Walk me through your DVC Vacation

[DisneyFirstTimer10]

Especially if you do week long stays:


Do you go to the parks each day?

What time do you arrive?

Do you take breaks?

Do you go back at night?

How late do you stay?

Do you take complete days off?

Do you park hop?

Do you visit other parts/parks in area?



Our upcoming trip will be our first stay as members- and we will be switching from 10 day trips to 7 day stays (but now going twice a year)- so trying to picture how to plan this out. We've come to realize that our family loves resort time, more so than I ever imagined. Now that we are getting APs I dont feel as pressured to be at the parks all day every day to get the best bang for our buck. However, with FP+ and making ADRs I feel like I really need to have a plan in advance as to which days we will visit the parks (all days?, take a day off?) and how much time we will spend while there. I worry about planning a resort day with no FP+ and it turning out to be bad weather- in which case we'd rather be in the parks than at the pool.

 

[disneynutz]

This is what we do after being owners for awhile and our vacation pattern has changed.

No need to rush anywhere, we are on vacation.

Park days are determined by attendance projection.

We visit parks based on where we are staying. MK when at an MK resort, Epcot/DHS when at an Epcot resort.

AP's are saved for years with planned higher park usage, non-expiration tickets for most vacations.

We limit our restaurant usage, eat most meals in the villa, money savings can let you add a couple of days to our stay.

We rent a car to go shopping for food and to eat a meal offsite.

What you don't do this trip, you can do in a few months.

Bill

 

[CKCruising]

The best way to vacation is to do what works best for your family. If you need breaks, break. If you don't then stay all day. Some families like early morning, some work better late at night.

The thing we like best about DVC is knowing we will be back. If we don't see the Mine Train this trip, then we will ride it next time. Most of the stress is removed. We also try to do something new at each park on each trip. There is still a lot of attractions we haven't seen.

In general, it is better to plan FP+ if possible. We tend to do fewer park days, so we focus on our park days and make the FPs for our must dos. We do our dining, for park days, around our FPs and since we travel in August most of the time, we do the rest of our dining reservations the day before.

We have had APs before and then our trips seemed to be shorter visits to the parks (a couple of hours first thing in the morning) but almost every day. Now, we just get the 10 day NE and it lasts for 4 or 5 trips.

Just remember, with 2 trips a year, you will get to see everything.

 

[com_op_2000]

DW & I usually stay at less than 7 days on each trip. Those times we have stayed that long or longer find:
We want to do something other than go to the parks each day.
Try to do something offsite each vacation.
Spend one full day at the resort as a rest day.
Spend at least one afternoon doing a resort's tour (IE: monorail tour of resorts, WL/VWL/FWC tour, etc)
Bring in local family/friends during the down time day, to meet for a meal/tour/etc.

 

[DisneyFirstTimer10]

Thank you! I find it very helpful to hear how other members utilize their time. It still hasn't fully hit me yet that we will be going to WDW several times a year from here on out and that the stress of not being able to do everything, see everything is no longer a reality.

 

[com_op_2000]

Thank you! I find it very helpful to hear how other members utilize their time. It still hasn't fully hit me yet that we will be going to WDW several times a year from here on out and that the stress of not being able to do everything, see everything is no longer a reality.

It usually takes a few trips before most people figure this out. So you are ahead of the game. Learning to relax while on vacation, knowing you will be back can give you a "real" vacation, and not come home feeling like you need a vacation from your vacation.

 

[ToddyLu]

It usually takes a few trips before most people figure this out. So you are ahead of the game. Learning to relax while on vacation, knowing you will be back can give you a "real" vacation, and not come home feeling like you need a vacation from your vacation.

Exactly. We also find our OL helps us enjoy the studios a bit more. We have certain souvenirs that stay in Orlando and make the villa feel more like home. In my mind I know AKV is a resort, but honestly that OL makes it feel like home to us. Actually DH and I discovred Alaskan State Troopers on Nat Geo channel in May and were riveted part of the trip. For some it is horrible to say you went to Dsiney to watch TV. It was raining those two days and it is not like we hadn't done everything and or needed to do anything. We went for 10 nights this October and had a wonderful time lying around. Up for ADRs and FP+, then back to room for naps and snacks, whatever.

We have loved our DVC trips and can't wait for the next one.

 

[dsneygirl]

Thank you! I find it very helpful to hear how other members utilize their time. It still hasn't fully hit me yet that we will be going to WDW several times a year from here on out and that the stress of not being able to do everything, see everything is no longer a reality.

We have something like 25 trips in our 10 years as members. We move a lot slower and take a lot more down time. We eat breakfast in the villa, prefer a sit down lunch. Then in the villa we usually just snack before going back in the evening, bagels, cereal, cheese and crackers. Then at night will get treats.

My kids are water rats so lots of time at the pool. Lots of time stopping to smell the roses.

No dining plan, been there, eaten there x5.

Minimal FP+ maybe just a couple headliners, other than that we just wander onto whatever ride has the shortest line.

We take the longer transportation route just to see the sights. (like monorail, walk through Epcot to DHS)

Movies at the hotel, kids activities etc.

Go to bed early if we want and sleep in if we want.

We don't take days off usually as we get APs but we might only go for a few hours in the morning rather than full days.

 

[catherines_mama]

Family of 5 who have been with 2 yr olds and now teens. We have always, even before DVC, enjoyed relaxing pace. Arrive at role drop Out of the park at or by lunch Relax at resort or DTD Early dinner then evening in the parks We try new things. Mini golf, water parks etc. in the next couple years we plan to try "the other parks" in town