Recent parks visit left me craving a cruise

[sturner324]

...don't get me wrong, I love WDW. I love the rides and shows and general vibe. I miss the smells and music and atmosphere when I get home, but it is SO exhausting. After a week at WDW earlier this month, I realized that I may actually prefer cruising now.

We've only been on 3 cruises so far (all DCL), but my husband and I are addicted. There's just something special about it, and it took me by surprise how easily we fell for the lure of the open sea.

So where do you stand? Do you ever miss being on the ship when you're at WDW? Or miss the parks while cruising?

If you could only do one for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

Today, I think I'd pick cruising.

 

[noahsketomom]

We did 8 days at the parks last September. We booked a cruise in October for February 2017. Yeah, I think we are with you!

Honestly, as our groups "tour planner", I love the LACK of planning I have to do with the cruises! Everybody - from our four kids, my DH, my almost retired mom and my single sister - everybody has something to do on board. And you know what? I don't have to book a single ADR! No FP+ to secure, nothing! Just have to book flights and figure out excursions. Compared to all the planning I did for the 8 day trip last year, piece of cake!! And of course....my DH is a completely different person when his work can't reach him easily!!!

But in actuality, I'd take either of them ....anytime!

 

[GeneMachine]

I'm with you. We are huge fans of the Disney Cruise, but you won't catch me at WDW. The cruises aren't as crowded, and there is less structure to the day, even though the Navigator might suggest otherwise. At WDW, you've got to plan all your meals in advance and plan the fast passes and spend way too much time in line for other things. No, thanks. Cruising is way more relaxing.

DisneyLAND is a different story, of course. But I still would take a cruise over the any park!

 

[Donna M]

If you could only do one for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

Cruise, for sure! They are a very different type of vacation, enjoy both, but cruising is much more relaxing.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Any cruise any day, way more relaxing.

 

[mmouse37]

...don't get me wrong, I love WDW. I love the rides and shows and general vibe. I miss the smells and music and atmosphere when I get home, but it is SO exhausting. After a week at WDW earlier this month, I realized that I may actually prefer cruising now.

We've only been on 3 cruises so far (all DCL), but my husband and I are addicted. There's just something special about it, and it took me by surprise how easily we fell for lure of the open sea.

So where do you stand? Do you ever miss being on the ship when you're at WDW? Or miss the parks while cruising?

If you could only do one for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

Today, I think I'd pick cruising.

I used to love, love, love WDW. Went every year since '72, had our honeymoon at the Poly in '79 (when a lagoon view room was only $65.00 per night..I still have the receipt!), brought our kids every year after that. WDW was the be all, end all...until.....we sailed the Maiden Voyage of the Magic back on July 30, 1998. I was blown away and was caught hook, line and sinker!

I absolutely fell in love with DCL and will be going on our 35th in August with yet another generation (our 1 year old grandkids). I still have a strong emotional attachment to WDW and go whenever I can but if I had to choose between WDW and DCL I would pick DCL. We can still get the Disney fix we need but without exhausting ourselves. The longer the cruise the better!!! We are doing WDW before and after our upcoming cruise but I still like DCL better.

MJ

 

[darnheather]

Cruise with one day in the parks like we will October 2017! I can't stand the crowds and lines and my kids won't ride many rides.

 

[EllinK]

DCL. More relaxing and a better value.

 

[Sytrace]

Cruise

We live in Orlando, have AP's and stay onsite at Disney at least 2 times a year for a staycation. Our most recent stay was at the Yacht Club on June 3rd after a four night cruise on the Dream. We celebrated my husbands 50th all week.
The most exhausting part of planning this trip was getting ADR's (two) and Fast passes (we never even used them) We went to lunch at Nine Dragons on our last day and then went home to "relax"

The most relaxing part (after I unpacked of course) was being on the ship with the only thing to plan was whether we would eat in the MDR or at Cabanas. Or pool side. You see my dilemma.
Oh and which movie to see. And whether I would play bingo or not this time out. (not)
We were perfectly relaxed getting off the ship on Friday, but by Monday we were ready to go home. And we haven't been to a park since we got home either. lol

 

[dclpluto]

You are asking on the Disney cruise board so most answers here will be the cruise. If you asked on the Disney parks board most of the answers there will be wdw. I pick the cruise if I could only do one.

