When is long too long?

[DVC Grandpa]

As one of those Disney enthusiast, we are getting the reaction or question “how long?” when we indicate to friends and family of our planned 2007 trip to WDW/DVC.

We love to get out of the cold and snow of the north so this year we get on the road in mid January heading south but our UY is February therefore thus we feel more at ease if we refrain from barrowing points that late in the UY. We have made out BCV reservations from Super Bowl Sunday thru Daytona week and thru Presidents Day week.
We are driving and have made plans to stay at POR for 15 days in January prior to transferring to BCV.

The reaction we received has caused us to ask ourselves “are we overextending our stay” or “what are we going to do all that time”?

Is this longer stay overextending our stay thus deterring us from returning anytime soon?

This is a nice circumstance to be in but not if it “turns one off” from future trips.

 

[DVC Grammy]

You won't know the answer to your question until you spend that amount of time there. Some people could live at WDW if they had the points or $$s (me!!!); for others, about one week is enough before they're not "feeling the magic" anymore.
Consider your upcoming trip a "scientific research endeavor" (but I don't think it qualifies as a tax-deduction ).
We're going for about 10 days in Oct., and about 3 weeks in Jan. and it's not nearly enough!

 

[Boston5602]

If you have the time and money , its never to long to get away from the cold , icy , windy , blisstery , frozen , snowy , dark , mickeyless winters.

With the amount of time you'll be staying you can go slow and take your time and ENJOY ALL that Disney has to offer.

After Working my butt off all year it usually takes me aweek to start enjoying my vacation anyways .


wishing I was going for your amount of time

 

[DisDaydreamer]

As one of those Disney enthusiast, we are getting the reaction or question “how long?” when we indicate to friends and family of our planned 2007 trip to WDW/DVC.

We love to get out of the cold and snow of the north so this year we get on the road in mid January heading south but our UY is February therefore thus we feel more at ease if we refrain from barrowing points that late in the UY. We have made out BCV reservations from Super Bowl Sunday thru Daytona week and thru Presidents Day week.
We are driving and have made plans to stay at POR for 15 days in January prior to transferring to BCV.

The reaction we received has caused us to ask ourselves “are we overextending our stay” or “what are we going to do all that time”?

Is this longer stay overextending our stay thus deterring us from returning anytime soon?

This is a nice circumstance to be in but not if it “turns one off” from future trips.

What a nice problem to contemplate. You have lived all your life anticipating the day you can do something like this and the time has come. Relax, enjoy, and relish the time. There is no guarantee any of us will be here tomorrow. So, when you have paid your dues, raised your children, taken care of the future financially, then there is no OVERextending anymore. DW and I have not yet taken a vacation longer than 1 week (31 years). We always wish we could take at least a 2 wk vacation. We look forward to an extended stay sometime in the near future. I can't imagine that you will be turned off by an extended stay. Have a great trip

 

[Bill From PA]

Our first WDW trip was for four park day, the next four were for 7 days with a 'rest' day in the middle and the last 3 were for 10 park days. We've found 10 to be very satisfying, but I'd do your schedule in a heartbeat. I'd love to see how much is too much.

Bill From PA

 

[Granny]

I think it depends on what you like to do. With a stay that long, you can do all sorts of things such as day trips to Kennedy Space Center or over to Tampa.

I think if we ever did an extended stay like that, we'd probably only be in the WDW parks about half of the time at most. I think if you go to the parks every day, there's a very real possibility of burning out on WDW.

WDW has so many other things to enjoy. I think if you like to do any of those things (golf, swimming, boating, fishing, biking, etc) you won't get tired of it at all.

 

[Hef4545]

Enjoy yourself. Wait till you hear about the first major snow storm you missed or the morning with the black ice that you didn't have to deal with. It is not like you have to go to the parks everyday. You can sit at your morning table and laugh as you watch the tempatures drop north and you step out in your shorts or light sweater.
There is plenty to do. I would pick up a Florida Travel Book or if you belong to AAA, order one of theirs. They are packed with destinations A drive to the ocean is nice, Clearwater has a lovely dolphin ride to take that I saw on another post here, Kennedy Space Center, local malls, bike ride, a little lounging, it does not have to be all Disney but it is definitely nice to enjoy the clean, well run environment you have chosen as your home base. And you can do it all at a leisurely pace.

Have a great trip!

 

[JimC]

We figure it takes nine to ten days to see WDW setting a realistic pace for the trip. Longer stays would provide:

more leisure time at the resorts (part-day hopping so to speak to enjoy each resorts themes and restaurants)

more sports activities -- golf, tennis, boating, swimming, fishing, etc.

more off property fun and central Florida has plenty to offer even within a day trip.

We would probably consider a break for VB in an extended stay as well.

 

[starbox]

DDP might get old with an extended vacation (I'm thinking of the documentray SuperSize Me now )- but that's about it! My kids would spend the entire summer in Orlando if they had a choice!

VB is also a nice idea - you could do a few mid-week nights there for a change of pace.

