How often to visit Disney???

[MrsJamesPSullivan]

I would go Spring, Fall and Winter every year if I could.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

With our kids, we used to go once every 3 years. Now that they are older and no longer want to go, I have been going solo for short trips twice a year since I have an AP.

When this AP expires, I'll probably go once a year and plan it around new things that will open up if possible.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I like going every 2 years. The only time I did back to back years was 2008/2009 but our 2008 trip was off site and visiting family with some WDW and US thrown in. 2009 was an onsite, DDP, park hopper, all out trip. This last 4 year span was due to a divorce and a lot of life changes. My favorte trip was in 2011 which was a 2.5 year span. I was so excited to go and still knew the ins and outs really well. This past trip in 2015 was 4 years and I felt like a newbie with FP+ and MDE. I forgot the layout of HS. I had an awesome time but I think that was too long of a span.

We just got back in September from a 10 night trip. I think it's our last big family trip to WDW. Next year we have a few things planned. We like to do other things in the off years. In 2016 we are thinking Niagara Falls, Jersey shore (we live in NJ) and Chicago to sight see and watch a game at Wrigley Field. My DS is about to be 16 and I'm trying to get the time in while he still likes to do things with us. I was thinking of going to WDW in 2017 but we have a wedding in Dominican Republic so I will make that our big trip that year. DS goes in 2018 for his senior class trip so I'm thinking it's a great time to go with DD and do a mother/daughter trip. So I'm looking at a 3 year span. Or I could squeeze in the mother/daughter trip in 2017 before DS goes. Who knows.

 

[EricInPA]

Next year will be our first year where we go twice (short trip in the Spring, week-long trip in the Fall). A week a year gives us a chance to do a lot while not worrying about squeezing everything in. We'll be back and there's always more to see!

(Crowds aside, Summer time at home is short and I wouldn't want to waste it by travelling somewhere that is nice year-round)

 

[isabellea]

In February it will be our 3rd time in less than 2 years but then I am taking a break. I might go back to FL next summer for our yearly beach trip but we'll do Universal or Bush Gardens instead. And then I want to do Southern California and DL in 2017 and go to France in 2018 (maybe Paris Disney). Therefore, I don't think we'll be back to WDW until 2019 and I'm okay with that. Will make WDW more exciting with the new additions that will happen in 2016-2019!

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

We got our first annual pass this May and have been May 5-11, Sept 5-9, we will be going Dec 7-13 and Apr 11-16 and I'm trying to figure a way to go in early March so apparently we can't wait a year but it is honestly to each his own. My DW and kids have been to the beach 3 times this year also and those are really our only 2 vacation spots.

 

[NYHeel]

We last went as a family in January 2012 and are going back this January making it 4 years. I personally think 3-5 years is the right amount of spacing between trips. If I went every year I think I'd get really bored. We're into thrill rides and those I can do all the time but Disney isn't really about thrill rides so I can't really see doing it over and over again.

I like doing long 8-10 day trips every 3-5 years where we go to Disney, Universal and maybe Sea World as well. But obviously everybody has their own opinion.

 

[lustergirl]

Daily would not be too often for my gang. But we don't live close enough for that.
We went in May, Aug, Oct and are going back in Dec this year
Plus we went to DL in June.

How is Disneyland? I look at their website and noticed the hotels are really expensive and there are some hotels they list that are across the street?

Just wanted to add that next year, probably the fall I will be taking my grandson for the first time. This will be a new experience for me.

 

[starsweeper]

We went twice this year (spring/fall breaks) after not visiting since fall break 2013. The spring break trip was so exciting and we had a blast, but the fall trip was much less fun--perhaps going so often was too much for us. We had a blast going to Yellowstone this summer and want to see more of the US. As a family of 6, one trip to WDW on property (our preference) equals 2-3 trips to national parks or other US cities. We're choosing to visit again in 2017 and may go for a longer 6-8 day trip, then wait 2-3 years for another trip.

 

[sharona]

I wouldn't go every year. I think every 2 - 3 years keeps it much fresher.

 

[kevind2112]

We went 3 years in a row from 2005 - 2007. In 07 our oldest daughter sang in the Candlelight Processional. We haven't been back since, mostly due to finances, etc... Well this year our youngest is now singing in the Processional, so we are finally heading back! It's been 8 years, and we're more than ready!

Unfortunately we booked way late ( was lucky to get a room! ) and haven't found a Processional Dining reservation yet for the night our daughter is performing, as they are sold out. Fingers crossed!!!

