Anyone else struggle with cost/benefit of short trips?

[MicheyMouse]

For us, a full week has been our standard trip. Now everything cost wise seems to be measured against that.

We would love to go on a couple short trips but then the what ifs start.

For example, plane tickets are the same price for a 3 day trip and a 7 day. Park tickets get cheaper overall every day you add. 3 day trips lose part of the days to travel.

Before long we have talked ourselves out of a short trip to wait until we can stay longer.

 

[kanerf]

Never do short trips. I am in PA, so it makes no sense. I always do 10 day trips, but have an AP and own DVC to make that possible.

 

[smwisc]

For us, a full week has been our standard trip. Now everything cost wise seems to be measured against that.

We would love to go on a couple short trips but then the what ifs start.

For example, plane tickets are the same price for a 3 day trip and a 7 day. Park tickets get cheaper overall every day you add. 3 day trips lose part of the days to travel.

Before long we have talked ourselves out of a short trip to wait until we can stay longer.

Yes, I definitely struggle with this. When our kids were younger, we could take a full two weeks in the summer to drive down, rent a nice condo or pool house, get 10 day tickets - it was extremely cost effective and we had wonderful trips.

Now that are kids are older, we just don't have that amount of time (or the ability to predict it in advance). We could probably manage to squeeze in a short time here or there, but I have a really hard time getting over just how much more it would cost (flying, transportation during or else staying on site, shorter tickets, etc.). Take that on top of general price increases (we haven't been for a few years), and a long weekend could easily cost as much as our 10-day trips used to.

 

[Jack Kerouac]

We have three young boys (9, 6, and 4) and live an hour outside of Chicago. We have APs and DVC. This calendar year, we did a four day trip in February for my wife's birthday, a nine day trip in late May to early June for our family vacation, and then we leave in three weeks for a four day trip to celebrate our wedding anniversary and our middle's birthday. The shorter trips have coincided with some airline sales and we are generally flexible with accommodations (for instance, February was a 2BR at SSR to a 1BR at BLT and then back to a 2BR at SSR; September will be a DS at BRV). My wife liked the February trip enough that she has a solo trip planned for four days in late January right before her birthday. Having APs and DVC have meant meant we take more trips (I wouldn't be travelling that much if I was paying for tickets and accommodations each trip). With our boys being younger, we only have so much time before they will no longer be able to miss school for trips.

 

[DanceDisney23]

I would love to do a quick getaway, but like you, the cost-benefit calculation just doesn’t make any sense to me.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Same as you, plus the planning part is just so frustrating I just get super annoyed close the laptop and go for a drive. Planning to travel is now a monumental chore, it used to be fun and I'd get all swept up but that hasn't happened in ages.... it's just such a sterile experience it has become very easy to opt out.

 

[_19disnA]

If you are talking about Disney, we have been many times over the years and already know the parks/rides/shows we like the best. A week is far too long to walk all those miles with huge crowds and especially in the Summer when it is just not enjoyable with the weather. We also have never been the go-go-go types like I read a lot about on here. It isn't a race to see how early we can get up and zip off to the park or how late we can stay, but everyone enjoys vacations differently.

For other vacation destinations partly depends on where you are going and what you like to do. Have been to Vegas many times and even when flying, we seemed to have settled on 3 nights as the optimum length of stay. We can get our fill of gambling, eating, shopping and sightseeing and know which casinos we enjoy the best. For someplace like the ocean, many people come for the weekend who live a short drive away. So it mostly depends on where you are going, your budget, what you like to do and how often you want to take various trips.

Some people also enjoy living out of a suitcase longer than others. For longer vacations, you will likely need to do laundry and that may not be practical at some places. We choose where to vacation (and for how long) based on what we like to do. The 'value' to us is the vacation itself compared to some subjective calculation of 'benefit'.

 

[Willow Ufgood]

The accommodations aren't a big deal for us when it comes to short trips. We own DVC so it's just a matter of whether we have the points to do it. Even airfare can be absorbed if we use airline points. We have a lot of Southwest points but they cut way back on nonstop flights out of our closest airport. And we could always dine on the cheap side for a few days if necessary.

But those ticket prices! Not to mention all of the lost perks like Magical Express! That just puts a short trip in the no go category.

 

[fla4fun]

I think it makes a huge difference depending on the distance you have to travel. If you are within a half day drive, where for example you could leave after work and arrive before midnight, then short trips make more sense. But if it takes multiple days to drive, or you need to fly, then it becomes less cost effective both in time and money.

I used to do ten day trips multiple times per year. Then I lost my job during the pandemic and have struggled to find a new one. So out of necessity I have had to shorten my trips, stay only at value resorts, or even just do a day trip from home (which is not really fun for me). But I do live close enough to drive easily. If I had to fly, I would have just let my AP expire and not visited at all.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

Personally I like shorter trips.
Yes generally the plane tickets are not going to differ because they are what they are.
But everything else is going to end up cheaper on shorter trips because you're not staying as many nights in a hotel, not buying as many days on a ticket, and are not spending as much money on food.
Because of that I've easily justified 2 trips in a year rather than just one.

