What Are the Pros and Cons of Disney Cruises?
I’ve seen the light. Now, I’m officially a convert to Disney Cruise Line.
After many years of hearing about Disney cruises, I finally took one for myself.
DCL
To my utter shock, I loved the experience and am probably going back during the first half of 2026.
Even that feels like too long from now. I miss it that much. But I know that not everyone agrees.
Photo: Disney Parks Blog
People frequently list a couple of objections about taking any sort of cruise, especially a Disney one.
So, what are the pros and cons of Disney cruises? Let’s discuss.
The Cons
DCL Bus
Honestly, I don’t see many cons to taking a Disney cruise now that I’ve experienced one.
Still, I hear your comments and know that a couple of sticking points prevent you from booking.
Photo: Disney
So, let’s quickly discuss the two reasons people mention when explaining why they don’t take Disney cruises.
The Price
(Kent Phillips, photographer)
A buddy of mine is richer than anyone you know and recently became a partner at a huge law firm.
That’s why I paid attention when he listed a specific complaint. As the parent of a young child, he’d considered Disney cruises.
Photo: Washington Post
However, he decided against it for one reason: the price. I love him dearly, and I say this with warmth in my heart.
The whole thing reminded me of dialogue from the Crazy Rich Asians series when billionaires complained about the price of noodles.
What he hadn’t realized was that Disney prices its cruises based on double occupancy.
Many of the cruises he’d previously researched had been based on single occupancy before he got married.
Photo: Disney
Thus, the price discrepancy wasn’t anywhere near as significant as he thought at first.
I had to explain the difference in pricing strategies, as Disney prefers transparency.
Disney Treasure
This business tactic explains why Disney cruises are all-inclusive for the most part.
Other than internet access, all your basic needs are covered. Sure, there are upsells, but what you see is largely what you get.
Photo: Disney
Keeping that in mind, Disney’s prices are right in line with those of other cruise businesses.
That’s before we factor in value proposition discussions. To a larger point, cruises are cheaper than the alternative.
And that brings me to the second criticism I hear often…
You’re Not at a Theme Park
This is true. While DCL has pivoted toward offering theme park experiences at sea, it’s not Disneyland.
You’re not going to stand in line for an hour and then ride Haunted Mansion.
Haunted Mansion Parlor
What you’ll do instead is enter the Haunted Mansion Parlor and receive the same experience…while you drink.
I’ll leave it up to you to decide which of those options is superior. But you have to agree that they’re similar.
Haunted Mansion Parlor
That’s what Disney has figured out over the years. It can deliver a theme park-esque vacation at sea.
So, while you’re not at a theme park, the feel’s the thing, and your Disney vacation feels the same.
Haunted Mansion Parlor
But this kind of trip is better because it’s cheaper. A few days on a cruise won’t cost as much as staying at a theme park.
That’s just math. Besides, if you miss the theme parks, you can always combine a Walt Disney World trip with a cruise.
Pros
Photo: Disney clip art
So, I think you can tell from my evaluation of the alleged cons that I’m decidedly pro.
Here are four reasons why, but I can assure you that I could list dozens more.
The Food
You’ll feel like royalty when you dine on a Disney cruise. It’s a decadent way to live for a few days.
As soon as you board the ship, you can head straight to the 11th floor and start ordering food.
DCL
Technically, you don’t even need to do that. Room service works too, although your cabin won’t be ready at first.
What I noticed many guests doing on my cruise was boarding and then heading straight to the ice cream machine.
Photo: planDisney
This is a recurring theme of being on a Disney cruise ship. You can summon ice cream cones like Thor summons his hammer.
I ate more ice cream cones in a few days on my Disney cruise than I have in the past five years. Not even joking.
Photo: Disney
And that’s just a small part of the experience. The Rotational Dining on Disney cruises blows me away.
Frankly, it’s not just me, either. Each night, you’ll dine in a different restaurant, but one thing won’t change.
Your servers will remain the same, ensuring that they know your drink orders and meal preferences.
Speaking of your meal preferences, the correct answer is, “One of everything, please.”
DCL
Seriously, you can and should be as gluttonous as you want. That’s what cruise life is all about.
Calories don’t count in the middle of the ocean. It’s science.
The Entertainment
Photo: Matt Stroshane/Disney
People pay hundreds of dollars per night to watch Broadway shows. And they’re happy to do it.
One of the remarkable parts of a Disney cruise is that you receive the same entertainment for free!
Photo: Matt Stroshane/Disney
It’s included as part of your vacation package, and it’s absolutely breathtaking.
Disney imports legitimate Broadway talents to perform on its cruise ships.
Frozen show – Disney Cruise
Some of the plays are variants of ones you’ll find on Broadway such as Frozen and Beauty and the Beast.
You simply cannot believe the quality of them until you watch one in person.
Credit: Disney
Still, I’ll post a video so that you can get a taste of what to expect. This is from the official Disney channel:
Yeah, that’s a Broadway play, and I swear to you that you can watch one every night of your cruise. It’s decadent.
The Interactions
Credit: Disney
Then, we have another theme park staple that Disney has translated to its cruises.
Disney has added character interactions throughout the ship. You can find one pretty much anytime.
On most Disney cruise ships, you’ll encounter characters in the Grand Hall, sometimes two or three at a time.
Then, you’ll find another one on the fourth floor right above it. And that’s just one spot on the ship!
Chip & Dale on Disney Cruise Line
Fans of character encounters won’t believe their good fortune on Disney cruise ships.
We met several on our cruise, and we weren’t even trying! Our attitude was simple.
Photo: Disney
If we walked into an area, saw a character, and noticed a short line, we’d wait.
You can imagine how many you’d meet if you had a plan for character engagements during your cruise.
The Vibe
Finally, we have the most pleasant surprise from my cruise, which is the vibe.
Something I never expected during our trip was for a cruise ship to feel like a Disney park visit.
Magic Kingdom Halloween Decor
To my utter amazement, it was actually a bit better. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not abandoning the parks.
In fact, I’ll be visiting Walt Disney World at Halloween, but that experience will be different.
Halloween Balloons
I’m sure I’ll be comparing it to the cruise, which surprised me with its relaxed atmosphere.
At Disney, the sheer size of the crowds – there are tens of thousands of people at ever park – can get to me as an introvert.
On a cruise, I could engage with other people as much as I wanted. Then, I could retreat to my own personal space.
Several seating areas will only fit a couple of people, providing a buffer that is hard to find at Disney.
To a larger point, the combination of constant food, entertainment, and high-quality shows fosters a sense of euphoria.
It’s so subtle that you may not even realize it at the time, but I speak from experience when I say that you’ll miss it after the fact.
Disney Cruise Line
That’s one of the main reasons I cannot wait to go back. I miss that vibe.
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Feature Photo: Disney
