How many nights do you go?

[pam66]

HI

We are going to WDW in July..me, DH, and 4 yr old DD. Last year we went for only 4 nights and that just was not enough. How many nights do you go? Right now I am planning on 6 nights but now I am considering adding a 7th night. Do I really need to or is 6 nights plenty. We are staying at ASMo and I'm using the Dream Maker prince/princess plan. In my ideal world, we would go for 2 weeks but just wodering what would be good for the real world Thanks for your help.

Pam

 

[disneyjunkie]

Our first trip in 2001 was 7 nights, not enough time to do it all.

Our trip next month will be 9 nights, still not enough time to do it all. Oh well, guess I'll have to plan another trip.

 

[Lory]

Because we have to drive for 29 hours we stay as long as possibe. The first time we went for 11 nights which was about perfect for us, so this December we are going for 11 nights again. We get home exhausted but we give ourselves 2 days to rest before we go back to work and school.
I would add the 7th night if you could, why not?! The longer the better in my opinion, unless it is too much added expense.

Have fun,

Lory

 

[Kate-n-sam]

in April. I'm already worried we won't be able to do as much as I'd like. I think 10 days would be great, excluding travel days, to have a nice relaxing, but see everything trip. Of course that's not realistic for us, so maybe it doesn't answer your question. Go for the 7 nights and have a great time!

 

[tink2]

We always go for 6 nights- allowing 5 days in the parks. Now, we have been 3 times in the last 5 years, and are going back again. So, take that into consideration. The first trip we packed everything in we could possible do. Now that we've been several times, we know what we like and what we don't. It is much easier to do the things we know we want to do and skip the others. We also are commandos- at the parks at opening and there until after the night show. I think 6 is OK if you are commando and can handle that. If you need more rest you might need more. We would love more- but our budget is screaming at us as it is! lol So, we do 6 and get as much in as we can! I say go for as many as you can afford. With planning and strategy- you can get a lot done in 6 nights!

 

[catherines_mama]

We did 5 days 6 nights. It WAS and WASNT enough. We got to do a park a day, and the last day we did 2 parks hitting DDs favorites only. I DO think that I'd want 6 days 7 nights next time. We did not hit 1/2 (honest here) of MK.

Thankfully we have family in the Tampa area and are doing a day trip to hit MK agian while there this summer. Anyway..

6days 7nights if my vote for young kids. more would be good for older. I know my 2 1/2 DD and I were ready to be home.

 

[jimmiej]

Last trip was 8 nights. It was great! Two days at MK, two at Epcot, one day each for MGM, AK, & Typhoon Lagoon. This trip will be 7 nights. We're taking our niece & nephew who've never been. We figured a week would be just right for them.

 

[dsnycrzy]

It wasn't enough. I guess with so many of us, we would all get tired at different times and use our "off" days for sleeping and little shopping.
We stayed at QS and we forgot to plan in shopping days, just to walk up and down the street and shop in all the little stores. The one day we did shop was suppose to be our rest day and so after shopping all day, got no rest. The very last day (our train left at 3 p.m.), we all ran up to the flea market to get the things we were suppose to come back and pick up during that week. That was a headache with us 3 adults and 10 kids (4 of those under 2). So this year we are going for 14 days and put down SLEEP DAYS and SHOP DAYS as well as 5 WDW days and 2 or 3 US days.

When I first started going to WDW, I only went for 5 days and then it creeped to 7, then 9, then 11, you get it. A month of pixie dust wouldn't be enough for me.

 

[mbb]

Originally posted by pam66

16 minimum...but would like 365!!


Go for as long as you feel that you "can"...whether that's financially, mentally...there's always lots to do

Enjoy!!

 

[jcemom]

We went for 9 nights the beginning of February. Crowds were pretty low and we did much of what we wanted, plus had time to relax too. I think 9 nights was pretty close to perfect. It depends on your family, though. By the last day or so DH and DS 10 were more than ready to come home! I could've stayed longer.

When I go next year it will be just DD and I. I'm planning (at this point) on 8 nights. DH (among others) think that's way too long for just the two of us. I guess I'll find out!

 

[gopherit]

We used to do 5 nights (where in we had 2 park days, then a "day off" enjoying the resort and DTD, then 2 more park days). However, we have such a distance to travel (15 hrs by car), we decided to stay longer. SO we did a 9 night visit last time -- this was just about perfect, with 8 days to enjoy the world. We did 2 park days, then a day off, a park day, a water park day, a day off, then a park day, and lastly a day off. On our off days, we usedthe pool, shopped/played at DTD, resort-hopped, etc. You could easily adapt this schedule to 7 days, I think, by removing a day off -- we just really love our days off! With small kids, I just think those days off are a God-send, though. There is so much stimualtion in the parks, they need that leisurely down-time. We usually schedule a fun meal on our off-days (like lunch at RFC, or dinner at Chef Mickey's). Because we have been at a leisurely pace during those days, I think those meals are among our most enjoyable! And you can really sit back and enjoy a character b'fast, knowing you aren't out to commando the parks that day.

I will say, however -- longer trips are addictive! For our trip this August, we are staying for 12 days! Our boys (ages 9 and 7) want to do both water parks and DQ this time; dd wants to do one of the Grand Floridian adventures (cooking or tea party); all our kids and their cousin want to do the Pirate cruise. And we gotta have those "No Park" days! So we'll hit the parks for 4 or 5 of the 12 days, then do the DQ one day, do the water parks each for a day, and that leaves us about 4 "off" days. (Hmmmm.... I see a full two week stay in our future... we haven't even TOLD our kids about Universal yet! We're still too busy in WDW!)

 

[newholiday]

We're going "home" for our 1st time to VWL for 8nights in Oct!!!

 

[Laurabearz]

I vote for adding the 7th night.

Our trips are normally 6-8 nights and we find 6 is too short.... the first and last day are settle in and pack up days..... so it is the time in the middle that counts.

Anything that can lend itself to a slower paced trip is wonderful.

 

[karylrocks]

If you can swing it you should add the 7th night. I started out planning just 4 nights (because I never really can afford to go, I just do it anyway), arriving on the red-eye at 8am and leaving on a 6pm flight out and doing 3 park days plus BB and DQ. Due to availabity of Skymiles flights, I had to extend it to 6 nights - leaving on a 10am flight out (spend two more nights in order to get one free plane ticket; makes sense, right?). We are still only doing 3 park days (I think) and I am planning some down time at the resorts. The more nights you can stay, the better IMHO.

 

[MomE@Home]

We are doing 13 nights this time around. I tried to get my DH to make it 14 because the #13 is bad luck-but no dice LOL !