Do you restrict yourself solely to Disney?

[mhingher]

We live in NJ and maybe get to Orlando once/year for a week. We used to restrict ourselves to just the WDW attractions, but now we have started to venture out a little. DH & I love Universal/IOA and would like to get to Sea World one day (haven't been there since I was a kid). We love Universal and IOA-- we love Disney also, but they are totally different parks. It depends what time of year we go-- when we went in March the crowds were low, so we had time to do non-DIsney things and still see everything in WDW we wanted to see. For our upcoming trip in May, we definitely plan on spending a day at Universal/IOA and also a water park. We'll be there with my parents who love the restaurant Tony Roma's-- so I'm sure we'll hit I Drive atleast one night.

As for the WDW attractions, we usually spend most of our time in MK, MGM, Epcot and AK, in that order. We also enjoy shopping at DTD, nightlife @ PI and Jellyrolls, and resort hopping. I would like to try the mini golf one day also!

We also have a timeshare in Key West, so we like to spend time there every year also. (Separate from the Orlando vacation). I'll be there in one week

 

[nliedel]

In Florida we do, for now. I am sure as the kids grow The Mouse will be, in some small part, replaced by the adventure rides at other parks. We live in Michigan and we go to Cedar Point a couple times a summer. This year the oldest two are big enough to ride some of the large coasters. They are very excited.

 

[PamNC]

Well, 12 years ago when we went for our anniversary...our first Disney trip we did go to Universal one day. It was fun, but we haven't had the urge to return since. We haven't done Sea World yet (I did as a child) and we keep saying we're going to but we never do. Can't tear ourselves away from Disney. We do like to go shopping at the Premium Outlets on a rainy day. That's fun, and non-Disney. other than that, our non-park days are still spent on Disney property. For instance, we often spend 1/2 a day at Fort Wilderness canoeing, renting bikes, walking, petting the animals. Then, we end it with a picnic and the campfire singalong. We love to play miniature golf at Fantasia. We hang out at our pool, especially if we're staying at YC/BC...love Stormalong Bay. We visit the different resorts and just soak up the atmosphere.

I have been to Silver Springs and Cypress gardens as a child. Very nice.

When we go to Orlando, we go for Disney and we stay on the property 99.9% of the time...sometimes 100. However, we visit other Florida destinations. My favorite is Siesta Key - it's near Sarasota on the Gulf Coast. We've also been to New Smyrna Beach and Ft. Lauderdale. We're thinking about St. Augustine this year.

PamNC

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Definitely not we love Universal too - US is probably our favourite park of all.

We normally come to Florida for 2 or 2 weeks so have plenty of time to see everything, it has never been just about Disney for us.

 

[pigby]

We are from the UK so the length of our vacations are usually longer than most - so jealous of the folks who can make several shorter trips.

Last year we spent a total of 21 days at WDW on-site, so this year feel the need to do other things as well, so we're staying up at Universal (RPR) for 9 nights, visting Seaworld, Busch and Wet n Wild while we're up there and then spending the last 5 nights in WDW. Unfortunately we're now thinking this is too short a time in Disney for us - we'll certainly miss the longer stay. So as a softener we're going to Disneyland Paris for 4 nights in May.

 

[ugadog99]

Honestly, we just don't want to go offsite for anything. We do want to squeeze a trip to Sea World in sometime. The other areas just hold no interest for us. We can never do all we want when we're at Disney anyway.

 

[pepperw23]

Nahhh, although DH made me promise next trip would be to Universal...uggg. To me that is looks just like Kings Dominion which is only an hour and a half away.

 

[pepe of ohio]

No, we never outside of Disney. For the money we have invested in our stay; resort and AP's, there is just enough time in our stay to see most of Disney without going off property and spending more cash. Besides, we never have a car, and renting one to go off property, taking away Disney time, is something we don't like to do. We relax on our vacation, around the resorts, there is plenty of things to do and see, plus all the parks, who could find time to see other stuff.

This probably would be an option if we were staying off property. Resort would be cheaper, leaving money for other things, we would have a car, to travel to the other attractions in the area, but as in past, many many years ago before Disney, we seemed to be in our car more than doing any attractions. When we discovered Disney in 1977, we tried the Myrtle Beach vacation twice, same old thing, see the beach, see the hotel and back in the car to go anywhere else. That ended Myrtle and it was about the same money as Disney other then getting in our car. We strictly stay Disney, enjoy Disney and for our moneys worth its all Disney.

