I'm planning on booking a trip for my family & we plan on doing the Disney Cruise & spending some time at the park. I would like some input from anyone willing to give there recommendations.

1) What is the best time of year to visit?

2) 3, 4, or 7 day cruise?

3) If the 7 day cruise which one?

4) Is one cruise ship better than the other?

5) How many days to spend in Disney World?

6) Would you split your time on Disney World at just one hotel or a little time at a couple?

7) Any advice that you would like to give that is not covered in the questions above.

Thank you,
Tony

I would skip the disney cruise and go to WDW if youve never been there before.

Ive never been on a disney cruise...dont chastise me please...

I guess this really depends on how much time you have available. If you have 14+ days, then do a 7 day cruise with 7 days in the parks. If you only have a week, do the 3 day cruise and add 3 or 4 days at the parks.
As for splitting time between hotels, I have never really seen the point, IMHO. Plus, it gives me an excuse to go back. (OOhh, I really want to stay at....) Depending upon the makeup of your family unit, and your stamina, the World can be done in 3 days. Realize of course that you are not going to "see or do" everything. But you would be able to "hit the highlights". When in a crunch for time, we do the following 3 day schedule. 1 day MK, 1 day Epcot and 1/2 day each AK, MGM. Post more details - anticipated trip dates, family composition, etc - and I am sure you will get a lot more responses.

Yes, it would really help to have more details of your family mix. Who's going, are you willing to skip school if kids are in school, how long of a trip are you going for, etc.

1) What is the best time of year to visit?
Personally, I like the end of September, beginning of October the best. December is nice and so is Feb as well. (Yes, I try to go in the off-season.)

2) 3, 4, or 7 day cruise?
If you have never done a cruise before, try the 3 night one out first. The 4-day is nice as well but in most cases, unless they have changed the itinearies, one day is "at sea" which equates to a nice relaxing day on the ship.

3) If the 7 day cruise which one?
Never been on one that long.

4) Is one cruise ship better than the other?
When it comes to the Magic and Wonder, they are pretty much identical. There are a few differences in the restaraunts and themeing, but other than that, they are close siblings.

5) How many days to spend in Disney World?
If you are thinking of mixing a cruise in the mix, I would go with no less than 5 days at the parks. I would do the parks first, before the cruise, since the cruise is more of a "relaxed" atmosphere. I also like to tag one one more day at the parks after the cruise just so I can get one last taste of the parks before I go home.

If you are thinking of parks only - my best vacation so far was a 7 day trip.

6) Would you split your time on Disney World at just one hotel or a little time at a couple?
Some like switching and Disney makes it easy to do. Some find it fun to switch in the middle for something different or to treat themselves to a Deluxe resort towards the end of their trip. Personally, the only time I mix things up is when I stay at two hotels before and after a cruise.

7) Any advice that you would like to give that is not covered in the questions above.
Like others have mentioned, if you post more info about your traveling party, some of your other likes and dislikes, or some expectations of what you want in a trip, we can surely help you even more. Also, take a peek at the DCL section of this board. While it does not get as much traffic as the WDW section, there is a lot of good info and great people that can help as well.

I agree with GusMan -- if you haven't been on cruise, you might want to get your sea legs first. I've done the four day and the seven day (three days is too short IMHO to really enjoy your vacation). The 7 day I did the Western route -- we had a great time -- the other route gets you an added day at sea.
I also would not split hotels -- unless you think it would be a long time until you returned and you just couldn't decide between two of them (getting from one hotel to the other if you don't have a car is a pain).
You can always add days at WDW to the vacation (either before or after the cruise). The reason the cruise is usually taken second is it gives you a chance to relax.

Wife, 2 kids (6 & 8), & myself. We are all very active & move around Disneyland & Disney California Adventure quickly since we know the parks very well. We are thinking about a 10 day trip if money allows us to stay that long. We are not sure which hotel we want to stay at but it will defiantly be a Disney Resort property, maybe Animal Kingdom Lodge? Everyone’s advice has been much appreciated so keep it coming.

Thanks,
Tony

We plan on taking the kids out of school for the trip so we caan try to avoid the crowds if that is possible.

How about Animal Kingdom Lodge, 7 nights, and then Disney Cruise for 4. I consider the 3 night cruise a total tease, and the 4 night cruise will whet your appetite for more in the future.

If you can stomache the constant hurricane surveilances, September/October is a wonderful time to go. The parks and the cruise line both have excellent rates, and it's still very warm to take advantage of water excursions, etc. Sounds like you're an active crew, and can maximize the time spent pretty well. I'd recommend January as a back-up, but DCL rates will be starting back up and it might be too cold in Florida to go to the water parks and such. Plus, the parks will most likely close earlier.