Who goes every year? wanting to start a WDW tradition

[Mamu]

Our first trip was 1982, we went every year till our oldest started college in 1986. After that we went a few times but 4 children and 12 years of tuition keep us busy working.

In 1998 we return with our 1st Grandson and have gone almost every year sometimes twice. We do an Adult Trip every year in March with friends.

The 2 youngest Grandson will be going on thier 1 Disney trip this fall, plus our 2 13-year old Granddaughters. Our 2 oldest GC can not get out of school to go with us this year.

I love going with my GC especially for the first time. Walking into the MK for the 1st time and seeing their face and eye's light up. Pure and simple it The Disney Magic being born in another child.

 

[momof2chipmunks]

OP--I understand where you are coming from completely!!! Our family took our first trip last November/December. Our kids were 4 and 2. We went thinking we wouldn't go for another 2-3 years. However, when we got home we totally changed our minds. The kids talked about our trip non-stop and I was surprised how much I missed Disney. We are returning this November/December and will actually be pulling DD(kindergarten) out of school so we can go for Christmas decs and low crowds again. Disney was such a wonderful experience for our family. I look forward to many more vacations there. I would love to stay at a different Disney resort each time we go to help make our experince "fresh". Last year we stayed at WL (more for my sake). This year we will try ASMu (more for the kids). I hope you have many more wonderful Disney vacations ahead of you!!!

 

[TandLMommy28]

I want to go every year but my husband is so far saying he can't handle more than once every three years--and he hasn't even ever BEEN TO DISNEY before! Fingers crossed that our September trip changes his mind!

 

[Lrt4uk]

I have a feeling that once we go as a family, that there may be a tradition started. As excited as I am to get planning for next year's vacation, I can see the addiction beginning!

 

[patink]

One tradition that I have heard of especially if you have kids is to take a picture arranged a certain way in a specific spot each trip. Try to pick something distinct for the background that you expect to be there every year and pose the kids (or whole family) exactly the same every time. Then as the years go by you can see the changes.

Enjoy making traditions.

 

[sfbank]

We go every year. We got hooked in 2002 on our first trip. We stay at the Boardwalk Inn up on club level. We have become good friends with people that work there-just like family. I actully go for a girl's trip in Oct every year for the Food & Wine Festival as well. I meet Nascargirl there and we hang with our buddies at night. Fun times!

 

[Tinkh]

We go every year and the last two years we have caved and went more. Finally, this year my husband told me to get our APs which of course justified us to keep making trip plans lol.

 

[kim_d]

We have gone at least once a year since our children were born. Our 5yo has been to WDW 11 times and our 7yo 12 times. We purchased DVC 8 years ago and never regreted the purchase, our kids love going to WDW.

 

[THE GRIND]

Hello, we go every year too, since 2000. now we take the kids and grand-kids. every year, some times 2 times

 

[dizzydizzfreak_93]

I used to go every single summer with my grandma. We would always go to MK first and ride Pirates of the Caribbean right away. I don't know why we did it, but we kept it tradition Now that she's passed, my family and I still try to go once a year in her memory

 

[marie1203]

Once a year? More like 3 times a year . I been to disney as a kid but my DH has never been to disney. Last year I told Dh I really wanted to go on a Safari because it was too close to deployment they wouldn't allow us to go out of the country that long or that far away. One morning I woke up to find my husband sitting in the computer with all this note around him and on the phone . He hangs up when he sees me and tells me to go back to bed a little weird. eventually he calls me and tells me I that he wanted to be surprise but since I handle all the bills I would of seen it anyway so that he had book a trip at the AKL because that is the closest to a safari he could find . This was my birthday surprise. So the day came and we spend 10 days we had so much fun we just had to go back.

So in Sep we went back for another 8 days stay at WL and this time we did the MNSSHP and again had a great time. We thought that will be the last time for at least another year. But then we had some time off in Nov so off to disney again this time is was POR. Then this year we had given away our money for our disney trip so I had convince my self not disney this year .

About a month ago my DH called me and said he was buying my birthday present I said it is way to early and he said not because we have to make dinning reservation in DISNEY!!!!. So we will be going back in Sep for 10 days.

As far as our traditions always start our trip at the MK, the day we get there we go to DTD and disney quest. We got into every Christmas shop. Dinner at the CG is a must. We do mini golf once during our every trip. We ride EE at least 4 times in each trip. Our trip always starts with a character breakfast.

 

[WDWMarathonManiac]

Every year for Marathon Weekend and then any other chance I get .

 

[MACUSER]

We have gone every year since 2000 couple time twice in a year. we have stayed at port orleans riverside all but 2 times.

 

[skater]

We didn't mean to go every year, but having 3 kids (one with the most incredible metabolisim i.e. huge eater ), that free dining gets us back every year. Its funny, but the best memories are the down times and in-between attraction times. For us, the best moments are swimming at the resort, refilling our mugs in the food court, riding the bus/monorail, talking with cm's in Epcot, etc. Dont' think I can't go back now!

 

[mfd25wife]

We tried several times to take our DD to Disney World when she was young, but things just never worked out.

In 2008, DD was 13, DS was 4, and DW's first DD17 had moved in with us, when we decided to try to do Disney World again. DD13 completely didn't believe us when we told her we were going. She didn't believe us when we showed her that we had booked the trip. She didn't believe us when we started buying gift cards, and Disney Dollars for her (and her siblings). She didn't even believe it when I showed her that the trip was paid for. When the travel packet arrived, she started to believe we were going, but still feared that something would mess it up.

