Advice - MK day 2 - break or no break?

[Sharpdisney]

Hi all - looking for some advice.

We'll have two full days at MK. I've split them this way based on tips here:

Day 1 - rope drop to around 4 pm.; seeing Tomorrowland and FantasyLand. Then we'll leave on Monorail to O'Hana dinner reservation at 6 pm.

Day 2: Adventureland and Frontierland. I'm a little stuck. (Yes, I know, I could just wait till the day before and decide, move my FP, etc., see how the family feels... and I'll likely do that). I'm just trying to weigh some issues on either side of my question.

Plan A: Go early, maybe 10 am. If we make RD, great, but I don't want to plan for it - trying to take it easy on my family. Stay till maybe 2 p.m.? Go back to resort for swim, rest, break. Have to be back at MK for dinner at BOG at 6:15. Staying late for Wishes at 10 pm; park open till 11 pm.

Plan B: Go later in the day (1 or 2 p.m.) and stay through Wishes or later. No break.

I've read some different ideas of the break being a must vs. a waste of time. I know it depends on my family. We are three adults and one pretty active 5 y.o. boy. We're staying at POP and using busses.

thanks for any tips. If I have to pick one way, what do you think is easier to set up and change later? I am thinking of making the Plan B - arriving later in the day. Those are the FP I have set up right now and it seems like the day before I might have better luck either trying for rope drop ro moving the FP's earlier in the morning, instead of going with plan A. If I did Plan A and wanted to change, I'd miss all my morning FP if I wasn't in the park, or I'd be trying to change them to those early/mid afternoon times which I think can be tougher to get. Day in question is March 1; MK is listed as a 6 crowd that day, not recommended on easywdw.

 

[nemo998]

With a 9 and 4 year old I have found that breaks are a complete waste of time. We either do rope drop and leave after dinner or we arrive at the park midday and stay for fireworks. I would vote for plan B, hands down.
Only way I would leave MK and return in the same day is if I was staying at a monorail resort. You'll likely spend half the afternoon getting back to POP and then back to MK.

 

[Sharpdisney]

Thanks for that good advice, especially since you had kids too. POP has dedicated buses, but is farther away, and with wait times, and transport times, I was wondering if it was going to even be worth it. Monorail, that's work great, but POP, maybe not so much!

 

[KarmaCat]

Keep in mind that the dedicated buses for Pop are at the VERY last bus stop at MK... And when I say they are the farthest away, I mean they are VERY FAR. We found that it was a bigger ordeal than anticipated to hike all the way to the farthest stop and then wait maybe 30 minutes for a bus, then 20+ minutes back to the hotel... We were never in the mood to go back later in the same day. It was less of a big deal to split our days with an afternoon break at one of the other parks, where the bus stop layout was more efficient, but not MK. It was much better to just stay until we were done for the day!

 

[DisneyFive]

You pretty much have to figure an hour each way when using Disney buses. By the time you walk to the bus stop, wait for the bus, and the ride itself. That's 2 hours total of your supposed break.

We intended to take an afternoon break every day on our first trip, also staying at POP, but it didn't happen once. We pretty much went from open to close. We didn't want to take that time away from the parks. Some nights we left early to hit the pools. We tended to sleep in a little towards the end of our stay, especially on the sceond day to a particular park. So get there around 10 instead of 9 or so... just our experience.

If you can get 2-3 of the FP+'s you want on your second day, then option B looks nice and you can get some sleep.

It's a tough call though, since you can get a LOT done in Frontierland at Rope Drop. Our first year, (day 1 of MK) we did BTMRR 3-4 times in a row, and Splash mountain twice in the first hour and a half or so of park open.

Dan

 

[Sharpdisney]

Thanks, these are really good ideas and tips. I think I am leaning towards that later start as well, especially since I feel like we could go and hit rope drop if we felt like it. I am thinking that my group would also just not feel like going back after a break at the resort too. I think I'll massage those FP's to mid-late afternoon, and give us a leisurely morning, pooltime, lunch at the resort instead!

 

[Kellykins1218]

We've never taken a break outside of the park. There are attractions you can rest in like Carousel of Progress.

