Ahoy Kim!
How INCREDIBLE that you are considering a Disney cruise or a Walt Disney World vacation for October! Choosing between the two will really be a matter of personal preference. Then again, there’s always a
land AND sea vacation that combines them both. I know that may not be feasible for a party of 16, but I HAD to mention it.
If you had to choose just one, of course I am always going to say go with a Disney cruise. Slightly biased opinion I know, since I am here to answer all about Disney Cruise Line. But I truly believe that you and your family would have a grand adventure at sea with Captain Mickey and friends. Given your tentative dates, it would be a
Halloween on the High Seas sailing, which is another reason why I think this would be the perfect combination of festive holiday fun and memory-making for your family.
Here’s where I would begin:
contact Disney Cruise Line or a Travel Agent to make reservations for multiple staterooms with your party size of 16. A Disney Cruise Line Vacation Planning Specialist can reserve all the staterooms for your party and then
link the reservations together. Talk about having superpowers!
Did you know that there are connecting staterooms on every Disney ship? I can tell based on your sail date that you will be on the Disney Dream. Did you know that ship has over 500 connecting staterooms? This means you can leave the door open between rooms to feel more connected with your party. Using the
Deck Plans link and choosing the Disney Dream in the upper left-hand corner, Guests can see which staterooms are connected. Another way to create a large space for congregating is to have the partition removed for the verandah in an Oceanview stateroom to create one large balcony. Having done this before, I can say that it makes for an excellent place to gather, share the day’s adventures, and take in the scenic views.
Another really important element to organizing your cruise is getting the dining coordinated. Arrangements can be made for all of you to be seated in close proximity in the
rotational dining rooms. Then your dining team will work their magic in ensuring you get top-notch service since they rotate with you to each of the restaurants every night.
I highly recommend downloading the
Disney Cruise Line Navigator app. It’s an incredible resource onboard for finding showtimes, dinner menus, activities, character greetings, and deck parties. With a large group, it’s also a key tool in keeping your family connected throughout the day. Simply use the chat feature to communicate plans on activities you all might want to attend together and to keep tabs on all the kiddos who may be busy in the Youth Clubs.
I know this has been a quick run-through of just some of the things you will need to know for your first Disney cruise. And I haven’t even scratched the surface on the
Walt Disney World side. So feel free to DASH back to planDisney with more questions. We are always happy to work with you to plan one SUPER vacation!
Sherry