Would you pay Disney prices if you were not a Disney fan?

[Winston Wolf]

At your kids ages...yes I would. My kids are the same way. We are not a die hard Disney family, but the biggest difference I see between NCL and DCL (the two cruise lines whose products I'm familiar with) is with the passengers and the atmosphere that they create. On NCL, the pool area is dominated by adults. Most with drinks in their hands and loud bands playing. Entertainment is good, but not really geared towards families. On Disney, the pools are a kids heaven. Movies on the funnel vision, pools filled with other kids, a much more family friendly atmosphere. I still had my bucket of beers on deck, but the vibe was very different from NCL. Shows are all Disney themed and thus much more friendly towards all ages.

 

I know DCL gets a lot of props for service level, etc....but to me it wasn't any better or worse than the great service we got on NCL. Was it nice that we had the same servers all week? Sure. But it didn't add to my vacation experience.

 

So in short, would I choose DCL...right now, yes. As our kids get older, we'll branch out to other cruise lines like NCL, RCI, etc.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Hi Disney board!

 

Looking at possibly booking our first Disney cruise for 2017 now that summer pricing is out but I just can't get myself to pull the trigger.

 

A little bit about us. We are a family of 4, kids are 7 and 5, and as our cruise history shows, we don't play favoritism with cruise lines. We like the Disney product, but we are by no means big fans. Yes, the kids enjoy Disney things and we've taken trips to Disney in Orlando, but at home they don't get any more excited about Disney characters than about cartoon characters on PBS.

 

With all of that said, for those of you who frequently sail on Disney, would you still choose this cruise line if you were not a Disney fan? Yes I keep reading how amazing the service, the food, and the entertainment are, but I've read and experienced the same on several other cruise lines at a fraction of the price.

 

So taking aside the Disney "magic" out, what makes you choose Disney over others?

 

Thanks for your time! [emoji3]

 

Tapi,

 

I am a Disney fan and won't pay Disney prices.

 

I have been to the parks over 20 times and have been on 3 cruises but that was before these HUGE prices were in place.

 

I'd love to go on another cruise but there is no way I will pay these asking prices.

 

So to answer your original question... NO WAY!

 

Bill

[JulieRose]

A Disney cruise is a luxury vacation. There are more upgrades in service and atmosphere than just the addition of the Disney characters.

 

The staterooms are larger than your average cruise line with more storage space because they are intended to be shared by a family. The interior staterooms on some ships all have a Magic Porthole that broadcasts views from outside the ship. Most staterooms on the Magic and Wonder have "split bathrooms" where the toilet and shower are in separate rooms each with their own sink so that 2 people can get ready at once. Many even have tubs.

 

The kids programs are unbelievable. Disney actually decided to put in more kids areas instead of building an onboard casino. The kids don't even have to leave the kids club for meals if they don't want to.

 

You can also take any type of beer or liquor you want in your carry on which will save you a few bucks on drinks. Also, the price includes a soda "package."

 

So basically, you are getting a different overall experience with Disney so to compare the price alone isn't a good way to judge if it is worth it. It costs more because there is more value on a Disney ship.

[AdoraBelle]

If Disney made an adults-only ship I would. :)

[moki'smommy]

 

You can also take any type of beer or liquor you want in your carry on which will save you a few bucks on drinks. Also, the price includes a soda "package."

 

This policy changed about a year ago. You can bring on a limited amount of beer or wine if you are over 21. No hard liquor is permitted to be brought on.

 

The cruise fare includes fountain serve coke products from the beverage station or in the dining rooms. That's a lot more limited than a "soda package" on some other lines. And the fact that DCL fares are 2-4 times as much as fares on other lines....well, I can buy a lot of soda packages for that fare difference, especially considering that only one member of my family drinks the stuff. It's a nice touch, but it honestly isn't that big a deal.

[moki'smommy]

If Disney made an adults-only ship I would. :)

 

That might get me back on board. I intentionally take longer cruises during the traditional school year, which cuts down on the kids running around greatly (younger kids are either with parents or in programming, not roaming the halls or crashing thru adult areas).

