How can people justify going often?

[Matt_Black]

I find it helps if you vary the time of year you go. In 2012 I went for Christmas, in 2013 I went for Halloween. WDW does certain holidays SO right.

 

[Ralphlaw]

Some people return to their cabin several times a year. Some go to Broadway to see the shows. Some love to hit the beaches several times. Others will return to the same camp or golf resort because of friends and/or because it's their home away from home.

As for me and my family, it's all the above, plus the fact that Disney does it better than anyone else. We go other places, but prefer Disney. This is especially true because of our kids. Disney is an easy vacation. They provide the transportation, and everything is easy once you get there. Visit a city, for example, with kids, and you'll find that you're constantly fighting traffic, crowds, and people trying to lead day to day lives. At Disney, the whole place is set up for families, and they make it so easy to do what you want to do and have a good time. It's also familiar in the sense that a family cabin is familiar.

With that being said, a few years back we started taking Disney cruises to break it up a bit, and now we're seeing other parts of the world through Disney, most notably with a Mediterranean cruise this summer, with a few days at Disneyland Paris, and a short Adventure by Disney in Barcelona. Again, nobody does it better than Disney, and our other recent vacations were tense and less easy by comparison to the point that we couldn't wait to get back to something Disney.

 

[Britt]

I actually signed up to respond to this thread...I'm not much of a forum writer more of a lurker for information. However, I felt I should pipe in on this subject. My partner and I live approximatly 15 minutes down the 4 from Disney World. We have had Premium Annual passes for the last 3 years and, depending on the season, use them weekly. Sometimes more. We use our passes not just to ride the rides over and over but here are a few other reasons why we go to Disney so often...
1.Pin Trading- Sometimes when we don't feel like riding anything OR the lines are crazy we will just walk around the parks literally store hopping to find cast members to pin trade. we're huge pin traders so going for an hour or two in the evening to do so is very enjoyable to us.
2. Exercise- Walking from one end of MK to the other multiple times in one night is GREAT exercise. Also, walk around epcot world showcase a few times. That'll make ya feel good.
3. Atmosphere- We're having a bad day? let's go ride Pirates. that will cheer us up. Usually does. (hint hint our fav ride tehe)
4. We've watched Fantasy Land break ground and come alive. It really is amazing seeing the progression first hand...we even sometimes see things before this site even announces it.
5. Hidden Mickey's- It's something we've enjoyed doing even before we lived here. There's ones we still haven't found yet.

I mean there are TONS more reasons why we have passes and go all the time. We avoid the obvious crazy days like holidays. I wouldn't trade our passes for anything. During the summer we go to the water parks to swim. it's AWESOME. I understand some people are way different and think we're probably crazy but this is our entertainment. We'll skip the movies and go have popcorn and walk MK. that's more fun to us than sitting in a theater. =)

The jealousy seething within me is too deep to describe!
That is seriously awesome! <3

 

[ShookieJones]

My last visit to Walt Disney World was a year ago.
If I went today other that "Wrist Straps" I can not picture seeing anything new.

I get the impression read the boards some people go more than once a year and I wonder what or anything new do they get from the the trip?

It is not cheap to go to Walt Disney World and if I am to spend a few thousand on a vacation at least I should look for something different every time.

I may go back .... if I a not dead when Avatar gets built.

When I first read the tone of your post and then quick looked I thought your avatar was Eeyore.........

Cheer up man! It's going to be alright! Nobody has to justify going to WDW a bunch of times.
If you don't want to go, I get it. like you said in your posts.."been there done that" (I'm hearing all of this in an Eeyore voice btw - I can't shake it),so why keep going? I certainly don't blame you for feeling that way and not wanting to go back.

So let's not look for justification. But for the sake of this being a discussion board, I'll tell you why we like going to WDW every year:

Because MY WHOLE FAMILY LOVES IT!

Me - 44
Wife - 50
two way too cool for school rock n' roll teenagers
Son - 14
Daughter - 18

We all LOVE it and we have a great FAMILY vacation.

Never any "I don't want to go here I don't want to this"
"this is stupid" "I'm bored", "I'm tired"

If I had the money to do more than one trip a year I would -

Good deal - Drop the coin down and you get a guaranteed good time for all. Worth every penny.

