Stripped down WDW vacation?

[wdw4lif]

In the past we've always done 7 days (or more). Never less. We've done all parks, and had hoppers every single trip. We've done at least 1 character meal every trip as well. This time, over 5 years later, we're doing a stripped down version of a Disney vacation!

3 nights at POP with the kids & the grandparents (their's, not ours). We're doing 1 day at MK and 1 day at EPCOT. Skipping AK and DHS. Has anyone done this and do you regret it? We're also visiting family down in Florida, so they're taking us to see some of the sights around their home as well. I just couldn't imagine being in Florida and NOT going to WDW at all... Just wondering if I'm just an odd one?

 

[powellrj]

No, I am thinking about booking a trip for DH and I like this in the fall. Relax and only hit 2 parks and then swim and sight see the rest of the week.

 

[Pembo]

We are headed down in Oct just doing a day at the MK and a MNSSHP night. That's it. We've done short trips before. It is a nice way to get a little Disney.

 

[HM]

Our first trips were all a week long or more. Eventually we got down to 4-5 night trips.

 

[wdw4lif]

That's awesome! I felt odd doing it, but honestly I'll gladly take a little Disney magic over NONE! We do have the free dining package simply because our dates fell that way. It's so worth it for us between the value an not having to plan on much of a food budget. Since we're driving we can bring along some snacks & breakfast items as well. When the kids were all little, the trips were much cheaper. Now they're all adult price according to Disney, so it makes quite a bit of difference!

 

[Marionnette]

In the past we've always done 7 days (or more). Never less. We've done all parks, and had hoppers every single trip. We've done at least 1 character meal every trip as well. This time, over 5 years later, we're doing a stripped down version of a Disney vacation!

3 nights at POP with the kids & the grandparents (their's, not ours). We're doing 1 day at MK and 1 day at EPCOT. Skipping AK and DHS. Has anyone done this and do you regret it? We're also visiting family down in Florida, so they're taking us to see some of the sights around their home as well. I just couldn't imagine being in Florida and NOT going to WDW at all... Just wondering if I'm just an odd one?

No, you're not an odd one.

We own DVC. We also have an opportunity to stay at GF on a phenomenal convention rate this coming fall. We'll probably bank our DVC points. We'll stay at the GF on that great rate for a long weekend and pay for it with the discounted Disney GCs that I've purchased using Target GCs that I either earned from rewards programs or bought from cardpool .com.

I probably won't spend much time in the parks while my husband is at his meetings. I'll still make dinner ADRs at some of the nicer restaurants (we're looking forward to trying Trattoria al Forno) but we plan to also eat at Shula's in the Dolphin hotel and will head to DtD for a meal at Wolfgang Puck. I already purchased GCs for those restaurants at a discount price.

I won't buy tickets for MVMCP. I don't plan to take any tours while my husband is in his meetings. I intend to sleep in and then hang out at the pool instead. No overpriced spa treatments for me! I have no intention of wasting full-day tickets on the few hours that we could be in the parks when he is done, and I won't spend the money on "after 4 PM" tickets because they're no bargain compared to the daily cost of multi-day passes.

This vacation is not going to be about the parks. It will be about enjoying our resort and just relaxing. And I'm looking forward to it!

 

[minnie45]

Not odd at all. We are doing 2 park days and 2 water park days this May/June. The rest of the week we will be relaxing and enjoying our resort. (Animal Kingdom--DVC members)

 

[wdw4lif]

I don't know if it's just a maturity thing or what but when I was younger I couldn't imagine going to Disney without actually DOING Disney. Now, I can totally see myself and DH doing it as a getaway for ourselves! Our kids are getting older, so we can get back to the things we'd like to do little by little

 

[NancyIL]

I spent a week in Florida in January, and stayed at WDW only the first and last nights. I enjoyed visiting gardens on the Gulf coast, saw downtown Orlando for the first time, heard Off Kilter perform at a Scottish festival in Winter Springs, and enjoyed a few museums in Winter Park. I wasn't planning to go into a WDW theme park at all, but I broke down my last day and hopped to 3 parks in the afternoon and evening. There are plenty of things to do around the Orlando area without spending a lot of (or any) time at a Disney theme park.

