Magic Kingdom after cruise????

[MDisneyNovice]

Someone help a newbie out! I can't seem to decide what to do and I could really use some advice! We are taking a 4 night cruise on the Dream at the end of September. We get back on a Friday and fly out on Sunday. Our kids are 8 and 4. The original plan was to just keep it to the cruise and spend the rest of the time at the resort pools or maybe Downtown Disney and not do the land mouse. However...we are questioning our plan. Is it worth it to get a one day pass to MK for the day? The tickets are certainly not cheap..I would love a day and a half but there doesn't seem to be any (or very little) price break on a 2 day pass?! Does anyone have some tips?? Is there any way to get a better deal? We are looking at a D property for the 2 night hotel stay. Do you get a better deal buying the hotel/tickets together vs. buying separately? Is it worth it? I would LOVE any and all advice. Much appreciated))))

 

[Anna114]

It would cost you a heap of dough just for the one day, you are talking a few hundred dollars not including what you will spend in the park. If money is no object then do it. If it is, there is plenty to do outside the parks. Disney Springs, miniature golf etc.

 

[ffw]

Unfortunately, WDW doesn't make it cost-effective to go for one or two days; by the fifth day in, I believe it's only $15 a day per person additionally.. But they've pretty much sucked all they could out of you, by then. Maybe you could consider doing something like MNSSHP (Mickey's Halloween Party), which may cut a little of the price (though it isn't a full day). If it were us, with such a short duration there and with kids, that's probably the route we'd take.

 

[CinderellaDreamer]

I think it is worth it to get a one day pass. Especially considering your children's ages. I don't know how often you are able to get down to Orlando, but it seems a shame not to go to the MK at least once while you are there. The previous poster's suggestion of the Halloween party is a great idea. You can get that for cheaper than a one day ticket, and you get in the park at 4:00 p.m. It will be tough for the little one to make it until midnight, but the crowds are lower and the trick or treating is so fun. If not, then I would spend the day Saturday there since it does not close early for a party on Saturday's. Be careful not to buy a ticket to MK on a park day without realizing that they will kick you out at 7 without an additional party ticket.

Either decision though, I hope you have a lovely vacation!

 

[mevelandry]

If there is a Halloween Party this is the option I would pick. It's less expensive. I think they let you in the park at... 4:00 or 5:00 PM?

If you pick the "get a room as soon as possible" option at check-in, you can take a nap in the afternoon in order to be more in shape to stay out late.

Generally, after 7:00, those who did not pay for the party have to leave. Sometimes the park get more quiet so you get to do more rides. They give you drinks and snacks in some spots (which I love).

I've been to MK 6 times. The MVMCP was my favorite time (I felt we did more than any other time). More bang for our bucks.

I'm sure the MNSSHP is just as fun.

 

[anna08]

We love to do a water park after we get off the cruise, so if you have kids that love being in the water, consider it - the water parks are usually opening about the time we get to WDW from port and it's a nice compromise of just enjoying a beach adventure and getting away from the hustle and bustle of a park. It's a bit cheaper too. We then head to our resort in the middle of the afternoon when the room is ready and either enjoy the resort or spend time in DTD/Disney Springs in the evening.

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

We added MNSSHP to our October cruise... We thought we would just stay at the resort too but I know once down there we would regret not stepping foot in the Magic Kingdom

 

[tlprice]

I had this same dilemma. We will only be in Orlando one day before our cruise and one day tickets have gotten too expensive. We are doing MNSSHP instead, although the prices on that have gone up dramatically and it's not that much cheaper. We realized that the first MVMCP is right after our cruise so we will also do that. So we're getting Halloween and Christmas in the same trip. My daughter has been to WDW 8 times before though. If your kids have never been to WDW I would probably splurge on the one day of tickets.

 

[The Sasquatch]

we are doing the same. We bought Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween party tickets for one night and will spend the rest relaxing at the pool or Disney Springs

Its cheaper than a 1 day ticket and you can get into the park at 4pm to close. Plenty of time with smaller crowds to do MK and the party is awesome

 

[basketlacey]

Will you go to Disney again before next September? If so, I'd consider buying one AP for you. They just advertised a new special where AP holders can get up to 6 one-day park hoppers at the gate for $79 through the end of September (I think - check the dates). You have to use them that day but that would be a great deal if you knew you would use your AP again before next year.

 

[RedSox68]

Since it is expensive, and you would be visiting the park on a Saturday, I think it may be too crowded to completely enjoy and get your money's worth.

 

[FigmentSpark]

We're spending our day after the cruise relaxing at a resort pool, maybe some Disney Springs, then the next day, checking out (but staying parked) and doing the one day at MK. Yes, it's expensive, but, so is the cruise and the resort. Anyway, I thought about doing a two day ticket and trying to cram in another park on that first day off the boat, but figured if I'm paying for a resort hotel, we should spend some time enjoying the hotel.

