Cruise vs WDW advice please!

[BigTxEars]

So.....we had POR reserved next Sept with a free dining bounce back offer from our trip this Sept. Found out when we got home from WDW last week that my sons basic training graduation (USAF) date next year is smack dab in the middle of the week we had our 2012 trip in :ROFLOL:

So I cancelled the reservation (could not move the week due to my and my wife's schedule around that time next year) and was planning on going in Oct 2012.

Now with Disney sailing out of Galveston next year (about 1.5 hrs from my doorstep) and being able to drive there vs flying to Orlando it is about the same price to cruise as it would be to go to WDW itself. Not exactly but close enough ($300-$400) not to really be a factor.

The question I have as a cruise virgin ( well except for those lovely USN ships I got to sail aboard in the Marines :ROFLOL I do not know if a cruise will fit my family. I mean I know we like the parks and those keep the kids (only kids are 10yr old boy& 14yr old girl next trip with the oldest gone to the service) happy. But will a cruise? I am just not sure. I know the wife and I will be fine reading and relaxing, not so much the kids. They need to be active

Any input? I have read the info from Disney but what would could kids those ages really do all day? The cruises from Galveston do not go to Castaway Just at sea and Mexico. I believe it is aboard the Disney Magic if that helps.

Any and all replies would be great! Help me decide what to do next year, WDW or Disney cruise. :sohappy:

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Hi BigTxEars! Congrats to your son! Thank you both for your service!

I can say absolutely your kids could love it. My kids have been on several cruises starting from about the age 8 and 10. Now they are 16 and 13 and I think our cruise this summer was their favorite one.

My 16 year old spent so much time in the teen club this time. He made tons of friends. They had so many fun activities. He has kept in touch with several of them since the cruise.

I don't think either one of them was ever bored. With the pools, the movies, the pizza on the top deck, and on and on, the ship kept them very entertained.

The ports are as exciting or relaxing as you want to make them. Even without Castaway Cay, they are stopping at sone great places!

Also, the cruise prices include so much that you may find you will actually come out ahead price wise.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Hello! We're maybe 1.5 hours from Galveston, too! We live in Port Arthur (not the scary part...it's more like Nederland...just incorporated). Where are y'all???

We just got back from our first ever cruise, a 3-day on the Dream. We've always been die-hard WDW parks people. I never thought a cruise could interest me in the least. I'm not at all a beachy girl. Neither are my boys (15 & 13 yros). I swear I never woulda pegged us for cruisers. But, lo-n-behold, we are in love with Disney cruising! There's so much to do all day every day. I felt like our little 3-day wasn't near enough. I felt like I didn't get the chance to do a tenth of the stuff I wanted to get to. The kids had a blast. We didn't see much of them, actually. The oldest joined us for some meals in the restaurants at lunch but the youngest was on the go. We had to lay it down to him that he could NOT skip dinners to go do his thing. Dinners had to be with the family. The shows, the activities, the clubs, the movies, the shows, the dinners, etc. etc.....your teens will never be bored and neither will you. Take highlighters in different colors for everyone in the family and send someone down to get extra copies of the navigator every day. There's just so much! Yes, we were on the Dream which is 40% bigger than the Magic but I don't think that detracts from the classic ships. The old man and I think the smaller ships might have an advantage in their smaller size. The Dream was huge and just when we were getting the lay of the ship it was time to get off. I can't recommend the cruises enough. Seriously. We rebooked 3 additional cruises while we were onboard. Yeah, it's THAT awesome!

Oh! And just to warn you, you might miss your kids after a while. Our 13 yro didn't come in until 2:45 a.m. the last night onboard. When I questioned him he said, "Well, the Vibe closed at 1 so we all left & went to D-Lounge. They closed at 2 & made us leave so we all went up to deck 11 to hang out but I didn't stay long because I got tired." Ya think?!?! :lookaroun:lol: But when you think about it, where else would you allow your 13 yro to hang out until 3 a.m.? He had his Wave phone so we were able to check in. It was all good.

