From this week's podcast: do you go to WDW for specific events?

[roomthreeseventeen]

I thought the discussion on whether people go specifically for Flower & Garden was really interesting, and was wondering what the DIS community thought.

Aside from the trips when I was younger, which were all Spring Break, I've been to WDW for Flower & Garden, Wine & Dine/Halloween, and for marathon/half marathon weekends (while Christmas was still going on, sort of.

Of all of those trips, I think Wine & Dine/Halloween was the most special, but I like going at different times of the year.

 

[OKW Lover]

We do go for specific events and for no reason at all.

For us, Food & Wine is the event we really go for. Flower & Garden less so, but still interesting.

We also like early December for all the decorations, but we don't do the parties. Lately however, Disney has cut back so much on the decorations that its becoming less and less interesting. December at WDW will always be special for Val and I because that's when/where we first met.

 

[wdwscout]

We do go for specific events and for no reason at all. :

Us too. We particularly love Food & Wine/Halloween, but Christmas season is a close second.

My goal is to have gone at least once in every month of the year, and to stay in every Disney Resort at least once- so those trip are not for Disney Events- but for our own "events" we made up!

 

[XGrumpy1]

We went to Disneyland just for the Trains that were at the Disney Gallery! Made a special trip, just to see it and buy stuff!

 

[mjtm610]

We always go for F&W. We have been down for the Flower and Garden, but we don't feel compelled to make it an annual trip. We did make it a special trip for the MK 40th anniversary. Other than F&W though, we just go for our "fix" of pixie dust.

 

[auroralark]

Not really, although my trips have coincided with several of the special events over the years. Flower and Garden would be the last special event I would plan a trip around honestly.

 

[momto2inKC]

We've not ever planned a trip because of an event, but have been there for Food & Wine (2 times), MVMCP (2 times), Flower & Garden (1 time) and MNSSHP (3 times). We really want to go during Star Wars weekends so I can see one of our trips in the future being planned around the dates. We were supposed to be there last year for it but had to change that trip to December.

 

[WaltD4Me]

Not really anymore, in fact, I like to go when there aren't any special events, although I do really enjoy Flower & Garden. I've done all the parties and F&W once and now I like "off times" when there isnt really anything going on. I am also the weirdo that doesn't like the Christmas decorations, I prefer Disney just decorated Disney.

 

[Greenfield1984]

Definately not. The specific events are a nice plus but definately arn't the reason I chose those times of the year.

My first reason for when i go is the discounts like free dining. My second consideration for when i go is when there are the least ammount of crowds.

Now i believe Disney puts on these events (and discounts) to draw people to the less crowded times of the year. As a result (based on my previously stated preffered times) i've been to the world while these events have been going on. Like i said, they are a nice plus but not worth booking a trip for. In my opinion of course.

 

[SamSam]

Definitely! We always go for the Food and Wine, we sometimes go for Flower and Garden, we occassionaly go for Christmas Decorations and Candlelight Processional. We've also went for a few different Racing Events.

 

[Eileen36]

We also like early December for all the decorations, but we don't do the parties.

 

[Cyrano]

We go for our summer holidays (vacation) so fortunate for any events that are on at the same time 4th July, USF Summer Concert series but unfortunate that we miss Flower and Garden, Star Wars weekend etc.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I tend to go to WDW more for specific events. I wonder if it makes a difference since I go solo? Hmmm. Maybe it's time for a poll? LOL

For the past 3 years I've gone for 5 days and spent 2 days at the Flower and Garden Festival.

I think Epcot is so beautiful then and I've been trying to get the names of some of the flowers for my own garden at home in Georgia. I also enjoyed the HGTV person who talked last year the weekend I was there and I'll be seeing whomever is there this year too. And I really enjoy the Flower Power concerts.

I've also been during MNSSHP and had a wonderful time and MVMCP and enjoyed that.

I'd love to go during the Food and Wine Festival but with both my kids birthdays in October, my husbands birthday in October and he's gone for 2 different Hobby shows in October so I don't know when I'll get the chance.

I would go when nothing is going on but I think going when something extra is happening is a fun way for me to add something to the trip since I've gone so often.

 

[BriarRosie]

I've been going specifically for Food and Wine Festival for many years. I had accidentally discovered it back in 1997, but I hadn't intentionally booked trips around it until about 2002 or so.

And many friends gather for internet community meets in early December. If I have no work schedule conflicts, I try to go to those, as well.

 

[mnra]

Since the kids are grown I and now I should say we go to all the special events. Or at least we have the last cpl of years and December is special for us too since that is the time we got engaged.

 

[Disney Anna]

I don't go specifically for Flower and Garden but I do love that event and it's a nice time of year, so I tend to go in May and enjoy F&G. I've also been during Thanksgiving/Christmas twice.

The only time I went for a specific event was when I went on a solo trip during baseball Spring Training. I'm a big Dodgers fan and wanted to visit Dodgertown at Vero Beach before the Dodgers moved their spring training home to Arizona. I combined my baseball trip with a WDW trip. I caught a game at Dodgertown and also one at WDW which is the spring training home of the Braves.

 

[Tamar]

We've been to F&W for 10 years straight. AND we went for my December birthday the last 3 years. This year we're doing F&W and possibly Marathon weekend.

 

[Friendly Frog]

I tend to choose based on low crowd times. I did go specifically for the leap day event ( and my birthday week) and I went once in December to see the decorations. I made Universal one year specifically for Halloween Horror Nights, if you want to count that?

 

[kaligal]

Haven't heard the podcast yet.

I absolutely made sure to go for F&G ever since i went to my first one. It is my favorite Disney thing. The last two or three years have me disappointed.

I don't know how many people do, though. The TPAS board certainly isn't flooded with questions about it. MNSSHP, MVMCP and F&W, yeah. F&G, not so much.

Still my favorite. I'm not an adventurous eater and don't much like wine, so I'd be totally content if they did away with F&W. But I love F&G and wish they'd do more with it.

I quit the Christmas trip, but was in attendance for MVMCP last year.

I make sure to come at Halloween for MNSSHP and HHN.

 

[mytripsandraces]

I haven't heard the podcast yet, either. I've planned to go for certain special events that coincided with races or trips to visit family (near Disneyland). I am very glad that Expedition Everest Challenge happens during Flower & Garden and, once, during Star Wars Weekend, and that Tower of Terror and Wine & Dine happened during Halloween seaaon. The Tinker Bell Half coincided with the Lunar New Year Festival. I've been a couple of times during the Christmas season and was happy to finally see the Osborne Family lights (and find the purple cat, finally).