 

[Anesthesia Fine]

Yep, we've stayed offsite at a campground, done a day at MK and a day at Sea World, and the rest of the time visiting family. Most of our trips to FL usually involve one day at a park, but multipark visits are a more recent thing for us.

 

[GeraldineW]

Short trips are more the norm for my family. We tend to do week or longer every few years in August during free dining but otherwise we are usually doing one or two park days and a party night. I actually like the shorter trips better because there isn’t as much planning involved. We know we aren’t going to see everything, don’t try to and pick something new to focus on.

 

[HopperFan]

We used to do four day weekends a lot with just two parks. We're only 8 hours, kids were younger and it was always a great trip. Back then we bought huge NE tickets and spread them out over 4-5 trips. We loved the economic part of the trips.

 

[DCbride]

Sounds fun! With your kids ages, you will get to do a lot in one park. And go from open to close.

I have trouble booking a trip to FLORIDA and not spending a day at Disney, too.

 

[pookybean]

We are doing a stripped down trip this year too. All of our previous trips have been around 9-14 days, this one is 5! We are doing one day at each park and a MNSSHP. Usually we have the full dining plan, this time we are doing the qs dining plan. 180 days came and went....at that point I felt odd without making any adr's, but I think we will be ok. My 14 y/o DD on the other hand is trying to plan our days and qs meals....lol

I am kind of looking forward to this kind of trip.

 

[wdw4lif]

We are doing a stripped down trip this year too. All of our previous trips have been around 9-14 days, this one is 5! We are doing one day at each park and a MNSSHP. Usually we have the full dining plan, this time we are doing the qs dining plan. 180 days came and went....at that point I felt odd without making any adr's, but I think we will be ok. My 14 y/o DD on the other hand is trying to plan our days and qs meals....lol

I am kind of looking forward to this kind of trip.

I'm actually looking forward to no ADR's as well. It gives us a little more freedom since we don't have to be somewhere at a specific time.

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

.

 

[5kidsmommy]

I actually look forward to the day when we can do 1-2 stripped down trips each year instead of one big one every couple of years. This current trip only two of us are going and we are going for 6 days (5 nights) and we have park hoppers which I am thinking is going to free up time. I plan on only hitting the sites I want to and spending time at the resort. I no longer feel the need to do everything.

 

[wdw4lif]

I actually look forward to the day when we can do 1-2 stripped down trips each year instead of one big one every couple of years. This current trip only two of us are going and we are going for 6 days (5 nights) and we have park hoppers which I am thinking is going to free up time. I plan on only hitting the sites I want to and spending time at the resort. I no longer feel the need to do everything.

I would much rather do a short trip every year as well instead of waiting in between!

 

[Pooh2]

We did a 5 day trip in January (a surprise Christmas gift from my husband!).
It was the first time we went for under a week and we did not get park hoppers or Photopass/Memory Maker.
We did do some table services meals to try places we've not been yet but no character meals.
We had spent a little more time exploring the resort and had a fabulous and relaxing time before heading to the beach for 2 days.
Have a wonderful time!

 

[5kidsmommy]

We did a 5 day trip in January (a surprise Christmas gift from my husband!).
It was the first time we went for under a week and we did not get park hoppers or Photopass/Memory Maker.
We did do some table services meals to try places we've not been yet but no character meals.
We had spent a little more time exploring the resort and had a fabulous and relaxing time before heading to the beach for 2 days.
Have a wonderful time!

I think this might be the last time we get memory maker. I thought about not getting it but it's a special trip and I figure it's a once in a lifetime thing with just the two of us (mom/teenage daughter) but yeah I figure I can save a lot not doing the memory maker and maybe when we do family trips we will only get a picture or two.