DisneyWorld vs. all other vacations

[Gator]

How good is a vacation to WDW? Let me put it to you this way: I'm leaving for a nice week long Mexican Riviera Cruise in two days. And all I can think about is that I'm 99 days from my next stay at WDW.

It doesn't matter where I'm going, it's never as good as a trip to Orlando and Disney. Some would call me crazy:mjump::donald:, but I'm betting there's a few just like me.

[Imagineer1981]

Agreed! I always get weird looks from co-workers when I say, "i am going down to WDW". They are always like "why not Mexico, or some place new". Sometimes they just don't understand, and several have NEVER been...thats whats crazy!

[Stu29573]

Yep, I'm with you Gator!:D:muscles:

[plutosnana]

I know! I always know it's just WDW all the time!


:goofy:

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Its an addiction and I have it too:thumbsup:

[Jerry2]

I agree.

Most other vacations require you to make your own fun, like book an excursion or go to a theatre or museum, and pay al la carte. At Disney it is all there. You know what to expect and you know how you are going to be treated.

The worst thing is spending big bucks on a vacation and having a lousy time. I know that won’t happen at Disneyworld.

[vicster]

Should we form a support group???

[exvagirl]

Same here! My parents always say don't you want to try something new? And I always so ummm NO. DISNEY! hahaha. :mickey::mickey::mickey:

[PETE FROM NYC]

WDW? Sure why not. Only made 15 trips there. Just got back almost 4 wks ago, just DW and me.
Now we are trying to figure out when our next trip will be in 2012. This time bringing DWs niece and her 2 kids.
Do we do other vacations? Sure we do. I have not missed one deer season in 40 yrs. We also do short trips to Jersey Shore, the Catskills, and an occasional long weekend to a casino. Our summers are spent on our boat, and one of these years I want to try a big game fishing trip in one of the islands.
BUT WE ALWAYS WILL COME BACK TO DISNEY WORLD!!!

[MOJoe]

There is nothing like taking a year off from WDW to prove that point. When i asked my 2 sons if they wanted to go back to Disney this year they shrugged, "ehh, yeah, sure." Not the excited response i normally get.
So this year we stayed in our home state and went to some baseball games and ( i flinch when i type this) Branson.

We had a good time, but.............nothing beats Disney. And i think i've made my point with my sons. Now they can't wait for our next trip to WDW. Me neither.

[Daisy'sMom]

We are going to Italy next year. But I am already planning our family reunion at WDW over Thanksgiving 2011. DH thinks I am crazy to be excited about that and not Italy. When we went to UK a few years ago, I could not wait to get back for a day at Disney.:mickey:

[Ian]

I guess I'll be the lone voice of dissent here ... I'm actually moving in the opposite direction. The combination of big price increases and ever-diminishing returns is moving me away from WDW vacations and itching to try some new places.

In fact, it was a Mexican Riviera cruise we took in 2009 that really got me thinking about it. The service, quality, and amenities of what we got compared to what we paid was so starkly better than recent trips to WDW that it really drove home for me that it's time to start exploring some other venues.

We used to be good for three WDW trips a year minimum, but we've only been once this year and wouldn't be going back again if not for a wedding in December. I'm pretty certain that, going forward, it'll be once a year for us just to take the kids down and that'll be it.

Now if we were talking Disneyland then it would be a whole different story.

[BrerGnat]

I hear you OP! With the current civil unrest in Mexico, I'd not really be all that jazzed about a cruise there either...it'd be a "stay on the ship" trip for me, which actually can be pretty great. You are luckily going to just miss the HORRIBLE weather we've been having in So Cal and down the Baja Coast of Mexico, though, so that's a plus.

Cruises are great. Once our kids are mature enough to handle one, we will start probably cruising every other year, and doing Disney in between. Although, WDW is going to have to compete with DL since we will (sadly) be leaving this area next summer for a few years. :(

I've already got the trips planned out in my head...WDW 2011...cruise 2012...DL 2013...and so on.

Hope you have a great vacation! Be careful in Mexico!!!

[Laughin' place]

I love our "other" vacations, and they have always come off great with no more or fewer disappointments than WDW.
That being said, if I could pick any one place to go next, Id choose the World. Only thing close is Hawaii, to which I have never gone. Now that Disney will be there too, its competition, but #2:mickey:

[eandrsmom]

If you have to ask, you'll never understand. My mother in law gives us grief every time we plan a new trip to WDW. As a family, it works for us. My oldest is 12, and my youngest is 3. There's something for everyone. Plus, it's nice being in a familiar place and knowing what to expect. Once a year we still try to go on a "small" vacation to visit family out of state, or to the beach, but always return to Disney for our big vacation.

