What makes Disney worth it?

[ofcabbagesandkings]

To echo what @disneyholicfamily said, on our cruise, our son was crying about some disappointment (I think he had missed out on a Spiderman story time in the kids club) and Cinderella happened to walk by. She stopped and asked him, "what's wrong, little prince?" and hugged him and cheered him right up. Another time, my youngest and I were out on the promenade and out walked Donald in his Alaska outfit. He stopped and took my little one's hand and danced around. Now of course, this was all pre-Covid, but these spontaneous one-on-one moments with characters are what the Disney parks used to promise but don't really offer anymore. As for drinks, we bought a wine package, which followed us to every restaurant including Palo. We're not really liquor drinkers so it suited us.

 

[jtntx34]

I know I already weighed in, but since we are talking about “worth,” I think it clearly depends on what you “value” most.

It will NOT be worth it if value for you is only a monetary idea. You will always be able to find equivalent sayings for less money, and no, the free soda Disney offers does not make up the difference.

Some things people value that makes Disney worth it to them:

Characters/Character Interactions
Disney theming
Disney movies onboard (including first run theatrical releases)
Disney merchandise (including Castaway Cay merch that can only be purchased on the island)
Rotational/themed dining
Disney theatrical shows
Family friendly environment/entertainment
Kids clubs (free except for Small World Nursery)
Free room service (before tips)
Free sodas (not cans)
Special magical touches
Seeing the kids dressed up
Fireworks at sea
Disney IP themed nights/themed cruises
Cleanliness
Cabin size/layout
Ship design/decor
(And this last one is just for me: the public restrooms are beautiful!)

If value the following MORE than what is listed above, Disney might not/will not be worth it for you:

Total price paid per person
Lots of pools/different pool decks
Variety of activities available (flow rider, rock climbing, indoor parks, roller coaster, bumper cars, etc)
Shows that are on ice or aqua theater
Theater shows that are NOT Disney themed
Night Life
Casino
Adult vs family entertainment options
Being off the ship vs staying onboard all day
Variety of itineraries
Dinner buffet
Variety in specialty dining
Cultural ambassadors/cultural activities (these are more varied and prevalent on other cruise lines)


Basically, if you LOVE Disney and a vacation is not a vacation without the mouse and the Disney touches just do it for you, definitely worth it.

If you are someone who likes a lot of variety and craves change, are not that deep into Disney, or just cannot afford or do not want to pay the up charge for Disney, then not worth it.

If you love Disney but also cost conscious, might be worth it once.

If you aren’t sure if you like cruising but know you like Disney, worth a try on a short cruise.

Basically, I find it worth it for me if I am looking for a Disney vacation that is easier to plan than the parks plus the perks of cruising (basically all-inclusive and being on the ocean) and I am not wanting to do a deeply port intensive itinerary.

But if I had to book more than one cabin or even more than two people, my frugality and financial reality would win out, and I would quickly be in the not worth it camp. Other cruise lines have much better pricing for 3rd and 4th people in staterooms. And their suite pricing is also often more reasonable than concierge on Disney. Disney is a great cruise line with an amazing product, but there are other lines that offer really great products too. Just know what you value and do some research on those specific things.

Hope we can all get back out on the high seas safely soon.

 

[eeg]

We have yet to try another cruise line because we are more about the Disney than the cruise, so for us the cruise is a way to get a Disney experience that is different from and less stressful than the parks (which we also love). There is a ton of sticker shock for the cruises but we've found they aren't really more expensive than the same period of time at the parks when all is said and done (tickets, food, etc.) -- you're just paying more costs up front. We're also not drinkers or gamblers, and we love Castaway Cay and the Disney shows and the themed spaces and restaurants. We are a large party so we always book the cheapest interior rooms and don't mind that at all (especially on the newer ships with the magical portholes).

That said, my kids aren't into the Kids Clubs (the clubs are amazing, my kids just don't like them) so I think in the near future we will give Royal Caribbean a try. I have heard that some of those ships have more to do for teens since my pre-teens are definitely not the types who are going to like the teens clubs on DCL (or any other line), and I think Castaway is geared towards younger kids as well and so ours are close to outgrowing it. I would not pay Disney premiums for an Alaska or European cruise that was more about the stops / scenery than the ship.

