Are We The Only Ones

[ArwenMarie]

I think some of the common threads to not caring about riding the rides are:
1. Live close enough to drive
2. Travel without kids
3. Have APs and visit the parks frequently (related to #1)

I'm not saying that there aren't those who don't fit into any of the above, and still primarily go just to enjoy the magic, but I think that they are much less common. I believe that most who are paying for airfare and travel to WDW one time per year or less, and travel with kids enjoy the magic very much, but the rides probably take priority.

Good summary.

 

[TooExcitedCantSleep]

There isn't anything to keep me from enjoying the atmosphere and the rides---they both go together hand in hand quite nicely.

 

[Laketravis]

I think some of the common threads to not caring about riding the rides are:
1. Live close enough to drive
2. Travel without kids
3. Have APs and visit the parks frequently (related to #1)

I'm not saying that there aren't those who don't fit into any of the above, and still primarily go just to enjoy the magic, but I think that they are much less common. I believe that most who are paying for airfare and travel to WDW one time per year or less, and travel with kids enjoy the magic very much, but the rides probably take priority.

It would totally make sense to DW and I to spend the, what? $100 a month for two annual Florida passes? If we lived within a short driving range and could go over on the weekend or even during the week, I know we would do that at least a couple of times a month and "rides" would become a secondary consideration.

In that regard, WDW is some pretty inexpensive recreation. I can't go down to the San Antonio riverwalk for the weekend (about 90 minutes away) without spending $700-$800 on hotel, food, drinks, etc.

 

[shadeauxe]

Don't get me wrong, I love planning, but more the researching and going in educated aspects (not to mention feeding the excitement!). While there though, I like to have my days free to do whatever we like. We love riding the rides, but even with kids 6 & 9, there are days we don't ride much, especially if it's busy. We don't do rope drop. We hop into whatever line is short. [.....]

Even taking this laid back route, I've never felt we haven't gotten our money's worth out of our vacations.

This pretty much describes how we do our Disney vacations.

 

[MiramarQE]

No you're not alone. We live in SFLA - get up to Orlando and stay on-site maybe 4 times a year, total about 20-21 nights.

We'll usually take one or two long (8 days) trips and splurge at a deluxe (love the AP discounts) where we will hit the parks (but we're not commandos, never do rope drops, etc.) and then 3-4 day long weekends at POR just to get away, relax at the quite pool and have nice dinners and do the quieter things you can do.

Don't get me wrong - WDW is neither cheap nor perfect. But it can be a good value and it's still better (our opinion) than Universal - offers a more complete and wider range of experiences.

I'm going up to Orlando for a conference next month NOT on property - POR is $60/night less expensive than the conference hotel! Work all day and dinner with colleagues at DTD - then DW comes up and we have 5 nights at BWV (a VERY long weekend) - if it's warm we'll be by the pool, if it's too cool we're at the parks.

 

[shalom]

I think some of the common threads to not caring about riding the rides are:
1. Live close enough to drive
2. Travel without kids
3. Have APs and visit the parks frequently (related to #1)

1. We drive, but we're in the "2,000 mile plus round trip" club.
2. We have five kids, and so far always have all five with us for our Orlando trips.
3. We get to Orlando only every other year, and we don't do the Disney parks every time.

I think it's got less to do with family or distance and a more to do with personal style. I hate amusement parks and think a day of only rides is deadly dull. Some of my kids wouldn't ride anything the first time if I didn't insist, and others view the thrill rides as something to be endured so they can say they did it. Even the kids who love the rides, also love other stuff at Disney we can't do or see anywhere else -- the Sorcerer's game, for instance, and we don't go anywhere else with someone like the acrobat in France or street theater of the quality of the Citizens of Hollywood.

So of course we're not going to worry about doing all the rides at Disney. But neither do we feel like we're wasting our money. In one sense, I don't understand the people who spend so much time on all the rides at Disney that are basically carnival rides or coasters, when those are so much cheaper (and the coasters more exciting) elsewhere. What Disney does best is the theming, the atmosphere, but those rides are not where the theming is done the best, if you see what I mean.

OTOH, we are carousel fiends, so of course we ride the carousel at the Magic Kingdom. In that sense, I totally get people who love coasters and carnival rides riding the coasters and carnival rides at WDW. And I get it when ride mavens say WDW is a waste of money, because I think it's a waste of money to go to WDW and just ride the rides. But I also get that some ride mavens love the theming, so Disney gives them something other parks don't -- for them, it makes financial sense. But I really don't think that's Disney's entire, or even main, audience. I suspect that most people like to relax on vacation.

 

[Son of Gadsden]

You have annual passes. You live within driving distance. *You* have plenty of opportunity to stop and smell the roses and enjoy "atmosphere". A lot of the rest of us go once or twice a year. We don't have that luxury.

I used to enjoy just being at Disney. Now, I find that I really, really, really enjoy being at Universal and sitting in the Wizarding World just looking around and drinking a frozen Butterbeer. To each their own, I'm glad you have a place on earth you love to be.

Wait. So you don't have the luxury to "stop and smell the roses" and enjoy the "atmosphere" at Disney because you live so far away, but you do at Universal...which is a few miles away from WDW?

Don't get me wrong, I completely understand that you just like Universal better at the moment, and to each his own. I just don't understand why you're refuting the PP's point if you do the exact same thing at Universal.

 

[SnowWtch]

We have AP's to Disney and Universal and on some trips never ride a single ride. We just go to shop or wander around. We're a few hours away but don't get down there much. We've learned to take it easy and just do what we want when we want. It was too stressful going commando especially since DH has psoriatic arthritis and I have a bad back and hip.

