My family has been going to Disney parks since WDW opened in 1971 - originally driving down from NJ, before moving to Florida where we went multiple times a year. Since the early 80s when my mother married my stepfather, he had his own tradition of going to Disney 3 times a year, twice for conventions and once for renting a cabin at Fort Wilderness - so those became regular family trips. Because we went so often, we were never into the rope-drop, hit-every-ride-every-trip tempo.
When I bought into
DVC in 1996, I didn't change my family's traditional style - if anything, it allowed me to add in more relax time and more evening time outside of the parks to enjoy. I never do breakfasts at restaurants or parks - I cook breakfast in the villa. First day up and checking in, I usually do a couple of hours at DHS, or just do Disney Springs. Then the next 3 days are park days - one each for MK, AK, and Epcot. I'll typically hit the parks between 11am and 1pm...and tend to take the longer routes to get there - rather than bussing direct to the park, I'll often go to another nearby resort, do a little wandering, then walk into the resort from there (or take a boat). I often leave parks before they close since I've seen all the parades and firework shows a thousand times - instead, I can beat the rush for the exits by walking to a nearby resort and taking that bus to Disney Springs where I may hit a bar or two, listen to some live music, etc. before heading back to my villa.
I don't do Lightning Lanes or pay for any priority access, special member access, etc - I just check out the standby lines - if they're reasonable, I will hit that ride, and if they're not, I'll skip it for another time. I'll enjoy walk-through exhibits, educational exhibits, nature exhibits, etc and take my time. I'll stop to listen to street performers and shows. I tend to just snack for lunches - or maybe a quick serve - and splurge on dinners at moderate or signature table-service restaurants, with cocktails, coffee after, etc.
