Am I cheap or a kamikazee vacationer?

[mm1971]

We do a little of both! We plan a few commando days where we are there from morning until.......well morning. Then we plan some days where we just relax at the pool, mini golf or sleep in. We try not to get too run down as we tend to get sick when too tired. We like to plan some and then just "go with the flow" others.

My brothers family is complete morning to close. Some days they are already at the park an hour before RD to get in first.

I don't get the opportunity to take too many full weeks off so when we do I want to relax for at least part of it. We have done RD to 3AM at MK so sign me up with the crazy people.

 

[ssawka]

We are the total opposite. We run ourselves ragged every other day, vacation for us is taking it at a leisurely pace.

ITA! Life is hectic enough without spending my precious few vacation days running myself ragged! That being said, I am a planner and plan most of our vacation. That plan always includes "down time" however. For example, if we have five full days at WDW, I'll plan to go to each park one morning and have at least one "non-park" day. I also like the fact that we usually stay within walking distance of one of the parks. I prefer to go to one of the "further" parks during the day, come back to the room at lunch time (avoids the crowds at CSes for lunch), spend the afternoon in the room or at the pool, and then go to a nearby park in the evening.

I think a lot of it has to do with where you live. My Dad used to have us "go, go, go", but we didn't really mind it because we lived in a rural area and life was not very hectic, so running around to do as much as we could was a nice diversion. Now that I live in the "big city" I want my vacations to be relaxing. In fact, one of the things that I love about WDW is that I do not have to drive a car for an entire week. When you live in a city with really bad traffic, the last thing you want to do is drive on vacation.

 

[Nancee74]

Solo I take my time. With teenagers, it is go, go, go from opening to closing.
My next trip is with grandchildren and it will be a whole different style. Can't wait.

 

[Jaya]

I can rest at home, I can sleep at home, I can lay around the pool at home. On vacation, I want to GO-GO-GO. If I come home from a vacation exhausted, footsore and broke, then it was a success! If I want a "restful" vacation, I'll take a "stay-cation". I guess it comes down to the overpowering feeling that somewhere out there, something fun is going on and I'M MISSING IT!

 

[Granny square]

I'm kind of envious of all the people who have so much down time irl. We are always busy between all of us. And our lives aren't as hectic as many of our friends' lives.

 

[Patience]

I'm kind of envious of all the people who have so much down time irl. We are always busy between all of us. And our lives aren't as hectic as many of our friends' lives.

Me too. Our lives at home are hectic, crazy busy and our jobs are stressful and high pressure. We want downtime on vacation.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Anything that involves "running ragged" does not sound like a vacation to me lol. I definitely like relaxing vacations. I am constantly playing beat the clock on a daily basis. When I'm on vacation I want to wander and stroll and not be tied down to too much. I will maybe plan one thing per day going where the moment takes me.

Everybody has their own style so just MHO, but if I come back from vacation exhausted and sore then I'd rather have just stayed home and gone to work lol.

I think it's awesome though that so many people can "staycation". Lots of people have said things to the effect of "if I wanted to sleep, relax, etc. I'd just stay home". Whenever I try to staycation it turns into typical day to day drudgery. There's always something that needs taken care of, groceries, laundry, errands, etc. that it ends up being even less relaxing than day to day!

 

[MinnieForMe]

We use to enjoy a good 10+ hours in the park but now after so many trips, it doesn't interest us to vacation that way anymore. Our kids are worse then we are, if they see a line that is longer than 20 minutes they say "saw it, done it before, moving on".

Last year, we didn't go to Disney at all and didn't miss it. This year we are going for 1 of our 7 day Florida vacation. I can't believe I'm saying this but we are actually "parked out" and are enjoying traveling other places more. I'm now going to get kicked off this board after all these years.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I've never enjoyed a kamikaze trip. I just felt the whole time that I was just missing something. We were constantly looking ahead and not feeling in the now.

My husband prefers doing the go-go-go, but I could never shake a feeling that I was not getting something, or missing something. Our first trip to WDW was for 4 days.

Then, we realized if we went for 10 days or two weeks, even, we BOTH could do what we want: gung-ho days for him, and then a slower pace for me so that I could feel as if I was absorbing my vacation. We do things like the mouse boats and monorail and bus roulette. We feel we get a more substantial vacation this way. I also like to enjoy my hotel offerings too.

But there isn't a right way or a wrong way, there is YOUR way.

 

[MEM]

As others have said, my "real" life is so busy that there is very little down time, except to sleep for 6-7 hours at night. I'm lucky if I watch a half an hour of TV a week! I work outside the home 50 hours a week and I have two teenagers, one of whom is disabled. I have a 14 room house, etc, etc.

We were park commandos when we first started coming here ten years ago and the kids were 7 and 9. Since buying four DVC contracts in the years since that time, we can visit more often and actually rest between park hopping. At this moment I am on my balcony at Kidani Village watching red river hogs, impala and waterbuck and listening to the birds. DH and DS just left for Animal Kingdom to do FotLK and Flights of Wonder. We've done everything else there and no longer feel a need to do every attraction multiple times on the same trip. Tomorrow is our last day here and we plan to do whatever strikes our fancy when tomorrow arrives.

 

[blanq]

We are the total opposite. We run ourselves ragged every other day, vacation for us is taking it at a leisurely pace.

This.

The last thing I want to feel is like I need a vacation when I get home from a vacation. I am not running myself ragged on vacation.

 

[goofyintoronto]

My vacations are always pretty crazy, im always on the go. However, disney is different. we like to take our afternoon breaks.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I can't believe I'm saying this but we are actually "parked out" and are enjoying traveling other places more. I'm now going to get kicked off this board after all these years.

