Can you help me slow down?

[flipflopmom]

The main draw for DH to buy was that we could slow down the pace of our touring. We were really commando, rope drop to close for a week. We are planning afternoon breaks this year, slower evenings. The back of my mind still says "We didn't get to X last year, have to do it. This was a favorite, must-do."

How can I strike the balance of enjoying our BLT home, and seeing the World? Does it come gradually with each year?

 

[Sandisw]

I'd like to know this as well. We just joined DVC last year so I am hoping that our trip next summer will be more relaxed.

DD and I did a quick December trip and I found that we didn't feel the need to do it all so maybe it just takes a few trips to realize that we will be back ALOT!

 

[Disney Commando]

OK here's what you do, 1st ahhh who am I kidding, I have no idea. If we are there for 7 days it's 7am - Midnite everyday once it's in your blood I don't think you can get it out. Always something new or something you didn't see no matter how many times you go.

And remember Por favor mantengase alejado de las puertas!

 

[hakepb]

That "realization" does help a lot. You know you will be back. The DVC accomodations also help. start the day with a little quiet time on your private balcony, you'll start putting some room time on your "must-do" list...

A week is plenty of time to catch a few favorites at each park. We always make a list to make sure everyone is OK. (We always set aside the last day for a few repeats or one last "must-do")

 

[AirGoofy]

We still open and close the park, but added days to enjoy the resort. Thus, when we do a 7 day trip, we plan on one or two days where there is no theme park, just resort, Welcome Home Wednesday, and maybe Downtown Disney.

 

[kamikazecat]

We are new members. Can you tell me what Welcome Home Wednesday's are? Thanks

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

And remember Por favor mantengase alejado de las puertas!

Thanks for the laugh!

OP: I am new to DVC, so I can't help. We have our first trip home planned for this July & I am sure we will tour the same as before we owned.

 

[arthur06]

I have found that if you take SMALL children it helps!

When DW and I go w/o kids we do alot more commando type trip...

but when we take our boys (9,3,1) there is just time for naps... which means more time in the room and balcony...

On our Oct trip, we alternated with touring the resorts when the kids were napping... I think in the future, as they get older we will maintain that style!

 

[GoofItUp]

I notice from your signature that you have a 2 yr old. Our oldest son's first trip to WDW taught us to slow down. We only did what he could handle, went on a schedule that accomodated him, and ended up doing only 4 park days on a 10-day trip. It was WONDERFUL! I'm sure as the kids get older we'll pick up the pace some, but until then vacationing on their schedule has made it more of a vacation for all of us.

 

[disneynutz]

The more you vacation at WDW the more your vacation habits change.

After several years as members and visiting 2 or 3 times a year, we now stay around the resort more than the parks. We vacation during cooler weather and during periods where the crowds are expected to be lite.

We venture into the parks, visit the rides that we are in the mood for, people watch, and leave before it gets crowded.

Bill

 

[DisneyMama27]

We stay longer and try to take a break mid-day every day. Sometimes, though, we need a sleep-in day. DH is content on those days to wait until later to go to the parks, if at all. I usually like to go a little earlier.

Our kids have made us (me) change our habits...they LOVE the pools, and would rather swim than stand in line. They know we will be back, and we rarely wait in more than a 20min line for anything. It's FastPass, EMH, or try again next time. We will go early to the parks to get our chances to ride the faves (Soarin', Everest, etc) without a wait, but then we leave and go swim or go to DTD, or just nap in the villa! We love the late EMH hours, but need a rest or nap in the afternoon if we don't want to wear out early.

DVC has helped us (esp. me) take it easy, enjoy the vacation and not measure the trip in how many rides we rode or how many hours we spent in the park.

We do the same thing as pp, make a list of each family member's "non-negotiables" - can be different each trip. When the focus is on those activities, we end up making some great memories. One year my DD wanted to spend some time at Rafiki's Planet Watch, so we spent a while out there checking everything out. Last summer, the youngest DD wanted to ride the park balloon at DTD. They loved getting to pick something special to do, and our focus has shifted from checking everything off a list to really enjoying and appreciating it all.

Another fave of our kids....night swims. The pools are generally empty at night, and the lifeguards leave at 10, but the pools are still open (slides closed) and we have had lots of fun just playing with our kids, relaxing in the water (or jacuzzi) at the end of the day - and then we all sleep good!

Good luck...it has taken me longer than the rest of my family to change my style, but I am glad I have. We enjoy each other with so much less stress and exhaustion, and enjoy Disney more too!

 

[Crystal_27]

How can I strike the balance of enjoying our BLT home, and seeing the World? Does it come gradually with each year?

In my experience, it does come gradually each year. We started going to Disney in 2007 and our first trip (which was a land/sea) was so incredibly hectic. We wanted to do it all and see it all. We went back in September, 2008 for 9 days and really got into a groove. We had time to see everything we wanted and start to develop "must dos" for each trip. When we went back in March, 2009, the feel of our trip was different than our previous 2. We didn't feel rushed to do everything and see everything. We did what we wanted to do attraction-wise, and spent a lot of time at our resort and at the parks just enjoying the sights. Of course, we are always going to have a list of "must dos" for every trip but I just don't feel the need to be the park commando anymore. I know that we'll be back next year so there's no fear that I'll miss something. It's nice that Disney is working toward becoming an actual vacation where we can have a blast but still feel relaxed and refreshed when we come back to work.

