Growing old

[drakethib]

Although we have only been owners for a few years and we are getting to be the ripe old age of 34, I am finding myself ready to go back more frequently.

Disney seems to be the only place I can relax these days.

 

[Jynohn]

We just got back from our second trip in eight months, and DH made a comment that the rides didn't seem as exciting this time around since we were just there so recently. I asked him if he was getting sick of Disney and if he wanted to take a break for a while instead of going back again in January as planned, and he immediately said, "No way, I LOVE it there!" Keep in mind this is a guy who I used to drag along on trips kicking and screaming.

The more frequently we go to WDW, the more we enjoy it. What used to be a whirlwind trip dragging our tired, cranky kids from one attraction to the other so we didn't miss anything, not knowing when we'd be back, is now a nice, leisurely vacation. We now take time to enjoy different restaurants, tour different resorts, or even take a day off from the parks to spend a lazy day at the pool. I can honestly say that I enjoy WDW so much more now that we're DVC members, and don't see that changing for a long time to come.

 

[skibum]

I think that the great thing about WDW is that regardless of your age, there are activities for you. We went there on our honeymoon, and continued to go through the first 10 years of our marriage before kids, doing the 'big kid' rides.
Both our DD's went to WDW when they were 2, and we got to see the MAGIC through their eyes. As they have grown older, we are moving through 'Dumbo', 'Teacups', the 'Carousel', and 'A Small World', into 'Space Mountain', 'Rock & Roller Coaster', and 'Tower of Terror'.
We are looking forward to the days when we slow down and stop doing the parks 'commando-style'. There are so many other things to do there (both on-property and around Orlando). I have always wanted to play golf there, as the courses look fantastic, but have never had the time.
We look forward to our trips there, and the enjoyment of our kids. We really bought DVC for the kids, but if they are not able to use it for some reason, we will always enjoy it.

 

[Lady V]

Yes, I got very tired of WDW after years of going. But the weather is still great in the winter so we still keep our membership. If DVC and WDW fall any further down then they already have, then I may consider getting out entirely, but for now getting out of the CT weather in Jan is still great.

what do you mean fall down? In your opinion? BEcause it sure hasn't allen in mine!! It keeps growing and growing!!

 

[Lady V]

. When life throws a few curveballs (as it has done for us recently), the anticipation of an upcoming DVC trip is a real, tangible kind of hope. As we age (now 59 and 73) we continue to get REALLY excited as our trip approaches, counting the "sleeps" and waiting for our first chance to watch the world from our evening perches on our BWV balcony.
12 more sleeps!

Do you know how awesome you two are? you are blessings and I am so glad you are on the boards!!

 

[Cruelladeville]

We have been going to Florida since 1976, and we haven't gotten tired of going there yet! Our children have been going there since they were babies. There was a period in their teens when they didn't want to go, so we thought DVC was going to be for the two of us. After one trip alone, we have had kids with us ever since, so we had to buy many more points than we originally thought. We just returned on Saturday from 10 days there with DD and her boyfriend. We are going back for Thanksgiving, just the two of us(so far!), and have a week at Christmas for the whole family. We have another family trip planned in April/May. We enjoy the sunshine, and Florida, but we don't do the parks every day like we did in 1976. We go for a couple of hours, and then we leave to do other stuff. On our most recent trip we golfed, shopped, ate at Food and Wine, went on a carriage ride, did the Halloween party, went to wine pairings, and just relaxed. The parks are just a small part of WDW.

 

[Mtnman44]

As I evaluate a purchase, I see two main issues that may prevent me from getting many years' use out of it:

-Air travel. I am not within driving distance nor will I ever be, so it's flying or nothing right now. The Amtrak takes like a week to get there. No thanks. If Airfare continues to become more costly (both in money and in stress and time) then that will seriously affect how often I feel like going to florida.

-The other is crowds. How crowded will these parks be in 20 years? I shudder at the thought. I am one of those people who hates crowds. I try to stay positive, but it ruins the experience for me and heaps ton of stress on an already busy, hot, tired day. I only go in the "off" season, whatever that means but it is still bad, especially on the weekends. I sure hope Disney finds a way to limit crowds. High Prices, reserved days, limited ticket sales...whatever it is it would be worth it.

 

[jekjones1558]

Lady V,
Wow! I looked out the window just now and saw what I thought were the season's first snowflakes . Then I read your post and realized that it was actually pixie dust from you. Thank you!

 

[Jeremy&Susan]

We just got back and we are already looking forward to our 4 week trip in February. The beauty of DVC is that if we do get tired of it there are other options, including selling if we want something entirely different. However, at this point we can't imagine ever not wanting to go to WDW.

That comment is totally uncalled for!

How in the world do you get a 4 week vacation.

Enjoy yourself.

 

[OneMoreTry]

I think that as long as there are people I want to be with, then going to WDW will be one of the things I want to do with those people. It used to be family and school friends.

