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Credit: DisneyWhen people think about taking a Disney vacation, many of them automatically think about visiting a place like the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida or the Disneyland Resort in Southern California. But Disney is so much more than its theme parks. Nearly thirty years ago, Disney took to the high seas when it launched its own cruise line, and now Disney cruises are some of the most popular cruises around.
It all started when Disney launched the Disney Magic in 1998. Since then, Disney has expanded its cruise line, and there are now six ships in the fleet — the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Wish, and the Disney Treasure. And this year, two more ships will be added, Disney Destiny and Disney Adventure.
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Disney cruises are unlike any other cruise, mainly because of that unmatched Disney magic. Guests on a Disney cruise can meet some of their favorite characters, experience dining shows like no other, and even watch Broadway-caliber plays while onboard. And we can’t forget to mention Disney’s two private islands — Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.
Now, just like a Disney theme park vacation, taking a Disney cruise is not a cheap experience, primarily because of the experiences listed above. Disney wants its cruises to be a step above the rest, and that means that a Disney cruise will come with a higher price tag.
Sadly, one guest isn’t sure the experience they had was worth the price.
Related: How To Save Money On Your Disney Cruise Line Vacation
Reddit user GeorgiaGallivanting said that they recently went on a Disney cruise with their daughter, and while the ship was gorgeous and the service was next level, it wasn’t what they were expecting. This was their first time on a cruise, and the experience made them wonder if they maybe just aren’t someone who enjoys cruises.
Here is OP’s (Original Poster) story:
Don’t do it. 😉 Just got off the Dream, and I definitely do not recommend ever going over spring break. I did a lot of research (this page, FB, etc), and the majority of people said that it’s crowded but not unbearable, even on spring break, because the ship is so big. I wholeheartedly disagree. This was my first cruise, so maybe I have just learned that I am not a cruise person. And that’s ok! I have zero regrets going, that’s for sure, but I would not do it again. The pools were so crowded I could not even get in with my daughter, Cabanas was a free for all—kids running around unsupervised—kids running at full speed up and down the halls, everything was just crowded, all the time. AquaDuck rarely less than 45 minute wait (except the one day we purposely missed our early dinner seating and stayed at the pools.) THAT BEING SAID, the service on the boat was impeccable. Our servers at dinner, our room host, every single person we encountered was so kind and helpful and wonderful. Rapunzel spent 20 minutes with my daughter and a few other kids playing duck duck goose, hide and seek, dancing. My daughter loved the kids club, food was good, room was cozy. Would I go back? Probably not. But the wonderful service and memories are unforgettable! (Would love advice — is there ever a time during the year where the boats are chill?)
Disney Dream over spring break…
byu/GeorgiaGallivanting indcl
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Many commenters noted that Disney cruises might have more kids than other cruises, since Disney is geared towards families with kids, as opposed to other cruise lines that might have adult-only options. However, there are ways to avoid the crowds, as long as you don’t mind making some compromises while onboard.
Definitely encourage you to find the quieter areas. We went on the dream spring break last year. My husband almost had a heart attack day 1 with all the crowds, but we learned how to avoid them. We avoided Cabanas and instead chose to do either sit down breakfast or room service. For lunch we did the windows.
We spent lot of the day doing activities and found so many fun things that were not crowded at all- open house at the kids clubs, Disney Junior Dance Party, kids crafts, character meet and greets. The pool deck and cabanas were really the only two places that felts like they were “too much”.
Other commenters gave tips to the OP, so that if they decide to do another Disney cruise in the future, they might have a more enjoyable experience. They suggested sailing during non-peak times and taking longer cruises.
We now only cruise during off peak times for this reason. We do the longer itineraries and repositioning cruises when we are able. My personal experience is these cruises are WAY more chill and full of seasoned cruisers who aren’t in a rush to do any and everything. Also there are fewer school age kids and teens and the kids clubs feel wayyyy less crowded.
We avoid summer itineraries to the Caribbean too- the heat really tends to make quite a few people grumpy and uncomfortable (including me) and the experience less magical. January to May – minus spring break times- and September have been our favorite months to cruise. And the pricing is so much better.
Don’t give up on DCL completely. Try one during off peak if you can!
Many Redditors who commented on the article said that Disney cruises are almost always full, so the OP might not be able to experience a sailing with fewer people. They noted that if a ship is not full, Disney might offer special pricing to cast members and travel agents just so they can have a full sailing.
It is important to note that, just like Disney theme park vacations, each Disney cruise you take is a learning experience. Guests will learn about what they love and what they can skip, what experiences they can put in the “maybe” column, and what time of year they prefer to sail. So, if the OP takes a few more Disney cruises, they might find that they can have a great time if they do things a little differently than they did during their first cruise.
Have you ever been on a Disney cruise? Did you have a fantastic time, or did your cruise fail to meet your expectations? Share your stories with us in the comments!