Part 1 of our Disney vacation planning helped you decide WHEN to go to Disney World...now you have to decide how long you are going to stay. Indefinitely isn't an option for most of us, so we have to decide at what point we'll call our vacation to a close.
There are things you need to take into consideration when deciding how long your vacation will last. The deciding factor for most is the cost, so if this is a major concern for you look into options of value vs. moderate vs. deluxe resorts; you may be surprised how changing your resort category could allow you to have a longer vacation.
Here are my tips for deciding the length of your trip:
Set realistic expectations: If you have small children, a weekend on a park hopper would not be your ideal travel choice. Take into consideration the size of your travel group and the age and factor in travel time to your touring plans. If you are traveling with stroller age children you'll have to collapse the stroller before every bus ride and your children won't have the stamina that you will. If you want to see and do it all, then you need to plan for a longer trip so it's enjoyable for everyone.
Know your touring style: There are park commandos, leisurely lalygaggers and wanderers. Park commandos get the most accomplished...they are there before the parks open and are dragged out kicking and screaming at park close. They go all day long, military style, with precision and discipline and while they may get a lot accomplished, this touring style isn't for everyone.
The leisurely lalygaggers sleep until their bodies tell them it's time to wake up. They plan based on where they are at for that moment or wherever a whim takes them. This touring style is best for people who have experienced the parks multiple times and are looking to "stop and smell the roses" so to speak.
The wanderers can be anyone....people who refuse to park commando, haven't been to the parks enough to be considered leisurely lalygaggers and basically....might just not know what to expect or what to do. These folks are the huddled masses....with park maps glued to their noses, endless pounds of unnecessary baggage on their backs and very frustrated families. The wanderers are the folks who are on a limited time schedule but don't know how to make the most of it and don't have the heart to park commando.
Know what you can do: It's not realistic to plan on 1-park per day if you want to see everything. There are 4 parks, 2 water parks and a Downtown Disney area. If you are planning a 1-park per day strategy you really need to just pick the highlights of what you want to do and see because you WILL NOT be able to do it all. Plan your steps accordingly, for example, work the Magic Kingdom by land instead of running back and forth from one side of the park to the other and wasting time and energy. A minimum of 2-days per park usually works for most folks and the park hopper is a good option for those families who are of a group size and age that can benefit from it.
Tip: Disney has a "the more you play the less you pay" policy, so you'll see a price break in tickets on the 5th day.
Five to Seven days is do-able for most families and works for various age groups and family sizes. Regardless of how long you plan to stay you should use a Disney Authorized Vacation Planner to help you make your plan of attack.
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