Disney Break

[rwdavis2]

We go to WDW every 4 years or so which is enough. While working in Los Angeles (a week at a time) over a 2 year span I visited DL 3 times and was bored by the third visit.

 

[design_mom]

We also only go every 4-5 years or so (and do other things in between). We always have a great time when we go. There are always new things to see, new/revised menus to try, etc. but we get to visit some old favorites, too. We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our Disney trips, but I feel like if we went too often it wouldn't be as special anymore.

But I always shake my head at the threads that ask "how can I make this trip special?" Um, it's Disney World. It *is* special... at least to us since we don't go very often.

 

[NewRVLady]

This last trip we skipped all the coasters because of health issues - really shortened our day
Probably will go back in a few years to see it at Xmass

 

[Tinkerdreams]

We don't get sick of it as we try to visit different times of the year. It usually is years between events since we only go once a year. Plus we tend to have someone with us who has never been to a Disney park, so that is always like "going for the first time"!

 

[msb578]

For me, yes, the *parks* do get old. Even my favorite rides have lost their appeal somewhat.

However, I still always love the resorts- value, deluxe, whatever. I could do a park-less trip and have a wonderful time. People will say, "try a beach resort somewhere". Well, I don't like the beach I like the WDW restaurants, the pools, atmosphere, campfires, fireworks, etc.

 

[Colleen27]

I do. My problem is follow through. We're currently in a "Disney break". I had no plans to go back until some of the new projects are finished. But then my mom asked if I wanted to take the girls so older DD could take a YES class she was interested in. So we went in June. Then I found out that a conference I was planning on attending anyway was going to be in Orlando this year, so I'm staying at WDW (instead of the DTD area conference hotel) for that and going to the parks at least once for a conference event. And my mom has been talking about a Christmas lights trip. Since she doesn't travel alone, the kids and I will probably end up going with her again if that trip fits into the budget.

We're still in a Disney break of sorts - it isn't on the family travel calendar for the next several years. We haven't all gone together since 2012 and looking ahead it'll probably be 2018 before we consider planning another family WDW trip. But I'm not passing on these little, low budget pop-up trips between now and then so I can't say I'm really taking much of a break myself.

 

[meloneyb21]

We skipped some years because we had other things going on, not necessarily because we were bored, but we realized that skipping a year made us appreciate it more. We went 2006, 2009-2012, skipped '13, went '14, skipped this year, and we're making plans to go next year.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Our one & only family trip so far was 2012. We were in Orlando for a SW/Univ trip in July and really considered squeezing in a day at AK. Ultimately decided against it.

But, we REALLY enjoyed SW and we have annual passes good through July 19th. So, we are very much considering a return in 2016. If we do, we might do that AK day after all, or even get WPF&M 1-day tickets and hit both Disney water parks. Also thinking of booking one night at AKL with Arushka View. Definitely no plans to hit MK or EP any time soon (or DHS ever again).

 

[McDISer]

We go every year, but 2 years ago, we started traveling around Florida and seeing other things. This coming February we are going to stay over at Universal for 3 nites and then we go to our convention. We decided last year, we are saving our non-expiring tickets, till some of the major renovations are done. We will probably go back to the parks n 2018, we are going to give it 3-4 years. We still may stay on property if we can rent points out for $8. We have been renting from an owner for over 10 years now.

 

[Cadiewampus]

yep we are through with WDW for a while and maybe Magic Kingdom forever. I am still having nightmares of strollers from our trip this past May.Besides we find that Universal appeals to us more now.

 

[Andtototoo]

We are taking a break from WDW since our last trip in November 2014. We were already unhappy with the FP+ system and what we saw as diminishing focus on the guest experience and then had a horrific time booking our trip (so bad both in terms of repeated technical glitches and repeated cast member attitude issues when trying to book directly with them that if we weren't going largely to show foreign friends WDW we would have cancelled the entire trip). Compound that horrible experience with getting there and our magic bands never working properly -- NEVER -- plus ticketing issues in general and having guest relations cast members blame US ("You must have done something wrong." Yeah, but NO.), we are done with WDW for the foreseeable future.
I don't spend my hard-earned money on vacation to spend hours trying to simply buy tickets/book hotels and get treated like dirt. For us, the WDW we knew and loved, is no longer there.

Coincidentally, in 2014, we also visited DL for the first time and loved it, also visited the new Harry Potter area at Universal and found it far superior to anything WDW has done in many years. So we have found alternatives that suit our wishes much better.

 

[TB'sWidow]

I am not bored by Disneyworld and have a trip coming up which will be my last trip for quite awhile not because of boredom but my bank account says there are other things that need to be done. While I have longed to got to Disneyland living on the east coast and having a big family flying is to cost prohibitive for that.

 

[cabanafrau]

Our one & only family trip so far was 2012. We were in Orlando for a SW/Univ trip in July and really considered squeezing in a day at AK. Ultimately decided against it.

