New member first time cruiser

[Disfamily1627]

Hello, first timer.. family of 4. Two toddlers, will be 4 years old and at the time of the trip the younger third birthday will be on ship (if we go in December). We are trying to decide between two dates...

December 30-January 4, 2019... our youngest will then 3 while on ship. Plan is to potty train her this summer at 2.5 just liked we did our oldest. Should we upgrade to the veranda room? Over $9k seems a lot for a five day cruise but I love the idea of going over NYE so it may be worth it? Do they do NYE extras on ship? This is Key West and Bahama

Or should we wait until April 2020, $2k less for the veranda room and youngest will be well potty trained. Key west and Bahama.

The reason we are doing a cruise is because I feel with two toddlers it will be too much work to go to the parks. But I want the Disney feel. Are there other good Disney resorts for (3 and 4 year olds) other than actual Disney world and cruises? We want our trip to be easy easy and accommodating as possible as we live a very busy life as it is with our kids being close in age and just want to enjoy our time.

Tips, suggestions, etc welcome. This is our first big family trip. Our first time cruising.

 

[Marc D]

Nothing is as easy as a cruise, especially a DCL cruise, when traveling with kids.

I would wait until you’re sure your kid is potty trained. It will make a big difference since kids need to be 3 and potty trained to go to the kids clubs. If her birthday is during the cruise, they will probably not let her into the club before.

The NYE cruises are the most expensive of the year and you will not get 2000 $ worth of extra enjoyment out of it with young kids, even with the possible extra fireworks and deck party. Plus the weather that far north will surely be better in April.

 

[Jess_S]

I would go with April as well. That will ensure your little one isn't left out of clubs and swimming. I also generally travel at non peak times to get better pricing. It means I can travel more, which is worth more to me than whatever special holiday events are going on.

 

[fredandkell]

Totally agree with the others about waiting until April - better weather, better chances the 3-yo will be potty trained, etc. Plus the price difference is huge and $9K is way too much for a 5-day cruise, even by DCL standards!

 

[lanejudy]

If the younger child starts the cruise under age 3, she will not be allowed at the Club/Lab with older sibling until the birthday. That may not be an issue if the birthday is embarkation or the next day, but if it's any later in the cruise I would wait so both children can go to the Club together.

I believe there are a few special New Year's Eve activities, but I haven't cruised at that time. I'm sure someone else will chime in. Personally I do not think $2K is "worth it" just to cruise on NYE, but that is subjective. We typically cruise in Oceanview anyway.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[Marc D]

I believe there are a few special New Year's Eve activities, but I haven't cruised at that time. I'm sure someone else will chime in. Personally I do not think $2K is "worth it" just to cruise on NYE, but that is subjective. We typically cruise in Oceanview anyway.
Enjoy your cruise!

When we sailed for 2017 NYE on Wonder, we got chocolate truffles, a giant chocolate Mickey head, a lithograph and party hats in the room the night of the party. There is a deck party that leads to the countdown and fireworks at midnight. They did two fireworks shows on our sailing but I’ve read they sometimes only do one. During the party, they offer sparkling wine and non-alcoholic drinks. There was also a midnight buffet in Cabanas.

We’ll be on Fantasy in 2 weeks for this year’s NYE. We’ll see how they do things this year.

 

[pascalspal]

I agree with some other previous posters about waiting until April. Most of the time the peak cruises are more expensive and they don't seem that much more special. They do have 'extras' like small parties and craft activities during the day, but to me it personally doesn't seem worth it for NYE with two small children. However you may have different feelings on that. April should give you some nice warm weather to enjoy the pool together and excursions on the port days you have. Also someone made a good point about your youngest being at least 3 to get into the club. That sounds like a great way for your kids to spend some time together and the parents to have some relaxing time as well (maybe spa appt or palo!)

We loved cruising with a verandah but we honestly don't use it that much. It can be nice when you have kids who are young though. It would always get utilized by mom and dad in the am when the kids were still sleeping. Could enjoy a nice breakfast outside with coffee without waking the kids up too early. If it is your first cruise it is hard to say how much you will use it. You could find yourself there a lot or you could find that you used it twice the entire trip. It really depends on your family dynamic. I would say go for it once to see how you like it, if it was not used much then you don't have to worry about the price increase on future trips.

In the mindset of relaxing vacations cruises are definitely the best. You don't have to worry about a single thing other than having fun!! Sounds like a great match for your family. I know you asked for resorts other than Disney for kids, but I'm going to suggest a Disney tip. If you do want to do a Disney trip with little ones, we have found staying at the contemporary has made trips a lot less stressful for us. Little ones love MK and it is a short 7-10 min walk from the contemporary. Perfect for afternoon naps or meltdowns and there is a great pool for some non park time as well! Maybe something to consider!

