Spaced Out Trips

[Eoywin]

I saw that someone posted a thread about being priced out of Disney.

I find that sad but also I'd be priced out of Disney if I went every year. Does anyone else space out trips in order to afford them and go other places?

I'm a huge Disney fan and I'd love to be able to go every year, but I think it's better that we don't go all the time. My next trip is in about a year so it will be three years between trips which is actually the shortest length of time between trips for me.

I think the spacing helps me avoid Disney fatigue and lets me save up for the kind of trip I want.

 

[stitchfan75]

Hit it on the head.
We've been having discussions in our house of when we want to go back. If we went next Christmas we would have to stay value or moderate. Not bad options but we would rather wait until June 2017 (so almost 2 years) and stay at our favorite deluxe. Next summer we are taking a RC cruise.
Do I think Disney is crazy expensive? Yes.
Am I thankful that my family has finally gotten to a place that a Disney vacation is no longer a "if I win the lottery" dream? Absolutely.

 

[Eoywin]

We are staying in a value but it's my daughter who is pushing for that. She really, really, really wants to stay at the Little Mermaid part of AoA and that's fine. Gives us more money for extras!

Plus my husband is not the Disney freak I am, so he likes his trips spaced out even more.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

We go every two years or so. I start saving the September before I want to go, and usually don't have a problem. Plus I think for us personally, every two years is about right. More than that, and we'd get tired of it. Next year I'm going down the shore for a long weekend-by the time that's over I'll be more than ready to start saving up again for Disney.

 

[kathy884]

I tend to do the opposite that you guys do. I do an annual mini trip (often only three nights / two days). I usually have points for freebie air and the short stay keeps the trip cost very manageable -- I am, though, of course paying about 100 pp per day for tickets, but just two days, so I'm not getting the multi day discounts you do. Another big reason for me for short trips is DH doesn't like Disney or Orlando, so our main vacation is something we all like and DS and I usually do a little Disney get-a-way.

 

[cmorris303]

We go every other August for a week. The kids and I are off in the summer, that's why we go during August. We are going this Dec because we got a great hotel rate and really low airfare, but we normally stick to every other year.

 

[JennyMP03]

Every two years sounds ideal to me. I can't sell DH on it, though. I made the mistake of saying after our 2008 honeymoon that I wanted to go back for our fifth anniversary. He honed in on that, and we indeed did not go back for five years.

I decided to take my little cousin and leave him at home the following year. He claims he doesn't want to go too often, but he pouted over that, heh. I'm angling for November 2016, which would be a three year break for him and two for me.

 

[Eoywin]

Two years between trips would be ideal for me too - slowly working toward that.

We did decide to wait until DD was almost five for her first trip - I had to talk my DH into that, he thought she was still too young. So there was a 6 year gap between my Disneymoon and DD's first trip.

 

[beck00]

Our last trip was May 2014 and we're returning this November. I had not been since 1999 before the May trip! Definitely don't want to go that long, but thing the next trip will be at least 2 years out! DH really enjoyed it, but wants to travel other places before we return. I'm open to whatever! (Honestly, secretly hoping I can sneak in a girls' trip with best friend at some point!)

 

[sunshine1]

For me, it is better to space out WDW trips too.

I have just come back from DL and WDW last month.

What with all construction and changes at WDW, if possible I would like to go back in 2017.

DL i would like to go back next September/October.

 

[CandiceF]

We like to try and go every 2 years. We are going this year but we might try to go back next year instead of waiting 2 years because my DS will be 9 next year and 10 (disney Adult the year after that).

 

[ellie05]

We try to space out our Disney vacations, but sometimes things just work out. We go to other places too and try to do new things every Disney trip so it doesn't get too repetitive.

 

[Canuck16]

We have to spread out our trips as we are coming from the West coast of Canada. It is a very expensive trip for the 4 of us as we come for 2 weeks do to the distance. Now with our dollar being so low ($1.35 CDN to $1 US) it makes it an even more expensive trip.

We are hoping to go back in 2018 if we can which will be 4+ years in between our trips.