[S.S.Oceanlover]

A Disney cruise is a luxury vacation. There are more upgrades in service and atmosphere than just the addition of the Disney characters.

 

The staterooms are larger than your average cruise line with more storage space because they are intended to be shared by a family. The interior staterooms on some ships all have a Magic Porthole that broadcasts views from outside the ship. Most staterooms on the Magic and Wonder have "split bathrooms" where the toilet and shower are in separate rooms each with their own sink so that 2 people can get ready at once. Many even have tubs.

 

The kids programs are unbelievable. Disney actually decided to put in more kids areas instead of building an onboard casino. The kids don't even have to leave the kids club for meals if they don't want to.

 

You can also take any type of beer or liquor you want in your carry on which will save you a few bucks on drinks. Also, the price includes a soda "package."

 

So basically, you are getting a different overall experience with Disney so to compare the price alone isn't a good way to judge if it is worth it. It costs more because there is more value on a Disney ship.

 

I will agree they may have more amenities but to me the only part about DCL that is luxury is the price.

 

RCI now has virtual balconys as well.

 

I didnt think you were allowed to bring alcohol in anymore.:confused:

 

Bill

[AdoraBelle]

That might get me back on board. I intentionally take longer cruises during the traditional school year' date=' which cuts down on the kids running around greatly (younger kids are either with parents or in programming, not roaming the halls or crashing thru adult areas).[/quote']

 

 

Traditional school year (Sept) and late dining didn't stop 8 year olds from running around screaming during dinner. Felt really bad for the waiters who had to smile and try not to be tripped while carrying trays.

 

Very nice ship, and the concierge service was amazing, but the extremely limited dining options, and parents who let their kids scream throughout the MDR seating means I'm in no rush to go back. (No kids here. But I can appreciate the quality of a Disney product. The adults only beach was very relaxing.)

Edited April 23, 2016 by AdoraBelle

[JulieRose]

This policy changed about a year ago. You can bring on a limited amount of beer or wine if you are over 21. No hard liquor is permitted to be brought on.

 

The cruise fare includes fountain serve coke products from the beverage station or in the dining rooms. That's a lot more limited than a "soda package" on some other lines. And the fact that DCL fares are 2-4 times as much as fares on other lines....well' date=' I can buy a lot of soda packages for that fare difference, especially considering that only one member of my family drinks the stuff. It's a nice touch, but it honestly isn't that big a deal.[/quote']

 

Yes, the soda package is restrictive but it is a nice little touch.

 

I did not know they changed the alcohol policy. That is unfortunate. Since I just read that directly from disney yesterday, it also means that some of their materials are a bit out of date.

[JulieRose]

 

RCI now has virtual balconys as well.

 

 

I stayed in one on Anthem and I didn't mind being in an interior one bit. I thought it would make me crazy but we actually really liked it.

[moki'smommy]

Traditional school year (Sept) and late dining didn't stop 8 year olds from running around screaming during dinner. Felt really bad for the waiters who had to smile and try not to be tripped while carrying trays.

 

Very nice ship, and the concierge service was amazing, but the extremely limited dining options, and parents who let their kids scream throughout the MDR seating means I'm in no rush to go back. (No kids here. But I can appreciate the quality of a Disney product. The adults only beach was very relaxing.)

 

There are far too many people who don't realize that "parent" is also a verb. Or perhaps they don't know what a verb is......

Agree, parenting should not stop when one sets foot on the ship. There is no excuse for some of what we've seen in the dining rooms....or other places around the ship. The dining room is the worst though because there is no question that the parents can see what is happening and continue to permit their little darlings to act out and go crazy. It's bad enough when it is 11 year olds and parents are nowhere in sight.

[carterd2002]

I will agree they may have more amenities but to me the only part about DCL that is luxury is the price

 

 

Exactly- as I mentioned on another thread I compared two 7 night Northern European cruises with Princess vs DCL for 3 in a balcony stateroom. DCL was nearly $7,000 more:eek:

 

I'm sorry, but the Disney cruise experience is not worth that price differential.