Meh, I have said on many occasions that we enjoy Seaworld more than Disney (not slamming Disney, just a personal preference), and no one has kicked me out .... yet .

Its actually what we love so much about Orlando. There is something for everyone. For every travelling style. For every budget. It doesn't have to be Commando Disney or Bust, but it certainly *can* be if that's the way you want it.

 

[MinnieForMe]

Meh, I have said on many occasions that we enjoy Seaworld more than Disney (not slamming Disney, just a personal preference), and no one has kicked me out .... yet .

Its actually what we love so much about Orlando. There is something for everyone. For every travelling style. For every budget. It doesn't have to be Commando Disney or Bust, but it certainly *can* be if that's the way you want it.

We must have similar tastes because we love Seaworld better also. After Discovery Cove, two year's ago, the kids said they would be fine never returning to Disney. It's what prompted our snorkeling/diving trip to Grand Cayman.

Totally, agree with your last statement!

 

[cluvsdisney]

I couldn't imagine a more miserable way to spend a vacation. Like others have mentioned, we have a pretty hectic life at home, the very last thing I want to do on vacation is set alarms clocks and go go go. We sleep in, spend lots of time at the pool, maybe a little shopping with some park time thrown in.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I take mid-day breaks. Sometimes it's going to the pool, sometimes it's a nap in the room, sometimes it's shopping.

When we go on vacations to other places, I prefer to be on the go mostly too. I like to see things and check stuff out.

The rest of the family disagrees. They are just as happy sitting in a hotel room on their computers.

And don't get me started on the last vacation to visit family. I am so tired of sitting around listening to people tell the same family stories over and over again for hours. It drives me insane.
I'm a go visit for a few hours, and then get out and do something person.

 

[happymommy]

The first time my DH and I went (year before we were married, and his first vacation ever), we were 25. We went from morning until midnight (okay, we were young!), taking a break midday back at the hotel (well, kind of motel with a kitchen, a Residence Inn in Kissimmee that has long since closed) to eat lunch nearby and rest during the afternoon downpour. We didn't eat any meals at the parks (couldn't afford to) but closed down Epcot only to monorail over to MK for another two hours regularly.

That was then. Never did that again in all my trips (and not all are listed on my sig).

First time we took both kids (they were 2 and 4) we went for 10 nights (2001). We took it easy and just did what we felt like. We weren't sure we liked DAK - well, spent so much time wandering around that we just had the best day ever! Kids fell asleep in the stroller in the afternoon - we pulled up to the Bawa Bar, had a few Red Stripe beers, chatted with the awesome bartender, just chilled and really relaxed and hung out. Best Time Ever! Anyone with a 2 and 4 year old knows - kids are happy (and asleep for a couple hours, really!) makes us happy!

Son has severe asthma (and many other health issues) so we learned to do just a few hours at most during a day at a theme park. We enjoy wandering the Boardwalk watching the entertainment as well. There is so much to see and do if we take the parks slowly too - my kids have their favorite things, so I just kind of go with the flow.

Last August, I took the kids myself for 15 nights. We had condos (switched after 4 nights) so I cooked most meals, we hung out at the resort, swam, did 10 day park hoppers with WF&M so did mini golf, spent maybe 3 hours at each water park (storms, LOL), and one day we literally just hung out at the condo all day in our pj's. Did a lot of Disneyquest too - they love that. Me, it's fun, not the best but fun. One thing I am so over is table service meals at Disney - rather do counter service snack food. It's quite pricey and we aren't huge eaters (except for my skinny 16 year old, but he's got attention issues so even he would rather eat a snack at the parks and have a meal later in the condo).

So, I guess I'd say when I was super young, on one trip, we did commando. We had a blast. We never did it again! Now, I wake early and have coffee, maybe do laundry, then rally the troops. It's a good day if we're out the door by 9am (summer heat). Doesn't always happen!

Also, when my kids were little, we kept to their nighttime schedule for the most part. They were asleep by 8 or so. Then we could relax and recover from all the walking (and we're quite fit; DH is a marathon runner and I run and work out too, but Disney is easy 10 miles walking in a day).

 

[Eastern]

We like to get to rope drop, but we always take an afternoon lunch break, and we decide what we'll do later on. Sometimes we go back to the parks, but at a slower pace.

It's not relaxing if you're killing yourself the entire time you're there. One day of open til close, maybe, but more than that, and we can't recover for the next day in time. And my kids are older.

 

[nolanboys]

We like to get to rope drop, but we always take an afternoon lunch break, and we decide what we'll do later on. Sometimes we go back to the parks, but at a slower pace.

It's not relaxing if you're killing yourself the entire time you're there. One day of open til close, maybe, but more than that, and we can't recover for the next day in time. And my kids are older.

This is us. Rope drop most days, but all afternoons are spent at the pool. We can stay at the pool with our younger two, and the older two swim for awhile, then either play basketball or go back to the room to veg. We are much happier this way. We all need a little down time. It makes the time we spend together better as the boys have a way of getting on each other's nerves if it is go, go, go.

 

[Darcy03231]

I have friends who do it that way, but I don't. I need breaks and I like spending time in the resort, shopping, and enjoying that part of the vacation, too. I get sensory overload if I try to kamikaze it. But since I've been to the parks more times than I can even count up, I'm sure that factors in!!! I never feel like I'm missing something since I know I'll be back soon.

This is us now too. The first couple of trips it was go, go, go. Now we take the time to relax and anything we don't do on one trip we'll do on another.