This Disney cruise started as a birthday idea.
My nephew is turning seven in September.
My son turns six in October.
Their birthdays are close enough together that we started thinking about whether we really wanted to throw two traditional birthday parties—or whether we could celebrate both boys with an experience instead.
We chose the experience.
Why We’re Moving Away From Big Birthday Parties
Birthday parties are fun.
But if you’re the person hosting one, you know that the party itself is only a tiny portion of the work.
For weeks we’re planning.
Then we clean.
Decorate.
Set everything up.
Host everyone.
Make sure people have food.
Keep track of the kids.
Take pictures.
And somehow four hours later, the party is finished and we’re standing in a room that needs to be cleaned again.
Half the time, the adults hosting the party barely remember what happened because we were busy taking care of everyone else.
A venue solves the before-and-after cleanup problem, but those can get expensive very quickly—and we’re often paying for a one- or two-hour window with whatever activities and options the venue provides.
An experience feels different.
It’s just us.
And one of my favorite things about traveling with the boys is hearing what they remember afterward.
Kids remember the most random details.
The thing an adult barely noticed can become the story they talk about for a year.
So we’re trying birthday experiences instead of automatically throwing a large party every year.
This cruise happened to fall almost perfectly between their birthdays.
Why a Disney Cruise Instead of Disney World
We’re not choosing a Disney cruise because our boys are Disney superfans.
They’re not.
We chose it because we already know that our family enjoys cruising.
It felt like an easier introduction to Disney.
My nephew has experienced Disneyland Paris before and was exhausted after that one day.
I think Walt Disney World will actually be more enjoyable for both boys when they’re a little older and can handle longer theme-park days.
The cruise also made more sense financially for us right now.
And the calendar worked beautifully.
We’re traveling over Columbus Day weekend.
We fly to Florida Thursday morning, board the ship Friday and fly home Monday on the holiday.
That means the boys only miss two days of school.
For a family trip during the school year, that’s a win.
The First Thing We Did Was Look at Rewards
I don’t think a Disney trip has to be inexpensive to be affordable.
Those aren’t the same thing.
We’re using resources we already had to reduce the amount we’re paying directly out of pocket.
Fetch Rewards
I normally save my Fetch rewards and Amazon rewards for Christmas.
This year, I decided that the boys’ birthday trip could take their place.
I exchanged Fetch rewards for a Disney gift card.
That turned points I’d earned during normal life into vacation money.
My Work Recognition Program
My employer also has an incentive/recognition program where points can be exchanged for gift cards.
Last year, I used rewards from it for a Carnival gift card.
This year, I chose Disney.
Again, that’s money I didn’t need to pull directly from our weekly household budget.
Sam’s Club Disney Gift Cards
I also keep an eye on Disney gift cards through Sam’s Club.
They are often sold at a small discount, and occasionally there are deeper promotions.
My warning from experience:
If you see one of the better Disney gift-card deals and you already know you’ll use it, don’t assume you can come back whenever you feel like it.
The best offers can sell out quickly.
Of course, promotions and gift-card pricing change, so always compare the actual savings before buying.
We Used Travel Points Too
Our savings didn’t stop with Disney gift cards.
We’re flying JetBlue from Connecticut to Fort Lauderdale.
I used my JetBlue credit-card miles and booked with the card, which reduced our out-of-pocket airfare dramatically. The checked-bag benefit attached to my card also means our one large checked suitcase is covered for our outbound trip.
Benefits and redemption values change, so I would never tell someone to open a specific travel card solely because it worked for me.
My takeaway is much broader:
Before paying cash, check what you already have.
Airline miles.
Credit-card rewards.
Hotel points.
Employee benefits.
Cash-back apps.
Membership discounts.
Sometimes your trip is already partially funded—you just haven’t connected the dots yet.
Our Hotel Was Booked With Points Too
We’re flying in the day before the cruise.
That was intentional.
I didn’t want embarkation day starting with an early flight, weather anxiety and four people staring at the clock hoping nothing goes wrong.
We chose Beach House Fort Lauderdale, a Hilton property.
It checked the boxes that mattered to us:
- Relatively close to the cruise port
- Beach nearby
- Pool
- Balcony room
- Breakfast included
I transferred American Express Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors during a promotional transfer bonus, which stretched the points further.
Again, those promotions change constantly.
What worked for our October trip might not exist when somebody else books theirs.
The strategy matters more than the exact offer:
Watch your existing rewards programs before paying cash.
We’ll Uber from the airport to the hotel, hotel to the cruise terminal and cruise terminal back to the airport.
No rental car to manage for a short trip.
We’re Not Paying for a Lookout Cay Excursion
One of our easiest budget decisions was our port day.
We aren’t skipping a Lookout Cay excursion because we think excursions are bad.
We simply looked at everything already available and realized we genuinely don’t need one.
Disney currently includes Family Beach access, lounge chairs, umbrellas, towels, True-True BBQ, beverage stations, soft serve, Rush Out Gush Out water play, Bahamian cultural experiences and a nature trail toward the lighthouse.
That’s plenty for our family.
We’ve created our own loop through the things we actually want to see.
[LINK: Disney Lookout Cay Without an Excursion — Our Family-of-4 Itinerary]
Where We ARE Spending Extra
Saving isn’t useful if it becomes the entire point of the vacation.
We’re intentionally spending money in a few places.
One is our pre-cruise hotel because arriving the day before makes the beginning of the vacation less stressful.
The other big one is the boys’ pirate makeover.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and Pirates League are available on the Disney Dream, with pirate transformations offered on select Pirate Night itineraries.
The timing isn’t perfect.
Our appointment overlaps part of an evening show, which bums me out a little.
But this was one of the things we learned the hard way as first-time Disney cruisers: desirable appointment times can disappear.
We decided the makeover would probably be more memorable for these particular boys than that show on this particular trip.
Maybe next Disney cruise we skip the makeover entirely and make the show the priority.
That’s the nice part.
We don’t have to experience everything the first time.
That’s Really Our Budget Philosophy
We’re not trying to have the cheapest Disney cruise possible.
We’re trying to stop spending money automatically.
Rewards where we have them.
Included activities when they’re already good.
One or two souvenirs instead of buying everything.
No paid excursion when the island itself already sounds great.
Then use the savings for the experiences we think our boys will actually remember.
Experiences over things—but also experiences over trying to experience everything.
That’s the edit.
Continue the Series
Before paying for extras, I wanted to understand exactly what Disney already included.
Read next → What’s Actually Included on a Disney Cruise, and What Costs Extra?
