FL residence, how often do you visit WDW?

[DOOM1001]

I live in south florida and I probably average a trip once every 2-3 weeks.Some of these are one day trips, lately the price of gas isn't cooperating much with these trips. I have Disney seasonal passes and AP's for the other florida parks.During the summer with the heat, rain, humidity and crowds is definitely when I go least.usually during this time a waterpark is a good idea.but from September through may I tend to go pretty often.The time I'll go the most is probably October, I'll make several trips for Epcot's food and wine festival, Halloween Horror Nights and Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream.Then through early december I love going to Disney with all the holiday decorations.

 

[dvcgirl]

Well, in the summer, hardly at all. It's too hot and crowded for us. But starting next week, when the crowds drop way down we'll get to the parks at least once a month. We generally head over mostly to eat and so the parks part is in conjunction to that. We go over more often during Food and Wine, Christmas season and the Flower and Garden Festival. We do eat at the resorts a fair amount though....we live about 20 minutes away from DTD.

 

[PatriciaH]

We go to the parks/resorts at least once a week and usually more than once Sometimes we go for just a meal but more often we go for the day or 1/2 a day. We went to Animal Kingdom, Epcot and the Studios last week. This week we are going to Epcot Tuesday and Wednesday and maybe IOA/Universal Thursday if it does not rain. Next week we may go to Kennedy Space Center (we have AP's there too.) We bought Frequent Fear passes for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal and are going with friends several nights in October. We are going to MNSSHP and several Food and Wine events. We are eating at Whispering Canyon Cafe for Thanksgiving.

Yes, we LOVE living right near the parks. Yes, it is always fun and still a thrill! We are heading to DD in a few minutes to look for the new Imagineering book!

I would say since October of last year (when we moved) we go to WDW 3 times a week on averge. We own our own business right now and work at Disney 2 days a week, so we are pretty flexible.

 

[Florida_Mom]

We live about 1 hour and 45 mins away. We go about once a month or every 6 weeks. I definitely get just as excited as I always have, but then I've almost always lived in Florida.

I'm getting to the point where I could go to WDW and not spend much time in the parks. (We did that in May and we had a great time.) Stay at a hotel, swim in the pool, go to DTD, etc. Our newest thing has been camping at Ft. Wilderness in our pop-up -- riding our bikes around FW, doing the sing a long with Chip and Dale, roasting marshmallows, watching the Disney movie, the water parade, etc. Such a fun time!

One thing we like to do is leave after DS gets out of school on a Friday, check into our hotel (if we're not at FW) and spend the evening at DTD. The shops are fun (and I'm not a big spender at all, but there are little things one can buy that are fun for the kids) plus the Ghiradelli Ice Cream shop is right there -- what's not to love about that? Then the next day we will go to a park and then drive home that evening.

 

[Mrs.D]

It takes us about an hour to get there (depending on the construction along I-4) and we go there almost every Saturday, for the day. Occasionally we go for a weekend getaway, and enjoy the peaceful feeling of not having to drive back home. Rarely, we go for more than a weekend, usually with guests from out of state.

 

[Jane E.]

It takes us about two hours to get to Disney. We go for a few days at a time several times a year. We go more for the special events and concerts than for the rides. This year we went twice to the Flower Festival, once for our anniversary, we're going to the wine festival in the fall & finally in December for Christmas.

 

[PrincessKitty]

We are 2 hours and 15 minutes away, and have been to Disney about 4 times so far this year. We don't go in hot weather (made an exception in May since we were taking a continuing education class for our professional licenses), so generally go about once a month in January, February, March, October, November, and December.

We never do day trips, always spend at least one night (generally 2 or 3 nights). Our little "summer break" from Disney makes it all the more special when we go back! We love WDW and can't wait for the Food and Wine Festival this fall!

We've only been doing this for 2 years (before that, we were jaded Floridians who went to WDW once a decade at the most), and we've not tired of WDW. We had Flroida Residents Seasonal passes for the first year, annual passes this year, and will definitely renew our annual passes when they expire in November.

 

[mom2of2]

I'm on the "back exit" too! We frequently go over to DTD, matter of fact we stopped there today and ate at RFC and got gas at Hess. Gas is actually cheaper onsite! My bank is there too so I go there at least once a week. On weekends we may go see a movie at AMC or grab dessert during the week. Since school started we haven't been over to the parks as much but I'm onsite quite often with picking up/dropping off the DIS Stroller.
We are planning to hit one of the water parks this weekend.
I still love going over to WDW and sometimes I miss driving through the big sign so I will purposely take the long way to drive through it.

