How long is too long at WDW?

[glassslippergirl]

OP here again, and another thank you for all the replies! This has given me a huge amount to think about.

I totally understand that most people, especially in the US, don’t get enough vacation leave from work to make this feasible. It’s certainly a nice problem to have, I will admit - this is a “big” vacation for us, celebrating a round-number birthday for both of us. We do usually go overseas for 4 weeks at a time, but I really have no idea what to expect at WDW, so I’m not sure how overwhelmed we will be.

We had not planned to go to Universal, purely because my husband has epilepsy and so many of the rides have seizure warnings. I saw a YouTube video about the Orlando Eye complex and that looks fun - additionally, there seems to be transport to Legoland from there. I’m also very interested in the manatees! As mentioned, my husband would like to go to NASA. It does sound like we can do most of these without a car, but I maybe shouldn’t be quite so adamant that I won’t hire a car. @Tiki_Sara, thank you so much for the info about driving in the US - that’s great to hear!

!

Hi, OP. I think that as a lot of people respond,they are missing a major point— you are going to be at WDW for four weeks already. As I understand, that is already determined because you are meeting other groups, right? So, your question really is four weeks or five weeks? In that case, the difference is negligible. If the extra week lets you do things that are really important to you, then go for it. Go to the party, see the space center, explore Central Florida. I’ve been on both the London Eye and Orlando Eye, and the Orlando Eye is a huge letdown. Theme park structures are all about the facades that guests see but are unimpressive from above. It’s also far from WDW and hard to make out even the most impressive WDW structures. Nothing like the London Eye. Also, Legoland is very much for little ones. It would be great for your nieces, and I’d recommend planning it as part of their visit, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a couple’s trip. I’d spend serious time exploring Central FL options so that you can use the extra time doing what you want. Keep in mind that during the four weeks you will be in WDW with other groups, you can rent a car for a day here and a day there to explore also. Renting cars in Orlando is really pretty easy and can be reasonable in price.

 

[married2mm]

We are in the UK also-cold ne England just hanging there under ya kilt!!

We are slightly different in so much as I was not excited to visit wdw before our first visit
Did no planning at all
Booked a package holiday with villa,car & tix all included.
Didn't even know it rained in the sunshine state.
Didn't know disney had hotels-the list goes on & on

I thought we were off to an Alton towers for 2 weeks; for a once in a lifetime trip for the kids...
Well-consider me instantly converted-the moment we entered mk.
I thought;this is incredible.
Amazing,wondrous:100% hooked in an instant.

We have returned at least once a year ever since,a few times twice & once just me,ds & his bff made it thrice!

5 weeks would be a breeze.
If dh could take leave in one big lump-absolutely; without a doubt.
All hail future retirement years.

 

[Babsy]

Thanks again, everyone. We are still discussing it, but I’m definitely interested in those who say that the Christmas party isn’t all that great. It wouldn’t be the only reason for staying, but I don’t think I would have even considered it, had we not just missed the first party with our current itinerary.

A few specific points I wanted to reply to:

@Babsy I’m interested in your mention of the VIP tour as an alternative to the extra week. We are doing the Adventure VIP tour with one set of friends who are only coming for a few days over a long weekend. I looked at the full VIP tour and discounted it as it didn’t look worthwhile given the length of our trip. Is that something you think we should reconsider?

It is something that I would consider if I were going all out on a WDW vacation. A completely customized itinerary complete with a knowledgeable guide, no waiting, FP+ to everything, transportation to wherever you want to go efficiently and quickly - yes, I would consider doing that.

I do understand that it's not for everyone, though. With four weeks at your disposal you will be able to see and do it all easily, so perhaps the VIP tour wouldn't be something that will be of interest to you in your situation. That is fine and, of course, a reasonable decision. Only you can decide if such a tour has any value to you and your group.
However, IMO, I like being pampered and knowing that I won't have to fight crowds for a good viewing location EVER for anything all day long and that we will be able to see and do everything we choose for that day.

I guess my point is that you already have the luxury of a lengthy vacation planned so adding another week (especially to just go to a MVMCP) would not appeal to me personally. Adding in additional luxuries during the currently planned 4 weeks' visit, however, would appeal to me greatly.

BTW: If you are already thinking that you will go back to WDW in 2020, I truly doubt that this trip will be a 'one and done'. WDW is seriously addictive!! LOL!
SO you will likely be able to see anything you miss this time on your next trip. How about: This time Hallowe'en and Food and Wine, next trip Christmas?

However you decide - enjoy your super vacation!!! It sounds amazing.

