So, I am new to cruises and want to plan a DCL for my family. I have a ton of questions for those of you that have been but here are a few:

1. I have two sons, one and two and a half. Am I better off waiting until both are over three so they can be together in the kid area? I am thinking yes but really want to go on this cruise in 2007.

2. What is the best type of cabin to get for a family of four with small children?

3. Those that havae used the nursery what did you think?

4. What are people's thoughts on the 7 nite, the 3/4 land sea or the 4/3 land and sea? We have not been to WDW and live out west so thought we should combine.

5. When is off season and better rates?

6. Any recommendations on what resort to stay at while at WDW?

Thanks in advance!

1. I have two sons, one and two and a half. Am I better off waiting until both are over 3 so they can be together in the kid area? I am thinking yes but really want to go on this cruise in 2007.
Since they are both really little, they would be in Flounder's Reef nursery together (if you went that route). You probably saw this, but just in case you hadn't.

Flounder's Reef Nursery
Babysitting Disney-style is a delight for children 12 weeks to 36 months in this "under the sea" soft play area with illustrations of Flounder, Scuttle and Sebastian from "The Little Mermaid." Kids can sleep in the "quiet room" or play in the "activity room" under the watchful eyes of trained Disney caregivers. And parents are given pagers so that they can always be in touch.

Be sure to book your child's nursery stay as soon possible because space is limited. You can make a reservation online or during open house on Embarkation Day on a first-come, first-served basis.

Ship: Disney Magic® and Disney Wonder®
Age Requirements: 12 weeks to 36 months
Maximum Hours: Maximum: 10 hours for 7-night cruises, 10 hours for 3- and 4- night cruises
Hours of Operation: Hours vary
Pricing $6.00 per hour for first child.
$5.00 per hour for each additional child.
Minimum 2 hours charged.

What are people's thoughts on the 7 nite, the 3/4 land sea or the 4/3 land and sea? We have not been to WDW and live out west so thought we should combine.
I would do the 3/4 land sea (and add on an extra day at the beginning so you get 4 and 4 ... three days is just too short on the ship -- and at WDW


6. Any recommendations on what resort to stay at while at WDW?
Sort of depends on what you are looking for... there are some hotels that have children's programs at the hotel. It also depends on ow much you want to spend, how much time you plan to spend in your cabin and which resort you plan to spend the most time at. I love Port Orleans, but the themeing might not be as "kid-friendly" as a place like the Beach Club.

Since they are both really little, they would be in Flounder's Reef nursery together (if you went that route). You probably saw this, but just in case you hadn't.

I should have clarified. They would be two and three at time of travel if we go in 2007. Thus my delema. Because they are close in age they are already very close and enjoy eachothers company; I am not sure how well they would take to seperation. Even if just for a few hours.....

I should have clarified. They would be two and three at time of travel if we go in 2007. Thus my delema. Because they are close in age they are already very close and enjoy each others company; I am not sure how well they would take to seperation. Even if just for a few hours.....

Hmmm... you have few different options. You know they can't be together in the kids program, so either you wait, you put one in the kids club when you have the other in the nursery (or with you), or you don't put either in the club...Maybe you can try having them do different things around your home and see how they handle that... it might help you make your decision. If it is only for a little bit at a time they might not mind (or notice). Unless it is logistically possible to wait until 2008...

4. What are people's thoughts on the 7 nite, the 3/4 land sea or the 4/3 land and sea? We have not been to WDW and live out west so thought we should combine.


I too am new to cruising and have just booked a 4 night cruise in November. I have 2 daughters who will be age 4 (almost 5) and 1 when we go.

As we too live on the West Coast we know we won't be back too often so we deiced to make the most of it. We ended up doing the 4 night cruise and then added 8 days BEFORE embarking on the cruise to the trip. We knew that 3 days just was not going to be enough for us and as has already been mentioned we were told 3 days on the ship wasn't going to be enough either.

As for the off season and better rates - End of September/beginning of October tend to have good rates and is considered the beginning of the off season. However, some get leary because of hurricanes. My take is that as long as you have trip insurance, your vacation investment should be protected.

Personally, I find the 3 day sea / 4 day land trip to be the best bet, especially with 2-3 extra days at the parks added in. 7 day cruises are great from what others say but I would like to split my time between the ship and the parks. It makes for a real complete vacation. For best value, compare booking the land and sea packages separately - you may find better pricing, especailly if you are going to want to stay 5 or 6 days at the parks.

Great question! I'm sort of in the same boat (pun not originally intended!). I'm in California, and I've got 2 kids currently 2 and 6. I've never been to Florida and can't wait to go, but right now I'm debating on 2007 vs 2008. I'm leaning toward 2008 because I already have travel plans in 2007 for a wedding that might be a little pricey (I don't mind...it's in Hawaii!). That being said, I think I'm going to budget for 2008, because I'm hoping I can make this a 10-14 day trip with at least a 4 day cruise.

I'm also in a similar ship. I have a 1 year and almost 3 year old. We have decided to do a cruise in 2008. The 1yr old will be 2yr 11mos which allows her to be with her sister in programming provided she is fully potty trained at the time. We love going to WDW and just got back from 10 days there. This will be our first cruise and we were told to make it the 3-Day since we don't know how any of us are going to react to it and for the little ones. I want to put the cruise at the beginning of my trip instead of the normal finish with a cruise. I have chosen to do this for the same reason. If for some reason we aren't the "cruiser" type (which I doubt), then we will definitely end our trip on the up note of having a great time at the WDW Resort for 13 days after the cruise. It's a long vacation and the grandest one we'll be able to do for a while because the oldest little lady will be in school the following year and scheduling a vacation will be a bit more difficult as we tend to take longer vacations during March, not waiting until school is out.