Considering Disney

[boatlover]

You guys seem to know a lot about Disney so I am hoping you can talk me into our 1st Disney cruise.

My husband and I have cruised before (Caribbean and Alaska), without the children, on Celebrity and loved it, and I just returned from a HAL with a college pal and loved it (although not quite as much as Celebrity).

So, here I am thinking this would be fun with our children. Here is what I need to know - is Disney the way to go on this one? We have a 5 year old daughter, and a 20 month son. Are the kids programs good? I realize that my younger child is too young, but I am thinking that the 5 year old might enjoy it for an hour or so a day. I should mention that my 5 year old has autism. How do you think the kid program staff will deal with that? Also, we would probably take my parents along, even though they are child crazy Grandparents, will it be too "kiddie" for them? Hubby and I always go for the balcony but if we are paying for 2 rooms (one for us one for G&G) we might try to reduce cost and opt for an inside or window room. Would we have enough space? What about laundry? Cribs? Any other helpful suggestions? It is a big decision as we have limited vacation time and $$$.

Thanks!!

[Triguy]

You will love it.

 

[alinnj]

If you travel Di$ney during the summer be prepared to pay a premium price!

[TheWog]

you will love Disney. The experience is "Magic"al. We truly loved it and will be returning. I can't help you with the kids clubs and your daughter having autism. My son used the clubs and loved it and I am sure all children would be accepted. You know your own children best so you would have to judge. I am sure they are equipped to address your concerns. Your parents will not find it to kiddy. there are places for them to go. Unless you are at the Mickey pool at 2:00 in the afternoon on an at sea day you will not think the ship is overflowing with children. They are there and for the most part are very well behaved and not bothering you at all. You will have a great time.

 

try disboards.com. they are very knowledgable about all things disney and the cruise board will help you with any concerns you may have. You will also get a lot of encouragement and convincing for your husband. There are certain rooms that have verandahs that cost less because of obstructions, there are navigator verandahs which are a category 7 that are less than normal verandahs. There are also rooms called Secret Porthole Rooms that have windows but are obstructed but cost the same as an inside room. There are laundry facilities. The ship will also do your laundry for you. Rooms are larger on Disney than other ships. If you do two rooms, you will have plenty of space. There are split baths in each room (Cat 10 and higher) so you would effectively have 4 bathrooms. Plenty of closet space, get adjoinings and you will have a huge room. Look into disboards.com, dcltribute.com and castawayclub.com. The last two have incredible details about the ships and all that go with them and the secrets that not a lot of people know about yet. Good luck.

 

try DCL you will love it.

 

Disney Magic 01/10/04

Enchantment of the Seas 01/22/05

[lyndasilk]

I just want to second The Wog's recommendation that you try www.disboards.com. Go to the Disney Cruise section and you'll find a ton of information there. I seem to remember that there was a thread not too long ago about taking a child with special needs on the cruise. Quite a few people replied and they had had personal experience with this situation; also, their experiences were all very positive. I seem to remember that some of the children had autism as well. Maybe post your question and see what responses you get.

 

I'm sure you will love the Disney Cruise! And I don't think you have to worry about it being "too kiddie" for your parents. They will love the beautiful ship, the lovely restaurants, the wonderful and friendly service and the delicious food!

 

Have a great trip no matter what you choose!

 

Lynda

 

Disney Magic, Oct 04

Enchantment of the Seas,Apr 04

Disney Wonder, Oct 02

Disney Wonder, Jan 02

 

 

[giustot]

My experience has been that you will love a Disney cruise if you can answer yes to either one of these questions.

 

Do I love the Disney experience?

Do I love vacationing with large numbers of children?

 

The Disney cruis experience will be different from Celebrity or HAL. I'd recommend doing a little mroe research and asking a few more questions before you decide.

 

Your five-year-old will love the Disney cruise. The question is whether you and your parents will. Good luck. Tom.

[superstein61]

Here is something I posted on the HAL board in response to this question:

 

 

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by reefexplorer:

I am just curious as to what you believe sets HAL above the other cruise lines? I have sailed CC and RCL and they are so similar that you could change names and feel you are on either ship.(although we thoroughly enjoyed both) I am getting anxious to try HAL and want to know what to expect. Thanks

 

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

OK, I will make a statement sure to generate controversy. HAL is not better than other cruise lines.

 

IMO, each cruise line has its good points and bad points. HAL does some things well that I like - but for other things, other lines surpass HAL.

 

I do like HAL's smaller ships, lack of heavy drinkers and 2nd best Private Island

 

I like NCL for their freestyle cruising and numerous dining choices / alternatives

 

I like Disney for an overall experience, entertainment, rotating dining and superb adult only dining alternative, the best kids clubs (for my daughter)and best Private Island HANDS DOWN.

 

I haven't tried RCL, Princess or Celebrity yet - but am sure I would find that each does something better and something worse than the competition.

 

So now, I just book my cruises based on destination (ie who has the best itenary) and price

[breenw]

Let's face it folks - it's DISNEY!!! They are the forerunners in entertainment and fantasy. You will love the Disney ships and the onboard experience. We have traveled several other cruise lines, and Disney is our favorite. Our children are college age, so we have traveled 3 times without them and still had a great time.

 

The children's program is by far the best in the ocean. I am a travel agent and get feedback from all my clients when they cruise. I have never had anyone say anything negative about Disney.

 

The last time we cruised, there was a young man at our table who had severe cerebral palsy. His "caretaker" took him on this cruise so that he could have a fun vacation. Disney went above and beyond to make this experience enjoyable for this young man. One day, when the pool was closed to passengers, some of the staff arranged with his caretaker to get him into the swimming pool. He was able to enjoy the water without having to worry about getting splashed or bumped into by other kids. I thought this was great - but very typical of Disney.

 

If you are considering any cruise with your autistic child, I would think Disney would be the one to choose. They are so good about helping people with all types of disabilities and I'm sure she would have a great time.

 

The Breens

 

Carnival Victory

RCCL Explorer

Carnival Glory

Disney Magic x3

Carnival Fantasy

Big Red Boat x4

[inkkognito]

My husband and I have done 38 Disney cruises, and we have over half a dozen more booked already. I have trip reports on my website that give lots of details, but I warn you: IT IS ADDICTIVE!

Barb

Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: http://www.castawayclub.com

[awatt]

I would ask the same question on the Celebrity board. You may get opinions from those who have sailed both Celebrity aand DCL. Knowing the similarities/differences between the lines may help you to make a more informed decision.

[vossjemi]

If cost is a factor, you might consider the 3 and 4 day cruises. We just booked a 4 day cruise for next sept 05 for our family of 4. We got a good deal (i think) from Dreams Unlimited for $1447.40 total for a category 10 secret porthole room. For a good comparison of prices on dates, you should check out allseastravel.com. And, if you find rooms that you like and are flexible with dates, check out bestpricecruises.com. On that site, you can go to the category you want and check a specific cabin # to see if its available. My kids will be ages 3 and 5. They may not remember much of the trip in years to come, but they love Disney characters so much, I'm sure they'll have a blast. And, seeing them smile is what gives me joy!:rolleyes: