Researchers say for many people the benefits of a repeat vacation far outweigh the risk of spending money and vacation days on a new place. Photo: Johnie Gall
My dad loves Disney World. Loves it—which is pretty unexpected for a 60-year-old concrete construction company owner who spends his free time hiking on the Appalachian Trail and practicing photography. “The Happiest Place on Earth” doesn’t offer much in the way of forest trails or sweeping landscapes, unless you consider Bear Country a wilderness area.
But every January, without fail, my family would land at the Orlando airport, grab a shuttle to the Port Orleans Riverside resort, and suddenly my dad would be as giddy as the rest of the kids waiting in line at Splash Mountain.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve accompanied my dad on a series of more “grown-up” vacations—kayaking in the Everglades, sailing in North Carolina, scuba diving through an underwater cave system—but he still talks about going back to Disney, which made me curious: What was the appeal, for someone like my dad, of redoing a trip we’d done so many times?
As it turns out, he’s not alone. While there’s an obvious excitement and novelty to being outside of our comfort zones in a new place, for a great number of people, there’s distinct value in the repetition of the “do-over trip.”
A study conducted by the University of North Carolina boiled it down to a four pretty concrete reasons people love repeat vacations—so here’s the case for trying your own (for science, obviously):
A throwback to one of our many Disney trips. Photo Courtesy of Johnie Gall
You’re probably going to have a good time
Researchers say that the chances of having an “unsatisfactory experience” are significantly lower on a repeat vacation than they are on a new one. Since you’ve already had a positive experience on your last trip, you can spend the money you need to spend confidently and without fear of disappointment.
You already know the lay of the land
You’ve been here before, so you don’t have to waste precious time on finding directions, figuring out the train schedule, or debating between attractions. The time you delegated to learning about your new surroundings last time is now reserved strictly for fun. Bonus points for knowing exactly what to pack this time and not having to pay for that extra bag.
You can still have new discoveries
Returning to a familiar location doesn’t have to mean redundancy. Conversely, it’s an opportunity to dig below the surface for a richer experience. You won’t be fazed by the shiny “newness” of a place, so you can bypass the big tourist attractions you hit last time and instead explore the hidden treasures and lesser-known side charms of your destination.
A repeat trip to Puerto Rico proved there’s still plenty to explore. Photo: Brandon Scherzberg
You have an emotional attachment to the place
It’s likely that what my dad enjoys most about Disney is the memory of my brother and I there as toddlers. As long as you don’t fall into the trap of trying to relive the exact vacation you had last time, your repeat vacations will only get richer as you build new memories there.
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