What would we miss??

[mcgrawfan]

Hi!! I am a first time poster and DH and I will be first time crusiers in January. DH wants to stay at CR, but it is not included in Disney's Land and Sea package. What would we miss if we booked the land and sea portions seperate?? I love the extra touches Disney is famous for and I don't want to miss out on any because we didn't book the official package. Also which is best Poly or BC? We will be going to all the parks so location is of no importance to me. Thanks for the help!!!

 

[musicgirl]

Some people prefer to book their own land portion because it tends to be cheaper. I booked through Disney and had not thought to check on them separately.

One thing that I liked was that we checked into the hotel (land was 1st ) and then we didn't have to check in at the ship. We just got to walk right on. We arrived at about 1:30pm so there was no line to board.

You didn't mention how you are getting to port. If you are taking a towncar service (which I recommend anyway-just my opinion)
you won't have any problems.
If you do your transfers through DCL, you would have to take your things to a hotel that has pick ups or go to AK in the morning (you must notify them the night before) I'm not sure if they still do this with AK or not. Plus, you do not really have a choice as to the time you are picked up. I think the buses start to pick up around 11 from the hotels.

As I mentioned, I prefer the towncar service because you can get to port earlier and get reservations at palos and the spa. Plus, even though it's only a few hours difference, it gives you more time. We did the DCL buses the first time and a car service the second. We were more relaxed because we didn't feel like we had to rush.

Have fun!!

 

[floridaminnie]

Book them seperatly, esp since you want to stay at CR. Plus it WILL save you money. The only difference is that you'll have to check in at the port. Have the kids watch the cartoons while you check in. Save your money for the Spa or DCL's wonderful drinks.

 

[jrabbit]

If you book seperatly, and are staying at WDW BEFORE cruising, don't get the "length of stay" ticket at WDW. You really don't want to visit a park for a hour or two before heading out to the ship. This is where part of the savings comes in because with the Land/Sea package you are paying for park tickets for the day you are on the cruise!

WE actually want to be at the terminal by 11:00 am to get checked in and enjoy the terminal building, look at the model of the Magic and see the Disney characters. If you want Palo or Spa ressies, getting on the ship as early as possible gives you the best opportunity to sign up for the times you want. If you have children to sign up for the Oceaneers Club or Lab early on embarkation day is a good time to do that without a long wait. Then there is the buffet lunch with lots of yummy food (don't eat lunch Before arriving at the port - unless you are arriving around 3pm). After taking care of these details, you can start enjoying / exploring the ship and having a GREAT time.

 

[bigsky]

I just checked out our trip seperatly and it ended up being more. We're doing the land/sea pkg. We opted to do town car service instead of the Disney bus. You can have them stop at the grocery store for you and get food to take with you in WDW. This will save money!!
Then the day you go to the ship, you can get there earlier than you would if you had to take the bus.
Having a towncar was cheaper than Disney transportation too for us.

Just my thoughts..