 

[timrousbeastie]

The Halloween Party sounds like a great idea. In particular because the lines for all the rides probably will be much shorter than during the day. We've been to the Christmas Party in November for the last two years. Aside from the party events being a lot of fun, we were able to ride Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain Railroad as many times as we wanted with at most a handful of people ahead of us in the line. It was surreal compared to the normal waiting times during the day.

If you decide to get regular tickets, it is important that you buy them asap(!) so you can request your fast passes as far in advance as possible. Otherwise, you may find that none are available for the more popular rides. If possible, I'd go for the Halloween Party just to avoid the hassle with lines and fast passes.

The other important thing to be aware of is to book restaurants asap if you want anything better than quick-service meals. Many popular venues will already have been sold out for months, but you might get lucky and catch a cancellation at "Be Our Guest", for example, if you check often. It is only $1 to make a reservation and you can cancel any time until 24 hours in advance. Again, if you go for the Halloween Party, it should be much easier to get a dinner reservation in Magic Kingdom.

If you do decide to cut down on the parks, you can still have a great Disney vacation. Aside from Downtown Disney, I'd take look at spending some time near the Boardwalk, my own favourite area of Disney World. Anyone can get valet parking for something like $25(?). For that you'll get to enjoy the stunning resort, the boardwalk, which is particularly beautiful in the evening with street artists etc., and (for a fee) the two Fantasia Gardens mini golf courses which are a lot of fun and full of Disney magic.

Anyway, just trying to help . Have a great trip!

 

[MDisneyNovice]

Thanks everyone for your advice! I appreciate it! I think the Halloween party sounds like a great idea but we are a bit worried my youngest would never make it after getting off the cruise SO early in the morning! We are thinking about the tickets to MK Saturday. To answer questions no...we are not nearby..Texas actually..so we will probably not be back for some time. Hubby is a bit worried if we shell out the $$ for these tickets in advance and someone gets sick we are stuck with very expensive tickets that can't be used..not by us anyway((((

 

[The Sasquatch]

Thanks everyone for your advice! I appreciate it! I think the Halloween party sounds like a great idea but we are a bit worried my youngest would never make it after getting off the cruise SO early in the morning! We are thinking about the tickets to MK Saturday. To answer questions no...we are not nearby..Texas actually..so we will probably not be back for some time. Hubby is a bit worried if we shell out the $$ for these tickets in advance and someone gets sick we are stuck with very expensive tickets that can't be used..not by us anyway((((

get off the boat early, go to your resort. Spend the morning and afternoon by the pool or take a nap. Have something to eat and head over to the party in the evening.

 

[Shanti]

Someone help a newbie out! I can't seem to decide what to do and I could really use some advice! We are taking a 4 night cruise on the Dream at the end of September. We get back on a Friday and fly out on Sunday. Our kids are 8 and 4. The original plan was to just keep it to the cruise and spend the rest of the time at the resort pools or maybe Downtown Disney and not do the land mouse. However...we are questioning our plan. Is it worth it to get a one day pass to MK for the day? The tickets are certainly not cheap..I would love a day and a half but there doesn't seem to be any (or very little) price break on a 2 day pass?! Does anyone have some tips?? Is there any way to get a better deal? We are looking at a D property for the 2 night hotel stay. Do you get a better deal buying the hotel/tickets together vs. buying separately? Is it worth it? I would LOVE any and all advice. Much appreciated))))

I think one day at MK after your cruise would be very fun (many visitors only choose to spend one day there, anyway), and a great way to ease the post-cruise blues.

If it's hard for you to wrap your head around the idea of just one day at WDW, try thinking of it as a really cool cruise excursion.

 

[Sweetsarj]

After our 4 day cruise on the dream we did 2 nights at Caribbean Beach. 1 day we spent at the pool relaxing, 2 day we went to Mk and rode so many rides with our fast passes. We didn't wait on any lines for characters in the park which really made the day amazing. We even went back to the hotel for a 2 hour rest and closed the park down that night at midnight. Day 3 relaxed and then flew home in the afternoon.

The tickets to MK were totally worth the money.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

We've done this before where we do WDW before our cruise and afterwards check into our resort and have a pool/veg day and go to the MNSSHP. It starts much later in the evening, you have almost 10 hours of napping and relaxing time. It's cheaper than a 1 day ticket and will be less crowded, not as warm and so much fun!

 

[Quellman]

Thanks everyone for your advice! I appreciate it! I think the Halloween party sounds like a great idea but we are a bit worried my youngest would never make it after getting off the cruise SO early in the morning! We are thinking about the tickets to MK Saturday. To answer questions no...we are not nearby..Texas actually..so we will probably not be back for some time. Hubby is a bit worried if we shell out the $$ for these tickets in advance and someone gets sick we are stuck with very expensive tickets that can't be used..not by us anyway((((

End of September shouldn't see sold out party nights, so you can gamble with that if you want. We took our 2 year old last year and by about 1030 he was passed out in the stroller. Still had a blast, no regrets. If you plan on an easy resort only afternoon, they may take a small nap before heading out to the party!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

A one day ticket will not expire until it is used, so if you don't use them you can keep them forever and use them in the future, or you can transfer them to someone else.