Not so sad to be back. Anyone else?

[DisneyFive]

I read all these posts from folks that are so sad to be back just after getting home… Me? Not so much.

O.k., so I’m still within the first 5 days of getting back…

Actually, the last two years I haven’t been sad to be back. The first week back for me is recovery time. I really don’t like thinking about the trip until I’m better rested. Otherwise I kind of blame my tired state on the trip. I dreaded the vacation being over while we were still at Disney, but now that I'm home I don't want to be back right away.

While Disney World is a ton of fun, it is exhausting. …getting up early, going to bed late, all the walking and especially the HEAT this year from Sept 24th thru Oct 2nd. That really takes it out of you. We aren’t totally commando, but do try to get the most out of our time. Until I’ve been home for a little bit, I can’t help but blame my tired body and mind on the trip.

Once I’m back to “normal” and better rested, all the super fun memories start coming back. I can already start to feel that now after being back for 5 days. This past Sunday as we were flying home, we all agreed that 1 year was a too soon for us to go back again, but the more time I spend after the vacation, I’m sure the strong desire to go back again next year will start creeping back. Last trip, after about 3 weeks being home, the strong desire to go back showed up.

One thing we noticed this year, after our first ever trip to Disney last year, was how fresh the memories still were from last year. Maybe it was partly due to staying in the same spot in the same resort, but the first day we got there, it almost felt like we hadn’t left the year before. It took a little of the “magic” out of the experience since we remembered everything so well, it was hard to re-experience Disney World with fresh memories. Does that make sense?

We still had an awesome time, and for the kids it was pretty obvious that this trip was just as magical as the first. I just wish I could bottle up those first magical times that you get to experience Disney.

Dan

 

[DisneyLandMan]

i see what you are saying. after disney, you almost need a vacation but there is no real relaxing at wdw. but thats why i love it so much. i go on vacation about 3 times a year, with a wdw trip squeezed in every 2 years or so. and its always awesome. when i get home, it takes a few days to get rested up, and to get rid of those callouses on ur feet. haha. but its just so much fun, that i wouldnt NOT go for the world. I just always tell first timers, that it isnt like a beach vacation.....you are gonna be exhausted every night and its tough to wake up in the morning. lol

 

[harleyquinn]

Ahh yes, the second trip blues. It's hard not to compare it to the first trip. Our first trip was SOOOO awesome and the second was really great!! Still wonderful, but not quite the same.

My next trip will be number 10. By day 8 I will be ready to come home. By the next week I will be saying, we are NOT going next year. It's too hot and I'm tired!! By the next month I will be considering a disney cruise for a change of pace. A month later I'll drop that cuz I could go to WDW twice for that much! A week later I'll be deciding where we're going to stay!

I drink WDW kool-aid. And I love it!

 

[rotlex]

I admit it. We always get the post Disney trip blues, however, after the past 5 years trips, it does get less every time. Matter of fact, don't shoot me, we are actually considering NOT going every year, but maybe ever 2 years.

Really. We LOVE Disney, but going every year, things just don't change enough, and I keep thinking of how much more I could put into the kids college fund every year if I wasn't spending 3-4K on just a trip!

 

[rusty4]

I was that way last year after our trip. We only had 5 nights and squeezed in everything that we could. We were done in by our fourth night. So exhausted!

This trip we are staying at the BC for 8 nights. Last year was the GF. First time ever that we have stayed this long. Hoping to be able to take it more slow. Epcot is our favorite by far and we want to enjoy it. One thing that will make a huge difference is that we are going to AK and DTD in our first day in a half. After that we will concentrate on Epcot and DHS. MK for one day and then one night. I think that this will make for a more relaxing trip. We know that we will not be able to go back for years this time so that hopefully will help to make it more enjoyable as well.

 

[Pakey]

We've done 22 WDW vacations; our children are grown now and we are going in 2 weeks for our 2nd trip with the grandchildren.

There is nothing like the first vacation because after that one, you have certain expectations, whether you want to or not. But there are still magical memories each time. As your children grow, the experiences change because the activities change. Now we are seeing it with the next generation all over again.