 

[jelwallace]

Since joining DVC we don't do the parks every day of our vacation. About half of our days are enjoyed sleeping in, eating breakfast in the room, going to the pool, going to downtown disney. In other words just relaxing. We know that we will be coming back so we don't push it. Park days are hectic but we get there first thing in the AM. Leave around 1PM, go back to the room to relax and swim and then go back into the park in the evening for fireworks.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

It comes with time, frankly we enjoy the resorts and Orlando's surrounding areas just as much as Disney. We still do rope drop on occasion, mostly in the summer to beat the heat, but if the parks are too crowded we go to another park or back to the resort. We go to the parks to see really only what we love, unless we have someone new to Disney then we do the whole kit and kaboodle. With park hoppers and DVC resorts, Disney has turned into a really fun and relaxing vacation, not the hectic times of the past. We'll be there 2/11-2/15 and I'm so looking forward to it, just as I did so many years ago, I just don't come back at night so beat up!

 

[btrim]

It will come. We have been members since 2004, but have been going to WDW since 1979. We have finally figured out to just enjoy what we can and if we don't get to everything, you put that on your list of must-dos for the next trip. In December we took all our children and grandchildren for a week. We keep the grandchildren so our kids could enjoy themselves, we waited in line for something we might not have because one of the grandchildren wanted to ride, we rode rides that we normally might skip because they really enjoyed them. It was a wonderful trip and because I knew I was coming back with just DH, we didn't mind relaxing and enjoying our family more. It will happen with you too and then you will learn to just enjoy all the wonderful things at the resorts, a long lunch at DTD, a lazy morning in the room, etc.

 

[AirGoofy]

We are new members. Can you tell me what Welcome Home Wednesday's are? Thanks

On Wednesdays at 4 or 5:00 PM at the Dance Hall at Boardwalk, there is a 1 hour gathering for DVC members. They have a jeopardy game show format, with all the questions about Disney. If the participant gets the question wrong, they search the audience for right answers, which are rewarded by a prize. They also give door prizes, and everyone there gets a free DVC hat or t-shirt, whatever they are giving out as well as soft drink and snacks

My two DDs (8,5) love it and and cheer for people. They also try to get in the game show, which has not happened. It is not the most thrilling entertainment at WDW, but it is fun, get free stuff, and we make a dinner reservation afterwards and use it as part of a relaxing day.

 

[disneynutz]

We are new members. Can you tell me what Welcome Home Wednesday's are? Thanks

It's a Member gathering put on by the DVD Marketing Department.

Bill

 

[DVCBELLE]

I think it comes with time...

we will probably always be in the parks all day - my kids get mad when if there is a park open and we aren't there - but they are also the kind of kids that slept wherever whenever so we have never had to go back to the room.

We find now though that we stroll through the parks more than we used to - we don't have to rush everywhere and can spend time doing the little things that we used to rush past to get to our must dos. We also know what we don't care about doing. We went for 3 days in Dec. I was worried the kids would feel like we didn't do enough but they would just say - oh its okay - we can do it next time and on some rides even decided to skip them this trip.

I also watch and make sure we aren't having any meltdowns - from the adults to the kids and make sure if we are that we stop and take a breath.

Early on in our trips - we realized that a sit down meal every day makes a huge difference in how we all feel. It is at least an hour where we sit down and just relax. My kids are starting to outgrow Fantasyland which seems to have really freed up a lot of time as well.

I always know that if we miss something this trip - we will catch it next time and that really makes things more relaxed now! Also - while I used to plan the order we would ride everything - now we just go where we want except for early morning must dos...

 

[ToddyLu]

I think it changes your perspective as other posters have said. DH and I were doing Value resort until our purchase last year. Our first trip was last Nov. I guess the main thing was being able to just have more space. THe fridge (we were in a studio), the balcony with SV at AKV. The nice resort with buses to pull up practically at the door and then drop you off and pick you up at the park gate....was awesome. It wasn't a rat race to compete with the masses. We didn't mind going back to the room. The bus transportation was spot on for the trip which was great. I mean "we own there now"...so we may go once a year or 2-3 times a year based on points. This coming trip will be our 10th in 8 years...

I still haven't been to Tom Sawyers Island, done the Hoop De Doo, rode the river boat and several other things. This year I want to see FW Campground and maybe pet the horses. On prior trips it was MK, EPCOT, DHS, AK...repeat...MK, EPCOT, DHS, AK...repeat.....you get the picture.

It was a very relaxing vacation. My MIL discovered that she really liked a couple of days touring solo. I found out that I could talk to a CM for an hour and learn all kinds of things at the resort....DH worked with his new camera right off the balcony, etc..

 

[LeahA]

I always remember that this is not going to be my last trip to Disney. So, we pick the rides that mean the most to us, and if we don't see everything, we don't see everything. We always say to the kids "O.K., do you want to wait 90 minutes for this ride, or we can grab a snack, go back to hotel and go swimming." They usually say, "Let's go!"

Relax, if you know you'll be back, don't worry about it!