Not so sad to be back. Anyone else?

[Mickey'sApprentice]

We left on Oct. 2nd. I'm still having a case of Disney withdrawal but it's not as severe as usual. It may be because of the heat and humidity (felt just like summer at home) and the fact that we've been there a good bit in the last 2 years. We're also going back in April for our 20th anniversary. After that trip, it may be time to take a 1-2 year break from WDW. We may still go to Disney at Hilton Head but it will probably be a break from Orlando.

 

[DisneyFive]

I love reading all these replies! It's fun to read others' experiences with Disney. Thanks again for sharing.

I was going to reply to each of them, but it's just too much typing.

I'll be checking out the suggestions and links you all have provided.

So far, a Universal/Sea World combo or a Cruise are in my top two. I might consider a trip out to the Northwest as well since I have a sister in Seattle with daughters the same age as ours.

I have to say, it's fun thinking about all the other options besides Disney. Having said that, I have a feeling that in a few weeks I'll start thinking about going back next year. I'm pretty sure we'll do something else though.

Dan

 

[PEANUT1]

Our trip starts next week and its been a long 11 months since our last disney vacation..We usually go twice a year (DVC). I feel like I'm more excited about this trip because it has been a while We also always try to do something new each trip. Try a new place, new restaurant, new experience. We are staying at BLT for the first time, eating at a few new places, doing a water park, taking the autotrain, and sending the girls to the alice in wonderland tea party (surprise for them). This kind of stuff keeps it exciting. Staying at the same place and doing the same thing each time can get boring.

We always do a non disney trip too. Last year we went to Alaska (see pic below) That was an amazing, life changing experience and we did it super cheap. Probably less than many spend to go to disney.

Next year we may skip disney and take the girls to Europe because we have 4 r/t frequent flyer tickets we can use. Hubby doesn't want to skip disney..but there is no way I can afford to do both.

 

[DisneyFive]

Hi DisneyFive, I got your message earlier, thanks for the "invite" -- it's a great thread! I agree with you that we both share "somewhat" similar feelings regarding Disney. The truth is I'm still trying to process it all -- if you know what I mean. I don't know why I feel this way, yet.

Anyway, I didn't even start to think about my trip until a couple of weeks after getting home. For some reason I have an unusual urge to return to Disney and I really miss it. I don't know why -- it's a bit unusual for me. It also didn't help that DS cried when we arrived back at the airport, he was not ready to leave.

I was thinking of Universal Studios and Sea World in addition to Disney World for next year. We went to New York and stayed at the Trump Soho, it was magnificent. We also enjoyed the Trump Waikiki and the Atlantis in the Bahamas -- these were just 3 night get away trips -- if we stay any longer we tend to get bored and homesick.

We never get bored at Disney and the social environment is consistently safe throughout Disney World. Unlike the other hotels mentioned -- which were by far superior to Disney hotels -- in terms of service and amenities -- once you step outside the door the hotel has no control over the surrounding elements -- sometimes it's a hard slap in the face with reality. Disney World is the only place I know that offers so much and still control the external influences that can negatively impact that safe and fun Disney environment.

Someday, I really want to go to the Louvre in Paris -- spend a few days in London -- and visit the countryside. Other than that, we'll continue to go to Disney. At home, we enjoy a full and happy life. We do so many things together. Also, DH loves sports and he drags me (kicking and screaming) to the ballpark and football stadium.

Does this look familiar? ....

Disney vacations mean so much to me, because they are fun, safe and easy to plan. Once we board the plane, we leave all of our worries behind. My children love Disney, I go every year for them but I benefit from it the most.

Good luck OP ~ I really wish you the best in finding that special vacation spot for you and your family next year.

Thanks for stopping in, and for your fantastic reply!

Paris is a great get away. Even though there is the language barrier, it is setup so well for tourists that it isn't a problem. My wife and I did a weekend there about 10 years ago(man, has it really been that long?) when I was out in that area on business. She flew out and met me there. The Louvre is amazing. It is huge, and there is just one incredible thing after the next. After the first hour there, it almost becomes "art overload", and hard to appreciate each piece for how fantastic is it.

The English countryside is beautiful too. Just like in the photos. Rolling hills, hedges running though them, old castles and churches... I was in the Bath area on that trip. Lots of cool stuff to see in that area. Plus, it's fun to drive on the "wrong" side of the road.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath,_Somerset

Eventually, my wife and I (and maybe the kids) want to do Australia. My wife did her student teaching out there in Perth for a couple of months and fell in love with it.

