We're planning to take the Disney cruise and theme park combo next year. Would you recommend that we spend three nights on the ship and four in Orlando or vice versa?
The Disney land-and-sea vacation packages have proven very popular since they combine a chance to cruise the Bahamas on the Disney Wonder with a stay at one of the resorts of Walt Disney World. The goal of the land-and-sea package is to make the transfer between the Orlando segment of the trip and the cruise absolutely seamless: your bags are automatically moved from your Walt Disney World resort to your stateroom on the Disney Wonder, your resort key is also your stateroom key, you only check in and out once, and you travel between Orlando and Port Canaveral on a luxury bus. The cruise segment is more relaxing while theme park touring is more active --the package is definitely the best of both worlds.
As to which segment should be longer, there are two things to consider. First of all, do you have any preference over which days of the week you cruise? The four-night cruise always runs Sunday through Thursday and the three-night cruise runs Thursday through Sunday. If you don't particularly care which days you cruise, then I'd suggest this: If this is your first trip to Disney World or your first trip within three years choose to stay four nights in Orlando. It takes at least four full days to comfortably tour the major theme parks. But if you're confirmed Disneyophiles who visit the parks regularly, take the four-night cruise and allow yourself that extra day on board to relax and enjoy all that the ship has to offer.
If you decide on the four-day cruises there are two itineraries to choose from. The Disney Wonder rotates between them each week. The three-night cruise runs the same itinerary each week.
Four-Night Bahamas Itinerary
Sunday: Depart Port Canaveral
Monday: Nassau
Tuesday: Castaway Cay
Wednesday: Day At sea
Three-Night Bahamas Itinerary
Thursday: Depart Port Canaveral
Friday: Nassau
Saturday: Castaway Cay
As you can see, the above two options offer a day at Castaway Cay, Disney's private out island where you can snorkel, sunbathe, and picnic in a tropical paradise. (Note to Mom and Dad: They offer open-air massages on the adults-only beach!) Both options also offer programming to keep the kids happily busy and assure they make friends their own age, Disney's exclusive rotation-dining program, which allows you to dine on different evenings at all of the ship's signature restaurants, and nightly entertainment in the enormous Walt Disney Theater.
The price is appoximately the same whether you opt for three nights at sea and four on land or vice versa. Package prices vary primarily based on time of year and lodging: If you elect to stay in one of Disney's more upscale resorts such as the Yacht and Beach Clubs you'll be assigned a correspondingly posh stateroom on the ship and the price will reflect your choice. Choose a midpriced resort such as Port Orleans during your Orlando stay and you'll end up in a standard stateroom while on the ship, a considerably less expensive option. To check out the range of pricing options (which can run anywhere from $1,149 to $3,199 a week for a family of four) log on to www.disneycruise.com or call Disney Cruise Line at (888) DCL-2500.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated June 2005.
