Go now or wait?

[mshanson3121]

So our plan has been to return summer of 2017, for probably a 12 night stay with 6 Disney park days, 2 "other park" days, and some R&R days.

Well, we just found out the other night from DH's best friend that their wedding may be changed to summer of 2017. And, wants DH to be best man. They are as close as brothers, so if there is any possible way of us going, it's pretty much a non-negotiable that we are going to be there. Unfortunately, there's no way we can afford both trips that summer (his best friend lives about 4500 km away from us, so it will be a MAJOR cross-Canada trip).

He's supposed to know more in the next week or so, but was thinking ahead to our options, which we've figured are: try and do a shorter, bare bones trip this summer (either last week of June or end of August), probably just a 6-7 night stay with 5-6 park days, and then hope for another trip in 2020 or 2021 that'll be a longer one. Or, just wait until 2018 or 2019 (more likely 2019) and do a longer trip then.

Originally we chose not to go this summer because we wanted to save our money for paying off the car loan, but we've changed what we're going to be doing for house renos this summer, which freed up some money, so the finances of it are a non-issue now. It's now a would you rather do a smaller trip if it means being able to go sooner, or do a more elaborate trip, but have to wait longer to go back?

WWYD?

 

[trouttigger]

I would do the smaller trip sooner. The longer you wait, the more things can come up. We just did a 6 night stay with 5 park days - I thought it was the perfect length.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Since 2017 is out, I'd go this coming Summer & bare bones it as much as necessary to make it work financially

 

[Micca]

Tell the buddy if he wants your DH as best man he needs to have the wedding at WDW.

 

[jenji124]

I'd do a smaller trip sooner.

 

[andiraye]

I agree. Shorter trip sooner. Carpe deim. 2020 seems so far away.

 

[mom2rtk]

You're asking a bunch of big Disney fans who don't have any idea about your financial situation whether to take a trip to Disney. I'm guessing you're going to get a lot of "go now" recommendations.

It's always fun spending someone else's money.

 

[jawa7400]

Smaller trip sooner. Our family trips are most always 5 park days (we've even done 4 before) and it's a good length.

 

[mshanson3121]

You're asking a bunch of big Disney fans who don't have any idea about your financial situation whether to take a trip to Disney. I'm guessing you're going to get a lot of "go now" recommendations.

I explained pretty clearly that finances are not a consideration in this. It's just whether you would prefer a smaller trip sooner, or a better trip later.

 

[mom2rtk]

I explained pretty clearly that finances are not a consideration in this. It's just whether you would prefer a smaller trip sooner, or a better trip later.

If money isn't an issue, I'd do both.

 

[mshanson3121]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they're not going to change the wedding date, and we can still do summer 2017, as dates are going to be horrible this year to try and get the same rental house. If we do the end of June which would be our choice, we'll have to do a split stay, 5 nights in the house, 2 nights in a hotel room (off site). And they're already booked for Christmas 2016

 

[ArwenMarie]

I would do both if money wasn't an issue but I prefer shorter trips that are more frequent.

 

[larryz]

I'd schedule for next Christmas, since it's becoming easier and easier to tour more spontaneously with FP+, MDE and MagicBands regardless of crowd levels.

 

[Angel Ariel]

It would depend on how many concessions i would feel I was making on the trip to make it shorter trip. We have done both go go go trips and relaxing ones. If our intent with the longer trip was to have a more relaxing vacation, I would need to weigh whether that goal of a relaxing trip was still possible, or whether I was ok with the shorter trip making it more go go go.

If I decided that a relaxing trip was no longer likely, AND that I wasn't ok with a go go go trip in its place, then I would not go this summer and would wait until we could take the vacation we really wanted.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

If you could squeeze in a bare bones trip before the wedding, is there any reason you couldn't just save that money and do it the same year of the wedding so that you might be able to catch things that won't open until then?

 

[Nancyg56]

I explained pretty clearly that finances are not a consideration in this. It's just whether you would prefer a smaller trip sooner, or a better trip later.

I would take a short trip now. We cannot always have a 10 night trip (my preference) so we plan a trip that is 6 or 7 nights and adjust our priority while we are there. I don't know how important the "Other" park is to you, but if it is not the priority I would skip it this summer, so there is not so much frantic rushing around.

I also suggest that if you do take the shorter trip and you do want to hit all the parks, make sure that you time them so you get some "sleep in" mornings if you plan park close evenings. I really do not like to go home exhausted, and that can happen so quickly!

 

[mshanson3121]

I would do both if money wasn't an issue but I prefer shorter trips that are more frequent.

It will be one or the other. A shorter trip this year, and then we'll "hopefully" do another trip probably in 4-5 years. Or, we'll wait and do a longer trip in 2018 or 2019. I'm still hoping however that we can just do our 2017 trip as planned. Not that I don't want to go to the wedding... lol. But, we had already figured we were going to be missing it (they were originally going to be married this summer when DH was in training and couldn't go).

 

[mshanson3121]

If you could squeeze in a bare bones trip before the wedding, is there any reason you couldn't just save that money and do it the same year of the wedding so that you might be able to catch things that won't open until then?

Absolutely no way are we doing two trips that summer for a few reasons. The only options are those I listed in my post.

 

[Nancyg56]

Absolutely no way are we doing two trips that summer for a few reasons. The only options are those I listed in my post.

I have returned to work after many years of staying home and one of the adjustments is that pesky limited number of vacation days! As if planning a Dsiney vacation was not complicated enough,now planning around days off and time constraints, and deadlines adds even more to think about.

 

[mshanson3121]

I would take a short trip now. We cannot always have a 10 night trip (my preference) so we plan a trip that is 6 or 7 nights and adjust our priority while we are there. I don't know how important the "Other" park is to you, but if it is not the priority I would skip it this summer, so there is not so much frantic rushing around.

I also suggest that if you do take the shorter trip and you do want to hit all the parks, make sure that you time them so you get some "sleep in" mornings if you plan park close evenings. I really do not like to go home exhausted, and that can happen so quickly!

That is my biggest concern with a shorter trip, is getting tired, being able to plan in enough rest time, especially since we have to drive 3 days to get there, and then will have to drive 3 days to get back, too. This summer we did 4 days in a row without a break and found ourselves getting pretty tired by about day 6 of our 10 day trip. That said, homesickness was kicking in a bit too, on the longer trip, so that would probably be avoided with a shorter trip.

The "must dos", would be each park 1x and Blizzard Beach 1x. I know ideally we'd want a 2nd MK day as well, but... we could leave that 6th day open for flexibility in case we needed rest.