Going Back After a Bad Experience

[smokeyblue]

My BF and I have been traveling together to various locales for nearly 10 years. Together we have been to WDW 4 times and DW 3 times. We have had good luck having nice vacations. Our late Jan early Feb trip to WDW was the exception. From bad flights, bad weather, unexpected crowds, some poor dining experiences, fast pass issues and an accident that left me unable to fully enjoy the only 2 days without rain and left me injured for a month, this trip had few bright spots. In the days and weeks to follow I said we aren't going back any time soon.

Now 3 months out I get a free dining offer for Food and Wine with dates available for our 10th anniversary. I feel like I want to go back and try again and put the sour trip behind us. Surprisingly my BF didn't seems too adverse to the idea. However, I still have serious reservations about returning so soon.

Have you ever returned after a bad or disappointing trip? Were you glad you went back?

 

[Luvchefmic]

My BF and I have been traveling together to various locales for nearly 10 years. Together we have been to WDW 4 times and DW 3 times. We have had good luck having nice vacations. Our late Jan early Feb trip to WDW was the exception. From bad flights, bad weather, unexpected crowds, some poor dining experiences, fast pass issues and an accident that left me unable to fully enjoy the only 2 days without rain and left me injured for a month, this trip had few bright spots. In the days and weeks to follow I said we aren't going back any time soon.

Now 3 months out I get a free dining offer for Food and Wine with dates available for our 10th anniversary. I feel like I want to go back and try again and put the sour trip behind us. Surprisingly my BF didn't seems too adverse to the idea. However, I still have serious reservations about returning so soon.

Have you ever returned after a bad or disappointing trip? Were you glad you went back?

Personally no, BUT I've had some pretty crappy days in life just like everyone else This is no different, you brush yourself off and move forward Attitude is the key The flights and weather weren't Disney related so you should just chalk that off the list Sounds like you could use a do over and why not

 

[bumbershoot]

We had a miserable Jan trip too. Got sick sick sick. And it was SO cold. My son still doesn't want to go back. We can deal with that kind of cold here at home. Why go to a place where water is EVERYWHERE and we're supposed to be outside all day?

rundisney is bringing me back in Nov, with a friend. DH and DS will be in Florida with me before that, for cruises but not Disney (but yes to Universal). They'll go back with me in Jan because I desperately need to redo that dang Half marathon I was so sick for. So a full year is how long it's taking my family to go back to WDW. I might be ready to slay the beast, but they aren't. Not yet. DS was just too miserable, and being miserable at Disney is more miserable than almost anywhere else, because everyone else is so happy.


Hugs to you and your sig other, OP!

 

[fla4fun]

I think the important thing is to keep your expectations realistic. Don't put the pressure on yourself to have the best vacation ever to make up for the bad one. Focus on the items that are within your control - like setting up reservations for your favorite restaurants and attractions, and don't let the things you can't control get you down. There is always going to be something that goes awry - whether it's the weather, or your flight, whatever. So if you start this trip and there's a flight issue, don't assume you're in for a replay of the bad trip.

I have never had a bad Disney vacation. I have had some that were better than others of course. Were they perfect vacations where nothing went wrong - no. But the good always seems to outweigh the bad. I hope your next trip has lots of good experiences!

 

[disneyhousewife]

Go again and consider it your do-over!

 

[ArwenMarie]

Oh yeah. We all got influenza at Disney one year, we barely made it home. Then we were literally all in bed for a week, my mother had to come over to take of us. Then both of the kids got pneumonia and got very sick.

The next year, I was determined to do a do-over! The World had to be made right! We went in the summer (not flu season!) and stayed for ten days and splurged on the resort choice and a few other special things and restaurants. We had the best trip ever.

I think the key is to switch things up after a bad trip, whether a new resort, a new time of year, new restaurants.

Have fun planning

 

[sunkissed4]

Try a do over trip! I'm sure you'll have a great time.

January is a tough month to visit Florida. Most people are expecting nice weather and it's really hit or miss here in the winter.

 

[JennyDrake]

I used to travel w/ a friend as an assistant to his mother who has mobility issues and mild dementia. Well, one trip was The Trip from Hell. Her dementia had accelerated to the point everything "reset" every 10-15 minutes. It was very draining and my friend was short tempered and very cutting with me. To top it off, he posted a long trip report that painted me in a very unfavorable light......

I went back (WITHOUT THEM!) 3 months later and had a lovely trip, and since have had many many, more great trips including this past week. SO YES, go and have a good time.

Jenny

P.S. My "hangover," if you will ,is that I have never returned to the resort where we stayed--too many bad memories.

 

[jkid721133]

definitely go back. Just adjust your expectations and worry about what you can control, not what you can't.

 

[michsig]

The end of my July 2012 definitely left a bad taste in my mouth. Not because of anything Disney-related, but because of the person I went with. Emotionally, it was no bueno. I wondered how I would ever return. BUT - I returned in January 2013, and had an amazing time it definitely made up for what I dealt with in July!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Well, it's up to you, but the weather and the flight were not under WDW's control. You may have to adjust your anticipation of crowding, as the parks appear to be growing steadily more crowded at all times of the year. Without knowing what the accident was, that may have also been a fluke and not the fault of WDW.

So it may be down to the FP issues and the dining, how do you feel about those keeping you from returning. Try some new restaurants, there's not much we can do about the FPs right now.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

Yes I've gone back after a bad trip. Things happen, life goes on. If you enjoy WDW go.