***edit***
Just thought I'd add that driving to Port Canaveral isn't so terrible. We drove from our house to just outside WDW in Clermont which took about 11 hours. We're planning to drive to PC next year, too, but we'll likely split it up somehow so we don't go into the cruise after a full 11 hour drive.

 

[BigTxEars]

Hello! We're maybe 1.5 hours from Galveston, too! We live in Port Arthur (not the scary part...it's more like Nederland...just incorporated). Where are y'all???

We just got back from our first ever cruise, a 3-day on the Dream. We've always been die-hard WDW parks people. I never thought a cruise could interest me in the least. I'm not at all a beachy girl. Neither are my boys (15 & 13 yros). I swear I never woulda pegged us for cruisers. But, lo-n-behold, we are in love with Disney cruising! There's so much to do all day every day. I felt like our little 3-day wasn't near enough. I felt like I didn't get the chance to do a tenth of the stuff I wanted to get to. The kids had a blast. We didn't see much of them, actually. The oldest joined us for some meals in the restaurants at lunch but the youngest was on the go. We had to lay it down to him that he could NOT skip dinners to go do his thing. Dinners had to be with the family. The shows, the activities, the clubs, the movies, the shows, the dinners, etc. etc.....your teens will never be bored and neither will you. Take highlighters in different colors for everyone in the family and send someone down to get extra copies of the navigator every day. There's just so much! Yes, we were on the Dream which is 40% bigger than the Magic but I don't think that detracts from the classic ships. The old man and I think the smaller ships might have an advantage in their smaller size. The Dream was huge and just when we were getting the lay of the ship it was time to get off. I can't recommend the cruises enough. Seriously. We rebooked 3 additional cruises while we were onboard. Yeah, it's THAT awesome!

Oh! And just to warn you, you might miss your kids after a while. Our 13 yro didn't come in until 2:45 a.m. the last night onboard. When I questioned him he said, "Well, the Vibe closed at 1 so we all left & went to D-Lounge. They closed at 2 & made us leave so we all went up to deck 11 to hang out but I didn't stay long because I got tired." Ya think?!?! :lookaroun:lol: But when you think about it, where else would you allow your 13 yro to hang out until 3 a.m.? He had his Wave phone so we were able to check in. It was all good.

We are is West Columbia, a nice little town of 4500 folks about 60 miles south-south west of Houston. Near Lake Jackson, Bay City and Angleton. We are on the intersection of State Hwy 35 and State Hwy 36.

First Capital Of Texas we are!

Great info! I am not a beach person at all either :ROFLOL: Great to hear the feedback, it was exactly what I was looking for. I would love to cruise on the Dream but the Magic will be fine for a first time cruise.

I was leaning towards the cruise if no other reason than it will be at sea on the 27th of October, my daughter's 15th B-Day We just celebrated our son's 9th B-Day Sept 13th of this year at NSSHP at MK

Your description is enough to seal the deal and swing me over to a cruise next year. Thanks! :sohappy:

I would think Carnival is a great company as well, but if I am not going to WDW then I am going on a Disney cruise. I will get my fill of the mouse next year

 

[sweetpee_1993]

It sounds awful but I'm not so gung-ho on the WDW parks anymore. Now I like to seek out new and interesting Disney experiences for us. The cruising is a huge score for me. Next I'd like to explore other Disney parks starting with California and moving onto other countries. Don't get me wrong, I love WDW dearly. I just want to try new stuff. Having Disney infused is perfect.

Yeah, we know where you are. DH's uncle used to live in Clute then Lake Jackson but he moved up to Waller several years back. We're like 15 minutes out of Beaumont. Port Arthur isn't very big. None of the little 'Golden Triangle' towns are. The city limits lines make no sense to me. It's weird.

