How much time do you spend at the resort versus the parks?

[DVC Mike]

How much time do you spend at the resort versus the parks?

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In most discussions between someone unfamiliar with Disney who is considering which resort to stay at and someone knowledgeable about Disney World – if they’re trying to figure out whether to stay at a value, moderate or deluxe resort – the “newbie” is typically advised to consider how much time they plan on spending in the room.

The commonly expressed view is that if you’re really going to spend very little time in the room, and most time at the parks, then maybe you shouldn’t splurge for a deluxe resort and a value resort or moderate might be the way to go.

For many visitors to Disney, the resort hotel room is just a place to sleep at night.

However, as DVC Members who visit Disney again and again, do you find you spend more time both at your resort and in the room?

I have to say my wife and I spend a lot of time at the resort - including much time in the room. The more we vacation at Disney, the less important it has become to visit the parks. After years of visiting the parks you start to wonder why fight the crowds for a 4-minute ride? Yes, I’ll visit the parks periodically to walk around, people-watch, but mostly to take photographs.

We spend more time at the resort and in our room. We don't rush anywhere, as we are on vacation. We sleep in if we feel like it. When we get home we are relaxed and realize that anything that we missed, we will do next time. The only appointments we have are spa or dining reservations.

We might spend an entire day in the room. We'll watch television, read a book, enjoy the view – whatever (thus why we place a high value of the views at a DVC resort). My wife enjoys taking a nap or taking a long relaxing bath in the whirlpool tub. She might only leave the room to hit a spa, dine at a restaurant, or maybe sit by the pool.

We might be at the other end of the extreme from park commandos.

What about you?


How much time do you spend at your resort versus the parks, and how much time do you spend in the room?

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Purchasing DVC

• What was your purchase philosophy when choosing your home resort(s)?
• Headed up or down with your points?
• How much of the DVC legal documents have you actually read?

DVC Resorts

• Favorite thing you love, and what you most dislike, about your home resort?
• Which DVC resorts have your favorite cocktail lounge/bar?
• How much time do you spend at the resort versus the parks?
• Which DVC Resort is your favorite for watching the MK fireworks?
• Are the Polynesian Villas really that noisy?
• What does the future hold for DVC?

Renting Points

• Do you rent out your points yourself or use a “points broker”?

Using Your DVC Membership

• Do you still call Member Services?
• Out of points, but you still want to go to Disney?
• Which room sizes do you book the most?
• Do you still experience obsessive Disney planning?
• How much of your vacation time do you spend at Disney?
• How has DVC changed your vacation pattern?
• What meals or snacks do you prepare in your room?

Just for Fun

• How did you pick your DISboards User Name?
• Are you a "lurker" on DISboards? If not, what caused you to de-lurk?
• How long have you been a DVC member?
• How old were you when you first became a DVC member?
• What is your family status?
• Do you unpack or live out of your suitcase?

http://i235.************************************************************* DVC Mike - *******.com

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[Popouri DVC]

I'm right there with ya, Mike.

One of the best parts of being DVC members and living about three hours away from Disney and having AP's!!!

Totally feeling your whole post above!

 

[montrealdisneylovers]

We only stay 4 nights every year before hitting the beach for 10 days. Those 4-5 days are spent doing all our favourite rides. As we go during peak Christmas time we get up early to do a park, come back to the resort for an afternoon nap and head back out at night to another park. We then go to the beach and really enjoy resting up after our whirlwind Disney trip!!

 

[SpaceMountain77]

We have become late starters as a result of becoming DVC members. Instead of waking up at 6am and arriving at a park 15-30 minutes before opening, we now get up at 8am, enjoy breakfast in our room or at the resort's quick service location and arrive at a park by 11am.

For us, morning magic hours now means sleep and resort time.

 

[Murron]

We're usually at BWV, walk the jogging trail every morning, spend the late afternoon with a wine on the patio people watching the Boardwalk or just hanging out at the quiet pool or BCV beach. If the mood hits, we'll wander over to our favorite park, Epcot. It's so nice now. Back in the day with kids, it was 24 x 7 parks. Empty nest is wonderful.

 

[bgraham34]

I'm a park person and spend as much time there as possible. I want to get my money worth out of the park tickets each and everyday.

 

[bwvBound]

OTHER: To date, the majority of our WDW trips have been for work related conferences at the Dolphin/Swan/Yacht Club convention centers. On these trips we don't visit the parks -- but also don't spend much time in the room or at the 'resort.' That said, we've also used DVC at Vero and Aulani -- where nearly 100% of our time is best characterized "enjoying the resort." Our Grand Cal visits are 70/30 "non-park" visits over "park."

