WDW & Cruise Combo?

[Jawi]

As we will be making our first family trip to WDW sometime in roughly the next 6-12 months, we thought it would be fun to visit both WDW and add a short Disney cruise.

Will both need to be booked independently of one another or is there a way to book both though Disney as a package?

All the kids are elementary school or younger (3 year old) so while some activities will be fun they are primarily interested in character interaction.

Should the cruise be the first or second part of the trip?

Has anyone else successfully enjoyed both WDW and a cruise in the same trip? Can you offer any advice to plan and execute this trip?

Are there any ways to find good deal?

 

[EOD K9]

I sent you a DM.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I suggest the cruise last. It is very relaxing that sometimes going to the busy parks after a cruise is a little jarring.

 

[Tigger&Pooh]

You can book both parts together through DCL, however it's often better to do each part separately. That way you can take advantage of any promotions, plus the DCL app and the MDE app don't really "connect" well and it I often see reports of guests who struggle with getting MDE to recognize their DCL-book WDW package.

I also recommend the cruise last... but look at the schedules and see what fits. I also recommend at least a 4-night because 3-night cruises are so darn short that you barely get to know the ship before it ends. So that said, if you need to cruise first then parks, it's not like it will ruin your vacation.

 

[jme]

I would recommend utilizing a travel agency to book them together. They will be seperate "bookings" (ideally) for the best deals, but working with a Disney specialized agency will give you a single point of contact for either thing, and help you with any questions.

Having done a few "Land & Sea" vacations myself, I strongly echo @ajrwdwgirl in doing WDW first, and then relaxing with DCL afterwards. These two things are very different speeds, and sometimes I feel like I need a vacation after my WDW trips, which is exactly what DCL brings to the table!

I do recommend the DCL bus transfer from your WDW resort to the cruise terminal (assuming you are staying on property, and leaving out of Port Canaveral). It is extremely convenient, worry-free, and relatively inexpensive compared to a car service or using a rental.

There is a TON of character interaction available on the ships (and within the kids clubs), so they will have a great time with that aspect.

If you can afford it, I would also echo @Tigger&Pooh that the 3 night sailings can feel like they are ending just as they get started, so opting for a 4 night may be preferable. That being said, I understand school-aged children traveling two 2 different Disney vacations back to back can be exhausting, expensive, and time consuming. If you do end up with a 3 night - it will still be awesome! I've done several myself. So don't stress too much about making it work if it otherwise won't for whatever reason.

 

[DisAl]

Do the cruise last. If you do the cruise first WDW will seem like a county fair carnival compared to the cruise experience.

 

[HauntedPirate]

I will add my voice to the chorus that doing a cruise after WDW is absolutely the way to go. With smaller children, a 4-night cruise may be the perfect length for everyone. A 3-night could definitely feel too short, while a 5+ night could feel too long for your first cruise. And doing it after WDW is great, because you end your whole vacation (hopefully!) feeling relaxed and refreshed rather than rushed and exhausted.

When we sailed with our whole family of 6 for the first time, we did a 4-night. It felt like the right length of time - Not too short so that we didn't feel like we missed out on things, but not too long so that if we weren't enjoying things that we felt trapped.

 

[kendie_mac]

Parks first than Cruise. First, if you are flying in you’ll want to come a day or two early anyway in case of travel delays. But mostly, the parks are very active, busy days. We have the best time, but it’s exhausting. The cruise is more slow paced & relaxing. The perfect way to cap off the trip.