Originally Posted By RoadTrip On the road home (Montgomery AL) after my recent WDW visit and Disney Cruise. WDW was looking very good for the most part and service seemed much improved over prior years. We had an OUTSTANDING experience at 'Ohana when my niece needed a special meal prepared because of dietary issues. The Disney Cruise was outstanding from beginning to end. I'm convinced it is currently the "most Disney" of all Disney experiences. The maintenance is unbelievable... they are constantly repainting the exterior of the ship even while you are at sea. It is quite something to look to the side from your veranda and see people safety-tethered to an exterior platform (with rails) repainting a portion of the ship while it is moving. The DCL staff (I have not heard them refer to themselves as "cast members") interact far more frequently with gusts than I have ever experienced at the parks or hotels. I can't complain about the service at WDW. Whenever we sought out someone with a question or problem the response was very good. But on the Cruise Line I don't think we ever passed a staff member in the halls without them saying "good morning" or "glad to have you with us' or "hope you are enjoying your cruise" or something similar. It may be from visiting WDW so many times over the past 20 years (about 27 times) or it may be my age, but I really think I prefer the cruises to the theme parks. In the parks you spend A LOT of time walking and waiting in line to experience an attraction. After eight hours in a park you've maybe experienced 7-10 attractions if you are really lucky. With the attraction duration varying from about 3-12 minutes (with most on the short side) you are looking at maybe an hour and a half of fun during eight hours expended. On a cruise you walk less and the waits, where they exist, are much shorter. As I said before, my opinion may be driven from the number of times I have visited WDW. Pirates may be an absolute classic, but it is still the same basic attraction I have seen 50 times before. Seeing it for the 51st time just isn't all that exciting. In comparison, after only three relatively short Disney Cruises those experiences still are new and exciting. And some may be related to my age (60). I like the more relaxed pace of a cruise vacation and am sure that enters into the equation. I will still visit the Disney Parks, but I plan to concentrate my expenditure of DVC points on the cruises... I believe they give me greater value. I will visit the parks primarily with cash, meaning I will probably visit DL more in the future since they have far better low cost (non-Disney) hotel options close to the park. Kind of a win-win as far as I'm concerned!
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub I am so glad you took the time to post all about an authentic road trip- trip report. It has been interesting. I guess you didn't have any Doobie or Rebekah sightings or cute little Gideon while at WDW. It would seem the odds would be in a LP person's favor and I have had the good fortune to see them 3 different trips. It is always fun to see somebody you actually recognize from LP. I have been able to spot DLDug and the Happy Haunts family and RogerRabbit at DL just to say Hello and that is fun. I guess I am saying I hope to meet you and your wife someday. After all these years on LP many have to be considered friends. Perhaps we are all a replica of an early tech social study of minor historical importance. We all have "different" opinions and choose to maintain conversations and interest with each other. That is why I am sorry when people suddenly disappear but I truly believe they still visit Laughingplace ... Thanks again for the trip report.
Originally Posted By WDWdreamin Glad you're enjoying the cruises. I can't imagine feeling that way about them, but the service sounds really nice.
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub The first time I took the Disney cruise , it seemed every family was on their 20th Disney cruise including the young children. I think it is the incredible crewmembers that make the Disney Cruise so outstanding. I am trying to figure out how RT was able to book 2 rooms with points. I used 3 years worth of points for myself to book the Panama Canal Cruise.
Originally Posted By A Happy Haunt << I like the more relaxed pace of a cruise vacation>> WHAT!! ok, maybe it's more relaxed than the Parks but, we were stil GO GO GO!! Glad you had a great visit!!
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<I am trying to figure out how RT was able to book 2 rooms with points. I used 3 years worth of points for myself to book the Panama Canal Cruise.>> Short cruises are a lot cheaper... we were on a 3-day cruise to the Bahamas. Our stateroom was a Deluxe Outside Stateroom with Verandah but the room for my in-laws was a Standard Inside Stateroom... that was fine with them since they don't smoke. I also purchased two sets of points from Disney... one at the Boardwalk and one at Saratoga Springs, so I have a fair number of points. Additionally, I purchased about 20 one-time-use points from DVC. I just had a one year's allotment of my points to use... I am constantly borrowed ahead which is OK because the contract will expire when I'm 84 and I figure I won't use it too much that year. We spent a bunch of points the year my daughter got married in Orlando... we rented Villas for my late wife and I, for my daughter and her husband, for our son and for the groom's parents. I've never managed to catch up, but that is fine. It was my last trip with my late wife and it was wonderfully enjoyable. At that time she felt good and everyone felt the chemo was working. Less than a month later she became dreadfully ill from the disease and lived only a few more months. I wouldn't give up the happy memories from that trip to WDW for our daughter's wedding for all the money in the world!
Originally Posted By leemac <<I'm convinced it is currently the "most Disney" of all Disney experiences. >> Couldn't agree more. However that is down to some specific factors that mean the parks can't compete on a level footing: 1) Price point - DCL isn't cheap - the price points are higher that a resort vacation (usually). 2) CM/Guest Ratio - Disney Magic/Wonder have 875 staterooms (double occupancy is 1,760 and maximum occupancy in 2,400) and there are 945 crew - that is less than 2 CMs to every guest even when the ship is at 100% occupancy. Disneyland's average operational figure is ten times that number. 3) Closed environment - it is much easier to control the narrative (and theming) when you are dealing with interior spaces or those exterior spaces that are confined by nature. It is much harder to achieve the same impact inside the parks. Both the Disney Dream and Fantasy have taken the DCL experience to new heights IMHO. Most of the changes from the Magic and Wonder have been positive and those that didn't quite work have been improved since the Dream launched.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<1) Price point - DCL isn't cheap - the price points are higher that a resort vacation (usually).>> Well, except they aren't. I priced a 4-night Cruise to the Bahamas in a Deluxe Outside Stateroom with Verandah on the Disney Dream, a 4-night stay at the Grand Californian in DLR with a 3-day hopper pass and a 4-night stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in WDW with a 3-day hopper pass. All prices reflect 2 adults beginning December 9 and ending December 13. I added $150 per day for three days for dining at DL and WDW. The totals are as follows: Disney Dream: $1,905. Disneyland: $2,978. Disney World $2,821. The Disney Dream vacation was about $1,000 cheaper than the same length vacation at either Disneyland or Disney World. The cost of visiting the Disney Parks has absolutely gone through the roof over the past few years.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip People could argue that to be totally fair in my comparison I would have to add the cost of port excursions to the price of the cruise if I am going to include the price of hopper tickets at the resorts. I'm not sure I agree with that; there is far more free entertainment on board Disney ships than there is at the Disney hotels. But to keep things absolutely fair I backed out the cost of the park hoppers for both Disneyland and Disney World, leaving just the charge for Lodging and Food. Here is the result: Disney Dream: $1,905. Disneyland: $2,439. Disney World: $2,183. The cruise is STILL cheaper!