I agree with you about Disney. It's like an all inclusive resort once you get off the plane (if you are staying on Disney property). That is one of the best things about it. ...and like you said, even when you exit your room in the resort, there is still so much to do! I've told lots of people "If you can't have fun at Disney, there's something wrong with you". Literally, everywhere you turn, there is something FUN to do. Man, this is getting me talked into going back!

Yes, we love Comerica Park also. Thanks for sharing the pics. It's my favorite ball park. I'm both a Minnesota Twins fan, as well as a Tigers fan which makes things interesting considering that the past few years those two teams have battled it out in the same division for the #1 spot. The Twins fell off the planet this year in the second half of the season though. Good thing the Tigers are still cranking... playing Game 1 of the ALCS tonight! Go Tigers!

Take care, and thanks again for the reply.

Dan

 

[linzbear]

I think you may benefit from longer trips less often. We are never exhausted after vacation because we take vacation to relax! Our trips are generally around the 10 day mark, and we only really plan the first 2-3 days, and we book ADRs randomly depending on what time slots are open. Anyway, we either get up early or stay up late, never both! Always take some midday break somewhere (sometimes drive off property, sometimes go to the pool, sometimes just hang out in our room and watch a DVD or read a book). Then, once we're a little more rested, head back to whatever park we feel like. With FP we really don't have to plan much, with the only exception I've found to be TSM (but that's just 1 morning).

In any case, I think we would love to do 2x per year, but are currently on a once every 1.5 years schedule. 1.5 years is a good break because you can see all of the seasons - I love the decorations for Christmas, and the Flower & Garden Festival, and the Food & Wine, too (we did all 3 in one year but that was just too much!).

 

[pumpkin7]

this is why i'm kind of glad we don't get to go every year. i'd hate to get sick of the place.

 

[nkereina]

Didn't read the whole thread but I agree with the OP. As much fun as we had, the planning that goes into is a lot and while there, you really run yourself down.

..getting up early, going to bed late, all the walking and especially the HEAT this year from Sept 24th thru Oct 2nd. That really takes it out of you. We aren’t totally commando, but do try to get the most out of our time. Until I’ve been home for a little bit, I can’t help but blame my tired body and mind on the trip.

This entirely. We took breaks also but the heat is draining, we got up earlier than we do for work at home, and stayed out much later. I recently lost 40 lbs so I'm used to heavy exercising 4-5 times a week but after all the walking we did at WDW - even at a slower pace - my muscles were sore like they've never been.

On our last day at WDW, I came down with a fever and developed a horrific cough. I went to urgent care the next day when we got home and I was diagnosed with pneumonia. Not sure if being in such a germy place was the cause, being so run down and exhausted all week from pushing myself, or if it was just a coincidence. It was our first adult trip together which is why we did so much, so I figure we could go at a slower, easier pace next time and sleep in! We don't plan on going back until fantasyland expansion is done, and possibly Avatar-land.

 

[happylittlefamily]

I wouldn't say I'm "sad" when we get back, but it is definitely a time of inspiration to start booking our next trip! LOL

 

[glevan]

Ahh yes, the second trip blues. It's hard not to compare it to the first trip. Our first trip was SOOOO awesome and the second was really great!! Still wonderful, but not quite the same.

My next trip will be number 10. By day 8 I will be ready to come home. By the next week I will be saying, we are NOT going next year. It's too hot and I'm tired!! By the next month I will be considering a disney cruise for a change of pace. A month later I'll drop that cuz I could go to WDW twice for that much! A week later I'll be deciding where we're going to stay!

I drink WDW kool-aid. And I love it!

This is exactly the same thought process I go through...

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I've been too darn busy to be sad I'm home. Both kids birthdays and the cleaning/decorating before my DD's big party is going on - at least it's Halloween themed so the house will be ready for Halloween when all is said and done.

Plus my husbands part time business has all of a sudden gotten real busy. I've had to cancel several volunteer things to help him.

We've also had season changes going on and the kids need clothes for it so I've had to dig out the clothes for cooler weather so they could have something to wear and most of it doesn't fit.

Today I just spent 3 hours shopping with DD and we still don't have black pants because the ones she liked were sold out of black. At least we got everything else.

Tomorrow will be taking DS out for his pants/long sleeve shirts and whatever else he needs like socks. LOL

And taking my doggie to her weekly chemo treatments which ARE affecting her like a human (getting sick 2 days after) means alot more cleaning for me and even an emergency run to the vet with her.

