LLMP is $20-35 a day per person and allows once per attraction except the single most popular ride. Even if you bought the single pass too it’s another $20. It’s not $500. |
Best part of the cruise is you don’t need to put much thought/effort into your plans. Book the cruise, book activities 90 days in advance, then forget about it. There’s lots to do on the ship, meals are good, lines are relatively short and pleasant, and so on.
At the parks either you’re glued to your phone 24/7 trying to maximize the use of Genie+/LL, or you’re spending most of the day in 60-90 minute lines. I still like the parks since our kids are young, but I’m not sure how we’ll handle it when the kids want to do the top rides. |
I don’t get why people keep comparing the cruise to the parks. They have nothing in common and are two completely different vacations. |
$20 pp for LLSP is $100 for a family of five (plus tax). There are five LLSP rides in the park =$500. That poster isn’t wrong. |
Correct. One is a trip while the other is a vacation. One requires a lot of energy and planning (prompting stress) while the other does not. But the reality is a lot of parents feel pressed to do the Disney thing for their kids, and the cruise is the more enjoyable version. You get to interact with the characters, see Disney shows, and have special Disney experiences without the crowds. Plus: everyone knows the restaurants at Disney World are pretty bad and it’s stressful trying to get a table. That’s not an issue on a cruise. PS - We aren’t Disney people. My kids didn’t even know the characters the first time we cruised. I just wanted to try a cruise on the hunch that it would be more relaxing since everything is so easy. |
There are 5 LLSP rides across the 4 parks (2 in MK). A 4-day ticket costs about $600/pp, plus about $60/pp each day for LLMP+SP. So figure about $2500 for tickets for a family of 4 and another 1k on LL use for a trip to all 4 parks. |
Book early dinner!!!!!!!! |
We have done the 4 night cruise 2 times 5 years apart. We had 3, 5, and 7 year olds the first time and they loved it! They loved the spray area of the pool and the huge slide ride.
They had an equally good time 5 years later. As previous posters mentioned, the private island was the highlight. They had a 5k run/walk on the island that was a lot of fun! They had a pirate night and fireworks so if your kids are into that, all of the kids dress up so bring some pirate hats or costumes! We had 4 generations with us! So many great memories. Our kids still talk about those cruises many years later. Have fun! |
Our teen DS loves Disney and we are considering a cruise for the first time. Does your son bring a friend or are there other teens he meets on board? |
Join the FB group for your specific cruise. It’s a great way for teens to connect before the cruise. Go to the teen club on the first day. That’s where all the kids meet and then they start hanging out around the ship. |
I have a young child with a life threatening allergy and Disney cruise is one of the first recommendations of our allergist and pediatrician. You have the same waitstaff for the whole trip, they are extremely thorough with each dish served at the entire table, but do it in a way that never seems to single the child out. The kids club staff is SUPER well trained (I was chatting with some of the lead counselors about their training) and, again, it’s seamless from the perspective of the child who is treated exactly like all the other children and never singled out or kept from doing activities.
When my kid is old enough to self manage her condition we may move on to other things but I will still consider Disney cruise the gold standard for treating kids well AND keeping them safe. |
Noro
quote=Anonymous]We don’t think we can do Disney World this year and are considering a Disney cruise instead. I’m not someone who cared for cruises pre-kids but I definitely see the appeal in some ways (meals, activities on site). I keep hearing that the Disney cruises are amazing but I don’t really understand why. Would love to hear specifics about what people have loved about them (and any tips). A couple of people have said that they liked that the kids club is included but we want to be with our kids (luckily they are still at an age where they feel the same) so that doesn’t hold much appeal for us. |
NP, but this is why I always choose cruising over the parks. I have no idea what I'm doing with the parks and no time or interest to do "planning" for it. Sounds like torture to me. Disney cruises are the ultimate in fun and relaxation. You plan nothing. Show up, unpack your suitcase, wander around the ship, or check your app onboard to see what's going on that day. Food is good, service is excellent, kids are in heaven. |