A couple of weeks before our trip, a family that is close friends with us, and who's daughter is DD's best friend, drove to Florida. They were supposed to be going to Disney World, and never made it. Their Caravan (we were driving a Caravan at the time too) broke down three different times on the way from NY to FL. By the time they got the repairs done, and paid the bills, they didn't have the time, or money to visit Disney. Their entire vacation consisted of Gator Land, and Wet N Wild, and visiting the hotel that the parents worked at when they met.

After hearing their story, DD13 was convinced that would be our fate, the van would break down, and we'd never make it I assured her 100 times over that if the van broke down, the auto club would tow it, and arrange for a rental car so we could continue the trip, but she wasn't buying it. She REALLY didn't believe we would get there until we got there

Thankfully, there were no serious problems along the way (we did lose the tip of our exhaust system somewhere in GA I think), and the kids had a fantastic time.

I had told them before we even left home that this was a once in a lifetime trip, and I meant it! They begged pretty much every day of the trip to go back, and I told them no, it was way too expensive (With there being 7 of us on the trip, and DD talking me into VWL, plus paying for dining, it WAS too expensive), we wouldn't be able to do it again.

The trip was in August 2008. Fast forward October 2008, and I was already looking at the Disney World website, and the DIS boards, and trying to figure out if we could afford it again. With the oldest DD going into college, and my mother and cousin not going along again, we went from a family of 7 to a family of 4, which makes a HUGE difference. Thanks to the DIS we got the Disney Visa, and then got the free dining. We booked POR, with base tickets, and managed to stay 13 nights, 10 day tickets, LaNouba tickets, and MNSSHP tickets, with free dining for less than half what the 6 nights at VWL cost.

So, we went from a once in a lifetime trip to returning the following summer for a longer trip

2009 was even better, we had a fantastic time. When we checked into our room, we found the little advertisement on the table for the free dining bounceback for 2010. I couldn't resist, and soon was on the phone booking a return trip for August 2010. Now we are 55 days away from our third trip to Disney World in 3 years. DD will be a junior in high school this year, and we have already started planning a big family trip to Disney World in 2012 to celebrate her graduation. We haven't made any firm decision for 2011 yet, but I fear if the bounceback offer is in the room again, I may not be able to resisit

We have started going more and more. This year, I am going twice and next year we are going in May. We finally bought DVC in 2008 . I have to admit that I get teased by my friends quite a bit after last year. We were driving to WDW when we totalled our vehicle in GA. I broke my neck, 10 ribs, punctured a lung (small hole) and got a slight head bleed and concussion. When the surgeons decided to not do surgery and that I would heal eventually, they asked if I wanted to stay in the trauma center a little longer to manage pain, or if I wanted to join DD and her friend and our friends that picked them up in GA and took them on to AKV. I asked if they could do anything for the pain if I left. They said yes, so as soon as I proved I could walk, we went to join the others and I recouperated watching the animals from our savanah view and drinking coffee. My friends think I was crazy. I asked them where was a better place to recouperate?

 

[<3s disney]

When I was a kid we went in 1987 & 1989. After I was married & had kids my mom & dad took us in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 & then in 2009 for Christmas & now treating us to another trip in July. We are so excited it use to be every other year & now it's every year! We are more excited every year and my DS is 14 & DD 12. As long as they are interested we will keep going.

 

[DisneyMim]

We have been going forever. Our children have been to Disney at least once a year since they were very young. We bought into DVC in 1991 as one of the first members because we knew that we wanted Disney to be our "second home" and that is what happened. Our kids grew up going to Disney. They are now in their 20's and still come with us. Yes our trips have changed as the kids got older, but we love being together as a family. We are very lucky to be able to do other trips as well. We love cruising (sorry Mickey but we like another cruise line), road trips, etc. We now go 3-4 times a year to Disney. Hubby and daughter are both teachers so we go during vacations. I really don't think where you go matters, the point is to spend time as a family together. I truly believe that the more you do it and establish traditions, the more the kids will like it and want to be together even as they get older. I've heard a lot about how some kids balk at going on family trips when they reach their teens. Thankfully we never experienced that and I believe it was because we had such a firm tradition that nothing was going to stop it!!

Enjoy The Magic!!

 

[d1gitman]

We started in 2004. 2009 was an unusual year as we had moved to SoCal. Fortunately we were able to get AP's and continue our tradition. 2010 is still up in the air as we had to move back to MA and am unemployed. However, my mother told us she wanted to take us for free DDP and use her flier mile for free airfare...so here's hoping to keeping the tradition going.

 

[MelissathePooh]

One tradition that I have heard of especially if you have kids is to take a picture arranged a certain way in a specific spot each trip. Try to pick something distinct for the background that you expect to be there every year and pose the kids (or whole family) exactly the same every time. Then as the years go by you can see the changes.

Enjoy making traditions.

This is what we do. A family shot (initially just dh and I bdefore we were married) in front of the castle and we have always tried to get ds's pic along side the Cigar Store Indian on Main St (ages 3mos to 6 yrs). Have to admit we've slacked off a bit lately. It gets hard to keep up when you go often or you're tempted to put things off until next time if its crowded or a hassle.

 

[twoplustwins]

One tradition that I have heard of especially if you have kids is to take a picture arranged a certain way in a specific spot each trip. Try to pick something distinct for the background that you expect to be there every year and pose the kids (or whole family) exactly the same every time. Then as the years go by you can see the changes.

Enjoy making traditions.

I love!!!!!!! this! What a great idea.