For those who go more than once per year........

[Flyerfan]

what is your typical itinerary? Do you do the parks every time? Do you go off property (Universal, Sea World, other)? Do you just relax and enjoy the resort?

We are brand spankin' new members and can't wait for our January trip to SSR. We were just down in December and for 2 or 3 months after each trip I am "Disneyed Out". But then I get the itch and come here and start planning and I get that happy feeling again. Now that I know we'll be going at least once per year, I want to do things differently. Maybe not go to the parks 1 or 2 days or go somewhere different. I would just like a feel for what you all do to change things up a bit each time.

 

[Lady V]

We usually go twice. For a week at New Years (where we go to all the parks and are kind of busy), and then for 2 weeks in the summer where all we do is swim and swim and maybe go to parks for an hour or two each day. the summer trip is much more relaxing and we also add a few days at US/IOA to the end of our summer trip. It is a fun way to wrap up the summer. We spend more time at the resorts than before we owned and we find something new to love every trip! Welcome Home!

 

[Chuck S]

We usually take two 9 to 12 night trips per year. We dont do a lot of planning, but make a few ADR at our favorite restaurants. We pretty much play it by ear, that way if there is a bad weather day, we don;t feel like we're missing out on anything if we use that time to do laundry or whatever. If the weather is noce for the entire trip, we try to do one "new" thing each trip...it could be another major park, like Universl or Sea World, a small attracton like Gatorland or Cypress Gardens, or we'll just do some local sightseeing.

 

[mprewitt]

We usually take two 9 to 12 night trips per year.

Wow! How do you manage that!

 

[DVC Grammy]

Our usual annual itinerary for WDW consists of :

A week during F & W (Oct. or Nov.)
@ a week during F & G (May)
and at least 2 weeks in Jan (usually doing a split-stay).

DH is self-employed and as long as he has his laptop and his phone, he tends business early in the am. By 11-noon, we're off to somewhere, sometimes a park, sometimes DTD, and sometimes to miniature golf, boat rentals, etc. Any ADR's we make are generally for brunch or lunch, and made the same morning as soon as we know when we'll get out (we only have coffee and something light when we get up).

We may do park-hopping the whole day; we may visit another resort. We don't set up a fixed schedule. (Remember, we're in the minority that regards the WDW transportation as another attraction )

We'll often come back to the resort in the late afternoon and have some wine and maybe a light meal in the villa. If there's an EMH at a park, we may go there, or maybe to DTD for dessert (Ghirardelli ). Or we'll just hang out at the resort.

That is why I always say that our WDW trips are the most relaxing vacations we take.

 

[Geezer]

We try to go twice a year and at least a week each trip. Sometimes we go 3 times.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

We go at least 2 times a year . Summer 8 day trip and fall 3 to 5 day trip.

This year after buying into DVC we changed everything. Went 4 times on our APs (late June 8 day ,Oct 4 days,Dec 5 days and agian Early June 8 days.

Now we will take our Fall/Winter trip but do US/IOA for our long weekend trip.

Then start all over in JUne with another AP .

We could never get tired of Disney but do take our good ole time now doing the parks. We are always on the go just at a slower pace. We do the DTD a great deal, hit the waterparks,and do some resort hopping as well.

 

[SCDizneyDawn]

We also go most yrs twice a yr. We always go in May and then the 2nd trip is normally for F & W or a week during the first two weeks of Dec for Christmas stuff.

We typically spend a few hours a day in a theme park and then spend lots of time relaxing by the pool and a sit down dinner somewhere. We also go to EMH some evenings. On rare trips where we bring someone that does not go to Disney every yr then our trip is different. Most yrs we are bringing or meeting people that go every yr or even twice a yr like us, making it easier to take the relaxing trip we enjoy.

We have not been to Universal since the trip we purchased DVC (Oct 2000) and we have never been to Sea World. The only trip off property the entire week is normally to the grocery store, but we do meet another couple that love an off site resturant that we always go to with them, but if they are not there, we don't leave property!

 

[auntsue]

We are lucky enough to go for a week in Dec., Jan., and then usually March, although in '08 it will be in April. What DVC has really done for us is allow us to give up commando style touring. Now we sleep-in till 8:00, saunter over to the BW Bakery for breakfast and from there start our day. Lately we have been taking an afternoon break back at the hotel (no nap, just chilling), then we head out for our dinner ressies, and a little bit more park touring. What's so great is that there is no urgency to see and do every little thing every single time. What we don't catch this time, we'll catch the next. It makes for a much more relaxing trip. We used to be exhausted when we came home from the World, now it really is a vacation.

Last time we were there, we went to the outlet mall on I-4. We never used to leave the property.

We've done SeaWorld years ago, no rush to go back there.

Next April we are going to try a few offsite restaurants, for a change.

The pace is so much more doable than in the old days, and I'm getting a little older myself, so everything works out just great.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We usually go twice a year, once at Thanksgiving (school's out for the week) and once in early June. This year we added a week before our June trip to the beach and we're thinking about making that a permanent thing. We've done Seaworld twice, Discovery Cove once (with the second SW trip) and are thinking about going to Universal (first time) either in Nov or June. This June we went to TL three times and BB once. We like to hit the water parks in the summer, plus we like the Flower Power concerts (saw Peter Noone twice this time).

We do a whole lot more relaxing on these trips than we did the first few. We might hit EMH in the evening and then sleep in. Or get to the water parks for EMH and then come back for a nap (we did lots of naps on this last trip). We still get PAPs though.

