Taking a Year Off

[VrBchJ]

If you're worried the kids are not feeling Disney could you park them for a few days so you and DH come to Food and Wine? Is that too heretical a notion?

 

[staceymay00]

I looked into that but I am not sure the kids would have enough to do. They will be 9 and 7. What do you think?

We just returned from HHI. Last year we spent a couple of nights at the Disney resort paying cash with the member discount. This year we rented a townhouse in Palmetto Dunes, which is where the Disney Beach House is located. The cost of a 2BR/3BA townhouse just a quick walk from the beach was less than half what renting or transferring 300+ points for a 2BR villa would have cost, so that made much more sense for us (we don't have extra points right now, plus probably could not have booked July at seven months even if we did).

My kids are 6, 9 and 11 and we had the most wonderful, relaxing vacation but not at all boring. We rented bikes for the week and rode around Palmetto Dunes. The residential streets near us were mostly shady with wide sidewalks for bikers. We swam in the pool a couple of times and went to the beach every day but one. The Disney resort, btw, is not right on the beach, just so you are aware. They do have a beach house right on the beach that you can drive to and they have a shuttle. We always ate lunch in our townhouse and then spent a couple of hours each afternoon relaxing in the AC. We played mini golf one afternoon, went to Shelter Cove once for dinner and Sea Pines once for dinner. We walked on the beach or to the store for ice cream cones on several evenings. I figured we would end up going to a movie, the mall or playing tennis to fill some time, but that never happened. The Disney resort has some classes for kids, plus Bingo and other activities if I recall, and ping pong and shuffleboard. I found a beach trip to be a welcome change from our WDW vacations!

 

[mazoo77]

Maybe you could try Disneyland in California. If you can get into GCV at 7 mos, stay there a few days and head to San Diego for a few days. You won't need as many days in DL as you would at DW and you can use as your home base for LA oriented activities(beaches, studio tours, Universal, sightseeing, etc...). We would like to do that next year if a GCV room can be scored at the 7 month window. Actually, we may do it anyway and stay elsewhere if GCV is not available.

Check out the GCV owners thread, you may fall in love with that place.

 

[nunzia]

How about an Adventures by Disney? There are several I think kids your age would really enjoy.

 

[wildernessDad]

Just wait. In a month you'll be dying to go back.

 

[daisyx3]

We last went in April 2010. We skipped this year for several reasons: I wanted to pay down some credit cards, the kids and I had different spring break periods (my DD in HS gets to opt out of a final if she has less than 2 days absence so I won't take her out of school), and I kind of wanted to stay away until fantasyland was finished. Summer has gotten too busy with camps, etc. MY plan was to go back spring break 2013. I even rented out half of our 2010 points.
Well, everyone but me is nagging to go back. We didn't go anywhere this year. Every time DH sees a Disney commercial he starts making noise about it.
SO, I told DH if he sells one of our extra vehicles (we have 5 cars and 4 drivers) I will set things up for next spring, and have started doing the necessary research.
My point, and I do have one, is that taking a year off will sometimes make the vacation all the sweeter.
Daisyx3

 

[Meliechick]

We had a kind of similar situation. We were spending most our vacation time at WDW but have dreamed of visiting other places around the world. We felt obligated to visit so regularly because we didn't want our points to go to waste. We sold our 2 large contracts & bought 1 small one. Our intent was to only go to WDW every other year. This past April we were able to spend 2 weeks in Belgium & caught some amazing cycling events. We still ended up spending a night at Disneyland Paris. Now we are trying to fight the urge to go to The F&W in October for a long weekend & just pay cash and stay at the Swalphin. We thought we were burned out on going to WDW but now with the prospect of not going for awhile we miss it already and we were just there last October.

 

[FreeTime]

We are currently in the last 4 months of our 18 month break. I didn't think I would be able to survive, but we have made it! I am really looking forward to our upcoming trip with 8 of our relatives. During our break we spent the 1st year paying off bills. Our vacation was buying a season pass to Kings Island (a local amusement park) last summer and then this summer we finally took a two week vacation that we had been dreaming of out west. I will admit we made a short stop at DL . With our love of WDW and DVC I still would recommend that everyone take a break. I wish that it hadn't taken us 10 years to take a break.

 

[gracelrm]

If you don't want to bank points - I'd say give HH a try. We've been five or six times and my kids would almost rather go to HH than WDW. We usually go during our fall break (never been during the summer). Kids are now 18,15, & 11, but have been going since the youngest was 3 or 4. This year we went on a cruise and even with all that - my DS15 said he'd rather have gone to HH.

We've been to VB about 3 or 4 times and we love it there as well, but when we let the kids pick - they always pick HH.

I will say that I convinced a coworker who has DVC to go to HH and she said she wasn't sure if they would go back. They are really in to the characters right now with their children and said they'd much rather be at WDW. So - everyone has a different idea and HH might not suit everyone's taste.

 

[Golden Rose]

We've gone roughly twice a year for the last 4 years, and because both our trips this year and last year required a two bedroom since we traveled with friends or family, we had to borrow points. We don't have enough points to maintain our current habits, and while we intend to buy a few more points eventually, we haven't decided where. (We have thought seriously about Aulani, because we love Hawaii, but we adopted an infant at the end of last year, and traveling to Hawaii isn't going to much fun with a baby/toddler for several years.)

