Is a "budget" WDW Cruise possible? Any ideas to help us plan?

[kimsuenew]

Hello Dis Pals!

Our last vacation was Fall, 2008 to WDW Florida. Since that time I have had a TKR, another needed surgery, graduated college with my BA, entered Grad School, and as of August have a full-time job!

As I will be blessed to have most of my summers off, any vacation from now on will need to be taken between mid June to the first of August.

I would LOVE to take myself, my DH, and adult DS on a Disney Cruise! Ideally, I would like a few days in the park either before or after the cruise.

I will need to do this as cheaply as possible. I would like to just pay monthly on it in even payments (no charging)! While I would love to stay at the Grand Floridian during our WDW trips, I am content with Pop Century and I plan on taking that same mind-set with me on our cruise.

When it comes to a Disney Cruise I admit to knowing nothing, lol and would appreciate any information those of you that have done this would share!

I would like a lengthier cruise as this will more that likely be our one and only. We would like at least three days in the parks as we LOVE them as well.

Is there a somewhat budget friendly way to meet these desires?

Is a cruise all-inclusive once it is paid for or are food, taxes, gratuities, ect... extra?

Also, while the TKR has helped tremendously, walking any distance is still a challenge and my other knee needs a TKR as well. Are the Disney Cruise Ships "ECV" (Scooter) friendly? Will that keep me from a lot of activities?

Are there activities that that someone 20, someone 40, and someone 50 would all enjoy on board? Do they cost extra or are they included in the up front cost?

WHEW... lots of questions, huh? ANY advice, suggestions, or answers will be MUCH appreciated!

 

[jaminmd]

I'm taking my first cruise next summer. I will tell you that the gratuities are not included in the cruise price but you can pay them ahead of time if you'd like.

If you book early you will save a lot because the prices jump the closer you get to the date. You can also get decent onboard credits if you book through a company such as Dreams Unlimited (I didn't do this, though).

Hop over to the cruise board to find out all you need to know about how to cruise, even on a budget.

 

[Marionnette]

.
Churning involves using GCs to purchase GCs and then cycling the GCs through the process a number of times, increasing your savings with each cycle.

One form of cycle involves making purchases of ebay GCs on Target .com and then buying Target GCs on ebay.

Ebay offers ebay bucks when you make qualified purchases. The ebay bucks earned by purchasing Target GCs can be used to purchase more Target GCs.

Using a rewards program's shopping portal for your Target and eBay purchases can help to increase your savings.

As an added twist to the Target-> eBay -> Target -> Disney GC churn, you can add a couple of detours through GameStop if your local store allows you to buy a GC with a GS GC AND they carry eBay GCs. It's been reported that effective 4/4/16, GS managers have been informed that they should not accept GS GCs for payment on the purchase of eBay GCs. Proceed cautiously if you decide to attempt this churn.

Isn't it possible to just generate/churn cash through Ebates by purchasing eBay gift cards from target and using the eBay gift card to buy target gift cards on Ebay?!?
Yes, it is. In fact, that's how many of us have been doing it. But the GS churn adds another dimension to the process. Churning through GS allows you to quickly turn your eBay GCs around because they are digital, arrive within minutes of purchase and count as an eBay purchase during ebucks promotions. It also allows you to bypass the quirky Target system that often cancels orders or randomly bans customers. I haven't tried it myself, but there's a GS not too far from my house and if they allow it, I may just have to give it a try soon.

For a great explanation of rewards programs that can be used in your churning efforts, check this post:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-gift-card-deals.2941964/page-502#post-55137339

Here's a wonderful outline of how the ebay bucks programs works:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-gift-card-deals.2941964/page-528#post-55207172

And for another helpful post on how to get started:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-gift-card-deals.2941964/page-592#post-55350187

Need a spreadsheet?
http://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-gift-card-deals.2941964/page-589#post-55348141

What if I never got the email for my Target order for an eBay GC?
http://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-gift-card-deals.2941964/page-599#post-55357432

What if the Disney GCs that I got from Target were never activated?
http://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-gift-card-deals.2941964/page-417#post-54888321

How do I find out the remaining balance on my partially-used eBay GC?
http://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-gift-card-deals.2941964/page-606#post-55366383

What do I do with my stack of $50 and $100 Disney GCs? I don't want to have to carry them around with me!
You can deposit them in a Disney Vacation Account and use them to pay for your package or ticket purchase. But you cannot use the DVA in the parks!
Or you can combine them on disneygiftcard.com for up to $1000 on a single GC.

