Park commandos who visit Disney frequently, do you ever get burned out?

[jasperess]

I would say we're "half commandos" so we don't get burnt out. We always hit rope drop, and run around as fast as possible to get done all the rides (including FP+) that we need to get done before the crowds get too bad. We avoid EMH days, even when staying on-site (we generally don't have hoppers). When it gets to mid-day, we don't tour as fast so we can "smell the roses" so to speak. Then we end up leaving the parks by early afternoon so we don't get too exhausted and we've generally finished everything we wanted by that point.

 

[DisneyPiPhi]

We have gone back and forth. Because we lived near the parks at were annual passholders for six years, we'd go back and forth: some relaxed, half-day visits, and some all-day, all-the-rides, rope-drop-to-kiss-goodnight days. Now we live far away and have been twice with our daughter. The second trip was more "commando" style and it wore me out. The magic just wasn't there. I said to DH after that trip that our next trip needed to be to Disneyland where I hoped to enjoy a more relaxed pace - and we are headed to DLR for a chill trip next month! I'm hoping to find the magic again.

 

[Sargeant Tibbs]

The last truly commando trip for us was the summer of 2014. It was then that I realized my commando parents, now in their sixties, couldn't be commando anymore. They rallied, and it was one of our most memorable trips, but I decided then that we would take our vacations a little easier. We still RD most days, and there is still an obligatory RD to Wishes day at MK, but now we have no problem heading for home in the mid to late afternoon. Now our enjoyment is from the quality of time spent, and not just the quantity.

 

[MichelleWDWfan]

My DS and I made our first trip to WDW in 2009 and boy did i fall head over heels for Disney world. We have been back every year since, and the past 3 years I have had an annual pass.
I go more often now since I have the pass I never did a touring plan so to speak. The first few times or so I had a list of things but it wasn't a strict commando plan. Back then I didn't even know what a touring plan was. LOL

I have always been a rope dropper, and I never park hopped until I got the annual pass. I was always in the parks open till close.
Most of my WDW trips are between 6-8 days each

Now I basically go along as I please. Of course I still plan ahead of time...
1. Which park per day I will be starting at.
2. First 3 fast passes of each day are done ahead of time.
3. ADR's are made ahead of time.
I always spend my birthday in MK. That is not negotiable

I still have my must do's...but I don't ride every ride, every trip.
I do use fastpasses for almost everything. I don't like to stand in long lines.
Now I try to plan at least 1 new restaurant every trip. I prefer table service and there are still many I haven't tried yet...even though I have made so many trips.
But I also do fave ADR's too.


I plan 1 day to do Downtown Disney err Disney Springs, and right now HS is only a half day park for me. So usually I do DD on the day I do HS.

But I am still a rope dropper. Nothing beats going first thing in the morning...crowds are low and I can get so many rides in early with little to no wait.

Yes I get burnt out...I need a vacation from the vacation because at Disney World I am always on the go, morning till night.

 

[ellie05]

As everyone said here our trips are much more relaxed now that we have been so many times.

Do you ever get burned out?
For us the answer is Yes we reached that point this year. We got AP and we won't be renew it. Between the changes and hoesntly it has become too repetitive. After our trip in April we won't be going back in a long time. Maybe we will do a quick trip to see avatar land and Star Wars land but it will be quick trip.

 

[DisneyKoolaid]

So I am definitely "earning my ears", I've only been an AP for about 1.5 years and before that I had only been to Disney 5 times, the first being in 2006. That said, I go almost every weekend now (since about a year ago) and have not gotten sick of it.

I have no friends in Orlando and I work Monday-Friday so I go to Disney by myself on Saturdays. I tend to go into "commando mode" to an extent because I want to get my "Disney Fix" in one day. When my friends come down from up north to visit, we actually are more carefree because we have a week long Disney vacation so we play hard one day and take it easy the next and so on.

This new Express Transportation has also been a game changer for me (when I go by myself). I feel like if I get sick of the crowds at one park, I can hop over to another (not that there won't be crowds at another park, but just a change of scenery is refreshing somehow). Those bus rides are my "down time".

