Is sleeping in on a disney vacation wasting time?

[Mickey's Other GF]

I'm usually happiest going to sleep at 3am and sleeping until 2pm, but in Disney I'm the one getting everybody up in time for ropedrop!

 

[magicbob]

I'm all for people vacationing in the way that THEY enjoy most. And I'm very happy that a lot people enjoy sleeping in and showing up in the parks at 11 am or later. If EVERYone got up early and showed up at RD (or morning EMH), then those of us who go early wouldn't benefit from the almost empty parks in the morning.

 

[fairestoneofall]

while i like to make rope-drop as much as possible, the fact is that i have to give my kids a morning or two where they sleep a little later. if i don't, they get over-tired and well, things just aren't as fun. and even when we do "sleep in," we still get to the parks fairly early. we just don't always make rope-drop.

 

[Robo]

I can see your point, especially for busy times. But, i think with FP and park hoppers, even if you are not OCD about scehedules, you can do a lot.

You're presenting an alternate plan of action.

It still has the same goals (riding the most popular attractions) and the same sense of accomplishment for the guest if the plan succeeds.

...when people say " we got rides, attractions etc out of the way early"...

The methods can vary,
but the goal (riding the popular attractions) is the same,
and the accomplishment of the task can be seen as
succeeding in reaching a goal (or "getting things done.")

 

[Robo]

After years and years of WDW trips and over a decade on this board...
One of THE most consistently sure-fire "tips" of reaching the goals of riding more attractions while dodging fewer guests 365.25 days a year at WDW is:
"Get there early."

I'm not attempting to try to "convince" anyone to get up early,
I'm just offering the facts of the case.
If your goal is to ride more attractions with fewer guests in your way,
getting to a park earlier in the morning will work just about any time it's tried.

And, the reason that it works is that it's human nature to want to
sleep late. And, no amount of "convincing" will combat that.

 

[scanne]

Depending on how long your vacation is, you can get the best of both scenarios.

Our trips are usually 7+ nights. We always do rope drop one morning for each park. The rest of the trip, we take it easy, sometimes sleeping in, sometimes getting up and lounging by the pool.

My kids are still early risers (6:30am on weekends! ) but that comes in handy when mom and dad are "Park Commandos" and want to be at the boat/bus/monorail by 8am or earlier.

But it really is an individual thing. I do agree - and speak from experience - that you do get to see a lot more attractions the earlier you enter the park. And on days we plan to go to HS, we ALWAYS get there 1/2 hour or more before the park opens if Toy Story Mania is high on the priority list.

I love getting the MK before the morning show and sadly, missed that on the last two trips, so it is a MUST do on our vacation this summer. I love being at MK early. It's beautiful, peaceful and definitely a different kind of magical than other times.

Happy planning and I hope you have a magical vacation no matter if you sleep in or get up at the crack of dawn!

 

[Virtucomp]

I agree with the getting up early idea.

Yes I'm on vacation but I bought tickets to the park to experience the fun. It's not like dragging kids out of bed for a day of school, this is Disney World!

If we sleep in and everyone feels rested and then we get to the park at 11 AM or noon and the place is packed with people we will have to wait in line with cranky people and the good night sleep feeling will quickly go away.

If you get up early and are able to experience most of the attractions you want to see before 11AM you can slow down and enjoy the park, watch a show, watch a parade or maybe just have a nice quiet lunch.

If everyone is worn out at the end of the day get to be early so you still get in the long sleep.

 

[magicbob]

I agree with the getting up early idea.

Yes I'm on vacation but I bought tickets to the park to experience the fun. It's not like dragging kids out of bed for a day of school, this is Disney World!

If we sleep in and everyone feels rested and then we get to the park at 11 AM or noon and the place is packed with people we will have to wait in line with cranky people and the good night sleep feeling will quickly go away.If you get up early and are able to experience most of the attractions you want to see before 11AM you can slow down and enjoy the park, watch a show, watch a parade or maybe just have a nice quiet lunch.

If everyone is worn out at the end of the day get to be early so you still get in the long sleep.

After years and years of WDW trips and over a decade on this board...
One of THE most consistently sure-fire "tips" of reaching the goals of riding more attractions while dodging fewer guests 365.25 days a year at WDW is:
"Get there early."