Right now it's the DW and kids -- although the oldest is going to college next year so we're starting to move into a new stage. In March we are taking the in-laws, and my main goal for that trip is to encourage them and have a great time with them -- and allow the kids to spend time with them.

In the future I hope there will be grandkids to take to WDW. And friends. And trips with DW.

That's really what WDW has meant to me since 1972 and if it hasn't changed in 34 years I doubt it will.

 

[rayelias]

Before we bought DVC, we would visit once a year off-site. We actually thought that staying on-site was too expensive and not worth it.

A few years ago, we stayed at POFQ (during a BAD hurricane, BTW), because WDW was offering a special. It may sound cheesy, but you really are part of the magic 24 hours a day when staying on-site. We were so impressed with, not only the outstanding service we got when it was sunny, but the phenominal service (and quality of construction) during the hurricane.

We were hooked.

We now go 3-4X a year. Our vacation habits have changed since we go more frequently. No more "commando" - we get to relax, since we've pretty much seen all the rides. We'll take half-day trips to one of the resorts, eat lunch at a different restaurant, grab a cocktail at another, grab appitizers at another, dinner at another, walk the grounds, etc.

Before, it was all about the parks and the rides. Now, it's about the experience. Since we know we'll be back in a few months, we don't care if we miss something. This frees up a lot of time. Now, we do the tours, maybe go to the pool (which we NEVER did before), explore. And, we get to meet and talk to a lot of CM's. You'd be surprised how many remember you!

One of the things we do to keep the trips fresh is each trip will have a "theme." For example, one trip was a "Hidden Mickey" trip. Our goal was to find and photograph as many Hidden Mickey's as possible. Another trip was a "Pressed Penny" trip. Our last trip was a "DVC Stand" trip. We got our pictures in front of all the DVC stands we could find (at all the parks, DTD, and at the resorts). That was a neat way to explore WDW - and it offered a new perspective. You can make a trip where your goal is to get your pictures with all the characters. You can make a trip where your goal is to get your picture with a CM from each resort/park. So many different ideas.

Plus, WDW always has something going on to keep things interesting. Our next trip is a Food & Wine trip. We've actually coordinated with family and friends to all go down together. Or, someone on the DIS is always arranging a DIS meet at the parks!

Other great events to try are MNNSHP, MVMCP, Flower & Garden Show, Soap Opera Weekend at MGM, etc, etc, etc. We're going in December for the first time to see how WDW decorates for Christmas. That should be cool.

Another great thing to do to keep WDW fresh, especially if you have extra points, is bring along someone who's never been there before. Offer to bring down a niece or nephew for a trip. If your relatives children have never been to WDW before, watching it through their eyes is like being there for the first time all over again!

To be honest, I don't know WHAT I'm going to do when my DVC runs out in 2042. DVC is one of the best decisions we've ever made!

 

[DVC Grammy]

We've been members since '98. We bought as empty nesters (our sons were 32 and 30 at that time, my daughter, 18.................had my first child at 6! ). It was our Freedom Reward!!!
Since then, we have been going 2-3 times every year, sometimes with family, mostly just the two of us, and we LOVE it more each time! No trip is the same; we plan something "different", whether it's a split stay, a new restaurant, renting a canoe, etc. As long as there's a square inch of WDW that we haven't explored, a refurbished ride to compare to before, a new eating experience, and any new attractions and events, as long as we're on THIS side of the grass, we'll be so glad we were smart enough to buy so many happy moments, some for just us, some to share! Can't think of any other "investment" we've made that's given us such a phenomenal payoff .
SSR-10/17-10/20/06
BWV-10/20-10/27

SSR-1/14-1/16/07
BWV-1/16-1/31

 

[tacomaranch]

The DH and I married in our early 40's. We are empty nesters now, our "baby" is 19 and started her first year of college....we've talked about "getting older" and what we'd do with our additional years, we originally bought at SSR, and found that our heart belongs to VWL, so we sold SSR and purchased VWL---honestly, I can see us as older folks, just sitting in the lobby at the lodge and watching folks make their entrance in to a most magical place....there is so much there, all around you. I feel my heart strings pull the minute we see the first entrance to WDW, so matter what, when I'm so old that Space Mtn is a memory and the Rockin' Roller Coaster is out, and I'm dizzy and droopy without EVEN getting on the Tower of Terror, I still can see us, my one true love and I sitting under the Florida sky watching fireworks and saying, "remember when?" So don't worry about getting to old to enjoy or finding things boring, I don't think WDW will ever be a "boring" place. I truly believe that that's where the magic lives, there and inside our hearts.

I honestly got tears in my eyes reading this. It is sweet to read your "remember when".

Thank you so much!

 

[the who #3]

to jekjones1558

i feel the way you do. wdw is a bright spot to focus on if other things in life a difficult.

i have 15 more sleeps until i will be there again. i will be at bcv --- maybe we will come across each other there.

