Is a 4 day trip worth it?

[milmore104]

To all those who go for a short trip do you find it worth the money you spend? I was thinking of suprising my DH w/ a short 4 day WDW trip but wonder if it will be worth it? Do you do the things you want to or does your trip seem to be cramed all together and you feel really rushed? Thanks for the help.
Just a note I am thinking about a small trip because my DH works away all the time and we have a BIG family vacation planned for WDW in May 04' (15 nights). We have been talking about our trip fro awhile (since we returned from our last trip actually) and thought it would be nice to go on a mini vacation. THANKS

 

[Trekker]

I think it depends on your expectations for the trip and how often you go to WDW.

I try to make it to WDW 3 or 4 times a year. No trip longer than about 5 - 6 days. This is perfect for me, I even go at times I know are going to be busy, such as spring break, but at those times I have different expectations. I know there will be long lines and I use FP. I plan nice dinners and more "people watching". Try to see many of the shows in Epcot WS, etc.

Just go to spend time together in the happiest place on earth and do not try to do everything.

BTW - I'm going to move this to the Theme Parks board for you.

 

[opal]

We have found that shorter trips work best in the off-season when the parks are less crowded. When the lines are shorter, it's amazing how much you can see and do in just 4 days. The hours are usually shorter, but there is always DTD and the Boardwalk to explore after the parks.

 

[imbe@aol.com]

Originally posted by milmore104
To all those who go for a short trip do you find it worth the money you spend? I was thinking of suprising my DH w/ a short 4 day WDW trip but wonder if it will be worth it? Do you do the things you want to or does your trip seem to be cramed all together and you feel really rushed? Thanks for the help.
Just a note I am thinking about a small trip because my DH works away all the time and we have a BIG family vacation planned for WDW in May 04' (15 nights). We have been talking about our trip fro awhile (since we returned from our last trip actually) and thought it would be nice to go on a mini vacation. THANKS

We've gone on many a short trip, and yeah .. I *do* think it's worth it! Maybe it would help you decide if you thought of this "mini trip" as sort of a "scoping things out" for the big trip mission! LOL You'll get a feel for the place(s) you do and don't want to go back to, and it'll be a nice getaway for the two of you too!

 

[Demosthenes]

We love the short getaways (4 nights usually). You just have to know your limitations. We usually book a room in the Epcot resort area for a short trip, and focus on MGM and Epcot. We made the mistake of booking the AKL once for a 4 night trip, and the seclusion that lends itself to a relaxing getaway does not work so well for the somewhat fast pace of a short stay. We also have stayed at the Poly and CR for 4 night stays, and did an old-fashioned trip where we stuck to the MK and Epcot and played around on the Magnolia course, then spent the afternoon an Bay Lake or seven seas lagoon. Those trips were tweo of the best we ever took.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

Is it worth it? Yes!!! I've done a 3 nighter and a 4 nighter and those little trips are great. It helps me get through the long months waiting for a longer trip.

It's difficult for my DH to get off work for longer than a few days at a time so we fit trips in whenever we can.

 

[ZerasPride]

We've done a 3 night trip before over Memorial Day weekend. DS was not to happy to fly down on a Friday afternoon and come back Monday afternoon. We stayed at the Poly which was perfect for our little getaway. I personally feel a little Disney is better than no Disney at all. I'm taking my sister and two precious nieces for their first trip ever and am surprised I was able to get my sister to agree to a 5 day trip. She and her husband usually prefer shorter vacations.

Anyway, I wholeheartedly agree that a 4 day trip is so worth it! Have a great time!

 

[Synonymous]

We once did 2 nights and had a great trip. The key, of course, is to not feel like you have to "do everything." Pick your favorite couple of parks and do your favorite attractions. It was, surprisingly, one of our more relaxing trips.

 

[clkelley]

We just did a short trip last week.

We arrived on Tuesday night and hit the ground running on Wednesday morning.

The parks had long hours which helped.

We did the following:
Wednesday morning - Studios - all of the continuously running rides.
A boat ride to Beach Club and had a Kitchen Sink for lunch
Wednesday afternoon - World Showcase - browsed all the countries and did Oh Canada, Mexico Boat Ride, and American Adventure. Had dinner at R&C during Illuminations.

