A shortened trip? Just tell me this will still be a magical trip!!

[Jsharp13]

So, here's the background.
I had a trip fall in my lap (through the amazing generosity of amazing friends!). They have DVC, booked a 2BR villa at GF in February and invited me along. This is a rare, special, once in a lifetime treat! (For reference, I'm a Value Resort kind of gal, so this is the nicest place I would have ever stayed). Completely a dream. Of course all that's on top of getting to go with my awesome friends and building tons of memories!

We went together in 2022, 2023, and 2024. In 2022, I took my son (then 12) and he had the most amazing trip. (My son could not join in 2024). For this trip, I felt that he may have grown out of Disney or needed a break. But when I asked him and joining, he said he'd love to come! He would miss 2 school days and work his tail off to get caught up on return - he agreed to this.

Original plan was to leave Friday after school. (Friends going in early Friday, maybe water park for them that day) Saturday - Epcot. Sunday - HS morning, pool afternoon, Superbowl in our room. Monday - MK. Tuesday - Epcot. We LOVE Festival of the Arts and were thrilled to have two Epcot Days! Wednesday - home.

Enter the hiccup: my son has a school function Saturday morning he cannot skip!!!

At first, I said to him, it sounds like this Disney trip is not going to work (since we'd be losing a night and full Epcot day). He was so disappointed! I was too!

So then I tried to regroup to see what I could salvage from our trip. I think I was feeling like "I want it all!!!" and when I cut a very important piece out, I sort of felt like, "What's the point now?"
But when I reflected on previous trips, I started to think that we could still make a great trip in this short time. How would it compare?

In 2022 - 5 nights, 3 park days (plus one day at Universal). We saw and did SOOO much! It was essentially my and my son's first trip (we'd been a decade earlier).
In 2023 - 5 nights, 4 park days (one was the afternoon of arrival day).
In 2024 - with my friends but without my son. 3 nights, 2 park days plus one After Hours Day. Again, I feel like we did so much on this tiny trip.
(Side note, in 2024 I did a second Disney trip... can you tell that I got hooked in 2022???? That was a big trip. My son and I were there for 6 nights, and parks on 5 days!)
This 2025 trip - 4 nights, 3 park days. No AK this trip.

On this potential trip, I am looking at 4 nights and 3 park days, with one being a bit shorter due to watching Super Bowl on Sunday.

With our volume of trips, clearly we no longer have that worry to try to do and see every single item. We're at a place where we can pick a few of our favorites, and soak it all in.

I feel like this trip will still be "worth it", even with missing that full day at Epcot.

What do you all think? It will still be a worthwhile and magical trip, right?!?!

Then... I think we need to stick with our regular plan (for a variety of reasons, like SB parade, birthday timing, other factors). But, what should we do upon arrival on Saturday? I figured we could be at GF by 4:30 pm. It it worth it to drop and run right to Epcot, and buy a park day just for maybe 4 hours? Or, would we best enjoy time savoring the GF experience, maybe dining somewhere on monorail line, visiting gift shops (we all love this!), and maybe watching MK fireworks and Electric Water Pageant? Get into bed so we can possibly rope drop HS the next morning (guessing 8:30am EE hours).

 

[butterscotchcollins]

I think a shorter trip would still be magical! Moreso because you will fulfill your son’s school obligation and not feel anxiety about it. You could always skip pool time on Sunday to extend your time at HS.
I also looove dropping my stuff at the resort and heading to a park for a few hours knowing it’s just a taste and we have a full day there later in the trip so if you can swing the cost of a ticket do Epcot Saturday night!
Have SO MUCH fun!! I would die to stay in a GF 2BR!!

