What's with all of the "adults only" stuff on the DISNEY cruises?

[ccourtney]

This will be the 3rd Disney cruise for DS and I. I arranged for his friend and his friend's mom to come on our November 2nd Fantasy cruise with us this year.....not so he has a friend on the ship, but so I have a friend on he ship! On our last 2 cruises my son had so much fun with his new friends at the clubs that I found myself alone most of the time! So, this time I am looking forward to having another adult to venture into the adult areas with!

 

[super mike b]

....that when you go into a situation with a negative outlook, and look for the bad you will surely find it. On the other hand if you roll with the punches, and not worry about the little things, every vacation is magical....

So true.

 

[TDC Nala]

Because Disney Cruise Line is aware that not all its customers are families with minor children. Plus the parents get something to do while the kids are in the club. A lot of families take advantage of the children's programming and the kids and parents are not together 24/7. I suppose it's easy to translate options meant for other groups as a lack of options for a certain group. But a cruise is not like a land based vacation and isn't meant to be.

Every once in awhile I see someone upset that they can't attend the nightclubs and bars after 9 pm or go to Palo/Remy or the spa with their young children. But not very often. If there was no demand for the adult areas, DCL would get rid of them.

Also don't get the attitude that if posters say "kids should not be in the adult areas" that they must dislike kids. It's a rule in these areas, 18 and up. If that rule isn't enforced, it's not an adult only area.

 

[Lexa]

No I was referring more to the "maybe it's not right for us" because it sounds like a lot of the kids activities involve us dropping them off... i just want to make sure there are enough family activities for people like us who like to stay together.

Don't forget that Kids Clubs have "Open House" hours where parents and kids can come into clubs together and do stuff as a family too.

I know my kids love clubs and can't wait to go there and we have hard time to get them out, but still I think you won't be disappointed in Disney Cruise even if you have your kids in tow all the time and can't go to the adults only areas. There is so many things to do.....

 

[Ccann]

I hope my question doesn't come off as being rude. I've never been on a Disney Cruise before... I just found it curious and I wanted to see the appeal for why adults would go. I know my kids don't want to be separated from us so the adults-only sections are something we probably won't even be able to see.

You have never been on a Disney Cruise, I am sure your kids will want to be separated from you once they visit Their Club.... I thought the same thing on my 1st Disney Cruise, my DD4 at the time wanted her club morning, afternoon and night. I had to drag her to lunch and dinner in order to see her. (She was attached as attached comes before sailing, the first day she didn't want us to leave her at first 10min into the club she came to us and said we can go now)

The ship is so big, you won't feel like you are missing out. Lots to do as a family or independently.

 

[tajz90]

You have never been on a Disney Cruise, I am sure your kids will want to be separated from you once they visit Their Club.... I thought the same thing on my 1st Disney Cruise, my DD4 at the time wanted her club morning, afternoon and night. I had to drag her to lunch and dinner in order to see her. (She was attached as attached comes before sailing, the first day she didn't want us to leave her at first 10min into the club she came to us and said we can go now)

The ship is so big, you won't feel like you are missing out. Lots to do as a family or independently.

We ended up having to FORCE our kids to join us for dinner. They had so much fun in the clubs and meeting new friends. I think it's a great step toward their independence.

I find myself in the adult only sections because I don't want to be around other peoples kids since ours won't stay with us. Haha.

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

I hope my question doesn't come off as being rude. I've never been on a Disney Cruise before... I just found it curious and I wanted to see the appeal for why adults would go. I know my kids don't want to be separated from us so the adults-only sections are something we probably won't even be able to see.

The adult only sections of the ship is such a small total of the public area of the ship that you will have no problem finding something to do with your children 24/7 while on the ship. Some of the adult areas on the ship are open to families until a certain time of the evening, then closed down for children under 18. And while the entertainment for families is great it is also fun to have some adult entertainment once in a while.

My wife and I enjoy spending some time without the noise of kids when our son is enjoying some time without parents.

You may find out that your children enjoy the kids club/s so much that they are fine without you for some of the cruise. On some occasions we had to drag our son out of them kicking and screaming (practicably) because he was having so much fun with the new friends he was making while on the cruise. There were some times where he did want to just hang out with mom and dad and of course that was great too.

