By: Angela Curley, a Marvelous Mouse Travels agent
Whether you’ve been to Disney World before, sailed on a Disney Cruise before, or are completely new to both, you’ve probably asked yourself, “What’s the difference between the Disney parks and a Disney Cruise?” Or maybe you’ve always thought that a Disney Cruise is just for kids?
Well buckle up and prepare yourself for the ultimate comparison to see which vacation is best for you!
Let’s start at the very beginning, the planning process.
With any vacation you take, reaching out to your travel agent is going to be the best way to accurately price out and compare your vacation costs. But for arguments sake, let's take a look at an example.
For a family vacation with 2 adults and 3 kids (14, 11, and 7) on a 4 night cruise can vary in price from $4400 - $8400 depending on port or calls, itinerary, time of year, or cruise availability.
Similarly, the same family has a trip to Disney World with a 4 night, 5 day stay, including 3 days of base park tickets (with admission to 1 park per day) can range from $3800 - $6300+ depending on resort availability and time of year.
With a Disney World vacation, you are also given more luxury to adjust the length of your stay. So even if you start out with only a 1 or 2 day weekend trip and further decide to turn it into a full week stay or longer, you have the luxury to do so as long as you have not made your final payment yet.
The price for your cruise will include your stateroom along with all applicable taxes and port fees; Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner; soft drinks served at meals and at beverage stations; snacks and ice cream throughout the ship; Disney Character Meet & Greets; and Entertainment including live Broadway-style productions at the Walt Disney Theatre as well as Disney movie classics and current first-run films featured in the ship’s theater.
Unless you’re working with an agent from Marvelous Mouse Travels, planning your Disney World vacation can be very daunting, time consuming, or drawn out, especially for first timers. There’s a lot of factors to consider for your trip such as the best times to visit, length of stay, how many days to spend in the parks, which parks to visit, selecting your park reservations, securing advanced dining reservations, Genie+, and so much more. While some of these things you can do in advance before your trip, others need to be planned the day of. These details can frequently change so it's best to work with your travel agent to have them help assist you and stay up to date on the latest before your vacation.
A Disney Cruise on the other hand is much more relaxed, even in the planning stages! Since your rotational dining is set up automatically and many of the activities on the ship including their shows, character interactions, and movies don’t require advanced reservations, all you need to do is show up and have a good time! Make sure you check your Disney Cruise Line Navigator app for any activities, shows or events you are interested in as well as important information during your sailing.
However if you are interested in planning or booking any additional excursions or specialty dining experiences, these will require additional cost and advance reservations are highly recommended, though not required.
This is definitely where you still see the biggest, and most obvious differences between a Disney World vacation and a Disney Cruise vacation.
At Disney World you have the 4 theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom) as well as 2 water parks (Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach), Disney Springs, mini golf courses, EPSN WideWorld of Sports, 3 championship golf courses, and not to mention all of the pools, spas, and recreational activities you can find at your resort. You can easily fill your days with tons of rides, parades, character interactions, and fireworks, and still have so much more to see on your next vacation.
Your Disney Cruise on the other hand is much more relaxed, and what they don’t have in rides they definitely make up for in entertainment! Each Disney Cruise ship is equipped with pools and waterslides on the top decks. The Disney Wish in particular has the first ever attraction with the AquaMouse!
Disney Cruise Lines also offer entertainment all day and even at night. From themed deck parties to trivia events, bingo, animation classes, dance parties and more, there’s always something fun to do for all ages! You’ll also get to experience Broadway style shows, first-run films, and of course you can’t forget a fireworks show!
The biggest perk about a Disney Cruise? No long wait lines! Everyone is familiar with the long waits you have to endure in the parks to ride your favorite attractions. The same cannot be said for the cruise lines though. Even when the ship is at full capacity you will still be able to get into the activities and shows you want to, plus be able to see your favorite characters with little to no wait! How awesome is that?!
Everyone knows how much fun a Disney vacation can be, and Disney takes great care in making sure that guests of all ages have a memorable experience!
Disney World has so much to offer kids of all ages! From your favorite rides and attractions to seeing your favorite characters and watching some amazing shows, Disney World has something for everyone. The bigger kids (and kids at heart) can enjoy all the thrill rides and for the adults that enjoy a more relaxing vacation, there are plenty of places they can sit back, relax, and enjoy a delicious meal.
Disney Cruise Line takes catering to all ages to the next level. One thing that sets it apart from the parks, is that Disney Cruise Line offers kids clubs and a nursery. Kids ages 3 to 17 will find fun experiences in different clubs (Oceaneer’s Club (ages 3-12), Vibe for tweens (11-14), Edge for teens(14-17), and new on the Wish ship is The Hideaway (18-20). Here, your kids can have fun, play, make friends, dance, meet characters, and spend some time all on their own! They also offer the It’s a Small World Nursery for younger children at an additional cost. This built-in babysitting means that as an adult you are free to experience the special adults-only experiences on the ship, like the quiet pool, specialty dining, or the spa, without having to worry about your kids being bored!
If there is anything that Disney World is known for, it’s their exceptional food, and Disney Cruise Line is right up there with the same quality and taste experiences that we all know and love from the parks.
At Disney World food is everywhere from popcorn, Mickey pretzel and frozen treat karts, to Quick Service locations with your favorite burger, sandwich or ever corn dog nuggets, to the delicious and luxurious Table Service Meals, and every bite in between! There are so many dining options that knowing when and where to eat can be a huge task!
The dining experience on a Disney Cruise is much more manageable and not to mention included! (holla!) Plus onboard you don’t have to worry about deciding which restaurant to choose for dinner (unless you have made reservations at one of the specialty dining restaurants for an additional charge).
On Disney Cruise ships they feature rotational dining options. Every night of your cruise you will enjoy the sights, sounds, and of course flavor of a different uniquely themed dining experience. Disney also takes their attention to detail and exceptional service not just in the food and restaurant experience but also in your waitstaff. As you visit and dine at all the different restaurant offerings each night, your same waitstaff will also follow along to a new restaurant to ensure you get the best service possible! Now how cool is that?!
Overall both a traditional Walt Disney World Resort vacation and a Disney Cruise are going to give you a super fun, magical, and memorable experience. They both feature an array of unique experiences for all ages, delicious food options, exceptional service, and fun activities and entertainment for the whole family.
If you’re looking for the best way to experience both, then decide to not decide and enjoy a Disney vacation on both the land and sea!! For more information on how to plan your next park or cruise vacation, reach out to your Marvelous Mouse Travels Agent!
