How has DVC changed your vacations?

[eporter66]

We just love Disney, and have enjoyed every stay we had. This was reason #1 that we wanted to join DVC.

Since we have been together we have gone to Disney (on average) every other year. The point system is very flexible, and will allow us to continue on this pace, and possibly more frequent trips.

Plus - we enjoy golf, and many other activities, so we may not always go down and do all the parks, although after we leave we might regret that move!!!

1.So - I just wondered if people go a lot more often now than prior to joining?

2. What non-disney things do you do?
3. Have you ever not gone to the parks on a trip?

Just wondering

 

[pmcpmc]

Originally posted by eporter66


Plus - we enjoy golf, and many other activities, so we may not always go down and do all the parks, although after we leave we might regret that move!!!

1.So - I just wondered if people go a lot more often now than prior to joining?

2. What non-disney things do you do?
3. Have you ever not gone to the parks on a trip?

Just wondering

1 I Go for three weeks in the summer.
one week sept-nov. to golf at vera or Hilton Head or Orlando.
2 Shop Shop Shop!!!! with our ££££££
go to dinner shows in Orlando
this year took my dd to Christine Aguilera concert.
3 In the summer only went three timesin three weeks so much to do elsewhere.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Well, we are now zooming in on three trips a year because of DVC.
We also enjoy VB, while prior to DVC we only went to WDW.

While I read here that some (few) DVCers are burning out on Disney and looking for other options, we are the total opposite. It seems that each time we go, we enjoy the whole WDW experience more and more!

MG

 

[Cruelladeville]

I agree with Gracey, we have become more anxious to go down to Dis than before we joined. We haven't done the park rides in years, because we are too busy doing other things, like

1. sleeping
2. getting a tan
3. reading several good books
4. golfing
5. dinner shows and other dining experiences
6. sightseeing around Orlando
7.ball games
8. carriage rides, horseback riding, boating, etc.

we find all kinds of things to do! We are AP holders, so we go down in April, July, and Dec. at the holidays. We really do stop and smell the roses in the parks! We walk from one end of the parks to the other as our daily exercise there (I'm on Weight Watchers), and then I get to pick a place to eat before we walk back to our hotel. Then it's a walk back to the hotel to swim, read, and sleep.

Before we joined DVC, we took one trip per year, and DH made a spread sheet of our vacation to schedule what we saw so we could get it all in. It wasn't pretty. Now we actually enjoy ourselves, and that's why DVC was worth every cent.

 

[JimC]

1. We joined DVC because we were making two to three trips each year. So our trip frequency increased before DVC.

2. We take a one week to 11 day non-Disney trip each year. Last year it was Death Valley and Palm Springs. This year its Hawaii.

3. No. We have gone and split the trip into DIsney and other (Universal once and Seaworld twice). Even our trip to VB included one day to visit Epcot. We are AP holders and like to eat at the park restaurants, see parades and fireworks. So some days we are in the parks for only the evening.

 

[Nick@ VB+OKW]

Originally posted by eporter66
1.So - I just wondered if people go a lot more often now than prior to joining?
2. What non-disney things do you do?
3. Have you ever not gone to the parks on a trip?

1.We try to take 2 trips per year to a DVC resort. One to OKW and 1 to VB. This year we are trying a Disney cruise also.

2. We are going to the Final 4

in San Antonio in April and Vegas in July.

3.We have gone to OKW during Presidents week and not do any of the parks.......just resort hop, Cirque du Soleil , Universal,IOA,DD,etc

 

[melanie18]

1. We used to go once a year before DVC, we're going on our 3rd trip this year. We've definitely increased our trips.

2. Not too much non-Disney stuff, mostly shopping at the outlets.

3. So far, we have gone to the parks every trip, eventually we'll try doing without.

 

[burnsoc]

We only purchased DVC in 2002, but we've quickly become twice a year people. It's nice to have one vacation by ourselves and one to share with family. We also take a vacation once a year to an alternate destination. This year we're going to our other favorite place to vacation, Ireland. DVC has certainly increased the amount of vacations we take!
-Chris

 

[Granny]

Originally posted by eporter66

1.So - I just wondered if people go a lot more often now than prior to joining?

2. What non-disney things do you do?
3. Have you ever not gone to the parks on a trip?

Just wondering

1. We used to go every other year for 8 nights...now we go every year for 12 nights.

2. We always do Sea World and Busch Gardens. We have also done Universal (once) and the absolute most awesome was Discovery Cove to swim with the dolphins.

3. We always go to the parks, but not every day. We could see staying at VWL some time and just getting the bike & boat plan if we couldn't get park tickets for some reason.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Before DVC, we were traveling to WDW about Every Other Year. After we joined, we expected that to be every year, but in reality it is often several times a year!

We usually have APs and go 2-3 times during that AP and then take a 12 month break before starting the process over again. That means we either go once or 3 times in a year.

 

[CK1]

1. Our frequency has actually DECREASED after DVC, but that's more a sign of our family status than our DVC membership! We were going every year, but once our 2 boys got older (and dd came along!) we decided that 1 big trip every 18 mos worked better for us. So we bank 1/2 yrs pts and stay for 2 weeks now, instead of our original plan of a 1 week trip every year. And always a 2 br, and always with some tag-along family in tow. Perhaps when our birdies leave the nest (or we become fliers instead of drivers) it will be worth it to travel in shorter, more frequent increments again! The kids are 9,7, and 3 now, so I predict at least a FEW more years of purely WDW vacations ahead.