 

[jlsHouston]

45 times in 24 years of life. I have 3 trips planned before the end of this year. Disney meant something to me when I was a child. I grew up poor. Very poor. Like the shack I lived in would flood when it would rain. I don't have any pictures or videos from my childhood. Nothing is left. What I do have though, is memories of a time when we would go to disney on change we saved. Once we had two tennis ball canisters full of change we could go. Peanut butter sandwiches for every meal. It was a tremendous time though. We weren't poor when we were there. We were high class society. No one looked down on us. It was the escape of a lifetime. Now, I have a high paying job. A BS degree, an MS, and an MBA. Disney isn't like it was (I understand that and hope to change it someday if I can continue along a track that will hopefully let me influence such a major company. (I'm currently an officer in the USAF with aspirations to work for disney corporate) I want to make it back into what Walt dreamed because that's what it was for me. To really answer your question though. Well, I have to look at a motto I have for my life. "Money is material... Memories are forever" (I quoted myself) the memories I build everytime not only build on the nostalgia of the past but also build a new bank of memories. They mean everything to me. The sights, sounds, smells, tastes are never the same. There is always a new experience if you can allow yourself to grasp and understand the beauty that comes with a change in viewpoint. Slow down, understand true beauty is not just a simple superficial thing. That life itself holds something greater when you are there. That (in the brilliance of disney food blog) food is a theme park... And more so, that each smell, sound, and sight are also theme parks in their own accord. I don't let my trips stop me from going other places and I understand that not everyone has the upbringing or the opportunities I have. I have worked hard and earned each and every trip. People don't need to feel confined to disney for vacations. Disney understands that as well and offers adventures and excursions. What disney (Walt's true legacy) has taught me is that adventures don't require loads of money. They require imagination and a drive to learn beyond a simple understanding of the here and now. Most importantly, they require patience and love.

I love this.. I hope you hang onto that goal of yours and someday are a part a WDW revitalization.

 

[WWWD]

You know it is not like I never been to Walt Disney World, I read this board for news.
I been to all four parks seen every attraction several times.

If I had the money to go every week to Walt Disney World I would not, I want something new.

For Example Test Track, designed the car went around the neon course several times. If I was in Epcot today there be no surprise nothing new, my memory is not that bad.

I still remember Horizons and that closed over a decade ago.
Think I am with the been there done that crowd.

I can understand the been there down that - to each their own. But why come to a Disney forum to post about not understanding why people continue to go to WDW or visit so often? I've been to WDW many times, and my kids are still young so that will continue. Now after they grow up will I still enjoy going to WDW? I really do not know, but when I'm done with WDW (or related topics),I'm done with WDWMagic. Just doesn't make sense to visit a site dedicated to something I'm done with. Unless I'm not really done with it - maybe I won't be able to let go of the magic.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

Since November 2010, I have been to the world 8 times with a 1 day stop at DHS 2 weeks ago. I have also been on 2 Disney cruises since September. There is always something new to see at WDW if you're looking! Not necessarily new rides, but I'm into photography and since we go multiple times a year, it's nice to be able to take a more leisure pace and take time photographing things.

On our last trip to the world in November, I couldn't help but feeling things were getting a little... how do I put this... not really stale, because I LOVE WDW but.... more like I wanted a change for a bit. Once our APs expire in MAy, we are not renewing. I don't see a trip to WDW in the forseeable future. One, because I'm hopefully relocating to Florida in December so that will alter my touring style completely and two, because we're going to try new things. We have a trip planned to Disneyand in April so that will be completely new! Also, we fell in love with cruising in September so we are tentatively working on a 3 night Bahamian cruise in September and a 7 night Caribbean cruise in November/December.

We have APs so no need to save for tickets every trip. I don't have a credit card so no payments there and luckily no car payment or else I'm sure my situation with traveling so much would be very different. We are frugal the rest of the year so we can travel several times a year. And when I say frugal, I literally say to myself while shopping "do I really want these boots or do I want another cruise?" or "These jeans or a trip to Disney?" Usually the trip wins out. And that is 100% ok by me! Because the memories will last a lot longer than any pair of jeans!

 

[Predsfan75]

To each their own, but for my family (DW & DD (turning 10 in 3 weeks ) it is a place and time that we all enjoy and look forward to from the time we hit the van leaving from our last trip. We do other vacations, but we keep coming back because...

My Wife and I are late converts, the fist time i went was when we took my DD for 1 day when she was 4. Iwas hooked 1 HOUR in. Before that day, I wondered how/why people took yearly trips and I know why....

For me it is the one place I leave my troubles/responsibilities (bills/job/all stress, etc at the front gate and I'm a kid again. Our rule is no work emails allowed, unless we are in line for rides.

Don't get me wrong money is always a concern, however we have modified our spending habits and we "coupon for Disney" so when we are there we only spend what we have saved on our Disney gift cards.

Can't wait for trip #7 this Oct!

 

[Blackburn23]

Disney is easily somewhere I can (and do) go year after year. I've actually said that I could probably go twice a year if I could afford it. Every resort is different -- each is unique and beautiful and relaxing in different ways. The whole spirit of the resorts and parks is so magical that every minute of every day is perfect. The staff treat us like royalty. Every restaurant is different and delicious -- I doubt we'll ever get to all of them, but we'll try! The shopping is incredible -- especially downtown. And the feeling that we get when we walk into any of the parks -- adventure just waiting to happen -- makes every penny worth it.