 

[bbel]

I love Disney and a I love cruising, but after working DCL and RCCL, I would never pay to go on DCL. Don't get me wrong, DCL is fancy but personally I don't think its worth the extra, and I drink a lot of soda lol.

If you pick the right ship on another line there is so much more that is included that you won't even notice that you haven't seen a mouse lol.

I've seen many more drunk, obnoxious and entitled people on DCL than RCCL, as in throwing up over the gate into the oceaneer lab drunk, so yeah, kids were very much exposed to that......

The casino is easily avoided on every ship I've worked on and on most you actively have to go and find them. (When I was on quantum class I only found in my last week of a 4 month contract it was so well hidden)

The DCL fans like to say other cruise lines nickel and dime you, but disney will also charge for almost everything other lines charge for, but apparently on DCL those are 'options' not nickel and diming.
You can absolutely cruise on other lines and not spend anything extra and not go hungry or thirsty and will still have so many activities to chose from.


I did used to think that nothing could beat castaway and then I went to (perfect day) Coco Cay.

Also, in my opinion of working multiple contracts on each line, RCCL look after and treat their crew much better.

 

[KashasMom]

By the time my daughter turned 7 she was outgrowing Disney cruises. She went in the kids’ club once, had a bad experience and would never go back. For me, the kids' clubs are about 40% of the value of a Disney cruise. She was also looking for more active activities. Disney has 2 small pools. We decided to try the Oasis of the Seas. We absolutely loved it. There were multiple pools, rock climbing wall, FlowRider, etc. There were so many areas of the ship that we rarely felt it was crowded. (We’ve actually felt more crowded on Disney Magic on Very Merrytime cruises.) Our next RC cruise – on the Allure - it was just my daughter and me. We were able to go together to the specialty dining restaurants (not able to on Disney). We got a great deal on the specialty restaurants (we would have gone regardless) and the food was so good. We also loved that there is a dinner buffet (not on Disney) for those 1 or 2 nights we’re just too tired to sit for a big meal. It was the perfect cruise. We’ve since been on the Harmony. We love everything the Oasis class ships have to offer including all of the family friendly entertainment (more than we go to on Disney).

There are some good things about Disney and the repositioning cruise from NY to San Juan is a good deal. There are a very few other good deals – you just have to find them. The food is okay – I think the quality has gone down. The dining rooms – at least main seating – are SO loud. Each cruise has 1 or 2 good shows and the others we stopped going to. My husband likes Disney cruises (he's into details), I only go for the characters (haha), and my daughter would rather be on RC.

It really depends on the experience you want. Most people who haven’t been on other cruise lines still think they’re all party ships – not true. Or that only Disney has the best food, best service, etc. - also not true. I disagree with those who say there is so much to do onboard. Other than the Very Merrytime cruises we don’t find that to be the case. To that, I would suggest you Google some of the Disney Navigators (daily paper) to see the activities. We actually like port days better than sea days and that’s another reason to cruise with other lines. Port intensive cruises are not a good deal on Disney. As far as service, it is usually good on Disney but we’ve had a couple of cruises where it was not. Pay the big premium for concierge though, and they’ll be all over you!

Hope you have a great cruise whatever you choose!

 

[disneyholic family]

I know I already weighed in, but since we are talking about “worth,” I think it clearly depends on what you “value” most.

It will NOT be worth it if value for you is only a monetary idea. You will always be able to find equivalent sayings for less money, and no, the free soda Disney offers does not make up the difference.

Some things people value that makes Disney worth it to them:

Characters/Character Interactions
Disney theming
Disney movies onboard (including first run theatrical releases)
Disney merchandise (including Castaway Cay merch that can only be purchased on the island)
Rotational/themed dining
Disney theatrical shows
Family friendly environment/entertainment
Kids clubs (free except for Small World Nursery)
Free room service (before tips)
Free sodas (not cans)
Special magical touches
Seeing the kids dressed up
Fireworks at sea
Disney IP themed nights/themed cruises
Cleanliness
Cabin size/layout
Ship design/decor
(And this last one is just for me: the public restrooms are beautiful!)