We learned a long time ago that we enjoy Disney much more if we go somewhere else in between so we don't do back to back vacations to Disney. It helps keep it from seeming like we were just there.

I have to say we have never been commandos at Disney, not even on the first vacation there. We have never felt like we had to squeeze it all into one vacation and we don't.

 

[civileng68]

While I do know the feeling, I do go more often than many, so maybe thats why I dont get the "blues".

however, I'll say this...........in my YEARS of going there (almost monthly) the one things I've learned as a way to reduce the fatigue is to really pick and choose your park time. Granted we go more often so its not the "rare" or "annual" trip for us to where you feel like you have to get it all in, but, I'll say this.....................

We used to go commando (morning-night) and literally after 3 days were just exhausted. I've learned that when you get exhausted at WDw, your "fun" level really drops.

Nowadays...........we sleep in, stay out late. Thats our motto with Disney. We like the parks more at night and our son enjoys staying up late (he doesnt get to at home, but then again, he's only 4 now. At NOJ, he stayed up 2 hours past his bedtime which made him so happy, he conked out in his stroller and we just relaxed around the park at that point.

We typically choose a later night in the parks (or a party) and sleep in, get fully rested, I go get my wife breakfast and bring it back to the room, let her relax in getting ready while I chill out a bit, resting my legs. Then we go grab lunch and THEN head to the parks. It makes a world of difference and somehow, we dont ever feel like we're missing park time. We get everything in that we want to.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

This trip we are staying at the BC for 8 nights. Last year was the GF. First time ever that we have stayed this long. Hoping to be able to take it more slow. Epcot is our favorite by far and we want to enjoy it.

We found that

8 nights BC + love of Epcot = relaxing happy trip.

We just experienced this is late August. It is just sooooo easy to slip out the back of Epcot to the hotel for a break/swim or slip into Epcot for dinner/evening activities. And the mornings you are doing Epcot you really don't need to get up before 8 am to be there by 9 am. Even DHS is so accessible....the boat ride is like 15 minutes....we woke up 8-ish those days also And AK was a fast bus also...

 

[MainMom]

We haven't been to WDW in 4 years. I was happy to take a break and see other places. Now I'm ready to go back. It's exciting again.

 

[luvmy2babies]

I think this is why we won't go back every year. We went in 2010 for the first time. We aren't going this year. We are going for a big trip in June 2012 since they extended the military salute and it's my last chance for ds to get in free and dd to go as a Disney child (2013 she turns 10 and he turns 3).

There will be a lot of things we do the same as last time. I have some new (to us) restaurants on my list of hopefuls, but dd wants to do the same character meals again. I'm sure we'll repeat some rides, but there was so much we didn't get to do the first time. Plus at 2.5, ds will be far from the same 10 month old bundle we had on our first trip. We're also staying at the WL. Last time we stayed at ASMo. We'll also be going at a different time of year, staying longer, have more down time, and I hope to get in a trip to DTD this time.

In 2013, I hope to cruise DCL but may tack on 2 nights at the Animal Kingdom Lodge before the cruise because my daughter really wanted to stay there for our trip next summer, but I said no. I think AKL looks great, and it is so neat there are animals on property (which is why my dd wants to stay there) but it is not for me, not for 10 days anyway. I think 2 nights in a Savannah view room before a cruise though with a day at AK would be perfect to get the experience. We probably won't go back after that until my son is well over 40" tall and we can do more rides. Going by his current height and growth rate, that's probably at least 2 years away.

My goal was that it not be a one time experience. I went at 7 years-old and didn't get back until I was 38. But it is not something I want to become our main thing. Our experiences at Disney will change as my children get older and that will keep some newness in it, but there are so many things I want to experience with them. We're heading down to Orlando in 3 weeks to hit Sea World and Aquatica (if weather permits).

 

[DisneyFive]

Wow, excellent honest replies.

I really am thinking about other alternatives next year instead of Disney. Don’t get me wrong, we LOVE Disney, but three years in a row might be a little repetitive for us. I think it might be a good idea to explore other options and break things up a bit. Plus it would give them time to complete the Fantasyland expansion before we go back.