We played a lot of minigolf last Nov, too. No crowds and it was fun as a family. Our son is in high school now, so we won't have him around on these trips too much longer.

 

[UConnJack]

We usually go twice a year. One 7-10 day highly planned out trip, and one extened weekend (3-5 day) spur of the moment (3 months or less) trip if airfare deals come up.

Every trip we say we are going to relax more and not go commando through the parks (or go to Universal, Sea World, etc.), but we never do, although the spur of the moment trips are ironically the most relaxing. My wife is really mental when it comes to WDW and she just can't not go to the parks if she's there. Plus, our kids have been growing through their baby to young child years, so each trip opens up new possibilities for them at the parks. I don't expect our trips to slow down much until they hit the pre-teen to early teen years.

 

[TEK224]

The last couple of years I've gone in Jan. (for marathon weekend) and in Sept.-Oct. (for F&W).
This year I'm going late Aug. and will be back in jan. 08. Every so often I like to go in early Dec. to see Christmas Decorations.
Usually stay a week each time. With the AP, I usually hit all the parks, but just for a few hours at a time. I can tone down commando mode.

But in Aug. I'm taking my 8 y/o niece so we may be in the parks (or waterparks) a lot more.

 

[Flyerfan]

Thanks for the replies. I enjoy reading them and getting ideas myself. We really want to take it easy and enjoy ourselves but DH don't believe that I will because I'm always on the go. Our first DVC trip is January and we want to go back in October for F&W but I'm not sure for how long. I have to make up my mind so I know to get an AP.

Question about AP.....Does that have a hopper built-in? I only saw one price for that and it said unlimited admission, so I guess that means more than one park per day.

 

[starbox]

We do a beginning-of-summer and an end-of-summer WDW trip each year. If Spring Break does not fall the week before or after Easter, we do WDW for Spring Break. Last year, we did a January trip - but I was not crazy about that time of year and we'll stick to summer trips from now on.

We usually hit the parks 1st thing in the morning and leave shortly after lunch - swim until 4 or 5, then change and go to whatever location we have scheduled for dinner. The evenings are usually spent at DTD or, when we stayed at BWV, on the Boardwalk.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

Thanks for the replies. I enjoy reading them and getting ideas myself. We really want to take it easy and enjoy ourselves but DH don't believe that I will because I'm always on the go. Our first DVC trip is January and we want to go back in October for F&W but I'm not sure for how long. I have to make up my mind so I know to get an AP.

Question about AP.....Does that have a hopper built-in? I only saw one price for that and it said unlimited admission, so I guess that means more than one park per day.

Yes the Ap include hopping.

We have the PAPs that include the waterparks as well.

Also make sure you look at your next years trip to see if that will fit into your 365 days for the AP.This was a big factor for us to start getting them.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...We have the PAPs that include the waterparks as well...

They also include Disney Quest and PI.

 

[BroganMc]

We used to go for one week every year and stay offsite. That was a hectic time. A different park a day with one "down day" where we hung out at the resort pool and went somewhere at night.

Now we go twice a year for a fortnight at a time. Getting the AP is what really made the difference. It completely removes all pressue of have to go early, stay late, and be a park commando.

Our trip is usually a mixture of park days, resort days, non-park activities and very limited offsite stuff. We've been to Universal but it wa so long ago and we weren't impressed so we have never returned. We talk about it but never go. We do SeaWorld at least once a year. It's a fun excursion and pleasant park. Otherwise we visit other Disney resorts, lounge by the pool, eat out somewhere once a day, and do a lot of just browsing around.

In the spring it's fun to go look at all the beautiful landscaping. In the fall we enjoy the F&W sampling and events at the various parks. We'll hit our favorite rides but only if the lines are reasonable. Sometimes we go back again. We enjoy meeting people from workers to guests. So many friendly and interesting faces. And it's not unheard of for us to just pop into a park for a parade or fireworks, or do at most 3 rides all day long.

he thing about DVC is that you know you'll be back again. No pressure to see it now or never. And with that AP you don't feel the least bit guilty for leaving early if you're cranky or coming late if you slept in.

 

[sue]

We have been DVC members for a year and a half. We found ourselves going on so many DCL cruises and always seem to work in a few trips to WDW over the years, that we decided to join DVC. We went to SSR last October for 5 nights and are returning Aug 4-11 this year. This trip will really be fun. We have purchased tickets to Kennedy Space Center on the 7th, to see the shuttle go up (hopefully). Regardless if it goes up as scheduled,we also have tickets to have lunch with former astronaunts and tour the KSCenter. We also plan on taking in WDW for 5 days and also hit the beach. We will probably go to the parks in the early part of the day, then back to our villa for lunch and maybe a swim. Then back to the parks for some fireworks etc. Can't wait for all the fun to begin.

 

[cobbler]

We still go to the parks but take a more relaxing vacation.

We always spend one off day to hang out at the resort and at the pool.

For example, this past January we arrived on Sunday, didn't do anything, sat on the balcony and relaxed. Monday we went to the Pirate and Princess Party, Tuesday we spent at the resort and I think DTD, Wednesday we went to MGM and Thursday we left. But we were only in MGM for 4 hours before we went back to the resort to relax.

 

[tacomaranch]

We are still going crazy trying to get everything in but I am planning on a more relaxing time on the upcoming trip.

I want to see shows and we never do so this time I plan to go on rides but focus on the shows that we have missed.

It is a busy trip though with F&W, MNSSHP and my birthday. DH has the monorail drink a thon. We are busy!

I look forward to the day that we are just sitting around and relaxing!