Editing to add other sources of discounted Disney GCs:
Just buy the Disney GCs and skip the other gymnastics! There are many places where you can buy Disney GCs for less than face value or get something back that makes it worth your while.

• Target gives 5% off at the register if you pay with your REDCard.
• Grocery stores (like Giant Eagle) offer fuel perks for purchases and gift cards are included! Others may offer $ off a future purchase for purchasing select GCs and sometimes Disney is included.
  
• Warehouse discounters (like Sam's and BJ's) sell multipacks of Disney GCs for less than the displayed price.
• Check your rewards CC to see if they offer Disney GCs.

Hidden discounts you may not have considered:

• Your rewards CC can be used for making your purchase. Depending on where you are buying your GC and how the CC rewards program works, you can get between 1%-5% back just for making your purchase.
• eBay sometimes offers coupon codes that can be used toward the purchase of a Target GC, eBay GC or even a Disney GC from a seller.

Using a GC to purchase a GC:

• Target isn't the only place where you can use a store GC to purchase a Disney GC. Walmart GCs can be used at Sam's Club. Some posters have had success using a Sears GC to purchase Disney GCs at Kmart or Sears (definitely varies from store to store).
• Some people report having success using a Best Buy GC to purchase a Disney GC. If you're a member of the Best Buy rewards program, you can redeem your rewards certificates to pay for Disney GCs. All of this depends on whether your local Best Buy carries Disney GCs at all.
  
• The Disney Rewards Dollars that you get from your Disney Visa can be used on the Disneystore website to purchase a Disney GC (it's a dollar-for-dollar exchange but if you want cute GCs instead of the standard Mickey GCs, this is a way to do it).
• Some Gamestop Stores will allow you to buy an eBay GC with a GS GC. YMMV. eBay will offer GS GCs at a discount every once in a while. Rumor has it that this option may be dead, effective 4/4/16. YMMV. http://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-gift-card-deals.2941964/page-657#post-55444019

 

[bedogged]

Hello Dis Pals!

Our last vacation was Fall, 2008 to WDW Florida. Since that time I have had a TKR, another needed surgery, graduated college with my BA, entered Grad School, and as of August have a full-time job!

As I will be blessed to have most of my summers off, any vacation from now on will need to be taken between mid June to the first of August.

I would LOVE to take myself, my DH, and adult DS on a Disney Cruise! Ideally, I would like a few days in the park either before or after the cruise.

I will need to do this as cheaply as possible. I would like to just pay monthly on it in even payments (no charging)! While I would love to stay at the Grand Floridian during our WDW trips, I am content with Pop Century and I plan on taking that same mind-set with me on our cruise.

When it comes to a Disney Cruise I admit to knowing nothing, lol and would appreciate any information those of you that have done this would share!

I would like a lengthier cruise as this will more that likely be our one and only. We would like at least three days in the parks as we LOVE them as well.

Is there a somewhat budget friendly way to meet these desires?

Is a cruise all-inclusive once it is paid for or are food, taxes, gratuities, ect... extra?

Also, while the TKR has helped tremendously, walking any distance is still a challenge and my other knee needs a TKR as well. Are the Disney Cruise Ships "ECV" (Scooter) friendly? Will that keep me from a lot of activities?

Are there activities that that someone 20, someone 40, and someone 50 would all enjoy on board? Do they cost extra or are they included in the up front cost?

WHEW... lots of questions, huh? ANY advice, suggestions, or answers will be MUCH appreciated!

I have taken one cruise (not Disney) and had my ECV with me. One thing you should consider, the ship should be scooter friendly, but if you stop in a foreign country, there can be problems because they are not required to be ADA compliant. You might consider doing something like an Alaskan cruise where you only stop in the USA. Also, you may not be able to take the scooter off the ship. It depends upon how they dock. If they use a boat to get you to shore, you will probably have problems. You also will want to book a handicapped cabin and those go quickly so book as soon as possible.

