I thought my family was Disneyed out?

[Fargoman2]

I sensed a consensus among our family that our 3rd consecutive summer Disney trip gave us a case of Disney burn-out--the crowds, the lines--too much. We've been back home barely two weeks and already my kids are asking my wife and I, "How many days til we go back to Disneyworld?"

I suppose that we will go back--but I think we need to mix it up a bit. I was
wondering about renting a car and spending a couple of days at Sanibel
Island. Is that a worthwhile thought? Do you have any other ideas to
"freshen up" our Disney routine of basic park-hopping?

glad to hear any of your ideas to make our vacation a bit more innovative.

Thanks!

 

[Geebs]

Its funny..many people ask me why I go to Disney much. My reply is that it takes me away. The second I leave, I just want to go back. While I love doing other types of travel and going to other places, my heart always lands back on WDW.
Now that my DH and I have bought DVC and my parents have owned for years, we take the time to do other things in WDW besides parks...that doesn't mean that we don't go into the parks, but sometimes we may only go over to do a ride or two and thats it. WE take our time in the parks..we know that if we miss it, we will be back again.
As for other things that we do., I will make a list.

we golf so we started checking out the links there...while its expensive, we golf a little later and take advantage of the discount that dvd gives.

my mom, sister and I head to the spa. last feb we did a whole day package while my DH and dad went to the daytona 500...while I am interested in car racing, I needed to be pampered.

we spend time visiting the hotels and really take in what each has to offer.... for example...we go to the CR and have a drink and watch the fireworks..sometimes we have dinner. We go over to Wilderness lodge for breakfast and really get into the play acting . No joke, we have had that same waitress more times than I can count, and we look forward to catching up with her.
My dh and I hit the arcades at the different resorts...the one at the CR is awesome!!

We will head to the market place during the day to shop...sometimes we buy things...sometimes we don't;. there are great things to look at and really nice picture spots too.

We rent the little water boats.....
we have mini-golfed and had so much fun...there were 16 of us and it was a riot!

as you can see, there are many things other than parks, but even if you do just the parks...you can change what you do in them..one day, I spent over an hour talking to a worker who was gardening....incredible.


as for going other places..sanibel is really nice.pretty, but it wasn't a very active place. relaxing yes...but not the same.

have you thought of Disney's Vero beach..only 2 hours away. Disney quality on the ocean...the place is wonderfull...we have done a few days at the parks and went there just to enjoy the ocean and pool and just relax.

what ever you decide is fine, as long as you have fun with the people that you are with!!!

 

[Pooh67_68]

How about a day trip to Universal or Sea world.
We have done both and they were great.
Also near Sea World is Dolphin Cove, where you can swim with the dolphins (for a price of course, just don't remember how much).

 

[Fargoman2]

I really appreciate your informed perspective on the many ways one can enjoy the Disney experience. It sounds like you've managed to make it so active, yet relaxing.

I know that our suddenly annual trips to WDW put a significant strain on our financial resources, but my wife and I agree they are so worth it. Our oldest is now a 9th grader and it won't be long before these family trips will be fading
memories. It's just amazing how a Disney vacation brings us all together. I hope that our children will treasure these special times together. (It's my prayer that they'll be able to block out the memories of my stress-induced meltdowns that sometimes were a wet blanket on the Disney magic.)

Hey, I just might check into that Vero Beach idea.

Thanks again for your thoughtful reply!

 

[PamsFam]

No matter how often we go, we still seem to want to go back. We tend to have our favorite must dos, but then I research these boards for new ideas to try and despite having been there 7 times we are still looking forward to trip #8 in November. I guess one of the reasons we keep coming back is the feeling of familiarity, as DVC owners its kind of like coming home to our "Home away from home."
I also would recommend Disney's Vero Beach Resort. We were there 2 years ago and spent 4 days simply relaxing around the pool, reading and enjoying our favorite poolside beverages. It was so enjoyable we are returning there this November and I can't wait.

 

[lenshanem]

I fear burn out, too since we joined DVc. My kids are still little, but in a few years we plan on doing other things like, Universal, Sea World and like soemoen else mentioned Discovery Cove.
Even the water parsk are nice to do. You can make a day out of that. Enjoying the pools at the resorts, taking more time to relax instead of the commando type style we're used to. This is waht we plan on doing in future years.

 

[Cameo]

Hey neighbor -

We are making side trips to Sea World and Universal this year. After our trip next month, our next Disney trip probably won't be for a couple of years and our hope then is to also head down to Busch Gardens in Tampa and maybe trek over to Clearwater Beach. We have done that before we had kids and now need to wait until they are old enough to appreciate it. Our long term plans also call for trips to Disneyland and a Disney Cruise (need to save A LOT for that one) in the next several years.

My fear is that we will "over-Disney" our kids when they are little and then they will hate it as teenagers!! But, we just can't help ourselves. DH and I just love taking the trip back to familiar Disney territory every chance we get.

 

[PamsFam]

I don't think we will ever truly tire of Disney, but we are considering a visit to Euro Disney in 2005. It's a great excuse to visit France and then go to Germany. With mileage points we should be able to get there free of charge.

 

[tc]

We are also DVC members, and worried that we'd lose the "magic". It hasn't happened yet. We take time to smell the roses. Sleep late some days. This time we are doing the Keys to the Kingdom tour at MK and seeing Cirque du Soliel. We rarely eat at sit-down restaurants because of my inability to eat large quantities of food at one time, so spend that money on other things that are fun. We love miniature golf, and hanging out at the pool. Renting a surrey bike at the Boardwalk is an all-time favorite. When you know you'll be back again, it's easy to take time and not rush and do the park hopping thing all the time. But, don't get me wrong. I love the parks, rides, shows, etc. I just know if I miss it this time, I'll see it next time. Next week will be our 8th trip, and I am just as excited as my first. Maybe more so, because I know what's in store.