Is Disney really worth the cost?

[pitterpattershoppe]

DH, DD and I are quickly becoming avid cruisers. A Disney cruise keeps seeping into our thoughts, but the cost is hard to justify when there are so many other cruise lines offering the same/similar itinerary for much less.

 

So, what makes Disney so special and worth the cost?

 

Thanks!

-pitterpattershoppe

[TOlson70]

Its hard to sum up in words, but I will say that when I leave a Disney Cruise I feel like unforgettable memories were created for the kids and the DW and I, and we all leave feeling very happy. The service levels and care we are given, plus the magic that I see from the kids (mine and others) while on board make me forget about the extra cost.

 

I have said it before, I would go on DCL even without my kids, I like them that much.

[Uri1961]

The looks on your childrens faces is woth every dollar. I always book over a year in advance and I get good rates.

 

There will be people who will tell you its not worth it, I am NOT one of them.

[teemsum]

It's the Disney experience at sea.

 

Disney shows, characters, good food, soda pop included.

 

DH & I went on Mexican Riviera 2 years ago & going to Alaska in May.

 

 

Cruisingly Yours

[LetsGoToDisney]

the quality, care & service & food are not even close on other lines. Every CM on the ship makes you feel like you're the only one they have to take care of.

The memories are magical too. Even for us grownups.

I still remember Mickey coming up behind me in an empty hallway, puting his arm around me & then running off while blowing me a kiss!

I know it's just a guy in a suit, but that was a great memory.

[Friend100]

This question comes up all the time. My short answer is that, cruising on other ships gives me a good cruising experience. Cruising on DCL gives me a memorable and entertaining experience.

 

Yes, DCL is expensive. You can get a balcony 7-nighter elsewhere for what you pay for an inside 4-nighter on DCL Dream. So the trick is to look for KSF deals, avoid the high season (ie., summer, holidays).

[jenwales]

I don't think Disney is so much better than other cruise lines.

 

Well, unless you are a Disney person. We are and cruise on DCL for that particular experience. If your kids are little, it will be magical for them. Disney service is great but where they really excel is in the details (just like at WDW).

 

We cruised on Carnival last year on a family cruise. You know, beforehand I complained and moaned about how horrible it was going to be and how much I'd rather be on DCL. How could anything compare to my beloved DCL?

 

Well, I was extremely pleasantly surprised. Carnival's service was every bit as good and their crew members every bit as helpful and friendly. We noticed absolutely no difference is service or cleanliness. Just as on DCL, there were people constantly cleaning, painting, buffing, etc. We thought the food was better on Carnival because Disney tries to hard to appeal to the younger kids whereas it seems that Carnival appeals more to adults. Shows were better on Disney (of course) but nightlife on DCL is pathetic compared to Carnival. Disney's cabins are much nicer and better laid out.

 

All told, because we are Disney geeks we will continue to sail DCL but we are expanding our horizons. I do not think Disney is worth double (or more) the fares of other cruiselines. That doesn't mean it isn't a wonderful experience.

[jashmom]

We just booked our first cruise on DCL yesterday. I have been told by several people that Disney may be expensive BUT worth every penny! I can't wait to see the looks on my children's faces when we arrive at the port to check in. Our whole family loves Disney. So, I know we will be making lots of magical memories on this vacation!

[cruise junky joan]

We have taken our children on 2 DCL cruises, one was a 4 day the other 7. If your children are under the age of say 12 or if they are small enough to still enjoy the disney characters then I would say it is ABSOLUTELY worth the money. The facilities are first class, the staff is just as helpful and gracious as those you meet at the park and the opertunities for character interaction goes up exponentially. You have to figure that at the park you are sharing the characters with 10,000 other kids, on the cruise there may be 1,500. I know this is still a lot but there are numerous chances to see the characters both on board and at Castaway Cay. One of my favorite cruise photos is of myself with Snow White Just a chance encounter but no one else was waiting for their turn with the photographer so why not?

If you don't think you can enjoy the trip because of the expense, don't go you'll be miserable. IF you are okay with the money, GO!

[Friend100]

I don't think Disney is so much better than other cruise lines.

Agree. I don't think it is a question of whether one is better or worse than the other. They are just different. There is a price for the Disney brand, and all the other feature as part of the DCL package (like Castaway Cay, firework, no casino, characters, Disney shows, Palo/Remy, Castaway Cay, and ... did I say enough how much I love CC!). It is up to the consumer to decide if the extra is worth it.

 

All told, because we are Disney geeks we will continue to sail DCL but we are expanding our horizons. I do not think Disney is worth double (or more) the fares of other cruiselines. That doesn't mean it isn't a wonderful experience.

