Why do people stay seven - ten days at Disney?

[Nate_offroad]

Just wondering what everyone does if their vacation is more than 4 or 5 days.


It would be really nice to be able to stay about 7 or 10 days, I just would think it might be too much of a good thing.

I was there this past August, we had a two pay park hopper.

Aug 13th - Arrived late afternoon, took showers and went to Downtown Disney to eat at T-Rex

Aug 14th - Used Extra Magic hours at DHS. Did everything we wanted to there. Then went over to DAK. Did everything we wanted to there, and the went to MK for Extra Magic Hours at night.

Aug 15th - We started at Epcot, and after finishing there we went back to MK again.


That was amaing to do 3 parks in one entire day. Now I'm going back and we have a 4 day park hoppers, so maybe we can take it a little slower and meet more characters.


Thoughts? Suggestions?


- Thanks

 

[CoryonFire]

I usually head to the World twice a year, hopefully more in 2010. In January, I usually stay anywhere from 5-7 days. It's just a nice escape from the real world and the cold weather of New Jersey. Then in the summer, we go for two weeks. We only get a 10 day Magic Your Way since that's the maximum you can get, and we spend the other days either at Sea World, DTD, or touring the resorts. You can have a great time riding the monorail and touring the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian. Then taking in a Wishes viewing either from the Contemporary viewing area or the Poly beach is the icing on the cake to a great day without even stepping into a park. If you plan on being in WDW more than 16 days a year though, get an Annual Pass, as you break even on the price after 16 days. And you get discounted resort rates, which can be pretty severe in value seasons!

 

[fosse76]

Me and the wife have done 4 day trips and barely covered all 4 parks. But that was after years of experience and learning when to go where, do what ride, etc.

My first trip ever to WDW was three days. However, the parks were empty...and I mean empty...even Soarin' had only a 10 minute wait (though Peter Pan inexplicably STILL was a 40 minute wait)! My friend and I were able to do everything we wanted...we obviously didn't do everything, skipping stuff we weren't interested in or didn't know about. On subsequent trips, I did take in a few of the attractions purposefully skipped, and of those, I only revisit three of them on my trips (Maelstrom, Living with the Land, and the Mexico boat ride). We actually could have done a lot more...It was really empty.

I think the only park where I'm still discovering things is DAK...they reall hid some of those animal trails around the Tree of Life! I didn't even know they had Kangaroos until my trip last month!

For me, 5 days is plenty. Sometimes I've had my fill after three days, though on the day I leave I want more! 5 days gives me my "fix" and still leaves me wanting more. But to be honest, no matter where I go for trips, after a few days I get bored, as the excitement of being there has worn out. It only picks up again at the end of the trip. At least it always gives me incentive to return!

But even before we had children, we would go for 7-10 days, too. Last year was 10 days at WL and this Dec will be 10 days at CB. Plenty to do! There is golf, bike rides, boat rentals, fishin trips, Downtown Disney, water parks, shows, days where you just lay at the pool, and then there are days you just sleep in...you are on vacation after all! Plus after doing the death marches through the park day after day, taking a day off after 3 or 4 days is a good way to recharge.

For me, 5 days works because I don't do any of that other stuff. I'm sure if I did I would probably stay longer. Since none of it interests me I am able to skip it. Of course, I am also travelling alone now (I'm too selfish to travel with others), so it really is a lot easier to get through more attractions.

 

[juscet]

9-10 days allows you to do WDW at much more leisurely pace. You can go to the parks early, leave midday for a little R&R, and then go back to the parks at night. We have done it this way and you don't feel so rushed and pressured to see everything.

 

[njDizFan]

Still having a hard time with the OP. If you can do everything you want to do at DHS and DAK and still have time for the MK in one day. I guess 3 days is enough.

For me DAK is a 2 day event. But just my opinion.

 

[eddiemcgarrigle]

My usual amount of time in Orlando is 3 weeks. Allows plenty of time to soak up the sunshine, go shopping and slowly stroll around the World without a care.

 

[LaughingGravy]

We just got back from a 4 night/5 day whirlwind.
This included opening to closing 1 park/1 day without hopping (too much time required to hop) , plus a partial day to go back and end with anything else to be done again in the MK (of course).

That's just enough time to do most but not all of the attractions.
When we did things, it was on the quick with maximizing of time.
"OK, let's do this because we're here now so we won't have to spend the time to walk back and do it later."

It doesn't lend itself to a leisurely stroll to do what you want, when you want if the goal(which ours is) is to see and do all the attractions except for a few in each park.

It's certainly not enough time to enjoy the all details in the shops, many of which are attractions by themselves.

No time for water parks, and not much in the way of slowing down to enjoy the details, including watching other people (other than those in the immediate vicinity on line with us).
Also no exploring of the other hotels or water sprites (whatever they call them now) around the seven seas lagoon.

The DDs are also old enough to keep up the adult pace on foot and were just fine with everything, so no slow down there.

We were only able to enjoy one of the ASMu's pools on one night, and that's with renting a car, which significantly cut down on travel time.

7 -10 days is long enough to make the trip relaxing and still get to do most everything.

There's also the savings aspect per day when you get up to those numbers of days, which also makes it relaxing.

 

[fosse76]

We just got back from a 4 night/5 day whirlwind.

That's just enough time to do most but not all of the attractions.
When we did things, it was on the quick with maximizing of time.

It doesn't lend itself to a leisurely stroll to do what you want, when you want if the goal(which ours is) is to see and do all the attractions except for a few in each park.

I disagree. If you restrict yourself to the 4 parks, 4/5 days is plenty of time (obviously crowd size and the age of the people you are with will be an issue). There are attractions I skip, but that's because of lack of interest, not time.

