Really???

[nchulka]

It was enough for us. I had a relaxing do what I want, when I want vacation. Exactly what I'd planned.

3:35pm and we still haven't left the Poly.

WOW!!! That is about the craziest thing I've ever heard. Why do you go to Disney if you want a chill out vacation? I can see a relaxing vacation of sleeping in and taking your time, but you can do that a heck of a lot cheaper somewhere else. What is the point of paying for park tickets and not using them, and just letting your kids see the MK from a distance as they swim in a pool like any other pool I'm sure your hometown has? Different strokes for different folks I guess, but that does not sound fun at all to me. I'm sure you're kids are just happy because they have no idea they are missing out on everything!

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

We stay at the parks all day unless we have hoppers, once in awhile we switch parks. On days we go to AK we usually do a few hours at the pool after that. We aren't rope droppers, usually in the parks by 9:30-10, but almost always stay until closing or at least until 10. I can't imagine not letting my kids stay for parades or fireworks. I'll admit that I'm one of those people who say I've spent a lot of money on this vacation and we are going to do as much as possible--but it does work for us. I can't imagine spending hours in the room while the kids nap or trying to get them to nap, I also can't imagine spending days just by the pool...there are other places to go if I wanted to do that. I think it depends on your family though. Like I said, go, go and go works for us and our kids are all under 7.

 

[JEL394]

I'm curious to see how this is going to play out on our trip in a few weeks! We are traveling with DS4.5, DSturning-3, and our DD5 months. The boys are early-risers, so we are just going with that and I have made early ADR's and have planned our days to make RD and stay through lunchtime. Afternoons are open for naps and swimming, and evenings are taken up with MNSSHP, DTD for birthday boy's dinner and shopping, and one night to see the parade and fireworks in MK. Even with our evening plans though, we plan to head back around 10, earlier if needed. It's a short trip by most people's standards (just 4 nights), but I think it's going to be all we can handle. Plus I don't want the boys to miss any more than the 2 days already. Maybe they will surprise us and handle it well (sure hope so!).

 

[wgwtgb]

Thanks guys!!! I think I'm going to plan for easy days and see how the kids hold up. I sure won't take them out of the park if we're having fun and they are begging to stay!!!!

 

[sparks19]

Why does anyone care if someone goes to disney and never leaves the resort? Whats wrong with that?

As for the OP yeah it depends on each family but i think people are just being realistic (from their point of view) rather than trying to be debbie downers.

I know for my DD we can try to make rope drop but we have to leave for an afternoon break or we will have to leave by 5 because DD will be at the end of her rope. She needs a lot of rest and being at disney doesnt cancel that out. So we go early as we can, leave for a nap, go back in the evening but i dont count on seeing the fireworks. If dd is up for it then great, we will stay but im not counting on it. And thats ok with me. We are going for 5days and only have 3 days for our tickets. Thats a ok with us. We know we are going back so if we dont do it all at once thats ok. We will catch it next time. But no my family doesnt run themselves ragged just to squeeze everything in. For us a well rested family is a hapoy family and we gt more done that way

 

[no capes darling]

Never been to a rope drop in all those trips in the signature... I'm not a morning person, and no amount of Disney Magic is going to make it a pleasant experience for those that are around me.

 

[kokotg]

I think the most important thing is just to play it by ear and be willing to adjust your plans as you go, particularly with young kids. The first year we went, my oldest was 5. We dutifully tried to get him to take an afternoon nap just like all the books say, and he absolutely could not/would not. And he was complete beast if we tried to keep him out past his bedtime (which at that time was something like 7:00). So we didn't really do anything at night until he was a good bit older. On the other hand, we've never taken a "rest day" in the middle of our trip. We always find that we'd rather be at a park than hanging out at the pool or whatever.

 

[danceintherain]

Never been to a rope drop in all those trips in the signature... I'm not a morning person, and no amount of Disney Magic is going to make it a pleasant experience for those that are around me.

This is the point. No matter what you think is required to get the value out of your vacation cost, if someone is cranky or melting down, the fact that you rode Space Mountain 5 times before 10 am, and saw the fireworks from a prime location won't make one iota of difference.

My husband has run marathons in the desert and he still requires a break at Disney, no matter what. Even if we "sleep in" and don't arrive to the parks until 11am, he still needs a break. I've tried to convince him that we're "wasting" our money, but he doesn't care. Our compromise is that we do Rope Drop once at each park (if necessary) and he gets his breaks every day. For our next trip, he has already requested the chance to go golfing.

I've started paying attention to myself too, and I start getting cranky in the afternoons as well. I try to mask it, but the reality is that I get tired and it shows. In general, I don't nap when we go back to our resort, but I do rest. Sometimes we don't go back to the parks in the evening.

For our next trip, I'm hoping to get to do at least 9 nights. Our honeymoon trip was well-balanced between relaxation and spending time in the parks. Our subsequent trips have felt rushed in comparison.

 

[carebee21]

It would never work for our family. We all are late night people, and we'd never be up, showered, on the bus, and through the gates in time for a rope drop.

But I agree with the people who say you need to do what's right for your family and make adjustments based on your childrens behavior and needs.

