WDW, Disneyland or Cruise?

jlnten17

DIS Veteran
DVC Silver
Joined
Dec 13, 2015
We are trying to decide where to go this winter? DD is 5 and DS is 2. Our first trip was a very short 2 days to Disneyland with DD when she was not quite 3 but we basically just rode Dumbo over and over as it was her favorite. We have been to WDW 4 times in the last 2 years thanks to AP (now expired). We live in IL so Florida is driveable but CA is not. Should we try Disneyland again? Is it worth the hassle of flying? I have never had the desire to cruise but I know many people love it. For those who have done all 3 which is your favorite?
 
We are trying to decide where to go this winter? DD is 5 and DS is 2. Our first trip was a very short 2 days to Disneyland with DD when she was not quite 3 but we basically just rode Dumbo over and over as it was her favorite. We have been to WDW 4 times in the last 2 years thanks to AP (now expired). We live in IL so Florida is driveable but CA is not. Should we try Disneyland again? Is it worth the hassle of flying? I have never had the desire to cruise but I know many people love it. For those who have done all 3 which is your favorite?

I've done all 3 in different phases of my life. The verdict on DL (from most people not in driving distance or short flying distance) is you need something else to do in Anaheim/LA. I was a little younger than your daughter when we went (we were passing through CA). I think we did like 2 days at DL and one day at Knotts Berry Farm. I'd have to fly entirely across the country to go, so we'd need more to do than just DL (but everyone's threshold for how far to travel vs experience is different)


I will only cruise on a Disney Cruise, yes its more expensive than the other lines, but the experiences is one of the best. I didn't think I'd enjoy it, on disembarkation day we wished we had booked a longer one. If you do cruise, do the excursion to the Atlantis Aquarium, the kids will LOVE it. Castaway Cay is a blast. There are character meet and greets constantly on the ship, it's an awesome place to meet characters if you're not set on the rides. But it's a different type of vacation than WDW.

If you know you like WDW, stick with that. If you're looking for something different, try like a 3 or 4 night cruise.

I honestly don't have a favorite between Disney World and a Disney Cruise. They are different vacations. DW is somewhat easier to do on shortish notice, but the upside to the cruise is you're completely unplugged from the world (unless you want to pay for wifi). Aside from any excursions (or alcohol) basically all the food/drink is included on the boat and on castaway cay.
 
I will only cruise with Disney. Not only was it a super relaxing vacation, it was so much easier to interact with the characters and the food was amazing.
 
I will only cruise with Disney. Not only was it a super relaxing vacation, it was so much easier to interact with the characters and the food was amazing.

I don't know why I was surprised by all the characters (and how easy it was to meet them) but I was.
 
We had a 40% off offer for Disneyland and enough United Air points to fly for free so when I called to inquire we ended up booking it for the last week of January. Taking this winter off from WDW but next year we will be back and excited to see Toy Story Land!
 
We are trying to decide where to go this winter? DD is 5 and DS is 2. Our first trip was a very short 2 days to Disneyland with DD when she was not quite 3 but we basically just rode Dumbo over and over as it was her favorite. We have been to WDW 4 times in the last 2 years thanks to AP (now expired). We live in IL so Florida is driveable but CA is not. Should we try Disneyland again? Is it worth the hassle of flying? I have never had the desire to cruise but I know many people love it. For those who have done all 3 which is your favorite?
With two kids that young, I would rather cruise than visit WDW. Much less stressful, yet you still get the magic of seeing them meet the characters (which is pretty much the only thing a 2 year-old can do at the parks, anyway).

As for a personal favorite, I really don't have one. My son is 12, and he and I just got back from our first Disneyland trip- we had a blast. We've got two cruises coming up within the next year, and are eagerly looking forward to those. And all of our WDW trips have been joyous. Disney is our happy place, whether it's in Florida, California or at sea.
 
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We did one DCL cruise, it was fun, but not worth the extra money. I wouldn’t go on a cruise with little ,ids, cabins too small,
With two kids that young, I would rather cruise than visit WDW. Much less stressful, yet you still get the magic of seeing them meet the characters (which is pretty much the only thing a 2 year-old can do at the parks, anyway).

As for a personal favorite, I really don't have one. My son is 12, and he and I just got back from our first Disneyland trip- we had a blast. We've got two cruises coming up within the next year, and are eagerly looking forward to those. And all of our WDW trips have been joyous. Disney is our happy place, whether it's in Florida, California or at sea.
The 2 year old can go on most of the rides. I love cruising with my family, but a 2 year isn’t old enough for the clubs (have to pay for the nursery), and can only go in the splash area if still in diapers. Cabins are small, strollers are a tight fit. We only did land vacations until the youngest were almost 5 (including WDW). After one DCL cruise, we switched to other lines, we did t find the extra cost to be worth it.
 



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