 

[DietCokeMommy]

$9k is LOT for a 5 day cruise. If you really want to do a vacation over NYE with little kids, a cruise is a great option. We went this past February when mine were 1.5 and 4. It's a great setup for vacationing with little kids. But I would agree with others that if you want to get the most value out of it, wait until April when your youngest is over 3 and you'll be able to do a lot more. And while a verandah is great when you have kids that nap and go to bed early, IDK that I'd want to do it on a cruise from NYC in the winter. It's going to be cold for a good portion of your trip. I've been keeping an eye on FL weather because we're heading there for Christmas with my family, and the forecast high most days is 68-72. You're not going to want to hang out there at night if it's 60 degrees out.

 

[lorimay]

to the DIs.

I agree with others, wait until both of your kids are over 3 and can go to the clubs.
My daughter has two close in age and when she could drop them both off and go and enjoy an adult dinner in Palo and a little nightlife with her husband, she was thrilled. That was the first time they had a night away and time to relax together while on a vacation.
They normally did Disney and that was go go go without no break.

Have fun!

 

[Marc D]

And while a verandah is great when you have kids that nap and go to bed early, IDK that I'd want to do it on a cruise from NYC in the winter. It's going to be cold for a good portion of your trip. I've been keeping an eye on FL weather because we're heading there for Christmas with my family, and the forecast high most days is 68-72. You're not going to want to hang out there at night if it's 60 degrees out.

Magic doesn’t sail from NYC in the winter months. Her last cruise out of there is in late October I think. She’s sails out of Miami or San Juan after that. Wonder is in Galveston (or NOLA next year) and the bigger ships dock in PC.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

Agree with all the PP: YOU will enjoy the April cruise far more knowing your youngest is totally potty trained and can stay with her sibling in the kids club. And yes, $9K is a lot of money. Enjoy the savings during April.

 

[GPaLarry]

Verandahs are more expensive and there are variables to consider, some were mentioned above. Some folks worry about their small kids climbing the rails, while others spend so little time during the day in their stateroom that a verandah is a waste of money. Your lifestyle/comfort feelings and budget will help you sort out your stateroom choices when you book future cruises. Of our eight DCL cruises, about half were with verandahs (EBPC, Caribbean and Alaska, for example) because of the frequent use of the extra patio. Our Med./WBTA B2B cruises were in the same oceanview stateroom because the Med. was so port intensive with long days that we had no time to enjoy a verandah. The WBTA had about the same view every day with iffy weather and we were busy with activities elsewhere on the Magic. In the Caribbean I could sit for hours on the verandah and watch the dolphins and flying fish. For your first cruise, I would go with an oceanview stateroom.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I'll jump on board with the others who voted for April. We took my DS on his first Disney cruise when he was 3 1/2 and it wasn't as relaxing as I had hoped. He was completely overwhelmed by the kids club and, really, by the whole experience. I took him on his second DCL cruise when he was 6 and it was the opposite experience - he thoroughly enjoyed everything. There is also zero reason, IMHO, to pay that much more for a NYE cruise especially when you are unsure if the kids will enjoy it and you will have a relaxing experience. I would wait until April 2020 when they are a little older, fully potty trained and you will spend less on your stateroom. I would also price out oceanview staterooms as well.

 

[DietCokeMommy]

Magic doesn’t sail from NYC in the winter months. Her last cruise out of there is in late October I think. She’s sails out of Miami or San Juan after that. Wonder is in Galveston (or NOLA next year) and the bigger ships dock in PC.

Oops, I totally misread the initial post.

 

[Pens Fan]

I completely agree with everyone above. $9K for a 5 night cruise is just too much for my wallet. Yes, it's NYE and that would be cool, but would a 4 and 3 year old even be able to stay up to participate? Would they even care about NYE, or do they just want to see Mickey ? I would wait until April, save the $$ and not have to stress about the potty training.

Also, look at it this way. Very soon, assuming you don't home school, you are going to be dealing with school schedules - either traveling during breaks (expensive, crowded) or taking them out of school which can be a hassle as they get older. Enjoy the short time you have before they start school to travel during off times. You have years ahead of you to fit in vacations over school breaks, so take advantage of the fact that you don't have to right now.

 

[MomOTwins]

The reason we are doing a cruise is because I feel with two toddlers it will be too much work to go to the parks. But I want the Disney feel. Are there other good Disney resorts for (3 and 4 year olds) other than actual Disney world and cruises? We want our trip to be easy easy and accommodating as possible as we live a very busy life as it is with our kids being close in age and just want to enjoy our time.

To answer your question, Aulani in Hawaii would be a Disney alternative to the parks and cruises. But that can be a long flight with little ones depending on where you are coming from.

I also just might push back a bit on the premise that a cruise is better for toddlers than the Disney World. The kids clubs on the cruise mix children age 3-12 all in the same area, are pretty unstructured (they have activities, but the kids have to "opt in"), and get VERY crowded. That increases the likelihood that a 3 and 4 year old would be overwhelmed by the clubs with all the older kids roughhousing around them. Same thing with the pools, which are commonly called "kid soup" on this board because of how crowded they get. The other factor with kids that age is bedtimes. My youngest turned 3 on the last cruise, and he was too tired to stay up late for post-dinner shows and pirate night so my husband or I always had to babysit him in the stateroom in the evenings.