 

[disneynewbee]

I say go have a do over. We had a bad trip once, it was pretty bad. My family traveled with my sisters family and lets just say it was bad. Add to that we had record heat in November and my kids were sick with a bug the first few days and stuck in the room. My mom went too and it was her first trip and I had the added guilt that her first time was not magical. Normally after a trip I spend every waking moment trying to decide how to get back as soon as possible, after that trip I didn't even have a desire to go back. Well life got busy and then 2 years later we decided to plan a trip. We decided to go with just our family and to change things up and just do qs dining so we didn't have such a structured vacation and could go with the flow. It was a relaxing and perfect trip. I couldn't have asked for more, perfect weather (not one rain day in a 8 day trip), healthy family, relaxing vacation, and we also got some serious pixie dust on that trip (private meet and greet on the castle stage with Cinderella and her prince before the show).It was our best trip yet!

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Yes, I had a difficult trip one September (I won't call it bad because there were a lot of fun things we did), and when I went back about 6 months later on a solo trip, I had a blast. When things don't go well that I have some control over, I just view it as a learning experience and make modifications for next time. When things go bad that I have no control over, I just have to chalk that up to bad luck and not dwell on it.

 

[Ginny Favers]

To me, having a bad experience makes it all the more necessary to get back there as soon as possible, to erase those bad memories.

We paid A LOT for our vacation a few years ago. We stayed 10 days at deluxe and got the meal plan and flew down and went ALL OUT. The bad started when we were diverted to a different airport on the way down due to storms, and it just kept getting worse and worse. My daughter was immediately ill the ENTIRE time, throwing up all over and really making our meal plan worth the money. Our room in our resort got flooded out by a faulty pipe which ruined our luggage and we spent much of the time walking on soggy floors. We got stuck on two rides for an hour, one of which we had to be evacuated from by the fire department.

I remember thinking I'd spent SO MUCH MONEY for a nightmare, when I could have had a nicer one for free in my own bed.


But looking back, we did have some good times, even despite all that chaos.
Now, we drive down, take shorter trips, and don't do the meal plan, which works a lot better for us. Our last trip was shorter but it was so wonderful. You have some good ones, and some bad ones... but I feel like it's worth it either way.

 

[disney queen]

yes, on my very first solo trip--it started out great, but i had my buddy pouch stolen w/all my needed items toward the end. I'm returning for my second solo trip in 2 weeks w/a much better mindset. Go! you will have a great time!!

 

[Hootch]

I had a really rough trip. It was a short visit to WDW with a week at the beach with my parents and my sister's family.

1) Flight delay - not surprising since we flew through ATL
2) My luggage was sent to EWR instead of MCO. It took me two of the three days to get my bag back. The woman who had my bag would not release it it until she had hers.
3) The rental car company had a twelve passenger van for us instead of our midsize vehicle. It took us an additional 45 minutes to get an acceptable vehicle.
4) Arrived at All Star Movies and was told that our preferred room discount (AAA) was not valid but the rate I was going to get was lower. There was no explanation of why the rate was invalid and the rate was higher than what we booked at. I just asked for the manager. She fixed the problem.
5) At dinner that night I received an email from my boss to call him when I had a chance. I was told that my vacation was probably going to be cancelled.
6) First day in the parks I'm on the phone with my office. I would deal with the issues at home while waiting in line, drop off and call back. When I wasn't on the phone with the office I was trying to figure out where my bag was.
7) I had bought clothes the first night. My bag did not come in so my wife was washing my clothes at midnight.
8) The second day my laptop arrived. It took me all of fifteen minutes to determine the consultants on the other side had made a simple mistake that through their calculations off by $20 MM/month.
9) My parents an sister decided to not stay at the condo we were at without telling me. Lots of confusion and animosity because schedules couldn't match with the all the driving and different ages.

We had booked a condo at the beach the next year. In January, I realized even with all those issues I had a good time at WDW. We could connect as a family at the beach but WDW had more to do. And it couldn't be that bad again. I broached the subject with my wife. We quickly cancelled the condo and started planning our WDW trip. It was even more fun.

 

[agavegirl1]

I'm going back after 4 years. Although DBF and I did not have a horrible experience, we were disappointed by the WDW portion of our trip due to our dining experiences and resort experience. We are changing up the resort (Value instead of Deluxe...why pay $$$$ for substandard service and accommodations) and eating at all new restaurants. While you can't predict the weather, selecting a different time of year, a different resort, different restaurants etc. should "change it up" enough for a do-over.

 

[polineedyan]

We had a bad trip. Thankfully, it was so long ago that I hardly remember much of the details. Just that it was bad. We have 4 kids and our oldest was very much in his teen years at 14 i think. He was a wreck, he had a really rough time in those teen years. We were well into the throws of all teen drama, and he was our first, so we were learning, too. It was very un-mickey.
We bounced back with just our two younger ones, and it was much better. We've never had the travel issues that a lot of people incur. This fall, we are driving for the first time, so I figure maybe we're due?
Naw..its DISNEY!!

 

[mom2faith]

I had a bad Vegas experience - -weather, friends we were with, hotel, flights home, etc.....Things just went all wrong on that trip.

I was apprehensive about ever returning and I am SO glad we did!! It is nice to not have the sour experience as the most recent.