Anonymous
Post 02/04/2025 17:04     Subject: Please explain what you liked about your Disney Cruise
We aren’t cruise people but did three Disney cruises when DD was between 4 and 8. It was just so easy- she loved the kids clubs. We loved the private island. As others have said, it feels safe- we didn’t see drunk adults, there’s no gambling, everyone else had kids. There was a lot to do- movies, shows, activities. I will say we got bored on the 3rd cruise during port stops since we no longer got off- and realized lots of others didn’t either, so the pools were crowded and there weren’t many activities.
We far prefer the smaller ships- so much easier to get around and so much less crowded. Also we learned to skip one dinner and do something quicker- 2-hour dinners for a bit old.
Do not do a 3-day. Way too short.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2025 14:14     Subject: Please explain what you liked about your Disney Cruise
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We did not enjoy our Disney cruise- my kids were actually excited about kids' club, but they just watched movies / played video games there so my kids didn't want to go anymore. (They are the kinds of kids who love camps, activities, etc. and thought they would be doing art and making things and playing games.) There were also character meet and greets, which is a draw for some, but my girls were not interested in those. They are more ride/activity kind of people. Also, note that children cannot use the pool with a swim diaper. Even in the pool, they would have a big movie screen, and the kids were just bobbing up and down watching movies - they weren't swimming and playing.

We went for spring break to bahamas and castaway cay and the weather was too cold (obviously not Disney's fault) to want to swim, and there wasn't much programming outside of that. Again, there were a lot of movies. We love the parks and enjoyed a cheaper cruise in Alaska- but we did not like feel like we got our money's worth with the Disney cruise at all. The food was not better than on the cheaper cruise either.


OP here. This is interesting. Do you remember which Disney cruise line you used?


What do you mean by which Disney Cruise Line you used? Do you mean which Disney ship?


Yes I meant ship.


We were on the Disney Dream and really liked it. It’s smaller than the newest class of Disney ships so the private island was less crowded. That said, if we go on a Disney Cruise again we’d like to try the Wish/Treasure just to see the bells and whistles of the newest ship class.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2025 13:48     Subject: Please explain what you liked about your Disney Cruise
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We did not enjoy our Disney cruise- my kids were actually excited about kids' club, but they just watched movies / played video games there so my kids didn't want to go anymore. (They are the kinds of kids who love camps, activities, etc. and thought they would be doing art and making things and playing games.) There were also character meet and greets, which is a draw for some, but my girls were not interested in those. They are more ride/activity kind of people. Also, note that children cannot use the pool with a swim diaper. Even in the pool, they would have a big movie screen, and the kids were just bobbing up and down watching movies - they weren't swimming and playing.

We went for spring break to bahamas and castaway cay and the weather was too cold (obviously not Disney's fault) to want to swim, and there wasn't much programming outside of that. Again, there were a lot of movies. We love the parks and enjoyed a cheaper cruise in Alaska- but we did not like feel like we got our money's worth with the Disney cruise at all. The food was not better than on the cheaper cruise either.


OP here. This is interesting. Do you remember which Disney cruise line you used?


What do you mean by which Disney Cruise Line you used? Do you mean which Disney ship?


Yes I meant ship.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2025 12:49     Subject: Please explain what you liked about your Disney Cruise
Anonymous wrote:Also, just wanted to add that this input has all been very helpful! None of us drink so I was trying to get a sense if the adult appeal is more around having adult alone time (we aren’t prioritizing this) or nightlife (not our interest) but it seems like the entertainment and private island are genuinely great and the kids club is a bonus if we want to try it out. Thanks!

Is a 3-night cruise fine or is 4 better? I assumed 4 would get a little repetitive but seems like I could be mistaken.


Of course a 3 night cruise is cheaper than a week at the parks in a monorail hotel. In a per day basis the cruises are usually more, especially the shorter ones.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2025 12:28     Subject: Please explain what you liked about your Disney Cruise
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Confused how you can’t do Disneyworld but can do a cruise. If it’s a price issue, the cruise will be way more.


