Land and Sea first timer questions

[montyz81]

Thinking about doing a LandSea trip in April 2018. First time going on any cruise let alone a Disney cruise. I could use some advice. How many days is best for the Sea part of the trip (ie: which cruise route is best)? Should it be Land Sea or Sea Land? We are planning on staying in a room with a veranda. What part of the boat is best? Which floor is best? If Sea then Land, will it take all day to transition? Is there a chance for a some park time during that day? What time do the boats typically get into port and how long does it take to get from the boat to being on the road on the Magical Express? How long does the Magical Express take? Do they take care of getting my luggage to the resort from the boat or vice versa?

 

[becca_]

Did a Disney Cruise/WDW land/sea in 2007 or 2008... Land first, sea second. I personally think a 4-5 day cruise is long enough to do the things you want to do - not sure if I could do a week on a boat. I think land first sea second is a better idea (speaking from my experience) so you can hit the parks and tire yourself out enough to relax on the cruise after if that is your style. Can't remember the rest of the details you asked about and they could have possibly changed since I've gone so hopefully someone else can answer. I do remember it being the best cruise I have ever taken and would definitely go on another. Good luck!

 

[belledream]

I agree with Land first, then Sea. It's nice to be able to just relax on the ship after spending a good number of days engulfed in park craziness! We had a verandah on the Dream on Deck 6, midship. Perfect location, close to the elevators, and I didn't feel it was too noisy. On the Disney Magic, we were Deck 2, forward. Definitely felt the waves more here!

We had a night's stay outside of WDW in between our land then sea, so I can't say how the transition works, but I do believe you have to pay for the Magical Express transportation for cruise purposes.

 

[jaklgreen]

Well we do sea first then land. We eat a lot on the cruise and it is nice to have several days at the park to walk it off. LOL We have several Disney cruises under our belt and go on the 7 night(if it is in the budget)and then 5-6 days at WDW(or if we do a shorter cruise then we stay longer at WDW). We like to fly in the day before the cruise, stay at the Hyatt at the airport and then get to the cruise terminal early. On the day that you get off of the ship, they kick you off pretty early(around 7-8am) so you will get to WDW very early and have a full day at the parks if you want. You can buy bus transfers from Disney(they only call it magical express from the airport to WDW). They fill up pretty fast and are on their way to the resorts. It takes about an hour to get from the port to WDW. You will take your bags with you to the bus. If you go to WDW before the cruise and buy Disney transfers, you will take your bags to the bus and then the next time you see them will be outside your room on the ship. They take everyone's bags and scan them. You can bring a carry on. As far as what part of the boat is best, everyone has their own opinion. We usually stay aft(the back of the ship). We like the convenience of being close to the restaurants and the pool. We usually stay on decks 5-8.

 

[Minnie Mum]

You don't say if you're a couple or a family. We have always preferred to do the WDW portion first, then rest and relax on the cruise afterwards. Your cruise choices out of Port Canaveral are limited. IMO the 3/4 day cruises to the Bahamas are just too short, and in April it can be cool. Certainly too cold to swim in the ocean that time of year. That leaves either the 1 week eastern or western Caribbean sailings. Of these, we prefer the ports on the eastern sailing, YMMV.

Cabin location-' preferences vary. If you're prone to motion sickness, midships and a lower deck will have the least motion.

Transfers from WDW to PC - you can book the DCL transfer, or you can rent a car at WDW and drop it off at the rental agency's PC lot. They all have a shuttle to the cruise terminal. This will be the least expensive option for families.

 

[montyz81]

You don't say if you're a couple or a family. We have always preferred to do the WDW portion first, then rest and relax on the cruise afterwards. Your cruise choices out of Port Canaveral are limited. IMO the 3/4 day cruises to the Bahamas are just too short, and in April it can be cool. Certainly too cold to swim in the ocean that time of year. That leaves either the 1 week eastern or western Caribbean sailings. Of these, we prefer the ports on the eastern sailing, YMMV.

Cabin location-' preferences vary. If you're prone to motion sickness, midships and a lower deck will have the least motion.

Transfers from WDW to PC - you can book the DCL transfer, or you can rent a car at WDW and drop it off at the rental agency's PC lot. They all have a shuttle to the cruise terminal. This will be the least expensive option for families.

Sorry, Family of 4. I will have a 16 year old boy and 7 year old girl.