Isn't Breaking for a Mid-day Nap a Pain at Magic Kingdom?

[devotedchristian]

Because of the Monorail and Ferry Boat? I keep reading on the boards that the parking entrance to Magic Kingdom is the same as the TTC Lot.

And from there...depending on how far you park your car, you take the Tram to the Monorail...and the Monorail takes you to the entrance of Magic Kingdom..so total time getting to MK is estimated at 45minutes-1 hour? :confused3 Is that right?

So, if you leave Magic Kingdom for a Mid-day break and you have to take 2 modes of transportation to get back to you car, isn't that stressful? :blush:

Can you tell me exactly how you handle your transportation getting to Magic Kingdom?

[mrsltg]

Yes, it can be a pain. I am trying to remember my longest trip and I can't put an exact timeframe to it. Your 45 minutes could be right depending upon wait times. I've never left and come back because of the hassle. My upcoming trip we're staying at the Poly simply so we can do breaks.

[DisneyDotty]

Like above poster, we always stay on property so we use Disney transportation and thus avoid the parking hassle. Even so, depending on which property we're at, waiting for a bus and then riding the bus to our resort can take a while, which is why I love :cloud9: staying at monorail resorts!
Our afternoon breaks usually last at least 3 hours... :sunny:
Sorry, OP--I guess I'm no help--except that I imagine afternoon breaks take a while no matter where you're staying...

[swilshire]

Yes!

We tend to go to a different park after the break, which helps a bit.

The trick is getting the family (particularly my husband) back on the road after the break. Especially in hot weather, I have to DRAG them out of the air conditioning.

Sheila

[Ariel8676]

We use Disney transportation, so its not as bad as if you are staying off property or if you take your car. I think afternoon breaks are a must,(especially in the summer months)if you have young children they will just get burnt out too quick. We always go back to the resort, and either swim, or nap or just hang out for a little while, then go back to a different park for the night time.

[DisneyWacker]

Two words...stroller nap!

[tmarquez]

For us it is definately a pain. The first couple of time, when DD was napping regularly she would fall asleep before we could get back to the hotel, then all the commotion getting to the room (monorail, tram, car, etc) she would wake up and then be too excited againt o get back to sleep.

We learned our lesson and if she wanted to nap, she would sleep in the stroller (we bring our own). It gave her a chance to sleep as long as she needed to and gave us some quiet time for a relaxed meal or some >40" rides or Elvis pinball :cool1: !

[MrsJackSparrow]

I guess it would depend on your park style. If you're commando about the trip, then naps are definitely more hassle than they are worth. If you park hop, just the change of scenery and the bus/monorail ride to another park can be enough downtime for your group to recharge. We like to catch an early lunch and head out of the parks by about 2pm. We can get in about an hour, hour and a half nap and be back in the parks by 5pm. Even if the DKs don't sleep, just laying in bed with the drapes shut and the room dark gives them time to unwind. Works for us. :thumbsup2

[mikymouse]

We always went to the parks early and then back to the resort for a rest. My kids sometimes napped but most of the time we just hung out to recharge our batteries from all the overstimulation of the parks. My DD4 & DS6 do not nap at home but Disney really take it out of you. This is much easier when you are staying on-site but I would recommend it even if you are staying off site and needing to take the long way back to the car.

The kids will be older next time but I will still be planning a break for my family to have a change in scenary... sit down meal, bus/boat ride to different park or resorts, sit down show... something other than the what next atmosphere was much needed for our family. At least for our family we could only do about 3 hours at any Disney Park before one of the four of us started to struggle and was hard to just sit in the park because we all saw the next thing we wanted to check out.

[Lovemy3babes]

I think it might be a hassle but we're still doing it. I know my kiddos are going to need the break. We're going to do MK on a night with EMH anyway so we should still get plenty of park time hopefully! :)

[snickerboo]

We always did the 'arrive at the gates an hour before open' so, by 1 or 2 o'clock we'd all had enough and were starting to get grouchy. I always look at it that it's so busy between 1 and 4 pm, that I'd rather go for a swim than stand in lines. We went back to the hotel, ate dinner, and came back after dinner. You do have to take the monorail but mid-day there's not much wait. And, if you arrive early at the gates, you won't need a tram for parking (we were in the front row every day!). One day we stayed until about 4 pm but that's because the park closed at 7 for grad night.