I am not the OP but my family prefers the cruises to the parks. Parks can be fun, but they are exhausting - especially if your kids are young. We joked that our children thought all of the characters only lived on the cruise ship because they are so much easier to see - vs. wasting an hour or so in line at a park in the hot sun. It feels like a more relaxing vacation with a sprinkle of disney magic , which made everyone in our family happy with the trip.


But OP said “can’t.” Not, “don’t want to.”

I imagine the “can’t” as “I can’t spend another summer pushing that stroller in 100° heat and 90° humidity.”

Like, I’m sorry, I just can’t.


OP here. Yes this is basically it. I wasn’t thinking so deeply about the language I used. We are also going with another family and if we were doing Disney World, we all may want to do a longer trip to visit Universal/ Harry Potter world (which will be more fun when the younger ones are a bit older and also into HP) and I don’t think we can do a longer trip this year. But yes, the logistics / convenience / comfort pieces are key.

I did speak to a Disney travel agent who said that the cruises (total cost) are cheaper than the park (staying at one of the 3 hotels that are adjacent to the park, so I’m curious about why you said the park is definitely cheaper?


The 3 adjacent hotels to MK are the most expensive options possible. And if you are looking at shorter cruises of 3-4 nights off season, I imagine it’ll be cheaper or the same as the parks. But longer cruises at peak prices get crazy expensive crazy quick.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2025 11:50     Subject: Re:Please explain what you liked about your Disney Cruise
Disney cruises offer something for everyone. Kid's only activities, family activities and adult-only activities. We went on 3 when my kids were younger and they were all excellent. So easy and so relaxing. Lots of fun Disney touches and easy interactions with all the characters. No one does theming like Disney. When they aged out of Princesses and weren't into Star Wars or Marvel we moved on to other lines and vacations. My kids loved the kid's club and enjoyed all the activities. I wouldn't be so dismissive of the kid's club. That's part of the experience and what you're paying for.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2025 11:44     Subject: Please explain what you liked about your Disney Cruise
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We did not enjoy our Disney cruise- my kids were actually excited about kids' club, but they just watched movies / played video games there so my kids didn't want to go anymore. (They are the kinds of kids who love camps, activities, etc. and thought they would be doing art and making things and playing games.) There were also character meet and greets, which is a draw for some, but my girls were not interested in those. They are more ride/activity kind of people. Also, note that children cannot use the pool with a swim diaper. Even in the pool, they would have a big movie screen, and the kids were just bobbing up and down watching movies - they weren't swimming and playing.

We went for spring break to bahamas and castaway cay and the weather was too cold (obviously not Disney's fault) to want to swim, and there wasn't much programming outside of that. Again, there were a lot of movies. We love the parks and enjoyed a cheaper cruise in Alaska- but we did not like feel like we got our money's worth with the Disney cruise at all. The food was not better than on the cheaper cruise either.


OP here. This is interesting. Do you remember which Disney cruise line you used?


What do you mean by which Disney Cruise Line you used? Do you mean which Disney ship?
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2025 11:28     Subject: Please explain what you liked about your Disney Cruise
We've been on several Disney Cruises and had great experiences. I'll add that the kids club experience is more than just child care. They have some really great activities and the characters sometimes make appearances as part of them. I'll never forget how excited my then 4 year old as when he learned to "fly" with Peter Pan. Characters come and read stories and have dance parties. Our kid had a blast. even as a tween, he loved the club.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2025 11:24     Subject: Re:Please explain what you liked about your Disney Cruise
Anonymous wrote:We did Disney Cruise and went with concierge level, which was amazing.
Loved the kids club - our kids did lots of activities there not just watching movies, but drawing, crafts games, etc.
Lots of fun family experience that everyone can enjoy.
Also some fun adult only activities like wine tasting.

We also enjoyed Castaway Cay

Super well organized, clean, etc -all the usual reasons people love Disney.


