DCL vs WDW

[JARNJ3]

So I was reading the thread on the platinum statuses - wow, a lot of you take a lot of cruises!!!

I am finally taking the plunge on one - the 2019 Mediterrean Civitavecchia round trip in June!

Its the first time I am giving up a WDW trip to do so - I am a DVC owner & have gone every year to WDW since 2004 - so it occurred to me, that I could be considered a platinum WDW traveller!

That got me to thinking - do you give up WDW trips to take the cruise or do you do both?

I would never use my points to take a cruise - but I used all of them this year to get a grand villa - so I am pointless in 2019 - and decided to take the splurge!!!

 

[mcd2745]

We seem to go on DCL every 12-24 months. We get a placeholder, so we have to sail again within 24 months and usually it will either be 12/18/24 months out. For instance, we just completed a cruise at the end of August and are using the placeholder we purchased for February 2020, so roughly 18 months.

WDW is a little more varied but we usually will not go more than 2 years without a trip.

 

[Geomom]

I put a combo of both, greater than once a year....but that is on the WDW side. We are DVC owners--so we'll do Disney world 1-2x/year and then a cruise every 2 yrs (but we don't use DVC pts--we pay cash.)

This year is a lucky year...WDW twice and DCL once! Next year we have WDW booked 1x so far...going in Feb w/ the high schooler...trying to figure out when to go after that when the college student can also go with us (we are going this Thanksgiving with her...but it's not optimal...will likely need to suck it up and go in the summer...) Next cruise will likely be summer 2020.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We are retired, we travel a lot, and own DVC.

Besides DCL, we also have 2 non DCL cruises next year.

 

[cruiser21]

I’ve done 20 dcl cruises in 8 years and probably 9 trips to WDW in the last 10 years. I’ve also done 1 cruise on another line. My other vacations which aren’t really vacations is visiting family.

 

[mmmears]

We plan trips for WDW, DL, DCL, as well as other trips. There's a whole big world out there outside of Disney. Having said that, we have combined WDW trips with short DCL cruises out of Canaveral. We have also done just park trips (WDW or DL). And our DCL cruise in Northern Europe was a stand alone vacation. I don't feel the need to do any of it a certain number of times per year, or yearly.

 

[Shanti]

We're transitioning from WDW being our primary vacation destination to it being just one of many. DCL has been part of that transition, as it's a Disneyfied way to get introduced to other countries.

Disney cruises offer the fun and theming along with relaxation and comfort, like the deluxe resorts at WDW do. They also take you to new places, or to Castaway Cay, which we love.

Outside of Disney, we enjoy visiting national parks & wonders, foreign countries & major cities.

 

[Corwin]

We go on a DCL cruise about every 18-24 months. If we are sailing out of Port Canaveral, we combine it with a WDW visit (before and after the cruise).

We are DVC members, but would never use DVC points for a cruise. It's not a very cost-effective use of points.

 

[Carol Greenblatt]

We do both WDW and DCL - frequently we do DCL every 12 months or so and WDW depending on our other plans and our point availability as we our DVC members. I would say I agree that we never use our DVC points for a cruise as it is not a very cost-effective use of points. We tend to prefer DCL as is it generally more relaxing and we can see many places in the world we haven't yet been. Plus, for me it is less planning (ie I don't have to worry about where I am eating, etc every day). I love both WDW and DCL but definitely prefer to cruise!

https://magicaladventureswithdrmom.com/

 

[tlprice]

We do WDW every year (for the past 11 years). We've done 6 DCL cruises in the past 3 years (4 this year). We've done Universal 4 times in the past 8 years. We've been to 18 National Parks in the past 8 years (some of them multiple times). We've done many family trips to Montana, Nebraska, Idaho, Washington. We just love to travel and do it as much as we can!

 

[hpsalb]

DH and I have cruised on average 18-24 months apart since we got married a little over 12 years ago. Most have been DCL, though we did some other lines before kiddos.

We usually do a combined WDW/DCL trip if we do the parks. Only once have we done a full fledged just WDW trip. Plus a quick trip that I did with my mom and kiddos once, but we only did one day in AK, so I'm not counting that in the mix

 

[DonnerB]

Hi everyone! It's my first time posting after lurking for a couple months (a Google search directed me here and I've been reading ever since!)...this seemed like a great thread to start posting in

I'm a Wisconsin transplant and have been in Los Angeles for 7+ years. I did have a Disneyland AP in 2012, but with my work schedule I found it difficult to get my money's worth with the continual price increases (can only go down on weekends, and which ones were/are limited by my call schedule). I still make it to the parks probably 2-3 times per year on average (usually utilizing the SoCal resident ticket specials).

