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1) Is an ocean view really necessary?
It is really a matter of personal choice - my husband really doesn't like inside rooms but will take one if there is no other option. On Disney he prefers cat 9 ocean view on deck 2 or cat 7 navigator's verandahs preferably on deck 5. I personally don't care I'll take any room on any ship any day.

On shorter cruise (3 or 4 nights) we don't find ourselves spending a lot of time in the room. But on longer cruises (we've done 7, 10 and 14 nights) we really appreciated having an ocean view or verandah stateroom because we didn spend more time in the room than on the shorter cruises.

2) Is the difference between the standard and deluxe stateroom worth the money? Example, longer trip vs. better room?
The biggest difference is the split bathroom, and that is really handy if there are 3 or more people sharing the stateroom. The standard inside rooms are a tad smaller than the deluxe inside rooms (because the deluxe inside rooms have the split bath). On a longer cruise I'd recommend shooting for the deluxe room, or even an ocean view if you can afford it.

3) How much time do you really spend inside the room anyway?
If you have an inside room, you may find you don't spend a lot of time in there. But it might depend on your personal preferences as well as the length of cruise. If you have an ocean view or verandah room, you might find that you are more willing to spend some time in the room.

4) I live in Northern California. Should we opt for the Mexican Riviera cruise to save money? Should we fly to Florida so we can visit Castaway Cay?
Castaway Cay is truly a treat, but if you cannot afford the airfare then the Mexican Riviera will do

5) If we do fly to Florida, do they offer packages that include the air travel?
Yes, Disney offers flight packages which include your transfers. And flying from California usually means flying in the day before, so their package typically includes a night stay at the Hyatt (in the Orlando airport) before the cruise.

6) What's better, Bahamian or Caribbean cruises? Some offer two stops at Castaway Cay.
Again, personal preference. Some people don't like Nassau and would prefer the stops offered on a Caribbean cruise. Others don't care about the ports but want the longer (7 night) cruise versus the shorter 3 or 4 night cruises.

7) How many cruise days is enough? For example, I tell people who are first visiting DLR to visit for longer than a weekend. At least 4-5 days for a first visit.
For a first time I'd recommend at least 4 nights. The 3 night cruise just feels way too short. As far has how long is enough? After the 14 night cruise we were unhappy getting off the ship - we could've stayed on longer if they would have let us.

8) I have AAA. Should I book online through Disney or AAA?
Booking Disney direct or AAA or another travel agency is personal preference. Often AAA and other agencies cannot offer any pricing different than booking direct with Disney. In those cases it depends on how much value you put on the services of a travel agent (the personal service offered, they can advocate for you if anything comes up, etc.).

9) Can I make a deposit and then make payments along the way? Do I have to pay all at once?
It depends on how close you are to the sail date. You can pay a deposit at the time of booking, and then pay the balance at the final payment date (normally 75 days before the cruise date, on some special cruises it's 90 days before). If you want you can break up the final payment and make partial payments between the deposit and the final payment date.