 

Agree too. All things equal, I am willing to pay a bit more for a DCL cruise, and maybe slightly more than that for a brand new ship, just like people were willing to pay more for Oasis/Allure OTS for the premium (or perceived premium) product they get, but just not double the fares IMO.

[Lollipop's Mom]

For us it is the level of entertainment that we are willing to pay for. Broadway style shows at night, great gameshow stuff for the whole family, kids clubs are amazing, 3D movies, regular movies, and always something to do if you want to!

I found we got bored on other cruise lines- everything was gambling or drinking oriented or super cheesy! The nighttime entertainment was a joke -the shows were just cheesy and terrible.

 

I will be the first to admit the food on disney is not as good as we had on NCL, but we can only eat so much in a day, and as long as we are full we are happy. Other cruise lines have a much better buffet than DCL, but unless a buffet is going to make or break your trip, then go with DCL.

 

Also I don't feel nickeled and dimed on DCL - all soda is included!

 

Its well worth the $$ in my opinion!

[chipmaster]

If the "boat" is the destination than myabe worthwhile.

 

If the focus is ports and doing the best excursion which can be pricey and you can find a disney cruise win win but with serious bucks :eek:

 

I would love to cruise Disney but would never sacrific ports or port excursions.

 

Great kids clubs, little things like service, characters, mouse themed shows, and rotating dining rooms were special memories for me. As my kids get older I am more skeptical its worth the premium.

 

 

 

DH, DD and I are quickly becoming avid cruisers. A Disney cruise keeps seeping into our thoughts, but the cost is hard to justify when there are so many other cruise lines offering the same/similar itinerary for much less.

 

So, what makes Disney so special and worth the cost?

 

Thanks!

-pitterpattershoppe

[chipmaster]

Disney isn't cheesy? :D

 

Just kidding, they are enjoyable but worth the premium is debatable. I don't think your characterization of say HAL, NCL, Princess, RCCL as all about drinking and gambling. ALL YOU CAN DRINK SODA is 30 bucks +/- a little, not too bad.

 

For us it is the level of entertainment that we are willing to pay for. Broadway style shows at night' date=' great gameshow stuff for the whole family, kids clubs are amazing, 3D movies, regular movies, and always something to do if you want to!

I found we got bored on other cruise lines- everything was gambling or drinking oriented or super cheesy! The nighttime entertainment was a joke -the shows were just cheesy and terrible.

 

I will be the first to admit the food on disney is not as good as we had on NCL, but we can only eat so much in a day, and as long as we are full we are happy. Other cruise lines have a much better buffet than DCL, but unless a buffet is going to make or break your trip, then go with DCL.

 

Also I don't feel nickeled and dimed on DCL - all soda is included!

 

Its well worth the $$ in my opinion![/quote']

[scoutfinch72]

I do not think Disney is worth double (or more) the fares of other cruiselines. That doesn't mean it isn't a wonderful experience.

 

Thank you for sharing that! I've been researching that exact question. The Disney cruise we are looking at in October is more than 2x the cost of the Carnival Dream cruise that leaves the same day.

 

If the "boat" is the destination than myabe worthwhile.

 

If the focus is ports and doing the best excursion which can be pricey and you can find a disney cruise win win but with serious bucks :eek:

 

I would love to cruise Disney but would never sacrific ports or port excursions.

 

I appreciate this as well. If we took the Disney Cruise I mentioned above, I think we'd have to sacrifice some excursions because of the high cost of the cruise itself.

[2plus2]

Our very first cruise was a 4 day on Disney Wonder. We had a fantastic time. Well worth the money we paid. It really left us wanting more. Since then it has all been Carnival. We have had absolutely great times with Carnival as well. No complaints about either Line. But the Disney cruise, as I stated, left us wanting more. Soooo... We have decided that the Disney Fantasy in June 2012 would be our next DCL adventure. And I am sure we will continue to cruise on Carnival and other Lines as well. But we will always be able to throw a splash of Disney in there when the timing is right. "Try it...You'll Like it".;)

[alsotraveler]

For a family cruising experience, especially a family with younger children, I feel like Disney is worth a little extra money. I, for one, appreciate the fact that there is no casino and that there are very few instances of intoxicated adults around children. I'm not in any way suggesting that this is the norm on other cruise lines, I'm just addressing a specific area of interest to me and my family. (additionally, I've got nothing against casinos either, it just suits us better that there isn't one on the ship).

 

I feel like much of the value of the Disney cruise is the experience and memories we have for our family because the experience has been designed by Disney to appeal to families. The adult experience in and of itself is not "better" than on other lines, and some would argue that the night life can't be compared to another line - they just don't have the same offerings.

