People who like cruises aren't like Disney people...are we?

[tripman]

I recently was reading a thread on a Disney World discussion board talking about how they handle it when others pressure them as to why they only go to Disneyworld for vacations.

 

I myself wonder the same thing about them, to each his own I suppose, but still, it seems that you can only ride Pirates of the Caribbean so many times and it still be fun.

 

But anyway, the point of my post here is to ask if I'm a hypocrit for thinking this way, because I really would rather choose a cruise over most other types of vacations. But I don't think I am a hypocrit because I, like others on here I presume, probably don't want to do the same itinerary over and over again on the same ship. To me, that is what I equate the Disney vacations. True, there are four different theme parks and several differently themed hotels, but when you look at it, the actual destination is the theme parks, not the hotel. On a cruise, the destination is a combination of the ship and the ports. I've been on three cruises on three different lines on three different itineraries, and they are all very unique. I've been to Disney World a few times staying at different hotels, and it all pretty much runs together.

 

So I guess I'm just asking for thoughts on this.

[darrencantwait]

you know what...I've thought exactly what you asked several times. I've often found those people that are obsessed with yearly trips to Disney theme parks a bit off. But here I am on these crazy boards almost every day...sometimes talking to folks from cruise lines I've never been on. My behavior IS a little odd, and it's only going to get worse, I suspect.

[mbisson]

Big trouble for me!

 

We have a timeshare in Orlando and I usually try to have a cruise either before or after our weeks there! (but I usually do Universal/SeaWorld/Busch instead of Disney)

 

-Monte

[tripman]

At first I said people who cruise on the same ship to the same places are like people who go to Disney over and over, but I don't even think that is true. Each cruise would be different, different waiter, different excursions, different guest entertainers, maybe different menu items, different excursions, etc.

 

But Splash Mountain is exactly the same each an every time. Don't get me wrong, I do like Disney World, but it has been 3 1/2 years since I was there last, and I'd like to go again, but it is still a bit too early, not enough has changed yet. But there are some people who go there for a week or so a couple times per year, I just don't get it. I just think that if they tried something else, they might realize there is more out there.

[lauren0309]

I am going to Disneywold in April for the 5th time and probably the last. I am not excited at all. I hardly ever look at the message boards. The reason we are going is because we promised to take our 13 year old son. Now t he cruise...that's another story. We have a cruise planned for January 2007 (just the two of us) which I am looking forward to so much more.

[cal2632]

Disney people not like us? I am both - cruise every year and try to hit Disney every year too. Am acutally getting more bored with cruising than Disney - or maybe its just Caribbean burn out. Anyway - if you really enjoy something, then its hard to get enough, much less too much, no matter what it is.

[js]

Sign me up with cal too! I am crusing on 4/8 and will be at Disney, AGAIN, 10/21/06. Even own a timeshare close to Disney. I frequent the disboards just as much as CC. :)

[tripman]

Disney people not like us? I am both - cruise every year and try to hit Disney every year too. Am acutally getting more bored with cruising than Disney - or maybe its just Caribbean burn out. Anyway - if you really enjoy something, then its hard to get enough, much less too much, no matter what it is.

 

I understand. And I'm not trying to make this a dig towards Disney people, I just don't get it. Like I said, it is fun, but it doesn't offer as many new experiences, at least not that I see worth a whole trip so often.

[FitzLA]

try to cruise every year, and I also go other places every year to try to mix it up. Last year was a land vacation in Hawaii and a cruise, and this year is a cruise and Vancouver. I grew up in Los Angeles, so I have been to disney here, but never disney world. I actually have no desire to ever go. But I do understand people doing it every year if they truly love it. It is magical ya know. I could just never do the same thing year in and year out. (Except Hawaii which I have done 5 times in 5 years).

[emilygrace]

I have some friends that have been married for 30+ years and the only vacations they ever take are to Disneyland in SoCal. All these years, at least once a year, but usually more. I personally do not understand it, but they are normal people and do not have Disney stuff all over their house or anything. They have never taken a vacation anywhere else. We cannot get them to join us on a cruise, or to try one out by themselves.

 

Like tripman said, it's not a dig, but it IS baffling!

[mbisson]

I have some friends that have been married for 30+ years and the only vacations they ever take are to Disneyland in SoCal. All these years, at least once a year, but usually more. I personally do not understand it, but they are normal people and do not have Disney stuff all over their house or anything. They have never taken a vacation anywhere else. We cannot get them to join us on a cruise, or to try one out by themselves.

!

 

Break them in slowly. Have em go on a Disney Cruise!

