Relaxing While at Disney? Please help.

[catra121]

I took a mother/daughter trip in September 2010 with my mom and it was very relaxing...but we did a LOT. My mom and I both have mobility issues (mine were new to me at the time) so I knew we needed to take it easy.

My method of making sure this happened (we were both commando style tourers) was to pick out something "new" for us to make sure we tried and focus the trip around that. For us on that particular trip it was dining and trying out a bunch of table service restaurants. We planned our park days and then planned table service meals where we planned on being already. This way we didn't have to LEAVE the parks to sit down and relax and take it easy. It was a lot of fun planning...picking out what we wanted to try out...and it was all part of the fun. We ate in the castle with the princesses, tried out Jiko for dinner the night we did Animal Kingdom, tried some different experiences like 50s prime time cafe, and just had fun with it all. We upgraded to the deluxe dining plan so there were not any worries about the cost of food.

Another thing we did on this trip was the prepaid photopass CD. We made it our mission to get as many photopass shots as we could, including those with characters. We hadn't done meets with characters since I was a very small child...and we LOVED it! It was so much fun and it really made us stop and slow down...enjoying the atmosphere and not just running from ride to ride to show to ride to ride, etc.

Not sure if those are the sorts of things you had in mind...but I know I have a hard time being away from the parks...but that doesn't mean you can't take it easy and relax IN the parks. If you can slow down and smell the roses then a Disney trip can be VERY relaxing even without taking days off to "relax at the resort". Just think of things that interest you and your daughter or things that you've never done (or haven't done for a long time) and make those things the focus of your trip (the experiences themselves...not just a checklist) rather than just riding the rides and seeing the shows. We still had plenty of time to do everything we wanted to and then some (many things multiple times) but the pace of the trip was just slower and felt more relaxing.

 

[Tigger's ally]

These are great for mother daughter trips. And there is even a mother daughter package.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/spas/

And one tip for you as well. If you like a late night cordial to cap off your night or a alcoholic coffe, territory lounge can make you one of either. It's a real quiet lil bar with a sofa and chairs in it right as you exit the lobby and go down to Artist point of Roaring forks. Also, find out the time when the electrical water pageant goes by the beach. Your balcony might have a view, but if not, go to the little porch on the second floor of the lobby. Nice quiet area with a bench to sit on....and they pipe in the music. Wonderful relaxing disney nightcap.

Oh, and take a relaxing walk over to Fort Wilderness. See the animals. Find the horse barn. Rent a golf cart to drive around and see the lights.

 

[fla4fun]

If I'm reading the OP correctly, you have been to Disney a few times before. Odds are, you'll go there again. That is where you get your zen! If you don't do something on this trip, it's OK. You'll catch up on the next one!

Pick a few things that are must sees for you - favorite attractions, shows, restaurants, etc. The things that make a Disney vacation for you. But don't overplan. Sit and people watch at Epcot with a nice beverage. Wander through AK enjoying all the detail and themeing. Don't feel like you are missing out on anything by taking it slow - focus on the special holiday things you can't see at other times of the year. Watch the live shows in the parks. Take a day or two and resort hop.

I have gone to WDW for long weekends and not set foot inside a park - and I have an AP! You always have the choice of relaxing or not relaxing - choose to relax.

 

[xipotec]

I think the key for me this time will be i NEED to relax, this is a must for this year.

I have bern on every ride on WDW so many times i know the dialogue by heart,

So, this time i am not going to be the leader. I made sit down ADR's everyday , and i am going to follow my family,

They are not commsndo, just me, so letting go of control is the key

 

[Deb & Bill]

We are DVC members, so we know we will be back again next year. This year it was just the two of us except for the weekend where our college student son was able to join us. But for the days he wasn't there we got up when we got up. Some mornings it was just to go to the pool for a while. Sometimes we got up to eat breakfast at a resort restaurant (it helps to have a car). We did Food & Wine three lunchtimes during the week (skip the weekend and evenings - too busy with long lines).

We did watch TV at times (the last two debates), we did go to the parks for a few hours each day. We did a lot of people watching.

Our busiest day had to have been the day we did both the Wild Africa Trek AND the Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party.

 

[jsantini]

These are such good ideas! I really like the idea of foregoing alarm clocks on this trip, except maybe twice during the 7 days for some late morning breakfast ADRs. I am also going to think about just a few things my mom and I want to do each day instead of thinking about days in terms of doing a whole park. I'm also going to remind myself to be flexible. If I am tired, for example, we can cancel an ADR and have just as good of a time eating at our own resort instead.

 

[LisaBi]

I would make it a point to see Candlelight Processional. I did that the first night of a solo trip several years ago and it just set a calm tone for the whole trip and the entire holiday season.

 

[bowbat]

If I'm reading the OP correctly, you have been to Disney a few times before. Odds are, you'll go there again. That is where you get your zen! If you don't do something on this trip, it's OK. You'll catch up on the next one!

Pick a few things that are must sees for you - favorite attractions, shows, restaurants, etc. The things that make a Disney vacation for you. But don't overplan. Sit and people watch at Epcot with a nice beverage. Wander through AK enjoying all the detail and themeing. Don't feel like you are missing out on anything by taking it slow - focus on the special holiday things you can't see at other times of the year. Watch the live shows in the parks. Take a day or two and resort hop.

I have gone to WDW for long weekends and not set foot inside a park - and I have an AP! You always have the choice of relaxing or not relaxing - choose to relax.

THIS. Especially the areas I put in bold.

 

[portocall]

I am a reformed commando. The last trip DH told me we had to slow down and I agreed. I thought it would be hard but what did it for me was looking at the wonderful detailed pictures on the DIS. I realized I never noticed the small things that made Disney so much better. I found that trip so much more enjoyable that this time we built in a no park day just to do things we want. Commando can be fun, but slow is fun too.

 

[jmasgat]

My strategy for relaxing (already that sounds like an oxymoron!) is to go a park first thing in the morning. That way, I get to see whatever I want with smaller crowds. Then, around noon or so, we head back to our resort. We spend the entire afternoon relaxing--read, sit by the pool, sip a glass or two of wine.

Sometimes, after we've relaxed, we may jump in the car and go to DTD or another resort. Christmas is such a great time to resort hop and see the decorations (and eat the goodies!)

In the evening, we may mobilize to go to a park for the evening entertainment (although this doesn't happen as frequently anymore!)

Good luck finding your relaxing trip.

Maura