Never Cruised Before. Is A Disney Cruise Worth Skipping WDW?

[HairyChest]

I have never cruised in my life. I LOVE Disneyworld and go every year, and now I’m debating on trying DCL. I want to know if it’s worth skipping a WDW trip to try a Disney Cruise? I just can’t afford both, it actually costs more for a 4 night Disney Cruise on the Wish then my 9 day WDW trip (since I have DVC, which I will rent out to help pay for the cruise) and I would be skipping my FAVORITE time of the year (December) at WDW.

I’ve done a decent amount of watching videos on YouTube and reading this board but I want opinions from people who love WDW and DON’T find WDW exhausting, like me. Because I don’t go for the rides (they are just the icing on the cake) , we take our time, enjoy the resorts and the many beautiful restaurants and just LOVE the ambiance of WDW and just being there.

I know most will say they are very different but for someone who can only afford one, and you love WDW and don’t think it’s exhausting, I need an answer of which one is the better vacation.

There are very few videos and podcasts I’ve seen that directly compare these. The only (most recent) one I found that actually does is this one:

Please also share any you have seen or know that would help. Thanks!

 

[Skippyboo]

Doing my first ever cruise this Nov. 7 nights on Disney Fantasy. WDW AP since 2018 with multiple trips to WDW each year. I have friends who have done DCL and swear by the level of service on them.

The Wish is pretty pricey since it’s the newest ship. You may want to look a cruises on the older ships for a cheaper option than the Wish

 

[bobbiwoz]

If you are willing to try the cruise, go for a Merrytime cruise to at least get some of the holiday vibe.

If you can rent the points to pay for a three night cruise maybe you will have enough points left for a night before or after at WDW.

 

[OKW Lover]

It's really hard to compare a WDW vacation to a DCL vacation. They are really two very different things. I wouldn't call one better/worse than the other. Just different.

If you are looking to try a cruise then you'll probably be happy with DCL. It's a really fun time.

 

[PAGA2003]

Do you travel to other destinations or only Disney? If only Disney I think you should definitely give DCL a try since then you can visit new places and still get your Disney fix! If you are flexible with dates though I'm sure you can find a better deal than 4 nights on the Wish and probably get a longer sailing on a different ship.

 

[HairyChest]

Do you travel to other destinations or only Disney? If only Disney I think you should definitely give DCL a try since then you can visit new places and still get your Disney fix! If you are flexible with dates though I'm sure you can find a better deal than 4 nights on the Wish and probably get a longer sailing on a different ship.

We travel rarely because of time AND money constraints. However, when we do go to other places, we always end up saying “this was nice but Disneyworld is on another level, we miss it”. Because there is so much to do and see, everything is clean, and its really convinient with allthe various complimentary transportation like monorail & busses. Also we have a familymember wheelchair bound and everything is so accommodating at WDW.

If you are willing to try the cruise, go for a Merrytime cruise to at least get some of the holiday vibe.

If you can rent the points to pay for a three night cruise maybe you will have enough points left for a night before or after at WDW.

This is a “why not both?” meme moment which I love . I think you are right, I will try to add a few days to WDW because if I do DCL, I think we will still miss WDW.

 

[enzy65]

In April we did the wish and then WDW, after this trip we said we would not go back to WDW until there was some new things to see and do. The crowds were the main reason, so we are focusing now on just Disney cruises. I just wish I could afford to go on a cruise once a month, we love them that much.

 

[SnowWhite2]

Once my kids went on a Disney Cruise, they had no interest in going back to the parks. Of course Mom and Dad were paying. They are now FL residents and go to the parks all the time but will jump at a DCL cruise if they can afford it.

 

[SnowWhite2]

Duplicate

 

[FastPasser.]

As others have implied, it's apples and oranges. IMO the Christmas DCL cruise can not compare to WDW during the Christmas season. However you should defintely give it a try. In some ways it's more Disneylike than the parks.

 

[CamColt]

While I agree with the posts above, they are 2 different experiences, I would have to say at this point I lean toward preferring the cruise. Less planning stress, no real lines to wait in(yes some for pics, buffet, etc... but nothing like a 90 minute wait for a 5 minute ride), no waiting for busses trying to get here and there...it's just so much more relaxing to me. Also when comparing price remember in the parks you have food, soda if you drink it, lightning lane if you get that, etc... With a cruise you can get away with paying nothing extra except tips, unless you choose to do extras.

 

[Marthasor]

There is no way I would trade 9 nights at WDW for a 4-night cruise. If you were trading it for a 7-night or could add 3 or more nights at WDW, I would probably feel differently, but 4 nights is not enough if you are hoping for a full vacation with your family. It's not enough time to enjoy the ports and the ship, IMHO. As another PP suggested, I would look for a less expensive DCL option on one of the older ships perhaps during a less busy time of year.

 

[ditchdiggert200]

While I agree with the posts above, they are 2 different experiences, I would have to say at this point I lean toward preferring the cruise. Less planning stress, no real lines to wait in(yes some for pics, buffet, etc... but nothing like a 90 minute wait for a 5 minute ride), no waiting for busses trying to get here and there...it's just to much more relaxing to me. Also when comparing price remember in the parks you have food, soda if you drink it, lightning lane if you get that, etc... With a cruise you can get away with paying nothing extra except tips, unless you choose to do extras.