If we do parks, we are still commando as we've had relatively few park days over our 11+ years of membership. If we are going to visit a park, we are going to do everything there!

 

[ludari]

I have done numerous trips for runDisney events where I wanted to save my feet for the races so I didn't make it into the parks but I've also just done a week long visit with all parks.

 

[LCoulter]

I voted the second option. We hit the parks at rope drop almost every day, take afternoon break for a nap or take in a movie or a meal at DTD or off property, then back to parks in the evening.

We love the parks and would be bored if we just stayed at our resort. We even hit the parks the day of arrival and on departure day for a few hours. Even on a 10 day vacation, we hit the parks every single day. That said, I no longer consider us commando because we no longer rush in the parks from attraction to attraction and think nothing of spending hours watching DD play Sorcerer of Magic Kingdom or exploring Tom Sawyers Island.

Even though we don’t spend much time at the room, we still enjoy being in the Disney bubble. If the weather cooperates, we hit the pool once or twice during the week and take some time to explore our resort a bit, stop at the campfire for a marshmallow, explore the gift shop, or take in a snack or meal at the resort.

 

[Rochester Disney Fan]

We normally get up when we get up, Go to the park if we don't see a monsoon on the way.Our fast passes are normally for the afternoon. Head back to the pool and resort for the rest of the day. We occasionally go back to a park at night if somebody really wants to go.

 

[DisneyRegulars]

We used to be park commandos. That has changed recently with the combination of being DVC members for a few years now and FP+. This past trip we made our three FP reservations for between 11:00-1:00pm, slept in, went and rode our three rides, then went back to the resort to swim and relax. It was wonderful! It was so nice to not have to be there at rope drop to ensure we got on our favorite rides.

For our anniversary trip a few weeks ago I think we went on less than five rides the whole four days we were there. We spent lots of time enjoying our resort and eating.

 

[Golden Rose]

We have never been park commandos. We always stayed at Deluxes, usually club level in suites, before we bought DVC, because we've always spent so much time in our room and at our resort. (We cruise the same way.) We need a lot of downtime, and we want it to be someplace that still feels like we're on vacation. Our son has sensory issues, and overwhelms very easily. My mom often travels with us, and has limited stamina. These days we often do our three fp+ attractions, eat at a fun restaurant in whichever park we're in, and go back to the resort.

 

[DizDaD7]

Our touring has changed throughout the years..We do enjoy our down time at the resorts, and so do the kids. So yes I like to extend the trips...I'm not so interested in the views while staying at the resort room, as much as just being at the resort itself.

 

[disneynutz]

Our resort record thus far, 10 night stay, 6 hours in Epcot!

Bill

 

[Sparrow624]

We are about 50/50. With two young kids, we come back for naps and are in by about 8pm latest, so the room/resort is pretty important to us. We own at VGF and are looking resale at BCV and to buy a small Poly direct contract for just DW and I.

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

I still make a spreadsheet, we just have less on it.

We no longer set the alarm for rope drop, but we usually go to the parks in the morning, back to the resort to swim & shower, then to a park for dinner.

We have an ADR for most nights, we use Fastpass+ and enjoy walking around the parks, taking it all in.

We also have days with no plans. Sometimes we resort hop, relax by the pool, rent a boat....So many things to do.

We have also gone off property to Discovery Cove, Sea World, Aquatica.....

When our children were younger, we were often park commandos. Now we all like to relax more. Thank goodness for DVC!

 

[Kidanifan08]

We have a 9 yo, so rides and pools are the focus of our trips. We usually try to do RD so we can get several rides in before the park gets busy. We use our FP selections in the late AM/early afternoon, but occasionally in the evening. We do try to spend a few hours at the resort during the afternoon, but primarily at the pool or getting a little rest before the evening activities. We still enjoy being at the parks and taking in the various sights and sounds, in addition to the attractions. We tend to head back to the parks in the evenings for a few rides and/or dinner.

 

[nono]

Other. We do two years with park tickets then a year off, but still use our DVC in WDW. This past "skip year" turned into two skip years as the kids preferred to hang at the resorts and just do one open-to-close day at LEGOLAND. (Don't feel bad for them, we did an open-to-close DL/DCA day in January, too!). I find the "minor" pleasures of WDW/DVC to be quite relaxing. And, nothing beats the immersion and little details that WDW provides.

 

[emlutz23]

Since we don't live close to WDW, we do tend to spend more time in the parks. Every trip I try and do more resort activity. "Someday" we'll live in FL and can focus on staycations at the resort using our points, but not until kids are out of the house. Heck, they'll probably follow us down!

 

[Sammie]

It varies. We visit a park each day but not all day by any means.