 

[jeannej]

I live in the north Broward area and we go about twice a year. When I was a teenager and live in Winter Haven, we would go about once a month.

jeannej

 

[*Fantasia*]

I enjoyed reading each responses. It is sooo cool to just pop in and out of WDW. I think it is sooo neat that you guys can do that!

We were in Disneyland last week. The CM said to one of the shopper that she looks familiar to him. The husband responded "of course, she is always in this park everday!" I thought that is really nice that they can do that. I said to myself, if I was only a local, then I would probably do the same thing!

 

['Canes Fan]

we're an hour away and we're there at least monthly. but we also do the seasonal passes because we don't want to be there during the peaks. we also hold AP's for the rest of the parks, so we mix it up. we hit them all at opening and leave before the traffic on I-4 builds. it'll be better when the construction is finally over. we stay on property a couple times a year, usually for MNSSHP and MVMCP, and that's just a value. disney resorts don't mean a lot to us. spending time in the parks with no need for an attack plan is incredible. and yes, DTD is just another mall to us. we'll go after UO or seaworld. but we worked our butts off to get transferred down here. the summer months are beaches, golf and fishing. we take our daughter out of school in the off-times for weekday trips to the parks with zero waits.

it's all good.

 

[bavaria]

Interesting question! Twice this year I've been working on projects in Florida - once 2.5 hours from WDW, once 30 minutes from WDW.

It amazed me to discover a whole new world in Florida which I must sadly admit I never considered. Florida in past always meant WDW to me. I did discover some new things and beautiful areas of the state.

And I did find it interesting that people lived 20 minutes from WDW and didn't go once in a year..... but not everyone is as mouse crazy as we are! Needless to say, I managed to squeeze in some visits to the mouse while I was working on those projects.........

 

[travelitis]

We go every month, more than that if we can manage it. We became FL residents in May, and we started off right with a night at Disney after we closed on our house but before our stuff arrived. We went last weekend, and the weekend before that, and we hope to go this coming Sat IF dh has the day off. We have a 2.5 hr. drive to the mouse.

Since moving to FL in May we've gone to TL, BB, and into the parks 5 or 6 trips of differing lengths.

 

[grad_dis_nut]

We moved to Miami last year and have been to WDW twice this year (3 days each time) and have plans to go two more times (F&W festival, MVMCP/anniversary). We got seasonal passes b/c we don't like to go during peak season anyway. We love feeling relaxed at the parks, not feeling like we have to do and see everything each time we go. We've started exploring things we never were able to "fit in" when we were going less than once per year. Like FW's campfire, boat rides, mini golf, etc. We are so far not finding it ANY less magical!!

 

[tnkrbell]

We live about 3 hours away and we go up at least 4 times a year!!

 

[walkerdill]

I live about 1 1/2hrs away and I go maybe twice a year. I like Disney and all but I have 2 small kids and it is very hard to take them by myself. In fact I would rather not go then have to go alone.

 

[mercydisney]

We live in the Tampa Bay area and we also have seasonal passes. We moved to Fl 5 years ago the 1st yr we bought AP's. Went once on a hot summer day w/crowds, decided never to go in summer months again.

The norm for us is a wk or more on site (will stay in moderate or deluxe), 2 or 3 times a year for a 3 day weekend (we usually stay in a value hotel) for each of our b'days. We don't use pool because we have a pool at home..DTD is nice diversion from parks all day.

 

[Poohbear123]

3.5 hours away by car, 4.5 hours away by train, 5 hours by bus, and 1 hour by Airline---which is what I will be doing from now on! Flying out in Nov. using ME too!

 

[PrincessTanyuhKaypoo]

What a great topic! I’ve always been curious about how other Fl. Residents visit WDW.

Well we live 2 hours south of WDW and DBF and I are AP holders. During the year I’d say we go at least once a month, and spend the night or weekend about every other trip. We don’t go as often during the summer and count down the days till summer is actually over and the heat has subsided some. We spent a few days in the World at the beginning of August b/c DBF’s Dad had come for a visit, but that was a one time deal. It’s just too hot! My hat definitely goes off to all you who visit during the summer!

For the past few years we’ve also made a big trip- our ‘vacation”- in the spring for the Flower and Garden Festival and to celebrate our Anniversary, but I’ve finally been convinced to try vacationing somewhere besides WDW. We’ll see how that goes!

Both of our birthdays are in October (mine’s the 2nd his is the 28th) and we always go for my Birthday. For us the first trip back after summer marks the beginning of season for us. We visit the most during October, November and December. I remember last December I stayed in Orlando every weekend of the month and only got stuck offsite once (New Years Eve).

TKPoo

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I live a little over an hour away. We go twice a month for just day trips and we do mini-vacations (2 or 3 night resort stays) about three times a year.