Poll: How many times have you been to Disney World in the last 10 years?

[GreatLakes]

2014-2023 I came up with 9.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

I wish I lived closer to the Magic

 

[Genie+]

I know its off topic, & you may have posted some kind of trip report elsewhere, but (as a veteran of WDW) i'm curious your thoughts on DLR?

I fell in love! DLR had many unique positives. In a nutshell, more intimate and more intense.

Things that stood out to me were:

Nostalgia factor - it just oozed mid-century Walt feeling, possibly heightened by staying at DLH. From the resort to rides and restaurants and transportation that feeling of ‘classic’ Disney was everywhere. Pirates was mind blowing the extent of extra detail beyond WDW which already has a great version. When we bopped around Fantasyland oh my goodness! There’s Mr Toad, Pinocchio, Storybookland, Matterhorn, Alice cart ride in 2 story configuration that’d never happen today… Disneyland captures a place in time WDW does not.

Compact - The rides are very close together, the parks and downtown Disney close together, the resorts close. It a campus where WDW is a city. Everything right there within a 10 minute walk. DL is under 1 square mile while WDW is spread across 43 square miles.

Weather - Blue skies and mild weather is easy take for granted there. Day after day that is what we had and from what I understand typical most of the year. I wish a windy day was the biggest concern in Florida lol. Hard to beat having gorgeous weather every walk down Main St.

Crowds - Locals definitely create a different vibe. More relaxed and casual. Almost like a club of repeat visitors. There’s less concern about ropedrop because a majority visit often. So pleasant doing a long string of rides those first hours and not traipsing miles to do it. Shows, fireworks, parades felt less feverish than when WDW crosses into ‘do or die’ atmosphere lol.

We still love WDW. Overall it has more variety. You can spend an hour watching gorillas, or driving your own pontoon in front of MK, or seeing 3 different rock shows over a week, etc. WDW is king for changing up each trip drastically year after year if you want.

We now also love DL enough to replace some WDW trips. From the east coast I can see us doing DL every 3rd trip.

Thanks for asking I haven’t done a trip report though i really should one of these days.

 

[loves to dive]

You sound like the perfect candidate for DVC, why haven’t you jumped in?

I've done the math and when you factor in how many points I would need and dues I come out better without it. I wouldn't finance so that would be a large output of cash that is right now drawing interest, plus the dues every year. I factored it for x years and how much that would be a year and it ended up I spend less paying for a resort. I don't always stay deluxe although I do tend to stay at Dolphin a lot. I'm also not a fan of having to plan either 7 or 11 months out, I don't usually know until about 3 months out at best when I'm actually going. I'm not young (67) so the amount of years I would have left to actually go and enjoy it also factored in. I'm also not a fan of time shares, which is what it boils down to. Just not for me.

 

[KPeterso]

Counting on my hands, I came up with 18, so in the 16+ bucket. I have only had 2 years in there that I did not get 2 trips (2020 and 2022), but I did have at least 1 each of those years. Now Disneyland, it would probably be several hundred since I am a local and have a pass so go a lot.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I think about 25 trips during that time. We are DVC.

 

[Chili327]

I fell in love! DLR had many unique positives. In a nutshell, more intimate and more intense.

Things that stood out to me were:

Nostalgia factor - it just oozed mid-century Walt feeling, possibly heightened by staying at DLH. From the resort to rides and restaurants and transportation that feeling of ‘classic’ Disney was everywhere. Pirates was mind blowing the extent of extra detail beyond WDW which already has a great version. When we bopped around Fantasyland oh my goodness! There’s Mr Toad, Pinocchio, Storybookland, Matterhorn, Alice cart ride in 2 story configuration that’d never happen today… Disneyland captures a place in time WDW does not.

Compact - The rides are very close together, the parks and downtown Disney close together, the resorts close. It a campus where WDW is a city. Everything right there within a 10 minute walk. DL is under 1 square mile while WDW is spread across 43 square miles.

Weather - Blue skies and mild weather is easy take for granted there. Day after day that is what we had and from what I understand typical most of the year. I wish a windy day was the biggest concern in Florida lol. Hard to beat having gorgeous weather every walk down Main St.

Crowds - Locals definitely create a different vibe. More relaxed and casual. Almost like a club of repeat visitors. There’s less concern about ropedrop because a majority visit often. So pleasant doing a long string of rides those first hours and not traipsing miles to do it. Shows, fireworks, parades felt less feverish than when WDW crosses into ‘do or die’ atmosphere lol.

We still love WDW. Overall it has more variety. You can spend an hour watching gorillas, or driving your own pontoon in front of MK, or seeing 3 different rock shows over a week, etc. WDW is king for changing up each trip drastically year after year if you want.