 

[Suzi Q]

My husband and I are in our mid 50's and have been members for 8 yrs now. We haven't grown tired of WDW yet. We started coming when our children were small and now we are enjoying bringing our grandchildren. We just got back from Hilton Head with our son and his two children and we had a wonderful time!! We are headed down to WDW in 21 days and are bringing a couple of friends. It is always fun seeing the parks through the eyes of those who have never been before.

 

[Corryn]

We just got back last week. That was my 13th trip and my family's 7th trip.
Each time we go we get a deal on some timeshare...sometimes we have to do the shpeal. We stayed at AKL for a couple nights this time and we both loved whipping out the room key to charge. After we left and went to the timeshare, it hit us that it took at least 15 or 20 minutes to get back to Disney property, which was a little aggravating.

Each visit we say that we're definitely going to purchase a timeshare because we all love it. Even my husband who "acts cool" in front of his friends when Disney is mentioned, who says, Yeah, that's my wife- acting like he only goes because of me.....He said, you know, we should just buy the DVC. I'm tired of staying off-site all the time, and these timeshares get real old looking really fast.
He also didn't like how once the resort "sold out" it was just the owners who were in charge of the resort. Even one of the salesmen, when talking about a newer resort which was finished selling all it's units, he refered to it as old.

With Disney, it seems that because it is on property, it is never "left behind".
I am really happy to hear my husband say he would purchase DVC, because I've always wanted to.
After staying at AKL, I realized how much I missed staying on-site. Not just for the parks, but just because, like one DIS'er said, you still get the magic, even when you're not at the parks.

I'm going to school right now at night, switching careers, and upon my graduation (fingers crossed) we will definitely purchase DVC.

Disney doesn't "get old" - there's always more and more to experience. We're looking forward to "getting old" with Disney

 

[senecabeach]

I think initially..... most of us try to do Disney "commando" style.

We found the older you get..the longer you stayed. We would do a minimum of 10 days. There is soooo much to enjoy. We would visit a park in the AM or PM..spend the mornings/afternoons @ the pool relaxing, nap, resort hop, golf, horseback riding, fish on Bay Lake, take some Disney tours...and plan "wonderful" meals.

...and....
most importantly....read my quote over flounder's pic

 

[the who #3]

i am pleased for you that you have finished treatments, that is known as the juice of life.

i will be at the bcv on 10-28 thru 11-5. my plane arrives at 12:32pm and i don't know how long it will take majical express to pick me up. my daughter and grandchildren are driving in so that means they will arrive anytime on the 28th.

i would love to meet you for an ice cream at beaches and cream (bcv) or at the bw bakery for a coffee. if you want to do that, leave a message at the bcv. i am anne early, from woodstock, ga., have red hair (color enhanced of course) i am 64 yrs old and a little overwait.

if we do not meet, i wish you well in your recovery, look for the outlook. to you both.

 

[3DisneyKids]

Hi April--you ask a valid question and these are the important types of questions to ask before making a purchase and commitment of this size.

Obviously, as we are on the DIS, we all still love WDW and don't really get tired of it. Remember that those of us on the DIS do not likely represent DVC'ers in general, so the responses you get here will be skewed.

For us, we find that Disney is addictive. We were always fans and enjoyed it...but we then realized that the more we go, the more we WANT to go! lol It's like for every one trip we do, we plan two more!

One great thing about DVC compared to other time shares is that...to date...values have INCREASED and not decreased. Thus, if you purchase now and go from 5-10 years and then find that you are burned out on the World, the likelihood of you being able to sell your contract (and even profit from the sale) is very high. Of course, this is based on today's numbers, no way to tell for sure if this will still be the case in 10 or so years. However, DVC has only gone up since day 1. And now with the announcement of yet another resort at AKV, DVC is showing no signs of slowing down. Thus, I think if you buy and do get tired of it, you will still be fine to sell.

As others have said, too, if you just want a break for a year or 2 (or 3) but do not want to sell, you can just rent your points for those years and take that money and apply it toward a vacation elsewhere. Of course, the rules about renting points could change in the future as well, but for now it is allowed and not at all difficult to do--especially for those on the DIS.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[eporter66]

I think it is a great question - but you really can only make the decision for yourself.

For us - we only bought 150 pts with the thinking that we would go every other year and bank the points to the following year to get bigger rooms etc...

We also live far enough away (New York) that we would not just be going to florida at the drop of a hat, so each trip has to be planned ahead (mostly).

We just had our first child, so we figure she will love going for a number of years, and we wont get tired of seeing her enjoy it, that is for sure. Luckily she has traveled a lot in her short lifespan, and so far seems to do well on planes and in cars - so we hope that continues.

For us - we see it as a nice getaway from our cold winters if we choose to go at that time of year. And, there are plenty of things to do at the resorts and surrounding area - so every vacation does not have to be all about Disney.

Good luck with your decison

Eric