How do you spend 8 full days in Disney?

[disneynutz]

We do APs. I've thought about the 10 day with water parks too but that would be something else I'd have to keep track of. I'd prefer my kids aren't aware of the water parks yet and we'll do that when they're older!

Could I be doing a better ticket strategy? I'm always up for learning something new!!!

We bought 10 day non-expiration without water parks and AP certificates, enough for 12 years plus. We get about 3 years out of each non expiration ticket then we use the AP's for 2 vacations.

We get our park fix during the AP visits and relax and enjoy the resorts and non park activities during the 10 day ticket cycle.

We buy the 10 day tickets from Undercover Tourist using the MouseSaver discount.

Bill

 

[sweetdana]

We do almost exactly the same. We usually get to the park about 9. Stay until about lunch. Eat on the way if we rented a car and no DP or at resort if not. We relax pool/ tv nap ect for 1-3 hours then head to evening park (or DTD). Sometimes we skip a 2nd park and just go to dinner n rest in pool/ movie on the beach. We. also hire a sitter about every other or every 3 nights and dh n I will relax at Epcot/ a dinner like espn,or in the hot tub for a while and get our break in.

Usually 1 day we stay around resort until 4 Ish and stay later. Get a resort buffet in if on dp and a sizzler if not.

If we could stay more than 9 days I might plan another 1/2 day.

 

[luckyman_apd]

We have 10 days (9 nights) booked for next July. Really looking forward to it. The longest we've ever spent is 7 days, and that was after a 2 year stretch of not being there, so we were park heavy, run run run, get it all in mode. Since then we have bought DVC and are averaging 2 trips a year. We TRY to slow down, but it doesn't always happen.

We plan to probably hit a park everyday, but probably half a day at most. Some mornings we will get up for early magic hours, and not be out late the night before. The nights we plan to be out late....We will definitely sleep in. Our kids LOVE the pool so July by the pool sounds like a perfect way to relax. We are staying at BLT, so we may even pool hop for a day....and I will DEFINITELY be renting a boat to tour Bay lake and the lagoon. Maybe throw in a fishing trip.

Most of our Early and late nights are MK so being right there at BLT helps. It doesn't take us an hour to get back to our room, nor that long to get back to the park.

 

[twinsouvenirs]

We bought 10 day non-expiration without water parks and AP certificates, enough for 12 years plus. We get about 3 years out of each non expiration ticket then we use the AP's for 2 vacations.

We get our park fix during the AP visits and relax and enjoy the resorts and non park activities during the 10 day ticket cycle.

We buy the 10 day tickets from Undercover Tourist using the MouseSaver discount.

Bill

I think I am going to try this--does Disney not sell these directly anymore?

 

[LOVEARS]

Real simple.........

5-6 days at the parks. Then do 2-3 days at Vero Beach at the end.

A couple days at the beach in a relaxing atmosphere will do wonders. We all know it takes dedication and discipline not to go til you drop when you're at the parks with the kids.

The last couple days without the parks force you to slow it down and gives you a great change of pace.

We always go out to the beach (east or west coast) for a few days either before or after our WDW excursion and it is a great addition. But we are traveling over 5k miles and need to see the beach anyways.

 

[Queenie122]

We just went for 10 days in August. Our originally plan was NO parks, just relaxing and checking out DVC resorts (it was our first DVC stay and last minute so we ended up with a split stay).

It went by so fast I don't even know what happened! Lol we ended up doing three days at the parks, full day at DTD, a shopping day off property, one day was switching resorts (of course didn't take all day but was some work, admittedly). We had one table service meal a day, ate the rest in the room. Finally got to watch the fireworks from the Poly beach (a dream of mine!!). Finally got to check out Stormalong Bay. Still haven't gotten to the campfire at FW though.

We did a lot of swimming but it wasn't nearly enough! Most of our trip we stayed at OKW and it's perfect for relaxing and kicking back. My daughter (9) had a blast at community hall and especially doing the pool side activities. It was nice because it gave me a break from having to entertain her or watch her come down the slide for the millionth time - of course I LOVE spending time with her but mom needs a few minutes to breathe too! Lol

I think it turned out crazier than usual because it was our first DVC trip. We didn't exactly know what to expect or do but now we do. Next trip I believe will be a wedding trip for my fiancé and I AND it will be his two kids first trip to DW so there is no way there will be any relaxing. However, I'm hoping the trip after THAT will be relaxing!

I can't imagine paying for a park ticket and only going in half a day. For me, a lot of the go go go attitude is because the park tickets are so expensive and I feel like I have to get my money's worth.

