July 4th 3 or 4 day advice.

[wdwfamily4]

Thinking of taking the 3 or 4 day cruise over the 4th of July and adding 3-4 days on at the end for the parks. What tips can anyone give that has done this cruise at this same time. We will be booking hotel seperate from the cruise.

[mini-V]

We took the Disney cruise many years ago when it was still The Big Red Boat, so I probably don't have information that is going to be very helpful. We did end up going to Disney first and then on the boat, but with your trip falling on July 4th, you are definitely making a better choice; boat first, WDW after. I've only been to WDW once on the 4th of July. Other than Christmas, it's the busiest day of the year. The celebration was great, but the crowds were unbelievable.

I guess it would depend on how often you've been to the parks as to whether you want to spend more time at the parks or on the boat. I've heard that there is plenty to do on the cruise and plenty of opportunities to get Disney Magic before you hit the parks. Hope you have a great time.

[satijp]

My sis and fam went on the 4th cruise this year and loved it. They did Pirates Night on the actual 4th and had tons of fireworks. She said the stop in Nassau was quite warm (the grandparents and dad stayed and shopped but the infant and 4 y.o. and her went back to the bost and did stuff onboard.) She said she'd actually like to do a longer cruise with fewer stops because there is so much to do onboard. If you're thinking about doing Palo's she said the brunch buffet was amazing, and meals in general were great, especially since you keep the same wait-staff and get to know them throughout the week.