When it comes to creating magical experiences for families, Disney has mastered the art of storytelling in every aspect of entertainment.
With two of its most beloved vacation options, Disney World and Disney Cruise Line, Disney offers distinct avenues for magic and wonder.
But the question remains: which one is the ultimate destination for an unforgettable adventure?
From the land-based extravaganza where dreams come true to the floating paradise that sets sail to breathtaking destinations, we’ll explore the unique features, attractions, and overall experiences of both Disney World and Disney Cruise Lines.
So, whether you’re torn between singing along to Happily Ever After after a fun-filled day in Magic Kingdom or soaking in the sun on Disney’s Castaway Cay island in the Bahamas, I’ll break down the major pros, cons, and price differences between both Disney World and Disney Cruise Line.
Disney World vs Disney Cruise Line
For this comparison, I’m only going to reference Disney Cruises that visit the Bahamas and Caribbean as reference.
Planning
The planning process of booking a Disney Cruise is so simple and straightforward. All you have to worry about is choosing your destination and departure port, find a stateroom (and stateroom category), book any Port Excursions or onboard activities, and reserve any additional adult-exclusive dining opportunities.
That’s it. When you’re onboard the ship, you literally won’t have to worry about anything else.
The planning process for Disney World, on the other hand, is 10x more stressful. It’s not necessarily difficult, especially when it comes to actually booking your hotel and park tickets. But it’s when you actually get to the park, that’s when you might find everything to be complicated and stressful, especially if you’re trying to plan everything perfectly with Genie+.
Not to mention the difficulty it is to sometimes find reasonable dining reservation times for places you’ve been dying to try.
But the extra steps needed to plan a Disney World vacation is a given because there is so much to do, see, and eat.
When it comes to planning a Disney Vacation, I have to give the edge to Disney Cruise.
WINNER: Disney Cruise
Costs
The costs difference between a Disney Cruise and Disney World can vary greatly depending on your budget and vacation style.
But for this article, I’ll focus more on the budget side of things.
If you’re on a budget, you can possibly save more at Walt Disney World. You can choose budget-friendly hotels (on or off-property), dine at quick service locations, or knock out multiple parks in one day to offset any additional ticket costs.
When looking to the cheapest Disney World vacation possible, I found that the average total cost for a family of four (2 adults and 2 children) for 3 nights and a 3-Day Park Hopper ticket, including food was $3,506.
You can definitely find cheaper hotels since the one I found for this example was $150 a night and you can also eat less food, which I averaged to be $200 per day.
That said, you can also visit Disney World in one or two days, stay at a cheaper AirBnB, pack your own lunch, maximize your Disney Dining Plan credits, and other money-saving hacks. There are just so many other factors to take into account that it’s hard to determine a true total Disney World vacation cost.
From a financial standpoint, you can save yourself from any additional spending on a Disney Cruise because once you’re onboard, you can go the entire sailing without spending any extra money.
That’s the beauty of the all-inclusive nature of Disney Cruise. Since everything is included in your total stateroom cost, you won’t have to pay for anything else on board the ship besides gratuities. Of course, there will be additional expenses like shopping, alcohol, and specialty foods. But that is all optional.
When looking at the cheapest Disney Cruise to the Bahamas that leaves out of Port Canaveral, the total cost for a family of four (2 adults and 2 children) was $3,231.
This was for an Inside Stateroom aboard the Disney Wish with one stop in Nassau and one stop at Disney’s Castaway Cay.
And those of you that prefer vacationing in luxury, if comparing the costs, perks, service, benefits of staying Club Level at a Disney Resort versus staying Concierge level on a Disney Cruise, the cruise is by far the only correct choice. The overall experience cruising as a concierge guest is 10x better than what you get as a Club Level guest at a Disney World resort. And it’s not even close.
So to sum things up, when it comes to total vacation costs, the clear winner is Disney World.
WINNER: Disney World
Attractions and Entertainment
In all honesty, there is no competition. Disney World is the clear winner.
Don’t get me wrong though, because there is so much to see and do onboard a Disney Cruise. From broadway style shows and onboard gameshows and activities to Port Adventures (excursions), private beaches, and unique water slides, you will not be bored on any Disney Cruise ship.
But when it comes to Disney World, the attractions and entertainment are on a whole different level.
Disney World is home to 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, mini-golf, 4 golf courses, Cirque du Soleil, insane roller coasters, one-of-a-kind rides, classic attractions, parades, nighttime shows and fireworks, and so much more that it’s impossible to list it all here.
Disney Cruises are meant to be relaxing while Disney World vacations are more jam-packed.
WINNER: Disney World
Food and Dining
The food quality on board Disney Cruises is okay. It’s nothing spectacular, but there are some great dishes here and there that you’ll experience during your sailing. If food quality is very important to you, then you’ll absolutely love the options served at the adult-exclusive restaurants like Palo, Remy, and Enchante.
The overall food experience at Disney World 100% depends on where you’re dining because although there are some great restaurants, there are also some massive duds. The atmosphere can be great, but the food can sometimes be lacking.
My personal favorites include dinner at Topolino’s Terrace, brunch at Steakhouse 71, Ohana’s apps and dessert, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Ravello’s, Shula’s Steakhouse, Nomad Lounge, The Boathouse, and Regal Eagle Smokehouse.
Plus, there’s even a Michelin-starred restaurant on property now which is an added bonus.
WINNER: Disney World
Characters
Both Disney World and Disney Cruises offer guests plenty of opportunities to see different characters, however, the overall experience is different.
At Disney World, there are a lot more characters that you can meet due to the amount of parks, lands, and restaurants that they have.
On the other hand, the selection of characters that you meet on a Disney Cruise is slightly less than what you’d find at WDW.
For example, you can’t meet any Pixar or Star Wars characters on Disney Cruises unless you do a special Pixar or Star Wars Day at Sea. But in Disney World, you can see them whenever.
The only character exception where Disney Cruise has Disney World beat are the Marvel characters since Disney World doesn’t have any.
WINNER: Disney World
Relaxation
If the ultimate goal is to relax, don’t even consider Disney World.
Disney Cruises is by far the most relaxing Disney Vacation you can take. Everything is within short walking distance, you can eat and drink as much as you want, and the service is world class.
You would need a 3-night Disney Cruise after all that walking you’d be doing at Disney World.
WINNER: Disney Cruise
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there really isn’t a wrong answer when comparing Disney Cruises vs Disney World.
Disney World has more jam-packed days while Disney Cruises is more relaxing.
But at the end of the day, it depends on what YOU want to see and experience because if the planning is done correctly, the total vacation cost could be identical.
Although these two vacations will be very different, one thing will always remain the same – the cherished memories you’ll make with the people you love.
But if I had to choose, I’m going to Disneyland 😂
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