Returning for afternoon swim? Worth it?

[DisneyGal24]

We always take a midday break. We leave the parks by noon and return by 3 or 4 and stay for a couple of hours. We usually swim, check out the resort, trade pins/vinylmations and hang out in the room. It really works for us and the kids enjoy swimming. We hit RD and use EMH. The kids early risers so we get in bed between 8 and 9. Of course we don't have to go commando because we stay for 10 days.

 

[AlohaAnnie]

We kind of play it by ear. If we feel we can make it we stay at the park and head back for an early evening after dinner.

If it is way too hot like in June when we go or if everyone seems tired, we head back after lunch, swim, nap, shower and we will return to the park in the evening.

 

[GusGus77]

I think you would have to try it and see what works and play it by ear. For my family it seemed like a great idea on paper with the little ones. It didn't work that way. We found if we came back to swim and such we usually did not have the motivation to go back to the parks and the kids were worn out from the swimming. Swimming at night worked out much better for us. At home the kids are up early (6:30-7am) on the their own since they are not in school and don't have to get up at any particular time and go to bed by 7 (they STILL get up early even if they go to bed later!!!) at Disney, they liked to sleep until 8:30 and then were up until 10pm. TOTALLY different than at home.

I hope you have a great trip!

 

[ZoZo]

The big issue is when are you going. Some weeks in Feb they have pretty short hours, so the parks such as AK will only be open until 6 (I have seen 5) so you only have 9 hours of park time. MK until maybe 8.

l agree - to me it depends on how late the parks are open. I find the "take an afternoon break" advice only works when the parks are open pretty late. You'll often even see advice from people that says you should return to the parks "after dinner" -- but that doesn't work if the park closes at 7:00!

I go in October, and regular closing times for the parks range from 5:00 (AK) to 9:00 (Epcot) -- pretty early. I skip afternoon breaks because I feel they eat into prime park time. I'd rather be in the parks all day then go back to the resort after dinner (and sometimes hit the pool after dinner).

 

[aubriee]

My husband and I took our grandson down there last Feb and stayed at POFQ. Both my GS and me are early risers, so we dragged my husband out of bed every morning and made every single rope drop or else did an early morning character breakfast. We then took a break everyday, right after lunch. When the parks started getting crowded, we knew it was time to leave. Our GS loved the pool and even though he never takes a nap at home, took a nap every day after swimming. He'd start off playing quietly on the bed with his toys, but within a few minutes was asleep. His grandpa napped too. While they were sleeping, I read on my Kindle. After they woke up, everyone was relaxed and ready to go to dinner and do more park time. It worked out well for us.

Heck, as an AP holder, I go to WDW 4-6 times a year and several of those trips are solo trips. Even on my solo trips I usually go back to the room, shower, get cooled off, read, and relax in the afternoons. That way I'm recharged for dinner and am not as exhausted at the end of the trip. At home, I work night shift and sleep in the afternoons, so need a rest in the afternoon, even if I don't go to sleep down there.

 

[cheryterese]

My husband and I took our grandson down there last Feb and stayed at POFQ. Both my GS and me are early risers, so we dragged my husband out of bed every morning and made every single rope drop or else did an early morning character breakfast. We then took a break everyday, right after lunch. When the parks started getting crowded, we knew it was time to leave. Our GS loved the pool and even though he never takes a nap at home, took a nap every day after swimming. He'd start off playing quietly on the bed with his toys, but within a few minutes was asleep. His grandpa napped too. While they were sleeping, I read on my Kindle. After they woke up, everyone was relaxed and ready to go to dinner and do more park time. It worked out well for us.

Heck, as an AP holder, I go to WDW 4-6 times a year and several of those trips are solo trips. Even on my solo trips I usually go back to the room, shower, get cooled off, read, and relax in the afternoons. That way I'm recharged for dinner and am not as exhausted at the end of the trip. At home, I work night shift and sleep in the afternoons, so need a rest in the afternoon, even if I don't go to sleep down there.

How did you find the pool temp in February? We will be there Feb 6 -12th. I figure the air will be cool but am not sure what to expect about the pool water. Thanks!

After reading through all of these replies and all of the great points I think I will make 2 plans (I love to plan, so it's not a hardship lol!) - one where we stay all day and swim at night and the other where we take a midday break. For our 1 AK day I'm just planning to stay all day. The park is open until 7 (so far, anyway, with the schedule that's posted for February now). I'll also see how the weather forecast is looking the week ahead. My kids are always up by 7:30, so RD is pretty much a given.

I made all of our ADR's for dinner, so that will work with either schedule - we can either return for dinner or leave after dinner.

