Is a 3-day trip worth it???

[welovedis]

I just found out that DH has a long weekend coming up in May (Usually never happens!) and again in June. I am toying with the idea of planning a surprise trip to WDW without our DS. The problem is that we would have to leave on Sat morning and be back on Mon eve. We would be flying from Rochester, NY so the flights are not exactly quick. I am really on the fence about doing and spending the extra $$$, but since I was going to get an AP for our 1/04 trip anyway, I thought I might just do this.

Anyone else done a quick trip like this and regretted it?

Help me decide please

 

[Tiggerkeeper]

We have one planned in January! I know, it's a long way off but woo hoo childless! We have gone on two other trips like this with our teenagers and loved it. I can't wait to see what it is like with just us! I plan on going to maybe two parks and just relaxing...a first for us.

Have fun!!

 

[denman007]

welovedis,

Based on what you said I would probably wait. Save the money and really do it right next Jan.

The reason I say this is if you get your AP's now, use it for 3 days, when Jan rolls arounds you'll only have 5 months left. If you wait til next Jan to get the AP's then you have all year to go again.

Of course, that's just a thought. It's really up to you. A surprise trip sounds good too. Maybe you can go and still hold off on the AP's if you think you can have a few return trips next year.

D

 

[welovedis]

Thanks for both your thoughts. To clarify--we are definitely going in 1/04 and "doing it up" as DH would say. We are booked at AKL & BWI -concierge for both and we will be there 9 days. I was planning on getting an AP for me if there are AP rates for that time-period. Otherwise I wouldn't get an AP because I know we won't be going back for more than a year after that trip.

I thought a surprise trip would be fun, DH is always surprising me with neat things and thought this would be cool. Plus our 11th anniversary is in early May & his b-day is later in the month so it would be a celebration for both. I guess I am thinking of going ahead it with it if I can find some reasonable airfare and some family members to care for DS!

 

[vbfamily]

Mary from mousesavers.com just posted some new codes today.

See if you can get a deal somewhere-maybe that will make the trip even better.

 

[CarolA]

I go for three days all the time, but I already have the AP. I would hate for you to buy one and then not get AP rates for next January. Just don't know.

 

[welovedis]

CarolA-that is a really good point-hmmm... I haven't really thought about that at all and was just hoping that AP discounts would be available then. But I was planning for the cost of the AP in my budget for that trip and am pretty well *set* that I would be buying one.

I also figured since it was DH & I and we would probably spend a lot of time out of the resort I am not too picky about where we stay for this trip. I was thinking of a mod or the WL standard view. I think we would be out checking out the BW area, touring through Epcot and MGM, out shopping, etc.. So the cost of the hotel is not my biggest cost factor, the airfare is probably the most expensive aspect.

I guess I am trying to figure out what other liked/disliked about taking such a short trip. Our first trip was for 8 days, our second trip was 9 days and the third in Jan will be 9 days as well. My reason for asking this is because I don't want to regret just getting there Sat morning and having only 1 *full* day (Sunday) to enjoy WDW. KWIM?

 

[patsal]

Wow! I'm having the same dilemma. The hotel price won't be a problem, we have PAP's already and I just found out I have a four day weekend over our Anniversary. I have not found a good price for a flight for that weekend out of Buffalo though, and that is what has me on the fence. I really would like to be around four hundred not five hundred plus. I want ot go and enjoy without the kids, but I don't know about the value of the flight cost! I hate these kinds of decisions.

 

[welovedis]

patsal-
you said it! I am in Rochester but would fly out of Buffalo if the airfare was cheap enough. I just can't find anything less than $200 plus r/t for each of us and that just seems like alot I am thinking of going ahead and booking the room and making arrangements for DS, then just waiting to see if I can grab a good airfare. If not, then I can always get my deposit back (as long as I book thru CRO) and we can still get away somewhere in NY or something.

Good luck with your airfare search!

 

[denman007]

Are you guys looking on Orbitz? With 1 stop you might be able to get under 200...june 7-9 buf/orl is 160

 

[Beachangel]

I do it all the time.....go for it!

 

[welovedis]

denman007-thanks for the reminder about orbitz. I just checked and they do have some flights for $180 + the $10 fee pp. Unfortunately those flights leave Sat afternoon and arrive around midnight Sat so we would lose that day. I was thinking of taking either a SWA flight out of Buffalo or an Airtran from here in Rochester and get in Orlando before noon. Have to keep looking I guess.

BTW-love the pics in your sig-adorable!

 

[opal]

We did a three day trip a few years back and it was great fun! We too, live in Western NY. Have you thought about flying out Friday night and staying off-site near the airport. That way you would have a full day on Saturday.

 

[denman007]

welovedis,

I pm'd you.

 

[welovedis]

Thanks again everyone for your thoughts. I went ahead and booked a king room at PO-FQ for the dates since that great rate code is out. With tax the 2 nights will be about $243.00 so I figured why not? I have the courtesy hold on it and will make up my mind by the time the confirmation gets here.

Glad that so many have enjoyed a quick weekend trip. I think it will be a neat way to see some things we wouldn't otherwise do with our young DS.

opal-enjoying the sun today? Here in Rochester it is a welcome sign of spring-I hope-lol! I had originally thought about leaving on Friday but since DS is in school it would be too hard to make arrangements for another day of someone watching him. Plus we don't rent a car when we are iin WDW, we just do transfers with a town car company (DH won't drive down there and I don't want to-lol) so it would be hard to make a transfer from an off-site to an on-site hotel IMO.

I think I'll just have to do some airline watching for the next few days!

 

[patsal]

OK you convinced me, i'm going to go ahead and call for the room when I get home from work, and keep my fingers crossed for a decent flight price. I just hope I don't have to cancela nd disappoint myself!!! welovedis, if I find a great airfare I'll pm you!!!

 

[franw]

Go with the understanding that you aren't going to be able to do everything and you will have a great time. One time we hit all of our must-dos in each park and had a ball. Our adage is that there is never enough time, whether is a three day trip or a ten day trip. I'd definitely rent a car though. You'll save lots of time if you want to go to anywhere but the parks.

 

[goofymom23]

Any time you get to go to Disney is a plus and is worth it. I say go.

 

[pixiechick]

We did this in January. Arrived Fri. at 10 am, left Sun. at 4 pm. As franw said, you just have to decide what your priorities are-you can't do everything. We didn't make dining plans and planned very loosely. We would do it again. It was a great way to spice up the middle of a cold snowy winter.

For us, the deciding factor was airfare. We decided on a reasonable price, and then kept checking orbitz and sidestep for fares. One day, prices dropped and we snapped the tickets up.

 

[Alice42]

I think a 3-day mini vacation is totally worth it. You only live once, right???