I’m looking into a family 7-8 day Universal Studios / Sea World combo trip, a 7 day family Caribbean cruise (not DCL), or maybe even a 7 day all inclusive somewhere For our family of 5, it’s kind of funny how all these options seem to work out to be within $1000 of each other, so it’s not a money thing, but more of a “what do we want to experience” kind of thing.
…or do we go back, try a different resort at Disney to shake things up a little bit next year?

I think we did push too hard this year. Our overall pace was much more relaxed than last year, but we did rope drop in the mornings almost every day. We didn’t get to nap the day we arrived since our room wasn’t ready until 3:00 and we had dining reservations at 4:45pm. We have to get up a 4:30am for our flight, so that started things off a little tough. …although we did (for the first time) come back to the resort for a nap the next day in the afternoon. However, I’m pretty convinced that we are better rested if we sleep in during the morning rather than go to the parks early and come back for a nap. The first 7 days were HOT (91+ deg, 90%+ RH). That alone was a big factor. When we got back, the trip seemed like a blur, but that’s getting better as we've had some rest time the last few days.

What have you all done for other vacation options that kept the kids thrilled, and you enjoyed?

Dan

 

[MainMom]

What have you all done for other vacation options that kept the kids thrilled, and you enjoyed?

Dan

We try to do 1 or 2 things or maybe a few weekends local one year (within a days drive) and then a farther away (flying) the next year. I think it's important to explore what is right around you, but to also see other areas of the country.

In the last year we have gone to St. Louis, Milwaukee (Brewers game, zoo, museum) & the WI Dells. My parents live in a different state then us so the kids and I visit them once a year for a week usually on a break. My Mom & I are planning a road trip with the kids through SD next summer. My husband has BTDT & doesn't care to take the time off of work to go (self-employed.)

I have lots of dreams of where I would like to vacation.

 

[rusty4]

We found that

8 nights BC + love of Epcot = relaxing happy trip.

We just experienced this is late August. It is just sooooo easy to slip out the back of Epcot to the hotel for a break/swim or slip into Epcot for dinner/evening activities. And the mornings you are doing Epcot you really don't need to get up before 8 am to be there by 9 am. Even DHS is so accessible....the boat ride is like 15 minutes....we woke up 8-ish those days also And AK was a fast bus also...

Thank you! You are giving me hope that this will work. I am not even too worried about being there at park openings except maybe once. Even then I am not sure it is needed. We did the rush to DHS last year for the Jedi training signups and DH rushed for the fastpasses at the same time. This year DS doesn't care to do the training so we will probably be okay not rushing for the opening.

 

[GeneralTso]

I totally get you!
I am thoroughly DISNEYD OUT!!!

We had the best week. Just an awesome time. I love Disney but there is more to life.
We were just at Disneyland last month and just wrapping up a week here. The Halloween stuff is fun.

We'll be back at Disneyland in Jan for the Tinkerbell Marathon and after that, a big Disney break. I want to wait to really miss it before we return here.

It was great doing a lot of new things this time. Made vacation seem very new.
But I am ready for something completely new and definitely NOT Disney!

 

[DisneyFive]

Yeah, we camp on summer weekends all throughout the state, and go as a family out of state typically once or twice to visit relatives each year, so we do lots of those little 3-4 day trips each year.

I'm wondering about bigger vacations, 7-9 days. Something exotic, different, or fun for kids... I'm not looking for trips to historical places, or outdoor locations like Yellowstone yet. Kids are too young for that. Can't wait to go camping around Yellowstone and surrounding area when they get a little older though.

Wife and I are doing a 7 day caribbean cruise with friends on Royal Caribbean out of Port Canaveral , kids free, in January. This will be our first cruise. If we think the kids would really like it, maybe that's what we'll do next fall instead of Disney?

Dan

 

[rusty4]

Wow, excellent honest replies.

What have you all done for other vacation options that kept the kids thrilled, and you enjoyed?