[AdoraBelle]

Didn't I read something about them deploying new ships? Obviously they charge those prices because they can, but I wonder if there are enough upper-middle class folks (or those who are willing to sacrifice everything else all year and/or go into massive debt) to fill significantly more ships?

 

I've also noticed the typical hardcore Disney family has more kids than average (often 4-6) so that's gotta push the prices to insane levels.

[moki'smommy]

2 new ships approved...launch date 2021 and 2023, if I remember correctly. So no need to hold our breath for now. If they didn't believe they could fill ships, DCL wouldn't have them built. Even as many "old timers" on the boards talk about prices being too high, there is plenty of fresh money taking our places.

 

I don't know about the average size of a "Disney freak" family....I have one kid, unless you count the furry ones. I haven't seen anything to make me think one way or another about family size. In the dining rooms if you are a small group and made no request, it is likely that you will be seated with one or more additional small groups, so you certainly can't base it on the number of people at a dining table.

[NancyIL]

My Disney cruises have all been with only one other person, so I pay only for myself. I don't know how families with multiple kids afford it. I have cruised with my husband and each of my 3 kids individually - on other cruise lines. The 5 of us have never taken a cruise together, because it's still a lot of money - even on much less expensive cruise lines!

[quickcat]

Oh my goodness....no, we definitely would not sail with Disney if we weren't Disney fans. There are just too many other lines out there to sail with, in my opinion. We have sailed with other lines but always come back to Disney and definitely prefer Disney.

We are Disney fans obviously :) I wish we weren't, my checkbook would thank me!

[carterd2002]

I think it was mentioned here or elsewhere on CC that DCL seems to be pricing their cruises for families with small kids, count on a few cruises from them on average, then replace them with new families, all while charging a premium for the "pixie dust". More power to them, they get the young families and the Super Disney Fans to shell out the $ for sure. Heck, my daughter and I will be doing our 4th Disney cruise in Jan! We live close enough to WDW to have annual passes but we're starting to get a little bored with Disney and I guess as a by-product DCL.

[moki'smommy]

I think it was mentioned here or elsewhere on CC that DCL seems to be pricing their cruises for families with small kids, count on a few cruises from them on average, then replace them with new families, all while charging a premium for the "pixie dust". More power to them, they get the young families and the Super Disney Fans to shell out the $ for sure. Heck, my daughter and I will be doing our 4th Disney cruise in Jan! We live close enough to WDW to have annual passes but we're starting to get a little bored with Disney and I guess as a by-product DCL.

 

They are well aware that the fewer cruises you've done and the shorter the cruise, the more the average person spends per diem. If I've done 20 cruises, I'm less likely to book an expensive excursion thru DCL or to buy another shirt. Obviously there are exceptions, but when a person books a cabin, DCL has a computer model that estimates how much they might generate in on board spending based on all sorts of factors.

[Kosi]

Would you pay Disney prices if you were not a Disney fan?

 

No, try NCL. That is where we cruise with our family. You can get rooms that hold up to 6. We are 8 so we get 2 rooms (2 adults and 2 kids). Great Kids Club and other amenities. Love it!

 

We are going to go with Disney in Oct out of NYC .. Even if we did not ever want to do a Disney cruise DO NOT DO AN NCL in place of this !! I have been on NCL 3 times using their penthouse rooms, and I always said this was about at the same level as Holland America's regular balcony room!

[meatloafsfan]

No I would not; and I wouldn't recommend them to anyone else anymore who isn't a die hard Disney fan.

 

They are just too expensive now for the product they offer.

 

I have sailed 4 different cruise lines and service wise, I don't find DCL to warrant the additional cost in that area.

 

Food wise, I like their buffet now, and their pool food area is good; MDRs are passable at best for us. Other lines are stepping it up in this area, DCL is making menu changes for the worse, and food quality and presentation is declining.

 

If you have kids who will enjoy and use the kids clubs frequently and consistently and a family who want to be immersed in the Disney pixie dust, then DCL is for you.