My youngest sister and I became DVC members during a trip to WDW this May. Our parents have owned since 2006. We bought a 100 point contract at Copper Creek - perfect for two single, childless women who love to do non-Disney traveling. (I've visited India and done a safari/gorilla trekking in Africa over the past couple of years.) We plan on staying at "home" for the first time next August & then combining points with our parents to visit Aulani to celebrate my sister's 30th birthday. I also have passes for the Moonlight Magic event at DCA in November.

My fourth DCL cruise is coming up November 30th (on the Magic out of San Juan). I've only sailed on the classic ships (Bahamas on the Wonder in 2002, Med x2 on the Magic in '11 and '14). Am considering WBPC in 2020, but concerned a 14 night cruise will prevent me from having the vacation time to visit Israel and Jordan!

Clearly, I fall into "combo of both, greater than once a year" thanks to my proximity to DL Grateful for all the knowledge I have gleaned so far stalking these boards & glad I'm finally joining in a little!

 

[mousefan73]

We did our first cruise DCL in Septemeber. Been going to WDW since 2011. Each trip usually 2 weeks. Decided now to invest less days at WDW and add a cruise. 2019. We are looking at only 5 nights WDW. Rest cruise or non Disney. WDW has had too many changes too lately that support our decision

 

[ahain]

When we were younger, we did WDW every year. In 2012, when DD was 15, we did our first cruise with DCL. Now, we try to do at least one DCL cruise per year and do WDW every 3 years or so. We bought some "never expire" tickets before they were discontinued, so figure we're set for park admission for at least another 3 WDW visits.

 

[clten]

We used to go to WDW twice a year. Then when DCL started, we transitioned, still doing mostly WDW but changing one trip every couple of years to a cruise with some park days. Slowly over the years, we've replaced 99% of our WDW trips to cruises. We will do a day or two in the parks but just don't enjoy them as much. We are not planners when it comes to vacation details so don't like to think about where I want to eat 6 months beforehand - we always had a hard time sticking to the plan of what park we would be in on which days. To plan it to the level of what time we are going to be on a ride to get Fast Passes is beyond what I want to do for vacation. So now we sail 2 weeks twice a year. Whether that means back to back week long cruises or one long cruise varies based on the offerings.

 

[mevelandry]

I did not know which option to pick. We've skipped WDW & DCL in 2016 and 2018 to do land trips and cruises on another cruise line.

For now, after 3 DCL cruises we feel DCL is very "repetitive" when it comes to short itineraries & that longer cruises are not worth the premium ...

So while we planned a pre-cruise stay in WDW for April 2019, we are going to be cruising on another cruise line.

And then we'll be trying a 3rd cruise line during the fall, with a pre-cruise stay in Universal.

When I want Disney, WDW is my pick.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

I'm sorry to say it; We're over WDW.

I'm sure if we went again, the nostalgia would kick in but I just don't see us returning. It feels like far too much work to plan and keep on schedule, too much walking, standing and waiting.

We've been spoiled by cruising - and not just DCL.

I guess what I've looked for in a vacation has changed and WDW - and to an extent even DCL - have become too regimented, too commercial, too "oh gee whiz you just have to have the best time ever!!!!!"

I want to relax, I want good food, I want good coffee, I want movies, trivia, and yes, a casino. A little of everything but no pressure for anything.

 

[lorimay]

When our kids were small, we did Disney 3-4 times a year.
As they got older we went more to Universal.
In 2002 we did our 1st Disney cruise loved it!
Did another in 2003.
NYC became a big destination and still is.
In 2012 we became big DCL fans and have been doing a couple a year.
We love new ports of call and our floating hotel.

 

[Jess_S]

We do a mix of Disney and non-Disney vacations. We love the service and quality of Disney, but there is not a Disney option for every location we are interested in travelling. (We did do Adventures by Disney this year, which opens up more options. But we decided that we are selective use of group tour people only, so it will not replace our non-Disney travel).

 

[bbn1122]

We used to be WDW every 2 years, but then we becam DVC member off of our first DCL and now it’s all different.

It’s now WDW or DVC’s HHI and VB every year. Sprinkled in with DCL. DH and I have been cruising by ourselves and taking our sons on DVC vacations. Some years it’s a DCL and DVC/WDW vacation.

We are taking everyone after a 6 year hiatus on a DCL cruise in early 2020.