Disney Parks aren’t the only Disney experience packed with charm and ease for families. Disney also offers cruises through Disney Cruise Line and global adventures with Adventures By Disney. One of the more frequent questions we get is: Is a park visit or a cruise visit better for our family?
There are several things that might mean one Disney experience is better than another.
Do you love meeting characters?
Disney Cruise
While both Disney parks and a Disney Cruise offer character experiences, Disney Cruise offers a lot more time for character experiences and usually shorter lines with fewer people than the park. Now, unlike the parks, many more obscure characters might not be present. But for interacting with classic character, Disney Cruises are great.
Do you love rides?
Disney Parks
If you love to ride all the classics in Fantasyland or enjoy action-packed roller coasters, the parks will be a better experience.
Do you hate walking and extreme heat?
Disney Cruise
Disney Parks often means dealing with the Orlando heat. For families with smaller children, this can be too much. The parks are also a city unto themselves. It’s not uncommon to walk 10+ miles per day. Again, for families with smaller children, mobility issues, or older adults, this can be a turnoff. Disney Cruises allow for a great vacation geared toward families without all the walking and standing in the heat. It’s also lovely for older grandparents who want to be able to rest during the day but not have to buy a park ticket to eat with their grandchildren in the evening.
Do you want a lot of restaurants and dining to choose from?
Disney Parks
Disney Cruise line has a great rotational dining program where you get to eat someplace new every night. However, the restaurants at Disney parks, hotels, and Disney Springs dwarfs the number of options any cruise line can offer on one boat. With new dining options opening all the time, there is always something new or a favorite classic at the Disney parks.
Do you want beach time?
Disney Cruise
While you can fit beach time in with a Disney park visit, it isn’t super convenient. Beach time really comes into its own on a Disney Cruise. Whether sitting on the sand at Disney’s private island or experiencing other beaches at Caribbean ports…beach time is one of the best parts of a Disney Cruise.
Do you want some adult time while the kids are happy?
Disney Cruise
Disney Cruise Line hits out of the park with their kid’s clubs. Parents have been known to say that they have to drag their kids out of the club to have family time because they are having so much fun. This allows some guilt-free adult time for parents to have an actual conversation or real break.
Do you want a variety of ages to experience family fun together?
Disney Parks
Disney Cruises are great at offering something for everyone to do their separate things and come back together for fun throughout the day. However, Disney parks tend to be better at things the whole family can do together with a variety of ages…from rides to shows to hotel pools.
Do you have super young infants?
Disney Parks
Infants must generally be at least 6 months to sail and sometimes older than that. So super young babies are better to take to the park.
Do you love eating together easily as a big group?
Disney Cruise
Sometimes larger groups at Disney end up not being able to sit together or get to enjoy the restaurants they want. Disney Cruises are much better at being able to accommodate large groups that want to share meals together.
Do you want to see fireworks?
Disney Cruise and Disney Parks!
Both Disney parks and Disney Cruise line offer fireworks. In fact, Disney Cruise line offers the only fireworks display at sea. No matter what vacation you choose, you can experience the magic of a firework display to end your day.
If you just can’t decide, you don’t have to choose. Disney makes it easy to combine a park stay and cruise including very convenient transportation. We can help you design both to make sure your family has the very best memories.
About The Traveling Compass:
The Traveling Compass is a full-service luxury travel agency. Our success is built on a foundation of unmatched expertise and outstanding customer service. Our travel agents specialize in international travel, corporate incentive trips, destination weddings & honeymoons, multigenerational travel, luxury leisure, and family travel. We are also Authorized Disney Vacation Planners with experience assisting families that have children with special needs or large families or groups with complicated dining reservations for over 20 guests. Our personalized travel itineraries are designed to help discerning, time-pressed travelers plan the most elaborate vacations, down to the smallest detail. As luxury travel agents, we are dedicated to creating and facilitating travel experiences that expand awareness and give each person a real sense of the country and culture they are visiting. It is our mission to make sure you have the travel experience of a lifetime, every time.
