DisneyWorld vs. all other vacations

[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

[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

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"....

[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!

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT AND GOING BACK IN
THE SPRING!!!!!

[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. 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

[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.