Do you prefer one long trip each year or 2 or 3 shorter trips each year?

[photobob]

A variation of your question, would you rather stay for more days in smaller accommodations and fewer days with more spacious accommodations? Currently we are staying one or 2 Bdr villas. I don't have a ton of points but when we become empty-nesters I can probably squeeze three studio stays in a year and that's what we'll probably try to do.

Answering your question, I like the thought of going more times for shorter stays. We live 540 miles away so it isn't a horrible drive, but not a super short one either. Another reason is I like to do the Sun-Thurs for lower points plus it allows me to photograph a wedding on the Saturday before or Saturday after a trip or both if business picks up!!

 

[eporter66]

We have done both, but to save $$$ since we have to fly, I think we are better served going on one long trip. We usually stay 7 nights...

We dont go commando through the parks anymore, so we like to take our time and relax while on vacation. A longer trip allows some days off in between to just hang at the pool or do some other things.

I would love to go more often, and we have done two trips in one year on occasion, but realistically - one long trip is our way at this time

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Not sure how we should actually count the trips because we intertwine Vero, WDW, and DLR.
We spend an average of 32 nights per year staying at some sort of Disney venue. We take an average of three trips a year, but it's not unusual for us to travel from WDW to DLR in the same trip.

MG

 

[jamstew]

We prefer four stays of around 8 nights each. I've stayed as long as 12 nights and was actually getting a bit antsy around the 10th night. Anything less than 7 nights is too brief.

Agree on both counts. Two weeks is a tad too long, but a week isn't long enough. I think 9-10 nights is about perfect. What I really want to do is five nights Disney, a week on Longboat or Siesta Key, and then back to Disney for another five nights.

 

[adminjedi]

We like the longer stays.
We are west coasters and it is the best value to only buy plane tickets once a year for our family of 7.
But, the long trip also gives enough time to have "down" time. Our kids are mid-teen to mid-twenties and they like to sleep in and laze around the pool during the hot hours, and then go to the parks to hit the rides.
We felt 9 days was too short, so we tried 14 which can seem a little too long for some.
However, we do like the multiple trips per year too. DH and I spent 10 days in January, the whole family spent 13 days in June, and DH and I will spend 4 days after the a week in the Caribbean in November. 4 days seems too quick, but that's the way it has to be.

 

[Muhlenberg]

We tend to do 5 nights, and I usually do 2 trips a year. The 5 nights started out because of my scheduling problem. Longer trips usually cause one of our adult children to be home alone for one of those 2 trips, and jealous, I'm sure. I have elderly parents, and if they're not with me, that's a concern, too. It actually works better for us to be gone 5 nights. And then there's the points issue...one day we'll have more points. One day our trips may be a little longer.

Shorter trips twice a year lets me get my Disney fix. I'd never last a whole year if there was only one trip.

 

[edk35]

A variation of your question, would you rather stay for more days in smaller accommodations and fewer days with more spacious accommodations? Currently we are staying one or 2 Bdr villas. I don't have a ton of points but when we become empty-nesters I can probably squeeze three studio stays in a year and that's what we'll probably try to do.

Answering your question, I like the thought of going more times for shorter stays. We live 540 miles away so it isn't a horrible drive, but not a super short one either. Another reason is I like to do the Sun-Thurs for lower points plus it allows me to photograph a wedding on the Saturday before or Saturday after a trip or both if business picks up!!

Good question. Well we have ONLY stayed in 2 bedrooms since we are a family of 5. However there will only be 3 of us going in Jan. so we are trying a studio. IF this pattern continues where it will be just 3 or 4 of us at a time....then we might get smaller accomodations. We love the 2 bedrooms and we don't have a lot of points to go for too long a trip without borrowing if we go more than once or twice.

 

[RSHEALAND]

My work schedule only allows me to go for shorter trips but in a few years we should be able to go for longer (8 - 10day) trips

 

[bnk1120]

We are flying from NY so it depends on cost of flights; we are also limited to a teachers schedule. We prefer to do one long weekend and one week trip. I'd rather be at Disney twice in one year if I can! We plan to change it up and do one longer summer trip every two to three years since we do travel to places other than Disney too. With the amount of points we have right now we are limited to roughly nine days a year, so the fun is figuring out how best to use them!

 

[MEK]

I would love to consistently do longer trips (twice a year), but right now I am happy to do 2 or 3 shorter trips. My kids are in high school and they don't want to go to Disney every year, so DH and I have started to travel during the school year without them. Obviously we can't leave them alone for a week or longer, so short trips work well for us right now. But, man oh man, when they are both in college I'm going 10 days in September and 7 days in January.

 

[dcfromva]

We go several times a year. We try to extend our vacation time using weekends and holidays as much as possible.
I like the different seasons at WDW. I don't like to miss any of these three events: Flower and Garden, Food and Wine and Christmas.

