How do you make your vacation go by slow? or atleast try..

[Vickie46]

It seems disney vacations alwasy go by too fast... how can we slow down and make it last longer... or just seem like it..

just curious.

 

[Mandabella]

Take your time as you tour WDW.

Really live in and experience the moment, look for details.

Don't keep thinking we got ADRs here and we have to be there by X time.

Anyhow, that's how I made our 4 day weekend trip during F&WF seem like it lasted a tad longer than 4 days.

 

[grinningghost]

Don't spend all your time waiting in lines for rides. Do something different - play mini golf, resort hop - anything to avoid line waiting - it can make a vacation drag and go by fast all at the same time - and not in a good way.

 

[erikthewise]

Do something you really hate -- that will make it last longer.

I don't have any suggestions for what that might be at WDW!

 

[Martha7]

Someone in my family will invariably get their knickers in a twist and spend most of the day sulking. Always slows the trip right down for me!
Seriously though, have a great time!

 

[imatoad]

Don't spend all your time waiting in lines for rides. Do something different - play mini golf, resort hop - anything to avoid line waiting - it can make a vacation drag and go by fast all at the same time - and not in a good way.

Good advice, expand your horizon's and check out more of what is out there. I myself need to do this as there are so many resorts I have yet to even hop to. We also want to spend a little more leisure time at our resort.

 

[Vickie46]

thanks! My husband and daughter want to spend more time at our resort too... CBR.. she wants to go down the slide she says...

 

[metsfan11]

Don't rush at the parks. Sit back and soak in the ambience or try something completely new! Go to that one shop or resteraunt you've always wanted to go to but never had the time/money..ect. Just remember, you're at WDW! No worries!

 

[westcliffemom]

We do this by going to one park in the morning, go back to the room, and go to another park in the afternoon, relaxing at each place. I do ADR's for each park, usually, or plan out CS. When we do this, it seems like our vacation is longer, because we're having totally different experiences each morning/afternoon. Works for us!

 

[ADisneygirl]

Get to your resort on check in day early a.m -- that gives you the entire first day to enjoy the resort pool while waiting for your room or go to DTD or a park. Fly out late after check out - gives you one more "day".

Relax and think what will really make you happiest -- running out the resort door at dawn for rope drop or sleeping in a little. Do what makes you most relaxed.

Take time to explore your resort, or visit different ones. Do the hidden mickey hunt - map available at check in at the deluxe resorts. Go on one of the resort tours, like the culinary tour at AKL or the walk the lodge tour at WL.

For a minute really think about how lucky you are to be going on vacation when so many in this country and even more in other countries have never been to WDW or on a vacation at all. That thought alone makes us value even a short trip.

 

[mommykds]

Try to enjoy the moment you are in..don't video everything. See it with your eyes & enjoy the experience. One trip I videoed so much I didn't "see" anything.

 

[Mandabella]

For a minute really think about how lucky you are to be going on vacation when so many in this country and even more in other countries have never been to WDW or on a vacation at all. That thought alone makes us value even a short trip.

Indeed it is. This is something I think many of us should remind ourselves of once in awhile.

A short trip in WDW is better than sticking around the house for a few short days.

 

[marksor]

My tips to make a WDW vacation seem to last as long as possible:

1. Arrive as early as possible on the first day- even if that means getting up at 3:00am to get to the airport.
2. Leave in the evening on the last day so you don't have to leave the property for the airport until at least 4:00pm that afternoon.
3. Don't sleep in- get up and out no later than 7:00am- but don't stay out too late.
4. Stay away from newspapers and the TV as much as possible during your stay so you can foget about the "real world" for awhile.
5. Don't compose nor try to keep to a rigid schedule- keep loose and flexible so you can move around the whole place freely and fell like you have no worries during your stay.

 

[kaabost]

My tips to make a WDW vacation seem to last as long as possible:

1. Arrive as early as possible on the first day- even if that means getting up at 3:00am to get to the airport.
2. Leave in the evening on the last day so you don't have to leave the property for the airport until at least 4:00pm that afternoon.
3. Don't sleep in- get up and out no later than 7:00am- but don't stay out too late.
4. Stay away from newspapers and the TV as much as possible during your stay so you can foget about the "real world" for awhile.
5. Don't compose nor try to keep to a rigid schedule- keep loose and flexible so you can move around the whole place freely and fell like you have no worries during your stay.

I agree with this advice 100%. In regards to #1, we do this to the extreme. We starting driving to WDW about midnight of our first day and drive through the night. When we get there, we take a good long nap and then tour Downtown Disney or go out to eat. Since we have slept at WDW, it feels like its our second day already but it's still only our first!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MyGoofy26]

My tips to make a WDW vacation seem to last as long as possible:

1. Arrive as early as possible on the first day- even if that means getting up at 3:00am to get to the airport.
2. Leave in the evening on the last day so you don't have to leave the property for the airport until at least 4:00pm that afternoon.
3. Don't sleep in- get up and out no later than 7:00am- but don't stay out too late.
4. Stay away from newspapers and the TV as much as possible during your stay so you can foget about the "real world" for awhile.
5. Don't compose nor try to keep to a rigid schedule- keep loose and flexible so you can move around the whole place freely and fell like you have no worries during your stay.

I'd have to agree with these. . . except #3. That just doesn't work for me, LOL. So I suggest, figuring out what your normal schedule and adapt around that. I work evenings and can stay up half the night so day to day I am never up early, but even if I force myself to bed early, no way can I get up before 7. If I were to try and make myself be "functional" before 7AM, I'd spend the entire day in such a fog that I'd crash by late afternoon and miss half the trip trying to catch up on sleep early every night, and the other half fighting to keep my eyes open.

Oh and a slight adjustment on #1 . . . if you don't want to take an extra day off, fly out in the evening the night before your trip starts! We've done this before (and probably will again next trip - we are going to add days once soutwest opens up dates) and stayed at Pop for a night (couldn't justify paying a full night at AKL for Savannah when we were getting in at midnight), taking just what we need to get ready in the AM and our PJs- leaving everything else in the car. . . then transferred over to AKL the next morning and had the entire day. You could even stay offsite somewhere for the night. That way, on your "arrival day" you've cut your travel time to under a half an hour! Or if you just pay for a room in the hotel you're staying. . . zero travel time!

 

[Irish Wake]

I bring along my mother in law

 

[Antonia]

I love this thread. This trip it will be just DH and me in a villa and we plan to try to build in some leisure time. Here are some things we plan to do to make our trip seem longer:
1) We plan on actually using our resort pool and getting in the hot tub at night or the jacuzzi tub in our room.
2) In the mornings we are going to fix a light breakfast in our kitchen - means we get to stay in our pj's just a little longer. It'll be September so hopefully crowds will be lighter when we hit the parks.
3) Eat some leisurely sit-down meals without rushing.

This is one of the main goals for me this trip - to enjoy our resort - I always feel like I missed staying there because we just zip in and out - and have some down time rather than rushing from one attraction to the next. DH even says he is leaving the golf clubs at home (he is a golf addict) and is going to take a break from it.

 

[TinkGirl]

Our last few trips we've booked the earliest flight there and the latest flight home so we could literally make our trip a little longer. We also joined DVC so we know we'll be back, and we don't have to be so commando. Our first trip as DVC members, we relaxed and enjoyed spending time at the resort. You're right, time flies on these vacations. The worst sight ever is that Mickey envelope hanging on the doorknob on checkout day.