Four our 3 year old, however, Disney World was HEAVEN. You'd be surprised how many rides have no height limit, and with fastpass, we never had to stand in line more than 10 minutes. The character meals were a huge hit with him too. We took mid-afternoon breaks to go swim in the resort pool, and that avoided park fatigue.

But as others have said, there is no earthly reason to pay New Year's prices for a cruise. Prices are very high at Christmas, New Year's, Spring Break, and summer because that is when there are school breaks. But with toddlers, it's typically not as big of a deal to miss a few days of preschool. Why pay extra when you don't have to?

 

[bumbershoot]

I also just might push back a bit on the premise that a cruise is better for toddlers than the Disney World. The kids clubs on the cruise mix children age 3-12 all in the same area, are pretty unstructured (they have activities, but the kids have to "opt in"), and get VERY crowded. That increases the likelihood that a 3 and 4 year old would be overwhelmed by the clubs with all the older kids roughhousing around them. Same thing with the pools, which are commonly called "kid soup" on this board because of how crowded they get. The other factor with kids that age is bedtimes. My youngest turned 3 on the last cruise, and he was too tired to stay up late for post-dinner shows and pirate night so my husband or I always had to babysit him in the stateroom in the evenings.

Four our 3 year old, however, Disney World was HEAVEN. You'd be surprised how many rides have no height limit, and with fastpass, we never had to stand in line more than 10 minutes. The character meals were a huge hit with him too. We took mid-afternoon breaks to go swim in the resort pool, and that avoided park fatigue.

I agree with all of that (except maybe the 10 minutes part lol). I would much rather go to the parks than on a cruise with a bitty.

We cruised first when DS was 8, and it was great. He’s an extrovert so had fun in the clubs (we had cousins along and there were some issues with them wanting to leave the club and my son going along with that, which ruined adult time), and we knew more of his personality. When he was 3 and 4 he was much less predictable.

When I go on a cruise I want to laze around and do very little. I don’t want to have the craziness of life with a little kid.

But at the parks it’s already going to be crazy. I know I won’t get much rest. So it’s all good.



But if you’re going to go, I’d go in april.

 

[Sunshine2U]

I like the veranda. Toddlers can sleep 10-12 hours a day. I'd rather spend that time on the balcony with a book and perhaps a glass of wine than in a cabin whispering to spouse. I keep fruit, milk, and other kids breakfast favorites in the frig (never used free room service so as not to wake children). In the morning I wake pretty early, go for a walk, and then bring something back from the buffet for DH and I to eat on the balcony while kids sleep. When everyone is awake we go back to a the buffet for a more complete breakfast - most of the time that holds us over to dinner. We like the balconies - the locks are high enough and complicated enough that toddlers aren't going to get out there.

I vote cruise over parks because you said you live busy lives. We did too when kids were young. Our first Disney cruise was the first vacation where I felt like it was an actual vacation for me, and not a family trip where I did the same thing I always do, just somewhere else. There's no need to think out when/what to eat. And even if you drop off at the club for two hours, that's like gold when you have toddlers. Plus you and DH can switch off so each of you each get some alone time in the spa, gym or adult pool deck. There are movies and shows and dance parties to entertain you all, so you're not the activities director. And if there's a melt down, you're 5 minutes away from home base - so you don't have to schedule around that, either.

What can I say, I'm a fan. Now we travel with the grands. Our lives aren't as complicated but we still love cruises.

 

[FigmentSpark]

With toddlers, you can go any time of the year (unless one of you is a teacher?) Go in April and save the NYE cruise until they are in school and you are limited to certain times of the year that you can pull them out. Also, they will remember the event and appreciate it more if they are older. At this age, it will be about meeting princesses and Mickey, not about special celebrations that adults understand. Also, you won't have to worry about your youngest in the clubs or having accidents. It will make everything easier.

Also, buy the placeholder while you're on the ship. Even if you think this will be your only cruise, buy it anyway. You can always get your money back if you don't take another cruise in 2 years.

Just as an aside, we took our kids to WDW when they were small, but made sure they each had a stroller to use, so if it was crowded, they were safely stowed and if they were tired, we could still tour (taking turns) while they slept. But I only had two, not three little ones, so it may be different for you.

 

[starvenger]

To answer your question, Aulani in Hawaii would be a Disney alternative to the parks and cruises. But that can be a long flight with little ones depending on where you are coming from.

I’ve never been to Aulani but I agree that it would be a good alternative while still giving you that “Disney” feel. But this comes with the caveat that I love going to Hawaii.

Would also agree with the sentiment that 3-4 is not too young for WDW. My younger one was in that range her first time to WDW. You can still enjoy yourselves - the plan of attack is just a bit different. For example, going to a park every other day instead of every day.