 

[bobbiwoz]

DH and I take lots of long weekend trips. We did similar things with our DS's, like weekends to New England for skiing, weekends to Williamsburg or DC. We lived in NJ and PA (Trenton NJ area, both sides of the Delaware River.) when we were raising our DSs. Now that we're empty nesters, the weekend trips continue. We have to fly to see the DGC, to see the family in NJ for holidays. So, flying to Florida for the Flower and Garden, or MNSSHP seems normal to us. DH travels for work and tries to get bumped as much as he can to help with air expenses.

As far as when we take the DGC and family. They come to WDW from Boston, 2-3 times a year for 5-8 night stays. In 2010, it's January, 5 nights for the Marathon weekend, 8 nights for VB/BCV over the 4th of July time period, and then in November, we don't know how long, but it will include the 3 night DCL cruise!!! DH and I and others in the family don't always stay as long for these visits as the DGC's family. They are a family of 5, so airfare IS a major expense. The rest of us help out with other expenses for them.

The DGC are young, but the oldest is in first grade now, so we'll just have to see how the future develops. If DDiL has her way, things will continue as they arebut they will be leaving from a part of Florida instead of from Boston. She's had enough of NE's cold winters. We'll see what the future holds for them and us.

Bobbi

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I've stayed as long as 12 nights and was actually getting a bit antsy around the 10th night.

Agree on both counts. Two weeks is a tad too long, but a week isn't long enough. I think 9-10 nights is about perfect. What I really want to do is five nights Disney, a week on Longboat or Siesta Key, and then back to Disney for another five nights.

Vero also fills the void here..
Some trips we stay at Vero in the middle of two WDW stays. Something like VWL-VB -AKV works out nicely.

MG

 

[jamstew]

Vero also fills the void here..
Some trips we stay at Vero in the middle of two WDW stays. Something like VWL-VB -AKV works out nicely.

MG

I'm strictly a Gulf girl! Gotta have the sugary white sand & warm clear blue-green water. I've been vacationing on the Gulf all my life, so the Atlantic doesn't cut it. Now if Disney would just build a resort on the Gulf, I'd be there in a heartbeat!

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I'm strictly a Gulf girl! Gotta have the sugary white sand & warm clear blue-green water. I've been vacationing on the Gulf all my life, so the Atlantic doesn't cut it. Now if Disney would just build a resort on the Gulf, I'd be there in a heartbeat!

I agree the Gulf is nice.. nicer than the Atlantic. I grew up as a kid with annual Naples and WDW vacations!!

MG

 

[Disneypirate85]

We started out with 6 days 5 nights when on cash ressies once a year, bought into DVC and now we go 2 times a year usually 7-8 days over the 4th and 4-5 during Christmas. But would LOVE to trim down to 3 shorter trips 5-6 days get and extra visit home! We always do studio to stretch the points out and yet we ALWAYS have extra points we book. Shawn

 

[edk35]

I'm strictly a Gulf girl! Gotta have the sugary white sand & warm clear blue-green water. I've been vacationing on the Gulf all my life, so the Atlantic doesn't cut it. Now if Disney would just build a resort on the Gulf, I'd be there in a heartbeat!

ME TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I went to many a spring break and summer day/over night trips to Panama City, Ft. Walton and Destin. LOVE IT!!!

 

[bobbiwoz]

See, I'm different, I love the ocean. The Gulf seems boring to me. Beautiful sunsets, I'll give you that. I've enjoyed Marriott's Marco Island resort, but I much prefer the waves of the ocean, even now that I mostly enjoy them vicariously!!

Bobbi

 

[starbox]

When we bought DVC, we started taking 2-week vacations. It was wonderful to relax and just enjoy it.

Now, with years of APs under our belt, kids that have been to Disney 25+ times, and tween/teens - we've sort of reached our max. The MK is - well, a little boring. We love it for a day. But, in a two week stay, we really did not feel like we wanted to ride Pirates or Buzz Lightyear more than once. We spent more and more time at the pool.

OTOH, we've had several GREAT trips enjoying special events and activities. The entire family just did F&W - were at EPCOT ten hours and only rode two rides. We went for Christmas and ride NOTHING, just did shows. Went for Spring Break and spent about three daily hours in the parks - it was all about the pool.

We're moving towards several shorter trips for events - F&W, MNSSHP, Christmas Stuff.

Also moving towards renting a house at the beach for extended summer relaxation. Aiming for all of June in Vero this year.

 

[Crystal_27]

Through trial, I realized that we like going for a longer trip each year. We actually went for 9 days in September, 2008, followed by last minute 7 day trip in March, 2009, and I found myself not as into the March trip as I thought I would be (although we still had a great time, I just didn't *need* the Disney fix like I thought I would). I think, for us, the approximate 9-11 month period of anticipation and planning before a trip makes it all the more exciting. Given that we just came back from a Disney cruise, our next trip will be for 14 nights in December, 2010. I definitely think by then, I'll be beside myself with excitement, and I think that if we went more often, that wouldn't be the case.