[paragon]

Wait...There are OTHER vacations?????

[PopPhan]

We've done "other" vacations -- Williamsburg, Niagara Falls, Las Vegas, NC Beaches (Emerald Isle|Atlantic Beach), cruise (Western Caribbean - Miami|Key West|Cozumel|Costa Maya|Canaveral) -- and always come back to WDW being our favorite. (Still trying to get DW to travel overseas, but she doesn't like the idea of the long flight. 2 hours to Orlando is all she is interested in!!)

Costs, on a per day basis, are similar (if you are a gambler in LV - they can be much higher there!! LOL) and amenities are similar...The nice things, for us, on non-Disney vacations, are the new and different venues and experiences.

Personally, I can take-or-leave cruises. Just am not the type of person to be 'caged up' on the boat for the largest part of the day and spending inordinate amounts to travel around and explore the 'stops.' (Those excursions are quite expensive! Most of them are more than a day ticket to Disney parks!) Yes, the food and shows are great, but I can eat well and see high quality shows anywhere without being a 'captive audience' for days on end.

Beaches are OK....If you want to do 'nothing' -- I am not that kind of person. If I can get out the snorkel gear, fine, but if not I am going to be extremely bored!

We come back to Disney time and time again because we know what to expect -- how we will be treated; what is available as far as attractions|food|lodging|atmosphere.

To get back to the original question by the OP --- How good is a Disney vacation? It is the one vacation that we take where I am extremely tired by the end of it, but so relaxed and de-stressed that you cannot get the smile off my face for days afterward!

[Scar]

We used to be good for three WDW trips a year minimum, ...
Ian, I wonder if burnout is as much a reason as the cost/return. I average 2 trips every 3 years and, while I agree with you on the cost and declining service, I still love going. In fact I'll be going for the second time in 6 months next week (something I've never done before.)

Gettysburg is the only other thing that comes close for me.

[Ian]

Ian, I wonder if burnout is as much a reason as the cost/return. I average 2 trips every 3 years and, while I agree with you on the cost and declining service, I still love going. In fact I'll be going for the second time in 6 months next week (something I've never done before.)

Gettysburg is the only other thing that comes close for me.Could be ... I mean, don't get me wrong. I still enjoy our trips when we go. We have tons of fun down there as a family.

I think more of it is that there just isn't anything new or interesting that's driving me to feel compelled to go back. In the last five years or so, they've really only added one "weenie" type attraction (TSM) that would be any kind of real draw for me to plan a trip around.

So could it be burnout? Maybe, but I'm more inclined to think it's boredom since there's just so few new, exciting things down there.

[luvDaMouse]

I have the same feelings, Dh and I just got back a week ago from a (last minute) 5 day RC cruise to Bermuda. It was fantastic, the service and entertainment were wonderful. I was excited for that trip and I was not disapointed, BUT I never changed my countdown to Disney for my upcoming Dec trip!:blush: I did find myself comparing everything to how Disney does things, the parade they do on the cruise for one ( it was cheezy) It was nice though doing something different :secret: so I understand Ian's point that maybe sometimes it can be too much of the same things. Thats why we try to add something "new" each time we go with some of our "favorite's" Next year's vacation we booked a DCL cruise on the Dream and Disneys HHI in May and I am so excited to try out both!!

[Gator]

Now if we were talking Disneyland then it would be a whole different story.

Really?!? I live 6 hours from DL, but I'd rather fly 6 hours to WDW. Since I've been married 8 years ago, I've been to WDW 5 times and DL once. Why? Because DL can't compare. There's no "escape" feeling in Anaheim. And California Adventure is not a really good park. Better than six flags, but overall not a Disney-caliber park. And the feeling there is altogether different. The characters just show up with CMs to help them or help form lines - it's chaos. And the dining there (other than the Blue Bayou) just doesn't match up with WDW. You have to leave the parks to get a great meal, and that takes away from the "vacation" ideal that is at WDW. IMH(but usually right)O :mickey:

[BrerGnat]

Really?!? I live 6 hours from DL, but I'd rather fly 6 hours to WDW. Since I've been married 8 years ago, I've been to WDW 5 times and DL once. Why? Because DL can't compare. There's no "escape" feeling in Anaheim. And California Adventure is not a really good park. Better than six flags, but overall not a Disney-caliber park. And the feeling there is altogether different. The characters just show up with CMs to help them or help form lines - it's chaos. And the dining there (other than the Blue Bayou) just doesn't match up with WDW. You have to leave the parks to get a great meal, and that takes away from the "vacation" ideal that is at WDW. IMH(but usually right)O :mickey:

You are apparently suffering from "Comparing DL to WDW-itis." Don't you know you can't do that??? ;)

I was you when I lived in Nor Cal. Ever since I moved down to where DL is in my backyard, boy have I changed my tune about Disneyland! I still love WDW, don't get me wrong. But, I have learned that DL is DL and WDW is WDW. They share the Disney name, but little else. When we move away from here, you can bet we'll be making week long trips back out here to visit "our" park.