Yup - no time to be missing WDW right now. As far as getting tired of it, my kids and husband are. That's why I go solo once sometimes twice a year. I also do alot of different things whereas they always want to stick with the same old, same old which is why I still haven't seen the Hoop Dee Do Review.

 

[disneybound31]

Our trip starts next week and its been a long 11 months since our last disney vacation..We usually go twice a year (DVC). I feel like I'm more excited about this trip because it has been a while We also always try to do something new each trip. Try a new place, new restaurant, new experience. We are staying at BLT for the first time, eating at a few new places, doing a water park, taking the autotrain, and sending the girls to the alice in wonderland tea party (surprise for them). This kind of stuff keeps it exciting. Staying at the same place and doing the same thing each time can get boring.

We always do a non disney trip too. Last year we went to Alaska (see pic below) That was an amazing, life changing experience and we did it super cheap. Probably less than many spend to go to disney.

Next year we may skip disney and take the girls to Europe because we have 4 r/t frequent flyer tickets we can use. Hubby doesn't want to skip disney..but there is no way I can afford to do both.

Is there any way you would care to give a few helpful tips about doing Alaska on the cheap? Either PM or here publicly? We have been trying ot get to Alaska for 5 years now and must be doing it wrong because we find all avenues to be super cost prohibitive...we are fam of 4 and would be flying out of Tennessee...TIA

 

[PEANUT1]

Is there any way you would care to give a few helpful tips about doing Alaska on the cheap? Either PM or here publicly? We have been trying ot get to Alaska for 5 years now and must be doing it wrong because we find all avenues to be super cost prohibitive...we are fam of 4 and would be flying out of Tennessee...TIA

We planned our trip on about 2 1/2 months notice. It all started by my husband calling me and telling me that we could fly to Anchorage for 187$ pp round trip!!! I was like ok..lets do it. The only snag was that we had to drive 3 hours to DC to fly out of Reagan international.

Once we booked the flight we had to look into rental cars and hotels. The rental cars were like 500/week for a mini van (there were 5 of us going) and we wanted to travel to alot of places and the idea of checking in and out of hotels every other day didn't appeal to me (with 2 little ones) so I looked into renting an RV. We rented a 32 foot slide out and it was awesome!!! We got it for 800 for the week. We found an alaskan coupon book online which helped with the cost of some tours (buy one get one free) and also some restaurants. Our whole trip with flight, RV, excursions, food etc cost around 3K. We had our breakfasts and lunches in the RV or a fire pit where we camped out and then had nice dinners out. We went the end of August so the weather was around 50-60 every day. My kids had a blast. It was definitely a bucket list trip

My biggest piece of advice is to register on a website called slickdeals..that is where my husband finds most of our amazing deals.

 

[toddlermickey]

Just t back on Sunday Oct 2, Dh and I were there for 12 days. We took it easy and slept in everyday. We were there last year around the sametime. It was hot and more people then in the past. We upgraded to Annual Passes so we will go again in March 2012 then hae a family reunion at Christmas 2012. After that we will be trying a cruise. I feel that we need to go other places.

Sylvia in MN

 

[Patience]

We just got back today from a 6 night stay and while we had a fantastic time, I am happy to be home. I have been taking it easy today because I am a bit tired.

 

[amg35]

I am never sad to be back home. I truly feel sorry for people who are sad because their trip is over and they "have" to return to normal life. I am glad I have a "normal life" to return to. I have to wonder if those people suffer from depression or something.

I enjoy my vacations as much as anybody, but there is so much more to life than that. My family has wonderful times together all of the time. I enjoy church, church friends, having lunch with my girlfriends, cuddling up on the couch with my family and watching movies, snuggling with my doggies, etc.

I suffer from the "oh god, I have to go back to work" depression everytime I'm home from vacation, no matter where I went! To be honest, I suffer that on Sunday nights too.....

 

[MissionMouse]

I admit it. We always get the post Disney trip blues, however, after the past 5 years trips, it does get less every time. Matter of fact, don't shoot me, we are actually considering NOT going every year, but maybe ever 2 years.

Really. We LOVE Disney, but going every year, things just don't change enough, and I keep thinking of how much more I could put into the kids college fund every year if I wasn't spending 3-4K on just a trip!

