My wife: Trip #35 coming up!

[MrTerrorChair]

My wife and I joined the DVC in 2001 (VWL). Since then we've taken 2 trips (BWV), 2 Cruises (4day, 7day), with one trip upcoming on Feb 25-March 5 (SSR).

We are from central Pennsylvania and have lived in the same town all our lives (with the exception of 4 years at PSU). If have made a respectable 15 trips to WDW in my lifetime (#16 is upcoming ). My wife Tina has made 34 trips to Disney (#35 upcoming). She's only 30 so most of our friends look at us like we're nuts.

"Why would you want to keep going back to the same place over and over again?"

I'm sure many of you have had this question posed to you before.

Tina's family stayed for years at the Golf Resort, aka Disney Inn, aka now Shades of Green (we haven't stayed there since the military annexed it). They used to drive down in a big Wanderlodge (10-16 people ever year ). Now we're our own family, continuing the tradition, and enjoying our DVC.

My curiosity stems from a desire to know what other travelling Disney fanatics are out there. DVC members have the opportunity for those yearly visits. And obviously Florida based resident fans have an advantage in going to the parks more often. I'm wondering about the number of visits from other out-of-staters like us. How many times have you travelled by planes, trains, and/or automobiles to stay at the happiest place on Earth (and endured the eye-rolling of your dear friends who just don't have a clue)? Where are you coming from?

I'm from a very small town. Maybe I'm just insecure. I need to know there are others out there like me who can't go a year or less without their Disney fix.

 

[carol1231]

We have gone to WDW probably 30+ times in the last 20 yrs. When people ask why we are going there again, my reply is WHY NOT! We have definetly gone more times per year since becoming DVC members, that is for sure.

We could go to the caribbean or somewhere else, but DH and I have done that prior to the kids and we'd rather go to Disney. There is something there for all of us to do and love. Our next trip isn't until June and I've really been sitting here wondering why we are not going for spring break. I'm working on changing that.

 

[canwegosoon]

Why not...People vacation in the same areas for years (eg., Cape Cod, The Hamptons) why not WDW!

 

[athenna]

Exactly! I have been going to WDW for vacations since I was 4 and I'm 33 now I have a lot of vacations under my belt and a lot more to come thanks to DVC. And being from Mass it blows my mind why people keep coming to the Cape year after year, but they're the same people that want to know why we go to WDW so much.

 

[DeeCee735]

We took our kids for the first time to WDW when they were 6 that was in the mid 90's. Been back 7 times since - joined DVC in 2000 - going back as much as possible - much to the dismay, wonder and comments of some friends who can't possibly understand "why we'd spend so much money for such an expensive vacation and go to the same place over and over". My response...
"I'm totally confused - what is it you don't get?"

 

[TR Denise]

DH and I have gone 21 times since our honeymoon in 1977. We joined DVC in 1994 pretty much went once a year after that until the kids were older needed more room then. Since the youngest is in college my DH and I go more often and stay in a smaller room We do take the kids occasionally but they are busy doing their own thing. This is our thing we enjoy it more now than ever. My DB used think we were crazy for going all the time even though he always went to Cape May every summer. I say to each his own and I love DVC its the best thing we ever did. To think we almost put in a swimming pool with that money. My DH and I really dont like to swim that much. We're going this April and October so we'll be at 23 trips

 

[JVL1018]

DH had been to WDW with his family ahandful of times before we met, I had been once in April 1989-just one day at MK.
WE went for our honeymoon in October 1992.
Decided to go back in Oct 1993, Went back a couple of times a year 94,95,96,97,98 and once in 99(the year we joined DVC and had DD).
Went 3 times in 2000-which was too much for me.
Went in June 2001, I was 6 months pregnant with DS-didn't go again until Oct 2002--and that was way too long, I was having withdrawals. LOL I went twice in 2003, once with DH and kids, once with just my Mom.
Now we are back to once a year in the fall.
We go to HH every spring.

I guess I have been 23 times. Wow.

 

[spiceycat]

My grandmother started us once a year in 73 to 78 (she died)

then I went back in 83, then in 85, 89 - then twice a year in 90, 91, 92 - then joined DVC sometimes I have been 7 times in a year - others just 3....

I can drive there - although I use to fly for my short trips (4 days or less) - now I just drive....

 

[loribell]

Well I went once when I was a child but never made it back until 1993. This trip will be my 10th to WDW. We have also been to DL twice, stayed at VB last summer as well as WDW and will go back to Florida right before school starts to visit VB again.

Before that we vacationed a lot in Branson because it is so close to home. We always spent almost as much on a trip there as we do on a trip to Disney, the main difference is price is the difference in what it takes for travel - 6 hour drive versus 21+.

We have also taken the kids to the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Colorado, and many, many trips to Texas, especially San Antonio. In addition to that I have been to DC for a very nice trip.

We get that why go back occassionally but not so much anymore. I have told my parents what I remember from our few family trips and that I want my children to have much better memories than that. I don't want them to think we were to busy to do things together as a family. Disney is what we have found that we enjoy the most and it is what we will continue to do.

In the next couple of years I plan to take the kids on a Disney Cruise but at this point I plan to always include a trip to disney in every summer vacation.

By the way, I was also raised and still live in a very small town. The town I was raised in had a population of 500 and the one I am in now is at 4200 but unfortunately growing pretty rapidly. Hopefull I can get DD 6 out of school before it gets to big.

Lori

 

[wintergreen]

This is exactly the reason that we bought into DVC. Took one trip in 1999 and stayed off site. While it was fine, I vowed never to do it again. While on that trip, we went over to the WL just to look around. I loved it! Did not know about DVC at the time. A couple of years later, we booked a cash trip to the WL and VB. I knew that this would definitely not be our last trip, and that I had gotten "the bug." A few weeks before our trip, I got some DVC info. in the mail. We bought before we even left for the trip, and were able to rebook the VB portion on points. We have been back two or three times a year since then, and will continue to do so. We also like to vacation in other places (I especially love going to National Parks!), so most of our WDW trips are on the short side. We usually fly, and try to plan our trips whenever I can find cheap fares. We found that the drive down from the DC area was just too long.

 

[disney4me4ever]

Well over 40 trips here, probably more if I actually stopped and counted. My dad took us Dec. 1971, 2 months after WDW opened. Went yearly for many years, sometimes twice yearly. Now we own DVC -- last year it was a 3 trip year I never get tired of going to WDW. Most people don't get it, but that's why I hang out on the Dis!

Nancy