Park commandos who visit Disney frequently, do you ever get burned out?

[MaC410]

I've only been to Disney World once, so far. It was for my honeymoon last year in April. I guess my wife and I are what people seem to call "park commandos". We are in the parks for the entire day trying to do every ride that we can and many rides multiple times. We are currently planning out next trip for the end of this year. I'm sure we will be the same way we were last time by trying to do as much as humanly possible.

By the time our trip comes up though it will be almost two years since our last trip. We are going to be so excited to finally return and do it all again. My question is for the people who visit Disney World much more frequently and like to do as much as possible while there. Do you ever get burned out? Is there such a thing as "too many times" for you? If not, what keeps you from getting burned out from doing the same things so often?

 

[Sweettears]

I've only been to Disney World once, so far. It was for my honeymoon last year in April. I guess my wife and I are what people seem to call "park commandos". We are in the parks for the entire day trying to do every ride that we can and many rides multiple times. We are currently planning out next trip for the end of this year. I'm sure we will be the same way we were last time by trying to do as much as humanly possible.

By the time our trip comes up though it will be almost two years since our last trip. We are going to be so excited to finally return and do it all again. My question is for the people who visit Disney World much more frequently and like to do as much as possible while there. Do you ever get burned out? Is there such a thing as "too many times" for you? If not, what keeps you from getting burned out from doing the same things so often?

I can't speak for everyone but we used to be park commandos in our early trips. Having been multiple times now the effect of having "must dos" has diminished. Recent trips are more laid back and are focused on dining and relaxation. Also as we learned to plan. you can actually get a lot accomplished without the need to be commando.

 

[ErinsMommy]

Yes, we come back needing a vacation from the vacation. We wake up (whatever time that may be), go for breakfast, and rest of the day we're at the parks until park closing, back to room, sleep and repeat. After doing this for the past 5 trips, this trip we plan to relax poolside every other day and for the days in between hit a park.

 

[Oneanne]

I also used to do "commando style" but now with over 40 trips under my belt my touring style has completely changed and is much more centered around being there rather than doing everything. Every trip I balance between hitting the favorites and trying new things, and even after that many trips there are still new things. But after a several years of multiple trips I am a tad bit burned out, and have a laundry list of other places I'd like to go so this year I'm not planning on going to WDW at all. I figure taking a break will make my next trip even more sweet

 

[loves to dive]

While we never were commando, we did ride more rides the first 5 or 6 times we went. Now I go twice a year and my son goes once a year and we are totally go with the flow people. We ride a ride or don't ride a ride, doesn't matter since we know we will be back. We just enjoy the place and no it hasn't gotten old for us. We do visit other places as well, luckily as a scuba diver if we want to dive, we have to go somewhere else since we live inland Georgia. We have gotten tired of the Caribbean though.

 

[Jennasis]

We were commandos for many years. Not being able to go but every 2 years we felt we had to pack everything under the sun into those trips. Never got burned out. We loved the commando touring. Every visit was a strategically planned out military assault LOL.

Then we bought DVC and go once a year or more. Our touring style changed dramatically and quickly. We no longer go from open to close. We take midday naps and go for a swim. We visit resorts and relax. We go just for the parade and leave.

 

[Micca]

Don't worry, you won't get burned out...just old.

 

[PSUGuy]

Ex commandos here. From 1999 through 2004 I took our full family yearly in March, wifey and I, 3 kids from high school to college and their GF/BFs. I played the role of the Benevolent Dictator, rousting the crew up and to the Early Entry park (as EMH was called then) and believe me, we got our money's worth out of WDW. We didn't burn out, it's just that in 2005 we went from New Year's Day 'til the 10th. That Jan 2nd was the very first new EMH, evening at MGM. So... we went to a park at the regular opening, crowds were low and we had a nice, relaxed WDW trip. Since then, no EMH for us except for an occasional evening at Epcot. We hit rope drop at a non-EMH park and stop to smell the roses. Much happier now.