This trip we're going for 14 days and have 7 day tickets. We're doing one day in the parks, one day off. On our off days we're playing in the pool, sitting in the spa, hoping to do a fishing excursion, horseback riding at Fort Wilderness, the campfire at Fort Wilderness, and exploring the other resorts and Orlando's shopping malls and outlets. For us, going to the parks everyday is just too much. It's too much walking and too much go go go so we're excited to see what else there is. And also, for the people who say, oh, I can swim elsewhere for much cheaper, we actually have a different perspective. We spend more on the Disney resort to enjoy our surroundings and resort. If I was just planning on go, go, going and being in the parks all day, we could stay somewhere (such as a value or offsite) for significantly cheaper.

 

[Nancyg56]

No way! I'm on vacation which means I get there when I get there. Last visit we had 6day hoppers and wound up with 4days left on them. We just got to the Poly yesterday and I refused to do anything that required leaving the resort. My dc are 8 & 4th, so as long as thesis it to MK they're more than happy to play in the pool all week.

If this works for your family that is fine but it would never work for mine. We are not full all out commando vacationers but Holy Smokes! Are teh children really happy with your touring plan?

It was enough for us. I had a relaxing do what I want, when I want vacation. Exactly what I'd planned.

3:35pm and we still haven't left the Poly.

My sister and her DH did the same thing. They were late rising, slow pokey folks who never left the hotel until after 1 Pm and then could not understand what all the fuss was about. Not much to do in Disney

Why does anyone care if someone goes to disney and never leaves the resort? Whats wrong with that?

Nothing wrong but it just does not make sense to most of us. My DGD has been traveling to Disney since she was 4. We are not commandos, just make a list of must do's for that trip and take plenty of time to relax and enjoy the resort as well as the parks. Now that she is older my DD is planning a resort mostly vacation but none of us would miss sharing the wonder of Disney through a child's eyes. I think that is why we are finding it a little sad that the OP says that seeing the MK from the resort is enough for her kids.

My DGD has a friend whose Mom says that the kids do not find WDW so special. Okay, not all kids do. She says that she is a last minute person so they "fly from the seat of her pants". Got it. The way she spoke her children were a bit bored with WDW but it turns out they have never been there. Mom's idea of a WDW vacation was to show them MK as they drove by. The kids had never gone to Disney, they went to FL and experienced Disney from the outside looking in They vacationed the way Mom planned and she convinced herself that the children were happy.

OP- there is no wrong way to tour Disney. My family never made it to rope drop on the first two trips, DGD was a late riser so we kept to her sleep schedule. We do not push it on our trips either but are okay if we do not get to everything. If your family can run from sunup til sundown go for it but I would prepare for a crash JIC. If the family can keep up and you are good but if they need a rest you are ready for it.

 

[Minnesota!]

We are super early risers - even on vacation. We try and be out of the room at the absolute latest - 730. After 4 showers, getting dressed, hygiene, etc. And then we stay until the magic goes to sleep Usually getting back to our room around 1030 or so.

I have 2 kids - ages 7 and 4 - and this schedule has never been hard for them...on vacation or at home. We are all just so happy to be there, I don't think it crosses anyone's mind to be cranky, whiny, over tired, etc...

 

[Minnesota!]

I always plan a day to recover at the end of the trip before going back to work.

Ditto. We try to come back on Friday nights/Saturday mornings. So we have the weekend to relax before going back to work.

But even without it - you just manage.

 

[sparks19]

Nothing wrong but it just does not make sense to most of us. My DGD has been traveling to Disney since she was 4. We are not commandos, just make a list of must do's for that trip and take plenty of time to relax and enjoy the resort as well as the parks. Now that she is older my DD is planning a resort mostly vacation but none of us would miss sharing the wonder of Disney through a child's eyes. I think that is why we are finding it a little sad that the OP says that seeing the MK from the resort is enough for her kids.

.

no the poster said that they went to the park 2 days and then spent the rest of the time at the resort. So it doesn't sound like the kids just had to stay in the pool and look at MK from afar... that seemed to be a large assumption on everyone else's part. They said they used two days of park days and even though they had tickets already paid for they decided to stay at the resort and the kids had a good time swimming.

There is so much to be seen outside of the parks for adults and kids. My SIL is coming on our trip but staying at Fort Wilderness and they are only doing two days of parks... unless the first day doesn't go well then they will skip doing the second day. They are going to spend most of their time doing the things the resort has to offer. That is more her sons speed. It's very possible the parks may just be too overwhelming for him but they should just not visit disney at all because they aren't going commando in the parks? There is a lot to do around the resorts and lots of disney magic to be found outside of the parks.