OP here. Interesting that your experience was quite a bit different than another PP! Do you remember which cruise line you booked? I’m not familiar with the levels— I think I vaguely remember discussing that with the agent.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2025 11:23     Subject: Please explain what you liked about your Disney Cruise
Anonymous wrote:We did not enjoy our Disney cruise- my kids were actually excited about kids' club, but they just watched movies / played video games there so my kids didn't want to go anymore. (They are the kinds of kids who love camps, activities, etc. and thought they would be doing art and making things and playing games.) There were also character meet and greets, which is a draw for some, but my girls were not interested in those. They are more ride/activity kind of people. Also, note that children cannot use the pool with a swim diaper. Even in the pool, they would have a big movie screen, and the kids were just bobbing up and down watching movies - they weren't swimming and playing.

We went for spring break to bahamas and castaway cay and the weather was too cold (obviously not Disney's fault) to want to swim, and there wasn't much programming outside of that. Again, there were a lot of movies. We love the parks and enjoyed a cheaper cruise in Alaska- but we did not like feel like we got our money's worth with the Disney cruise at all. The food was not better than on the cheaper cruise either.


OP here. This is interesting. Do you remember which Disney cruise line you used?
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2025 11:18     Subject: Re:Please explain what you liked about your Disney Cruise
We did Disney Cruise and went with concierge level, which was amazing.
Loved the kids club - our kids did lots of activities there not just watching movies, but drawing, crafts games, etc.
Lots of fun family experience that everyone can enjoy.
Also some fun adult only activities like wine tasting.

We also enjoyed Castaway Cay

Super well organized, clean, etc -all the usual reasons people love Disney.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2025 10:43     Subject: Please explain what you liked about your Disney Cruise
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Confused how you can’t do Disneyworld but can do a cruise. If it’s a price issue, the cruise will be way more.


I am not the OP but my family prefers the cruises to the parks. Parks can be fun, but they are exhausting - especially if your kids are young. We joked that our children thought all of the characters only lived on the cruise ship because they are so much easier to see - vs. wasting an hour or so in line at a park in the hot sun. It feels like a more relaxing vacation with a sprinkle of disney magic , which made everyone in our family happy with the trip.


But OP said “can’t.” Not, “don’t want to.”

I imagine the “can’t” as “I can’t spend another summer pushing that stroller in 100° heat and 90° humidity.”

Like, I’m sorry, I just can’t.


OP here. Yes this is basically it. I wasn’t thinking so deeply about the language I used. We are also going with another family and if we were doing Disney World, we all may want to do a longer trip to visit Universal/ Harry Potter world (which will be more fun when the younger ones are a bit older and also into HP) and I don’t think we can do a longer trip this year. But yes, the logistics / convenience / comfort pieces are key.

I did speak to a Disney travel agent who said that the cruises (total cost) are cheaper than the park (staying at one of the 3 hotels that are adjacent to the park, so I’m curious about why you said the park is definitely cheaper?

OP, we did Disney last year and are doing a cruise this year. We spent THOUSANDS more at Disney at we only stayed at a moderate. This comparison is only on the cost of hotel, park admission, and food, not alcohol or souvenirs, vs the price of the cruise (which includes food) and hotel the night before.

We (family of 3) did five nights at Coronado Springs, four theme park days. Our cruise will be 4-nights with a night tacked on beforehand.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2025 10:29     Subject: Re:Please explain what you liked about your Disney Cruise
The food poisoning and/or the airborne virus I'm bound to catch floating in a giant Petri dish in close contact with thousands of my closest friends.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2025 10:26     Subject: Please explain what you liked about your Disney Cruise
Anonymous wrote:Also, just wanted to add that this input has all been very helpful! None of us drink so I was trying to get a sense if the adult appeal is more around having adult alone time (we aren’t prioritizing this) or nightlife (not our interest) but it seems like the entertainment and private island are genuinely great and the kids club is a bonus if we want to try it out. Thanks!

Is a 3-night cruise fine or is 4 better? I assumed 4 would get a little repetitive but seems like I could be mistaken.


We’ve done a few 3 night Disney cruises and I think they feel a bit rushed, but we still had a blast. Next time we would like at least a 4 night cruise. We love them for the family friendly atmosphere, the entertainment, the private islands, and overall experience/quality of service.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2025 09:57     Subject: Please explain what you liked about your Disney Cruise
Also castaway cay