How do you make each trip feel new and special?

[HeatherC]

We are big Disney fans and have been averaging a trip or two every year for the last couple of years.

I was wondering how everyone else who goes frequently makes each trip exciting and new? We love to go to our favorite places each time, but every trip I like to try something different. This could be as small as trying a new restaurant.

Just thought it would be fun to see what other people have done to "mix things up a bit"?

Any ideas/suggestions? Love to hear them all. Maybe we'll all get some new ideas?

Happy planning!
HeatherC

 

[ncbyrne]

We vary our itinerary every time. And we vary the time of year. When I take my DGDs we only go for a week, and everything is geared to the likes and dislikes of the kids. However, when DH and I go alone, we stay from 12-16 days. We also split our stay and never stay at the same resorts (on and off site) twice. Sometimes we go to Universal and/or Sea World and take in other Orlando sites too. We always try new restaurants. We tour the resorts - and always scout out the shopping too. Our next trip is coming up Oct 13-24 and we will spend at least three full days of Epcot taking in everything at the Food and Wine Festival. Also looking forward to riding Soarin' several times! The two things we never miss on any trip: Off Kilter and the Japanese drummers.

 

[Houston_Disney_Fan]

This is a big issue for us, as I'm a big Disney fan, but my DH would rather go to a different place every year. New restaurants help a lot, (we'll be doing that big time on the free dining), as do avoiding rides he dislikes, or that we may have spent too much time on in the past. One thing that really helps is tours we've never been on. Keys to the Kingdom was great last time, and this time he's actually looking forward to the Segway tour. Just inject as much variety from previous trips as you can, not too difficult with as much as there is to do there.

 

[mickeysaver]

It's not a huge problem for us because it takes us at least 15 mo between trips just to save the money that it takes for us to do Disney our way. However, I was told the other night, "I can't wait to see what surprise you have for me this year." OMG, what do you do with that? lol I have no idea what to do for her.

Last trip, her surprise was the most amazing ride experience of getting on BTMRR just a few minutes into Wishes! It was an awesome ride with the fireworks bursting just above our heads. You couldn't ask for anything more awesome. I had read about doing that on some website.

So, now I have to come up with something special and new. We have done a lot of stuff at WDW. Not to say that we have done it all, but we have done a lot of the things that I think that she would truly enjoy. I am still thinkin' on this one. Maggie

 

[newholidayx2]

DS & I just had our first mother/son WDW two week vacation Aug 13-27. We stayed 8nights at VWL and 6nights at BCV.
This was our first mother/son WDW vacation
our first time staying at an EpCot resort
first two week vacation
First time eating at alot of those EpCot and Boardwalk restaurants
first time on Soarin
first wk was more commando, second wk more relaxing pace


We were last at WDW w/DH & MIL Oct 04
Trip before that Cruise Nov 03
PO/FQ Nov/Dec 02
WL Oct 01

Next March will be my first solo wknd followed by 5days w/a friend and her 16yr daughter. Their last trip was 01. They only had time for Contemp, Chef Mickey's and Hollywood & Vine - yup just like taking newbies!

DH, DS & I are returning next Aug for a wk before the Disney Western cruise!

 

[addicted2disney]

Staying at different Disney resorts gets me and the kids even more excited to get back! We were always at a value, which we love, but when we stayed at Dolphin & most recently BWV, we were sooo excited. We are trying Coranado Springs for 3 days this THanksgiving!! When we go back in January, Id like to try somewhere else then too!

 

[aengus]

We like to switch up the resorts and always find some big and new thing to do. Last trip was a breathless illuminations cruise. I think parasailing would be fun next time or maybe surfing! but thats always been our ticket. We also try to eat at as many new resteraunts as we can just to try them all.

 

[TLC371]

We go once a year, this is our 3rd trip. Granted, not as many trips as most of you, but still. My boyfriend shares custody of his 3 kids with his ex-wife. Each year we take just one child with us, that way we can enjoy our vacation, and be able to afford to do more. So it's always fun to see it through the eyes of the child that is with us. We took his then 6 year old with us the first year we went together. Then last year it was his 13 year old. This year, his ex won't let us take the 11 year old, so this year it's just me and him. (Well, and the rest of his family--parents, brothers and their families). So we will get to experience the parks without kids, and we also decided to go to MNSSHP this year.

 

[crow11ad]

We too are trying new resorts. My DW said to me the reason she likes going is because I always find something new for her. This time we are going to Cirq and doing the KTTKT. I am just happy that we will be there on my bday and Halloween weekend.

 

[WDWLVR]

We definately try to do something we've never done before each vacation.


Sometimes it is a tour (we've done Behind the Steam Trains and Segway).

Sometimes it is trying a new resturant. On our last visit we did Teppanyaki for the first time.

Sometimes it is trying a new place to stay. Last year we stayed at OKW even though we own and love Boardwalk.

It is the new things that make each trip a little different. Of course we don't forgot our old favorites. Like Kona Cafe which is one of DH's favorites. We went there on our last trip and ran into friends. What fun!

 

[melomouse]

Excellent topic - upbeat & creative and hopefully chockfull of everyone's ideas....

- We do whatever it is I "promised'" DS and DD we'd do "next time". Thus - we did finally get to BB and this trip we will be checking out DQ since DS is now 13 and at prime age.

- Even when we do the things we "must see" - Fantasmic, Spectromagic - we change our viewing spots to gain a different perspective and always notice something new.

- As other posters have suggested, a different resort changes the entire perspective and experience, and we try to do an activity exclusive to that resort when we stay. Ditto new restaurants.