 

[Pluto80]

We’re also from the UK, and went for 5 weeks last year. Two weeks at OKW in a studio and theee week summer at POFQ. We absolutely loved it. Spent a lot of time just relaxing, enjoying exploring the other resorts, and just having fun as a family. Sometimes we all went out together (2 adults and 2 children), sometimes we split up. Sometimes some of us had a pool day while some of us went to the parks. The luxury of time was wonderful. We’re doing 4 weeks this year since our son starts secondary school in September, so we wanted to be back in time to get him ready for that. We actually became DVC members after our trip and are very much looking forward to using our points for the first time.

We used to go for three weeks, which was great, but extending it has been wonderful. We have also been fortunate enough to take a couple of single week trips. It does help that we’re teachers though, so have the benefit of long holidays (and the disadvantage of the high prices of course).

 

[Dr.Mickey]

My parents, to celebrate retirement, took two months at Disney - one between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and one in the spring. They absolutely loved it, but they also used the time to decide against moving to Orlando. They decided that they really wanted to live back home and just visit Disney.

Now, my mother can squeeze a nickel until 6 pennies fall out, so they found a pretty inexpensive way to do it. They asked around at many timeshares until they found one that gave them a good 30 day rate. And, I doubt they had more than one meal in the Park per day (shared, of course!).

As far as the schedule - they settled into a routine of getting to the parks around 4 or 5 pm (and sometimes later) and then staying for the Osborne Lights or Illuminations. They absolutely loved it, and they did only what they felt like, no pushing at all.

OP, I would imagine that after a month hoofing it around with extended family, you may find that extra week to be a much more relaxing adventure.

 

[PrincessNelly]

I would gladly go for 5 weeks but not spend everyday in the parks. We keep adding more and more days each trip, enough is never enough for us. We do a lot of non-park time though. My fiance would like to go for 2 weeks but my job limits me to a max 11 days of PTO in a 3 month period so not 2 weeks for me.

 

[PrincessBelle39]

We've stayed a month before. We certainly didn't find it too long. We would have been happy with more time.

 

[jo-jo]

First of all, does your group need a grandma?

I would love 5 weeks at disney. It sounds like the number in your party will change every week. I would be busy for few weeks and then wind down to relaxing at the resort in the morning, hitting a few rides and then do a nighttime show. I love the parks at night.

We have DVC, so I'm not sure what is in a regular resort room....coffee pot, fridge, Toaster?.... I'd order some groceries so you wouldn't need to go for every bite you eat. I don't mean trying to make a meals, just have on hand some fruit, bagels, yogurt, cheese and crackers, that sort of stuff.

One evening several years ago, my DH and I sat around the fire pit at AKL and read books . Yes, we traveled 1.000 miles, spent gobs of money, and just sat and read books. We loved it. We always bring books, but that night just seemed perfect.

If I read correctly, it will be just you and your husband the last week. To me that sounds perfect. AKL is amazing. That week will give you the chance to go back and see again whatever you want with just the two of you. Sometime traveling with a group, it's hectic and you miss things.

 

[Skellingtonj]

My absolute max at Disney is 8 days. I can do everything I want to do in that time, including visiting other places. I can't imagine being on vacation anywhere for five weeks.

Same. But we are good for 5-7 days. But we are in the us only a short flight away. I know we could not stay for more then 7 days.

 

[tlmadden73]

5 weeks? Holy moly.

Hard to give an opinion on that when I live a 9 hour drive from there and so I do a every "year and half" trip to Central Florida.

I can't imagine being away from home/work that long, but that being said, I think there is plenty to do at Disney and Central Florida area for a big vacation like that .. but boy will it cost a ton!

 

[Vowelmommy]

Five weeks at Disney sounds amazing- but that is a long time!!! I would be happy as a clam, but I know DH would be bored by then.

 

[adelaster]

I can only handle about four days! Everyone is different, and only you know the answer that's right for your family.

 

[crazedprincess]

Hubby and I have joked around and said that we wanted to live at Disney. But in reality, I could not do 5 weeks at Disney alone. The biggest thing to me would be the food! So hopefully you are staying at a place where you can make your own food for the majority of the time. I would also vote for traveling different places throughout the state of Florida.

But with 5 weeks, you could really take your time and move at a nice pace at the parks, instead of rushing around trying to get everything in.

 

[bettymae1121]

I could easily do 5 (or even 4) weeks but I think that all or at least part of the trip would have to be in a rented home off property, with a car rental. I couldn't live out of even a Disney deluxe resort room for that long, or even DVC. And I think I'd call it a Central Florida vacation and not just a Disney one. Yes, WDW would be the primary focus and I'd spend a ton of time there, but I'd also do Universal/Sea World, spend some time at a beach somewhere, maybe do the NASA thing, and have plenty of down days to spend pool side.

Actually this sounds like a really good idea for a trip when I retire...in 20 years!

I've done both the Christmas and Halloween parties at MK and I have to say I'm not a fan of either. I won't go so far as to say I regret doing them but neither (to me) seem worth the additional cost - if you are already doing a Halloween party honestly I'd skip MVMCP even if you do stay the extra week. At any rate, I would not spend an extra week just for a party. But if you'd like to extend it for a week for other reasons and hey, want to add in the party since you're there anyway - sure that's fine.

Whatever you decide, I hope you have a fabulous time in FL!

 

[Shellyred8]

I've never done 5 weeks at WDW, but would love to try sometime!!! If it were me trying to decide between 4 or 5 weeks, and I had that really long flight to deal with, I would definitely add the 5th week.
Here are a few of my thoughts for your consideration:
1. If you don't want to drive, you can use Uber or Lyft to take you around to the local places. There are LOTS of drivers down there, so you probably won't ever have to wait more than about 5-10 minutes for a ride.
2. Others have mentioned that they would get sick of the food. My tips for that would be as follows: make sure you check out the new restaurants at Disney Springs. There are lots of new places there and the food has been getting really good reviews; Take an Uber to an off-site restaurant; Take an Uber to a local grocery store and pick up a few things for your room so you don't have to eat out all the time.
3. Mini-golf!!! DH and I really enjoy mini-golf. Disney has two on property and there are lots more mini-golf courses in the area that you could take an Uber to.
4. If you decide that you want to go out to Kennedy Space Center, keep an eye on their Launch schedule. There are rockets launching more frequently now, so you could try to time your visit to a day when there is a launch. I got to see my first live launch last December. It was AWESOME!!!
5. We did the Christmas party once. We had a good time and I'm glad we did it. But it was a one-and-done thing for us.
6. You mentioned you would be there in October, but you didn't give exact dates. If you end up being at WDW after about Nov 16, the on-site Hotels start putting up their decorations at that time, so you could plan some time to go around and see those. They really are quite spectacular! We missed these decorations by about 3 days last year. I was so bummed!!!

Good luck with your planning and I hope you have a fantastic trip!!

 

[DIS_MIKE]

Well I always say you need a good 10 days to see everything WDW has to offer.

2 days MK
2 days EPCOT
1 day HS
2 days AK (Pandora/FOP Is worth visiting more than once)
1 day Disney springs
1 water park day
Rest day somewhere in the middle

I would take advantage of those 5 weeks and explore more of Orlando. You’ve got Seaworld, Universal, Discovery Cove, Busch Gardens in Tampa. Heck, I’d even rent a car for a few days and go to Miami Beach and possibly Key West if you can swing it but you probably want to keep WDW as your base. Now that WDW charges for parking I would not rent a car for 5 weeks haha OUCH. Maybe look into a 3 or 4-night cruise on the Dream? So many options for a 5-week vacation.

 

[Tigger in a kilt]

OP here. I have been reading all the replies and I hugely appreciate the various viewpoints and all the fantastic advice that has continued to be posted. I had been holding off replying until we had a decision, but we are still thinking, as it involves some logistics at home that we need to get in place before we can book the 5th week.

Here’s where we currently are: we are definitely going for the 4 weeks. We have the last night to ourselves so I’m making plans for that for Jiko and the safari at AKL, so if we do add on, we will be at the right place, as a potential 5th week will definitely be at AKL. If we don’t stay for the 5th week, then we might see if we can move to AKL for the final day, as I really want to stay there.

From what has been said here, the MVMCP is not worth staying an extra week for, so I’m taking that on board. We would definitely go out to NASA, but the more I plan the 4 weeks, the more I want to make sure we get to NASA either way. I will start investigating Uber and Lyft.

I have realised that my main reason for wanting to stay is to do the adult-focussed stuff that I want to do. So I have spent a lot of time reworking the itinerary for the first 4 weeks to see where I can add “my stuff” to that. Our family can cope if we go for dinners ourselves a few nights, for example. I’m also leaning more towards the idea that someone (sorry, I can’t remember who) suggested of doing the full VIP day, to get a different experience. I think I can add more value to our trip in ways other than just staying the extra week.