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

This year we got married on Castaway Cay with the Magic in late February, went to WDW with all of our wedding guests for 4 day immediately following that, and then went on our honeymoon to DLR a month later. Doing all 3 in such a short period of time gave me a lot of perspective as to which I prefer and I have to say I agree- I think I prefer cruising at this point in our lives! You're right- I positively adore the parks but for me I just fell so in love with DCL. We are currently planning my 3rd and my husband's second DCL cruise, and while I'm looking forward to our next WDW trip in 2017, I think I'm more excited for our 2018 cruise.

 

[hanscarlet]

as a kid I loved WDW but as a parent I am dreading it... we go the first time with our kids next year before we get on the dream and I am thinking it's overpriced but we'll see... we just prefer the cruises

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

I tend to want to go on the cruise as soon as we get home from WDW, and go to WDW as soon as we get off the cruise

Even though both are Disney, I find DCL and WDW to be totally different vacations and I have a hard time picking one. The only thing that is the same for me is the Disney service.

After being to WDW several times, we don't tour the parks every day. We may go for 8 days and only end up in the parks 4. We alternate with days at our resort hotel, or go to the parks for a morning only or evening only. We never do parks first or last day of our vacation. This makes WDW way more relaxing then going for a week and doing the parks every day.

This works for us because we tend to go every year. If you only go to WDW every few years or once in a lifetime type of trip, then you tour differently. You will come home tired

 

[cruisehopeful]

I've been enjoying the cruises much more than the parks (I go to Disneyland). Disneyland has been dirty and crowded my last few visits. It's still fun to go for a day or 2, but anything longer than that, I'd rather be on the cruise.

Honestly, as our groups "tour planner", I love the LACK of planning I have to do with the cruises!

This is the main reason why cruising is better than any other type of vacation for me.

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

...don't get me wrong, I love WDW. I love the rides and shows and general vibe. I miss the smells and music and atmosphere when I get home, but it is SO exhausting. After a week at WDW earlier this month, I realized that I may actually prefer cruising now.

We've only been on 3 cruises so far (all DCL), but my husband and I are addicted. There's just something special about it, and it took me by surprise how easily we fell for the lure of the open sea.

So where do you stand? Do you ever miss being on the ship when you're at WDW? Or miss the parks while cruising?

If you could only do one for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

Today, I think I'd pick cruising.

Only one question then.... when are you booking your next cruise?

 

[sturner324]

You are asking on the Disney cruise board so most answers here will be the cruise. If you asked on the Disney parks board most of the answers there will be wdw. I pick the cruise if I could only do one.

Haha, very true statement. I bounce between the cruise and parks boards, so I guess there may be a few others that do the same... but many (or most) here may be cruisers only.

 

[sturner324]

Only one question then.... when are you booking your next cruise?

Well, luckily we already booked the next one on our cruise last year. We weren't sure if we would keep it, but we always book onboard just incase. When we got home from WDW, we decided we could really use a cruise in 6 months, ha! So it'll be this December.

 

[DisneyMom111]

I guess I'll be the first to vote for WDW. We did our first ever cruise on the Dream in May. We had a really wonderful and relaxing time. But for us, we missed the parks. Most of the time it's just me and my now 15 year old son. So I could do adult areas alone, or he could do teen stuff alone, but there wasn't as much for us to do together as in the parks. We love the planning...fastpasses...ADRs...touring plans...all of it! I'll start planning 9 months in advance and I can't wait to start planning the next one! I would probably cruise again in the future because it really was an amazing trip, but for now I'm all about the parks.

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

Well, luckily we already booked the next one on our cruise last year. We weren't sure if we would keep it, but we always book onboard just incase. When we got home from WDW, we decided we could really use a cruise in 6 months, ha! So it'll be this December.

LUCKY!

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

I guess I'll be the first to vote for WDW. We did our first ever cruise on the Dream in May. We had a really wonderful and relaxing time. But for us, we missed the parks. Most of the time it's just me and my now 15 year old son. So I could do adult areas alone, or he could do teen stuff alone, but there wasn't as much for us to together do as in the parks. We love the planning...fastpasses...ADRs...touring plans...all of it! I'll start planning 9 months in advance and I can't wait to start planning the next one! I would probably cruise again in the future because it really was an amazing trip, but for now I'm all about the parks.

Not the first, we love WDW as much as DCL, maybe a little more because there is more variety overall.