We now also love DL enough to replace some WDW trips. From the east coast I can see us doing DL every 3rd trip.

Thanks for asking I haven’t done a trip report though i really should one of these days.

I love hearing that kind of perspective, because i've never been to WDW, but have been to DLR 100's of times. Going to WDW next month, & it helps to hear the differences i can expect.

Definitely do a trip report, you already have one basically right here, you could just add some more details... and tag me if you do.

 

[rndmr2]

Once in September 2014. We had been in 2010 and 2011 before that. I am WAY overdue and hoping to go this fall or next.

I have gotten my fix some though, we went to Paris in 2019 and Disneyland in 2022.

 

[Disneyland1084]

The first and only, so far, was in 2017. I'm in the planning stages of my next trip there.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

I remember Sept 2023/ Dec/Jan 20-21
and Nov 2018 and Nov 2013
If I'm wrong add one more trip!

 

[Yoshi]

I used to visit for around 5 days every 2 - 3 years when I lived in PA. I now live near Tampa and have had an AP since September 2021 and visit around 3 days a month.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I'm going to say 4, but I have not been there now for over 6 of your 10 year time period. Last trip was summer 2017.

I'd like to get back to my at least annual (and usually biannual) trip in earlier years. Over those years, maybe 30-35 trips.

 

[RuntheMouse]

I’m embarrassed that I have lost count tbh. This year alone we’ve been in January, April, September and November. I even took a solo trip in October. We’re leaving tomorrow for another trip.

 

[Sweettears]

I fell in love! DLR had many unique positives. In a nutshell, more intimate and more intense.

Things that stood out to me were:

Nostalgia factor - it just oozed mid-century Walt feeling, possibly heightened by staying at DLH. From the resort to rides and restaurants and transportation that feeling of ‘classic’ Disney was everywhere. Pirates was mind blowing the extent of extra detail beyond WDW which already has a great version. When we bopped around Fantasyland oh my goodness! There’s Mr Toad, Pinocchio, Storybookland, Matterhorn, Alice cart ride in 2 story configuration that’d never happen today… Disneyland captures a place in time WDW does not.

Compact - The rides are very close together, the parks and downtown Disney close together, the resorts close. It a campus where WDW is a city. Everything right there within a 10 minute walk. DL is under 1 square mile while WDW is spread across 43 square miles.

Weather - Blue skies and mild weather is easy take for granted there. Day after day that is what we had and from what I understand typical most of the year. I wish a windy day was the biggest concern in Florida lol. Hard to beat having gorgeous weather every walk down Main St.

Crowds - Locals definitely create a different vibe. More relaxed and casual. Almost like a club of repeat visitors. There’s less concern about ropedrop because a majority visit often. So pleasant doing a long string of rides those first hours and not traipsing miles to do it. Shows, fireworks, parades felt less feverish than when WDW crosses into ‘do or die’ atmosphere lol.

We still love WDW. Overall it has more variety. You can spend an hour watching gorillas, or driving your own pontoon in front of MK, or seeing 3 different rock shows over a week, etc. WDW is king for changing up each trip drastically year after year if you want.

We now also love DL enough to replace some WDW trips. From the east coast I can see us doing DL every 3rd trip.

Thanks for asking I haven’t done a trip report though i really should one of these days.

I generally agree with all of this except the crowds.

In a nut shell for me, the nostalgia is a big plus. The proximity of the two parks. Negative no bubble.

 

[MamaMermaid]

16+. We are FL residents, APs, DVC owners which makes it all a lot easier. We usually take trips in Jan, Feb, May, August, November. Sometimes more frequently so the number is around 5+ trips/year.

 

[Chili327]

I generally agree with all of this except the crowds.

In a nut shell for me, the nostalgia is a big plus. The proximity of the two parks. Negative no bubble.

Clarify..? Is the proximity a positive or negative in your opinion.?

 

[tx911]

DL: nostalgia, OG feel, intimacy, proximity to the resorts, characters
WDW: Massive, lots of great resorts, boats, skyliner, and there's nothing like Epcot or AK at DL.

I'm glad we have both.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

Zero in 14 (went to Tokyo and Paris instead), one in 15, three in 16, two in 17, two in 18, in 2019 we moved to Winter Garden so probably now average a couple of park days each month so call it nine in 19, seven in 20, eight in 21, six in 22, and seven in 23. So that’s over 40 In 10 years.

 

[Moliphino]

8? Once a year from '14 to '21. Also went to Disneyland in 2016 and DLP in 2017.

 

[amylevan]

3 - 2014, 2016, 2018. Was planning on 2020 to continue the every other year tradition, but….

And we haven’t picked it back up as we got busy visiting other places. We are going to Universal for a long weekend in February though. I thought about WDW, but it just seems much easier to do universal for a quick trip.