 

[msmouse]

My sister and I live in Louisiana and go to disney 3-4 times per year. There is usually a big family trip once a year. The other times it is just the two of us. We go simply for the feeling we get when there. Ultimate peace. Can not get that feeling at any other location.

 

[Son of Gadsden]

We have AP's to Disney and Universal and on some trips never ride a single ride. We just go to shop or wander around. We're a few hours away but don't get down there much. We've learned to take it easy and just do what we want when we want. It was too stressful going commando especially since DH has psoriatic arthritis and I have a bad back and hip.

I completely understand that. Ever since I had my knee issues, we've been the same way. Funny, I think I might actually enjoy the parks more now than I did when I had no trouble getting around.

 

[butterfly71076]

We have AP's but don't live close enough to just stop by Disney for just the afternoon. Are we the only ones that go just to be involved in the "magic" and enjoy just being there? If a ride is short we ride it, if its not then that's ok too. Are there others that just like being at the happiest place on earth?

Nope, I live right outside of Chicago and am an AP holder. We got them last year because we had multiple trips scheduled and it saved alot of money on tickets. But, I did notice, because we were there so much last year, each trip was very relaxed and so much fun! I love my AP and will probably renew mine and DS's.

 

[kroseycorn]

Yep.. I'm pregnant and can't ride many of my favorites... But I just love to sit near the Tangled bathrooms, stop in for the short rides, grab a frozen banana and just enjoy.

People get so stressed when it doesn't go how they want it to... And I've certainly been there before. Better to go with the flow!

 

[mom2rtk]

Yep.. I'm pregnant and can't ride many of my favorites... But I just love to sit near the Tangled bathrooms, stop in for the short rides, grab a frozen banana and just enjoy.

People get so stressed when it doesn't go how they want it to... And I've certainly been there before. Better to go with the flow!

I might have felt the same when I was pregnant. Pop back in here in 7 or 8 years when that little angel comes off his/her first trip on Space Mountain yelling "can we do it again, Mommy?". Oh, and standby is 90 minutes.

 

[5dizneynutz]

If some people really, really, really love Universal and sound so anti-Disney, why are they even on these boards, much less comment??

 

[Maggie Lizer]

I don't have APs, but I am booking a longer trip than I did last time so we can go at a bit more of a relaxed pace. I think that will be particularly important, traveling with a 3 year old and a 1 year old.

 

[GigiDisneyfreak]

I might have felt the same when I was pregnant. Pop back in here in 7 or 8 years when that little angel comes off his/her first trip on Space Mountain yelling "can we do it again, Mommy?". Oh, and standby is 90 minutes.

I have been bringing both my kids there since they were babies, now they are 15 and 21. There have been many times they have wanted to "go again". You still would have to get another fast pass to avoid that 90 minute line and have to return an hour later at least. I could be at another end of the park by then. They were able to live with out that second ride and usually found something else that made them happy as well. They ended up learning to appreciate the whole experience and not just the ride. I also remember when I was younger and there wasn't fastpass and I waited on those 90 minutes or 2 hour long rides and still having a wonderful Disney experience. I understand not wanting to disappoint your child when they want to ride again but it is not the end of the world to wait in the line or not do it at all.

 

[mom2rtk]

If some people really, really, really love Universal and sound so anti-Disney, why are they even on these boards, much less comment??

Well, it is possible to love both. They are not mutually exclusive.

And it is possible to love Disney enough to have very strong feelings when that experience is significantly changed. Many here are very sad to see the recent turn of events and are weighing their options on whether to go back.

 

[mom2rtk]

I have been bringing both my kids there since they were babies, now they are 15 and 21. There have been many times they have wanted to "go again". You still would have to get another fast pass to avoid that 90 minute line and have to return an hour later at least. I could be at another end of the park by then. They were able to live with out that second ride and usually found something else that made them happy as well. They ended up learning to appreciate the whole experience and not just the ride. I also remember when I was younger and there wasn't fastpass and I waited on those 90 minutes or 2 hour long rides and still having a wonderful Disney experience. I understand not wanting to disappoint your child when they want to ride again but it is not the end of the world to wait in the line or not do it at all.

I guess it's just all in how you plan your park days. We never had trouble using FP as a means of repeating rides. I figured they'd want to ride Space again, so we'd grab another FP, then ride Buzz while we waited, grabbed a snack, used the restroom, then rode again.

At DHS we rode RnR, grabbed another FP, rode ToT, grabbed a snack, then rode RnR again with our FP.

Those are some of our best park memories. I guess I just spent so much time in daily life telling them "no", that when we got to Disney and they said "Can we do it again?" I loved being able to say yes.

We do try to travel in low crowd times, but we all know that's getting harder and harder to find these days.

 

[nancipants]

My fiance and I live about 15 minutes from Disney and have annual passes. I love being able to go to Disney whenever I want and not care about going on rides. We went on several "date nights" during Food and Wine, and did one of the Candlelight Dinners since he'd never seen the show before. If we've got nothing to do on a Saturday, we're usually at Disney. I hope we're able to stick with our short Disney trips after we have kids. I can't even spend an entire day at a park, much less with kids in tow!

We also have annual passes for Universal although we don't go as often. Traffic is worse getting there and I don't like the atmosphere as much--although Diagon Alley might change my mind. We have gone to the Three Broomsticks just to write, though.

These are some of the reasons I hope I never have to move from Orlando, lol.