 

[mjmcca]

I haven't been to universal since my DS was 9 months. I want to but the funds were just not there. I am planing to take them this trip maybe. I do have APs to Seaworld for serveral reason you can pay for them monthly... wish Disney did that, I can use them for admission to all other Anheiser Busch themeparks (except Discovery Cove) and we live close enough to Sesame Place (I love road trips) that I can take the kids there often.

 

[SqueakyMouse]

I grew up in Orlando, so I've visited all of the parks many, many times. Disney is the only one that continues to appeal to me. Now that I live 15 hours away, we restrict our visits to WDW only. We stay on-site and immerse ourselves in the "Disney experience." During our visit last May, we made a day trip to Anna Maria Island and afterwards wished that we hadn't "wasted" our WDW time. While it was fun to revisit some of our childhood haunts, I hated spending any time in the car and dealing with the "real world" during our vacation.

 

[ajleone]

WDW all the way!! We never go anywhere but WDW.My wife would like to go to US, I'm saying have fun I'll see you when you get back.

there is a huge world out there. WDW is fun, but why visit the man made version when you can see the real thing??

Just my preference I guess, but WDW is the real thing to me.For a 3 hour plane ride I get to see the "world".

 

[mickeymousemom]

Well, the huge Disney freaks we are, we mainly do WDW when in Orlando. We've done Universal a couple times but only when we couldn't afford WDW(even then we spent one day in Epcot). This year we'll try to do SeaWorld for our 16yo(wants to be a marine biologist) along with WDW. I just don't think there is a park out there that can compare to a Disney park, esp. WDW. I find myself comparing them too much! Our first family vacation was to North Carolina, and from then on its been WDW, with a combined trip once to Clearwater Beach. My in-laws think we're nuts for only going to WDW, suggesting we take our kids to someplace like Branson for once(can you BELIEVE that???) We do plan on taking a family vacation out east soon. We want our kids to see Gettysburg, Philly, DC, and maybe NYC....but I'm bettin' we'll still make it to WDW the same year!!

 

[BonnieA]

Nahhh, although DH made me promise next trip would be to Universal...uggg. To me that is looks just like Kings Dominion which is only an hour and a half away.

I also live 1 1/2 hours from Kings Dominion. It's nothing like Universal Studios. I use to go to Kings Dominion years ago when they were still a family park (not a thrill park for teenagers), I don't go there anymore. I do go to Universal though and love it.

 

[pepperw23]

I also live 1 1/2 hours from Kings Dominion. It's nothing like Universal Studios. I use to go to Kings Dominion years ago when they were still a family park (not a thrill park for teenagers), I don't go there anymore. I do go to Universal though and love it.

Thats good to know, since I will be going there after this trip. Kings Dominion has gotten awful. BTW, I know a BonnieA, do you now Mimi?

 

[Micca]

Strictly a mouse man

 

[pinchy]

we go to universal, islands of adventure, seaworld and discovery cove

I love the ambience at disney more than anywhere but I'd have to say that Islands of Adventure has the best ride I have ever been on anywhere... the amazing adventures of spiderman ride totally had me gobsmacked with sheer wonder!

 

[Miss Inga Depointe]

I love to travel and go everywhere whenever I can. But as for amusement parks, which I really hardly consider WDW an amusement park, I only do Disney. I just don't enjoy the other things.
I don't just go to Orlando, but when I'm in Orlando, I just go to Disney.

 

[DISPOP]

Here's are one week plan:
We typically arrive in Orlando Thurs night or early Fri AM. We stay on site at USO Fri and Sat to get the front of the line pass. We move to Disney on Sunday. We belong to DVC and the points are much less to stay Sun- Thurs. We spend five days at WDW and fly out Fri. We always have a great time with this itinerary. One thing we have not fit into the schedule yet are the Disney water parks. Maybe this year...

 

[ddc123]

We ( 15yrs and I) have gone to California, Virginia Beach, 2 Cruises, DC, and Chicago,
but I have to fight with her to go some place other then Disney, last year we did 3 days in Universal RPR, and 7 days in Disney, she loved US because of the Roller coasters, ( which make me very sick), and yet this year she wants to go back to Disney only, I think Disney is a world off this own, and I don't have to go else where to have everything I need, Shopping, Rides,
Atmosphere Relaxing by the Pool, Feeling like a kid.

 

[honeybee30]

We have family in the Daytona area, so we've been to Florida a lot and seen all the sights outside of Disney. To tell you the truth, we don't like Florida all that much. Disney World brings us back. We've had a lot of fun at Universal Studios and IoA, and I think we'll go back there someday, but nothing beats Disney magic!