Bill From PA

 

[Oswin]

My family's been going multiple times a year since I was born. I can't remember a time we were ever park commandos. I think it's very easy to get burnt out if you spend every trip going rope drop to park close, you'll start to need a vacation to recover from your vacation! I like to focus on experiences over attractions. I have my favorites that are must dos and I do them multiple times on each trip. But I don't feel the need to ride EVERY attraction, especially not multiple times. Some days we don't go on attractions at all and do things like spend a day meeting characters or go on a tour and then head back to the resort to swim and relax before a dinner ADR. We do a lot of resort hopping/touring now, and only go into the park at night for a couple of hours. There are days we only go into the parks just to go to one store, and wind up grabbing a soda and sitting down somewhere out of the way to talk for a couple of hours. I think my parents owning DVC and us having APs makes it too easy to go to WDW so many times a year and we always find something new to see and do each trip. There's our old favorites but not a pressing need to see them. We know we'll be back again soon and that takes away the mentality that we have to be at the parks from open to close doing every attraction. The only thing I must do every trip is watch Wishes from the poly beach or pool with a dole whip in my hand.

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

I am sure I haven't been as many times as many of the folks on the board but there is no way I could ever get burned out. We always notice something we didn't before or do something we haven't done before (just did Frozen sing along for the first time on Jan 7th and loved it). When the kids are no longer traveling with us we will move on and do some more grown up things like dinner at the Cali Grill with fireworks viewing.

 

[AngelDisney]

I can't speak for everyone but we used to be park commandos in our early trips. Having been multiple times now the effect of having "must dos" has diminished. Recent trips are more laid back and are focused on dining and relaxation. Also as we learned to plan. you can actually get a lot accomplished without the need to be commando.

Same here. We did commando style in the earlier trips. Now we want to do only our favourite rides and shows. With the FP+ system, we are guaranteed with our favourite rides. I am ok with the tiered system for EP and DHS since we love both TSM and ToT (different tiers) and we don't care much about Soarin' and FEA. For the upcoming trip, we will take an afternoon break every day and attend events and tours that we have not done before. We are also taking longer trips now (over a week now vs. less than a week in the past), so we have more time to do our favourite things. I think I can still get up and do commando and ride as many rides as possible. But my DD has burnt out from it. Commando style is not what she enjoys anymore. Also, to be honest, that afternoon nap with AC in the hotel is like heaven! Yes, we are taking it slowly this time for sure!!

 

[Klayfish]

I can't speak for everyone but we used to be park commandos in our early trips. Having been multiple times now the effect of having "must dos" has diminished. Recent trips are more laid back and are focused on dining and relaxation. Also as we learned to plan. you can actually get a lot accomplished without the need to be commando.

This. As our visits got more numerous (and we knew we'd be back in the relatively near future), we dialed back the commando attitude quite a bit. We still want to do as much as we can, don't get me wrong. But we don't go commando to do it. We go at our own pace and when we're done for the day, we're done. Plus as said above, you learn to plan and can be more efficient. This includes the physical layout of the parks, so you aren't walking back and forth all day.

 

[MaC410]

Maybe our second trip won't be as commando as I think it will be. Our honeymoon as I mentioned was my first ever trip there. I needed to see absolutely everything. Now my wife and I both have an idea of the rides we really enjoy and rides we probably never want to do again. Maybe we will end up going at a slower pace simply because we will be more picky with what we do.

Who am I kidding. We are totally going to still ride Its a Small World 5 times again just because we can haha

 

[AngelDisney]

I've only been to Disney World once, so far. It was for my honeymoon last year in April. I guess my wife and I are what people seem to call "park commandos". We are in the parks for the entire day trying to do every ride that we can and many rides multiple times. We are currently planning out next trip for the end of this year. I'm sure we will be the same way we were last time by trying to do as much as humanly possible.

By the time our trip comes up though it will be almost two years since our last trip. We are going to be so excited to finally return and do it all again. My question is for the people who visit Disney World much more frequently and like to do as much as possible while there. Do you ever get burned out? Is there such a thing as "too many times" for you? If not, what keeps you from getting burned out from doing the same things so often?

To avoid getting burnt out, do some new things every trip like eating at a new TS restaurant or taking a tour or visiting the resort hotels to try out some free activities like Chip and Dale singalong. Visiting at a different time of the year is another way to keep you excited about each trip like Halloween vs. Christmans, Food and Wine Festival, etc.

 

[Accident]

By the time our trip comes up though it will be almost two years since our last trip. We are going to be so excited to finally return and do it all again. My question is for the people who visit Disney World much more frequently and like to do as much as possible while there. Do you ever get burned out? Is there such a thing as "too many times" for you? If not, what keeps you from getting burned out from doing the same things so often?

