Too many days at Disney?

[fae fig]

I typically do multiple weekend-length trips (2 nights, 3 days) with my elderly parents since we live in South Florida and I'm a weekday passholder. My parents just chill and hang around the resort/resort hop. We recently did a 3-night trip, but between the crowds and a crappy room at ASMu (the A/C was wonky), we felt it was overkill. I yearned for my bed and non-overpriced food, and my parents (who can't walk much) were completely exhausted...

Just goes to show how everyone's family dynamic works differently at WDW... now DCL is a different story. No less than a 5-night cruise will suffice!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

During a few phases in my life anything more than a week became too much. This was more about me than WDW. During other phases I couldn't get enough. So, even speaking for myself and my family, I would say that it depends. Right now I am in one of the "can't get enough" phases.

But I will tell you one thing with certainty - you cannot do everything at WDW in 6-7 days, even if you open and close the parks every day. So go and have fun. Find out what your limits are, and don't worry about the limits of others.

 

[crazylady]

We just returned from 5 park days and that was plenty for us. I find all the crowds, lines and waiting for rides, food and busses to be so tiring. Any longer would be too much for us.

You definitely can't see it all in 6-7 days but that's what second trips are for!

 

[BridgetR3]

I had a coworker who "saw it all" in 2.5 days. Our family on the other hand stays 12-14 days each summer and is still sad to leave to go home. To each their own I suppose but we do water parks and theme parks as well as relaxing and LOTS of food. It will really depend on your family!

 

[Tom_M]

I don't think 6-7 days is too much, in fact I prefer to stay longer, 9-10. My preferred strategy is to stay longer, get the park hopper tickets and then you don't feel so pressured to cram the most into every day. Take a break and swim or go to one park in the AM, take a break and head to the park with EMH later in the day. For me the time + flexibility = less stress & more enjoyment.

 

[JungleCruiseFan]

We did 10 days our first trip a SSR and never ran out of stuff to do.
The next trip we had a lower budget and only did 9 at CSR and it was no where near long enough to do 4 parks 2 water parks and downtown Disney.

We upped it to 14 days at CBR and enjoyed that.
15 days at Pop century was a little much one trip, but that was just because the room was a little small for 3 of us. We did 14 the next year at Pop and enjoyed it.

Last year we did 14 at CBR and 7 offsite at my in laws time share. We needed more time at CBR.

This year we are doing 11 at ASM and then 5 at SSR and if I could stretch it out more I would!!

Enjoy your first trip! Don't feel like you have to do EVERYTHING, it's nice to have something new for the next one!

 

[hulagirl87]

I went one year for 12 days and it was too much. It was September and it was hot and humid and I just wanted to go home. That was a trip with 2 friends, before kids. Our trip in a few weeks is with our 2 kids and we are going for 8 days, with one non park day. DH likes a break from the parks midway through.

 

[nvsnot]

We went for 10 days in 2013 and decided 10 days is our limit! 8 days is our usual length of stay and i've never considered doing anything less with a minimum of 6 day park tickets.

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

I had a coworker who "saw it all" in 2.5 days. Our family on the other hand stays 12-14 days each summer and is still sad to leave to go home. To each their own I suppose but we do water parks and theme parks as well as relaxing and LOTS of food. It will really depend on your family!

I have in-laws like that. They went for 2 days and said they did everything there was to do. Then I listed 4 rides and 3 shows and two nighttime shows and asked if they had done those. Of course they hadn't done any of those things. In fact, they didn't even realize half of that stuff existed. No one can "see it all" in 2.5 days.

 

[disneyholic family]

can i just live there?
yes for us, 3 weeks isn't enough time...
as DD said, when we set up a schedule so i could make our ADRs for our trip this summer, we both got very stressed out over how 3 weeks just isn't enough time...
and in fact, no time is enough for us!!

 

[Bullseye]

Our first year was 2005 and was 5 days. I asked DW "What the heck are we going to do at an amusement park for 5 days ?
Boy was I wrong!! For one thing I fell hard for the place that year. We've gone every since for 10-12 days and we usually are still not ready to go home.

Between 4 parks, 2 water parks, great resorts and other things in the area we never get bored.

 

[ChloeChipper]

Our first trip was 10 days long and I loved being able to take it slow and have some resort days mixed in. Kids were young and wanted to swim. We did water parks, mini golf, etc. All of our other stays have been about 7 days long and were great, too! This next upcoming trip is only 5 days and I am preparing for extreme commando style touring, already feeling like its not going to be nearly long enough to do everything we want to do.

Like everyone else has said, its all about how you do Disney? slow and relaxed - need more days. Commando rope drop to park closing - you wont need as many days.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

I would think 6-7 days for a first time would be just fine. When my kids were young we would go for 11-12 night and that was perfect. We, however, did not go to the parks everyday and did spend a day at the beach. Now that the kids are grown and my husband and I are older we go for 3-4 nights and that is perfect for us to just get away and relax.

 

[MatzoBelle]

So much depends on weather, crowds, knowledge of how to zigzag, health, space in room, family dynamics, personal preference, tolerance for restaurant food every day, pets left behind, etc. But if you like it there, are well-prepared, and conditions are otherwise favorable, I think about eight days is perfect for a fulfilling mix of activity and rest time.

 

[DisneyFive]

8 - 9 nights for us now. That gives us roughly the following full days in the parks: 3 MK, 2 HS, 2 EP, 1 AK

Our first trip was 7 nights, and I still can't believe we got so much done! ...but that was in 2010 when crowds in September really were low and legacy FP was still around without the enforced "late" time window.

I would say minimum of 7 nights for your first trip.

Dan

 

[MMR76]

Our last trip was 6 full days at the parks and I feel that was just right for us. We followed it with 3 nights off property to de-Disney and relax.

 

[Texans_loyal]

we used to go all the time as kids, stopped going in 2002 due to my father passing away. Jan 2016 i found an amazing deal on flights and decided on a weekend getaway...Boy, did i open a can of worms. I have been 12 times since then and currently planning 3 trips for this year Get as many days as you can in. trust me, Disney withdrawals and regret will kill you.

 

[OatsZoo]

I like to do 2 park days then 1 off day, we usually do 10-12 days, repeating each park 2 times with AK only once. (though that might change with Pandora). I find if you do all park days in a row you get burned out and tired. On our off days we usually hit up Disney Springs or do dinners at the other resorts and tour the resorts before or after dinner, so you are still in the Disney state of mind but not doing the rides and lines. We relax by the pool and sleep, take resort pictures.

Last trip we spent time recreating pictures from our first trip. That was super fun!

 

[SarahC97]

We did 9 last year and while we were tired, we really enjoyed it! I think it's just a matter of personal preference!

 

[wendydarling33]

We just did 10 and I feel like I missed so much I wanted to do - I'd never get bored. But, I think the rest of my family was exhausted.