If value the following MORE than what is listed above, Disney might not/will not be worth it for you:

Total price paid per person
Lots of pools/different pool decks
Variety of activities available (flow rider, rock climbing, indoor parks, roller coaster, bumper cars, etc)
Shows that are on ice or aqua theater
Theater shows that are NOT Disney themed
Night Life
Casino
Adult vs family entertainment options
Being off the ship vs staying onboard all day
Variety of itineraries
Dinner buffet
Variety in specialty dining
Cultural ambassadors/cultural activities (these are more varied and prevalent on other cruise lines)


Basically, if you LOVE Disney and a vacation is not a vacation without the mouse and the Disney touches just do it for you, definitely worth it.

If you are someone who likes a lot of variety and craves change, are not that deep into Disney, or just cannot afford or do not want to pay the up charge for Disney, then not worth it.

If you love Disney but also cost conscious, might be worth it once.

If you aren’t sure if you like cruising but know you like Disney, worth a try on a short cruise.

Basically, I find it worth it for me if I am looking for a Disney vacation that is easier to plan than the parks plus the perks of cruising (basically all-inclusive and being on the ocean) and I am not wanting to do a deeply port intensive itinerary.

But if I had to book more than one cabin or even more than two people, my frugality and financial reality would win out, and I would quickly be in the not worth it camp. Other cruise lines have much better pricing for 3rd and 4th people in staterooms. And their suite pricing is also often more reasonable than concierge on Disney. Disney is a great cruise line with an amazing product, but there are other lines that offer really great products too. Just know what you value and do some research on those specific things.

Hope we can all get back out on the high seas safely soon.

i suppose it depends how you define 'adult' entertainment, but there's also adults only entertainment on disney.
On that 7 night disney magic cruise we were on, one of the cruise directors staff was specifically assigned to the adults - the position has a title, but i don't recall offhand..
probably adult entertainment LOL..
anyway, he was fantastic....there was something just for adults every evening that he ran..
also, the specialty acts on board had special adults only shows (not quite as G rated as you would expect on a disney ship)..
as for the regular evening entertainment, in addition to the 4 disney themed theater shows - which we absolutely adore, there were 4 specialty acts on board....
3 were in the evening, and one was a matinee performance......there was a magician, a juggler, and two others that i no longer recall, but they all were outstanding..

also, we're big trivia people, and as it happens, disney has lots of trivia contests throughout the cruise...
both family triva and adults only contests...
also, on the magic, there's the snuggly duckling overlay during the cruise..

anyway, we were very happy with the entertainment all week long, both during the day and in the evening..

.

 

[Capt_BJ]

We began cruising when we were young, pre-kids (we were still kids ourselves) ... getting BANG FOR THE BUCK was important but cruise ships were pretty simple in the 80's. As time went on we moved to more $$ cruises ...

Kids entered the equation and we still cruised - without the child - knew there was nothing for them and we moved on to Princess and Windstar. We wanted to take the kids but knew they would hate it and they were too young

Then came DCL and a cruise with the kids was ideal. We'd already graduated to cruises that were not bargain priced but even so you could do a DCL cruise for less than the equivalent days in the park in the early days.

cruising with pre-teens DCl was our choice and we did it annually for years.

Teenagers out grew Disney and Royal became a favorite because they had SO MUCH 'stuff' on the new ships. Mom and dad accepted the Royal vibe cuz the kids had so much fun. (Son still loved DCL tho and did a Med' for his honeymoon but spouse was also a Disney FREAK)

Kids are gone and we've moved on .... Viking River and Viking Ocean are current favorites and still love WINDSTAR ... yes they are $$ but so is Disney and frankly the service on these smaller ships puts Disney to shame altho it has bee some time since I sailed Disney but we go to the resorts routinely .. Grand Floridian annually for a conference.

SOOOOOOO

To us Disney was 'worth it' when the kids had the Disney bug ...... once the bug passed, spending the premium bucks <for us> means sailing 'small ship' with NO KIDS Viking is no kids ... period.

