Lengthy Stay question!

[ducklite]

This Aug DS13 & I are taking our first 2 wk vacation and our first mother/son WDW vacation
we're staying 8nights at VWL and 6nights at BCV
will not be activating our APs until our 3rd full day
Planning on pool hopping (DVC) to GF, Poly, Contemp, Boardwalk
planning on Typhoon Lagoon
eating at new restaurants and some favorites we'll be returning to
Planning on mornings at the pools and nights for parks, at least 1 morn to each park at their regular opening times
meeting DISers who will be on a cruise with us next Aug
meeting ppl from home who will be at WDW during our 1st wk
hopefully going on our first Illuminations cruise

You do realize taht you will have thunderstorms pretty much every afternoon, and even some mornings. You might want to have alternate ideas in case the pools are closed. It's also hurricane season, and again, you might want to have some alternate plans.

After reading your posts on these boards for several years now, I can see you like to microplan, and don't handle unexpected changes to your plans well. I'm strongly suggesting that you need to add some flexibility and have back-up ideas in case your plans have to change.

Anne

 

[allie5]

Its the average length of stay for us folk "across the pond" and the only complaints we hear is that "It wasnt long enough"!!! We always go for minimum 14 nights, but usually 3 weeks. Although we usually have a vacation home about 10 mins from the parks, this year we are doing our first time onsite for the whole 3 weeks. 2 weeks at AKL followed by 1 week concierge at the Poly. I think we will be VERY sad to leave!!

 

[BostonRob]

We usually get burned out around day 10 or so. You start wanting your own bed, your own bathroom, your own kitchen, etc. and they crowds thing really starts to wear on you. Plus, day 10 is when I start adding up how much things are costing and thinking about the bills/other goals we would use the money for at home. Also, DH starts getting pretty antsy about work.

I used to always want long vacations, but I've come around to the "leave 'em wanting more" theory.

I agree with you. No matter where I go, although 7 days is never enough, 10 days is too much. I think 7 or 8 day vacations are perfect. Of course, if I was travelling across an ocean, I'd certainly want 2 weeks or more.

 

[lauran cameron]

This is gonna be short and simple but we have done WDW for 2 weeks many times and we just take it slow

 

[mirlow]

We're going on our 17th night tonight. We have four more to go. I think 10 nights is perfect!

 

[Lezah]

We stayed for 13 days on our last trip and it was our best trip ever. It was the first trip where we didn't feel rushed to do "everything". We did things that we had never done before (like explore Innoventions at Epcot, do a water park, spend some time at Disney Quest, shop at DD, hang out at the resort pool and do laundry, try restaurants that we'd never been to before). It was amazing. So amazing in fact that we are hoping to do it again this August. I even suggested to my DH and DS that we spend 7 days at WDW and then a week at the beach (they had both said that maybe someday when we wanted a break from WDW we would try doing that for a change) and got a resounding "NO WAY!!" from both of them. Even from DH who was never the DISneyholic that DS and I are, he said "I had my heart set on 2 weeks this time!" I guess we're buying AP's again, probably PAP's because of the Disney Quest and water parks that the "boys" like so much!! Then next year maybe just a week and a week at the beach, but I doubt it. I was hoping maybe that this year we could do MYW with dining, but no way for these guys, 7 or 10 days is just not enough for them! HTH

 

[paladin]

Our longest trip was 16 nights and no, we didn't get burned out. We like to have the time to stop and smell the roses, not feeling like we have to rush out and do something.

 

[etwinchester]

We've always stayed for 2 weeks, even as a child. I could NEVER do less. There's just too much to do and see. I love to relax some days...hubby doesn't get to do that much.

Next trip we will actually be planning to stay onsite and I'm so excited for that. 2 weeks at a Disney Resort and a 10-day pass.

 

[tinkerbell60]

I wish I could convince my DH to stay for 2 weeks, we are going for 10 days this time, just so we can relax a little. I think if you plan to do things slowly and know you aren't rushed, space things out - how could you be bored!!

 

[etwinchester]

I didn't even try to convice DH to stay for 2 weeks. I'm simply planning a trip for 2 weeks. I told DD (age 4) that if daddy doesn't want to stay that long, he can fly back alone and we'll stay.

Well, we went out for dinner one night and:
DD said "daddy, will you go to disney for 2 weeks with mommy and me"
DH said "of course I'm coming along silly, your not going on vacation without me".
DD replied "good, cause if you didn't want to stay, mommy said your flying back alone".

I think I was laughing and hiding under the table at that point. He was just laughing and saying "oh really, is that what mommy said?"

Moral of the story - be careful what you say around your children

 

[dreamflight99]

We spend between 6-8 weeks each summer in Florida. More than a month of this time is spent on Disney property. We spend an average of two weeks at Disney's Vero Beach resort, some time at Universal studios (PBH) and the remainder @ WDW. We NEVER, EVER tire of it (to each his/her own), and reserve CL suites at all the properties. We have PAP's to all the parks, and only visit when we wish. We stay~up late...sleep~in late, and relax/enjoy each day/moment. We take it very slowly...visiting water parks or golf, movies, Cirque, Disney Quest, shopping, spa...etc. We rent a vehicle often and travel off-property whenever we desire. Sometimes, we store some belongings and merely head to Key West for an impromptu visit in the midst of our WDW vacation. Other times, we inject a Disney Cruise in the mix. This summer marks our 16th consecutive year of travel to the MAGIC. Just being together...away from the day-to-day GRIND is magic in itself. Life and time ubiquitously stands still...and the days unfold slowly sans stress or schedules under the endless summer sun and blue sky. How could I ever tire of this?