2. Typically, any non-Disney stuff we do, we do on our to/from 15 hr journey! For example, we might stop off to see relatives (I have several that are strategically located en-route!) ANd we have visited different cities / sites along the way. Soon I hope to couple a Vero trip with a Cape Canaveral / Kennedy Space center trip. But once we're at WDW, there's just so much to do there, we can't see the logic in leaving! About the only thing I do off-site is (a) buy groceries and (b) shop at the Disney outlets up on the north end of Orlando. We discussed Sea World, and the kids would probably love it -- but thus far they haven't wanted to lose any precious WDW time, even over a 2 week period! Probably when they are older/taller, we will venture over to US and IOA. Our kids are still leery of some of the faster rides at WDW, though -- gotta see a boost in the courage level before we head to US!

3. Sort of -- we have taken a trip to WDW before and only gone to the parks one day out of 5. That was when we realized we needed longer trips -- we LIKED our "non-park" days so much, we wanted more of them! So now, we usually do a park day, a non-park day, etc. and love it. My kids think DTD is the 5th "park"....

 

[Pa@okw95]

We joined DVC in 95. We have been going 2 or 3 times per year since we joined which is more than we used to go. I must say that we decided to take the 2004 year off from WDW. It just became too much and we need a rest from WDW. Time has changed WDW and perhaps me. I still love OKW and the great weather there in the winter. That is why we plan on spending January there next year (2005). The problem with bing a DVC member is you could get to the point where WDW is the only place you go on vacation. In January of 2005 when we stay for a month we plan on not going to the WDW parks for the first couple of weeks. That way our annual pass will be good for the following year in January also. The winter is the only time I will ever go down there again. I went in July and it was just too unruly for me to enjoy myself. Since joining DVC we probably over did going to WDW.

 

[Disney Enthusiast]

Hi. I am new to DVC but we have already changed our vacations to WDW even before our first trip.

1. We used to go once every couple years for about 10 days. We missed this Dec due to baby Caroline being born in Sept. But the withdrawal made us guarantee our trip next year by buying into DVC. I know we will be going at least once a year now, and I feel the add-on urge coming already so hopefully we'll be visiting about twice a year in the not so distant future.

2. It's the nonDisney stuff that made us buy DVC. (Although I consider everything to be Disney, because Disney is technically what brought me there in the first place and Disney is what sprinkles everything you do w/ Pixie Dust whether it be horseback riding or boating). We take the illuminations cruise, we dine around the World, we read and swim and attend dinner shows and Cirque du Soleil, we people watch while drinking coffee, we go swim w/ the dolphins at Discovery Cove and miniature golf. There is soooo much to do outside of the amusement rides. That is why we bought.

3. Yes. On our last trip to WDW w/ my husband's parents in their 70's, we only entered the parks to dine or watch the fireworks or shows. We had 2 big meals a day and skipped the 3rd and ate and ate and ate. We did go to EPCOT and watched all of the Holiday Skits at each country and drank coffee by the water fountain in France but that's it. They were too old to go on the rides. Now next year I might start going on rides again. I will have a 3 1/2 yr old boy who will want to go on the rides and I will want to see it all new thru his eyes. So exciting for me.

 

[StormTigger]

Originally posted by eporter66
1.So - I just wondered if people go a lot more often now than prior to joining?
2. What non-disney things do you do?
3. Have you ever not gone to the parks on a trip?

1. Definately! We are working on either a trip w/ family where we need a 2 bedroom, or 2 trips a year. If it wasn't for DVC, I can probably say my Disney Cruise last year would have problem been my last trip to Disney for a while.

2. So far only shopping, but next trip we plan to do Universal and Sea World.

3. Does staying out of the Parks on our the of our arrival day and our departure day count?

 

[Beast fan]

1. Sort of...... in that, since joining in 2002, we have been to HH and VB. We will be at VWL in 16 days!


2. Sort of...... in that, while at VB, we drove to WDW to watch my cousin's son play in a roller-hockey tournament.

3. N/A, since we haven't yet stayed at WDW after joining DVC.

Dave

 

[FriendsOfEeyore]

1. Before DVC we have taken 4 trips in the last 5 years. We anticipate making 2-3 trips per calendar year going forward.

2. On our last trip, we had decided to purchase DVC. We were so much more relaxed knowing for sure that we would be back. This was our then 14mo 1st WDW trip (besides a DTD shopping day), so this allowed us to go about the pace that we needed. my FIL leaves about an hour south of WDW in Avon Park, and we always spend at least one day of FL trips with him.

3. N/A - Of 1st DVC Trip home is Feb 8th, 2004.

 

[crisi]

1.So - I just wondered if people go a lot more often now than prior to joining?

Yes, which is why we joined. We had been every three to five year people. Small children made us want to be every two year people. We aren't near the frequency of many on these boards.

2. What non-disney things do you do?

Our kids sleep in a different room now. Makes our love life at Disney much better.

3. Have you ever not gone to the parks on a trip?

Not yet. Eventually, we will be the type of DVCer who go down for golf, dining, and relaxation as often as we take park trips. But that won't be until the kids are grown.