[mama4]

Because of the Monorail and Ferry Boat? I keep reading on the boards that the parking entrance to Magic Kingdom is the same as the TTC Lot.

And from there...depending on how far you park your car, you take the Tram to the Monorail...and the Monorail takes you to the entrance of Magic Kingdom..so total time getting to MK is estimated at 45minutes-1 hour? :confused3 Is that right?

So, if you leave Magic Kingdom for a Mid-day break and you have to take 2 modes of transportation to get back to you car, isn't that stressful? :blush:

Can you tell me exactly how you handle your transportation getting to Magic Kingdom?

Whether you have to take monorail/tram back to your car or a Disney bus back to your resort, I too think it would be too stressful to leave midday and return same day (to any park) especially with small kids. Maybe if we were staying at a monorail resort and/or maybe if we were staying for a couple of weeks but we usually stay at a mod or value and only for 5 days or so (we live 2 hrs away so we go frequently). My kids are 15, 4 and 2 and we have another on the way. When at MK, we do stroller naps, lunch in the park, downtime is playing in a splashing fountain (like Ariels Grotto or Pooh's Playful Spot) or sitting in a cool spot people watching. Even the baby stations can be a break from the park for us. We've been with the younger kids twice and I can not think of a single real meltdown. If we notice them getting grumpy or uncomfortable- we get them to a comfortable spot, figure out what they need and take it from there. One thing we do plan on is at least one day of little or no park time. Pool time and maybe a trip to DTD or Epcot or another resort for dinner and that's it. Oh, and we also NEVER go in the summer. Living in Fl, 7-8 months of 90+ degree weather (w/ evenings often being just as hot) is enough for me. We wait until early April (I know, crowds- but we've never really noticed or cared about that) and we may start doing an October/Nov trip. Do what works for you, but MO is you don't neccessarily have to leave MK to get the downtime you and the kids need.

[famofsix]

I agree with snickerboo going early and breaking midafternoon at MK. My kids swam in the pool during the break. However Ds1 always just slept in the stroller regardless of where we were. We did miss a lot in MK because we left but the kids really need a break from the hot sun. :sunny: When we went to Epcot there were enough inside and relaxing things to do we never left. :) For AK, it was our first park day, so our legs were fresh! We manage to stay the whole day but take little breaks (including watching the parade in the shade)but it closed earlier so we were outta there at 6pm.

[WantToGoNow]

In December 2004 we stayed for 2 weeks at a villa offsite. We went from early morning until early evening every day. By the end of the first week we were all exhausted and everyone except me and dh started getting sick. One day early the second week my dd20 and ds3 were up all night sick (glad for the villa with 2 bathrooms) and was unable to go to the parks the next morning. My dh, myself, dd’s friend and dd1 went on to the AK and was back at the villa around 1:00. We hung out at the villa for about 2 hours and them my dh stayed with my ds (was still very sick) and my dd went with us back to the park. That was the absolute best touring day we had – we didn’t feel worn out at the end of day. My dd was still sick so our evening at MGM was very low-key (she actually passed out in the car on the way back to the villa – scared me to death since she does have a heart condition).

We will be going in November of this year and are staying on-site. We are planning atleast a short break every day – children are 22 (friend coming again as well), 5 and 2 now and I know that the 2 little ones will not be able to do the all-day commando style touring this trip. I’m actually looking forward to the more relaxed trip – I’ve told my dd and dh that it’s their job to make sure I don’t go back into the commando mode once we are there.

[MichelleChell]

We are taking our first trip in July with a 3 yr old and we plan to find a cool place to take a rest in the park. I think I am only going to have this problem in Mk. We are getting there early and staying late. We were thining or a stroller nap at Hall of Pres or go somewhere quiet we can find. If I leave I will never get Dh back.

[crisi]

My kids have never napped back at the hotel. We take a midday break for a swim, but have seldom returned to the MK - usually we are in Epcot for the evening. When they were little we perfected the "Disney transportation nap" - monorail, train, bus - ride the ferry back and forth across the lake. With little ones, we generally discovered if we got there at opening, we were pretty much done with what we needed to do by 1 or 2.