Could not have said it better.

 

[jlsHouston]

I find it helps if you vary the time of year you go. In 2012 I went for Christmas, in 2013 I went for Halloween. WDW does certain holidays SO right.

Boy is that the truth...

 

[wendysue]

My last visit to Walt Disney World was a year ago.
If I went today other that "Wrist Straps" I can not picture seeing anything new.

I get the impression read the boards some people go more than once a year and I wonder what or anything new do they get from the the trip?

It is not cheap to go to Walt Disney World and if I am to spend a few thousand on a vacation at least I should look for something different every time.

I may go back .... if I a not dead when Avatar gets built.

We don't get the whole "Avatar" thing. Sure the movie got alot of attention when it first came out, but now I rarely ever hear anyone talk about it. I don't see people wandering around with Avatar shirts and have never heard the hoards clamoring for "Avatarland". We do, however, go back as often as possible, and always find something new to do.

 

[wdisney9000]

We do not live in Fla but we visited 5 times in the last 13 months. It just puts a huge smile on our faces every time we drive under the Disney sign and we know we have some time away from the real world. Its not about riding attractions or seeing shows for us. Just slowing down and being together in a truly unique environment.

We have traveled to other places (San Francisco, Carmel, Denver) in the last few years as well and they were GREAT, but the escape from reality is best at WDW. The beer at World Showcase just tastes better. Throw in the Future World soundtrack and I am good to go!

 

[BiffyClyro]

I guess some people are more appreciative than others.

 

[ChrisFL]

For Example Test Track, designed the car went around the neon course several times. If I was in Epcot today there be no surprise nothing new, my memory is not that bad.

I find this part of your post ironic as Test Track, with its design element makes it MORE plausible for re-rides because you can design other cars and get the ratings for what you designed.

Of course, if you aren't into creating your own car, then it does add a good 10-15 minutes to your experience.

 

[crispy]

What's there to justify? Some people like to spend their vacations at WDW just like other people like to go to the beach or to the mountains. The beach doesn't change much unless there is an oil spill, but no one seems to ever ask people why they go to the beach.

(This reply is coming across much snarkier than intended, but people enjoy different things and they shouldn't have to justify where they spend their vacation).

 

[Master Yoda]

What's there to justify? Some people like to spend their vacations at WDW just like other people like to go to the beach or to the mountains. The beach doesn't change much unless there is an oil spill, but no one seems to ever ask people why they go to the beach.

(This reply is coming across much snarkier than intended, but people enjoy different things and they shouldn't have to justify where they spend their vacation).

The "snark" is more than justified.

 

[DManRightHere]

I've been comfortable going once a year. Mine coaster will be open this year and the past 3 years I havent seen fantasmic, lights motor action.

The past 2 years we went to universal too. So that was new.

We may go in the fall to only universal in hopes the new harry potter won't be crazy crowded. Other than that, may skip out 2015 and go to ireland or europe. There are some good deals for the spring over there.

Let me try to get more on subject again,

The only way I would visit Disney more than once a year is if i lived a couple hours away and had an annual pass. I would likely hit world showcase A LOT and try all the restaurants.

 

[jlsHouston]

The "snark" is more than justified.

And I didn't think it was snarky at all.

 

[LucyK]

My last visit to Walt Disney World was a year ago.
If I went today other that "Wrist Straps" I can not picture seeing anything new.

I get the impression read the boards some people go more than once a year and I wonder what or anything new do they get from the the trip?

It is not cheap to go to Walt Disney World and if I am to spend a few thousand on a vacation at least I should look for something different every time.

I may go back .... if I a not dead when Avatar gets built.

Your problem is that you want to see something new. Most people, myself included, just want to go back because it's fun and familiar.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Your problem is that you want to see something new. Most people, myself included, just want to go back because it's fun and familiar.

You know that is a great point. I have told the story many times about my first trip in 1983 when my kids were still kids (7 & 9).

Spoiler

I won't bore anyone with them again!

Many things have changed since then, but, many other things are almost the same. I now go there solo (divorced and kids grown up) but by being able to be in the "familiar" it allows me to not only enjoy the present but to look back, with great memories, on the past and the great times we had there as a family. It just makes me feel good. Yes, it comes at a much higher price now, but, I still can afford it without having to skip meals and medications, so as long as that is possible, I shall return. I will find a spot to sit near the Jungle Cruise or Pirates or Country Bears or the Haunted Mansion, Hall of Presidents, Small World, Peter Pan, Peoplemover, CoP or Main Street and all those memories come flooding back. I wouldn't trade my visits and my memories of them of anything. (and that's just MK) Epcot was another one and even though the kids were older then even DHS holds some memories for me.