But, we REALLY enjoyed SW and we have annual passes good through July 19th. So, we are very much considering a return in 2016. If we do, we might do that AK day after all, or even get WPF&M 1-day tickets and hit both Disney water parks. Also thinking of booking one night at AKL with Arushka View. Definitely no plans to hit MK or EP any time soon (or DHS ever again).

You say no DHS ever again. You won't go back even if the additions work out well, or get good reviews?

Not criticizing mind you, I understand DHS has been pretty pathetic, but I'm just wondering if anything would change that for you?

 

[Ambear]

I can get tired of disney and usually don't go every year though the the last two it worked out that way but usually we choose to do something else. We almost always go to our beach timeshare once a year. And I've been going to universal more now that it has Harry Potter and is really getting good there. And if Nintendo land is amazing then that will definitely change up my vacation priorities hah.

I know people say there's a great big world and so much to see but honestly I love theme parks the most so I'm more inclined to plan those trips. So I need to plan my eventual trip back to horrible California and go to universal and dlr. And I want to go to parks in other countries but we'll see if that ever happens.

 

[smiths02]

We haven't been able to afford every year, but we are going 3 times (two family trips, one short adult trip) between June 2015 and June 2016 since we bought APs. I'm thinking that will be enough for awhile.

Summer 2017 we need to save money, I think

I'm thinking a Disney cruise in summer 2018 (we can probably only afford 3 or 4 day and ILs think they can't handle a week long cruise anyhow) with the ILs and maybe see the Space Center.

Then August 2018, we get to stop paying daycare for the twins! So maybe by summer 2019, we can go to CA. I'm from SoCal, so it is not just a DL trip for me, but we would definitely visit DL. I just have to convince my DH to fly (he doesn't like flying and 5 people is expensive to fly).

Then maybe summer 2020, Universal and WDW...maybe stuff will be built by then? *hoping*

So, in other words, I think my family wouldn't get sick of Disney, but I'm not sure a week in WDW every year, on-site, eat at all the restaurants, etc. would work for us either. I like mixing a little familiar with something different.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

We went three years in a row and decided to give it a rest. The first two were planned, the third was because the high school band and chorus were going.

 

[pigletto]

We went every year or so, sometimes twice for 6 or 7 years. The kids got older and way more into Universal , and we stayed offsite for the first time last year, and a Universal only trip as well. When we go back in January it will have been two years since we had an onsite trip, and I am ready and excited to go again. I definitely needed the break though.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

You say no DHS ever again. You won't go back even if the additions work out well, or get good reviews?

Not criticizing mind you, I understand DHS has been pretty pathetic, but I'm just wondering if anything would change that for you?

I wouldn't say "never". But, as of now we have no plans to return. For us, it's hard enough to squeeze in everything else we want to do at WDW on a single trip. We "can" do MK & AK in a day each, but that's rope drop to close for both. There's some things we haven't tried at MK & things we would gladly do on multiple days t AK, so realistically, that's 4 days. EPCOT cannot be done in 1 day in our family, so now we're at 6 days. And we need at least a each water park, so now we're at 8+ days. And now we're getting into max vacation duration for us, not to mention budgetary concerns with a trip that long. We didn't hate DHS overall, but there honestly just wasn't a single thing we enjoyed enough to want to go back unless we just had unlimited time & budget. Plus, some of the things we did like are going away.

So no, I can't say there's no circumstances under which we'd ever return. It's just hard right now to imagine enough improvement to warrant skipping a second day at some other park we enjoy so much more.

 

[NMAmy]

We really didn't enjoy FP+ last time and don't feel like a WDW trip is offering a good return on the money we have to put into it anymore. We had been every year from 2000-2014. We skipped 2015 and will skip 2016. I have two new grandchildren this year so perhaps might go when they're 2 or 3. But we'll most likely do a Disneyland trip instead unless I feel like the experience at WDW is worth the cost.

 

[cabanafrau]

I wouldn't say "never". But, as of now we have no plans to return. For us, it's hard enough to squeeze in everything else we want to do at WDW on a single trip. We "can" do MK & AK in a day each, but that's rope drop to close for both. There's some things we haven't tried at MK & things we would gladly do on multiple days t AK, so realistically, that's 4 days. EPCOT cannot be done in 1 day in our family, so now we're at 6 days. And we need at least a each water park, so now we're at 8+ days. And now we're getting into max vacation duration for us, not to mention budgetary concerns with a trip that long. We didn't hate DHS overall, but there honestly just wasn't a single thing we enjoyed enough to want to go back unless we just had unlimited time & budget. Plus, some of the things we did like are going away.

So no, I can't say there's no circumstances under which we'd ever return. It's just hard right now to imagine enough improvement to warrant skipping a second day at some other park we enjoy so much more.

I get it. Was trying to figure out if you were absolutely opposed to the park. Yeah, I guess those time and budget constraints force us to make some decisions. Scheduling bit us in the behind this year and we had no family vacation this summer. That really started to sink into some heads this week. I'm thinking next summer the vacation planner(me) will get some responses I can do something with. A week and a half ago with a calendar that looks like it was used for target practice was a tad bit too late for me to pull a rabbit from my hat.