- If my park experience is not particularly "wow-ing" me, I try to go back on the next trip with a fresh perspective. I personally did not like AK and want to go back this trip to find out why folks fuss about it and find the joy there, too. No park, IMHO, will ever be MK, but I am LOVE MGM and lots of people don't - I'd like to broaden my perspective on each subsequent trip so that the comfort and magic of the old favorites is complemented by new discoveries.

I am waiting to see what other DIS'er's share on this thread! Enjoy!!!

melomouse

 

[kathymc]

New to us for this Dec
Wishes Cruise
Mini Golf
Mouse Boats
and possibly Tea at the Grand Floridian

We also like to try new restaurants - this trip will be Yatchsman, Spoodles and Ohana

Is it December yet?

 

[Camping Griswalds]

We've been 7-8 times with kids. We always get a babysitter one night and do something as adults. One time walked around epcot, one time did MK extra hours, once Circ du soleil (?sp), once Disney Quest, once Pleasure Island. It is a totally different perspective when not being done with kids. This year we are going to do an Illuminations cruise with kids. Don't quite know what we're doing without them this year.

 

[Disneynutbsv]

New for us this year:
Staying On Property
Actually doing Table Services and Character Dinners (never done before)
Family magic Tour

 

[Claudia Kellenberger]

First of all, I am a woman, early 50's, and I don't have any children.
I have been to WDW 4 times with my DH, and now I have had 5 annual solo visits. DH just prefers to stay home with our 2 cats.

The main variation is the resort. I have stayed at POR *MANY* times, and as much as I love it there, I was beginning to get bored with the place. This Dec. I am splitting my 6 night stay between Coronado Springs ( I have never been there before ), and again at BWV - one bedroom.

Last year I did the parasailing, and CRT for lunch. I must do all my old favorites, but this year MAYBE I might try mini golf. I don't know yet.
I am sure, though, that I don't want to do mini golf alone.

I think the resort is the most important change, so you don't get bored.

 

[Jen D]

We've been three times and each trip has been quite different from the last-- the first one was the three of us at the BWV, the second was an awesome mother-daughter trip at POFQ, the last one was four of us
(new baby) at the Poly for a trip that included an anniversary and a birthday, so we were a little more free spending than usual. The next trip we are taking with a large group of extended family and staying off site after two days with just our family at a value.

Now that I have my dh used to going to WDW we're going to try to settle on a regular time to go every year. But there are so many resorts still to try... and when the baby gets a little older we might do a day or two at Universal or Sea World... hopefully it won't become old hat.

 

[WDWNJ]

How can a trip to WDW ever NOT feel special or new????

Just Kidding!!! We go often and we like to mix up where we stay, and what side events to do like Cirque and HDD. We try new resturants also. There is just so much to do that there always seems to be something new to do. We are very excited about our first trip to MNSSHP this year!

We rode Soarin' in May and really can't wait to ride that as many times as possible this trip!

 

[SpectroMagic*o*]

One thing I want to start doing is going at different times of year. I usually go during Spring Break when they do the Easter Parade, but this year, me and my sister made reservations during a different time for the 1st time. Were going during MNSSHP and I'm really looking forward to seeing Disney in a new setting, plus there are other special events going on at the same time like a Halloween Parade and the Food and Wine Festival. Next I wanna shoot for Christmas time and the Flower and Garden Festival. I also like to bring friends that have never gone before cuz it's fun knowing everything about the parks and showing this new person everything you know and love and enjoy and sharing that feeling with someone who's never known it before. I also get to test my Disney theme park knowledge this way and show it off a little bit!

ug:

 

[Jackie H.]

For those of you considering the mini-golf.....DO IT!

On our last trip, we were getting kind of bored. (shocking, huh). The parks closed early, we were not in the mood for DTD..yadda, yadda, yadda. We decided to check out the mini golf at Blizzard Beach just "to keep the kids occupied". It was great! Every hole had a surprise. We enjoyed it so much, we went back the next night and played the other course. I highly recommend it. I love to find things like this.

I had a surprise planned for each kid on the last trip. For our son, who is a huge baseball fan (and the Red Sox in particular) we stopped at the Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame on the way down. For our daughter, we went on a sleigh ride.

Now I am afraid they are going to expect a surprise every trip! I've hinted about the spa - not interested. Surfing lessions at TL - nope. The only thing I've found that may interest them is the parasailing....but only my son is interested in that! I'll keep looking....thanks for this thread!

 

[SpectroMagic*o*]

For those of you considering the mini-golf.....DO IT!

On our last trip, we were getting kind of bored. (shocking, huh). The parks closed early, we were not in the mood for DTD..yadda, yadda, yadda. We decided to check out the mini golf at Blizzard Beach just "to keep the kids occupied". It was great! Every hole had a surprise. We enjoyed it so much, we went back the next night and played the other course. I highly recommend it. I love to find things like this.

I had a surprise planned for each kid on the last trip. For our son, who is a huge baseball fan (and the Red Sox in particular) we stopped at the Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame on the way down. For our daughter, we went on a sleigh ride.

Now I am afraid they are going to expect a surprise every trip! I've hinted about the spa - not interested. Surfing lessions at TL - nope. The only thing I've found that may interest them is the parasailing....but only my son is interested in that! I'll keep looking....thanks for this thread!

The Fantasia mini golf over by the Swan and Dolphin is really cool too. Each hole represents a scene from the movie along with a fact about it or excerpt. Your kids might like Disney's Wide World of Sports or the Cirque du Soleil in Downtown Disney or Disney Quest in Downtown Disney.

ug: