Land and sea?

[Kristen47]

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone has done a vacation that included a cruise out of Port Canaveral and a stay at WDW? I currently have a WDW vacation booked for my husband’s 50th birthday in April 2022. I’m thinking about making it a combo vacation because there are 3-day Bahamas cruises on either end of our stay.

If you’ve done it, what were the pros and cons vs just doing one or the other? Would you do it again? And would you recommend the cruise first then heading to WDW or the other way around?

Thanks!

 

[Lill]

Many many people have done the land and sea vacations. I personally have not but am planning for August 2022. We definitely want to do WDW and parks first as on cruise it is much easier to just relax and take it easy. Especially when adults only cruise and you don’t need to stress with merting all the characters etc

 

[Cheburashka]

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone has done a vacation that included a cruise out of Port Canaveral and a stay at WDW? I currently have a WDW vacation booked for my husband’s 50th birthday in April 2022. I’m thinking about making it a combo vacation because there are 3-day Bahamas cruises on either end of our stay.

If you’ve done it, what were the pros and cons vs just doing one or the other? Would you do it again? And would you recommend the cruise first then heading to WDW or the other way around?

Thanks!

Sure, that's a lot of fun & lots of people do that. I've done Cruise-then-WDW, and WDW-then-Cruise, and enjoyed both. Different people have different preferences, and which is more enjoyable first is a matter of taste. If you're rarin' to go have fun the second your vacation starts, I recommend doing WDW first, because that tends to be more physically active than taking a cruise. If you need a bit of time to mentally detach from work/home life & settle into vacation mode, then I recommend taking the cruise first, because its structure & more relaxed pace are ideal to help a stressed or wound-up person to relax & settle into vacation mode. Being at sea takes you away from it all like nothing else.

Another consideration is where you're going to stay. If it's at a value resort, I'd do the cruise first, because your cruise cabin & service are going to be a lot nicer than what you'll get at a value resort. If you're staying at a deluxe resort, that is not such an issue, although even deluxes have cut back on service lately. Hopefully DCL won't do the same, since service is such an integral part of cruising.

 

[Kristen47]

We are booked at the Polynesian and I’m leaning towards cruise first but the cruise at the end of the week is cheaper.
Right now I have six nights booked but that could be adjusted. It will likely be 5-6 nights though.
What are the transportation options to get from the port to WDW? Is there any sort of shuttle?

 

[lanejudy]

I recommend WDW first then cruise. The cruise is more relaxing while WDW is go-go-go. Of course, if that's not your park touring style, you certainly have control of how much go-go. We take our time in the parks, but still find it busier and more tiring than a cruise with more relaxation.

DCL offers transfers between WDW resorts and Port Canaveral. I think it's $39 one-way.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

We have done WDW then cruise every time we sail out of PC. Actually, we did Grand California at DL prior to the EBPC.
Disney bus transportation information:

https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/guest-services/ground-transportation/
Pre- and Post-Cruise Hotel Stays and Transportation

If you've booked a hotel stay with us before or after your cruise, transfers are available, for an additional fee, between the airport, hotel and cruise port. Call us at (800) 951-3532 for more information or to add these transfers.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

We have done it-lots of fun! We stayed Polynesian and then 3 night cruise.

 

[mevelandry]

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone has done a vacation that included a cruise out of Port Canaveral and a stay at WDW? I currently have a WDW vacation booked for my husband’s 50th birthday in April 2022. I’m thinking about making it a combo vacation because there are 3-day Bahamas cruises on either end of our stay.

If you’ve done it, what were the pros and cons vs just doing one or the other? Would you do it again? And would you recommend the cruise first then heading to WDW or the other way around?

Thanks!

Cool! Where are you staying? (Nevermind, just saw the answer later in the comments… Love the Poly… One of my favorites resorts to stay at!)

We have done this everytime we cruised with DCL (and sometimes even before cruising other cruise lines, with a pre-cruise stay at WDW or Universal).

I would start with WDW and end with the cruise (more relaxing this way). We take the transportation from the WDW resort to the Port which makes everything super easy.

 

[mmouse37]

Either way is for sure your preference but we prefer doing WDW first as it is usually go, go, go vacay and the cruise is just so relaxing. We have done DCL then WDW and of course it is still enjoyable but WDW first is preferable for us.

There is a DCL bus that provides transportation to the port from WDW and back to the airport from the port. Or from the airport to the port and then back to WDW from the port. There is a cost per person. I think the cost is currently $35 or $40 per person and that includes luggage transfers from your resort to the port. We have also rented a car one way to the port. Many people take a towncar or limo service to the port from WDW.

MJ

 

[Kristen47]

Thank you everyone!

 

[OpieDoodle]

In Feb 2020 we went on a 3 night cruise on the Dream then did 7 days in WDW. It was an absolute blast! We are doing it again in Feb 2022! This time we are doing 6 days WDW (1 day universal in the middle) then 3 night Dream cruise.