 

[MissDaisyofTexas]

To get the cheapest price over the summer, you will need to book when the cruise dates are released. So the rumor is that 2013 cruises will be released sometime in October. You'll need to read the Cruise board or get with a travel agent to know when that date happens and book right away. DCL doesn't offer too many discounts that are cheaper than you can get by booking when cruises are first announced (except in off-season times).

We're going on our first Disney cruise next summer, so I can't offer much about your other questions. We did book with a travel agent, and wound up getting $200 in onboard credit through them, which will cover most of our tips. Good luck!

 

[buckirj1]

You might be able to do it if you're flexible as to when you can cruise, as well as being flexible to book a cruise as soon as you see an attractive deal. Every once in awhile, Disney has offered "kids sail free" or "3rd/4th person in the cabin at a reduced rate" discounts. As you can imagine, those sales are limited and sell out quickly. Unless you're an experienced cruiser, you'd be wise to enlist an experienced WDW/DCL travel agent. Good luck. As hard as I've tried, a Disney cruise has never worked out cheaply enough for me to justify. Maybe someday...

 

[ekatiel]

I would encourage you to look at other cruise lines, too. Disney cruises are REALLY expensive, and for a trip with three adults, you might find that another cruise line would work better for you. Royal Caribbean's larger ships are very cool-- almost like floating cities, and will probably run you less than the Disney Cruises. A cruise on a smaller Royal Caribbean ship or a Carnival Ship, would be WAY cheaper. When booking cruises, as a PP said, the cheapest rooms are inside cabins on the lowest decks. We always book the cheapest room we can when we cruise. We actually have a deposit on a Disney cruise for 2012, but I'm reconsidering-- the prices are just SO high. --Katie

 

[AmandaRG]

Hello Dis Pals!

Our last vacation was Fall, 2008 to WDW Florida. Since that time I have had a TKR, another needed surgery, graduated college with my BA, entered Grad School, and as of August have a full-time job!

Congratulations!
As I will be blessed to have most of my summers off, any vacation from now on will need to be taken between mid June to the first of August.

I would LOVE to take myself, my DH, and adult DS on a Disney Cruise! Ideally, I would like a few days in the park either before or after the cruise.

I will need to do this as cheaply as possible. I would like to just pay monthly on it in even payments (no charging)! While I would love to stay at the Grand Floridian during our WDW trips, I am content with Pop Century and I plan on taking that same mind-set with me on our cruise.

When it comes to a Disney Cruise I admit to knowing nothing, lol and would appreciate any information those of you that have done this would share!

I would like a lengthier cruise as this will more that likely be our one and only. We would like at least three days in the parks as we LOVE them as well.

Is there a somewhat budget friendly way to meet these desires?

The best way is to book as early as possible. Dates for 2013 are rumored to be released in the next couple of months, so be thinking about that one. While the inside staterooms have been the cheapest in the past, the new virtual portholes and reduced number of inside rooms seems to have changed that a bit. Finding a Disney Specialist travel agent would be a huge benefit!

Is a cruise all-inclusive once it is paid for or are food, taxes, gratuities, ect... extra?

Tips are not included. You can have an enjoyable cruise without spending much in addition to the cost of your cabin. We made the ship our destination on our March Western Caribbean cruise and we saw beautiful scenery and didn't spend a penny on excursions. There are upscale restaurants that have an upcharge, but your rotational dining can be a wonderful experience and is included.

Also, while the TKR has helped tremendously, walking any distance is still a challenge and my other knee needs a TKR as well. Are the Disney Cruise Ships "ECV" (Scooter) friendly? Will that keep me from a lot of activities?

I believe that your scooter would be fine. You can do as much or as little as you want, and I don't see that needing a scooter for mobility would be much of a factor. Most things are easily accessible.

Are there activities that that someone 20, someone 40, and someone 50 would all enjoy on board? Do they cost extra or are they included in the up front cost?

