Absence makes the heart grow fonder?

Soooo…I just wrapped up our family’s surprise trip to Disney for MNSSHP and currently do not have another trip on the books. I have made a promise to myself that I won’t bring up another trip to Disney until DH shows an interest in going back. He definitely enjoys our trips but I know he isn’t as into Disney as I am. For those of you who take a lot of time off between trips, do you find that a longer break makes you enjoy Disney more when you return? I predict that when we decide to go back, I will want to stay even longer so I can revisit old favorites and experience new attractions.

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Yes, I didn’t go to Disney from 2002 to November 2009 and that 2009 trip was a ton of fun (though partly because in November 2009, the crowds were not light).

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Did you do a longer trip in 2009? I’m thinking I may need a good 7 - 10 days if we delay going for a few years.

As someone who goes to Disneyland at least annually but WDW only every 3-5 years, I’d say those trips to WDW seem extra special.

I’d love living close to WDW and dipping my toe in once in a while, but the experience of traveling there and cramming everything in one week or so can be exhausting.

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I wanted to go longer, but due to my then girlfriend’s work schedule, we could only go for 5 nights. On my next trip WDW trip in 2011 (with a new girlfriend who is now my wife), I went for 8 nights which is long for my WDW trips (usually 4-5 nights). Having 8 nights was great.

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Aside from the obvious benefit of less-frequent trips being better for the pocketbook, I think whether you enjoy it more or less can vary greatly.

On the plus side, I do think longer periods between trips can give that “absence makes the heart grow fonder” feeling. We haven’t been since 2016. But we were in Florida in 2018 for a February Universal trip, and it was funny how much we glanced longingly toward WDW as we drove past it each morning and evening on our way to/from Universal. Even though we were having fun at Universal, our hearts longs for WDW. And since 2016, there is a lot of stuff that is new/changed to look forward to. That means our trip will have several all-new experiences!

I think the downside to not going as often is you feel like you should focus on the main things since you don’t know when you’ll be back. But it also means you end up missing out on a lot of the “nuancey” (making up words here) things to do at Disney that we never have done.

Take @OBNurseNH. She goes very frequently, and I’ll admit a bit of envy sets in at all the experiences she does that I’ve often never even known about, let alone done! I think she exemplifies some of the advantages of more frequent trips.

We have done Disney several times, and have TWO trips planned in 2020. I’m CERTAIN that after we return from our December 2020 trip, I’ll start longing for our next Disney trip…whether it is in 2021 or 2024, etc!

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As someone who has 10 years between my trips, I can say absence makes the heart grow fonder… and sick. Our last full-length WDW trip was 4/26/09-05/02/09. I’ve wanted this upcoming trip for a VERY long time, hypothetically talking and dreaming about it for literally a few years. But I finally got to the point with DH where I had to tell him I couldn’t work up hypothetical plans and numbers anymore until we were really going to go because it was too hard to discuss and not make it a reality. So I’m thinking this trip next week is going to feel extra special. We’ll be there for 10 nights this go around… the longest single vacation I’ve ever taken! So it will be fun for me to do things I don’t normally do, like saunter through the parks and shops instead of speed walk to the next thing on the TP! :laughing: Plus, we’re taking our soon-to-be 8 year-old DD this time around, and will get to watch her experience it all for the first time and do things we didn’t do much of the last time, like character meals. I’m simultaneously bursting with excitement and panicking with all the last minute details to finalize. :rofl:

ETA: I wish we could go every year or even every 3-5 years, but we just can’t at this point. So I’m looking forward to making every moment of this trip count… one more reason I love TP and the UG. Then I help others plan in between trips by recommending TP and the UG (aka the Disney Bible) which hopefully gives me a little pixie dust to make it through until the next trip.

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The trick is finding the perfect balance of the two. Sounds like you’re on the right track! :smiley:

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Absolutely! Actually, I’m not doing too bad on the panicking side. I’ve got multiple copies of my packing lists and my TP checklist has been great in helping me not wait until the last minute for getting everything done. I’m feeling pretty good at this point. :blush:

Until about 2015 I was a every 3 years, on average, guest to WDW. It definitely made those trips extra special. Heck… I’d even go long stretches without thinking about it. Now, that I’ve been going annually / biannually, it’s still exciting. However, it has changed my priorities.

I still hit up my favorite attractions, but now I don’t feel as pressured / rushed. I feel like I can slow down and take in all the “hidden” magic / explore the side areas / do less “E-Ticket” stuff.

You can’t go wrong either way! At this point I am starting to branch out though. I’ve been going to Universal more often (and LOVING it!).

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There’s another possibility too. The less I go to WDW the less I want to. I’ve discovered so many other things we like to do.

We used to go every year. Then every other. Then a little longer.

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It’s not just the other things to do … it’s that for those of us that have been going to WDW for years, the decrease in Disney magic and increase is crowds/lines and advanced planning (especially over the past 5 years) has been substantial. With the decrease in magic, I wonder whether the current generation of kids will have the same love and attachment for WDW when they become adults as we have had over the years.

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I’ve wondered the same thing. Disney has benefited from GENERATIONS of loyalty. So while Disney is benefiting short-term, financially, from their changes…they might be shooting themselves in the foot long-term.

We shall see. I think declines at Disney might take 10-15 years, though, if that’s the case.

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That’s what I think too. And if Universal nails it with their new park, it could make the situation worse for Disney. My teenage niece and nephews all went to Disney when they were younger, but now would always choose Universal over Disney if given a choice. They wouldn’t even want to split their trip … it would be all Universal.

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I’ve definitely considered this risk, but when I think about spending money on a family vacation, no where sounds as appealing as going back to Disney. This past weekend we hit up a local casino that also had a bowling alley, movie theatre, and extensive arcade area for the kids. It paled in comparison to our Disney experience and the money we threw down for one night wasn’t significantly less than a one night at Disney. I don’t know…maybe it is just my love for the mouse that keeps me thinking about going back all the time.

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Yeah. For us a casino and its attractions wouldn’t do much to please, either. But I meant a week at Dollywood; road trips from NY to CA, NY to PEI, and NY to OR; multiple cruises; and FL withOUT the mouse. WDW has become “just another option” vs the go-to-vacation destination.

I actually like it better this way.

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