West Coast DVC'ers--How Many Trips and How Long?

[bigsmooth]

I've done the redeye before to Orlando, but for business and not with the family. Agree it does help get you onto east coast time. I can handle red eyes just fine, but I've done a separate redeye once before with the family (coming back from Hawaii), and I think the family decided never again.

I've done what others have suggested, stay in a separate room the first night so you don't waste any time. I believe it helps with room assignments to not be checking in late, and I don't want to waste any time on a weekend, high point day by checking in well past the normal check in time. We always stay in a Downtown Disney hotel the first night, and just use a carry on to store the first day clothes. Then we go first thing in the morning to check in. We rather not have a car for the whole week, so we get a car just for that first night and return the car on property the DVC check in day (usually to the Alamo Buena Vista Palace)

One tip for West Coasters I have not seen mentioned. If you have neve done the Hoop De Doo Review, they usually offer a 10% DVC discount for the 9:30pm show. We have twice done that with the kids early in our stay when the kids are still on West Coast Time, so keeping them up that late for the discounted show is not that tiring on them.

 

[funatdisney]

One tip for West Coasters I have not seen mentioned. If you have neve done the Hoop De Doo Review, they usually offer a 10% DVC discount for the 9:30pm show. We have twice done that with the kids early in our stay when the kids are still on West Coast Time, so keeping them up that late for the discounted show is not that tiring on them.

What an awesome idea( I live near the coast, dude!). Too bad I have already booked the Hoop De Doo Review or later on our trip. Got keep that in mind the next time we plan a trip to WDW. That is if the redeye works out for us.

 

[AnimalPrincess]

We just moved to WA from FL so this will be our first time traveling. We have gone to DL once since we moved, but waiting till we can use points. Anways...we are going for a long weekend in April, doing the red-eye thing and then going for 6 nights in Oct, probably red-eyeing again if I can handle it. DH and I are only 25 with no kids otherwise I don't think that I would do the red eye

 

[Longhairbear]

We are from Southern California, and take 2 trips a year to WDW. We go for Food and Wine, for about 7 days, and we go in early June for the end of Flower and Garden, and Gay Days, and stay about 5 days.
We taken the redeye once, and will never try that again. We arrived too early for the unit to be ready, and were too tired to go to a park. Our luggage was in Bell services, so were were in the same clothes for hours. We fell asleep in the Iron Spike room at VWL until our unit was ready at around 6 in the evening.

 

[JRDisneyClan]

I'd have to agree that the redeye helps the adjustment to the time change, but after having done it 2 or 3 times, we probably won't do it again, especially with the kids now. We decided that we were too tired by the end of that 1st day & by the end of the trip, really couldn't remember much of that 1st day anyway.

We usually go once a year for 5-7 days flying out on a Saturday & staying off-site by the airport or DTD, whichever is cheaper, the night we get in. Our ideal trip would be 10-14 days every year, but definitely at least a week. We're hoping to be able to go twice a year some years...once during the summer & once for Flower & Garden or Food & Wine.

 

[funatdisney]

I have some friends who love to fly the redeye to WDW and would not have it any other way. As for me- I have had many a day with little sleep and have managed quite well. What mother has not? I plan to bring Advil PM (I always do when traveling as well as my sound machine) to help me a long. I will definitely see how the family is managing on that first day. I have several options to suggest once I see how they are faring.

 

[wdw4life]

I've been doing about 11-13 days every other year. I would like to go more but with airfare being so expensive I can't really afford it. I would like to stay about 3 weeks but my job won't let me off that many days in a row.

Can't wait for GCV. I'm not sure how that will impact my WDW stays. I've already sold off some points in anticipation of it. I may end up doing every three years but who knows.

 

[drag n' fly]

With airfare being so expensive we have to take long trips. Usually 10 days or more. We recently found out it was cheaper to fly into Tampa than Orlando and are doing that instead so it changed our Christmas plans a bit but hey it's all good! We got 5 seats from Calgary to Tampa return including all taxes 2360.00cad

 

[PinkTink63]

Well, our first trip to WDW, we had 6 day park hoppers. Although we stayed at the WDW resort for 9 nights, we went to Discovery Cove, US, and visited friends in St. Augustine for a few days. Our total stay in Florida was 13 nights.

After that we started buying AP's and getting 2 trips per year. We always go in the summer, because we don't feel comfortable taking DS out of school. Each time we go, we end up staying a little longer! Since then, we started staying 10 days at WDW. Then it went to 12 days...then 14 days! This year we will be staying 15 days at DVC for a grand total of 3 weeks in Florida! We definitely couldn't stay that long if we didn't have DVC. Now I just have to figure out how to get more points!

We like to take the night flight, so we don't waist a day flying! I know many on these boards that do not like that flight, but we do! Our son has always been a great little traveler! We are all kind of "night owls", but we do get a few zzz's on the plane.

 

[PinkTink63]

Yes, my wife and I used to alternate the parks. One year we would take a trip to Disneyland Resorts, and the next to WDW resorts. Anytime we went to Florida, we would always book a full week. Any less is almost not worth it, plus there is enough time to fit in whatever you want.

We used to do this too, except we would do every other year, because we would get AP's. Now that we have DVC, we probably won't go to DL very often.

 

[Donald's Fan in PHX!]

I just joined, but am planning a yearly WDW trip for one week, and a yearly 3 day DL trip each year.

 

[kerickson]

My current plan is WDW every 2-3 years, DL every year, and eventually rotate in a cruise and trip to Disney Hawaii...