90 per person per day...we could not have accomplished this at the parks...and our goal was to meet all the characters and do all things Disney. DD is almost 7 now and has no desire to go on another Disney Cruise.