Whirlwind! we went to WDW / DL / DCL (Wish) / Aulani / ABD (SoCal) this year: AMA!

[WaDiWo]

Hi all!!

First of all, I realize I was *extremely* fortunate and so thankful that the fates aligned and my family got this awesome opportunity to visit most of the major Disney “products” in the US.
(Combination of gifts from generous family, deferrals from prior plans, and new vacations).

This gives us the unique opportunity to compare and contrast, and answer any specific questions as we experienced them in a short period of time.

Specifically we went to:

1. Walt Disney World (1 separate trip and one combined with a cruise. Included one day of WDW VIP tour)

2. Disneyland CA

3. Adventures by Disney Southern california and DL above

4. Aulani

5. Disney Cruise Line — The Wish

Again we were extremely lucky that things worked out this way, and we don’t take it for granted. So thankful to my family!
But please we would be happy to answer any questions about the experience, the resorts, food, etc.!

 

[cgattis]

Could you give us a very subjective opinion on which of those you think was the best value for the price? All very different experiences, I know.

Also, I’d be curious to hear that same opinion of comparative value between WDW and DL right now, with things like park res and Genie in the mix.

 

[WaDiWo]

Could you give us a very subjective opinion on which of those you think was the best value for the price? All very different experiences, I know.

Also, I’d be curious to hear that same opinion of comparative value between WDW and DL right now, with things like park res and Genie in the mix.

I *loved* them all, but the simplest answer is the Disney Cruise Line gives me the best value for the money. Why? They are the best in what ai love about Disney:

1. Service - DCL is second to none. Seriously what Disney-level service is meant to be. Over and above any other disney product in my opinion. Aulani service comes very very close though.

2. Family- something absolutely for everyone, kids to adults. I’ve been with 5 year old to teenagers to adults to grandparents. All had something to do and something to enjoy.

3. Food/restaurants, entertainment, attractions. — Ok, so the theme parks of course have the rides, but the quality of the shows and entertainment on the cruise (plus awesome food) puts it over the top for me.

… WDW vs DL?? tough one. WDW has a lot of personal memories and experiences so i’m biased in favoring that BUT wow, DL packs it all in a smaller space that’s easier to get around. Value wise DL!

 

[cgattis]

I *loved* them all, but the simplest answer is the Disney Cruise Line gives me the best value for the money. Why? They are the best in what ai love about Disney:

1. Service - DCL is second to none. Seriously what Disney-level service is meant to be. Over and above any other disney product in my opinion. Aulani service comes very very close though.

2. Family- something absolutely for everyone, kids to adults. I’ve been with 5 year old to teenagers to adults to grandparents. All had something to do and something to enjoy.

3. Food/restaurants, entertainment, attractions. — Ok, so the theme parks of course have the rides, but the quality of the shows and entertainment on the cruise (plus awesome food) puts it over the top for me.

… WDW vs DL?? tough one. WDW has a lot of personal memories and experiences so i’m biased in favoring that BUT wow, DL packs it all in a smaller space that’s easier to get around. Value wise DL!

Not too surprising; I think many feel the same way. I find value in all the products too, but price is starting to push me out.

I’ve been to both WDW and DL. What I was trying to ask is right NOW, with all them *ahem* changes at WDW, which did you feel gave you the most bang for your buck in terms of being able to experience the park to the extent you want without a lot of extra hassle or money. Would you still say DL? (Again that wouldn’t surprise me; just making sure I’m not leading the witness LOL)

Glad you were able to have such an amazing time. With travel these days, it’s great that with that many trips you didn’t have any major snafus. My friend had a similar “big year” of Disney travel and it sounded awesome too!

 

[WaDiWo]

Not too surprising; I think many feel the same way. I find value in all the products too, but price is starting to push me out.

I’ve been to both WDW and DL. What I was trying to ask is right NOW, with all them *ahem* changes at WDW, which did you feel gave you the most bang for your buck in terms of being able to experience the park to the extent you want without a lot of extra hassle or money. Would you still say DL? (Again that wouldn’t surprise me; just making sure I’m not leading the witness LOL)

Glad you were able to have such an amazing time. With travel these days, it’s great that with that many trips you didn’t have any major snafus. My friend had a similar “big year” of Disney travel and it sounded awesome too!

great point, I can go on and on about Genie+ ahem. But bottom line most bang for your buck for . would be DL. tons of attractions? check. NO travel time between parks and resorts? check. Great food and restaurants? check.