 

[etwinchester]

I'd love to spend 6-8 weeks in Florida. Maybe someday...

 

[Greg K.]

We did two weeks at our first trip in '96, and on the plane ride home my wife was furiously writing notes about what to do differently next time.

"Next time" was the following year -- again for two weeks. We loved it! And we've been going back again and again, finally joining DVC. This summer, we bought more points, and will be spending two weeks in a 1 BR, to be joined by my in laws, who'll be staying in a studio, the second week. It's the first time we've done anything like that, and should be a blast!

We find that when we are there for long stretches of time, we can pick and choose what we want to do, and don't feel rushed, and can even try restaurants or shows we haven't seen before, just for the heck of it. You get up in the morning and hit a park for an hour or two, then have a late breakfast, and go "home" to swim...or sleep in and spend a morning reading by the pool...or just stroll the resort and people watch

We also "do" the whole Orlando thing while we are down there: Sea World, Universal, even Busch Gardens. We never get bored!

I once told my wife I could spend two weeks at Disney and never even go into the parks, just relax at one of the nicer hotels.

She thought I was nuts.

 

[Tiger Fan]

We've gone a few times for one week, but most of our summer trips are 2 weeks long. This summer we have 21 nights booked and I can hardly wait. We love the way we can relax, sleep in some mornings and not worry that we have to see/do it all in a few days. I know everyone can't do this and trust me I know how lucky we are. Being a teacher's family, it's just easier and actually more affordable to do one really long vacation than a couple of shorter ones throughout the year. We have yet to feel burned out on the longer trips and hoping this year will be good as well. We'll be with some close friends that we only see a couple of times a year so we plan to really enjoy the time with them as well.
Lisa
Tiger Fan

 

[Taddy]

We stayed for 12 days on our Honeymoon and because of 9/11 almost ended up staying longer but we got one of the few flights out of Orlando on 9/15.

12 days was HEAVENLY! We didn't rush, we took tiem to visit other resorts, go to the Water parks enjoy Downtown Disney. I woudl do it again in a heartbeat and woudl LOVE to go for 14 days!

Our next trip will be for 10 days.

 

[mickeyfan2]

We spend between 6-8 weeks each summer in Florida. More than a month of this time is spent on Disney property. We spend an average of two weeks at Disney's Vero Beach resort, some time at Universal studios (PBH) and the remainder @ WDW. We NEVER, EVER tire of it (to each his/her own), and reserve CL suites at all the properties. We have PAP's to all the parks, and only visit when we wish. We stay~up late...sleep~in late, and relax/enjoy each day/moment. We take it very slowly...visiting water parks or golf, movies, Cirque, Disney Quest, shopping, spa...etc. We rent a vehicle often and travel off-property whenever we desire. Sometimes, we store some belongings and merely head to Key West for an impromptu visit in the midst of our WDW vacation. Other times, we inject a Disney Cruise in the mix. This summer marks our 16th consecutive year of travel to the MAGIC. Just being together...away from the day-to-day GRIND is magic in itself. Life and time ubiquitously stands still...and the days unfold slowly sans stress or schedules under the endless summer sun and blue sky. How could I ever tire of this?

We did not hear of your 17th consecutive 6-8 week stay in FL. How was your stay? Did the Swan treat you great again?

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Our trips keep getting longer!

2003 - 7 nights at WDW (GF)
2004 - 3 nights at Universal (HRH) 8 nights at WDW (GF)
2005 - 2 nights at Nickleodeon Hotel, 15 nights at WDW (GF)
2006 - 5 nights at WDW for Marathon (GF) too short!
11 nights at WDW (YC and Poly), 4 nights at Universal (HRH)
2007 - 5 nights at WDW for Marathon (Poly)
14 nights at WDW (YC and GF)

We love doing the two week vacation. We break it up and some days just do resort days - pool, kids activities (Wonderland Tea Party, Pirate Cruise, Grand Adventures in Cooking) and if we're staying for two weeks at Disney we'll usually do one day at Sea World. I like the longer vacation, especially with kids, because you don't feel rushed to do everything commando style. You actually get to enjoy everything at a more leisurely pace.

 

[DisneyFans4]

We always go for 2 weeks and I love it. It's much more relaxing and you don't feel like your rushed to try to do everything. It gives you time to actually enjoy the resort and the pool too. We also get the length of stay passes with the hopper so we can enjoy the parks everyday but whenever we want to go which is also nice.

 

[zippityme]

We always do two wks because we drive and if I'm going to drive 18 hrs to get somewhere it has to be for a decent amount of time. After two wks we left still feeling we missed stuff.