When you’re a company as big as Disney, you’re used to being a target. Hell, Universal Orlando Resort’s Twitter account is, at this point, about 13% churro love and 87% shade being thrown at Walt Disney World. But now it seems that somebody else has decided to get in on the action as a new ad for Princess Cruises is being less than subtle in its attempt to get vacationers to go with them to Alaska rather than visit Disney World.
The new Princess Cruise commercial, entitled “Real Magic in Alaska” boasts that an Alaskan cruise will bring you “Animal Kingdoms,” “Wilderness Lodges,” “Riverboats” and more. Of course all these things are also items that you would find if you visited Walt Disney World. Check it out.
It’s actually a pretty funny ad all things considered. While the end of it points out that a cruise is cheaper than a “theme park” vacation, the fact is there is no other theme park in the world that has all the specific things that are mentioned here. You can see fireworks elsewhere but there is only one Animal Kingdom and it’s run by Disney.
And there is something to be said for the “real” magic being promoted here. Theme parks are great and while the fictionalized reality of the whole experience is part of what’s being sold, there’s something to be said for the real thing.
I haven’t done the math on a Princess Cruise versus a trip to Walt Disney World. There’s no argument that the Disney trip is going to be expensive and cruises aren’t known for being cheap either. The fine print in the ad says it's comparing a 7-day vacation for two, a balcony stateroom on the cruise ship versus a deluxe hotel at “a major U.S. theme park” with the park tickets to match. And those Disney World tickets certainly aren’t getting cheaper. There are, of course, cheaper hotel rooms at Disney World, but there are also cheaper rooms on the cruise ship, so I suppose it all adds up more or less. The Alaska cruise is certainly cheaper than two nights on the Galactic Starcruiser, which is a cruise ship-like experience.
At the end of the day, while cost is certainly a determining factor in where one goes on vacation, the experiences one will have are certainly not the same. As somebody who has done both an Alaska cruise and has visited Disney World more than a few times, I highly recommend both trips if you have the means. You can’t see a massive Alaskan glacier at Disney World. Of course, you also can’t ride the Haunted Mansion in Alaska.
It will be interesting to see if this Princess Cruise ad becomes a trend, either from Princess itself or the cruise industry in general. Of course, Disney also has its own cruise ships, and is on the verge of unveiling the entirely new Disney Wish later this year. If you want the best of both worlds you can take a Disney Cruise to Alaska, though I can’t promise it’s a cheap option.
