We are having to skip any kind of vacation this year, even out typical weekend to Williamsburg, and we want to have an AMAZING vacation next year. My husband and I would like to take the kids on a Disney Cruise. Has anyone been? Can anyone suggest a good ship, travel destinations, month, how many nights, etc. Should we plan to do Disney World before or after? This is all in the VERY preliminary (and right now only wish list stages), but we'd like to start getting some information together. My husband is retired military, so I'm hoping that can get us some deals on the whole trip. Thanks! Oh, our kids will be 4, 6, and 8 at the time we go...if that makes a difference.
We went on a disney cruise when I was around 13. It was fun, and they have developed it a lot more since then. We all wished we went to Disney World first though. Then we could relax on the ship. We were tired at Disney World after the cruise. Better to do the high energy part first in my opinion. Have fun.
When we went, we did a package that was 3 0r 4 nights on the cruise and 3 0r 4 nights on land. We stopped at Bahamas and Disneys private island. then on land we did disney world, and epcot. I reccomend land first then cruise since the cruise is more relaxing. Also, with kids I would go for a shorter time on the ship. It was 10years ago when we did the disney cruise, I would check with a travel agent.
I will beinterested in your responses since I have a similar wishlist! My daughter and I are going to Williamsburg in a couple weeks. Can you share your favorite things to do? Thanks.
i haven't ever done a disney cruise, but was thinking about it a few years back and did a lot of research. the consensus seemed to be that disney does do a good cruise, but it's really really pricey. if you have the means to relax and let them take care of it all it's worth it, but you can put together your own package for a lot less if you're an organized and resourceful person (i'm the worst combo.....a disorganized cheapskate<G>.)
have fun!
:) khairete
S.
Check out the Disney Cruise board on CruiseCritic.com. It will be incredibly helpful in planning your trip. We used the site to gather information on a recent Alaskan cruise we took on Norwegian Cruise Lines. Really helpful people on those boards.
If you are not set on a Disney package deal, try the Armed Forces Vacation Club. They have Space-A deals like a whole week in Orlando for $299 or $399 in great condo-type rooms with pools, etc. and you can book a few months in advance. My govt. civilian supervisor does this all the time and raves over the accommodations. You could skip the cruise, or pair it with a 2 or 3 day cruise separately. www.afvclub.com
Hi R.! - 2 years ago, we did the Disney Land and Cruise package, and that was nice because you kind of had 2 vacations in one. We did Disney World first and then then the cruise. The cruise is great because the characters also are on the ship (for autographs and pics), very kid oriented, they have kids clubs for all ages of your children, so they can have a lot of fun and meet other kids. The pools on the ship were small though, that was probably my only complaint, and I'm assuming your 4 yr old is potty trained, but if not, they can't go in any pools, no swim diaper babies allowed - crazy!
Disney just had a promotional offer for the past 2 years (ended 31 July 2010), where military members, including reserve and retired, could get into the Disney parks for FREE and could purchase up to 5 tickets at GREATLYreduced prices - $100 for the week!! We took advantage of this the past 2 years - get a subscription to military.com to keep up with the latest promotions. AFVC, mentioned in an earlier post, has a great condo with its own waterpark located just off Disney property for $300 for the week. We went last year and it was the best and cheapest vacation we have ever taken. There have been many deals for military members, it is worth seeking them out. My husband was in the military for 24 years,so it is very rewarding to continue to be honored for their service.