 

-Monte

[tripman]

I have some friends that have been married for 30+ years and the only vacations they ever take are to Disneyland in SoCal. All these years, at least once a year, but usually more. I personally do not understand it, but they are normal people and do not have Disney stuff all over their house or anything. They have never taken a vacation anywhere else. We cannot get them to join us on a cruise, or to try one out by themselves.

 

Like tripman said, it's not a dig, but it IS baffling!

 

To me, that is even wierder. I've been to Disneyland in California, and it is pretty neat, but it is no where near as sprawling and extensive as the one in Florida. If I squint my eyes and have a few drinks, I can somewhat maybe understand those who choose to go to Disney World all the time, but Disneyland just isn't as impressive. And with all the things to do in southern California, ONLY going to Disneyland is, you are right, baffling. There just that much to do in Disneyland to go over and over.

[tripman]

Break them in slowly. Have em go on a Disney Cruise!

 

-Monte

 

That is the thing, I almost think that the kind of people who are really obsessed with Disney would really like a cruise, but for some reason don't want to try.

[Bonnie Voyager]

I am a cruise addict as well as a Disney addict! I have been to either Disneyland or Disneyworld every year since I was 8 years old and I am nearly 50 now! (My Parents are Disney addicts too). I have also been on the Disney cruise! I took my first cruise of any kind in 1999 and have been on 16 so far with #17 and #18 already booked! In 71 more days I will be returning to Disneyworld for 9 days! We also try to do a non-cruise/non-Disney vacation every year too. I get a fairly similar "high" from Disney that I get from cruising. We alter our itinerary every visit so the experience is never truly the same even though the parks themselves remain relatively static. Disneyworld is such a sprawling destination you can't see everything in one visit anyway! Just like on a cruise, there is just a certain excitement I get when I am at Disney that I can't get anywhere else. To me, Disney is sort of like a "land cruise". Cruising is definitely my number one choice of vacation though, but I completely understand the attraction of Disney!

[SqueakyDust]

I hear what you say Tripman, but I think Cruise Nuts and Disney Nuts are very similar! I'm kinda both, obviously very nutty ;)

 

I love Disney, but have only been to Florida twice.

I love Cruising, but have only done so 3 times, twice being caribbean and some islands were visited on each.

 

With Disney, when we first went our youngest was 5, so we did rides etc to suit her and her brother. Next time we went, said daughter was 8 so we were able to do more exciting rides. However, we've done very few of the thrill rides (partly coz we're chicken too!) so I'm looking forward to my next Disney trip - whenever that will be. We've not done Universal, Busch, Nasa or any of the outside theme parts trips so there is still a lot waiting to be discovered.

 

With cruising, we did the Med first. We didn't take the kids as they were too young and I don't think they'd appreciate it, even now. Then we did the Caribbean, again on our own. Just this past December we all hit the Caribbean again and loved showing the kids the islands we'd seen. Some trips we did exactly the same, but others we did something else. I'd not say no to another caribbean cruise, but I would prefer different islands, as I feel we've done/seen what interests us on the others. There are plenty of other cruises we'd all love to do too.

 

I envy you all across the pond. It is relatively easy/cheap for you to fly down to Florida, or jump a cruise ship. Over here in the UK it costs us a fortune wherever we want to go.

 

Now, a holiday in Florida and then a cruise... brilliant, my idea of heaven.

[groovy gran]

i agree with squeaky dust.We have been on 4 cruises our 5th is in March

but we have been to disney world 3 times.

We have always taken grandchildren with us to disney and each time is very different as we see it through there eyes.The magic of seeing kids see mickey for the first time never leaves you.Then as new grandchildren come along off we go again and the magic starts again.We now have 2 more grandchildren to take which will be in about 2 years time when they are a little older.

I love cruising but after doing the Caribbean 5 times i think next time it will be the med or Hawaii or maybe Alaska.

We do go on other land based holidays but disney will always be special to us and we often talk about it with the grandchildren.:)

[susieh]

We own DVC (Disney Time Share) and we go cruising. This June we're doing 6 days at WDW then a 3 night cruise then 6 more days at WDW. Disney has a magic feel to it you can't get anywhere else but it's a busy busy holiday. Cruising is where we chill. So we love both for very different reasons.

[Sweetspot]

I must be a little bit of both. We've been on 4 Disney Cruises with 2 more booked and can't imagine not going back year after year. We love Disney and cruises so it's perfect. Can't imagine going to the parks year after year but for some reason I can go to the same ship and shows year after year. I have a RCCL cruise booked for this summer so I was proud of myself for trying something new but I guess I'm really not trying something new just feeding my cruise addiction.

[FitzLA]

I have some friends that have been married for 30+ years and the only vacations they ever take are to Disneyland in SoCal. All these years, at least once a year, but usually more. I personally do not understand it, but they are normal people and do not have Disney stuff all over their house or anything. They have never taken a vacation anywhere else. We cannot get them to join us on a cruise, or to try one out by themselves.