 

[Jsharp13]

Aww thank you!
Those are great points - you are so right about feeling satisfied to finish that school obligation and not miss it. Plus, if we were in town Friday night, he could get some school work done (at least what would be due Tuesday - no school on Monday. That would not have happened if we left immediately after school on Friday.
I am going to see about that park day. I can swing it but just wondering if it is "worth it"... part of me feels like it is such a once in a life time treat to stay at GF then I'd love to take time to enjoy, explore, shop, watch fireworks from there... all those perks that I may not enjoy again anytime soon!

 

[leebee]

Maybe instead of getting an extra day's worth of tickets, get a park hopper? That way, if you don't care about who is playing in the Superbowl, you could do HS in the morning and Epcot in the evening? Skip the pool time and split the day between the two parks, getting back to GF for the football game? Fortunately you don't have to decide what tickets you want right now, do you? I'd definitely go ahead and plan the Sat-Wed trip, and think about what you want to do regarding park passes for a bit. I think you'll have a great time regardless of what you choose!
(FYI, these days I often go for 3 days with a 2day PH, so I have a split park day, a day off, and another split park day. Like you said... it's easier to not do so much when you know there'll always be another Disney trip!)

 

[Jsharp13]

Thank you for that advice. Hopper was something I was thinking of for sure. I am not sure if I will be able to get that, however. I have these odd tickets for myself (purchased, didn't use all, Disney allowed a credit... so I'd call to see (beg??) if they would allow me to add hopper. I mean, I really want to give Disney some extra money so I'd hope they'd say yes!!

SuperBowl - my son and I are enormous football fans. Like crazy people. Watching is non negotiable no matter who plays. We watched a divisional game one year in Rix Sports Bar and it was so fun!!! But definitely looking forward to chilling in that amazing room and watching, maybe with room service, or an early dinner plus snacks!

 

[Selket]

I have these odd tickets for myself (purchased, didn't use all, Disney allowed a credit... so I'd call to see (beg??) if they would allow me to add hopper.

I take short trips all the time - because my son is a CM so I go to visit. I also have an annual pass so I'm not worried about the park tickets. It's true a longer trip is a better value ticket-wise. I like short trips because I focus on this or that. At this point I've ridden everything so I just do what I feel like and don't worry about seeing the rest. If I was staying at the GF I'd enjoy that resort and plan on doing more things there or around the monorail loop that first day.

Just to my knowledge, if your tickets are old, you'll have to use the credit towards new tickets which are no doubt more expensive. So if you paid $300 for a 4 day ticket back when, and now it's ...say $400 (I'm making up prices) - you will need to pay the difference. Disney will let you add hopper on those - they don't care as long as you're giving them money.

**Also since he is in high school, this is good time to start pointing out to him all those kids with the university name on their name tags because they're there for the Disney College Program. If he's going to college, wouldn't he love spending a semester or year down here working for Disney? You will promise to visit him often! haha! My son did this last year and stayed on full time with The Mouse.

 

[Jsharp13]

Thanks Selket for the ideas.
While I can't go as frequently and am not AP (maybe some day!!!), I do feel like we are at a point where that crushing pressure to have a maxed out itinerary, stay open till close, see and do it all - those days are behind us. We can do our top 3 or 5 things (like you said, focus on something special), and then just relax and soak up the rest. So, while one Epcot day wasn't my goal, I can still do a lot with that!

Without getting bogged down in the ticket issue... I already have my single day tickets. On my trip in May, we ended up not going to the parks on departure day (too tired, too hot, too rushed). I had a party of three guests. I emailed Disney and they agreed, this one time as it isn't usual policy, to give me three one-day tickets. I was able to put them all under my name so my trip of 3 park days is set. I have to get a 3 day ticket for my son. Then, because that was a special exception, I would likely have to email to see if I'd be allowed to add hopper on there (if I wanted that cost)!

 

[georgina]

Wow, i didn't use a day of a 5 day hopper last year because I got Covid, never thought to ask Disney to compensate me with a free ticket. Sorry, as a non-sports fan I can't relate to the need to watch the superbowl issue. I'm sure the rest of your trip will be great.

