Going every year "too much?"

[DVC4US]

I have to agree with most of the previous posters - there is no such thing at too much Disney. We have gone at least once a year since we bought DVC in 1998.(Some years more than that) My DD's were 7 and 2 at the time. They are now 20 and 13 and when we talk about vacations one of the first places that comes up is Disney.

Because we have been so many times it is more of a vacation for us. We get to the parks when we want, do what we want, and leave when we get tired. If a line is too long we skip it because we know we will be back. We also try to do things to make the trips different, like doing rides or shows we don't always do, play mini-golf, or see other things in Orlando. We also try to take friends who have never been there or have not been in a long time and this makes it extra special for us.

Up coming trips - November with friends and their young boys(their first trip), December with family and friends(we love Christmas at Disney), and again for Spring Break in March. It will be DD's 14th birthday and she wants to spend it at Disney.

 

[fours]

Last June we spent our 25th Anniversary on a trip of a life time...We went with the initial idea of just enjoying all the parks and saying we been there...however we fell in LOVE with the place. Just barely two miles out of the resort the morning we left to come home my dear hubby said why did we wait this long to experience the magic..the girls chimed in saying there is so much we hadnt seen yet......so guess what we're heading back this coming June..this just might be a new tradition. To our family it was worth every penny we spent...all those precious memories.

 

[sharadoc]

Once a year is fine - we used to go twice a year for 4 day trips, now we're at least once a year for a week or more. We found the best way to never get "tired" of it is to not make everything a "must do." Then combine things you missed last time, with things that are new this time, and there's always something new and/or exciting every day.

We went twice in 2009 and we didn't do Indiana Jones, Backstage Tour, Lights, Motors, Action, Disney Animation - and that's just Hollywood Studios. We haven't made it to Dinoland yet at AK, seen the China and Canada films at World Showcase, or the Riverboat at MK. Plus numerous places we haven't eaten or snacked at.

The key to us is not having a must-do list. We go where and when we want, and don't get disappointed if we miss something because we know we'll be back. We stop and see every little show/act on Main Street, go through all the shops and sit and people-watch. We soak in the Disney Magic by doing nothing!

We can't imagine spending any of our vacation money anywhere else - and neither could our kids. We are a Disney Family through and through.

 

[ShannonMB]

We will be going on our 3rd trip in just over 2 years in Nov. When we went the first time, there were 7 of us, extended family. I figured, let's do Disney while DD is little (she was 6), then we can move on to other vacation destinations. I have thought about (or posted on the boards about)and planned for Disney every single day of my life since we got home from that first trip, and I don't think I'm exaggerating!!! WTH did they do to me down there?? I CRIED when a grown person in a mouse costume blew a kiss at me in Feb.

So Nov will be our 3rd trip (2nd one without a less enthusiastic DH ). I don't think I've been more excited than for this trip!!! I really do wonder if I'm going to be one of the DISboarders with 50 trips in their sigs or if I will be wanting to take a break after another trip or 2. I'm guessing the former.

 

[tecdavidt]

Well, if I answered this back in Aug. '99, my answer would be yes, it is ok to skip a year. It was hot, we had three teen boys and one 7 yr old daughter. Cranky is the best word to describe the group before we boarded the Magic.

In Aug. 2000 we did a 10 day stint due to AAU baseball in Orlando and went home for 6 days before we flew back to Orlando for the Magic's first 7 day cruise. The family was tired of the parks. *stayed off property with the team.

We only had one day at the parks after that until Dec. 2004. My husband decided to add 2 days at the parks before the special 7 day cruise the Magic took (a Tuesday to Tuesday cruise for NYE) He loved it! No heat, no smell, crowds yes but we took it slow.

We returned for NYE the next year and no cruise but we still cruise in March. We ended up increasing our visits until we bought AP's! Between Dec. '08 through this year we will have been to WDW 7 times and we fly from Des Moines, IA. Our airfare is a killer in price - no Southwest out of Des Moines. We bought into DVC at the end of '07. We added on when Bay Lake was announced.

It just depends on how you want to vacation. We love Disney, we take it slow and enjoy the trips more the more times we go. Our friends and family think we are nuts but we know how relaxed we are when we arrive on WDW property. We even schedule pool days with no parks.

We will be at WDW Nov 6th - 15th, Dec. 26 - Jan. 4 '10, second week Feb. and 2 days before our March cruise and 2 days after! We have decided to skip our summer trip in '10. We already have NYE for Dec. '10 booked. It is just hot compared to the other times when we go. I also have a gluten food allergy and Disney is a great place for me to vacation and not worry about what I can eat and will I get sick eating something the chef thought I could eat. *hubby did the math, I believe he told me we are at WDW 25% of our winter. Fine by me, I have had enough snow -- which we had this morning!!!

I need to add this, reason for the edit, We are 52 and we don't know the world without the mouse. We grew up watching Disney every Sunday night, we watched Disney films through out school and went to the movies watching Disney movies. Disneyland is older than us! but just barely. I remember when we lost Walt Disney and as a child I was in tears. I thought Disney would go away. I am so happy it didn't.

Have fun planning your vacation no matter where you go. Kathy

 

[disney_dreaming_mom]

We have some friends who have commented "geez you guys must like Disney a lot" because we go every year but both my husband and I each work like crazy during the year (he has 3 jobs and works 90 hours a week and I work and am in school) We find that our week at Disney each year is more affordable and family friendly than other vacations we have been on and also there is something new we discover each time we go. We don't feel it is too much but I guess it is a personal preference as well.

 

[larryz]

We've gone to WDW two years in a row, and I'm wondering if we might be better off skipping a year? Do any of you find that there are diminishing returns if you return every year, that maybe it would be more "magical" to take a year off and then come back in 2 years?