I'm not attempting to try to "convince" anyone to get up early,
I'm just offering the facts of the case.
If your goal is to ride more attractions with fewer guests in your way,
getting to a park earlier in the morning will work just about any time it's tried.

And, the reason that it works is that it's human nature to want to
sleep late. And, no amount of "convincing" will combat that.

And those of who do arrive early are quite fine with that!

 

[ccgirl]

When I was a kid, Circa 81', my parents used get me up at sunrise so we could get to the park (yes...I said park...singular...there was only one then) when it opened and I hated it. At the tender age of 6...I just wanted to sleep!!! Especially after a late night of video game playing at the Family Fun Center at the Contemporary. OK..Who remembers the original game room from 20 years ago???

Fast forward 20 year's later (wow, I'm getting old) and I have a DS6 and DD9.

Do I rip them out of their AKL bunk beds as the sun rises to drag them to a park and sentence them to a day of walking?

Or should I say, the heck with it. It's their vacation too and the parks aren't going anywhere. We get there when we get their. Even if it's 11am.

I'm really not sure how to handle this one. But before anyone chimes in, let me say I myself like good nights sleep and seldom get it thanks to the stresses of a demanding job and being a parent of two kids. You all know what I'm talking about!!!

Anyway, I also don't like to waste time. I'm usually the last one up but always the first one ready.

How should I handle our May trip?

Thanks All...
Jwill

Haven't read all of the replies but I will share my thoughts...

It is everyone's vacation. If they want to sleep in, let them. I find that I pay dearly if I wake my children early. I used to be the crazy schedule mama who woke their kids up but found I needed a vacation from my vacation we were so busy.

Now, I just go with the flow and it's much more or a vaction for me. We got during non-peak times such as May and October and have never had trouble riding the major attractions using the FP system. YMMV.

 

[luvthemouse71]

Rope Drop just doesnt impress me, especially at MK. Way too mobbed. I have to get up early for work, why do it on vacation? But, to each their own.

 

[RI Disney Clan]

I hate to be the one to point this out but fast forward 30 YEARS later, not 20

Made me when I did the math because my first time was the year before you

Where does the time go!!! LOL..I need to stop posting late at night..

 

[sunshine girl]

I am always there at rope drop. I do a lot, have more fun and wait less in the morning. I get lunch right when the quick service opens around 11. Then, usually, I'm out! Back to the resort to nap (sometimes as much as a 3hr nap if I need it), and/or relax at the pool. Then, early evening, back to the parks rested and clean and refreshed, ready to enjoy the atmosphere!

It's worth getting up early to see literally twice as much in half the time. I don't sacrifice on sleep, ever (I don't function well on low sleep). So theres no choice btwn "up early" or "get enough sleep" -- I do both! It works for me!

That being said, you gotta do what works for you! Sleeping in would not work for me at all, I love the up early, mid day rest, back to see the sun go down strategy! ... But please feel free to sleep in and keep the crowds lighter in the early AM!

 

[Disneygirl 792]

Haven't read all of the replies but I will share my thoughts...

It is everyone's vacation. If they want to sleep in, let them. I find that I pay dearly if I wake my children early. I used to be the crazy schedule mama who woke their kids up but found I needed a vacation from my vacation we were so busy.

This is EXACTLY my way of thinking. For the most part, my DS is up when the alarm goes off with a huge grin on his face. There are only a couple of days when he's still asleep. If my DS has to be poked and prodded to get up, I'm in for a VERY BAD DAY..
So I just go with it...no sense in having a bad day at Disney!!!

 

[tara lynn]

It really depends on your family. I remember when I was younger my aunt took my cousin to Disney for the first time and when they returned my cousin (and my uncle) NEVER wanted to go back because my aunt had them up early every morning for rope drop and they hated it. I know there are plenty of perks to getting to the parks early, but if the people you're with aren't having much fun I don't think it's worth it.

 

[HiHoOffWeGo]

someone please explain why children are different on vacation?

My DGChildren are on the school bus at 6:30am so they get up at 5:30am. At WDW they (if they are not already up) are woke at 7am or 8am. The family leaves no later then 9am. I do not understand why PPL say their kids are a problem if they can not sleep till 10-11? Don't they have to get up early to go to school. I just think Mom and Dad want to sleep in and blame it on the kids.