 

[chefmb]

When our kids were growing up, we went every 3-4 years starting with a free 4 day trip in 1996 when I earned it as an incentive trip. We had gone on our honeymoon in 1987, so it was almost 10 years break for us. It was too expensive for every year, so our Disney trips were a big deal! I tried to get the best deals I could to save where I could. Our last family trip was in 2013 when the "kids" were 21 and 23, so it is still possible to have family trips when the kids are older. At this point, I have a feeling the next family trip is going to be at least a few more years down the road and will probably include daughters-in-law and grandchildren! I've already told DH I want to plan a big family trip when we do have grandchildren! But DH and I are enjoying more frequent trips by ourselves these days!!

 

[Meriweather]

We go 3 times a year (AP) every other year.....and that every other year we go 3 times to DLR (AP)
We'll see if that changes.
This is a DLR year. Went in April, go next week and then in Dec
2016 is a WDW year. Booked for Jan and March so far. Plan for Nov also.
Air is a crazy expense. We are in AZ.

 

[GrumpyDad1974]

I would like to go once a year, two years at most. We always go as cheap as possible so we can take other trips throughout the year.

 

[chelynnah]

From the UK we've done WDW in 2007, 2013 (both of those in January for about 10 days), and now this Nov. We've also done DLP in 2003 and 2008 on. 3-4 day break each. So if you average it our, every 3-4 years, and probably shouldn't have been that close except 1 WDW was a big family trip with my parents and my brother and his family from back home in Canada, and 1 DLP trip was an anniversary trip for DH's parents and us. The main reason we're going back now is the desire to do Disney Christmas, and we budgeted for as soon as we could, which is almost 3 years since the last trip. Our next one to WDW won't be until after the park expansions are done and have the kinks worked out, so probably 5 years. We 'might' do a short DLP break again, but it depends on other plans.

With my immediate family still back in Canada there trips 'home' to consider, as well as a special dog event we like to attended I on the states every 2-3 years where we get together with close friends from across the US. Then there's just potential regular local'ish holidays. There's only so much time and money to go around.

We've never had the experience of staying onsite. I'm envious of those who go every year (or more often), and stay onsite (wouldn't consider staying offsite), but that's just not in our budget, and we make ok money. Keep in mind the international flights add a huge chunk

Hoping next time we might do 3 night on-site for the bubble experience, then the rest in a townhouse. But I'm afraid that once we've had the experience of a whole house to the two of us (for cheaper than offsite hotels) we may not want to spent extra for a cramped (by comparison) studio with parking way in the back of beyond.

 

[lovndisney12]

When our kids were growing up, we went every 3-4 years starting with a free 4 day trip in 1996 when I earned it as an incentive trip. We had gone on our honeymoon in 1987, so it was almost 10 years break for us. It was too expensive for every year, so our Disney trips were a big deal! I tried to get the best deals I could to save where I could. Our last family trip was in 2013 when the "kids" were 21 and 23, so it is still possible to have family trips when the kids are older. At this point, I have a feeling the next family trip is going to be at least a few more years down the road and will probably include daughters-in-law and grandchildren! I've already told DH I want to plan a big family trip when we do have grandchildren! But DH and I are enjoying more frequent trips by ourselves these days!!

Sounds like my vision! DS are 14 and 17 and this December I'm guessing will be our last family "of four" Disney hurrah before they go off to college and get busy with life outside our 4 walls. Glad to hear your 21 and 23 year old "kids" still enjoyed a family trip! Maybe we have one more in before daughter-in-laws and grandchildren enter the picture. (But while those days don't need to come too quick - I do look forward to them!)

 

[lovndisney12]

Our frequency has changed as our kids activities expanded as they got older - with many vacations being revolved around their sports activities. We also enjoy vacationing in a variety of places with extended family (NYC, Rocky Mts., Boundary Waters, etc). This December will mark our longest span - 5 years - that all 4 of us have gone as a family (DS and I went last year around a conference I had for work). Prior to that it had been about 2 or 3 years. We all love Disney and are looking forward to this trip and believe the time in between just makes the trips more special for us.

 

[5kidsmommy]

We go every three years or so. But we did go in January 2014 before the oldest went off to college and we will be back this November. I'd like to go next year too and honestly because of the ages of my kids I'd like to go once every year or every other year at the most. I only have 5 years until all 5 of my kids will be off to college. They are all currently teenagers and honestly with one going off to college next fall and another the fall after that I want to get as many trips in with them as I can.