[dawnball]

For me, the MK transportation hassle is more of a mental block than anything else. We did both break and no-break days at the MK. We were miserable on every no-break day, and don't get much at all done between 1 and 4, so we went to all breaks.

What we settled on is using transportation as rides. If we were near a train station when we wanted to head out - we took the train to the front of main streeet. Otherwise we rode in one of the main street vehicles to get up front. Then we'd take the boat (my sister and neice usually took the monorail, because when you're 3 - the monorail is a pretty good ride). We'd park the stroller somewhere with a breeze and a view and enjoy the ride. We skipped the trams and walked to the car, then drove to our condo. It really isn't bad to do, the worst part was getting all the way down main street and to the dock.

It always feels like it should be a big inconvenience, but it really never felt like it was one once we were doing it. The boat is actually very relaxing mid-day. There's almost no one on the ferry, you get some great views, and I always had a shady bench to sit on.

[Evil Queen]

We have never taken a break. I too, find it too much hassle, and many times I have my own car.

We find once we leave the parks, we normally don't want to venture back out to the same or a different park.

We make sure we hit the rides and attractions we want to see, then when we are ready to go, we don't worry that we missed something. We don't worry about the fireworks, DS10 hates them.

[KimWDW]

Stroller nap!

My son was 3.5 when we went last year and he napped every day in his stroller. It's so convenient because DH and I could take turns going on bigger rides while he slept (Space Mt at MK, TT at EPCOT, ToT and RnRC at DS). And it's great because he wakes up, has a little juice, and is rearing to go again and we don't need transportation... we're still there! :)

[trennr]

While in the MK My kids usually nap at a cool little place I call the Hall of Presidents. :cloud9: :rolleyes1

[Vickie46]

dip in the pool on a hot day.. is so worth it to my family!!!!!!! Its such a refresher and it gives you the energy to enjoy the rest of the day! I say go back and take a break!

[Aneille]

I think transportation out of MK is a hassle too unless you can take a monorail or a bus. If you are driving its a real pain.

So even when we rent a car we don't take it when we go to MK. The bus is quicker.

What we did a lot of this trip was when we took our break at MK we would get lunch at one of the monorail resorts and then you could hop the monorail back to MK if you wanted. We usually took a bus back to the Boardwalk and hit Epcot or MGM that night though. Once we even took a bus from the Grand Floridian directly to MGM.

We hardly ever go back to the same park after a break, whether it is a nap break, pool break or just a lunch break.

My kids just wouldn't fall asleep in the stroller this trip. The last 2 trips they did all the time.

[spoiltrotten12]

Because of the Monorail and Ferry Boat? I keep reading on the boards that the parking entrance to Magic Kingdom is the same as the TTC Lot.

And from there...depending on how far you park your car, you take the Tram to the Monorail...and the Monorail takes you to the entrance of Magic Kingdom..so total time getting to MK is estimated at 45minutes-1 hour? :confused3 Is that right?

So, if you leave Magic Kingdom for a Mid-day break and you have to take 2 modes of transportation to get back to you car, isn't that stressful? :blush:

Can you tell me exactly how you handle your transportation getting to Magic Kingdom?


We normally stay at a resort on the monorail to make it a lot easier getting from MK to our room if DD2 is sleepy and had enough, plus with a new addition to the clan (DS born in April) it's more important now. When we don't stay at a resort on the monorail it is a pain and we've had to leave MK earlier than planned before. How will we cope in October and December? :confused3

We also stayed in a villa once pre-kids and it was a nightmare leaving as it was closing time. We got lost when leaving and missed the turn off to the 192 and ended up on the I4 and done a big circle and somehow ended up back on the 192. It's funny now but at the time quite scary! Plus, we've never stayed in a villa since, it's always been on-site! I think we are scarred for life now.

[vellamint]

We have taken these kids 3 times - the only time we went back for a rest (because they did not nap anymore) was when we stayed on site. The other two times it was just too far and long to come back....at least in our minds - even thought our hotels were literally outside the gates.

I think a rest and a swim did wonders for our family when we did it. Kid cooled off and let off pent up steam.....my husband could lay down in air conditioning and veg out in front of the television. IF we wanted we would have ONE adult beverage. When we were done and ready to go back we were all ready to start again!