Just because it's Disney doesn't mean it has to be all family all the time. If you ask our son now, seven years old on his first cruise; he would tell you DCL is at the top of his list of family vacation. He's been on three DCL trips with us. We did the 15 night Panama Canal cruise without him and have one planed this winter without him and if you ask him how he feels when we go without him he'll tell you he doesn't like it at all and he's now 20. Our next DCL vacation will be in 2014 and of course he'll be able to hang out with us 24/7, should he decide to do so!

 

[bumbershoot]

The adult only sections of the ship is such a small total of the public area of the ship that you will have no problem finding something to do with your children 24/7 while on the ship. Some of the adult areas on the ship are open to families until a certain time of the evening, then closed down for children under 18. And while the entertainment for families is great it is also fun to have some adult entertainment once in a while.
/QUOTE]



After someone mentioned children being made to feel like lepers in a different thread, I asked my 8 year old if he felt bad that there were sections of the ship he could not enjoy. He said no, because almost all of the ship was open to him so it was no big deal.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I don't get it... I'm going with my KIDS on a DISNEY cruise... why are there so many adult sections and restaurants on the ship? My kids want to spend the whole time with us and I feel like it cuts off part of the boat for us...

Am I the only one who is confused by this? If you want adults-only why don't you go on a Royal Caribbean cruise?

Ethan

Rest assured, you will find plenty to do with your kids onboard.

But I think the answer to your question has to do with Walt's original vision, that started with the parks, and later extended to the Disney Cruise Line:

We believed in our idea - a family park where parents and children could have fun- together.
Walt Disney

DCL provides an experience that parents and children can enjoy however they choose. There is something for everyone.

While you and your children may choose to spend every minute together on the cruise, many adults like to have *some* time alone without children around. And DCL gives those adults who enjoy their time alone a quality experience.

 

[cyclenut]

Rest assured, you will find plenty to do with your kids onboard.

But I think the answer to your question has to do with Walt's original vision, that started with the parks, and later extended to the Disney Cruise Line:

We believed in our idea - a family park where parents and children could have fun- together.
Walt Disney

DCL provides an experience that parents and children can enjoy however they choose. There is something for everyone.

While you and your children may choose to spend every minute together on the cruise, many adults like to have *some* time alone without children around. And DCL gives those adults who enjoy their time alone a quality experience.

I read this entire thread in complete astonishment that nobody had brought up Walt's original vision. We are like the OP in that we enjoy our vacations as a family unit. Our kids are all older now but a big reason why we enjoyed Disney parks is because they were all built around Walt's vision. Everyplace you would go, both kids and adults could enjoy together. We were surprised when we boarded the Wonder for our first Disney cruise. Not only was there adult only areas, but there were significant portions of the ship set aside for kids only. It was a bit of a shock and very different than the parks.

That said,I would like to encourage the OP to give DCL a try. I suspect you will find it all very well worth your money. There is so much to do as a family on board and on shore excursions that you won't feel as though you are missing out.

With the Disney brand being about families, the only way they could attract all types of families was to emphasize in their marketing the existence of adult only areas. There will be many more young children on a Disney cruise than on other lines. As such, they have a greater need for this emphasis.

 

[Presley]

Ethanwa, before I took a cruise, I wondered the same thing. All the ads I saw for the Dream showed the adults only areas and I thought I'd never set foot in any of them. I thought it sounded rude to take kids on a cruise ship, leave them in their age group and go off into the adults only area.

When we got on the Dream, we saw that it wasn't really like that. At night, we did walk through all the adult clubs to see what they were like, but they were all either empty or close to empty, with the exception of a magic show. During the day, there were more adults in the pool bar area, but still a lot less than anywhere else on the ship. My husband and I took our food there a couple times to be able to eat in quiet, but I would have stayed in the noisy part if my son would have joined us. He enjoyed Vibe and preferred to hang out there.

There are tons of things to do for the entire family throughout the day and evening. You could easily never spend any time at all in the adults only areas.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

My kids are older now (13 and 10), but they have been cruising DCL and other lines since they were 7 and 4. They have never enjoyed the kids' clubs very much, and we generally spend the vacation together. On our Dream cruise last month, DH and I enjoyed the adult-only area for about an hour while our DDs got pedicures at the Teen Spa - it was the first time we have done any adult-only things on a cruise (except cruises we took before the kids were born). We enjoy our time with them on vacation, and we still enjoy time together by the pool while the kids are swimming or riding the aquaduck.

