First Disney Cruise question about ports and ship???

[preschool teacher]

we want to take our first Disney Cruise and our choices are this...

Port Canaveral on Dream 3days no sea day

Miami on Magic 4 day with1sea day

 

is it better to have a sea day to soak up more Disney fun?

now I heard that you Get more of a Disney experience leaving from Port Canaveral ???

not sure why this would be true unless it’s the Disney bus from Orlando.

those with experience on the ships which one would you pick?

also would be around Dec. 5 th would the ship be decorated for Christmas?

 

thanks for any help!!!

have a happy Saturday !!!!

[joyfullmommie2017]

I would choose the longest cruise you can, but yes the terminal in Canaveral is exclusively Disney so its a bit nicer than the terminal in Miami but I wouldn't let that make my decision.  You are not in the terminal that long.  I've been on all the ships and they are all great.  Dream will be bigger so more people than Magic.  My experience is that yes, the ship will be decorated for Christmas then.  Have fun!

[Modern_Viking]

I suspect DCL starts decorating their ships for Christmas in early November. A surer bet would be to look at the DCL website and see if the cruises you are considering are described as "Very Merrytime" cruises. If so, then I would expect some holiday decor and themed activities onboard.

 

And yes, I think sea days are great on Disney cruises as there are more activities scheduled on sea days vs port days.

 

DCL does decorate the Miami terminal a bit to make it more Disney themed. Still not quite as mych as the DCL buses or terminal in Port Canaveral, but I agree with the previous post that since so little time is spent thete, it makes little difference.

 

So given the choice, especially if the prices were similar, I'd take the 4 night cruise on the Magic.

Edited March 8, 2020 by Modern_Viking

[cantgetin]

Longer is always better.  Remember that a 3 night cruise is really only 2 1/2 days.  That's barely enough to find your way around the ship.

 

DCL has an exclusive terminal at Port Canaveral which was all done by the Disney Imagineers, so lots of Disney touches.  On the other hand, you spend maybe an hour in the terminal and much of that is spent on necessary business.  I've boarded DCL cruises from what looked like warehouses (Europe and Ft. Lauderdale).  The appearance of the terminal did not affect my cruise!  And most of those locations had more seating than the PC terminal!

[LeeW]

Transfers on Disney bus in Orlando are fairly expensive (like $38pp each way).  You get some stuff on tv screens for that.  Rental car can be much cheaper, or there are a number of companies that will take you over for less.  With non-Disney you will have to handle your own luggage.

 

Dream is a great ship, but three nights isn't enough to enjoy much of anything on it.  We did a four night and it was way too short.  Even the seven day on Fantasy felt very short.  We sailed from Port Canaveral on both and didn't find the terminal to be any better or worse than other ports.

 

The problem with Disney is that you are paying a high price for the on-board experience.  Balcony cost is comparable to a aqua suite cost on a Royal Caribbean Oasis-class ship.  And Oasis-class ships are higher cost because of the onboard experience (shows, restaurants, ice rink, climbing wall, zip line, ...).  The ONLY reason we are going Disney on upcoming cruise is son wants to give second daughter the experience of a Disney cruise.  

[Bups Dad]

The Dream is the larger ship and there are a whole bunch of cool features onboard but at only 3 days you get barely anytime to explore the ship and learn about it. The Magic still has a bunch of good features and with the day at sea that you get you would be able to explore the ship a bunch more and learn about it.

 

Overall, I think which ever one you choose is still going to be a good choice and hopefully when you are onboard you get to enjoy the experience on either ship. 

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

On 3/7/2020 at 11:39 AM, preschool teacher said:

we want to take our first Disney Cruise and our choices are this...

Port Canaveral on Dream 3days no sea day

Miami on Magic 4 day with1sea day

 

is it better to have a sea day to soak up more Disney fun?

now I heard that you Get more of a Disney experience leaving from Port Canaveral ???

not sure why this would be true unless it’s the Disney bus from Orlando.

those with experience on the ships which one would you pick?

also would be around Dec. 5 th would the ship be decorated for Christmas?

 

thanks for any help!!!

have a happy Saturday !!!!

Next Disney cruise is a 4 day on the Magic out of Miami April 30

[skywonder]

The terminal at Port Canaveral is kind of special but I would not base it on that. The Magic is a really great ship we had a great time, I liked it better then Dream but that's just me. Dream does have all those cool extra magical perks. Either ship will be great fun. I would take the 4 day over a 3 day any time, that extra sea day will give you time to really enjoy the ship. Good luck with your choice.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

No Disney cruises for some time now as the CDC has indicated 100 days.

In today's news paper.

the 100 days will start from the time the new order is published in the federal reserve.

[skywonder]

On 4/11/2020 at 10:36 AM, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

No Disney cruises for some time now as the CDC has indicated 100 days.

In today's news paper.

the 100 days will start from the time the new order is published in the federal reserve.

I read the same thing, very sad but true.

[EJanss]

On 3/7/2020 at 11:39 AM, preschool teacher said:

is it better to have a sea day to soak up more Disney fun?

now I heard that you Get more of a Disney experience leaving from Port Canaveral ???

 

Sea days are fun, because it's usually the "theme" day--If there isn't a stated theme on the cruise, like Christmas, Halloween, Star Wars/Marvel, etc., one of the sea days will usually be the default Pirate-themed night.  (And a whole day to prepare for it.)  

 

And apart from the Disney bus from Orlando--and having your luggage handled directly from a Disney resort or the Airport Hyatt--there's nothing particularly "Disney" about the Port Canaveral terminal that you wouldn't get from a Disney resort hotel lobby.

[CastawayClubLuke]

The Dream is my favorite of the fleet, so I personally (and highly) recommend the sailing on the Dream! The Disney Cruise Line terminal at Port Canaveral is also incredibly beautiful— they even decorate the stunning facility for Christmas during that time of year. Also, the friendly folks who work there are actual Disney Cast Members who work for Disney Cruise Line the entire year. It’s magical! We’ve sailed out of Miami on the Magic, and while it was a fun sailing, it was my least favorite Disney Cruise (out of the 15 that we’ve done). Port Miami is a very different experience than Port Canaveral, and we did not enjoy our experience at the port at all— from congested traffic and people blowing horns everywhere, to tremendously rude porters who actually demanded we tip them (which we would have anyways), to rude folks checking guests in. I won’t rehash the full experience, but we won’t be repeating that itinerary again. With that said, the Magic is a great ship and I would enjoy sailing on her again perhaps out of a different port, however, the dining and shows (especially Beauty and the Beast) on the Dream are absolutely incredible. The Dream also has the Aquaduck which is a big hit for families, and the ship is larger and more grand than the Magic in general. As far as how days at sea go, we typically take advantage of that time by catching a first-run movie in the Buena Vista Theater and getting a massage treatment at Senses Spa. The guest areas are at their busiest on days at sea because everyone is onboard, so you’ll find the pool and outside deck areas to be especially busy. We usually enjoy those areas on days when the ship is in port during the afternoon once we’ve spent the morning ashore. At any rate, either sailing will be magical! Bon voyage! ⚓✨

Edited July 15, 2020 by CastawayClubLuke