We looked at the Galveston sailings, too. The ports don't really interest us so much. DH is a huge aviation buff so the Eastern Caribbean with a stop at St. Marteen is like a mega-dream for him. That's the one we most recently booked...Sept 22, 2012 on the Fantasy. Woot! :sohappy: Part of our decision in booking that was also that the layout of the Fantasty will be extremely similar to the Dream which is the ship we figured our way around. We're hoping it'll still be easy to find our bearings. LOL! I think y'all will have a blast. It's Disney but different. It's not the parks, it's a cruise with just as much to do with all the magic in there. The kids will have tons to do as will you! Trust me. I'm sure you'll just looooove it! :wave:

I will say that being new to cruising and all the best decision I made when jumping in was using a travel agent that knew Disney and Disney's cruising well. Having that resource was a huge help and comfort. I felt like I had half a clue when we got there. LOL! That said, I highly hiiiiighly recommend Tammy with KK (disneyfalcon) if you're interested in trying a TA. She rocks my socks off daily!

 

[BigTxEars]

Hi BigTxEars! Congrats to your son! Thank you both for your service!

I can say absolutely your kids could love it. My kids have been on several cruises starting from about the age 8 and 10. Now they are 16 and 13 and I think our cruise this summer was their favorite one.

My 16 year old spent so much time in the teen club this time. He made tons of friends. They had so many fun activities. He has kept in touch with several of them since the cruise.

I don't think either one of them was ever bored. With the pools, the movies, the pizza on the top deck, and on and on, the ship kept them very entertained.

The ports are as exciting or relaxing as you want to make them. Even without Castaway Cay, they are stopping at sone great places!

Also, the cruise prices include so much that you may find you will actually come out ahead price wise.

Thanks! I am so happy and proud of him going into the service

I am really really leaning towards the cruise, in fact I am about to fall over I am leaning over so much

I will keep you updated!

 

[BigTxEars]

It sounds awful but I'm not so gung-ho on the WDW parks anymore. Now I like to seek out new and interesting Disney experiences for us. The cruising is a huge score for me. Next I'd like to explore other Disney parks starting with California and moving onto other countries. Don't get me wrong, I love WDW dearly. I just want to try new stuff. Having Disney infused is perfect.

Yeah, we know where you are. DH's uncle used to live in Clute then Lake Jackson but he moved up to Waller several years back. We're like 15 minutes out of Beaumont. Port Arthur isn't very big. None of the little 'Golden Triangle' towns are. The city limits lines make no sense to me. It's weird.

We looked at the Galveston sailings, too. The ports don't really interest us so much. DH is a huge aviation buff so the Eastern Caribbean with a stop at St. Marteen is like a mega-dream for him. That's the one we most recently booked...Sept 22, 2012 on the Fantasy. Woot! :sohappy: Part of our decision in booking that was also that the layout of the Fantasty will be extremely similar to the Dream which is the ship we figured our way around. We're hoping it'll still be easy to find our bearings. LOL! I think y'all will have a blast. It's Disney but different. It's not the parks, it's a cruise with just as much to do with all the magic in there. The kids will have tons to do as will you! Trust me. I'm sure you'll just looooove it! :wave:

I will say that being new to cruising and all the best decision I made when jumping in was using a travel agent that knew Disney and Disney's cruising well. Having that resource was a huge help and comfort. I felt like I had half a clue when we got there. LOL! That said, I highly hiiiiighly recommend Tammy with KK (disneyfalcon) if you're interested in trying a TA. She rocks my socks off daily!

Awesome, I know where Clute is exactly.

Yeah I am ready for something new as well. Heck truth is I will miss POR next year more than the parks themselves. Well except NSSHP and Hallowishes maybe!

The cruise sounds exactly what we are looking for, Disney with something new :sohappy:

I will keep you updated on what we do

 

[BigTxEars]

Well...........................



"Reservation Confirmation

Congratulations! You've successfully booked your cruise. Your confirmation number(s) and vacation details are shown below.

Visit the Planning Center now to make a payment to your cruise vacation. Return to the Planning Center on or after August 6, 2012 to fill out necessary forms and check in online. Return on or after August 6, 2012 to book Port Adventures, make reservations at Palo and more.
Planning Center

The Disney Cruise Line daily activities guide detailing all there is to see and do will arrive at your stateroom daily.

Cruise Summary

7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise on Disney Magic - Itinerary C
$3,423.16
View Cruise Details Sail Date
October 20, 2012
Ship
Disney Magic
Ports
At Sea, At Sea, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Costa Maya, Mexico, Cozumel, Mexico, At Sea "

Now I have gone and done it! :ROFLOL:

You all talked me into it, maybe Disney should give you a little commission of some sort.

Thanks all again, any cruise pointers will be great to hear!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Congratulations!! You'll have so much fun!

 

[janoimagine]

So.....we had POR reserved next Sept with a free dining bounce back offer from our trip this Sept. Found out when we got home from WDW last week that my sons basic training graduation (USAF) date next year is smack dab in the middle of the week we had our 2012 trip in :ROFLOL:

So I cancelled the reservation (could not move the week due to my and my wife's schedule around that time next year) and was planning on going in Oct 2012.

Now with Disney sailing out of Galveston next year (about 1.5 hrs from my doorstep) and being able to drive there vs flying to Orlando it is about the same price to cruise as it would be to go to WDW itself. Not exactly but close enough ($300-$400) not to really be a factor.

The question I have as a cruise virgin ( well except for those lovely USN ships I got to sail aboard in the Marines :ROFLOL I do not know if a cruise will fit my family. I mean I know we like the parks and those keep the kids (only kids are 10yr old boy& 14yr old girl next trip with the oldest gone to the service) happy. But will a cruise? I am just not sure. I know the wife and I will be fine reading and relaxing, not so much the kids. They need to be active

Any input? I have read the info from Disney but what would could kids those ages really do all day? The cruises from Galveston do not go to Castaway Just at sea and Mexico. I believe it is aboard the Disney Magic if that helps.

Any and all replies would be great! Help me decide what to do next year, WDW or Disney cruise. :sohappy:

I recently did the 3 night Carribean Cruise on the Dream, followed by 7 Nights at the parks for our honeymoon. I can say hands down if I could have stayed on that ship I would have. Now understand I love the parks, I have gone every year since I was 5, and was very concerned about being bored with nothing to do on a boat for 3 days.

There was so much to do on the ship we were never bored, I am 37, my wife is 34. I would hands down recommend doing the cruise over the parks any day of the week, the level of customer service on the ships is Old School Disney ... I wish the parks still had this level of dedication by its staff, it truly was unreal.

I travel a lot for my job, have stayed at many top hotels on the east and west coast, the staff on the Dream was so far above anything I have ever experienced, it was incredible.
Do yourself and your family a favor and give it a shot ... my only decision for next year is whether to do a 4 or 7 day cruise, and skip the parks altogether.



EDIT: Just saw you booked it ... Congrats, you will love it.

 

[adam111]

If you have never been on cruise go with it + kids will love it!

 

[mickeysshoes]

We took our first crusie with kids on the Dream this past August. We loved it. Our first night at was pretty rought thanks to whats her name..the hurricane in August but it got better quick. We also are not beach people and we had a really good time. I wanted to do a Christmas Crusie out of LA next year but DH said I would not be happy if not in the parks. So now we are planning for Alaska on 2013 (first vacation with NO KIDS :sohappy Enjoy the ship and the time on it...you will no be sorry!

 

[tiaragirl]

You definitely won't regret a Disney Cruise! It's not the same as the parks, obviously, but it's got the same atmosphere and you definitely have as much fun.

94 days until ours, I'm dying to make it!