Of course, but the more you come, the more you also do other things while here.. also the more you come, what your looking to do when you step foot in the park changes and changes not only trip to trip but day to day. you get more focused on a easy to achieve, tons of time to just be there, enjoy the place and go where the moment takes you. You just go around the park more leisurely, your list of we can skip gets larger and your must dos get smaller with new things getting added. You don't ride everything because you just did it and not in the mood, but you also start to revisit things you never did, have time for more non-park activities, start to touch on some of these tours and other things you can't figure out how people do at the same time. you begin to reduce the places you consider must eat and start to find the time for ones you've only heard about or just opened..

Basically you have a vacation, it happens to be at disney and you explore things you think aren't worth the time because your list of thing you must do again from any other trip is too much to add more into...

If disney is do everything in every park every day, your going to burn and burn fast.. If you let yourself be on vacation and be a little more spontaneous where you can be, it'll be a whole new place to visit that is ever changing everytime you come down.. go out of your way to not do disney the same way every trip and you'll sort out exactly what that means for your familiy....

 

[MaC410]

To avoid getting burnt out, do some new things every trip like eating at a new TS restaurant or taking a tour or visiting the resort hotels to try out some free activities like Chip and Dale singalong. Visiting at a different time of the year is another way to keep you excited about each trip like Halloween vs. Christmans, Food and Wine Festival, etc.

Our next trip is booked right now for 11/30-12/9 so we are excited to be there for the Christmas festivities for the first time. I'm sure that will add so much to having a new experience.

 

[wrlippert]

I also used to do the commando thing. In the way back days, I would have an itinerary on a legal pad! I lost count around trip #45, and my visits are more about the park ambiance, seeing new things, hit the nostalgic attractions, dining, and spending time at the resorts. I have felt burnt out lately and have asked myself why I go so often. Recent trips have included off property experiences like the Orlando Eye, Bok Tower and Gardens, Harry P. Leu gardens, poking around Winter Park and St. Augustine. I took a side trip to Tampa to see the Big Cat Rescue and spent some time at the Gaylord Palms for Ice. My next trip is for the Food and Wine Classic at the Swan and Dolphin. I may add the Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween Party. The rest of the time I will do some resort hopping, window shopping at Disney Springs, and hopefully a trip downtown to see a performance at the Dr. Phillips center (which looks amazing.) Part of the burnout has to do with the fact that there haven't been many new things to see lately, or at least things that interest me. The prices have gone up - a lot, cast members seem detached, restrooms are not as clean, traffic is horrible, and crowds have been very heavy even during historically slow times. When everything is a new experience, it is easy to overlook some of the complicating factors. When it has become same-old, same-old, the flaws are more prominent, just like in personal relationships Some of the ******* on forums like this arises, I believe, because we see the world through different filters. I envy people who find WDW a totally magical experience. Until the construction is over at HS and AK, I don't plan to return to those parks. It is likely that I will limit my time at Epcot and the MK to holidays and festivals.

 

[AngiTN]

While we don't do commando touring we do go often.
I'm not sure you have many who do both.
By nature, knowing you are going often means you get to give up commando touring.
We went 9 times last year and already have 3 trips planned for this year.
Never gets boring to us

 

[wilkeliza]

We use to be park commandos going from EMH opening at on park to EMH close at another. I'll never forget being in MK until 3 am after having starting at DAK. Since we go at least once a year now we have definitely slowed down. We didn't burn out on the parks but we def burned out on commando style. Now I love a mid day break with my ice tea people watching or taking a nap at the hotel or sitting in the lazy river at SAB.

 

[Lynzer4]

I can't speak for everyone but we used to be park commandos in our early trips. Having been multiple times now the effect of having "must dos" has diminished. Recent trips are more laid back and are focused on dining and relaxation. Also as we learned to plan. you can actually get a lot accomplished without the need to be commando.

Same here. At first it was how much can I do and how much time can I get in the parks. (ie we spent all this money on tickets to Disney... no you can't stay at the hotel and swim. We can do that at home! - lol) Now its much different. I know what I like but I also try to find (and I still do) something I've not done before or something I don't do every trip. Its not a rush to try to get everything done as I know I will be back. I also feel I enjoy what I am doing more and I know how and what to plan so I get to do my "must dos".

For my first few adult trip I wondered why anyone would pay to stay at a deluxe when you are only in the room to sleep. But as my tour strategy changed my opinion on this did too. I am now purchasing a DVC so I'll stay DVC for a least one trip annually. I try to stay a few nights each trip at deluxe hotel and enjoy the hotel as much as the parks.

Right now I am working on staying at every hotel... I am 11/19 resorts!