Have you ever left early?

[mshanson3121]

Not due to emergency, but by choice?

We are having a great time, we have 6 park days under our belt, with 3 more days in Florida, but... DD is really starting to lose it. She's only 5, with ASD, and while she has done phenomenal on this trip, I can tell she's nearing the end of her rope. We've been gone from home 11 days now, longer than ever before. And, we have a 3 day drive home when we leave here. I admit, that I'm considering pulling out early. In a way it makes me sad, but at least we've gotten a visit in to all the parks (three to MK!). And I feel like I'd rather leave now before she is completely shot, than pushing her for 3 more days and starting the drive home with her a wreck.

To add to it, I'm developing pain in my right leg, not sure if it's muscle or vein pain, but... I know by yesterday, walking around was really starting to get to me. It's not horrible pain, but a burning feeling, and I don't want to drive home 28 hours in misery.

Anyone else ever left vacation a bit early?

 

[Poohbug]

I have not shortened my vacation but I have taken a break from the parks. Maybe just relaxing around the resort and spending the last few days with absolutely no plans will help. You know your child the best. If she needs to go home, go home.

 

[tchrrx]

Instead of leaving early, can you spend today laying around the room watching tv and maybe taking a little time at the pool? Sometimes a down day is needed.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I would consider that along the lines of a personal emergency. You do what you need to do for your family. If it is time to pull the plug, then pull it.

Maybe a compromise--hang around the resort for a day and then decide.

 

[Lisaloo]

We havent left early, but one trip we should have. 7 days is really my family's limit at WDW and we had 10 day tickets for a 14 day stay. Even the resort days seemed hectic to us. That was the end of two week trips for us.

 

[MapleGirl]

DH and I left 3 days early on our honeymoon in WDW. We were both sick and were just not feeling it. Southwest lets you change your flights and Disney was wonderful about it. We have non-expiration tickets that we saved for next time, we gave away our extra dining credits and Disney refunded the hotel nights we didn't use.

 

[mondragon]

There is no shame with leaving early. Your daughter is more important that disney. Disney is not going anywhere. Poor girl just wants to be home in her own bed.

 

[Mikie]

I haven't had to, but i admire your sensitivity to your daughter's needs and your own discomfort. We usually go full-tilt for 6-8 days and I always say I should allow more break, but I never do. I'm certain we would overdo it on a longer trip.

I agree that trying a resort day may be enough break, and if not, then you can head home after that.

Enjoy the rest of your trip, whatever you decide!

 

[mickeymom629]

If you have a 3 day trip home, maybe you should try to have some non-park fun and relaxation before you begin that. Can you just spend a day at the pool? Or take the 3 days more leisurely driving back - like some fun rest stops to stretch? 3 days of driving... sorry to hear that!

I hope your leg pain goes away soon!

 

[bopper]

With our family, we can only do 2 full park days before we need to take a "day off"...e.g. go to the pool or some other more relaxing activity.
So even if you don't go home, can you have a chill out day?

 

[mshanson3121]

We have today planned as a down day. So, I agree we'll take today and see. The earliest we could leave is tomorrow anyways, just considering the vast amount of packing etc... that needs to be done.

DH and I are getting tired, as well. I mean, we're more than willing to stay if the kids can handle it, but, if we're honest, yeah, we're getting tired. DH hasn't been sleeping well because of the heat.

Not sure what is up with my leg. It's on my right calf, on the edge of the muscle. If you push on it, it hurts in the same way that a bruise does, but there's no bruise (no swelling or discoloration of any kind). It doesn't hurt generally though unless I touch it or walk. I've run my fingers all along the vein and it doesn't seem to be the vein, but the muscle that's next to it. Blah.

 

[AngiTN]

No but I'm not sure there is such a thing as too much time at Disney for my family. Not all feel that way, that's for sure.
Before I left early I would try a day with no parks, no stimulation at all to speak of, to see if it revives her.
Let her drive the day totally. Let her sleep on her schedule, decide where to go and what to do.
If that doesn't work, head on home.

 

[itchin2go]

We haven't left early, but we have certainly bailed on our plans ... cancelled dinner reservations, spent the day at the resort, etc. On 2 trips, we were scheduled to do a day at Universal, and decided ... nevermind, and spent the day at Disney or the resort. On our first trip, we were scheduled to go to all parks and just kept going back to Epcot and MK instead.

I love making plans, but I've learned that they will not all be kept. In fact, if something is really important to me, I schedule it for the beginning of the trip instead of the end. Things really start unraveling at the end.

My brother just took a 2 week car trip, traveling to, like, 13 states. They cut it several days short because everyone just wanted to be home. Sometimes it really doesn't matter how fun your plans are, because no one feels like it.

 

[3Gsandme]

No, but I do know that we cannot do too many straight days of parks with no break. On six days, we would have had 1 or 2 non park days.

 

[katibosch]

We didn't leave early, but we did modify our plans quite on our last trip. We had planned full days and long days, early mornings, late nights. We wound up sleeping later several days, getting the parks about noon, spending more resort/swimming time. I still got heat exhaustion or something by the 8th day of a 10 day trip, and spent the 9th day mostly by myself at the resort while DD and DW went to DHS. Day 10 I felt better, but still not great. It really ended the trip on kind of a low note for me, and for our trip in September I'm going to have to work hard not to want to do too much.

I'd definitely take a resort day to rest and evaluate, then head home if you need to. Sorry it hasn't worked out like you wanted.

 

[GATORinaZ28]

Yes, I left a day early once. Disney even refunded me 2 days worth of resort cost. I was thankful.

 

[Minnie-Maniac]

Nope, my family has never left early and I have been on trips to WDW since I was one year old and also with my little brother who was that young his first time. My Mom and Dad told me once that when us kids and this is including my older sister who also went to WDW at a very young age before I was even born were melting down and there were days left she would just have a day or two at the pool where we could play with toys in the baby pool and go back to the room for frequent rests and just to have the television in the room.

But if that doesn't work for you and your DD is still miserable I would suggest packing up and heading home.

 

[Kalliope]

We haven't actually left early, but we sure wouldn't have minded if we did more than once. By the end, the constant stimulation and people everywhere gets to be exhausting.

If your daughter needs to be home, take the poor girl home.

 

[mshanson3121]

No, but I do know that we cannot do too many straight days of parks with no break. On six days, we would have had 1 or 2 non park days.

We've already had a full non-park day, pls a couple afternoons

 

[itchin2go]

If it makes you feel any better, we had a full-on, in the condo, VEG day last trip. We rented 2 redbox movies and stayed in all day. No pool, no sun.

It seems crazy in a way, but we enjoyed the heck out of it.