The only thing I'd caution you on tho is luggage. Due to the time of year we go to WDW we have to bring quite a bit of clothes because you never know what you're going to need to wear (whether it be pants or shorts for example). Plus some items you're not allowed to have on the ship. So for us last time we ended up keeping our rental car and it sat in the parking lot while we cruised to store the rest of our luggage.

We are going with a party of 15 this time and we are doing the same thing but I think we are all returning any rental cars except one vehicle before the cruise then keeping all of the extra luggage in there. Keep in mind also that there isn't a lot of space in the rooms for luggage. You can take up to 2 bags per person but thats a lot of suitcases for those small staterooms

 

[laceltris3]

Put me down for WDW first. Also, you can do laundry relatively inexpensively on the ship, and on the first couple days of the cruise demand for the laundry facilities is very low.

 

[MomOTwins]

We've done it both ways a couple of different times and I liked cruise first better.
--First cruise we took, we did WDW first and DH came down with a stomach bug the first night of the cruise, which he almost certainly caught at the parks. Ended up quarantined and missed out on the whole cruise. Ever since, when we've done WDW first I've been a nervous wreck and go sanitizer crazy worrying someone will get sick and we'll miss our cruise again.
--Second, I completely agree with what everyone is saying: the cruise is wayyyy more relaxing than the parks. But I don't understand why anyone would want to do the parks first as a result. When I get off my stressful job and travel somewhere on vacation, I love relaxing on the cruise, and then when I'm refreshed and have lots of energy, doing the parks. Otherwise I just go from tired (at the start of my vacation, from work) to suuuuuper tired (from parks), and am burnt out, achy and exhausted by the time of the cruise and don't enjoy it as much.
--Third, traveling home after a cruise is no fun. You are kicked off the ship early in the morning, bussed straight back to the airport, and often have a wasted day waiting around for your flight with nothing to do. At WDW, departure day is fun because you can do a big breakfast at the resort, swim in the pool, and even visit a park if your flight is later in the day.

That said, it is definitely more expensive to do the parks after cruise because you also have to book a pre-cruise hotel stay (some people fly in the day of the cruise, which would be wayyyyy too risky and stressful for me). So we still sometimes do parks first--I jut don't enjoy it as much.

 

[Weedy]

When Disney starts cruising again the buses may be very different. Disney (as well as most other cruise lines) will space the arrival times of the guest. So departure times of the buses will need to be spaced out so that not as many people are arriving at the same time.
They will (probably) enforce the Port Arrival Times so no more arriving early.
Now will the same be said for departure??
They may need to space people out getting off the ship.
If that’s happens will they delay the arrival times?? If it takes longer to get off the ship they won’t be able to start boarding at 11am.
As when WDW reopened some things were trial and error I’m sure the same will happen when cruising starts again.
Also if you drive or take private transportation these times will be space out and enforced.
Disney will try and do their best but some things won’t be like they were pre covid. The under statement of the year.
This may be a good thing the terminal would get crazy crowded.
And one more unknown will Disney still transport luggage to and from the port?? They are no longer doing for WDW guest arriving at the Orlando airport and taking Magical Express. But who knows??

 

[JWG]

You've generated a lot of answers on this already but yes, we've done this. We would recommend cruise after. If you're doing a standard WDW trip with parks and being on the go, etc. the cruise is a really relaxing end to that. It also removes the shock of having everything included (for the most part) and then having to pay $15 for mediocre burger after.

If you WDW stay is more of a relaxation trip, not a lot of park time or plans, aren't always on the go, then it likely doesn't matter an you make like cruising first so you progress to the bigger room with more space.

 

[mevelandry]

We've done it both ways a couple of different times and I liked cruise first better.
--First cruise we took, we did WDW first and DH came down with a stomach bug the first night of the cruise, which he almost certainly caught at the parks. Ended up quarantined and missed out on the whole cruise. Ever since, when we've done WDW first I've been a nervous wreck and go sanitizer crazy worrying someone will get sick and we'll miss our cruise again.
--Second, I completely agree with what everyone is saying: the cruise is wayyyy more relaxing than the parks. But I don't understand why anyone would want to do the parks first as a result. When I get off my stressful job and travel somewhere on vacation, I love relaxing on the cruise, and then when I'm refreshed and have lots of energy, doing the parks. Otherwise I just go from tired (at the start of my vacation, from work) to suuuuuper tired (from parks), and am burnt out, achy and exhausted by the time of the cruise and don't enjoy it as much.
--Third, traveling home after a cruise is no fun. You are kicked off the ship early in the morning, bussed straight back to the airport, and often have a wasted day waiting around for your flight with nothing to do. At WDW, departure day is fun because you can do a big breakfast at the resort, swim in the pool, and even visit a park if your flight is later in the day.

That said, it is definitely more expensive to do the parks after cruise because you also have to book a pre-cruise hotel stay (some people fly in the day of the cruise, which would be wayyyyy too risky and stressful for me). So we still sometimes do parks first--I jut don't enjoy it as much.

