Do you ever try to 'mix things up' when you visit Disney?

[jloucks]

When I say 'mix things up' I'm really meaning do things a little differently to keep things fresh, especially if you go quite a bit.

For instance my wife and I usually spend 3 weeks a time in Orlando and having annual passes it means we can go as often as we like as we're not wasting a day of a pass if we say visit a park for just an hour or so for a stroll and an ice cream etc. This means sometimes we try to come up with ideas of doing things a little differently so as not to let things get a little bit stale.

Last year for example we decided we'd try some meals at the Disney Hotels (we stay off property) and visited Fort Wilderness and had the buffet at the Trail's End Restaurant before having a pleasant evening's stroll around the resort. We also thought we'd try a meal at the Contemporary Resort one night and tried a Chef Mickey's buffet which was nice before heading back into the MK for the evening's fireworks. We've also tried various boating options using different watercraft and next year I'm thinking of splashing out (no pun intended) on a parasailing trip.

So for those who are fairly familiar with the parks, do you consciously make the effort to change things up during your visits, or do you just do the same type of routine each time you go?

We typically do 7 full day trips (9 if you count travel days). A few trips ago we went to Universal Studios and loved it too. Now we always visit both parks. First Universal (2-3 days), and then WDW (4-5 days) for the finale.

As far as mixing thing up in the park, yes, we always eat different places but we are in a rut with lodgings. We need to try more resorts.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

I went to the France pavilion on my last trip and tried some creme brulee. So good.

 

[JohnD]

I try to add new and different things each trip too. New restaurants, trying a different meal at my favorite restaurants ( like the hummus sandwich at Columbia HH) taking more time to enjoy the shops in World Showcase, and exploring any new experience I can. For example, I always skipped the Frozen Sing Along at HS, because I had the idea it was for young children....but, the friend I went with a few trips ago insisted we do it because it was really good. I'm so glad I listened because it's hysterical!! Be open minded about doing a ride or show because you may have the wrong assumption about it and might end up finding a new experience to love!

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed that show. I saw it 9/18. Here's just one exchange. Man: "It was a dark and stormy night!" Woman: "That was last week!" We all burst out laughing at the reference to the hurricane.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

I have yet to do the Frozen sing along, but I want to.

 

[pilka214]

I grew up less than an hour from orlando, and my family still visits multiple times throughout the year, every year. We are constantly trying to find new experiences and ways to explore WDW. Park hopping happens almost every visit with a few rides in one park and dinner at another. We'll often visit the parks during the day and go off property at night for dinner as well. We've been known to make excursions to Mouse Warehouse and other points of interest throughout the area. We normally have 0 plans on most vacations and often play everything by ear.

 

[Texas84]

My goal is to stay at every resort and eat at every sit-down. Probably half way there.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

Another item on my bucket list: Staying at the Polynesian

 

[KBLovedDisney]

Actually, for the past few trips, even though I had a bunch planned out and restaurant reservations reserved, my husband wanted to do or eat somewhere different. This at first bothered me, but then after the first experience of going to the Epcot customer relations and talking with them, I realized that it wasn't that much of a headache after all. So, there are times during the days we are in the parks that we decide maybe we want to change things up a bit and then head to the customer relations to do so. Kind of cool we have that option really.

 

[MalMeansBad]

We usually have some main things that we keep the same, but we mix up little details here and there. We usually stay at 1 of 4 hotels, and we tend to spend most of our time in Magic Kingdom. After Wishes ended, we started switching up our night routines and began venturing to Disney Springs or other parks nighttime shows. Recently we've started using the bus system more. As my sister and I have gotten older, we've spent more time in the parks eating and pin trading than riding rides. It's always a good idea to switch something up, even just a little!