16 Reasons a Disney Cruise Is Even Better Than Disney World For Families With Small Kids

From food and activities to their bed for naptime or a shower to clean up after an accident, a Disney cruise is actually the ultimate in vacation convenience for parents. This floating wonderland has everything you and your kiddos could ever want or need all in one place so it takes the exhausting hassle out of trying to vacation with little ones.

As soon as you pull up to the cruise ship, you no longer have to worry about carting all of your family's seemingly endless number of bags to wherever they need to be. Lovely porters unload them from your car and deliver them to your room at the start of the trip. They also take care of them when it's time to disembark.

From personalized door decor and surprise treats waiting for your family to towel animals sitting atop beds, there's a ton of extra fun for kiddos to enjoy even when it's time to head back to their room for sleep.

With their unique play spaces, Disney cruises are all about friendship. Whether little ones are traveling with their best buds and want to stick together throughout the entire trip or made a new buddy on the first day, kids have the opportunity to play with who they want when they want without complex playdate organization on their parents' end.

Instead of grabbing a hamburger at the park (or booking a dinner show a year in advance), patrons of a Disney cruise can enjoy exciting entertainment during every minute of their trip — including mealtimes. With rotating restaurants that each offer their own festive appeals, every dinner is just as unique and memorable as their daily adventures.

Guests on Disney cruises have the chance to prebook some of their character meet-and-greets to help parents and their kiddos avoid having to wait in crowds for the opportunity to chat or snap a picture with their beloved Disney friends.

Each day, parents are treated to an itinerary of all of the activities being offered the following day. This allows families to decide with minimal planning what to do during their fun-filled days, and all of the fun is on the boat so you don't have to spend all day on your feet running around just to check everything off your list.

Walking around a Disney park can be just as exhausting as a fun-filled day spent on a Disney cruise, but the difference on a ship is that every kiddo's bed is right around the corner whenever they need to crash or if parents are ready to have some quiet time.

Siblings of different age groups can enjoy different activities all at the same time. Instead of having to pick and choose what to take part in next to accommodate each child and then make the older or younger kiddo sit through what their sibling wants, kids on a Disney cruise can enjoy different age-specific activities in the same play spaces at the same time.

For some little kids, it's hard to beat a good fireworks show, but parents aren't always a fan. With the shows infringing on bedtime and causing parents to have to keep kiddos patient in a crowd while they wait for the fun to begin — plus possibly dealing with a sibling who isn't a fan of the noise — parents may just want to skip fireworks altogether. But when fireworks light up the skies on a cruise, little ones can watch from their stateroom or the deck floor (they can even watch in their pajamas if they are too worn out to enjoy the party or want to avoid getting too close to the loud booms).

It's pretty much impossible not to forget an essential when packing your family for a trip. But if the stores on board don't sell what you need, the customer service team will work to get you whatever it is you're looking for (like a tablet charger or toothbrush) ASAP.

Keeping a family fed during a day at a park isn't always easy or cheap, especially when you have some picky eaters in your group. But on a cruise, there is always an abundance of complimentary food, from the outdoor grills and buffet to the ice cream station, so you never have to go far or spend money to keep little tummies full throughout your trip.

The beauty of the Disney kids' clubs is parents don't have to be there in order for their children to have a blast and get the most out of their vacation. This can give them some much-needed time to decompress without the guilt over what their children might be missing out on.

Don't stress over what your family will do if the weather is too hot, cold, or rainy; there's a surprising amount of indoor options that will keep kids more than entertained that don't rely on perfect weather.

Unlike other trips, kids have a unique opportunity to form friendships with adults as well as other kids. These counselors, porters, waiters, and other staff members work hard to ensure that your little one is always smiling and will be around to help make this the best trip ever throughout your family's entire stay.

The shows that kids and their parents can enjoy during a Disney cruise take entertainment to the next level. With Broadway-style performances offered before and after dinner — like Frozen on the newly updated Disney Wonder — entire families will be beyond impressed with the talent surrounding them.