There are tons of things to do together. You can use the clubs as a family during open house times, go swimming, see the shows, play mini-golf (on the newer ships), ride the aquaduck together (newer ships), see characters, explore the ship, do the Midship Detective Agency (newer ships), and explore the ports. We have always had a great time with our kids on the ships.

I agree with this.
Our boys are now 16 & 12.75. When they were younger they'd go to the club for an hour or 2 but mostly just liked all of us being together. I tried not to push them into the club but it's there if they want it. There is still plenty of activities for kids & parents to enjoy together.


OP, I understand with your child having special needs you may be hesitant to offer the kids club areas to him. I would at least go there with him the 1st day and see if he enjoys it. With this being your first cruise, just test the waters. It may take some time to get comfortable with the ship. Now that we have 13 DCL cruises under our belts and our kids are older, they know the ship like it's their backyard and dump us before the safety drill.
If your kids do go to the clubs and you find yourselves with some alone time with both kids in kid-only areas, trust me, you won't likely be hanging out at the Mickey pool.
Whether they go to the kids clubs or not, you will still have an amazing time. I would not so quickly jump to the conclusion that cruising is not for your family until you try it.

 

[MariaTia]

Well, I am sorry, but I do feel like this was somewhat rude. I do NOT have kids and I am a Disney Cruise Line Platinum Member - which means I have been on more than 10 Disney cruises. I love Disney World, Adventures By Disney and Disney Cruise Line! I love the wonderful service, and feel like no one does it better than Disney, so why bother! I went on my honeymoon to WDW and go back several times a year, WITHOUT KIDS! This makes me so upset who feel like Disney is just for Children - it is so NOT! Wonderful restaurants and hotels, cruise ships included! I very much appreciate the fact that Disney is for everyone and they recognize that! I just got back last month from DCL with my mom, and aunt and uncle (all 60+) and they loved it! My best friend also agrees and she has children - Disney World and Disney Cruise Line is so much more fun without the kids! That is why we have 8 adults going on a Disney Cruise in May and she is leaving the kids at home! To enjoy the Adults Only area on the ship! I could also say that Deck 5 and the Mickey Pool is a waste of my money, but I am glad it is there for those with kids to enjoy - just not me! Also, I have cruised on Carnival and it was terrible - without designated kid areas, the kids went all over the ship and in the adult areas - pools, bar district, everywhere! With Disney, they keep the kids out of the adult areas, so we can enjoy that! It is best to have different areas IMO. Plus, sometimes I wonder if it is just too much on kids on WDW and DCL trips, they get so overly tired. I wouldn't really consider taking children to either until they were about 10 so they could really enjoy it all.

Also, I love Serenity Bay too!! No other cruise line can compare to that!

 

[ThePedersonFamily]

To the OP:

If you give the kids club a shot you may find your children LOVE them!! Mine do!! If they don't I think you will find multitudes of things to do as a family!

We have cruised 3 time on DCL...4th coming up in May!!! Our first time we had a six month old and a 5 year old. Our second the girls were 2 and 7 and finally the 3rd they were 4 and 9. The first 2 cruises where we had our baby with us 24/7 we never had trouble keeping busy and we certainly never felt slighted that we could not go into the adults only areas! Now once our girls could both be in the kids club we did partake in the adults only areas and quite enjoyed them!!

All in all we loved the cruise experience both ways!!

I think the reason that this thread has gotten so heated is because as parents we seem to be hardest on ourselves. I'm not going to lie when I first read your post I immediately bristled because I felt like less of a parent. When we go on vacation as a family my husband an I relish our time alone. My husband is in the military and travels a lot, I am a SAHM who spends my free time volunteering in my daughters' school. As most military families we don't have any family near by so babysitting by Grandparents simply isn't a reality for us. On the Disney cruise DH and I get a rare opportunity to spend some QT together and refresh our relationship. Do I feel guilty sometimes?? Yes, and that is why I felt the way I did when I first read your post. After spending some time reading through the responses I have come to the realization that I am certain you are a great parent with a strong family and instead of comparing myself and my completely different life to yours I need to be more secure in the fact that I am also the best parent I can be and give myself a break!!

You enjoy yourselves the best way for your family and we will do the same!! It's a big boat suited for all different types of families!!!

 

[tryin]

LOL, my daughter can't wait to be separated from me; she would forgo meals/sleep/pool for the kids clubs if I would let her.

so true! I didn't think my 3yr old would stay in the club, but she did and didn't look back. I felt neglectful after my kids had been in the club for 5 straight hours, went to pick them up and they both, separately, told me to come back in a couple of hours because they were involved in some game or activity. So, I was forced to be alone because my kids were neglecting ME.