 

[CapeCodTenor]

I went once a year for about 4 years ending that in '01. It has since been 14 years and I haven't been back. I'm not planning my next trip for the fall of 2017, but that will probably be it for a few years. For us it's just too expensive to yearly.

 

[GPC0321]

I would go live in Disney if I could, I don't think I could ever go too much! That being said, I go to Busch Gardens Williamsburg all the time, actually in going tomorrow for Halloween, and I love it too! It has a lot to offer, and if you go you have to get soft pretzels from the place across from Verbolten. SO GOOD!

Very true about the pretzels!
BGW is a very lovely park, and it has some outstanding coasters. I'm glad that I am only a 2.5 - 3 hour drive away. I need to go again. Pretty sure they added a new coaster since I was last there.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We have neither the time, nor the funds to visit annually unless we just wanted to do WDW and never go anywhere else (no thank you). But, even if we did have more vacation time & more $, I doubt we'd want to go annually. Every 2-3 years would be plenty (and as it sits, it's 3 1/2 years since we visited with no immediate plans to return).

 

[GeneralTso]

We're from Seattle and visit Disneyland several times a year (family in SoCal). We haven't been to WDW since 2012 and return next week.
We decided to take a break with the massive reconstruction of Downtown Disney. Since much of it is opened we are returning for F&W marathon weekend. Bringing 4 adult children with us and staying at Beach Club Villas. Should be a barrel of monkeys!! I like that so much will be new and exciting.
Family are AP holders and I bought the Premier this year to take advantage of the dual discounts.

 

[kandb]

We've been going twice a year for a while now. For us, that frequency works because then we don't care if we miss something, because we can catch it next time. We don't visit every park every trip. That helps a lot to keep things a bit more fresh. We find that we are more relaxed than we are when we go once a year. When we go once-a-year we get a bit crazy trying to fit everything in.

That being said we aren't doing our winter trip this year, so it will be a year in between trips most likely this year. But on the bright side, hopefully Rivers of Light will be open by then and the Frozen ride, so waiting to see new stuff is good too.

What is River's of Light? Thanks

 

[kandb]

Daily would not be too often for my gang. But we don't live close enough for that.
We went in May, Aug, Oct and are going back in Dec this year
Plus we went to DL in June.

OMG, do you have a large family and do you fly when visiting? I guess you have annual passes. Now that's a lot of Disney and a lot of vacation time way from work. Good for you!

 

[kathy884]

I kind of like the annual three night/two day mini trip to Orlando. Two theme park days per year is perfect for me -- just enough / not too much. I don't want to waste more vacation time than that on theme parks though. For longer vacations we really like to go to the mountains in the summer -- going to Colorado again next summer. When I do a full week in Orlando I get a little burned out (Had so much fun, but just don't feel the need or desire to return anytime soon)-- have probably just been too many times. Anyway after doing a full week in Dec. of 2014 even though it was such a great trip, instead of doing my annual mini trip to Orlando in 2015, I headed to NYC for a mini trip instead and am opting for NYC instead of Orlando in 2016 for a mini trip too. 2017 will be my year to come back to Orlando, but just for thee nights/two day -- Planning on the MK with the Keys to the Kingdom tour followed by hang out time in that park and for day two we'll hit SeaWorld. To change it up too, I'm going to stay in an area and property that I've never stayed at before, and also for the first time ever I'm not going to rent a car.

I've been coming down since I was a kid when the park opened in 1971 (38-40 trips total). I have an extended family who adore theme parks, and frankly I've done more theme park days than anyone really needs to do in one lifetime. Despite all this, though, I do love a little mini annual Orlando get-a-way, but short is better than long for me for sure.

 

[tabrizia]

We haven't been to Disney in 6 years. It has been a bit too long for us. That being said, we plan to go back 2 to 2 1/2 years after this trip. There are so many places to go an explore that going every other year to Disney doesn't seem like a bad trade off to me.

We love the Williamsburg area, we haven't actually gone to Bush Gardens yet, but we just got back from our second Great Wolf Lodge trip within a 6 week period and my kids want to go back again already. We like that there is a bunch of stuff to explore in that area and you can make it a shorter trip (we're only 3 hours away so a long weekend trip is totally doable which is nice as well). I have heard great things about Bush Gardens Williamsburg and we plan to check it out eventually.

 

[AngiTN]

OMG, do you have a large family and do you fly when visiting? I guess you have annual passes. Now that's a lot of Disney and a lot of vacation time way from work. Good for you!

Lol, just me, DH and DGD
We are about 8 hours drive but have been flying thanks to $50 fares out of Atlanta
As for vacation, we both get 4 weeks