DW and I are in the process of planning a cruise during winter break 2008 with DD (7 - will be 8 at the time of our vacation) and DS (4 - will be 5 at the time of our vacation). DW and I are experienced cruisers, although we have never been on a Disney cruise and we have never taken the kids on a cruise. We'd love to do a Disney cruise with the kids because from everything we've heard and read, the kid areas on the Disney ships are far and away superior to the kid areas on other cruise lines. (And, of course, everything is themed Disney and the characters are on board, but we view those things as just additional benefits and they are not our primary reason for looking at a Disney cruise.)

But then the big issue -- PRICE!!! Looking at a comparable room for the same week on Royal Carribbean versus DCL, the DCL price is about $2,500 more. Can anyone tell me what the major differences really are between DCL and Royal Carribbean (in particular) or other cruise lines (in general)? Better kid areas? Better entertainment? Better food? Bigger rooms? (I've heard that the staterooms on DCL are larger and have a split bathroom, but I don't know much about this.) Other considerations? To be more direct, is it really worth an extra $2,500 to go on DCL instead of Royal Carribbean?

Any input is appreciated. Thanks.