That is going to depend on your interests. We are in our 40s and had a blast with our children. I do know that there are many adult cruisers of all ages that go without children. There is no casino on board, but there are different seminars or classes/activities and many are included. Alcohol tastings and such are an additional cost, but I went to hear a chef speak and share recipes and it was included. There is also an animation talk that I think DH would have liked, but he didn't make it there.

WHEW... lots of questions, huh? ANY advice, suggestions, or answers will be MUCH appreciated!

We thought the DCL was an amazing vacation! It does not have to cost much above your original booking. You can make payments and have it paid in full prior to the required date. The deposit is 20% of your cruise fare. The balance is due 75 days out from sailing and at that point you enter the "penalty" phase of losing a portion of your fare.

If you have other questions, please feel free to ask or send me a PM!

 

[kimsuenew]

Thank you all for your wonderful input and suggestions! It just sounds like such an amazing adventure!

 

[MrsPete]

You ask if it's possible to sail on the Disney cruise line for a "budget price" . . . the answer is no.

When you go to Disney World, you can find dozens of ways to lower your cost: You can stay off-site, you can bring your own snacks and drinks, you can share meals, you can buy an annual pass and use it for a late trip this summer /an early summer trip next year, you can use Disney transportation. You have choices.

With Disney Cruise line, no options really exist. You can save money by sailing off-season, and you can save money by choosing an inside cabin . . . but other than that, you either pay their price or you don't sail.

We've sailed Disney, and it was great. But we probably won't do it again. Why? The price. We're looking at doing a back-to-back cruise, and we can do it on Royal Caribbean (balcony cabin, just me and my husband) for just under $6000. For the same timeperiod, it'll be over $12,000 on Disney. We can't justify that -- we honestly didn't enjoy our Disney cruise any more than our other cruises. We particularly like Royal Caribbean and Princess; they offer a wide variety of activities AND a much lower price.

Also, those prices are for ship-tickets only. Be sure that you're looking at the full cost:

- Include the cost of transportation; we are fortunate enough to be able to drive to the port, and that slashes the cost significantly. Include the cost of parking at the port.
- Include tips; personally, we like to pay these up front and be done with it.
- Include the cost of excursions or other activities for the island stops. You can spend big bucks on this, or you can just wander about in the shops and hit the beach.
- Include the cost of alcohol, sodas, the casino, and photographs. If you'd have dinner in the specialty restaurants, include those costs too. It's possible to spend on NONE of this and still have a great time, but you should be realistic about what you're likely to spend.

 

[arthur06]

I agree, there isn't really a great way to get a "budget" Disney cruise.

We have 3 kids, so that really limits what cabins we can stay in. We did the 4 night Wonder cruise in December and we had a wonderful time, but the cost is so high.

I think in the future, we will wait for a "kids sail free" offer to even consider another DCL cruise.

 

[mrsklamc]

We booked a last minute Disney cruise because it was a cheap rate - for Disney. It was a 4 night on the Wonder. There was a kids sail free promotion, and I don't know how crowded the ship would have been otherwise, but I would think it would be very difficult to maneuver an ECV.

Though I do think they have beach wheelchairs at Castaway Cay....

At any rate, Castaway Cay was what I really wanted to see, and it turns out that most cruisers rate Holland America's private island higher than CC!

I probably wouldn't even want to cruise Disney again except that I LOVE Beauty and the Beast so I really want to see the Magic...If I had it to do over I would do one cruise on the Magic, and then cruise other lines.

 

[HillPete]

If you are set on a Disney cruise, you CAN do it without paying much above and beyond the fare. We don't drink alcohol, we don't buy much in the way of souvenirs, we don't do expensive excursions. We've taken 2 Disney cruises with our 2 young boys and charged about $400 to our room key for each cruise. this included the tips we paid our servers, room steward, etc. The last cruise we also bought one photo and had it made into our holiday cards. We would have spent that $$ anyway at another holiday card place, so we didn't really count it.

I think the thing that keeps these cruises 'budget' for us is not drinking alcohol (non-alcoholic drinks are included) and being very careful about souvenirs. Each store on the ship has a 'clearance' section, each day there is an item or two on special. We have not regretted our purchases at all.