If others never do anything other than the parks... maybe they are the ones missing out

I also agree that taking it one day at a time will probably be your best bet, OP. See how day 1 goes. If everyone is totally worn out by 5 without a break then maybe think about taking a break the next day to enjoy some of the evening things. I know for us taking a break will be imperative because we are going to need to get out of the heat of the day. The heat is whats going to really kick our butts lol. A mid day dip in the pool sounds like just the ticket before dinner and back to the park for a couple hours (IF DD is up for it... I'm really taking her lead on this one. if she's tired then we'll rest more. if she needs to sleep in then we won't do RD etc)

 

[Pimama]

We tend to be go, go, goers on vacation but I sometimes wish we could rest. I just know my nappers would take so long to wind down and get to sleep that I would feel frustrated and bored. I plan to just find a quiet spot in the park and rest. We're so far off season that we'll still get to bed most nights before 10 and I think rope drop isn't until 9 at most parks. Hopefully 9 hours at night and a quiet rest during the day will be enough to keep smiles on DC faces!!

Relaxing at the poly sounds nice too but I'm way too cheap to waste park tickets. In the future I may just plan a full day or two off. Then I can relax without the guilt!

Just a thought- do you think people's need to go commando touring vs. relaxing relates at all to income? Maybe the more you have to sacrifice to get to WDW coincides with the need to get your money's worth....or maybe not and it's mostly personality.

 

[hannahdrewmom]

We tend to be go, go, goers on vacation but I sometimes wish we could rest. I just know my nappers would take so long to wind down and get to sleep that I would feel frustrated and bored. I plan to just find a quiet spot in the park and rest. We're so far off season that we'll still get to bed most nights before 10 and I think rope drop isn't until 9 at most parks. Hopefully 9 hours at night and a quiet rest during the day will be enough to keep smiles on DC faces!!

Relaxing at the poly sounds nice too but I'm way too cheap to waste park tickets. In the future I may just plan a full day or two off. Then I can relax without the guilt!

Just a thought- do you think people's need to go commando touring vs. relaxing relates at all to income? Maybe the more you have to sacrifice to get to WDW coincides with the need to get your money's worth....or maybe not and it's mostly personality.

I actually think to a degree it does... because I think it's related to how often you go. If it was a once in a lifetime trip for me I'd probably be more apt to be commando. But since we go every year (sometimes twice) it's easier for me to take breaks and rest.

But I also think if I'm spending $400 a night to stay at the poly I'm wasting ALOT of money if I'm not using the facitilities too.

 

[laceemouse]

I actually think to a degree it does... because I think it's related to how often you go. If it was a once in a lifetime trip for me I'd probably be more apt to be commando. But since we go every year (sometimes twice) it's easier for me to take breaks and rest.

Agree. The OP has a 4 year old, does she really think this will be the ONLY trip they make to WDW???

We go once every year or 2. We sleep a little later in the morning and close down the parks. If something has a crazy line we skip it. We swim and go to DTD once or twice during the week. We relax because we KNOW we will be back again. If we miss something we will just catch it next time

 

[Nancyg56]

no the poster said that they went to the park 2 days and then spent the rest of the time at the resort. So it doesn't sound like the kids just had to stay in the pool and look at MK from afar... that seemed to be a large assumption on everyone else's part. They said they used two days of park days and even though they had tickets already paid for they decided to stay at the resort and the kids had a good time swimming.

There is so much to be seen outside of the parks for adults and kids. My SIL is coming on our trip but staying at Fort Wilderness and they are only doing two days of parks... unless the first day doesn't go well then they will skip doing the second day. They are going to spend most of their time doing the things the resort has to offer. That is more her sons speed. It's very possible the parks may just be too overwhelming for him but they should just not visit disney at all because they aren't going commando in the parks? There is a lot to do around the resorts and lots of disney magic to be found outside of the parks.

If others never do anything other than the parks... maybe they are the ones missing out

)

Oh no, I understood the OP went to the parks twice. I was just trying to point out that what is sometimes a parent's perception that the kids are "happy" it may not be the reality.

We always use our resort, it is part of the vacation for us. I understood that was important to the OP as well. What I think I found a tad unsettling and was responding to was that what was perfect for the OP seemed to be first and foremost in the vacation planning. I know that it really is nto my business bit this is the DIS and we all have opinions

 

[deuceswild10]

Not a Debbie Downer, but won't you guys, especially the kids, need some solid sleep?

 

[deuceswild10]

I totally agree!!! We were at Disney for 2 1/2 weeks and never stopped for a rest! One day we did early ADRs at AK at 8:00, stayed at AK until 5:00, drove directly to MK for MNSSHP and stayed till midnight with a 7 and 8 year old in tow. This was a week and a half into our trip. There will be time to rest when you're dead, live it up when you're at Disney We also went to Disneyland when the kids were 1 & 3. We stayed from 8 AM until 2 AM, despite Disney closing at midnight (I'm still not sure what we were doing for 2 hours ). We were laughing so hard and taking pictures of our car as the only one in the entire parking structure at 2 AM! At 8 AM we had taken special care to remember where we had parked, no trouble finding it when it's the only one there People do tend to refer to me and my family as a bit extreme though, I like to call us fun!!! My kids have grown up this way, it's a way of life, no rest time for us. I do appreciate those who go back for rest and leave early, less lines for me

You had your one year old child out until 2AM???

 

[EKW]

When my kids were preschoolers, I did the early/early or late/late schedule. The last two trips we went rope drop to closing...even if that meant 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. They were 13 and 7 that time. It all depends on your kids.