I was just checking out both of the pools at PO and my kids will be so excited! They don't know about the trip yet. We will be surprising them with it on New Year's Eve!

 

[eliza61]

Why not let your kids be the guide. If they really want to go back to the resort to swim, why force them to stay in the parks.

How do you describe "worth". for me any activity is "worth" it, if everyone is enjoying themselves and having a good time. If it's at the pool as opposed to the parks, that's where it's at.

 

[chartle]

I guess the issue for us was we have (really had since my boys don't go anymore) a local municipal pool so swimming isn't that big a deal.

I have heard stories of kids in the parks whining about when they were going to go back to the pool at the hotel because its such a big deal.

 

[Disney9.9.10]

We have done this for our last few trips. Since we have gone so many times, we don't feel the need to ram at the parks from rope drop till closing, and can take a much more leisurely pace. We find that going back to the pool in the afternoon is completely worth it! And we have done it at many different resorts as well.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I think that with your attitude it would work fine. You are most concerned about the kids getting to do what they want. I think that you need to be prepared that it will take about 4 hours out of your day. Only you can decide if that is ok or not. We have a pool at home so swimming at WDW is just not a biggie so not an issue. We sometime take a break mid day and though we don't really nap, we dim the lights and lay on the bed and watch a little TV. Early February can be cold so have a back up plan. Pools are heated but getting out is COLD. Swimming at night would be worse of course.

 

[mickyzzzzz05]

We took a break when the kids were little, when they were teenagers and when we went alone! We still take the break. It makes our time in the parks so much more enjoyable. It does take time but depending on how lucky you are with the busses it is well worth it in my opinion.

 

[laceemouse]

Just a thought - if you are taking the break because your kids want to swim, and consider that part of the Disney experience, great.

But if you are taking the break to give your kids some rest/downtime...I wouldn't expect it to function that way. Getting out of the park, back to the resort, changing, swimming (exhausting), changing again, getting back to the parks, etc. is a lot of walking and a takes a lot of energy and is probably more tiring than just staying in the park and doing some easy stuff in the afternoon (like Hall of Presidents or Ellen's Energy Adventure or a show at DHS).

Agree 100% Another issue for us is we have mostly girls, after swimming we have to shower, dress, and do hair and makeup AGAIN! This is so time consuming, and honestly even I don't want to have to do that a second time in one day. We may schedule a morning swim, or an evening swim (after leaving the parks) or even a full down day that includes swimming, but getting ready twice in one day, no, we would never do that!

 

[laceemouse]

I think that with your attitude it would work fine. You are most concerned about the kids getting to do what they want. I think that you need to be prepared that it will take about 4 hours out of your day. Only you can decide if that is ok or not. We have a pool at home so swimming at WDW is just not a biggie so not an issue. We sometime take a break mid day and though we don't really nap, we dim the lights and lay on the bed and watch a little TV. Early February can be cold so have a back up plan. Pools are heated but getting out is COLD. Swimming at night would be worse of course.

Yep, it will be cool in February. It does depend on how big of a deal swimming is for your kids, we have a pool at home so swimming was never at the top of our list anyway.

 

[cheryterese]

Yep, it will be cool in February. It does depend on how big of a deal swimming is for your kids, we have a pool at home so swimming was never at the top of our list anyway.

No swimming pool at home, and all 3 of them LOVE to swim!

 

[aubriee]

How did you find the pool temp in February? We will be there Feb 6 -12th. I figure the air will be cool but am not sure what to expect about the pool water. Thanks!

Feb can be cold, but when we were there Feb 4th-12th last year, it was warm all week (shorts and tshirts all week), so the pool was fine. I'm from the south, so do not swim when the weather or pools are cold. I was fine.

 

[graceandhayes]

We stayed at the Polynesian Feb 26 - Mar 1 this year. The weather was slightly above average - 60s at night, low 80s during the day. My kids (DS7 and DD5) insisted on swimming almost every day. Since my wife likes to sleep in I took the kids to the pool in the mornings a couple of days until we were ready to go to the parks (7am - 8:30am). The water was heated, but a bit cooler than I like, and it was a bit cool getting out. Swimming in the pool almost every day was important for my kids. We only spent a 1/2 day at Epcot and HS, so we swam in the pool before dinner those two days. If you go during the summer or busy weeks many advise to take a break between 11am and 2pm to either nap or hit the pool at the resort because that is typically the busiest time in the parks. You will not have that problem in February. My advice for February is either hit the pool early in the morning - if it is warm enough, or after dinner/day in the park. I would either plan to hit RD and the pool in the afternoon, or hit the pool in the morning, get to the park by 10am, and stay at the park until dinner or park close. As some have mentioned - parks close earlier in February so that leaves time in the evening/night to hit the pool.