 

[indychristine]

My husband and I go on our 6th disney cruise, sans kids, on March 9th. 3 of our last cruises we brought my parents. No kids. I will bring my grand kids at some point too.
We do not want to sail RCCL. At least not this time or the last 5 times. Will we in the future? Maybe. But why? When we are so happy with DCL?
One reason we sail on DCL is because of the level of service and quality of the line. And we do not mind kids....
But I thought Disney is for everyone even those young at heart. We are DVC members too!
Love Disney!

 

[WDW Princess 71]

Well, I am sorry, but I do feel like this was somewhat rude. I do NOT have kids and I am a Disney Cruise Line Platinum Member - which means I have been on more than 10 Disney cruises. I love Disney World, Adventures By Disney and Disney Cruise Line! I love the wonderful service, and feel like no one does it better than Disney, so why bother! I went on my honeymoon to WDW and go back several times a year, WITHOUT KIDS! This makes me so upset who feel like Disney is just for Children - it is so NOT! Wonderful restaurants and hotels, cruise ships included! I very much appreciate the fact that Disney is for everyone and they recognize that! I just got back last month from DCL with my mom, and aunt and uncle (all 60+) and they loved it! My best friend also agrees and she has children - Disney World and Disney Cruise Line is so much more fun without the kids! That is why we have 8 adults going on a Disney Cruise in May and she is leaving the kids at home! To enjoy the Adults Only area on the ship! I could also say that Deck 5 and the Mickey Pool is a waste of my money, but I am glad it is there for those with kids to enjoy - just not me! Also, I have cruised on Carnival and it was terrible - without designated kid areas, the kids went all over the ship and in the adult areas - pools, bar district, everywhere! With Disney, they keep the kids out of the adult areas, so we can enjoy that! It is best to have different areas IMO. Plus, sometimes I wonder if it is just too much on kids on WDW and DCL trips, they get so overly tired. I wouldn't really consider taking children to either until they were about 10 so they could really enjoy it all.

Also, I love Serenity Bay too!! No other cruise line can compare to that!

I couldn't agree more! I only read the beginning of the thread because the title was so intriguing and I was shocked reading the initial post. I have been on 7 DCL cruises as an adult, cruising only with other adults- and 2 of them I was travelling solo. I LOVE Disney for all the reasons you said- the service, quality, restaurants, theming, and the magic of it all. I love the characters and the stories and everything in between. I can't imagine feeling like I shouldn't like Disney, or want to travel to WDW or on a Disney cruise just because I don't have kids! Like I said I didn't read the whole thread so I can only hope maybe things "softened up" a bit with explaining the perspectives better, but I have to say that I did feel quite bothered reading this at first. You are saying it so well here-- the example of saying we could say the Mickey pool and deck 5 are a waste, but I agree we don't say that because those are for the kids and I am happy for them that they get to enjoy their space! I only wish I was young enough when I first sailed to enjoy those areas! I have always tried to go through life being happy for others- even if its not your cup of tea. I don't see why anyone would question why travelling on Disney is weird or somehow wrong if you aren't in their main market of a mom, dad, and 2.5 kids. I know I'll never been in Disney's main target market but I always appreciate that they do make an effort at tailoring things like WDW signature restaurants, Serenity Bay, Quiet Cove, Palo/Remy, etc to my market group.

 

[MikeAndNick]

Everyone else is giving their opinions so I guess I will add mine. If you are spending 100% of the time with your kids you are doing them a disservice. Let them be kids and enjoy the Kids Only areas with other kids of their age.

Also most of the Adult only areas are open to kids in the day and only closed to them at night.

 

[tryin]

LOL, my daughter can't wait to be separated from me; she would forgo meals/sleep/pool for the kids clubs if I would let her.

so true! I didn't think my 3yr old would stay in the club, but she did and didn't look back. I felt neglectful after my kids had been in the club for 5 straight hours, went to pick them up and they both, separately, told me to come back in a couple of hours because they were involved in some game or activity. So, I was forced to be alone because my kids were neglecting ME.

 

[MikeAndNick]

So, I was forced to be alone because my kids were neglecting ME.

I have been cruising for 8 years with my son and every cruise I have been neglected like you