My two cents ... no change expected from my nickel

 

[DisneyConvert]

So much has been written, so accurate for DCL (although we have had only 2 experiences on RCCL, and both were disappointing), so I don't know about other lines. I would add:

+'s
DCL takes care of my wife's dietary allergies impeccably. We couldn't ask for better.
I like that everything runs on time and they are mindful of guests' schedules.
LLoyd Machado, one of the Hotel Directors . . . and all who are like him are G-d's of hospitality.

-'s
I with there was an "edgier" comedy alternative on Disney. Even their 10pm "adult" show in Fathoms/Waves/etc is PG at best.
I don't gamble or drink; so a bit of cutting-edge comedy is my one go-out-late-with-other-adults enjoyment.
Trivia and Disney song karaoke, even when MC'd by "Tony from Spain," gets old quickly.
Also, Disney's sports offerings are AWFUL. Maybe 2 ESPN channels so good luck following your baseball or college football/basketball team.

 

[dclpluto]

Characters, princesses the Disney shows.

 

[Cheburashka]

And this last one is just for me: the public restrooms are beautiful!

No! That isn't just for you lol. I love that, too. You just brought me right back to the ships by mentioning those lovely public bathrooms, especially on the Dream class. Oh, I do miss Disney cruising.

 

[Cheburashka]

Kids are gone and we've moved on .... Viking River and Viking Ocean are current favorites and still love WINDSTAR ... yes they are $$ but so is Disney and frankly the service on these smaller ships puts Disney to shame altho it has bee some time since I sailed Disney but we go to the resorts routinely .. Grand Floridian annually for a conference.

I enjoyed reading about your experiences but will mention just as an fyi that even club level deluxe resort Disney World customer service can't hold a candle to Disney Cruise Line customer service, and that goes for guests sailing in any category.

 

[Capt_BJ]

unless you have sailed 'small ship'

you have no reference to compare

I've sailed Disney .. and since I've stopped all I read is folks saying service goes down every year .....

small ship slam dunks Disney on service ....... the service I REMEMBER ... if it has sunk ......

pay premium .. subtract the mouse factor ... you get more service and amenities

wanna sail with kids ... your own or others underfoot ... DCL is for you

want SERVICE and maybe NO kids ......

case closed this unit . . .

 

[jane01jp]

What makes DCL worth it to me is the Disney music playing in so many of the places on board. I liked the bumper music from Song of the South that they used in the shows, but can't imagine that will survive any eventual resumption of DCL cruising.

 

[mevelandry]

It’s no secret DCL is a lot more expensive than other cruise line. In one case I found, one person on Disney costs as much as the total trip on Royal for a 2022 cruise to the Caribbean. Not counting a drink package on RC

Since a lot of y’all have more experience on DCL than I do, what makes Disney worth the extra money?

*EDITED... Stupid autocorrect!* As I tell everyone: the first one is going to be absolutely magical and worth the extra cost.

We have branched out of DCL at some point. I think Disney is worth the extra money as long as the experience is new/different... But that’s part of the reasons why we have branched out. We find much more variety on other cruise lines (different classes offering a different experience)...

On our third DCL cruise, everything started to feel like a repetition. Identical cabins, similar menus, similar shows (unlike some people, I don’t feel the need to see shows twice unless I absolutely LOVED it. I had a good time at certain DCL shows but I wouldn’t enjoy seeing them a second time). Limited activities for adults so we would have to repeat the same activities. Even Castaway Cay would have started feeling like a repetition if we had not been lucky enough to get a cabana on Serenity Bay the last time. The fact that we had tried Carnival between DCL cruise #2 and DCL #3 only reenforced the need to experience something different.

I think experiencing new Disney ships would feel more special, which is why —while my husband doesn’t want to sail with DCL again— I would absolutely love to try one of the new ships...

 

[mevelandry]

Yes there is definitely a lot of truth to this. There is only so much you can take from other people's experiences because they are not you and don't have the same likes/dislikes that you do.

