Disney World vs Disney Cruise- Cost, Best Experience, Dining (2024)

You’d be mistaken if you thought that the only difference between a Disney Cruise vacation vs a Walt Disney World vacation is the lack of rides.

Just about everything is different when comparing Walt Disney World to a Disney Cruise. It’s more than just the obvious, like being on land vs. being on sea or thrill rides vs. lack of thrill rides (although the 4-deck tall water slide is an exception). It’s the details surrounding the cost, the experiences, the entertainment, the food, and the service. There’s so much to learn when comparing the two to figure out which vacation works better for you!

With our experience traveling to Walt Disney World and going on Disney Cruises, we’ve learned everything you need to know about both vacation options to make your trip planning that much easier.

Read on to learn about the major differences between a trip to Walt Disney World vs. a Disney Cruise.

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Your Disney Cruise Line Cost Does Not Include Tickets to Walt Disney World

The elephant in the room must be addressed: tickets to both of these experiences are separate!

Although it’s very popular to link a Walt Disney World vacation with a Disney Cruise Line vacation, guests who do this pay separate fees to both experiences. This is a convenient way to combine vacations since Walt Disney World in Orlando is about a 1-hour drive from the nearest Disney Cruise Line terminal in Port Canaveral. This way, guests don’t have to fly back to Florida for an additional vacation.

Bottom line: Your Disney Cruise Line fee is separate from your Walt Disney World ticket.

Cost: Disney Cruise Line Narrowly Edges Out Walt Disney World

To much surprise, when comparing cost, a Disney Cruise actually comes out cheaper than a Walt Disney World trip for many guests.

When adding up the cost of a Walt Disney World trip, guests must consider 4 different categories:

1. Park tickets (including add-ons, such as Genie Plus)
2. Walt Disney World Resort hotel rates
3. Purchasing food
4. Add-on activities, including tours and spa treatments

However, when adding up the cost of a Disney Cruise, guests will find that prices are mostly all-inclusive. In the end, all you need to consider is 2 factors:

1. Base rates
2. Add-on activities

Disney Cruise Line vs. Walt Disney World: Cost Comparison

When comparing the two types of vacations, there are a few things to keep in mind.

First, longer cruise trips tend to be a better value.

Second, Disney Cruises tend to be a better deal when comparing with a Deluxe stay at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, especially larger or villa-style rooms.

Finally, prices for a Disney Cruise tend to increase the closer you get to your selected sail date. This is not necessarily true for a Walt Disney World Resort hotel cost.

Here’s a cost breakdown comparing the price of a Disney Cruise trip and a Walt Disney World trip. These prices were calculated thanks to our partners at Get Away Today.

Disney Wonder 3-Night Baja Mexico (April 11-14, 2024)

• 2 adults, 2 children (8,5)
• $3,503.12

Disney Magic 5-Night Western Caribbean (April 4-9, 2024)

• 2 adults 1 child (5)
• $3,351

Disney Magic 5-Night Bahamas (July 1-6, 2024)

• 2 adults, 2 children (10,5)
• $7,610.00

Disney Dream 7-Night Western Mediterranean (July 5-12, 2023)

• 2 adults, 1 child (5)
• $8,645.87

Disney Dream 7-Night Western Europe (September 1-8, 2024)

• 2 adults, 3 children (10,8,5)
• $8,754.37

Compare these sample prices to sample prices for a Walt Disney World vacation:

4-Day 1-Park per Day Tickets (March 27 – April 1, 2024) for 2 adults, 2 children (5,9)

• Disney’s Pop Century Resort (Value): $3,770.75 (includes special)
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort (Moderate): $4,728.86
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (Deluxe): $4,845.85 (includes special)

5-Day 1-Park per Day Tickets (May 12-17, 2024) for 4 adults

• Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort (Value): $3,789.12
• Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter (Moderate): $4,511.44 (includes special)
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (Deluxe): $4,911.68 (includes special)

The Cost of a Disney Cruise Includes Almost Everything

Yes, Disney Cruises have a relatively high cost vs. the cost of a trip to Walt Disney World.

The major difference however is that there’s more to pay for when you arrive at Walt Disney World – food being a major addition to your total cost. Let’s look at what’s covered with a Disney Cruise cost vs. what’s covered with our a Walt Disney World Resort cost.

The Cost of a Disney Cruise Includes Your Stateroom & Room Service

Along with taxes and port fees, your Disney Cruise cost covers your room, which usually includes a queen bed, convertible sofa bed, pull-down bed, bathroom, a mini refrigerator, and TV. However, the major difference between the cost of a Disney Cruise vs. the cost of a Walt Disney World vacation is the inclusive room service guests receive on their cruise.

