Is it just me?

[Sammie]

Sammie is a newbie at heart.

Bill

Simply young at heart.

 

[Judique]

We haven't been going so frequently, but that's because my kids are older, schedules, money... DH and I did a trip (first solo!) this past January which was soooo nice!

We used to go in summer when the kids were little (and Christmas/Easter breaks) but, the last time we were there in the summer heat, I swore never again! It's hard to enjoy anything in the sweltering heat (I finally realized that that applies to Disney, too, despite denying it for years )!!

I'm always trying to plan my next trip, but they are getting farther apart just because that's the way it is, not because we don't want to.

I still enjoy going. But I have changed the frequency because my kids have grown up.

I have also changed what I do. So it has evolved for me.

At the buy in price I paid for BWV, my main contract, a studio is cheap and a one bedroom is not out of this world expensive, so it is lodging while I do some park days and explore the beaches and parks of Florida. And the shopping malls and grocery stores and restaurants outside the Disney area.

The room at BWV keeps me in the bubble and happy when I return to it. Can't beat walking to DHS or Epcot for a few hours to pick up a morning pastry or whatever.

I am very relaxed in my time at Disney and will continue going, but the 4 times a year have dwindled.

 

[Brian Noble]

I went through that several years back. I realized it was partly because I kept doing the same things---and in some cases, in the same order. I started to mix things up a little bit, and that helped some.

But, what really opened my eyes was when Disney started enforcing the return times on Fastpasses. Before that, I'd collect a pocketful of Mountain FPs in the morning, and plan to use them all that evening after a mid-day break. Once that was no longer possible, I found myself taking the time to do a lot of the things I never had time to do before, because I didn't have that stack of FPs. I also started doing more out-of-park things, and many of those are simple. My last OKW stay was in Building 45, and my son and I spent several afternoons enjoying a drink on the balcony watching the boats go by.

In short, I've changed how I think about WDW. My goal is to have a lovely escape from the day to day with friends and family. The parks, restaurants, and resorts are just the stages on which that unfolds. We still enjoy the attractions, but those are no longer the point.

One other thing I've done differently: I no longer spend a lot of time paying attention to the more negative portions of the Disney online community. For example, I very rarely visit WDWMagic these days, because it's full of people who are happy to tell you why WDW is falling apart, doesn't care about guests, etc. I've also put some of the Get Off My Lawn folks here on DISboards in my ignore list, because they keep posting the same things over and over rather than adding to the conversation. If you walk into the parks expecting to see "the magic is missing," then you'll find plenty to complain about. But, if you just go to have a nice vacation, you probably will.

Finally: if you are only taking Disney (or, worse, WDW) vacations, you owe it to yourself to mix in other things. We spent two weeks in Hawaii this summer at Hilton timeshares on Oahu and the Big Island, and it was fantastic.

 

[Sammie]

Thanks Brian, well said.

 

[Disneypapa]

My family from the gitgo only goes to WDW every other year. I think for us that has helped keep some of the magic in going to the theme parks. But as the grandchildren have started to age (now 14, 16 & 20), we have been a lot more selective in what we do and the attractions we focus on.

 

[fishermouse]

What would Walt think of todays Disney World? Not what he had in mind back in 1955 when he started Disneyland...
Wall Street greed has done bad things to Disney World.

WOW! you knew Walt Disney! For some one that did not like money or success he had plenty of both. And had no problem spending it on luxurious things.