[Hull-onian]

We went to Bermuda last year, it was wonderful, however, there was no orginization. We figured out everything ourselves, and enjoyed it, the dining was superb, but very little entertainment, which is what you get in "The World"....:thumbsup:

[Ian]

Really?!? I live 6 hours from DL, but I'd rather fly 6 hours to WDW. Since I've been married 8 years ago, I've been to WDW 5 times and DL once. Why? Because DL can't compare.To each his own, but suffice it to say I completely and totally disagree with you.

If I lived closer to DL, I'd visit WDW once every five years maybe just to get an Epcot fix.

Outside of that? Blah ... I'll take DL over WDW every day and twice on Sunday.

[Ksmith75]

We have gone every year for the past 4 years, and are about 128 days until our next one! We have enteratained the idea of going somewhere else. It is just DH and I, and we just love it. We priced out going to Williamsburg, a road trip to Michigan and a Cruise and to be honest, they all come out to the same price as what we pay for WDW, so we would rather just go to WDW. We know we will have a awesome vacation and we just love it. We get grief from family and co-workers too...but we dont care!

[Gator]

To each his own, but suffice it to say I completely and totally disagree with you.

If I lived closer to DL, I'd visit WDW once every five years maybe just to get an Epcot fix.

Outside of that? Blah ... I'll take DL over WDW every day and twice on Sunday.

Yes, but your a mad scientist bent on controlling the world through two little kids.... so I don't know if you can be trusted.;)

[Darbylew]

I could move right in the castle and live there.
Yes, I am another huge WDW fan and will go
any chance I get. Best vacation ever everytime!
:mickey::thumbsup:
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT AND GOING BACK IN
THE SPRING!!!!! :D

[BrerGnat]

If I lived closer to DL, I'd visit WDW once every five years maybe just to get an Epcot fix.



That's us! We do love our Epcot. :number1: And, REAL waterparks, which are sorely lacking out here (although Legoland's new one is pretty awesome).

[Phantod]

Well, we are in a whole different "boat" than most of the folks who replied. We don't have kids at home any more. When we did, since we live in CA, we did Disneyland every year. We still do that. We have annual passes and have been to Disneyland 3 times since last December. So the draw to the World is not as strong. We went a year ago September and had a great time, but I for one was sorry that they closed the Adventurer's Club. We would hit that 3 or 4 times during a 9 day stay, and we really missed it. Also we did the "free" dining and was disappointed. The quality of food seemed to be down from previous year, and the plan was a hassle. Not like in the old days when you could just show up at a restaurant and get seated.

So our passion has become cruising. We find it to be less expensive (even with excursions...mostly snorkeling and site seeing). We go on the cheap, and after 13 cruises we know the way to keep it that way. We do inside cabins, don't buy booze (sneak on our own), and minimize excursions. We like hanging out at beaches and crudding around in the ocean. We typically do the Southern Caribbean and know where we like to hang out, so a taxi or bus ride usually serves the purpose and can be much less expensive. For example, we took the bus on Aruba to the beach we wanted to go to for less than $1.50 per person each way.

While we will eventually go back to the World, it will probably be only every few years or so, and then probably during the Food and Wine Festival, which was a blast.

[princessgirls]

We like to mix up the vacations...My husband is not as much as a Disney person as I am, and we do like to do relaxing beach vacations.

I do LOVE Disney and all it has to offer.

Julie:mickey:

[diz_girl]

Should we form a support group???

It's called Intercot.

[vicster]

It's called Intercot.

Good answer!

[TheVBs]

We've been going every other year with trips to different destinations in between and this really seems to work for us. I have to admit, we sometimes almost book WDW instead of one of the other trips, but we've had some great experiences at other locations. Plus, I think it helps keep the magic alive for us on our WDW trips.

[magicman]

It has been over a year since my last post and it's been two years since my last visit.

I was the biggest of Disney fanatics and I truly miss it. However, the huge price increase in the dining plans, the ticket price increases in the midst of a recession, and the failure to maintain quality on the rides caused me to not only become less of a fan but to become bitter toward the folks who took the magic from me. Now, I vacation at all-inclusives in the caribbean.

I miss Disney and hope one day to return, but not before I feel like some decisions by management are made to the benefit of me as a paying guest.