This means that 24 hours a day, guests on a Disney Cruise ship can receive made-to-order dishes from their stateroom! During a Walt Disney World Resort stay, room service incurs you an additional fee.

Food is not Included in Your Walt Disney World Resort Cost

You read that correctly: your meals on a Disney Cruise are included in your cost.

Except for alcohol, upgraded food options, and a few upscale restaurants (including Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement, Palo, Palo Steakhouse, and Remy), food is covered by your cost. You’re able to eat as much as you like from the onboard restaurants. Additionally, soft drinks are also included in your cost.

This differs from the cost of a Walt Disney World vacation, where you must pay for all your food and drinks, save for water. Let’s look at the average cost per meal per person at Walt Disney World.

• Value restaurant (counter service or food cart): $19
• Moderate restaurant (waiter service, casual dining): $59
• Deluxe restaurant (waiter service, fine dining): $93

One way to think about this is to consider how much you anticipate eating on your vacation. If you know you’ll be feasting all day or if you love the convenience of having food options at your fingertips at all times, the cost of a Disney Cruise will be a better value. If you tend to have a lighter appetite or look to only splurge on 1 or 2 nicer dinners, the cost of a Walt Disney World trip may be a better value.

In the end, the better value for you depends on what you prefer.

Transportation to Your Disney Vacation is not Covered

Let me clarify: both transportation to your cruise ship and transportation from Orlando International Airport to your Walt Disney World Resort hotel will cost an additional fee.

For both types of vacations, you must coordinate your own transportation or book a shuttle for an additional fee. For a Disney Cruise, guests can book a shuttle service directly through Disney. For a Walt Disney World Resort vacation, guests can book a shuttle through Mears Connect.

When at your Walt Disney World resort, transportation is complimentary. This means that you have access to the Disney buses, monorails, boats, and the famous Disney Skyliner – all for free. Of course, once on board a Disney Cruise ship, you don’t need to worry about additional transportation. However, when docked at one of your destination ports, you can pay an additional fee to have Disney chauffeur you around through organized excursions.

WiFi is not Included in Your Disney Cruise Cost vs. Complimentary WiFi at Walt Disney World

Unlike the complimentary WiFi at Walt Disney World Resort hotels, accessing the internet to communicate with friends and family at home or to access social media will cost you an extra fee.

While internet access costs extra on a Disney Cruise, it’s important to also understand that it’s generally rare to find free WiFi on any other cruise line. However, Disney Cruise Line does have the luxury of their Disney Cruise Line Navigator app to communicate with family and friends onboard!

The Recreational Experiences on a Disney Cruise vs. Those of a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel

When it comes to comparing the onboard activities to the activities at Walt Disney World Resort hotel, you’ll generally find similar options, but with some nuances.

The Collection of Pools on a Disney Cruise has More Variety

While both Walt Disney World and Disney Cruises have fun pool options, Disney Cruise ships offer a larger number of pools for guests of all ages.

These options range from a main pool for families, a wading pool for the younger children, a quiet pool for the adults, and 2 types of water play areas. On the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, guests will also find a massive waterslide that goes off the side of the ship and down 4 decks! For parents or guests who want to a little more quiet time, Disney cruise ships also offer adult-only quiet pools, where many guests have a drink or read a book while hanging out at the infinity pool.

Depending on which Walt Disney World Resort hotel you stay at, you may have access to only 3 pools like at Disney’s Art of Animation, 6 pools like at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, or Stormalong Bay, Walt Disney World’s biggest pool, at Disney’s Beach and Yacht Club resorts.

In the end, your pool experience greatly depends on which Walt Disney World Resort hotel you choose to stay at, whereas generally on all Disney Cruise ships, you’ll have a similar variety of pools to enjoy.

When it Comes to Recreation, the Only Similarity is the Fitness Center

Although both Walt Disney World Resort hotels and Disney Cruise ships have fitness centers with similar equipment and access to multiple sports, Disney Cruises offer a lot more recreational activities for guests.

A great example is Hero Zone on the Disney Wish, a futuristic sports arena inspired by The Incredibles full of physical challenges and game-show-style competitions. On the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, guests can take advantage of Goofy’s Sports Deck, where they can play miniature golf, play basketball on the basketball court, or use one of the virtual sports simulators. The equivalent on the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder is Wide World of Sports, which features a basketball court, ping-pong tables, shuffleboard, and a running track.

Generally, at each Walt Disney World Resort hotel, guests have access to an arcade station and jogging trails. However, specific activities at each resort hotel may vary. For example, has no access to basketball courts, tennis courts, or volleyball courts, but Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort offers a volleyball court and other hotels offer basketball courts and tennis courts.

Disney Cruise Line Gives Parents a Break with Their Youth Clubs

Sure, Walt Disney World Resort hotels have Cast Member-led poolside activities and hotel scavenger hunts, but the Disney Cruise Line youth clubs are themed so well that they make many adults jealous they can’t join in the fun!