I can only speak for myself but when I started with the cruise, I got back home physically exhausted from the parks.

When I do the opposite, the excitement from the parks kinda renew my energy (for a day or two).

 

[AquaDame]

We tend to do the cruise first. Fantasy goes Sat -Sat and we don't want to "waste" that weekend after debarkation by spending it at the airport and then at home, so we hit the parks for however many days we want instead and then head home. I have a desk job so I enjoy the run run run fun of the parks and like coming home feeling like I spent every moment I had wisely. It stops the post cruise blues to know I'm going off to have more fun. Any feeling of "refreshment" I get is usually spoiled in the first day or two back at work anyway.

 

[Shellyred8]

In regards to transportation to and from the port, I would recommend booking Disney's bus transportation. If it's just the two of you, the cost is bearable. They take care of your luggage, they park right up close to the terminal, and if there are any traffic issues on the way to the port, the ship will wait for that bus. As others have mentioned, there are other options you can look into. But for us (since it's just 2 of us), we take the Disney bus.

 

[JWG]

In regards to transportation to and from the port, I would recommend booking Disney's bus transportation. If it's just the two of you, the cost is bearable. They take care of your luggage, they park right up close to the terminal, and if there are any traffic issues on the way to the port, the ship will wait for that bus. As others have mentioned, there are other options you can look into. But for us (since it's just 2 of us), we take the Disney bus.

The only thing I'd add about this (for two I think @Shellyred8 is right) is if you're doing WDW first and cruise 2nd, know the buses usually get you to the port a little later and you'll likely arrive after boarding has started and closer to rooms being ready. If you've got your heart set on being to the cruise terminal early then this may not work. But for two people, it's likely the easiest and most ecomomical.

We've done both Disney and private transfer. We tend to do private transfer more for a few reasons:
- Price (there's typically 7 of us and that $90 per person or whatever it is now adds up after 3 people)
- We fly in the night before and stay at an airport area hotel vs. the Hyatt at MCO, so DCL won't pick us up
- We get to pick our port arrival and departure time

Though having the magic start from the moment you step on the bus is nice.

 

[Livelovedance]

We've done it both ways a couple of different times and I liked cruise first better.
--First cruise we took, we did WDW first and DH came down with a stomach bug the first night of the cruise, which he almost certainly caught at the parks. Ended up quarantined and missed out on the whole cruise. Ever since, when we've done WDW first I've been a nervous wreck and go sanitizer crazy worrying someone will get sick and we'll miss our cruise again.
--Second, I completely agree with what everyone is saying: the cruise is wayyyy more relaxing than the parks. But I don't understand why anyone would want to do the parks first as a result. When I get off my stressful job and travel somewhere on vacation, I love relaxing on the cruise, and then when I'm refreshed and have lots of energy, doing the parks. Otherwise I just go from tired (at the start of my vacation, from work) to suuuuuper tired (from parks), and am burnt out, achy and exhausted by the time of the cruise and don't enjoy it as much.
--Third, traveling home after a cruise is no fun. You are kicked off the ship early in the morning, bussed straight back to the airport, and often have a wasted day waiting around for your flight with nothing to do. At WDW, departure day is fun because you can do a big breakfast at the resort, swim in the pool, and even visit a park if your flight is later in the day.

That said, it is definitely more expensive to do the parks after cruise because you also have to book a pre-cruise hotel stay (some people fly in the day of the cruise, which would be wayyyyy too risky and stressful for me). So we still sometimes do parks first--I jut don't enjoy it as much.

Everyone has their own preference on this, but I agree with @MomOTwins!

My first DCL cruise we did WDW, DCL, and one final night at WDW - a little of both! There were only 2 of us, so we used the DCL transportation both ways. Prior to the cruise was nice because we were able to leave our luggage tagged in the room that morning, and it was delivered for us. We did have a late start on the ship, but we were able to have breakfast at the resort and made a quick stop to MouseGears at EPCOT (APs so we didn't waste a park ticket) before returning to the resort and boarding the bus. There were far more people than I expected joining us! We ended up arriving at Port Canaveral by 1:00pm. At the end of our cruise we got on the bus and back to WDW in the morning.

I loved the cruise, but I also love WDW, and I actually enjoyed our short two days in the parks after the cruise more. Our park touring isn't a run yourself ragged approach, so that might be one reason why, but I wished we had more days afterwards than before. I'm an active person, so while I enjoyed relaxing on the cruise, I was looking forward to exploring the parks afterwards.

Our second cruise we planned to fly in the evening before and stay the night in the Hyatt MCO, take DCL transportation in the morning to Port Canaveral (giving us more time that first day on the ship), and then take DCL transportation to WDW after the cruise to enjoy the parks. Unfortunately that was cancelled due to COVID, but when we cruise again that'll be the plan!

Good luck with your decision!