just booked again but....the big question is...

[davidmolliesmum]

to disney or not?? this will be our 8th trip to orlando... feel like maybe we've 'done' disney but not sure wether to skip it completely ( i just feel a trip to orlando isnt complete without a visit to the castle!!) or to just have a couple of days?!?! anyone else had his dilema>>

we will still be doing the other non-disney parks just feels like a lot of money for something we've done 7 times already, so save the 2thousand pounds for something else or bite the bullet and go ?!?!?!?!? HELPPPPP!!!!!!

 

[Button]

To be honest we are starting to tire of the parks they just seem so busy but my heart would never let me be that close and not go in. We did talk about just checking out the resorts and grabbing a character meal at Chef Mickeys so we still got to see the main mouse but deep down I'm sure it would kill me. We stay offsite and always buy the us version tickets usually 7 days for 5. Why not just get a couple of days with hopper?

 

[gjroe78]

I've been to Orlando 12 times (13th coming up in 32 days) and have never failed to visit all disney parks at least twice on every occasion, would be rude not to

 

[Woodview]

There is far far more to see in Orlando area than Disney & other Theme Parks.

If you Land at Orlando Int. Airport or Sandford & have a hired car .

then get away for a few days & explore .

From Disney it is approx 70 miles to either coast & plenty of Motels & Hotels to choose from.

You could Always buy a 2 day ticket anyway .

A fantastic holiday exploring the Real Florida would not cost anyway like

£ 2000

Think Airboat Rides , Visit St. Johns River , Deland ( Blue Heron Boat Tour

At Hontoon Island ) St Augustine etc

 

[Elise79]

Personally, I couldn't visit Orlando and not do Disney.

All the other parks don't bother me and we don't do them every year but always do Disney.

 

[WiganTony]

Note the same scenario, but back in 2011 we completely avoided WDW and visited New York, Maine and Boston instead. When we returned to WDW in 2012, we found we enjoyed it much more as there were a few new things to see, and it was nice to "rediscover" some of those things we had forgotten about.

Similarly last year, we returned to New York and then on to San Diego and Los Angeles. Have to admit we did sneak in three days at Disneyland, and although there was a feeling of "familiarity", about the two parks, it was a sufficiently different experience to that in Florida.

However, we are again back in WDW this August, and looking forward to a few days at Universal (last visited back in 2010), then the new areas in MK, and re-acquainting ourselves with the rest of the parks.

 

[queendisney]

I think you've answered your own question, you're not sure you can not go. I think you should go again to make sure

Personally there is no way I couldn't do Disney. Its the only reason I go, everything else is a bonus. I would never bother going to the beach for example and the other theme parks I can take or leave and I don't do them every time. Orlando to me is Disney.

 

[irisheyes123]

I don't do much of the disney parks anymore I went for 5 weeks over Christmas and only done 1 day in disney (magic kingdom and Hollywood studios). I know I will have to do them more in a few years as my twins get older and maybe I will get that disney magic back. I still do universal and seaworld as have annual passes but from my next trip I'm going to start seeing what the rest of Florida has to offer . I have been to other places in Florida but want to explore more. I have been a few times and not done disney at all don't feel like I missed anything.

 

[merlin307]

I understand you're feelings. The last couple of times we've been we have spent less time at Disney - exploring the coasts (prefer the gulf coast - Fort Desoto is well worth a visit), airboat rides and generally just hanging out around the area.

Christmas was horrendously busy and we were a bit glad to be leaving as we were turning into Grumpy!

That being said even though we do other stuff the thrill of seeing the castle or the big golf ball can't be beat. We get annual passes these days and just having the option of visiting the parks for a few hours and topping up the pixie dust without thinking that we're "wasting a day" has helped us not become "bored with it all.

I think we've been about 15 times in the past 10 years or so and there's still stuff we haven't done at all of the parks so we always try to do something different. Also with Universal upping their game, Seaworld trying harder, Merlin and the I drive developments- Disney will need to catch up so the next few years will be exciting ....I can't wait to go back (just booked for April yesterday )

 

[stephensmum]

We found ourselves in the same position for this year. We have always stayed on site & decided that this year we would have a change. (I needed persuading) but we booked a 14 night I Drive package deal. We were going to do Seaworld, BG (new) & USO. I then started thinking about the things I miss not doing Disney, then my ds16 said he wanted at least to go for a couple of days, followed by dh saying he fancied going overnight. Well now we are looking to do our last 5 nights at Disney. So I guess we are not willing to completely have a change.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

We have been going to WDW since 1989 and last year was the first time we didn't get 14 or 21 night tickets for Disney

However we did get a few Disney fixes - we went to MNSSHP, went to DTD, had a few meals at the hotels and enjoyed a great night trick or treating at FW. We also went on the Sea racers and played mini golf.

We had tickets for Discovery Cove, SW, Busch, Aquatica and Universal, so had plenty to do. We also went to the beach a couple of times and visited a few other places like State Parks. We all had a great holiday and our dilemma when deciding was whether we would get value if we had purchased Disney tickets with all the other things we had planned.

Have you made your mind up yet?

 

[PJB71]

What about a Disney Cruise?????

That way you'd get your Disney Fix and the money you'd save on park tickets would probably cover most of the cost

 

[davidmolliesmum]

the problem is DH and DS10 are not bothered at all about doing disney this year just me and my DD8, however, think i may have come up with a solution, BBB at downtown disney for my daughter followed by a character meal to meet some characters.... and a trip to florida keys instead.... however it is 8months off and that may change again.... watch this space....

 

[wayneg]

Last Easter we did a bit of a roadtrip from Miami down to Key West, up the West coast and ended up in Orlando. Made us realise we can enjoy Florida away for the parks. July will be our 33rd time to Orlando and done Disney every trip so after July when our AP's expire we are not buying Disney tickets for a while. Personally I prefer Busch & Seaworld anyway so we will continue going there but No Disney in Sept unless we go into a Halloween party.
Might only be the one trip we miss Disney, might be a couple of years, no idea yet but we are all looking forward to exploring more.

 

[merlin307]

Good luck with going cold turkey Wayne let me know how it turns out

 

[wayneg]

Good luck with going cold turkey Wayne let me know how it turns out

I will ask the doctor to prescribe Disney tickets if it gets bad.

 

[Zeebs]

We are about to go on our 3rd trip and it will be all Disney, pretty much but then we have three smallish kids we are staying offsite though with a car so we will see other bits of Orlando and a trip to the beach. I know Florida has heaps to offer but if we weren't doing Disney we would try somewhere new. I will say though on our first trip we did 7 days Disney and then 7 days between Orlando and Miami and before we flew out we went to Down town Disney, I hated being so close to the parks and not being able to go in. To me, while I like Downtown Disney, it is just a shopping mall.

I am sure you will have a great trip what ever you chose

Kirsten

 

[zippy99]

I go to Florida for Disney - I think if we want a different holiday in the USA it would be to a different state!

We tried to book a trip to Japan this year - but the reality is if we are spending upwards of £7k on a holiday,w e want to know we are going to enjoy it - I am just to scared to spend all that money and venture somewhere new and risk not liking it!!

We ended up deciding to go back to Orlando (but this time with a cruise)

 

[wayneg]

I go to Florida for Disney - I think if we want a different holiday in the USA it would be to a different state!

Been to Nevada, Cali, New Hampshire (popped over into Maine) Georgia & New York. Enjoyed all our trips but Florida even without Disney would still be my choice, not been to any other state I would want to go back to time and time again.