 

Like tripman said, it's not a dig, but it IS baffling!

 

Just what I always dreamed of. A vacation in Anaheim every year. Bring on the smog, and the traffic, and the sprawling nothingness. Yipee! Can we go, please. Also not a dig. Just don't get it. I live in Los Angeles, and I try at all costs to stay away from Anaheim. At least Orlando has a little more to offer.

[SqueakyDust]

Oh to be able to do a 3 or 4 day cruise to the caribbean, or similar!

 

Susieh, you say you chill on a cruise and disney is busy. I find both busy! When we cruise we do b2b (14 days) and only have one sea day. As we've travelled so far, and it's cost a bit, we want to see/do as much as we possibly can.

You kinda need another holiday when you get home ;)

[madge62]

Nice to know I'm not alone! Love cruising, love WDW!

 

On our first cruise in 93 I questioned why we had come so darn far and were going from airport to ship to airport without seeing anything else in FL. So now we don't go on a cruise out of FL without doing WDW as well.

 

This year will be extraspecial as in addition to our 12-night WDW visit after our cruise in December we are also going for a week in August. Our 18-year old DD was accepted into the International College Summer Program at WDW (in Operations) and hard as it will be to let her out of my sight for 2.5 months, it's a darn good excuse to visit her and the parks!

[Arwenmark]

I am with JS and Cal. go to both every year just about. Last year Did Halloween there with the most authentic Captain Jack Sparrow they had ever seen other then JD of course.

[NancyIL]

You know - some people go to the same beach year after year after year. I think Disney World/Disneyland has a LOT more to offer than that! Yes, the rides at WDW don't change much, but there are always special things going on seasonally - like the Flower and Garden Festival in the spring, the Food and Wine Festival in the fall, and the holiday celebrations beginning right after Thanksgiving (still my favorite time to go).

 

My mom lives an hour from Disney World. I used to visit her every year over Thanksgiving weekend, and then go to WDW for a day. Now I go to my mom's for a day or two, and to WDW for a week!

 

I will be at Disneyland for a weekend in March, before going on a 4-day cruise on Monarch of the Seas with my oldest daughter. THEN I will fly from LA to Orlando to meet my son for a week at Disney World (stopping by Mom's before flying home). I'll return to my mom's at Thanksgiving, followed by 5 days at Disney World, and then go on my first Disney cruise for 3 days!

 

Having said all that, I would never go ONLY to a Disney theme park. My DH and I were on a Baltic cruise on Jewel of the Seas last summer, and I am anticipating an Alaskan cruise in 2007 and a Mediterranean cruise in 2008. Right now I'm planning a 10-day road trip to Virginia in June, and a week in Colorado during August.

[kenandlaura06]

Just what I always dreamed of. A vacation in Anaheim every year. Bring on the smog, and the traffic, and the sprawling nothingness. Yipee! Can we go, please. Also not a dig. Just don't get it. I live in Los Angeles, and I try at all costs to stay away from Anaheim. At least Orlando has a little more to offer.

 

You sold me...I will be on the next flight to LA! :p

[cruz1234]

I am a cruise addict as well as a Disney addict! I have been to either Disneyland or Disneyworld every year since I was 8 years old and I am nearly 50 now! (My Parents are Disney addicts too). I have also been on the Disney cruise! I took my first cruise of any kind in 1999 and have been on 16 so far with #17 and #18 already booked! In 71 more days I will be returning to Disneyworld for 9 days! We also try to do a non-cruise/non-Disney vacation every year too. I get a fairly similar "high" from Disney that I get from cruising. We alter our itinerary every visit so the experience is never truly the same even though the parks themselves remain relatively static. Disneyworld is such a sprawling destination you can't see everything in one visit anyway! Just like on a cruise, there is just a certain excitement I get when I am at Disney that I can't get anywhere else. To me, Disney is sort of like a "land cruise". Cruising is definitely my number one choice of vacation though, but I completely understand the attraction of Disney!

 

I'm with you, we have been going to Disney for years, even own a "Piece of the Cheese", a disney time share. Even though as others have said the parks are the same, they are always adding new things and changing. Also our tastes and interests have changed over the years, it is a relaxed pace for us now and we do all the things we truly enjoy, then we head back to the resorts and enjoy all they have to offer. We also cruise alot, we have been on 3 cruises this year alone, and I am pretty tired of the same ole ports. We live close to the beach so beaches are not a big draw for us and most island ports are just that and shopping. We have tried alot of other excursions but there are only so many of those also. So really cruising and disney are very much the same. You pick what you enjoy the most and head there. There is no right, wrong, better or worse..all in personal preference. :)