 

[TinkerbelleAbbysMom]

We fall in the camp of any days at Disney are worth it! I’ve had quite a few over the last few years that are long weekend type trips. We aren’t DVC owners and typically stay value level. We’ve also managed to book “week of”, flying down on a Saturday and coming home on Monday. That was an anniversary trip- spur of the moment and we did one park day, which also wasn’t planned as MK was supposedly sold out. Mickey granted some pixie dust and we managed to get in on our anniversary. For us, just being in the Disney bubble is sometimes enough. Life is short and unexpected…

 

[georgina]

For us, a full week has been our standard trip. Now everything cost wise seems to be measured against that.

We would love to go on a couple short trips but then the what ifs start.

For example, plane tickets are the same price for a 3 day trip and a 7 day. Park tickets get cheaper overall every day you add. 3 day trips lose part of the days to travel.

Before long we have talked ourselves out of a short trip to wait until we can stay longer.

With kids I would not have done a short trip. As adults, it works for us. We have changed how we do Disney, when I go with DH we do less parks and relax more. In April 2024 I bought the 3 days special ticket that didn't include MK and bought an MK after hours ticket. We stayed 5 nights at a Marriott timeshare with free night certificates from a Marriott card, plus some points. (I have not found staying on Disney property to be a good value but the new LLMP rules may be an issue. I don't anticipate buying it except for single ride GotG at Epcot)

When I go solo it's more parks focused, and special events. In Sept I am going for 1 day at Epcot and MNSSHP, then going to Universal for a few days before my AP expires. I got a super deal on SW flight sale ($37 each way) and am staying offsite for $93/nt for my 2 Disney days.

In Dec I am going to WDW for 1 day Epcot for holiday stuff, MVMCP, and Jollywood at HS. Again, staying offsite for a low rate ($110/nt) and got a great rate on SW flights with points.

 

[tvguy]

Before we retired the deciding factor was always that we only got four weeks vacation. More days certainly makes more sense when considering air fare. But the cost of hotels is so high now that THAT really is what decides many of our trips. How many nights in a hotel? One night in a hotel costs more than the air fare for us going to Disneyland. But we are 400 miles away so driving is a better option now.

 

[OrangeBirdGirl]

We like vacations in general that are at least a week. It doesn't seem like we are really getting away if we fly someplace for 4 days and come home. The only time we ever do a shorter trip is a driving trip (probably under 5 hours away) and go for 4 days. But even that is rare, maybe once every couple years.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I could never do a short trip (anywhere really but specifically Disney). I like to experience everything without feeling rushed. We do a 2 week trip and that’s just enough to do everything but not get sick of being there. It takes a few days to settle down into the vacation and with a short trip by the time you settle in it’s time to leave.

 

[Bellex917]

We recently started sprinkling in some shorter trips. Our current pattern seems to be we go every ten months or so, we've managed to go exactly 10 months the past 4 trips somehow lol. I noticed we do a week long trip, then a long weekend, then a week, etc. We are going in October JUST for the Halloween party- flying down, two nights, the party, and going home. It semi scratches my Disney itch and lets me visit the magic when time or funds don't allow for a full week. I'd love to do 2 weeks a year, but our vacation time is limited with kids schedules and my own (a teacher) so with trying to also go other places too, a long weekend (or in this case just a 2 day trip!) sometimes just get us in the magic!

 

[dunailie]

Personally I like shorter trips.
Yes generally the plane tickets are not going to differ because they are what they are.
But everything else is going to end up cheaper on shorter trips because you're not staying as many nights in a hotel, not buying as many days on a ticket, and are not spending as much money on food.
Because of that I've easily justified 2 trips in a year rather than just one.

I agree! I travel with my adult son, and we like to leave on a Wednesday and come home on Sunday. That gives us three days in the parks, and we buy park hoppers. We've been many times, so we don't have to do everything. And we are adults, so we can spend all day in the parks. It is cheaper for us because we spend less on food and hotel (as well as using fewer vacation days at work). The tickets are what they are.

 

[PollyannaMom]

We tend to do half-and-half trips to Florida: a few days at Disney (or Universal) and a few days with family not far away. Best of both worlds!

 

[georgina]

We tend to do half-and-half trips to Florida: a few days at Disney (or Universal) and a few days with family not far away. Best of both worlds!

That's usually my spring trip, to spend some time with snowbird siblings and get my theme park fix in.

 

[kylenne]

We do both but I’m an AP living in a hub for several airlines. I love solo weekend trips as a different type of experience than the longer trips I take with my partner, having a getaway to focus on an Epcot festival or special event is another type of fun. But I would never do those weekend trips without an AP--the cost of tickets are just too prohibitive to justify it imo. I think I would also feel too much pressure to cram a ton of things in, without the knowledge that I can come back basically at any time. Ticket prices are so high that those weekend trips are what actually pay for my AP, along with the resort discounts for our longer trips. Typically I stay at the Dolphin for those weekend trips to keep costs down, but once in a while if I see a great deal on Gran Destino or Disney deluxe I’ll do that. With the AP and airline flash sales/miles my expenses are actually pretty minimal. My partner is actually upgrading to an AP so she can join me on a weekend or two.