 

I still believe Disney moves people far better than any place in the world and any other cruise line in the world (with the exception of smaller luxury lines where crowds are just not the issue). In my opinion, their efficiency goes a long way towards keeping the experience a happy one for all - including small children who can easily get bored and cranky standing in lines. This may seem like a small thing.... but to me, it's huge. The cruise line's punctuality and ability to keep people from just sitting or standing around just makes for a more relaxing experience. I've said elsewhere, on a 3 dn 4 day cruise, I feel a bit differently - both the passengers and the cruise staff are hard-pressed to "fit it all in" and so there's more impatience evident amongst all onboard. Longer cruises, less of this kind of frustration.

 

For families with older, more self-sufficient children, other lines can equal the Disney committment to cleanliness, activity plan, etc. And if the "Disney experience" is or becomes irrelevent, then I'd say that the upcharge starts to not make much sense.

[pitterpattershoppe]

Thanks for the honest and very helpful responses!

 

I think we'll hold off for now and maybe try a Disney cruise in a few years. We are really into ports right now and not so much about the ship and the cruising just to cruise thing. We like a nice ship, but the ports of call draw us more than a particular ship, at the moment.

 

DD will be four in May but is pretty well-traveled for her age. We've never had a problem with her being bored anywhere so far.

 

Thanks again...see you all in a few years. LOL!! :D

 

-pitterpattershoppe

[Sunkissed Mommy]

I went on a tour of the new Disney Dream yesterday and just from those 2 and 1/2 hours onboard I can say that it appears to be worth it!

 

Cabins are very nice comapred to many many other ships I have toured and sailed on. The attention to detail is amazing. Disney is very tight on their product and won't let anything go wrong that is within their control.

 

I certainly think it is worth it!

[ETinCA]

Something else funny about the cost is that I spent less of our Disney cruises than I spent on my other travels on a ship. You tend to drink less booze because kids are there....soda is included. There is no gambling, so no losses there. The onboard shops are primarily Disney so you don't end up buying too much "other" stuff. I love all the shops we've been onswith all lines, but the Disney does leave quite the impression on a famly cruise. But as for costs, they tended to even out a bit by spending less.

[cruisequeen10]

we were excited when they announced that Disney was doing Alaska this year. As soon as the booking became available we booked (October 2009). It was approx $400 more per person, but it is cheaper in the long run, because we don't need the airfare as we live in Vancouver. With flying over to Florida to take the ship, we would be paying hundreds more as we would need airfare and hotel accommodation for a few days, to take advantage of WDW.

 

We are now 4 months until our cruise and our final payment was just made and are getting very excited. Am planning on finding disney shirts to wear when we board.

[trinaM]

Hi, I was reading your response. I have a question for you. What is a "KSF" deal? when you are talking about getting disney cruise "deals" thank you! :)

[trinaM]

Yes, DCL is expensive. You can get a balcony 7-nighter elsewhere for what you pay for an inside 4-nighter on DCL Dream. So the trick is to look for KSF deals, avoid the high season (ie., summer, holidays).

 

Hi, I was reading your response. I have a question for you. What is a "KSF" deal? when you are talking about getting disney cruise "deals" thank you!

[xcell]

KSF - I think it means kids sail for free

[Friend100]

Yes, DCL is expensive. You can get a balcony 7-nighter elsewhere for what you pay for an inside 4-nighter on DCL Dream. So the trick is to look for KSF deals, avoid the high season (ie., summer, holidays).

 

Hi, I was reading your response. I have a question for you. What is a "KSF" deal? when you are talking about getting disney cruise "deals" thank you!

 

KSF - kids sail free. DCL currently has KSF deal for certain Alaska cruise in May and early June. In the last 2 years, they had KSF for certain dates going MR, Bahamas and Caribbean.

 

For instance, here is a copy-and-paste of a promo DCL had back in September 2010:

Kids Sail Free On Select Caribbean Cruises Valid New Bookings Only - While Space Lasts

 

Magical News! Book a verandah stateroom and kids ages 17 and under, traveling with 2 full-fare Guests in the same stateroom, SAIL FREE* on most 7-night Caribbean cruises from Jan 8 – March 5, 2011 excluding Feb 19, 2011. Explore paradise on either an Eastern or Western Caribbean itinerary to beautiful islands famous for incredible shopping, amazing excursions, glittering blue waters and golden beaches. Combined with unparalleled Disney quality and service, one-of-a-kind entertainment, immersive experiences plus favorite Disney Characters, it’s a vacation experience that every member of the family will feel was created especially for them.

[scrapbags]

what is ksf deals? I'm sorry, I am new to the lingo so I'm just learning some of the abbrevations. Thanks!