Good luck and I hope you have a great cruise!
-H

 

[a1tinkfans]

I do not think cruising is cheap by any means especially if your lifestyle is not that way. The way to take a cheap cruise is to
book far in advance, the lowest level of the ship, the smallest inside room and travel off season.
With that comes Really tight quarters, much more movement and chance of nausea and side effects, a chance of bad weather and delays or changes to your itinerary. Its like everything else, you get what you pay for...
SO, for cruising, (like a trip to disney) know what would work for your family and consider ALL options, a rccl cruise sounds like a better fit for your family group followed before/after by a side trip to disney.
Just something to consider
Whatever your choose have a great time!

 

[adventure_woman]

Haha. We just went on a cruise in January. It was with 2 adults, 2 kids - 4 and infant. It was twice as much as we would have spend going to WDW. At WDW we usually stay at a value.

As for an ECV....my mom has gone on 2 Disney cruises with her HoverRound. You would need to request a handicap room. You may need to send in a doctor's note for this.

I don't think she had any trouble getting around the ship. As for the ports of call....she walked. There isn't really a way to see the ports w/ an ECV I think. She did take it on CC and didn't really have any trouble.

 

[BubMunkeyBles]

What about 3 or 4 days at Disney deluxe and then a different cruiseline out of Port Canaveral? That's probably what I would opt to do. Disney's cruises are a lot more than other lines.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

First - check out Cruise Critic as they have information on every ship out there. It is much like the Dis but all about cruising.

Second - go to the cruise board here on the Dis for information on the Disney ships.

Third - my personal opinion - I love all things Disney but if you are not taking a small child to see the characters save the money and go on another line. We have cruised quite a bit with our kids (about once a year). After age 8 they both preferred Royal Caribbean over Disney. There is just so much more to do. Look at the Freedom out of Port Canaveral and add a couple days at Disney. Or go all out and sail on the Allure or Oasis out of Ft Lauderdale. It will cost you less and will have everything an adult would ever want or need except the characters.

Forth - Be aware once you cruise you will want to go again! It is more addictive than the parks!

 

[alluna]

I think that if you are dead-set on doing a Disney cruise, but want to stick to a budget, your best bet is to bring your own booze. We are planning on taking a bottle of rum in our carry-on the next time around (next week!)

My husband and I went for our honeymoon in 2009 and the drinks were, by far, the most expensive part of the trip. Wait, scratch that. We played WAY too much bingo. Stay away from the bingo!!

 

[rella's fan]

Totally agree with the others, check into Royal. DD(9) and I cruise a lot and on many different lines. I took her on Disney when she was 4 and while it was great we did basically the exact same cruise on RC the next year for just a fraction of the cost. Other than the characters, there really wasn't much difference. Even RC's private island was beautiful.

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

OP, there are ways to cruise DCL less expensively, and it's a great cruise.

1. Book early, they are rumored to be releasing the 2013 dates in October, keep an eye out and book ASAP. You don't have to pay in full, and the 20% deposit is fully refundable.

2. Book inside GTY. The cabins on DCL are larger than the cabins on other cruise lines, even more so on the older ships (more on that in a sec), so an inside stateroom for a party of 3 is going to be the same size, maybe a bit bigger than a hotel room.

3. Book on the older ships on non-premium itineraries. The Dream is new this year, and is selling out every trip, even the off season trips, the Fantasy will start sailing out of Port Canaveral next year doing the 7 day cruises, and will probably be booked up as well. The more booked a cruise gets, the more expensive it gets. The Wonder is sailing the Mexican Riviera and Alaska cruises, and I think will stay on that itinerary for 2013, but they're not selling like hotcakes, so the cruises are less expensive, this rules out a WDW trip built in, but you can hit Disneyland.

As of right now, we don't know what the Magic will be doing, they're going to be sailing from Galveston and NYC in 2012, but those ports are selling very well and are expensive for the cabins that are left.

4. Do your own excursions. When you do find a trip to book, book your own shore activities, going through the ship gives you a guarantee you won't be left behind, but it also comes at a premium price (this applies to ANY cruise line, not just DCL.)