 

[Lori2816]

Gee, how I wish this was my problem! I would love to have the time and money to escape NE PA for that amount of time in the winter. We happened to be in WDW last Dec. (1st week), we had missed a major snow storm at home. Just remember to make arrangements with a friend in case it snows so they shovel/plow your property. It will be much more pleasant to come home. Warm weather vs. cold and snow...go enjoy the warm weather!!

 

[PamOKW]

There are plenty of folks who spend six months in Florida and no one bats an eye to that. You are actually staying a relatively short time for a "snowbird" -- it's just so happens that your "home" is located at WDW. No one says you have to be in a park every single day....unless that's what you want to do. You can take advantage of the other things available on property....visiting hotels, golfing, shopping, hitting the spas, etc. or you can venture out to see Celebration, explore the Orlando area (that's how I found out how close Bay Hill was to OKW) head off to the coasts and see even more of Florida.

Have you considered maybe spending a few days at Vero b
Beach? You might want to switch off some of your hotel time to a few nights there, if you book now maybe you can get a good price. At a minimum you'll get the 25% DVC discount.

If I was in your position, I'd be figuring out how to not have to come back untilo mid-May!

 

[dznymom1]

Some of the best things that have come from my DVC membership along with great family memories, are the wonderful DVC friends I have made over the years. If you have the opportunity to meet up with some of the folks from this (or another) board who will be there at the same time, that may enhance the time you have there. I will be following in your footsteps as soon as my youngest graduates from HS (in '09 which sounds far off but is close enough to be thinking about my borrowing/banking habits) and I cannot wait to make all my decisions about which resort(s), which size units and how long to stay. One thing I know I will be doing is hanging out with DVC friends as they come and go on their vacations! I cannot imagine any amount of time that will be too long because I will be at my Home Away From Home!

Go, have fun, relax and soak in all that Disney and Central Florida have to offer! Gee, as our DVC population begins to age, I wonder if it's time to start a DVC retirees board ??

 

[MiaSRN62]

I agree with all the replies !
A stay of your length, especially during the dead of frigid winter, is not long enough even !
I'd love to take a long trip like that during Jan or Feb in the future. The longest stay I've ever had was 14 days during the month of December and we just found it very relaxing. The winter is just getting too hard for me to take anymore so "living" in FL for a few weeks sounds heavenly.

If I was in your position, I'd be figuring out how to not have to come back untilo mid-May!

I'm with Pam on this !

Enjoy your stay and don't let others' doubts or questioning get in the way of you having a wonderful time

 

[MdmMim]

I usually spend a month or so at WDW in the Jan/Feb timeframe, spending most of my time at the BWV. (This is after having been there in Oct and Dec.) I have found that the place does not lose the magic!

I find my extended trip to be so much more relaxing, as there's absolutely no rush to see or do anything. If a certain attraction is crowded, I can pass on it and see it another day. I take my time in the morning, if I want, having that extra cup of coffee on my balcony. I can read, stay up late watching a good movie, hang out by the pool. I go to the parks most days for awhile, but sometimes I just make a quick trip into Epcot to see the British Invasion or to have dinner. I love to stroll around Epcot at night, just to look around and don't feel the need to do anything at all.

I enjoy my winter trips--I watch the weather channel to see how much snow I'm missing! I get in my room and unpack, with the feeling that I am home!

I treat my longer trips like a real vacation--some activity, some rest.

 

[Cruelladeville]

Joe, Your trip this year sounds wonderful!! Since I am just across the "pond" from you, I know that January and February is when you will get most of your snow, so this trip will be extra-enjoyable!! I can't wait until I can do that, too! Your days will just be far more relaxing than usual, and you will be able to leisurely enjoy an extra cup of coffee or the morning paper before you saunter over to Epcot to check out the length of the lines. What fun! Bring your laptop along, so you can occasionally email that you are anxious to get home and shovel some snow! --Leeann

 

[pklein09]

I hope that after raising our four kids, my husband and I have the same problem to contemplate!!! Have a wonderful magical trip!

 

[Sammie]

You really won't know until it happens. We have stayed 16 nights and it was not enough and we have stayed a week and boy, was it enough.

 

[Sully]

We are doing a similar trip. We are spending the last 8 days at VB. The entire month of February will be split between SSR and OKW. With the AP and DDE, we will be able to enjoy our time and hit the parks when we want to. Enjoy. I am sure it will beat a cold winter in Wisconsin.

 

[TwingleMum]

AS others have said a trip of this length allows you to do all the secondary kind of things you might not otherwise do ~ La Noba, Really do EPCOT (Innoventions,etc) Boat,fish, Spa, have tea at the GF so many things to do. Why don't you start a post on the theme park BB and ask for ideas, print it out and save it. I hope my DH and I have this problem when our boys are in college.

 

[Nanajo1]

Dh and I have done 3 week stays in Feb at BWV the last couple of years. We hope to add a few more days in the future. We look at it as our Florida home for the winter. We like to go to EPCOT most days and just sit in the sun and people watch, catch a few shows and eat at our favorite restaurants. We go to resort restautrants as well. We haven't rented a car but we are thinking about driving down if we do a real extended stay so we can go off site. But right now we are content to sit on the balcony or by the pools and read and just relax. I must add that every other Nov we do a big family trip with our kids and grandkids(10) so we do get plenty of park time then.