Welcome to planDisney! It sounds like you are planning the most magical of all vacations: a trip to Walt Disney World Resort and aboard a Disney Cruise Line ship. It's my favorite combination!
Since the cruises are on a set schedule, I start looking at the itineraries with the
Disney Cruise Line "Find a Cruise" online travel planner. You can search for cruises based on the month you would like to go, number of nights you want to spend at sea, and the departure port. You can also find information about adding a trip to the parks with the Disney Cruise Line contact information on the
Land and Sea page. Before you call to make your reservation, I recommend checking
Walt Disney World Resort availability to get an idea about which resorts are best for the needs of your travel party and what looks to be available at the time you want to go. If you are sailing from Port Canaveral, be sure to ask about ground transfers when making your reservations, as Disney offers bus transportation from the parks to Port Canaveral and from the port to Orlando International Airport or your Disney resort.
Then the big question: Disney Cruise or Walt Disney World first? For my family, there is nothing better than spending days at the parks, going from rope drop to park close, getting all those steps in, and then setting sail for time by a pool or casually playing shuffleboard on deck. We have friends who prefer to cruise first, thinking it is a lot easier to leave your Disney cruise ship if the "Welcome to Walt Disney World" is waiting to greet you. You cannot go wrong either way.
As you get started, planDisney is here for you! Please
come back and share your questions and we are happy to help you as you plan the most magical vacation. Happy planning!