What makes Disney Cruise Line youth clubs so unique is the variety of clubs on each ship that cater to different age groups. This ensures that your kids are able to hang out with other kids of the same age, making for a fun and inclusive experience. Every ship even offers the “it’s a small world” nursery!, a place for preschool aged children to have fun while parents enjoy themselves. Here is a list of youth clubs offered:

“it’s a small world” Nursery! (up to age 3)

With babies in mind, parents can rest assured knowing their children are safe and have something to do. At “it’s a small world” Nursery! children ages 6 months to 3 years (or 1 to 3 years on Transatlantic or Panama Canal itineraries) can stay here. Qualified Disney Counselors take great care of your children’s needs. Note that reservations are highly recommended and additional fees apply.

Kid’s Activities (ages 3-12)

At The Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab, kids can participate in activities, swim, play arcade games, watch movies and shows, play sports, participate in deck parties, and meet with their favorite characters!

Teen Activities (ages 14-17)

Vibe and The Hideaway are both clubs that offer teen-specific activities. Teens can also enjoy teen-specific parties, teen-only excursions, and Buena Vista Theatre.

Tween Activities (ages 11-14)

Like we said, Disney offers activities for everyone. Look for Edge, a tween-only club. The Hideaway was also designed for tweens. There are also tween-specific parties, and much more.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels Offer Special Experiences

With all this talk about the different experiences and activities on the Disney Cruise Line, I can’t leave Walt Disney World high and dry!

Every Walt Disney World Resort hotel offers campfire activities, including opportunities to roast marshmallows by the fire, and Movies Under the Stars, where guests can watch their favorite Disney or Pixar movies on a big screen outdoors. What’s more is that certain resort hotels offer resort-specific experiences!

For example, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort offers 3 paid experiences: Colors of Coronado Painting Experience – a master-led painting class, Spanish Mosaic Art where guests learn to create their own mosaic, and Sangria University, where guests learn to mix their own fresh glass of sangria from a professional! For my favorite resort hotel experience, you have to head to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, where guests can set out on an immersive nighttime safari adventure through the resort’s savanna.

In the end, the experiences at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel vs. those on a Disney Cruise ship are very different, but both are uniquely fun!

Port Adventures vs. Backstage Theme Park Tours

Whereas on Disney Cruises, you have access to a “boat load” of Port Adventures, the Walt Disney World theme parks offer special backstage tours.

When arriving at one of your port destinations on a Disney Cruise, guests have the option to pay an additional fee to experience one of Disney’s many different Port Adventures which were specially selected to demonstrate the very best each destination has to offer. Depending on your destination, you can flightsee over vast canyons, explore undersea worlds, or discover a different culture’s traditions. Scheduling a Port Adventure becomes especially useful if you’re traveling internationally, since Disney takes care of the planning, negotiating excursion fees, and dealing with currency exchange.

Convenience: Check!

On the other hand, the Walt Disney World theme parks feature 11 paid backstage tours where guests can get a behind-the-scenes look into how Disney makes their magic. From a walking tour of Living with the Land at EPCOT to getting up close with the rhinos at Disney’s Animal Kingdom to getting a peak at the utilidors under Magic Kingdom, guests get plenty of options to choose from.

While both types of experiences on a Disney Cruise and at Walt Disney World go for an additional fee, I can tell you from experience that they are very much worth it!

Entertainment

If you go on a Disney vacation without seeing one of their fantastic shows, you are truly missing out. Both the Disney Cruise Line and Walt Disney World offer what seems like an endless amount of Broadway-Style shows and entertainment that leave guests “wow’d” every time.

Live Shows on Disney Cruise Line

• Beauty and the Beast (Disney Dream)
• Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular (Disney Fantasy, Disney Wish)
• Disney’s Believe (Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy)
• Disney Dreams – An Enchanted Classic (Disney Magic, Disney Wonder)
• Disney Seas the Adventure (Disney Wish)
• Frozen, A Musical Spectacular (Disney Wonder, Disney Fantasy)
• The Golden Mickeys (Disney Wonder, Disney Dream)
• The Little Mermaid (Disney Wish)
• Tangled: The Musical (Disney Magic)
• Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story (Disney Magic)

Shows on the Disney Cruise ships are scheduled around your dinner time. This means that if you are assigned the first dinner seating, you’ll attend the later show performance and vice versa. Additionally, your show is included in your total vacation cost.