 

[jkatzz]

We go for 8 days all the time, but most only get 5 days of tickets. The resorts and downtown disney are so nice it is sad that if you are at the park the entire time, you miss out on them. Make spur you keep a break day in there.

 

[mrsclark]

We just got back from a 9 day/9 night vacation staying at BCV. Here is how we spent our time


Day 1: Epcot & MK & SAB
Day 2: AK & DTD
Day 3: Epcot & MK
Day 4: DHS SAB And then DHS again
Day 5: toured some resorts then DTD then hung out in our room for the night (it was raining otherwise we would have gone to SAB)
Day 6: AK and Epcot
Day 7: Epcot SAB & MK
Day 8: AK
Day 9: Epcot SAB and then MNSSHP

Many (although certainly not all) of the times we went to Epcot was to eat - we would then see one or two attractions/rides and then leave. We only did heavy touring at Epcot two days

 

[hmillerbarilla]

Real simple.........

5-6 days at the parks. Then do 2-3 days at Vero Beach at the end.

A couple days at the beach in a relaxing atmosphere will do wonders. We all know it takes dedication and discipline not to go til you drop when you're at the parks with the kids.

The last couple days without the parks force you to slow it down and gives you a great change of pace.

We always go out to the beach (east or west coast) for a few days either before or after our WDW excursion and it is a great addition. But we are traveling over 5k miles and need to see the beach anyways.

We are considering adding Vero on to our summer trip. I think it is hard to get at 7 months, but I'm going to be watching!! I thought 2 nights would be good, we've never been and I'm anxious to stay there!

 

[Hibernians]

Great question.... we have found resort exploring to be a lot of fun; typically, we will have a dinner at another resort - 1900 Park Fare at GF or Boma at AKL for example, and we'll spend some leisure time dedicated to exploring these resorts. While staying at BCV, we have made a habit of exploring the BW and the Swan & Dolphin.
We also find more time to hang out at our resort pool and last year we did the 2 water parks; great diversions.

 

[AnnaS]

When the "kids" were younger we bought 10 non-expiry park hoppers w/plusses - water parks/disney quest. We managed to get at two/three trips out of these.

We would spend two days at the park, one day would be a water park and the evening would be either DTD, Boardwalk area or dinner at a resort. Two days park and non park again - either a water park or relaxed by the pool/resort for the day and evening whatever we did not hit on the first non-park day, etc. etc. Just to get an idea.

Now we more or less travel just dh and I - ""kids" are big - sometimes we travel together w/dil, or future dil, etc.

Most of the time now it's DH and I - alone, w/friends or with DS and DIL. We definitely take it easy now. It's not so much about the parks anymore.

 

[goofy4wdw2]

I love hearing how everyone spends their time on vacation and balances park vs down time. Thanks everyone!

 

[dianeschlicht]

And don't forget the cultural exchange talks by the African exchange people at Kidani every evening! LOVE doing that even when we don't stay there. We will often just make an ADR for Sanaa and then stay for the presentation in the library.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We do tend to go to the parks every day (and we are in our late 60's), even though we don't usually have children or young people with us. We just make sure we alternate parts of the day between parks, villa, and other things. We like to tour the other resorts too.

 

[jade1]

How do you spend 8 full days in Disney?

We rarely do "full" days at the parks anymore. Usually work in 2 weekends as well so closer to 10 days since the tickets are the same price basically.

One or 2 rope drops, the rest is other AM activities, from sleeping in/golf/fishing/swimming/shopping/char breakfast etc.

With FP+ will be even easier, just schedule some faves each afternoon/eve, will make the days much less stressful, as the "we need to hurry in to get at least one FP" days will be gone forever.

Always stay for night shows and dinner, drinks, ambiance etc.

 

[mdinme]

We did seven nights at bcv in August. Spent a lot of time in SAB, but also did all four parks , both water parks, DQ, mini-golf and several hours at dtd.

 

[butsy113]

Your 2 older kids might like to try archery at FW. My DS did it in May for his bday, and loved it. It was inexpensive and you get a discount. You could rent the little boats at the Contemporary or a surrey bike at BW. This year my kids got into the sorcerers cards at MK. It still has us going into the park, but we often leisurely walk along and fight villains while eating Mickey bars. In January we are going horse back riding. AKL has many activities including animal viewing with the night vision goggles. That resort could be a vacation on its own.

 

[amym2]

You can't rent a surrey bike for 4 (or 5) unless there are 3 people who can pedal. We tried to rent one for the four of us (me, DH, DS11, DD9) at the Boardwalk last year, but they said it would be too hard for just two adults to pedal (and DS was under the required height for pedaling). We did it the next day with my sister, so 3 adults and 2 kids, and it was not easy! Definitely something to keep in mind once the kids are older, though!