Dan

Dan,

Last summer we went to Portland, Oregon for 16 days. DH was there working and DS( was 6 at the time) and I tagged along. Oh my, it was the best trip ever! It was so great to get away from the heat here in the midwest. We went to Seaside, Oregon for a weekend. We wold love to be able to spend a week at Cannon Beach, Oregon. It was beautiful. Haystack rock was amazing.
http://www.cannonbeach.org/

We went to Mt. Hood for a long weekend too. Then the same for Seattle, Washington. There is so much to do in that area. We would go back in a heart beat. Love, love, love it. Even flying in seeing all of the tall trees is amazing. You are less than 2 hours from the beach in Portland and 45 minutes to the mountains. We stayed in a 2 bedroom penthouse at a Residence Inn for less than $150 with AAA a night. 3 nights a week they provided dinner.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pdxlo-residence-inn-portland-south-lake-oswego/

This coming Summer is our 25th anniversary. DH and I are going to St. John's in the US Virgin Islands. I am sure we will fall in love. If so, we are going to plan a trip to take our youngest and hopefully our grown boys too. You rent Villa's there and they have all price options. Plane fare can be around $600 though.

 

[overthemoon4mickey]

I totally get you! On our last trip this past January it really felt like the magic had dimmed. There were so many closures and the hours were shorter. Crowds were low but due to so many ride closures they all funneled into the few open rides. DH and I rode and saw some new to us attractions that we never see (again due to the closures) such as the carousel of progress, lights..motors...action and the Paris film. I just can't seem to get excited about some rides when I've ridden them so much I know not only every turn and twist but even all the hidden mickeys....I know, I know what a terrible problem I have. We also got a car for the first time and that popped the magic bubble big time! I couldn't believe just how close everything was. This next trip in June we will be going to Universal for a few days and trying to slow the pace and enjoy the water parks. Looking backat the photos from Jaunary I noticed the kids had a little purple around their eyes and my DD12 said " Well no wonder! You had us out late and woke us up early!" So this trip we'll let the kids dictate the pace.....Wish me luck!

 

[Disney Doll]

Love it.
I'd go multiple times every year if I could.
We usually go at least twice and I am thrilled if we can go 3 or 4 times.

We have the DVC so we don't do the "commando touring" anymore...it's a nice relaxed pace...if we don't see it/do it this time, we'll see it/do it next time...

 

[klmall]

I said this recently in another thread. As much as we love our Disney trips and time together, we are always ready to go home. DH is not much of a Disney fan to begin with and then the added stress of planning, getting packed, flight(s) down, expectations met and not met and routines out of synch it always is good to get back home and see our house and cat

We've been 8 times as a family and I have been 10 times and though I could go 1x a year I don't think I would want to ruin the magic for myself by being there anymore than one time a year! I like the idea of seeing new things and finding new restaurants to try. We also firmly believe in travel to other places in the US, Canada, Bahamas, Europe etc. Our DS is NOT in the majority of kids polled who said that the only state outside their own that they have visited is Florida!

Our next must-see place is Alaska so we're trying to plan our first cruise (non-Disney) to include ship time and excursion to Denali and a train ride and not break the bank!!!

 

[aprilp]

Typical for me is about 3 weeks after vacation I feel like its been FOREVER since my vacation and I'm ready to start planning another vacation. lol!

Once a year at disney, if I could afford it, would be perfect for me. But this is probably because we take a day for each park, we don't rush around, we plan in advance what we are going to see so we know where to go and what to avoid, etc. We make time for seeing the resorts decorated for xmas and we do pretty much everything that we want to. Its not hectic and we aren't beat at the end of the day, just happily tired. I guess maybe its because we dont have kids and thus we dont have to stop and try to see the characters, or nap or swim or deal with breakdowns, etc. Or maybe because we've done it enough to know if we miss something we can always come back and do it another time. I dont know.

That being said, now that I've discovered cruising and how much I love it, as far as vacations go I would love to be able to do 1 cruise a year and 1 disney trip a year. Sometimes the money just doesn't allow for it, but that would be my ideal.