 

If you're a family who loves to cruise, or want to travel to various ports around the world (or even exotic Caribbean ports), who values food quality, or who are looking just to relax on a lounger for 8 hours a day while cruising around the ocean, there are other lines that offer a product worth their cost.

[moki'smommy]

We need a "like" button for meatloafsfan.

[cyclenut]

I see you have already made your decision and I would agree that you made the right call. We've done Disney to Alaska. It was our first Disney cruise experience and we had very high expectations. That was really the problem. The cruise was really great, but not as great as the price suggested it should be or as the people we talked to thought it would be.

 

We've sailed Disney since then with more realistic expectations and better pricing. We've cancelled sailings where the price didn't make sense and found others with Disney that did make sense.

 

The last few Disney cruise have been adults only and off season. If the price isn't right, we won't do Disney.

 

I should also add that we are HUGE ... HUGE ... Disney fans. I see absolutely no reason to sail Disney AT ALL if you are not a fan of Disney already. I should say that I am not a fan because I love the characters. I just love their brand of entertainment. Total escape and the belief that you are somewhere else totally. Not just because you went somewhere else, but the complete illusion that you have of being in another place ... Another time. They do this with resorts, cruise ships and theme parks. I enjoy that, but not for every vacation.

 

We used to live 15 minutes from Disneyland and went frequently. My kids have and one still does work in the parks. People I know well work there now. Some in the parks, some in entertainment and some for the Disney corporation in various roles (including IT for example). Huge fan of Disney. Still don't pay their prices.

[CookieMonster123]

Great thread! We just got off a Disney cruise and are pondering the same thing. We are Disney fans and members of their vacation club and we have one young teenage daughter. After having taken two cruises on the Dream, I think it is one of the cleanest, most well-run, gorgeous ships. That being said, we've cruised on one of Holland America's smaller ships and two of RCL's larger. We enjoyed all of those cruises as well. And while the Disney staff was certainly top notch, we had wonderful cabin stewards and dining attendants on the other ships. While on the Disney ship I had the feeling I could never get on a different line. However, now that I'm back on land and reality has sunk in, I think a cruise on a highly reviewed ship during a not-so-crazy month (April is less hectic than March, for instance) would be as good as Disney.

 

Plus The Dream is not perfect. All of the shows are Disney and they are repeated, so even after 4 years they are still running the same shows. The Dream doesn't have a library. Sounds silly to some, but I enjoyed the library on the two other lines. Also, I didn't feel like there were very many interesting classes. Most of the Disney classes were geared towards kids (except for the tastings).

 

Still, Castaway Cay is run so perfectly. Also, The Dream is just a fine ship. Period.

 

Right now, for the money, my opinion is Disney is best for first time cruisers who like Disney. It's a good, safe, introduction to the world of cruising, and then from then on you can take other cruises and compare.

[snownow]

Yes and No. They Disney ships we have been had amazing service, good food and a very clean ship. From dining to the room attendant A+ service. Both of my kids love the Disney theme, but the older one has moved on from that. We have done large family events on Carnival and were disappointed compared to the service on the Disney ships. In this case you do get what your paying for, if thats what your looking for.

 

But had the same question this year, Is Disney worth the price... Based on some reviews, and the fact that NCL has a new boat out we decided to try something new. We were able to book NCL's new ship, and get two rooms, with drinks and dining upgrades for way less than a Disney trip.

 

Will we be back on a Disney ship soon... yes. But how soon will be determined in about 5 weeks.

 

On a side note, we did go to Disney's Aulani last summer... For small kids, and parents that just want to relax at the beach a great choice. Disney normal service :) Disney normal price :mad:

[OfficerKrupke]

Would you pay Disney prices if you were not a Disney fan?

 

No.

 

 

 

This. Absolutely this. We're booked for Princess in a month to get our feet wet outside Disney because Disney's Alaska cruises were ludicrously priced. We're booked for Disney in November and June of next year, but that June one may get changed depending on where we stand after our Princess cruise. Disney's prices are so far out of line with the real world that we don't see the value anymore. We'll see once we're off the Crown Princess.