My big worry is that, after 4 weeks there, we will both be burnt out and exhausted, so the 5th week would be wasted. Again, this shows the need for me to rework our itinerary for the 4 weeks so that I can walk away having done what I wanted to, rather than the current itinerary of 4 MNSSHPs and 3 trips to CRT as I try to ensure that my various family groups see everything. The existing itinerary had become overwhelming and repetitive to me, and I realised that I had started to see the first 4 weeks as “obligations”, and the potential 5th week as the only fun part. I don’t want a trip like that, so I need to change both the plan and my attitude.

My 14 year old niece has the right idea: I asked her what she wanted to do on this trip, her first visit, and her reply was “It’s Disney World, it will be fun no matter what we do”. I need to try to adopt that outlook, and remember that this is supposed to be fun! I’m spending the rest of today continuing reworking my itinerary for the first 4 weeks to include the things that my husband and I want to do, rather than trying purely to cater to everyone else. My ADR window opens tomorrow so dining and tours are my focus at the moment, but even that will make a huge difference.

Thank you again to everyone who has replied over the last 7 pages, for all the fantastic advice and suggestions. I really appreciate it!

 

[North of Mouse]

I’m not sure if this is the right forum, so apologies if it’s not.

We are going to WDW for the first time in October, coming from the UK. We are spending 4 weeks there, with 4 groups of family/friends. We have zero time when we will be there on our own.

The first Christmas party starts a few days after we leave. We can’t arrive later because we are tied to school holidays. I am vaguely kicking around the idea of staying for the Christmas party, a total of 5 weeks. This was originally supposed to be our “one and done” trip for a big birthday and anniversary, though now we may end up going again in 2020 to stay in the Star Wars hotel.

Is 5 weeks too long? The last week would be the only one that was just my husband and myself, and it might be fun to do grown up stuff. Our flights are more expensive than an extra week (so we won’t be back any time soon), we are upgrading to an AP as it’s cheaper, and I will be sad if we miss the Christmas party. However, 5 weeks is a very long time to spend in a theme park! Is it silly to even consider this? Thank you.

For us, yes, it would be too long. In your circumstances, can understand you wanting/needing a week alone, also coming from abroad, can see staying longer.

But, 4 weeks with groups - yes, definitely too long for us - only you can answer for yourselves.
We typically stay 10-12 days. We prefer to travel without others - much more relaxing and spontaneous to us. By then, as much as we enjoy Disney, we are 'done' and ready to go home!! We leave home tomorrow for 10 days for the Flower & Garden Festival.

 

[WestieCrazy]

Wow, you have received so much good advice! You will have a great time - it won't be too hot, and it shouldn't rain too much. I have read that you aren't too keen on renting a car and driving out of Orlando, but if you change your mind, there is so much to do in Florida. The Gulf Coast is beautiful - Sanibel Island is a 3 hour drive, but it offers world-class shelling (shell collecting). Just a bit further south from Sanibel is Barefoot Beach, which is much less crowded and the shelling is just as good.

Someone also mentioned St. Augustine, which is about a 2 and 1/2 hour drive northeast. It is such a pretty, unique town with tons of history - including the Castillo de San Marcos fort. I'm also biased towards going to Naples - absolutely gorgeous town with so many things to do.

Just wanted to mention these in case you reach a saturation point and need a break (the beach!).

 

[crazylady]

Surprised at the number of people saying that 4-5 weeks is too long. For those that think so, I'm curious as to whether you would say 4-5 week at some 5 star resort on a tropical island would be too long.

Yes, there are significant differences between Disney and a tropical island. But, the point is that you are 'escaping' it all and forgetting the stresses of everyday life as long as you can get away with it. It's just my opinion, but I think Disney World is a great place to escape. And, the longer the trip, the easier it would be to truly escape.

Want to sleep in today and miss rope drop? No big deal. I have 4 more weeks to worry about that. Not sure how that much freedom in an environment with so much to offer would get old.

For me it's not so much too much of the good parts of Disney. It's too much of the bad parts of Disney... too much living in a hotel room, too much eating out, too much crowds, too much waiting in line. Oh the lines... waiting for the bus, waiting for the rides, waiting for the fireworks, waiting for security, waiting in line for the bathroom, waiting to order food.

I think I could spend 5 weeks on an island resort, except for maybe the food. We had fabulous food on our honeymoon in Jamaica but after about the 4th day, I thought I'd be sick if I ate another egg.

Not to mention, it I was going to andiffa dif country, I'd want to explore lots of different things.

To the OP- I'm sure you'll have a fabulous time. Disney is alot of fun and you get to see your friends and family too. I would take some time to Uber to University because the Harry Potter stuff is very cool. I'm sure you could hire an actual driver to take you outside of Orlando too if you decided that's what you wanted to do. There is a driver people talk about on the Universal board who comes highly recommend.