 

[Jsharp13]

I do not think it is the norm whatsoever. I just thought I'd ask and was sure that the answer would be no. The policy for date based tickets (which I had) was that it was expired at that point and I could not use it. But this one time I guess they allowed it.

Haha totally understand the sports issue. I know it is strange, especially to do that in Disney.

 

[auntlynne]

I’d just stick with a single park for each of the three days. You’ve been to WDW. Then you just need a 3-day ticket for son.

No need to complicate it or add costs to this experience.

And the Super Bowl kickoff is at 6:30 pm ET. You can get in an 8-hour day at a park.

I have done visits with a day or two. They are just as much fun. And less tiring.

Such a fun opportunity.

I guess your friends know the water park entrance is complimentary on Day 1 of reservation in 2025?

 

[Marthasor]

It will be magical! I have done extremely short trips (less than 48 hours) to attend concerts, special events, etc. and they are always fun! You just have to know, going in, that you are focusing on very specific things and you cannot do it all!

Personally, I would consider putting your "pool afternoon" on your arrival day so you have more park time on Sunday before the Super Bowl. I would use arrival evening to explore the resort/monorail line/gift shops.

 

[Genie+]

Sounds awesome!

That first day… I’d only buy a ticket if the price difference resulted in less than $50 each. Otherwise there’s so much to do between your resort and the area you’re in. Plus that you won’t really have other time do that on the other 3 days going to the parks.

This is one gear I’ve had trouble changing as we started visiting WDW more often. I never seem to leave enough time to enjoy all that WDW offers outside the parks. There’s so much to do For one - watch MK fireworks outside the parks! So nice not dealing with the hoardes.

That also makes travel day less stressful. No worries if you’re running an hour behind.

 

[Genie+]

PS - maybe do Wicked Winddown that night if your DVC friends can book it. It was a big hit when we tried it last trip.

 

[MouseyMin]

Have you thought of adding an additional day at the end of the trip? Get a room in one of the All Stars?

 

[Jsharp13]

Have you thought of adding an additional day at the end of the trip? Get a room in one of the All Stars?

I would love to add a day, but I think my son missing two school days is pretty much our limit. It's so hard to work within all the restraints right!!!

 

[Jsharp13]

PS - maybe do Wicked Winddown that night if your DVC friends can book it. It was a big hit when we tried it last trip.

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That looks so fun! I will ask them about that!!

 

[erinch]

How old is your son? Can you go up as you planned and he come after his school commitment? ( which only works if son is old enough and airport is close enough.

 

[lanejudy]

I have these odd tickets for myself (purchased, didn't use all, Disney allowed a credit... so I'd call to see (beg??) if they would allow me to add hopper.

give me three one-day tickets. I was able to put them all under my name so my trip of 3 park days is set.

It sounds like you have comp tickets, which is not the same as a ticket credit you first mentioned. Possibly they are hoppers already, but if not you cannot “upgrade” or in any way add on to a comp ticket. Another option might be to hold on to the comp tickets for another time and buy what you want to use for this trip.

 

[katyjeka]

We usually spend at least ten days when visiting WDW but have had some of our best trips when we've visited for just a few days. They were last minute trips, and I planned very little which made me a nervous wreck. Everything worked out and they were pure magic!!! Go and enjoy your time.

 

[Jsharp13]

This is one gear I’ve had trouble changing as we started visiting WDW more often. I never seem to leave enough time to enjoy all that WDW offers outside the parks. There’s so much to do For one - watch MK fireworks outside the parks! So nice not dealing with the hoardes.

I totally agree with that statement! Since we've been a handful of times recently, I am grateful not to have that pressure to do and see everything. And, since this is such a special treat to be able to stay at GF, and on the monorail, I'd like to really take advantage of that as much as I can! Making a first afternoon either a pool time, or a GF or monorail tour time, plus maybe a dinner on the monorail, and fireworks or electric water pageant to me would be a hit! Thank you all!