We do not go every year as we have discovered Disney is not exclusive of providing magic. It is nice to take a vacation where you dine at TS restaurants that out class Disney and you only make a reservation a day or hours before you dine. You don't have to book and plan out your vacation like a project plan to ensure you get enjoyable lodging and dining options. We eliminate the rude crowds found at ride cues, fireworks, parades etc. Stay at a condo with full accommodations in the heart of prime vacation spot and pay 60% less than you do to stay at a Disney deluxe resort. Disney no longer rate at the top of the charts after our girls realized there were other options. There is nothing like a vacation that provides more for less where you do almost no planning and you flow with what everyone wants to do. Very relaxing..and came home rested while enjoyuing a ton of top notch experiences just like a vacation is suppose to provide.

 

[disneybound31]

We planned our trip on about 2 1/2 months notice. It all started by my husband calling me and telling me that we could fly to Anchorage for 187$ pp round trip!!! I was like ok..lets do it. The only snag was that we had to drive 3 hours to DC to fly out of Reagan international.

Once we booked the flight we had to look into rental cars and hotels. The rental cars were like 500/week for a mini van (there were 5 of us going) and we wanted to travel to alot of places and the idea of checking in and out of hotels every other day didn't appeal to me (with 2 little ones) so I looked into renting an RV. We rented a 32 foot slide out and it was awesome!!! We got it for 800 for the week. We found an alaskan coupon book online which helped with the cost of some tours (buy one get one free) and also some restaurants. Our whole trip with flight, RV, excursions, food etc cost around 3K. We had our breakfasts and lunches in the RV or a fire pit where we camped out and then had nice dinners out. We went the end of August so the weather was around 50-60 every day. My kids had a blast. It was definitely a bucket list trip

My biggest piece of advice is to register on a website called slickdeals..that is where my husband finds most of our amazing deals.

Ok- now THAT is amazing! Love the RV idea, but have neverdone an RV. Can you shower in one and how bad is the driving learning curve on one of those things? I assume you used a Garmin or other device on order to get yourself from place to place? How long did you go? Sorry for all the ?s, I am very impressed with your ingenuity.

 

[DisneyFive]

It's like a drug- or so I'm told- the first trip is such an awesome high that you are always chasing that feeling with subsequent trips...

I totally agree. Our first trip was last year (for any of the 7 on our trip), while also exhausting by the end, was a magical memory that won't ever go away.

While this year was special (same 7 people), it didn't carry the weight of last year's trip. Still wonderful, but not as much.

I will say this. After being there last year and experiencing a number of great, and a number O.K. Table Service (TS) food choices, this year our TS meals were all in the very good to fantastic category.

Dan

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

We also didn't get the "blues" or "post trip depression" after our trip ended. We did 8 days/7 nights (upgraded our park tickets to an 8 day ticket) and felt like we had enough time to do more than what we originally thought we would be able to accomplish. We didn't burn ourselves out or follow a commando touring plan, but I agree that WDW is a physically demanding trip, especially with young children. The heat, all the walking, and waking up early and being on the go all day is a lot, especially for DH
But I can say we have such fond memories of our first trip and we had a blast. We certainly didn't want our trip to end, but when it was time to catch that Magical Express bus to the airport we focused on the fact that we were fortunate to be able to go, got to do more than what we thought we would be able to do, and will return someday. Well, that "someday" has turned into plans for a trip next year Once you recuperate from a recent WDW trip, I can see how it's easy to start itching to go back a.s.a.p
We went from "we'll go back when our youngest is 4 or 5" to "maybe we'll go back in two years" to "we'll just do a Sea World trip" to "maybe a WDW vacation is the best overall value after all" So the pixie dust has blown our way and DH has agreed to a trip for next year
But those "first" memories from our recent trip are priceless and I know they will always be the most special ones.

 

[fromscratchmom]

My husband doesn't really like to travel so we don't do a lot of it, but I take the kids on campouts once or twice a year. There aren't many vacations that are like Disney to reach out and grab you and direct your attention, so its hard to compare and advise someone on what will keep their kids thrilled.

But if you are speaking of younger kids I always found that mine tended to get excited about what I got excited about and that nowadays they are happy if they get to go just about anywhere.

We love to go to zoos. We love our campouts which are very social times for the kids with other families.

This fall, actually next week, we are going as a whole family on a trip to Virginia. We'll do a day in the mountains at the Graves Mtn Apple Festival and then Monticello the next day. The rest of the trip will be a week in the Williamsburg area where there are a ton of historical sites that we will tour plus Busch Gardens which we will hit for a day.

DD13 is fascinated by the idea of either Christmas in NYC or the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, so I hope to take her some day for that. I've not looked into it much and in my gut I'm afraid that it would be a million dollar vacation to book a hotel room with a good view of the parade or to stay and eat in the city at all.