Disney cruise is always preferred over the parks with my family. We love the parks, don't get me wrong. That's why we cruise out of NYC now. We get a day at the parks.
One year, we were on the Wonder. My oldest DS wanted to go to the movie show by himself. He was 9 years old. I walked him into the theater and he found a seat. I made sure he was sitting and I left. My two youngest, DS5 and DD7 were in the kids club. The movie had about 30 minutes left, so I went to the theater, poked in to be sure DS was still sitting where I put him, and went out in the hall and sat on the bench across from the doors. I was sitting there for about 10 minutes, when the doors open and out comes Captain Hook. Let me backtrack a minute. While DS9 was at the movie and my DH and I wandered around the ship, we would see the little ones (ours) from the kids club out with the counselors, on a scavenger hunt. OK....so out come Captain Hook with his handler. He waves at me the way you would expect him too. I smile. My smile had not left my face when the movie doors open again, and it's my DS. He has a look of shock, awe and amazement on his face. "DID YOU SEE HIM???" "DID YOU SEE CAPTAIN HOOK?" "HE WALKED RIGHT BY ME!!!!" He wanted to know where he might be going, so I suggested we follow him. well, we didn't have to go far because as we passed the kids club, we heard screeches and giggles. We walk in, and there is Captain Hook chasing the kids, with Peter Pan and Wendy trying to help the kids get away. You see, the scavenger hunt was a hunt for Captain Hooks treasure. the kids found it and brought it back to the club. Peter Pan and Wendy were there to celebrate with them, and then Captain Hook stormed the club.
So, you tell me, where else in the WORLD can you get Peter Pan, Wendy and Captain Hook to play with your kids????
Another cruise, one more recent, I was on the promenade deck at 6am, enjoying the quiet of the morning, and watching the sun come up. A few joggers would pass me. I am sitting on a lounge chair and I hear "clomp, clomp, clomp" I look towards the sound and I kid you not, it was Goofy, decked out in a running suit and headband. He was with a handler. No kids are in sight. It was one of the most exciting things I have seen on a cruise, because it was not a planned meet and greet. It is 6am on a sea day, 75% of the ship is still sleeping, and Goofy is out for a run.
You cannot get this kind of personal interactions with the characters at the parks. Not unless you pay for them.