a lil help from my (CC) friends

[iupalum]

so my son turned 5 this past sept. i've been wanting to expose him to the magic of disney. trying to decide whether to take him on a disney cruise or take him to WDW park? any and all opinions would be greatly appreciated. i went to the park when i was 11 and still remember some of it (of course the majority of the rides and attractions were non-existent at that time). i've been on 3 cruises (2 on carnival and 1 RCCL) and i'm set to sail again on oasis of the seas in may. i love cruising! took DH on a cruise in august for our 10 yr anniv (his first). he said he had a great time. he is dragging his feet at the idea of visiting WDW (the lines, the crowds, waiting 4 hrs to ride 1 ride, so on and so forth). he said he would rather take a disney cruise. i know you get to see and interact with the characters but you miss out on the rides and attractions that WDW has to offer. on the other hand, you get to sail to tropical places and experience new activities that you might not get to do otherwise. also, how do the prices compare (i.e. is it cheaper to do one or the other?)? so let me hear ya, CC friends.

[shipmate13]

Well we all know that going to WDW is not cheap and neither is cruising. If you would like my opinion I would give this to you, I would take him on a three night cruise since he is just 5 years old. We took our daughter on a three night Disney Cruise for her 9th birthday and it was her first cruise after she had been to Disney world and Disneyland in the past. I know that children do not enjoy walking around all the time, waiting in lines for such a long period of time as they get very board and tired then you wait in line forever sometimes to eat,and it is sooo crowded in the parks. Since you have been on cruises in the past, you know that it is more personal and they are relaxing, full of entertainment, character greets, children's clubs, fantastic meals, and ports. Your son will just be tickled to feel all the personal attention Disney provides to its passengers especially the children. Then at a later time you could decide to go on a longer cruise with him or do the park/cruise package and have the best of both worlds.Either way you can't go wrong but the cruise is definately my choice!!! Let us know what you do:o

[mom x4,grandma x4]

We love both the cruises and the parks.

But for kids the easiest would be a cruise although be prepared to wait in lines to greet the characters. I would arrive 10 minutes prior to the meet time to shorten your lines wait.

On Castaway Cay the lines are usually shorter to see characters but they are only out for a few minutes, check your Navigator for times and arrive 5 minutes early.

 

I agree a short crusie for his first experience would be best.

 

Then when he is a couple years older hit the parks.

 

Although if you can manage to go off season to the parks the lines are not that bad. Do Magic Kingdom on a Monday or Tuesday, arrive at opening and you can walk right on the most popular rides for about 2 hours. After that use the fast passes to zip from ride to ride.

Usually we do the parks until 1 or 2 then head back to the hotel to play in the pool, nap or just relax and then back to the park in the evening.

 

Also there is mini golf you can do for a break from the parks.

To save money look to see fi you can go when they are offering the FREE meal plan and if the dates are right be sure and ask for it when booking. They wont just give it to you and that saves hundreds of dollars for a week at WDW. It is for 2 meals and 2 snacks per day per person for free.

This is a special promotion they offer for a few months the last couple years.

 

I know you'll have fun what ever you do,

 

Kathy

[monorailmedic]

I wil gladly respond more verbosley later today, but for now, one thing to check out for the parks is touringplans.com.

 

I'm not disueding you from a DCL trip (I will be on in a few weeks actually) but as someone that goes to WDW every 2 weeks I can tell you touringplans.com can make all the difference.

 

Again, I will try and remember to come back and expand on both areas later today.

[hexdragon]

Why not do both... Do two days at Mk and then the next at AK and then hop over to the ship for a three hour cruise (Opps! sorry Gilligan, I meant three day cruise :D)

 

As the other posters said, go early, then take a break / nap and then return to the park. If I remember correctly, Disney has packages setup this way...

[akaCruiser]

It's a shame that Disney discountinued the Land and Sea packages. Last year at the end of Aug we did our own version of the Land and Sea, by staying a week in Orlando and going to Disneyworld with my two DD's (ages 7 and 4) and then taking a 3 night cruise on the Disney Dream. It was a wonderful experience and the two kids enjoyed themselves. The only drawback I would say for the cruise was that it was way too short in duration as there was too many things to do and not enough hours in a day to fit everything unless you don't sleep :)

[SpoiledTraveler]

I'm a frequent Disney Traveler and fully believe that one can not be too young to make a trip to Disney. Like johnatthebar I'm also a fan of Touring Plans for park strategy. For my family though it's all about timing, we don't do WDW when we have to fight massive crowds, and we make sure that Dad (a fairly recent Disney convert after years of small exposures) gets to do things that interest him most. If you're going to hit the parks with someone who doesn't really want to be there, you need to research research research to be sure you take them at an optimum time.

 

That being said, I think that there is just as much pixie dust on a Disney Cruise, especially with the new Dream Class Ships. Disney Cruises set a standard of classic elegance combined with whimsical fun that's a perfect combination for my family. I wouldn't feel for a second like I "missed the park" if I went on a Disney Cruise instead. There's always another year, another trip to plan and Disney will be around long enough for your family to do both. :-)

 

And you never know, perhaps a Disney Cruise will turn into a desire to go to the Disney Parks later.

[iupalum]

thank you all so much for your insightful input. i was def. leaning toward a shorter cruise since it would be his first. and i think all the walking that's involved at the park would def. make him a cranky camper. DH said that the park would prob. be better in a few more years when son is older, can handle walking more, and can ride more rides. i was just worried that the older he would get, the more he would lose interest in the magic and wonder of Disney. but thank you all for your opinions. it gives DH and I lots to think about and discuss.

[shipmate13]

you are never too old to go on a Disney Cruise. I think your choice to take a short cruise with your child is a very good decision on your part. He will be sooo much happier and I believe so will you. I can't wait to hear how it all went so keep us all in touch when you return. Have a great cruise!!!!!:o

[ducklite]

1. We won't do a short cruise again. We felt like we had just unpacked and it was time to leave.

 

2. It depends on your child. I've got nieces and nephews that find WDW to be too much, but love the more laid back feeling of a cruise, I've got others who are the total opposite. My son was one of those "anything goes" kids so either would have worked for him. If your son needs constant activities, maybe WDW. If he's just as happy playing in a pool or on a beach, DCL will be a more relaxing vacation for you.

 

3. He's a great age for the DCL kids clubs. There are a lot of rides at WDW he'll be too short or young to ride for another few years. However there are also things he would enjoy now that he might not in a few years. "Through the eyes of a babe" and all that...

 

Again, you know your child best. Have fun whatever you decide!

[kjunea]

My DH and I took our son to WDW when he was 4.5. (it was also DH's first time, by 30+ time!) I planned the trip very carefully, picking things that the boy and the DH would love, that wouldn't have terrible lines, etc We attended MVMCP and used a stroller (he's small for his age and he didn't complain), which kept the complaining about lines down.

 

This fall, DS will be 9 and he and I are going to do 3 days in the park and a 3 night cruise. I really debated about doing about doing a week cruise, but DS does want to go to the parks too. He has cruised before, but only on Carnival and he loves to cruise!

 

Cruises are great. They really have lots of activities for the kids. But I'm afraid he will miss the park experience since he doesn't remember much of it from the first time.

[hexdragon]

It's a shame that Disney discountinued the Land and Sea packages.

They stopped the package???? Shuzzbutt!!!!

[kjunea]

They stopped the package???? Shuzzbutt!!!!

 

You have to book them separately, but you can get transfers, etc. and make your own package.