OP: I agree with CamColt. WDW and DCL are 2 different experiences and for me and my family, we lean toward preferring DCL as well. Pretty much for all of the reasons CamColt listed. We have sailed 3x during various times of the year and have #4 booked as our 1st Merrytime Cruise over my birthday 2024.

 

[motherdaughtercruisers]

I would not say that one is “better” than the other, but for one year, I don’t think you will regret passing up WDW for DCL. Because truth is, next year you can decide which you prefer. I think it is totally worth the “risk” to at least try it out. But IMO FWIW, ha! And if you are curious, I do think we/I meet your criteria about loving WDW.

ETA: If I were you, I would skip the Wish or Treasure because they are both still absurdly pricey. And you would likely enjoy one of the classics more since it’s that type of ambiance and vibe of WDW that you like.

 

[PAGA2003]

We travel rarely because of time AND money constraints. However, when we do go to other places, we always end up saying “this was nice but Disneyworld is on another level, we miss it”. Because there is so much to do and see, everything is clean, and its really convinient with allthe various complimentary transportation like monorail & busses. Also we have a familymember wheelchair bound and everything is so accommodating at WDW.

I think you would find the maintenance, cleanliness and service on the ship to be what you are used to with Disney. You can truly see a difference in how DCL maintains their ships versus some of the other lines. Being totally honest I have found the food on the ships to be a bit hit or miss and tend to think that you find better food at the parks and resorts (with the exception of the adult venues Palo and Remy).

The wheelchair can be another issue unfortunately. My parents joined us for one sailing and my mother needed to use a wheelchair on the ship. The issue we had were folks pushing ahead of us constantly at the elevators. I was amazed how families would see someone waiting in a wheelchair and then walk right up in front of us and get on.

You can definitely have the cruise be one stop shopping though for all tours and activities off the ship so you may enjoy that aspect. We tend to book outside of DCL but have booked one tour through them and had a great experience. You definitely need to thoroughly research all tours though because I have seen folks be disappointed with their port adventures. That really goes for booking outside as well but I think some people expect everything to be perfect because it is Disney and they don't necessarily look into things as much as they should to be sure they know what they are getting.

 

[holula]

There is no way I would trade 9 nights at WDW for a 4-night cruise. If you were trading it for a 7-night or could add 3 or more nights at WDW, I would probably feel differently, but 4 nights is not enough if you are hoping for a full vacation with your family. It's not enough time to enjoy the ports and the ship, IMHO. As another PP suggested, I would look for a less expensive DCL option on one of the older ships perhaps during a less busy time of year.

I’m in agreement with this. If it was 9 vs 7, I’d pick the cruise. But 9 vs 4, which really is only 3 days - I’m picking WDW.

 

[motherdaughtercruisers]

I will also add that I just posed the question to my Mother (my partner cruiser, ha!) and she didn’t even have to think for two seconds before she said CRUISE! She said it is all immersive so it’s better than WDW. But she also agrees to skip Wish and Treasure because they are too pricey and the classic ships are just pure nostalgic bliss!

 

[motherdaughtercruisers]

As others have implied, it's apples and oranges. IMO the Christmas DCL cruise can not compare to WDW during the Christmas season. However you should defintely give it a try. In some ways it's more Disneylike than the parks.

^^^^ this

 

[cvjw]

We used to spend 3 weeks a year at Disney. Then we cruised on the fantasy in 2017. We let our annual passes expire, sold most our DVC points and just cruise now. We enjoy cruising so much more than the parks. I would not pay for the wish though. I would book the fantasy - our favorite ship.

 

[Flcruising]

I have never cruised in my life. I LOVE Disneyworld and go every year, and now I’m debating on trying DCL. I want to know if it’s worth skipping a WDW trip to try a Disney Cruise? I just can’t afford both, it actually costs more for a 4 night Disney Cruise on the Wish then my 9 day WDW trip (since I have DVC, which I will rent out to help pay for the cruise) and I would be skipping my FAVORITE time of the year (December) at WDW.

I’ve done a decent amount of watching videos on YouTube and reading this board but I want opinions from people who love WDW and DON’T find WDW exhausting, like me. Because I don’t go for the rides (they are just the icing on the cake) , we take our time, enjoy the resorts and the many beautiful restaurants and just LOVE the ambiance of WDW and just being there.

I know most will say they are very different but for someone who can only afford one, and you love WDW and don’t think it’s exhausting, I need an answer of which one is the better vacation.

There are very few videos and podcasts I’ve seen that directly compare these. The only (most recent) one I found that actually does is this one:

Please also share any you have seen or know that would help. Thanks!

1.Pick a different ship that's cheaper
2. Use the price savings to add a day or two at WDW before or after the cruise. Maybe rethink your hotel so you have more savings. Orlando has nice hotels that are less expensive.
3. You say you don't go to WDW for the rides but more of an emotional tie. That being the case there is a good chance you will regret not going to WDW. No matter how much you enjoy the cruise (and you will) it probably isn't going to replace that emotional tug you get at WDW, especially at holiday time.

I suspect if you do some budget rethinking you could still get into the Magic Kingdom and do a cruise.