We have never been on a cruise before, let along the Disney one. But we've heard "through the grapevine" that this is an excellent thing to do with kids, as adults are able to have some alone time. But I seem to be lost in deciding which one to take.

We definitely need to keep our costs as low as possible. But is it worth it to take the 3-day or 4-day cruise? do you get enough time to make it worth even paying for? or is it better to just suck it up and do the 7-day? or would the land/sea combination be a better idea?

and in trying to get a quote for a stateroom, we don't all fit into one room. we will have 4 children and an infant with us and the rooms are small and they say you have to purchase two. has anyone done this? and how hard is it to get adjacent rooms? it looks like they offer 1 and 2 room suites, but i can't seem to get a price for these. has anyone stayed in the suite before?

also, on the disney website they list everything there is to do. is everything included in the price? or is anything charged for separately on top of your ticket fee?

and is there a good time of year to go? we wanted to do it for Christmas, but i'm thinking that's the most expensive. is january an option? or would we have to wait longer before the prices drop?

thanks in advance!

A 3 or 4 night trip is the perfect length for a first cruise of any sort. It is long enough to have a great time yet short enough to not break the bank or ruin the trip if you are not used to the ship moving. With that said, the land/sea combo is a great blend and makes for a great vacation. I can give more sugguestions to that option if you would like.

Yep, you have to buy two rooms for that many people. Keep in mind that rates are based on 2 adults per room so there is a chance that some children may be charged as an adult. Its not all that hard to get adjacent rooms if you book early as they assign your rooms when you make your reservations. Getting a room across the hall may also be a good option, even though it will be an inside stateroom. (Lower cost than 2 outside staterooms in most cases.) They do offer suites but it may not be the best option for you cost-wise and their availability is very limited.

There is a lot to do that is included in the price. Shore excursions are extra and there are some other items such as bingo or wine tasting on board that do have a nominal charge. Trust me, there is pleanty to do on board without costing you a dime.

The off season is the least expensive. Sep-Oct is a good time and so is Feb. Keep in mind that even in Feb, it will be cooler as well. January may be a little more expensive but reasonable. The best bet is to have 3 or 4 dates in mind and price them out.

Hope this helps. Please feel free to post additional questions as you plan your trip.

I would pick the 4-day cruise over the 3-day if you can. Three days really is not enough time (4 barely is, but it gives you one more day of that Magic).
If you can do four days on land with it -- I think your kids will enjoy it -- although there is PLENTY of Disney all over the ship.

All your food and entertainment is included -- as are the Oceaneers Club and Lab (aka the kids clubs where kids go in at 7 a.m. and don't want to leave until midnight). Alcohol, spas treatments, shore excursions and tips are not included.
You might want to call a TA who specializes in DCL -- if not DCL itself and see what they reccommend for you.

I'm with Niwel. Book the 4-nighter if you can, but if it comes between a 3-nighter and no cruise, go with the 3-nighter.

Sometimes I find that it's better to split out the components and not book the Land and Sea package. If a better offer comes along from Walt Disney World, for instance, it's generally better to book that separate from the cruise, to take advantage of the promotion. Sometimes it's better to book it as a L&S though, when considering the Animal Kingdom Lodge resort, since that is a guaranteed Savannah view room, but priced at a Standard room category. There are different tricks, etc, along the way.

Your best bet is to get the cruise booked now, as pricing increases as the ship fills. You can decide to do it as a L&S now as well, but keep an eye on the pricing as the WDW promotions come out. It might be cheaper for you in the long run to break it out, but you won't know that until much closer to your sail date.

Ditto on booking a L&S trip as two seperate pieces. That way, you can pick and choose your hotels and stateroom categories independantly of one another. Its a little more effort but even that is just limited to keeping track of things. Ive done it both ways and each one has its pros and cons. I think I got the best value planning them seperately.