Live Shows at Walt Disney World (LINKS BELOW)

• Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
• Festival of the Lion King (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
• Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond! (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
• For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
• Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire (Magic Kingdom)
• Drawn to Life (Disney Springs)

In addition to the shows, Walt Disney World also boasts an unimaginable amount of live music around the resort. From the seasonal concert series’ at EPCOT to the free live music at Disney Springs, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. All shows except for Drawn to Life (a wonderful Cirque du Soleil show) are included with your theme park admission ticket.

Firework Shows are Limited on Disney Cruises but are Overflowing at Walt Disney World

It’s important to understand that 1) holding a fireworks show on a cruise ship is already a magnificent feat in itself, and 2) Walt Disney World has 4 theme parks that, by default, broadens its options for nighttime shows. With that said, knowing the difference in nighttime shows is an important consideration when choosing to plan a Disney Cruise vs. Walt Disney World vacation.

Disney Cruise Line Fireworks

Fireworks on Disney Cruises are offered one night only during Pirate Night on select voyages that are 4 nights or longer and typically on itineraries sailing in the Caribbean and Bahamas.

Don’t let the previous section belittle the fact that Disney Cruises offer fireworks! As far as I know, Disney Cruise Line is the only cruise company that puts on fireworks from their cruise ships.

Pirate Night is a fun nighttime party featuring your favorite Disney characters in pirate garb, a pirate-themed dinner and “Pirate of the Caribbean” show, trivia, and games. However, Pirate Night isn’t guaranteed and is subject to change. Guests are able to see if Pirate Night is scheduled for their voyage once they step onboard the ship.

Walt Disney World Fireworks and Nighttime Shows

Three of the four Walt Disney World theme parks feature at least 1 nighttime show.

These shows are a wonderful way to cap off a magical day in the theme parks. Additionally, if dining at specific restaurants at the right time or staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel with a good view of the theme parks, guests can enjoy these nighttime shows without even being inside the theme parks! Here is a list of the current nighttime shows:

• Electrical Water Pageant (Seven Seas Lagoon)
• Fantasmic! (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
• Happily Ever After (Magic Kingdom)
• Luminous The Symphony of Us (EPCOT)
• Wonderful World of Animation (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)

Magic Kingdom also offers special fireworks spectaculars during special times of the year, including Halloween, The Holidays, Fourth of July, and New Year’s Eve.

Disney Cruise Line Adult-Exclusive Dining vs. Walt Disney World Signature Dining

Both Disney Cruise Line and Walt Disney World offer their own versions of signature dining, but planning for either one of them is quite different.

While reserving for these restaurants for both Disney Cruise Line and Walt Disney World is done through a similar process, there’s a major difference in their payment process. At a Walt Disney World signature dining restaurant, guests pay per plate of food (or in some cases, pay for the full course dinner). Regardless, expect to pay that average of $93 per person at a signature dining restaurant.

Now get this: If choosing to experience an adult-exclusive dining experience on a Disney Cruise Line, guests pay an upgrade fee – which is different than paying a la carte at a Walt Disney World restaurant.

Of course, the other major difference between the two is that the adult-exclusive restaurants on the Disney Cruise Line are just that: adults only. When dining at one of these restaurants, expect to have your kids hang out at one of the youth clubs on board. Designed for those who wish to indulge in the fine dining experience, these restaurants are a treat and provide an unforgettable culinary journey.

Don’t Forget the Beverage Tastings on the Disney Cruise Line!

One of the biggest differences between the Disney Cruise Line and Walt Disney World is the number of beverage tasting options guests have to choose from. Let the following list explain itself:

• Amari Tasting
• Beer Tasting
• Bourbon Tasting
• Champagne Tasting
• Chocolate & Liquor Tasting
• Cognac Tasting
• Kick-Start Your Day Beverage Tasting
• Martini Tasting
• Mixology Class
• Mojito & Caipirinha Tasting
• Rum Tasting
• Stem-to-Stern Wine Tasting
• Tequila & Margarita Tasting
• Whiskey Tasting

Is your head spinning yet? Each of these tastings allow you to cultivate your inner connoisseur and are a fun experience for those who appreciate the world of adult beverages!

There are currently 3 different beverage experiences at Walt Disney World:

• La Cava Experience (La Cava de Tequila, EPCOT)
• Sangria University (Three Bridges Bar & Grill, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort)
• Wine Experience: Learn How to Taste Wine with a Master Sommelier (Wine Bar George, Disney Springs)

All 3 experiences are paid events that you must reserve in advance.

Both Disney Cruise Line and Walt Disney World Offer Wonderful, Magical Experiences

All things considered, Disney planned all of their experiences on both the Disney Cruise Line and at Walt Disney World with their guests in mind.

This means that no detail was left untouched. Every experience, activity, show, and restaurant was designed for you to enjoy. With that said, there are certainly aspects of a Disney Cruise or Walt Disney World vacation that may suit one guest more than another.

The question then is, which vacation are you ready to plan?

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