Shorten Disney time to break up trip home?

[WAMUMOF4]

Welcome to the boards I am also going to say option A if you want to relax on the way home could you do the cruise last instead, I realise you said you already have it booked. Our son has had his birthday the last 2 years in the USA and he celebrated in USA time we just went with what the calendar said it was easiest for us. Happy planning but if your anything like the rest of us on here one trip wont be enough and you will soon be plotting ways to get back and get your next fix

 

[WanderlustNZ]

... if you want to relax on the way home could you do the cruise last instead, I realise you said you already have it booked...

Hi there. Thanks for your response.
Doing the cruise on the 28th Sept was my initial plan as it seemed like a good way to relax near the end of our trip. However, being the obsessive planner that I am, I did lot's of research and decided that the cruise on the 21st would suit us a little bit better. 4 reasons. Firstly, it's an Easter Caribbean which appealed to me a tiny bit more than the Western. Secondly, we're big foodies and it means we'll be at WDW for the Food and Wine Festival, whereas, by going to WDW first, we wont. Thirdly (and it's probably wishful thinking) I'm ever hopeful that Orlando will be a tiny bit cooler the start of Oct as opposed to the end of Sept. And lastly, and probably most importantly, the type of ship cabin we really wanted was only still available on the earlier cruise.
On the flipside, I would prefer to do Universal at the end after the cruise instead of before it. By then my son will hopefully be a bit more used to theme park rides and will be brave enough to try some of Universal's slightly scarier ones. I don't want to put him on a scary Universal ride right at the start and then have him scared off rides for the whole holiday.
Am I right to assume you can't split your Disney package stays up with a cruise? i.e. 3 days Disney, cruise, 8 nights Disney? That way we could do Universal at the end.

Thanks again everyone for all your help and responses so far. To those who gave me advice on Disney birthdays, thanks heaps. I think that will be the edge that will sway us towards staying longer in Florida over Fiji.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

welcome!!! i think i too would go with option A - we are also planning a disneypalooza trip to the usa in sept 2013, going to disneyland, walt disney world, a disney cruise on the dream, and then stopping in at universal orlando.

Thanks for your help. That sounds like a great holiday and quite similar to ours except you're also going to Disneyland. My son is 'Cars' mad and Cars Land looks awesome (IMO much more exciting than the new WDW Fantasyland extension). Would love to get there too, but unfortunately it's just not possible this time around. Maybe next time....

 

[Melbourne5]

In 2011 our 5 turning 6 yo celebrated every day as the bookings had his birthday in. So every table service meal at wdw ( which was every night) he got a little cake and candle. He thought he was 'the man' . Out 13 turning 14 yo had his birthday over 2 days Aussie time at rainforest cafe, USA time at big thunder ranch at dlr. very cool!