Note: I know there are a lot of things to do, but we have young kids and if we go they are going to want to spend 75% of the time at MK doing the same things we've done the past two years. Take money out of the equation, because I"m sure if we didn't go to WDW we'd do something else that would be of similar cost.

With the upcoming upgrade to Fantasyland, I think I'd wait until that'll be done before returning. You can always visit a National Park in the interim, or maybe take a Disney cruise to get your "Disney Fix."

 

[Toddler Mommy]

I'm probably in the DIS minority, but I need at least a year in between visits. I LOVE WDW and DH has to drag me out of the MK crying on our last night, but going any more often than that just makes it too regular for me. We were tempted to book a bounceback for next September, but we agreed that it would be too soon and we should wait for the Fantasyland re-do to be completed before our next visit.

I never understand, however, why people get grief from others for going to WDW every year. There are so many people who vacation at the same beach/lake every year, and it is treated as being perfectly normal. WDW is just like any other vacation spot (but more magical, of course ).

Wherever you end up, happy vacationing!

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

We've been 4 times in 3 years and would go more often if we could afford it. I think we spend 11 1/2 months of the year dreaming about going to Disney!

Needless to say in our book there is no "too often". We never get tired of the magic

 

[rie'smom]

We ( my teenaged daughter and me and usually 1-3 of her friends) usually go 2x a year and always say that we'll skip the next year but we don't. When August comes around either I'll say something or she will about a Thanksgiving trip. We've already scheduled our Spring trip!

 

[willowsnn3]

We 'DIS'covered WDW in '08, the week of July 4th. Heat, crowds, lol..Was going to wait til Nov '09 for 2nd trip but then came the 4/3 deal first week of May & it was by b'day so we couldn't pass up the free day, lol. Then we heard about free dining so it was back again in Sept.....still going Thanksgiving week...so 3 trips in the last 14mths & #4 in Nov...can't get enough.

 

[Dervis]

We go about every 2 years, but thats only due to financial reasons. If we could, we'd probably go every year.

 

[luvthemouse71]

Count me in as a member of the "Once a Year" club..i agree that the trips are very relaxing because you don't feel you have to do everything. My last one(this past September) was incredible-the magic was in extra abundance.


I am going back again in 2010..but I may play around a little with the time of year..maybe October or November instead of September. It helps that Disney makes little and big changes all the time, so I'm not bored. Also, I will be checking out the Harry Potter themepark over at Universal in 2010.

 

[fla4fun]

I love to go to WDW on vacation, even though I'm a local. I usually spend a total of about 4 weeks a year on property. But I do like to go other places too and usually take a vacation elsewhere every other year - reducing the Disney trips that year to maybe two weeks or so.

But I probably do Disney a little different than most. I will focus on a different park each trip. For example, I stayed at BLT in August, and focused on MK. The next trip is BC in December, and I'll be focusing on Epcot. By focusing on one park and really going in depth with that park, I get to see things that other people might rush by in their attempt to fit everything into one trip. Also, it means that although I may be at WDW three or four times per year, there may be several months between park visits to a particular park (I was last at Epcot in January, so it's been nearly a year). That's the way I keep it fresh.

There's nothing wrong with a yearly (or more often) trip to WDW, and there's nothing wrong with going every other year, or every third year, or every fifth year. Each family is different - so do what works best for you.

 

[earthelves]

I am about to take my 5th TRIP out to "Walt Disney World" & that is just this year alone Every year it's at least 3 timesSo NO you can NEVER go too much & yes i do vacation other places too

 

[Pats Dragon]

We have gone every year since DW opened and the traditional trip is part of the magic. As the kids got older we planned different activities. For example our 3 y/o son enjoyed swimming as much as the parks. 4-6 yrs they loved FW and bikes, canoes, campfire. Part of the magic was being together consistently doing something we all enjoyed. That was Walt's dream after all. (By the way when my oldest reached 21 she loved sipping a beer at epcot with the adults) There is always something new but always the old magic of walking down main street toward the castle.

 

[shelemm]

We've gone to WDW two years in a row, and I'm wondering if we might be better off skipping a year? Do any of you find that there are diminishing returns if you return every year, that maybe it would be more "magical" to take a year off and then come back in 2 years?

Note: I know there are a lot of things to do, but we have young kids and if we go they are going to want to spend 75% of the time at MK doing the same things we've done the past two years. Take money out of the equation, because I"m sure if we didn't go to WDW we'd do something else that would be of similar cost.

Yes, the magic can wear off for some people. There's an old saying that travel can broaden your horizons. But i'm not sure if that applies to going to Disney every year.

 

[mom2taylorandemily]

DH and I went twice before we had kids and we hadn't gone for 11 years when we went the first time with the kids. But we've been every year since then, this year we are going twice (but DH got a great bonus this year, so I took advantage of it and took DD for her birthday). But next year, it will only be one trip.

 

[mickeymousemom]

Haven't read the other replies, but here's mine...We started out going once a year and found it wasn't enough. The last several years we have been able to make it down from Indiana 2-3 times a year and it still isn't enough. We stay onsite once a year(can't afford it more). We have a timeshare we stay at otherwise. Disney truly is home to us, and though I know we can't live at Port Orleans, it just feels like home. For us, even a few times a year isn't enough.

 

[SnwflkCts]

I think for many people on these boards, there is never a thing as "too many times!" I include myself in that category. Most of my coworkers think every other year is WAAAYYYY too much!

I would go more often but really can't justify the cost of that - Yes ... I know I could do better with the budgeting but I enjoy staying Deluxe so it means less visits.

I have always felt the magic ... even the one time we ended up going twice in one year! Maybe for some people they lose the magic or perhaps the people they go with just aren't that excited about it ... but for me (and DH is a sweetheart if not a WDW fanatic), I don't see that happening!