It's certainly not enough time to enjoy the all details in the shops, many of which are attractions by themselves.

While the details are wonderful, Disney World is NOT a museum, and I often wonder if people who analyze every last detail of everything ever built are missing the "wow" factor. The details allow you to be completely immersed in the experience; if you sit there and analyze them as if you were looking at a Michelangelo scultpure, you are pulling yourself out of the atmosphere to observe it, not to participate in it.

No time for water parks, and not much in the way of slowing down to enjoy the details, including watching other people (other than those in the immediate vicinity on line with us).

This I will agree with. Though it is possible to people watch while being on the move yourself...you don't have to be stationary to observe people.

Also no exploring of the other hotels or water sprites (whatever they call them now) around the seven seas lagoon.

I've never actually understood the point of resort hopping. I've only visited three other resorts: I checked out the Contemporary on one visit and found nothing even remotely interesting about it, so only returned to have dinner at The Wave once; I wanted to check out the Animal Kingdon Lodge...but I only went because I was at a park and wanted to visit Downtown Disney...and if it weren't for their Savannah I wouldn't have even wanted to visit; Yacht Club because I had dinner reservations at the Steakhouse. While I understand some people love to check out the other resorts, I would hardly include the time to visit them as necessary to "see everything."

We were only able to enjoy one of the ASMu's pools on one night, and that's with renting a car, which significantly cut down on travel time.

For me personally, I'm not a downtime person, so I don't need to relax at the pool or fit in a game of miniature golf. But I will agree, if you want to experience more than JUST the parks, you do need at least 5 FULL days (1 full day for each park and half a day for a water park and the other half for something else). More to resort hop or do other things.

7 -10 days is long enough to make the trip relaxing and still get to do most everything.

If relaxing's your thing! :animwink:

There's also the savings aspect per day when you get up to those numbers of days, which also makes it relaxing.

The savings is a little disingenuous. If you had to chose between a 5 day trip and a 10-day trip, the 10-day trip is more expensive. It's only cheaper when you compare it to two separate 5-day trips.

 

[Honor]

We spend about 60-70 days a year

We own ton o points with DVC. We stay for 7-15 days at a time, sometimes only a couple weeks apart during the winter. We relax, lounge, sometimes don't even go to a park on any one day. We have AP so may just pop over to the MK to watch Wishes and have some ice cream. Will go see lots of movies at DTD. Sleep A LOT! Just read and relax relax relax. We love wandering thru Epcot esp World Showcase and exploring in detail. Always see something new that we've missed before. And seeing old favorites. We spend so much time that it does feel like home!

 

[mickey7879]

Just got back from 13 nights at POR and had plenty to do and still didn't do everything we had on our list. It was so freakin hot while we were there (first time going in Sept/Oct) that we would always go around supper time and stay til closing at whichever park had EMH. There is so much to do, I couldn't imagine only going for 4-5 days!

However, after leaving Disney, we spent 2 nights at Universal and then 3 nights at Daytona Beach. Daytona Beach was by far the BEST time on our trip! We're seriously thinking of going back next year just to do the beach and NOT Disney. We're Disney freaks, but had such a better time in Daytona!

 

[JCtheparrothead]

We go for 2 weeks every year and i have to say we never get sick of the magic. I find for us what the experience a nice is we break up the days with trips to the water parks during the morning and hit the parks in the afternoons. Plus we have a couple resort days thrown in there for some pool side fun or golf. Those longer vacations also give you the opportunity to visit some of the behind the scenes tours or the great restaurants found across the land. And for those who haven't done it my wife and I have found resort hoping is a great way to spend a 1/2 or full day. Honestly I find that I can't unwind if i go on vacation for 5-7 days. 2 week minimum in my book.:sohappy:

 

[lilclerk]

I go for at least a week, sometimes two a year. But two separate trips, not two weeks in a row. In February of this year, I went for 8 days with my nephew, who turned out to be a total buzzkill and just wanted to hang out in the pool all day and couldn't care less about the parks. So to make up for that, I'm going in December with my best friend.

Thinking about next year, I wonder if I want to go. I don't want to make myself sick of WDW. I know as soon as I have to leave there in December I'll be all set to plan another trip though... or maybe go back to Disneyland :lol:

 

[zjer]

Coming from Southern Utah where I have to commute to Vegas for a decent flight, it takes quite a bit of time to actually get on property. Driving, airports, the actual flight, layovers, DME, etc. I go for seven days but it only actually feels like five days. I leave at nine in the morning Vegas time and I get to Orlando at eight in the evening Florida time. Of course the time change works in my favor coming home but it sort of illustrates why seven days is a minimum for me. In the colder season when I am going solo, seven is just about right because I am not going to go to the water parks so five full days gets me through the four parks. If I go in the warm season with someone, I add an extra day for water parks. I think eight days would be my absolute maximum as a solo traveler. It can start to mess with you being surrounded by thousands of people but never open your mouth except to order food. :lol:

 

[Lisalyn]

7-8 days for me!

I usually leave to go down to Orlando on a Saturday and leave to come back to Atlanta the following Saturday AFTER a special breakfast at MK or Epcot.

I like taking my time and noticing the little thingslike intricacies in architecture or my daughter and her hidden Mickey's...or people watching and pin trading in addition to just the rides. It makes our bonding time more fun and enjoyable and we like doing the base tickets instead of hopping all over the place. This enforces the "take time to enjoy the little things" idea!:wave:

 

[rickmusic53]

We go every year for 12 days. Two of those days we spend at water parks. We still haven't seen everything there is to see at the 4 primary parks. I can't imagine staying less than 10 days minimum.