Thursday morning - Richard Petty Speedway - my BIL did the 8 lap drive experience.
Thursday afternoon/evening MK till closing - took a break for dinner at Ft. Wilderness Trails End then came back for Fantasy in the Sky and the late Spectromagic

Friday morning - Animal Kingdom - had a late breakfast at Boma at the Lodge
Went back to the room about 6pm for a break and laundry after stopping at Rainforest Cafe for appetizers and a Volcano.
Friday night - went to Studios for 10pm Fantasmic

Saturday morning - Epcot Future World - messed up on EE day so had time before park opened to take a roundtrip on the monorail up front
Saturday afternoon - Studios Shows - we saw Indiana Jones, Backlot Tour, Animation Tour, and Little Mermaid - we missed the last Millionaire show and skipped Beauty and the Beast - stopped in at Sci-Fi for burgers and shakes
Saturday night - Went to Adventurer's Club and closed the place down

Sunday Morning 5:30 am Mears bus to Airport

Hubby and our friends were on a later flight that evening so they spent some time shopping at Downtown Disney before heading to the airport

We stayed at All-Star Movies

 

[LMHB]

YES! I know a family who has gone for one day. Four days is plenty if you know you are coming back someday. Especially with small kids, that may be all they can take. Have fun!

 

[Maridw]

We did 4 days in April 02, 4 days in November 02, 5 days in March 03 and will be doing 4 days in April/May 03. We found we can still see alot of the parks. We usually plan on certain things we want to do and set up a little schedule. If we don't stick to it, no problem. Since we have been quite a few times in the last couple years, there are some things we take a miss on. In March, we did a couple things we hadn't done before.

Even though the time is somewhat limited, we don't rush to do things. If we decide to get a FP for a ride, then we get one. But if we get tired and need a break, we take a break.

This new trip is a last minute type decision, only because we got a good rate on the hotel and have seasonal passes. We don't like to go during the summer (been there, done that, will NEVER do it again ). We prefer winter, & spring when the weather is a bit cooler but not too cold.

Take your trip and enjoy the rest.

 

[Donald23]

Next time you have to stay longer.This will be are third time in a row to go to Disney World.We are going in June for 10 days It will be fun!!!!!!

 

[alyssa810]

Good God YES! YES! YES! We just came home from the airport where we booked our flight for may 8-12; yes, it's mother's day weekend, but since buying our APs we find it hard to resist!! This will be our 3rd trip in 7 months, with our 4th trip already planned for September. The short and sweet ones are totally worth it!!

 

[MouseClubMom]

In my opinion, ANY TRIP to WDW is worth doing!


We just got back from a 5 day adventure (but factor in that 2 of those days we had a 6 hour drive). We had 4 kids with us and had TONS of fun in that amount of time.

 

[Music Mole]

Another vote here for ABSOLUTELY Yes!

We did 4 days in December - the key was setting priorities. We knew we wouldn't have time for everything. We decided not to try to do AK on that trip because we felt confident we'd get at least one more trip in on our APs before they expire (we were right - we're going back in May, and maybe even in September if my husband gets to attend a conference at the Swan).

Since you know you have another, longer trip coming up, it will help knowing that what you don't see now, you can catch then. If this will be a trip for just the two of you, maybe you'll want to do some of the things that might not be do-able for you with a larger group or kids along on your next trip.

Have a great time on your trip(s)!

 

[ChairborneRangr]

MOST DEFINATELY YES! In 2000 my wife and I celebrated our 15th anniversary by going to WDW for 4 days. I hadn't been there for 22 years. We had a BLAST. We did just about everything possible in that amount of time in the 4 main parks. We used the Birnbaum plans. It was October, so they worked great.

I think it is a good idea to do that on your own before you take the big trip. WDW can be daunting even to a diehard fan like me. I travel west far more frequently than east, so we've been to DisneyLand a number of times.

Go for it! just know you won't see everything.

 

[milmore104]

Thanks to everyone for the help and advice. I guess I will start booking our trip. We go to WDW every year for at least a 10 night stay but we went in Nov.02 and are not going back till May 04' so it's about 17 months before we go back and as any Disney addict knows that's to LONG without a Disney "FIX". Thanks again.

 

[antmaril]

Absolutely!!! We have been going to WDW for years and have never stayed longer than four nights. WE are going again in June - four nights at YC and three nights at Portofino Bay at Universal. Since we've been many times, we don't feel we have to get our money's worth when we visit the parks. We know what rides we enjoy and usually we just play it by ear. Since it's so hot, we like to get to the parks early, have a nice lunch, go back to the resort for a swim or a nap and head out again in the evening. This works for us and we always enjoy our trips.

Have fun!

 

[KBFinFan]

I just went to WDW for 4 days in late March, and since I had not been in about 7 years the trip truly was amazing! I really did everything I could, gave the three big parks a day to themselves, checked out AK on the 4th day (along with hopping to the other three one last time!), and I even did e-night at the MK. I guess I did feel a little rushed, but I didn't mind, but I have to say I did so much stuff that I never did before so it was well worth it. From the character breakfasts to dinner in Epcot with a view of Illuminations, I really have high expectations for my next trip. I would recommend without reservation a four day trip! Have fun!