I find no problem with this but stop blaming it on cranky kids and tell it like it is!

Hey there are days I want to just roll over and go back to sleep and I do but not every day at WDW.

 

[ccgirl]

someone please explain why children are different on vacation?

My DGChildren are on the school bus at 6:30am so they get up at 5:30am. At WDW they (if they are not already up) are woke at 7am or 8am. The family leaves no later then 9am. I do not understand why PPL say their kids are a problem if they can not sleep till 10-11? Don't they have to get up early to go to school. I just think Mom and Dad want to sleep in and blame it on the kids.

I find no problem with this but stop blaming it on cranky kids and tell it like it is!

Hey there are days I want to just roll over and go back to sleep and I do but not every day at WDW.

Yes, my children get up "early" on a weekday because they have to go to school. My DD is a big grump in the morning and not a whole lot of talking goes on in my house in the am. My DD would sleep in until 9am if we let her. She frequently does this on the weekends and during summer. BUt, since school starts at 8am that is not an option. She gets up at 7am during the week because she has to. On vacation, she does not have to get up that early so I let her sleep in. So, many of us are telling it like it is.

 

[eliza61]

So the one trip I took with my family that I dragged every one out of bed was a complete and utter disaster. Kids were cranky, husband was pissed and finally on the 3rd day my son said to me he wished he was back in Philly with his grandma. Darn near broke my heart.

Then it hit me that a family vacation should be just that "a family vacation".
After that, it was an easy call. some days we sleep in, some days we get up early. We never do rope drop and we always manage to "do it all".

I really never understand paying for a vacation and having a room full of unhappy people.

 

[eliza61]

someone please explain why children are different on vacation?

My DGChildren are on the school bus at 6:30am so they get up at 5:30am. At WDW they (if they are not already up) are woke at 7am or 8am. The family leaves no later then 9am. I do not understand why PPL say their kids are a problem if they can not sleep till 10-11? Don't they have to get up early to go to school. I just think Mom and Dad want to sleep in and blame it on the kids.

I find no problem with this but stop blaming it on cranky kids and tell it like it is!

Hey there are days I want to just roll over and go back to sleep and I do but not every day at WDW.

You're kids can't figure out which days they don't have school?

Aren't you different on vacation? My kids act totally different on the weekends than they do on a school day. Why? because IT'S THE WEEKEND.

No I'm not blaming it on my kids, see my kids are actually pretty smart. they know on Saturday there is no school bus, they've figured out that on the weekend they don't have school. They pretty much know that there is no reason to get up at 7 am on Saturday. The gig is up.

So you're saying you're kids pop up on Saturday thinking it's time for school?

Sorry I figured out really early in life what days I could relax and not go to bed early or not get up early.

I don't need to blame any thing on my sons, if I woke them up at 6:30 am on a Saturday the first thing out of their mouths would be "Why do I have to get up so early". If some one woke me up that early on a Saturday I would probably say the same thing except there would be a few 4 letter words sprinkled in.

 

[DisneyMim]

I don't think there is one right answer. Whatever works for your family is fine. We have been to Disney way too many times to count so for us it really is a "second home" and we don't feel the need to rush and do everything every day. We are DVC members so usually stay in a 2 bedroom so for me a huge part of our vacations is spending time with my family. I love having breakfast all together and getting to the parks whenever. We are night owls and we find that we can do tons of stuff at night when a lot of people have tired themselves out. Maybe it is important for people who only go once a year or less to get up early and hit the parks running so they can go on as many rides as they can. For my family riding a ride over and over early in the morning is not a vacation. This is what I mean by "to each their own", whatever works for YOU is how you should spend your vacation.

Enjoy The Magic!!

 

[HM]

We've been going for 12 year now, just about once a year, sometimes more (starting when the kids were 4/6 and the are now 16/18). We have always gotten up to be at the parks at or before opening each day. The family just knows that that is part of the WDW vacation. They have never complained. They like getting to do a lot of rides with low lines in the morning. We relax in the afternoons when it's hot out, then go back to the parks at night.