One BIG trip or a few small ones?

[EsmeraldaX]

We are taking a quick weekend trip in Dec for 3 nights and 4 days. We plan on this trip being much more laid back than our 10 day trip last week. We are also staying onsite this time.

We have a time share condo available to us one week out of the year (which by the way takes 12 minutes to get from the parking lot of the condo to MGM studios parking lot).

We talked about next year 2005 maybe doing either an extra week after the condo; or possibly the week at the condo and then two or three small trips (long weekends) throughout the year.

What would you do?

Is it better to have a huge long vacation or a few small ones.

Small ones have a few pros :
Not long before each trip
Costs less up front
Would be able to stay on site , maybe in nicer hotels
Easier to get work off for a few days than a week

Small one Cons :
Airfare
Not as much time to do things
Higher chance that entire trip could be made less fun due to weather


Now for big trips...

Pros:
Only paying airfare once a year
Time to relax and not try to see it all
Better chance of at least several good days if weather is bad

Cons :
Would not be able to stay onsite (too costly for a whole week)
Would have long waits in between trips
Might feel too compelled to do it all since it's our ONE trip
Harder to get two weeks in a row off from work


What do you all think? I think they are about equal??

 

[jcemom]

If airfare is involved, definitely one long trip. If you would stay on site for several short trips, I don't see why you couldn't stay on site for one long one. 4 trips x 3 days each = 12 days, or one long 12 day trip...the hotel cost is still the same plus you've saved the cost of airfare x 3. Right? In the long run, the one long trip will be much cheaper than several shorter trips.

 

[castlegazer]

I have always done short trips about twice a year. Airfare is a total non-factor for us because its so incredibly cheap to fly into Orlando - usually below $200 (I won't fly down there for more than $200).

There are several reasons for my quick trips.
1) I have a lousy vacation policy at my current workplace so we try and make the most out of the fact that vacation time begins and ends in the middle of the year.
2) We actually like to spend our long vacations at a more relaxing place - either in Maine or in Cocoa Beach. I do not consider going to WDW very relaxing and I may get flamed for this, but I just don't. I find it one of the most fun places on earth and I love it deeply and love the feeling it gives me when I am there, but I usually need a vacation from my vacation when I get home.
3) I like to vacation at other areas of the country too - so for me going to WDW is more of an inbetween the big trips vacation. By going for shorter lengths of time we can keep our costs down too making going to WDW actually very affordable even staying on site.

Just my way of doing WDW.

 

[Micca]

Having been a number of times I think I would go for the long trip.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by castlegazer
I have always done short trips about twice a year. Airfare is a total non-factor for us because its so incredibly cheap to fly into Orlando - usually below $200 (I won't fly down there for more than $200).

There are several reasons for my quick trips.
1) I have a lousy vacation policy at my current workplace so we try and make the most out of the fact that vacation time begins and ends in the middle of the year.
2) We actually like to spend our long vacations at a more relaxing place - either in Maine or in Cocoa Beach. I do not consider going to WDW very relaxing and I may get flamed for this, but I just don't. I find it one of the most fun places on earth and I love it deeply and love the feeling it gives me when I am there, but I usually need a vacation from my vacation when I get home.
3) I like to vacation at other areas of the country too - so for me going to WDW is more of an inbetween the big trips vacation. By going for shorter lengths of time we can keep our costs down too making going to WDW actually very affordable even staying on site.

Just my way of doing WDW.

Vacation policy at work is a biggie for us. I can get time off pretty much whenever I want with few exceptions and I have 17 paid vacation days a year. My boyfriend who works for the same company only has 12 paid vacation days (until next year when they give him another 5) but due to the nature of his department at work, getting more than a few days off at a time is very hard.
His boss is a bit of a ______ (fill in the appropriate nasty description here ).

Still, I'm torn. Part of me really wants our 2005 trip to be a big trip , but the other part keeps thinking , then it will be so long till 2006! Also, we are heading to a convention in Indiana next summer, so that will use up one of our long weekends...

I am finding some good deals on airfare & rooms (esp. off site) so the more I think about it, airfare isn't a big deal. Our biggest expense last week (well we were gone for 10 days) was kenneling our dog. It cost us about $380 to kennel him, but unfortunately we don't have any one who can come and puppy-sit for us.

I don't know. I'm still thinking about it.


I wish I lived in Orlando...of course, i suppose some of the magic might fade if I did...

 

[castlegazer]

Sounds like he works for my company or else eveyone is getting pretty stingy with vacation time .

Why oh why can't we be like the Europeans and all get a month of vacation each year..............

 

[Chicago526]

My DREAM is to spend 2 weeks at WDW so my opinion is biased!

I can only go once every 1 or 2 years or so anyway (expense and finding people to go with me are the 2 big reasons why) so for me, I always try to go the longest time possible.

I was so lucky to get a Disney fix 2x in 12 months, but only because my mom bribed me with a trip to Disneyland after we had gone to WDW last May. The thought of not being able to go for another year at minimum makes me so sad!

I say, go for the 2 weeks. Who knows, something may come up and you can't go as often as you want.

 

[Kuzco]

Originally posted by castlegazer
I do not consider going to WDW very relaxing and I may get flamed for this, but I just don't. I find it one of the most fun places on earth and I love it deeply and love the feeling it gives me when I am there, but I usually need a vacation from my vacation when I get home.

Don't worry, I won't flame you for that! Although a trip to Disney could be relaxing if you didn't go to the parks, etc., a trip to Disney for me is not relaxing. It is tons of fun, but if I wanted to relax on a vacation, I'd go someplace else. Fortunately, I usually want to have a fun time instead of a relaxing time. But I know what you mean about needing a vacation from the vacation! LOL