Other things that we've done to help prevent "burn out" throughout the day include things like:

• Resort hopping by boat
• Riding the monorail just for fun
• Riding the ferry just for fun
• Taking the boat from Epcot to DHS just for fun
• Hanging out at the Poly beach eating Dole Whip Swirls (the only place you can get them anymore)
• Taking "naps" on the hub grass at MK
• Hanging out at any quick service that has self-serve refills for drinks
• This one's kind of gross, but taking a break just sitting in a bathroom stall (in a good bathroom) is also amazing in the Florida heat. One of our favorites is the one at the America pavilion at Epcot (tons of stalls, super clean, awesome AC, very low traffic), the worst is the tiny one next to the Refreshment port in World Showcase. Don't go in there.

 

[Sparkly]

We're not really commando tourers, but 2015 when we went in March and November I definately remember feeling ready to go home by the end of the second trip! 2 trips in the same year was too much. I didn't go in 2016, so really looking forward to returning in September!

 

[ckb_nc]

Big time reformed commando. Bought DVC and the advent of FP+ - now ok with slowing down, enjoy resorts and slowing down. Since we go often and with DVC will go again, I am less likely to feel like I need to go as hard. As I get older (staring at 50 this year) I can not go quite as hard. And frankly I have done literally every ride at WDW except maybe 2 that I can name. I now look for unique things and opportunities.

I am as good as I once was but not every day.

 

[prprincess]

I don't get burned out, but I do reach a point where I need a break because I fear burning out, if that makes any sense. So while we visited WDW twice last year, and I'd of course love to visit again this year, my gut tells me that we should try somewhere new. I can't see me ever losing it, but I like to keep a bit of excitement and anticipation in my heart for WDW, so breaks are nice.

 

[mindeola]

The more you visit, the less Commando you have to be. When we went for a few days every couple of years, we were very commando. WE have morphed into commando mornings and relaxed afternoons for a lot of trips. We have an anniversary trip coming up that will be totally relaxed! No rope drop planned. Going to soak everything in, take a tour, bounce around as we see fit.

 

[Disneylover99]

We used to be park commandos, now we're more resort commandos.

 

[carlymcqueen]

My family are all park commandos. We are in the parks from open to close. We avoid getting burned out by getting a table service lunch or dinner. We're pretty tired by then so it's nice to take an hour or so to sit down and eat. Then you'll feel rested and ready for the rest of the day! I can also say that wearing running shoes helps a TON. achy feet are the worst during a long day.

 

[Savagehenry]

I used to get a lot of anxiety about getting everything done in a strategic style, but this year we are bringing my 20 month old so I have a built-in 'brake' for any type of commando-ing the parks.

 

[anonymousegirl]

I used to tour Commando-style. Now I take it easy, skip certain rides (I don't ride Pirates every visit and I skip Space Mt in Florida because the line is so long and California's is better).

To keep things fresh, I try to do something new each time--ride a ride I haven't ridden for a long time, try a new restaurant, or do a new-to-me tour or activity.

right now, I am on a big burn out--I hit all 12 parks world wide in 7 months. So I am taking a break from Disney until Food and Wine.

 

[fla4fun]

I keep my trips fresh by focusing on different parks each visit and spending about a third of my time doing non-park things. When I stay at an Epcot resort, I will go to Epcot and DHS but not MK and AK. Then the next trip I might stay at a MK resort, and spend a lot of time at MK. Then I might stay at Pop and focus on AK and Disney Springs. So even though I am staying on property several times per year, I may only be going to each park for one of them.

 

[Planogirl]

We have been often and sometimes we were commando and sometimes not. I wouldn't say that we were burned out but we spend less time than we used to. There's just too many other places to see plus Epcot and DHS are both very disappointing lately.

 

[Amw1064]

We used to be park commandos, now we're more resort commandos.

Yep!!! I love pool days and park nights. Been to Disney hundreds of times. Grew up going to MK then took our older kids once or twice every year and for the last 14 years have had annual passes and go at least monthly if not more.

 

[bweagle]

We will go to Disney one year, sometimes 2 years in a row, and once 3 years in a row and then take a couple of years off and visit other places to keep it fresh. We are for sure park commandos when we visit. We are in the parks open to close. Now that my kids are getting older, I'm guessing we won't be doing back to back trips, because there are so many other places the kids want to visit.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

When I first started to visit WDW as an adult we went once a year. For the past few years, we tried to go 3-4 times a year and were always very commando.

I wouldn't say I got tired of the parks... But now that we're not planning to go again until Christmas 2018 I have to say it's had a certain spark put back into it. I've already spent a decent bit of time daydreaming about the upcoming visit.

I think when you go less often it's more of an event.