Today we'll discuss adding a Disney cruise onto a Disney World trip with Melanie from DCLPrepSchool.com.
She'll help us understand what's included with the price of a Disney cruise, the logistics of getting there, and explain what Fish Extender gifts are.
I also have a quick tip to help you save on merchandise at Disney World.
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These are notes from this episode. There's much more info included in the audio so be sure to listen to the episode for a better explanation.
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Adding a Disney cruise to a Disney World trip
Some tips:
- Melanie recommends doing the land part of your trip first, followed by the cruise
- Book the two trips separately because there's no financial benefit to booking it all as one trip through Disney
- Disney can provide transportation even if you book the items separately. DCL shuttles to get from Disney World to the port and from the port to WDW/airport are $35 each way per person
- You might also consider Mears shuttles, Uber, and rental cars to get to/from the port
- Keep information organized (stateroom number, reservation numbers, passport numbers, emergency contacts, onboard activities, flight info). A lot of this info will be handy when doing online check-in as well.
- Packing for a cruise is similar to Disney World, including comfortable shoes, comfortable clothes, swimsuits, external battery chargers, and something to pull hair back. Laundry rooms are available on the ship.
- Pirate and formal nights onboard will require special things to be packed that you wouldn't normally need at Disney World.
- Important to keep in mind that the price of a Disney Cruise Line trip includes great dining, non-alcoholic drinks (including sodas), high quality entertainment, kids clubs with long operating hours (for ages 3-17), twice-a-day housekeeping, Disney character meets/parties, and 24-hour complimentary room service
- To make a trip more affordable, consider booking an interior room and/or taking advantage of onboard bounceback offers (usually 10% off)
- Families with older kids should consider booking an interior and exterior room to give everybody enough space
- Many people will participate in Fish Extender gift exchanges on Disney cruises. Groups can be found on message boards and in Facebook Groups. Get gift ideas at pinterest.com/dclprep.
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Quick tip of the day
Check your receipt during your Disney World trip to see if a coupon has been included. For instance, there's a current discount of 10% off of Disney Springs merchandise that's included on receipts at most Magic Kingdom Quick Service restaurants.
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