We're probably taking a year off from WDW next year, too. We're definitely doing a Disney cruise, and we're definitely going to take a second vacation, we just haven't decided what. Of course, DS wants it to be WDW, but we're seriously considering doing a second (non Disney) cruise. I feel really strange about taking a year off from WDW, particularly when my son still really loves it. We usually have the next trip already booked when we make our trips, and it will feel very strange not to know when we're likely to be back.

 

[Sammie]

I understand completely I say bank and then do a something later.

 

[danielle782001]

Thanks for all the great advice...I think we will bank the points and do it big in 2013...DH says he wants to do a couple of road trips next summer...Maybe to Hershey and Ocean City, Maryland...We have been spending a great deal of money and the other options mean more money...Would be a nice change, opportunity to save some money, and even build up my Disney Visa Dollars...Most of all, I want my boys to actually miss the mouse...

Good luck to you others taking time off too...We will survive, I suppose

 

[MinnieVanMom]

Just another factor is the cost of Disney. Yes as members we are all saving big on deluxe resorts for just our MF. But when we go to WDW it has never been under $2k when it is all said and done.

There is the first huge hit, airfare, then the rental car. I know we can take ME for free but we really enjoy the time saving of a car and ability to venture beyond Disney. Oh, did I say that.

Fuel for the car, about $200 for tips across the board, the dining plan, the little gifts, park tickets for 2 adults and one child with park hopper. Each year I just save before hand, budget carefully and have the bank account ready so when I get home the bill is paid in full.

We are also now finding ourselves going other places that just Disney. DS wants to go to China but is still too young, but as he grows up, there will be other places.

Disney offers to us good fun for everyone in a very clean and family friendly environment. It is always fun to go back for the magic but we just need to take a bit of time off for now.

I have rented out my points, once here on the rental board and to a friend. I have some extra cash and it was all a good transaction. I don't see myself renting any more points out but banking instead for the following year.

Good luck to all as we take the year off and save.

 

[toniosmom]

In November, we will be doing our fifth trip in less than three years. While we loved (and continue to love) our trips, I had decided to take 2012 away from WDW. I rented out most of my 2010 points and got enough cash to take the two of us (me and my DS6) on a cruise at the end of the 2012 school year.

Due to circumstances at work, it turns out I cannot plan a non-refundable vacation in 2012. I have to be available in 24-48 hours notice, so I can't be on a ship out in the ocean. So....now we have NO plans at all in 2012 and it's going to kill me. I got spoiled by my DVC membership.

So....I think I am now going to use that money as a nice down payment on Lasik eye surgery. Then....a nice big DVC trip in Spring 2013.

Funny how things work out.

 

[DizGirl20]

Thanks for posting this thread. We have plans to visit in April (see my ticker) but I am also contemplating taking the year off and trying VB, HHI or maybe something within the Concierge Collection. One thing I am mulling over is the cost of tickets. We were able to squeeze 2 weeks of Disney vacations into our last set of APs but they recently expired. Now that our kids are older, the cost of 4 tickets for a 7-day visit is getting expensive! BUT like you, it breaks my heart to thinking of skipping a year...

Good Luck in your abstinence!

 

[VLee]

Yep, we too are thinking of skipping a year. We go at least once a year, usually twice or even three times and have a November 2011 and March 2012 trip scheduled. But we are thinking of skipping our usual May trip next year and doing something else next summer, possibly renting our points to go on a cruise to Alaska.
I should have about 1,000 points total of banked plus 2012 points to rent. Another possibility is banking a large number next year into 2013 and getting a 2 or 3 BR for more family members then.

 

[MinnieGi]

We skipped a year and it made it soooo much more fun when we went back!!

Actually we plan on doing it again. We back two trips to each other for AP usage such as a Dec. followed by a Nov. trip the next year. Then we plan to skip another year and start the cycle again. The kids are totally on board with that. In the "off" year we are thinking of doing DCL or Hawaii.

We already do HHI in the summer and LOVE IT!! My kids are 10 & 6 and LOVE, LOVE HHI!! There is sooo much to do at the Disney resort and the whole island.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

We have plans for September and April.

I'm thinking about taking a year off after that. We usually stay in studios, so it would be awesome to actually have the points to stay in a 1 bedroom!!

 

[Pixieflip]

At one point we had gone once every year for seven years and then for several reasons we took a three year break. It nearly killed us! Well, not really, but you know what I mean. When we finally did go back, it was amazing. We were all so grateful just to BE there! I nearly cried at almost everything we did! It was a great trip, one of our favorites.

Absence does make the heart grow fonder, even with the Mouse.

 

[Donut23]

We are just back from an amazing 10 days in WDW. We have been to Disney once or twice a year for the past few years.

We are thinking of taking a year off and not returning until July 2013. We think the kids need a year off to miss it and maybe get some of the magic back.

BUT the idea of my count down reading 720 days make me so sad and very scared that we are going to regret this.

Next is deciding what we do for our family trip next year. Use DVC or bank for a year?!?

So confused

Take a year off and go somewhere else.....Grand Canyon, Grand Tetons, Washington, DC, Williamsburg...list is endless. We were just at Gettysburg for 2 days and it was nearly overrun with children <====GREAT to see!

You can have a brand new countdown!!!