I'd start out with itinerary I think. Are there certain places you want to go to? If you are wanting to sail somewhere that requires a 7+ night trip then Disney is going to be insanely priced vs the others.

I've only ever sailed Disney and Royal. I don't think I'd like Carnival because of what I've seen in several youtube videos it seems like more of a younger party vibe than the laid back trips we have on DCL but I really want to try the Mardi Gras when the prices come down.

Agree with the overall sentiment though that you should just pick one and try it. That's the only way you'll find out which line you like the best and which best suits your style.

Regarding Carnival, usually, the longer the cruise is, the quieter the crowd is. That being said, we have almost always been lucky. 4/5 Carnival cruises, people were well behaved.

I have met some obnoxious drunks on DCL as well so it impacted my views for sure.

We have booked Mardi Gras and prices were pretty reasonable for January 2022 (Off peak) ...

 

[mevelandry]

We do not cruise with kids. We've only cruised Disney. The impression I have of other other cruise lines from trip reports is that they are less expensive if you don't drink alcohol or soda, eat at the regular meals and everything is an extra cost from beverage packages to meal tiers. With Disney you know going in that everything is included, except drinks (although they have the beer mug thing), so I think it leads to a more relaxed stress-free vacation. We do tip for room service as well as add to the automatic gratuity.

Not really.

Outside of the free soda and rotational dining on DCL... Drinks and Dining are pretty similar on other cruise lines.

On DCL, you have Palo and Remy if you want signature dining. On other cruise likes, there is always a Steakhouse or a chic restaurant, and one italian restaurant... Which usually cost less than Remy and Palo would cost.

On DCL, you pay for your drink as well.

On other cruise lines, if you can drink 6 drinks a day (can be smoothies, specialty coffee or alcohol) you can buy a drink package and save money. That, you can’t do on DCL.

When you save 1000$ by sailing on another cruise line vs DCL, booking the soda package in advance is no big deal.

 

[bakerworld]

It sounds to me like you are pretty determined to not use DCL. I'd go with how you feel as I'm sure nothing on DCL is going to be worth the base charge difference. Me, I like to rock a base charge to the max, whether it be Disney or Hand & Stone. We have found every cruise we go on the crew gets better and we find more activities missed on previous cruises. Everyone is always talking about the beverage cost however the beverages on DCL or much less per item than on WDW property - they generally run $8 whereas at WDW a glass of wine runs $10 to $14.

One item I've always wanted to do on DCL and have yet to do so are the 3D movies, or any movie. I understand some of the movies are pre-first run. Some cruise we will do the ship tour, play bingo, enjoy brunch and last long enough to do the after 11p activities.

 

[mevelandry]

I enjoyed reading about your experiences but will mention just as an fyi that even club level deluxe resort Disney World customer service can't hold a candle to Disney Cruise Line customer service, and that goes for guests sailing in any category.

I respect your opinion (based on your experience) but my experience is so different... I could talk about Club Level from Grand Floridian, Yacht Club and Beach Club for days!

 

[Joe Brig]

Things that I think are probably worse on other cruise lines:

More smoking areas.
Drunk party people on the ship and in cabins.
Less safe for kids own their own.
Having to wait in line for a soda and having to pay and tip each time.

 

[Capt_BJ]

Things that I think are probably worse on other cruise lines:

More smoking areas.
Drunk party people on the ship and in cabins.
Less safe for kids own their own.
Having to wait in line for a soda and having to pay and tip each time.

Well let's compare to a 'quality small ship' like VIKING Ocean

More smoking area: NO, less
Drunk Party People: average age is over 50 ... we tend to be over that ....
Less safe for kids: NO, kids not allowed, adult only
Having to wait in line for soda and tip each time: Wine Beer Soda included with all meals, most cabins mini bar hold included ALREADY PAID FOR can soft drinks replenished daily (More $ cabin include booze also refilled daily) distilled still and sparkling water any time any place and in your cabin .... free bottled water when leaving the ship for a tour/excursion ... included shore excursion in every port . . . <upgrade to unlimited drink package $20 per person per day .... aka less than the cost of 2 drinks>