Parks Vs. Cruise with a 2 Year Old?

[pewing]

We are booked on a 7 day DCL cruise in October. My DH is wondering if we should do a WDW trip in lieu of it. As you see from my signature we have two boys...who will be 12 and 10 at that time and a baby girl that will be on the verge of turning 2.

Our DD was great on our cruise last fall. It was a 3 day cruise and she was under a year at the time. My DH is worried she will be harder to entertain on a cruise this time around.

But...we have never done the parks with one that young (our boys were 4 and 6 on our first trip) before and I am a bit wary!

What do you think?

Cruise or Parks?

 

[Alice Sr.]

Unless your boys really want to go to WDW I personally would do the cruise. I think with the disparity in your youngest and oldest ones ages that there would be too much down time at the parks. The cruise allows you to gear entertainment and activities to their different ages, and some one on one time with the your honey without feeling guilty.

 

[pewing]

Actually...I think the boys would LOVE the cruise! They loved the first one and have been talking about taking a 7 day cruise ever since

 

[momofmmsd5]

I say do the cruise. I have the same ages as you, only two more. DD 12,
DS 10, b/g twins 8, and DS 1 1/2. We did the land/sea last May and it worked out great on the cruise but the parks were kinda hard. The baby did sleep in his stroller and we did baby swap but I was much more relaxed on the cruise especially using Flounders! With that said we are going to be in WDW May 10th - 14th so we'll see how it goes with him being older now. We also have a 7 day booked for Dec!!!!
Have a great time no matter what you decide.

 

[MiaSRN62]

I think with the 2 yo especially, the cruise will be better. Everything is right at your fingertips with a Disney cruise. No waiting in long lines for rides or having to have PS's or waiting to get into restaurants. Everything is right there and planned out. The kids' clubs are great. My kids are now 13, 15 & 19. They have been crusing since they were 9, 11 and 14 and prefer the cruises. We just all find it more relaxing and a less hectic pace. We're planning another cruise for 2007 & doing the wdw parks this year.

 

[lindakmonty]

yep, have to agree... the cruise for sure! I always end up trying to plan on a WDW trip but always end up booking a cruise It is so much more relaxing... you don't have the big crowds, lines, the heat etc. that you get at the parks...We live an hour from Cedar Point so we get our ride fix there. It is so nice you can be in your room, a restaurant, the pool, in the sun or in the a/c w/in a few minutes on the cruise! But since you've gotten a taste, I'd do the 7 days for sure and you could alwasy go to WDW for a day or two after if DH really wants to go to the parks ! Good luck and your family will love either vacation that you decide....its Disney !

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

I have a DS who is 7 and DD who is 2. We had a 7 night DCL booked for September.

DH said to me one day, "you know, you're the only one who wants to go on that cruise". DS, DD and him all wanted to do the parks. Fine! I cancelled the DCL, now we're doing 7 nights at the BWV instead.

Ask their opinion. DS was on a 4 night DCL before DD was born. I guess mom gets outvoted this time.

 

[WishingUponAStar]

I personally feel you`ll enjoy the cruise because with a little kid you have to

worry about them being tired cranky wanting to go back. It has lots of things

to do and if she wants to go to sleep your a two minute walk from the room. Try the cruise again. It will be fun

 

[we6clarks]

I think that it depends on your DD's personality. We went on a 4 day cruise and then to WDW for 3 days in January. We have four children DS 6, DD 4, and twin DD that had just turned 2. One of our twins was very happy on the cruise. She is laid back. Our other twin was absolutely miserably on the cruise. She is very active. There wasn't enough physical activity for her on the cruise. They flip flopped at WDW. The twin that was happy on the cruise was miserable at WDW. I think there was too much stimulation for her. The twin that was miserable on the cruise loved WDW.

 

[ksoehrlein]

We took our DD on a 4-night cruise when she was 2.5 years old. It was not good. Potty training flew out the window because the ship potties are so different from what we had at home. The kids' clubs weren't an option (minimum age is 3) and the 4-hours-at-a-time babysitting you can sign up for was only available at certain times and you had to sign up for it the moment you board or risk getting shut out. Rotation dining at 8:30 PM without characters at least once a day (like we tend to do in the parks) was a challenge as well -- one night we even had to ask them to pack the food up for us and we ate in the stateroom rather than subject the other diners to our cranky little one. I REALLY wished we had stayed in WDW with her by the time all was said and done.

 

[grimley1968]

We took our DD on a 4-night cruise when she was 2.5 years old. It was not good. Potty training flew out the window because the ship potties are so different from what we had at home. The kids' clubs weren't an option (minimum age is 3) and the 4-hours-at-a-time babysitting you can sign up for was only available at certain times and you had to sign up for it the moment you board or risk getting shut out. Rotation dining at 8:30 PM without characters at least once a day (like we tend to do in the parks) was a challenge as well -- one night we even had to ask them to pack the food up for us and we ate in the stateroom rather than subject the other diners to our cranky little one. I REALLY wished we had stayed in WDW with her by the time all was said and done.

This is a very good post, and the reason we would never again consider a cruise for our kids unless they're at least 3.5 years old. Not only do the kids clubs have a minimum age, they also want them to be potty trained, which not all 3 YO's are, necessarily.

I'd change to a WDW vacation and save the cruise for a later year.

We're going to DL this year in Anaheim for a change of pace from WDW, then possibly taking the DCL next year, when our youngest DD will be about 3.5 or 4, and our oldest will be at least 7. We're pretty sure our youngest DD will be potty-trained well by then, and hopefully will be much less "clingy" than she is now at 2.5.

By contrast, 2 YO's usually have a terrific time in the parks. We've taken both our DD's in the parks when they were 1,2,3,4,5 and now 6 YO, and the period from about 2 YO to about 4 YO is when they're at their cutest in the parks, IMHO.

 

[dianeteso@yahoo.com]

I do NOT recommend the cruise. It is too difficuly to keep a 2 yr old entertained in such confined quarters. There really isn't much to do with young ones. My kids were not crazy for the kids club and honestly, neither was I. I have a 2 year old and a 4 year old and we have been cruising with our family( including grandparents) since my youngest is 10 months old. After last year's debacle we have declined my in-law's invitation and booked our trip to Disney. I hope I could help.

 

[lorrainesy]

Unless your boys really want to go to WDW I personally would do the cruise. I think with the disparity in your youngest and oldest ones ages that there would be too much down time at the parks. The cruise allows you to gear entertainment and activities to their different ages, and some one on one time with the your honey without feeling guilty.

I agree 100%

 

[eblack0409]

If it were me, I wouldn't take a 2 year old to the parks....I think a cruise would be best for her!

Have a great time!