That was the BEST Disney vacation that we ever had!

This trip I have breaks scheduled for everyday and will try to have the family stick to it....sometimes it is hard to leave though..

[Mouse House Mama]

We stay onsite at a monorail or boat resort and it is a breeze to get back to the resort. We usually do a midday break. Even if we go swimming or just have lunch and sit on the lanai. We like the down time. My kids also need a nap usually and a stroller nap is not the same for them as lying in a bed in a cool room. I don't think if I was staying off property that I would do it though. princess:

[GreatBiscuit]

We did this (returned to a car in the MK parking lot) a LONG time ago, (1990) when I was senior in high school. At that time, it took about an hour to actually get from the park gate, to the car, and out of the parking lot. As much has changed in the past 16 years, I don't know this helps or not. It would depend on: 1. The time you arrive at the park. 2. The time of year you go. 3. How late you plan to stay at the park after you return. 4. What routines your kids are in at home. 5. How things are going at the time. If the kids are miserable and cranky, staying in the parks to "get your money's worth" is only going to aggravate the problem. I've always enjoyed a mid-day break, and as summer is the only time of year we can go, the parks are open later there is still plenty time to enjoy yourself in the parks after the break. Ultimately the rule we always follow when vacation with our toddlers is "BE FLEXIBLE!” Hope this helps!

[golden1]

I am planning on breaks because my kids don't sleep in strollers. I also think the change of scenery will be good for them. I figure by hitting the MK at opening, leaving at lunch, and then returning at 3 or 4pm we should be able to see everything.

[HayGan]

We took naps everyday but then again we only went to MK and Epcot and we were staying at the Poly. It is really easy to do that when you are staying at a monorail resort.

This year we are staying at OKW and I don't really anticipate many afternoon breaks. However, we will be getting later starts in the morning so that we won't need a break by mid-afternoon. One day we are planning on doing AK in the morning, going back to OKW to rest and then going to MVMCP one night.

DH has sworn to divorce me if I this a commando-style trip :lmao:

[crisi]

I am planning on breaks because my kids don't sleep in strollers. I also think the change of scenery will be good for them. I figure by hitting the MK at opening, leaving at lunch, and then returning at 3 or 4pm we should be able to see everything.

This is a great plan if the parks are open late and if the nap means the kids will stay up late. For people travelling when the MK closes at 6:00, they often discover that if they leave at noon, they really don't get back to the park until 4:00 and then don't get much done before they are leaving at 6:00. So time of year can make a huge difference in if you push your kids from 12-1 - then just take the afternoon and evening off or if you leave and take a nap.

One thing we used to do is the carseat nap. Not at Disney since we don't rent cars. But if you are driving, and your kids sleep in the carseat, you may want to think about if waking them up is a good idea to get them into a real bed for a real nap, or if driving around for an hour and a half and letting them nap in the car will accomplish what you need. Mine would never go back to sleep if they got even ten minutes, so if they fell asleep in the car, we stayed in the car.

[letsgoagainsoon]

I agree with those that say stroller nap! When our son sleeps we just relax on a bench or do some shopping. I think it is a pain to go back to the resort, even if staying on-site. However, if we are planning on going to a different park in the evening than we do go back to the resort for a couple hours. :sunny:

[sameyeyam]

We stay on-site so mid-day breaks are not a big problem - hop on the bus and go. We go to parks before they first open and hit most of the rides when lines are short, have lunch around noon or 1pm and then leave when it's getting hot & crowds are getting bad. My kids are 7 & 14 and love the breaks.

We go back to the hotel, jump in the pool & cool down, then take a nap. We wake up around 6pm, shower, put on fresh shoes and then head back to the park around 7pm. Our dinner ressies are usually at 8-9pm. We eat, watch fireworks, and then if we feel like it pick a couple of family favorite rides to go on, or just walk around and find something with a 5 minute or less wait!

I think by avoiding the crowds in the middle of the day you can ride just as many rides, maybe even more. First thing in the morning popular rides have short waits and later in the evening the not as popular rides have virtually no wait time! We never feel like we are missing anything, except maybe the heat, crowds and feeling tired!