What's your sweet spot?

[rutgers1]

Whenever we plan a vacation, we try to figure out how long it will be before our desire to be at Disney is overshadowed by our desire to sleep in our own beds, have a bit of "space" away from one another at home, and tend to things in the "real world" that need to be tended to.

On some trips, we go home while I still have things to check off on my "Disney to-do List," while other times we go a few days too long and I start to become more aware of the closeness in the studio, the amount of money that I am spending, and the fact that I am ignoring things that have to get done at home.

So, what is your sweet spot ---- that amount of time where you get to do most of what you want to do while not overstaying your welcome and not sacrificing things you "have" to do back home?

For me, I think it is 7 full days. Any less and I don't feel full rested, any more and I start to feel edgy about getting home.

 

[melk]

For me I would say 10 days. For DH, about 5. So we compromise and stay 7.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I'd say 9-10 days. We have taken to doing mostly 7 day trips lately though. We tend to do longer when we have guests. That gives us a few days alone after our guests leave.

 

[DVCconvert]

4 weeks in the winter months. About 3 weeks in the Fall.

 

[Alexander]

2 Weeks. We have been taking less frequent and longer trips for the past 2 years. We love having 2 full weeks away. This past December we did 2 full weeks around Christmas (BCV and Bonnet Creek) and this month we have another 2 weeks booked (AKV and Cruises).

We love the longer vacations because they truly feel like vacations. Only having to buy airfare twice a year instead of four times is nice too!

 

[seelyt2]

9 days, once per year works well for us.

 

[kamik86]

I don't know I haven't hit it yet.

The most we have ever done is 8 nights which we will be doing again this year. The only time I was ever glad to go home was when I took the full extended family and really I still didn't want to go home if I could have sent all of THEM home and just stayed with DH for another week that would have been cool.

I think part of it is that much of what I need to do in the "real world" I really do in the virtual world. The last few trips I have been taking grad school classes still (online so as long as I don't have a test that week I have no problems and can still do everything for class) pay bills, etc from my computer. I can check my work email and answer questions if I need to... so yeah never hit the I want to leave time...

 

[Granny]

Two weeks for us...best vacations we had were that long. But the four of us didn't stay in a studio. In a studio, the optimum time would be significantly shorter.

 

[mdsd8700]

Well DH and myself could do 10 I would say. Our kids can't do more than 7. Even when there were younger they were afraid of what they were missing at home with their friends.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I don't know. DH and I hope it's about 4-5 weeks once we retire.

I'll be using DVC from December 29th through January 27th, but it's going to be with lots of different people, different resorts, it will be fine, but it's really a way for me to avoid an Ohio Winter while seeing some DFs. DH can't join me for the whole time, and really being with him alone, while being at WDW or VB would have to be part of a "sweet spot!"

I've already arranged for our doggie to be cared for when we do the 4-5 weeks together, and I think it will work out.

 

[majortom1981]

7 days for me. I know how to get all the rides in at the parks before 1pm So by 7 days we have done all the rides at least twice with rests during the afternoon. more then 7 days it would get boring plus 7 days is all i can take with the crowds.

How do people who stay more then 7 days get stuff done at home? Maids? lol

 

[Granny]

7 days for me. I know how to get all the rides in at the parks before 1pm So by 7 days we have done all the rides at least twice with rests during the afternoon. more then 7 days it would get boring plus 7 days is all i can take with the crowds.

How do people who stay more then 7 days get stuff done at home? Maids? lol

What stuff is there to do at home if we're all at WDW???

I will say that a big part of the 2 week trip is taking a few non-park days. Total relaxation, or maybe rent some boats or bikes. Basically, it takes all the stress out of a trip.

Also, having AP's makes a big difference as we can spend an hour in a park one day and not feel like we've "wasted" a day pass.

Lastly, we normally drive to WDW. So the extra days makes it easy to go off site for meals or other attractions.

We rarely get to a park before 10:00 a.m these days. Getting all rides done in a park by 1:00 pm would not fit our vacation style.

But I can see for some where two weeks might be too much.

 

[BigDaddySlick]

About 6 days....twice a year...recharge for a bit...things don't get crazy at home...and you can then start planning for the next one!

 

[bcrook]

I spent one week in early June with extended family, and then returned with friends for 7 days over 4th of July. I enjoyed that experience. Next June I will be spending consecutive weeks with another DVC family. I wonder how that is going to turn out. My wife is bailing after 8 days to come back home leaving me at WDW with my teenagers and the other family. I guess she knows her limits. I have no idea what mine is.

 

[LSchrow]

We've stayed up to 14 nights (2 Ppl in a studio or 3-4 ppl in a 1bdrm - I agree with PP that any more people in villas that size wouldn't work for more than a couple of nights, for us at least).
After 14 nights, I still wasn't ready to go home. My DH however, is ready around the 4th day
I think the biggest reasons I don't tire of it (now 2-3 trips of 10-14 days a year) include the way we spend most of our time relaxing, laying by the pool, reading a book or ppl watcing on the BW, playing minigolfn eat and/or shop off-site, if we do go to a park, it's only for a very short time (maybe for one ride, or to get a grey goose slushie, or watch a show - and NEVER ever go for rope drop)
I hope to find out if I would be bored after 3-4 weeks, some day......

 

[wildernessDad]

I'd say about 10 nights twice per year. We have a kitty who gets worried if we're away for too long. We have neighbor who watches our cat, and we watch her dog. I think she gets the better end of the deal.

Edited to say that I could use a Disney fix right now and we were at Disneyland in May. Go figure. We usually go on our Disney jaunts around May and December.

 

[com_op_2000]

DW and I choose to have more vacations and less time. We have done everything from 1 to 12 days. Our sweet spots seems to be 3 - 4 trips per year (max has been six trips in one year) with 2 - 5 days per trip.

 

[disneychic]

The longest DVC trip we've ever taken was just shy of 3 weeks (20 days). This was SOOOO nice! We drove from NJ and stayed at HHI for 3 days, then onto WDW - VWL for 6, then 4 days on the Wonder, another 5 days at VWL after the cruse and then 1 night at HHI on the way home. It felt like we were gone forever....and I loved every minute of it!

However, trips like that are far and few between. So now I'll take trips that are 7 nights at WDW 3 or 4 times a year --sometimes my DH can't go due to work, but I bring my Mom, or best friend, or whoever wants to escape to Disney for a week!

 

[nolanboys]

We've had great vacations at WDW and usually go a full week. I think my max would be 10 with the kids - with just DH I could easily do 2 weeks. 4 boys, even in a two bdrm, can get a little cramped!

 

[delaneyc52]

If I have my laptop/smartphone and can pay bills, keep in touch with work, etc. we could stay in a one bedroom villa indefinitely. I wish!!! I have not reached my sweet spot obviously!!