 

[DemoBri1]

I agree with nemo's assessment. If you are leaving at 2 and bussing it back to Pop by the time you get back there get settled in and "rest" you'll have to be right back out to the bus stop to get back to MK for your dinner.

I would definitely go with Plan B. If you want to get some swimming in do it in the morning if temp and weather allow, grab a smaller lunch and then get to the park around 1:30 or 2:00. This will give you about 7 hours to get your Adventureland and Frontierland fix figuring you're going to be about 2 hours for dinner.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

If i were doing just MK i wouldn't park hop.
I am Park Hopping each day Rope drop one park, rest and back to a later night time park. I don't mind this as I am trying to do 5 full days.

If I only had 2 days and only at MK I would do rope drop to closeing

 

[ttintagel]

THE most important thing is to pay attention to your kid's needs on the day, even if they're not what you expected them to be. A good plan is only as good as its ability to be changed according to the conditions on the ground.

If you get halfway through the day and the kid is tired, hot, and miserable, taking a break becomes more important than sticking to the plan. If I had a dollar for every absolutely wretched-looking, stressed-out, exhausted child I've seen being dragged through the parks, yelled at by his parents that they had to stick to the schedule, I'd have enough for a nice meal at a Deluxe resort.

 

[kwdw]

THE most important thing is to pay attention to your kid's needs on the day, even if they're not what you expected them to be. A good plan is only as good as its ability to be changed according to the conditions on the ground.

If you get halfway through the day and the kid is tired, hot, and miserable, taking a break becomes more important than sticking to the plan. If I had a dollar for every absolutely wretched-looking, stressed-out, exhausted child I've seen being dragged through the parks, yelled at by his parents that they had to stick to the schedule, I'd have enough for a nice meal at a Deluxe resort.

Just ONE nice meal?

 

[Sharpdisney]

Great ideas and tips, thanks all.
Yes I do have a lovely scheduled planned down to the minute for this first trip to Disney, so we don't miss a thing... and I also know that plan is going to go in the garbage if we see something else that we would rather do, or if DS wants to go on the same ride 6 times. As long as we are all having fun, then I will work really hard not to care how/when/where!!!

I think I'll go with the late arrival - stay through fireworks plan. If weather is too cold to swim in the morning and we feel like going earlier, then fine. I'll try to change some FP's, and see if we feel like a break in the afternoon instead (a LONG enough one to avoid the walk-bus-walk-sit down for 5 minutes - walk-bus-walk break!!!). I don't want to miss my dinner ressie, but heck if we go early and want to stay all day and are too pooped for Wishes, it'll be a bummer, but really, keeping everyone having fun is more important!!! Thanks!!!!

 

[JimmyV]

We've never taken a break outside of the park. There are attractions you can rest in like Carousel of Progress.

This. Unless you are staying at a monorail resort, breaks are more trouble than they are worth. Otherwise, there is no such thing as a "short break". A nice afternoon break can easily consist of Carousel of Progress + People Mover + Ice Cream at Auntie Gravity's. All right next to each other. Put them together and you have a 45-60 minute "recharge". Over in Liberty Square, you can "rest" at the Hall of Presidents + River Boat + Snack at Sleepy Hollow. That buys you the same 45 minute break.

 

[smiths02]

If you aren't going to make rope drop, then I would not do Plan A. If you make rope drop and take your break earlier, like lunchtime, then I think Plan A you would get the most done.

But since you want a sleep-in day, I would do Plan B.

Personally, I would NEVER take a break unless I got there at RD.

 

[MrInfinity]

I would not do a split day MK while staying at Pop. Too much travel. You'd be in transit for 4 hours of the day.

Since your 1st day is a shorter one, I would just pull an all-day on day 2. You're 3 adults and a 5-year-old, this should be doable. You'll get so much done... rides early, more relaxed stuff when the park gets busier... dinner at 6, and fireworks after. I would just take it easy, make sure to hit all the sit-down things, do some adventure or magician quests, and so on.

Leaving at 2pm to get back by 6pm would be pointless. By the time you get back to the hotel, it's 3pm, then you've only got 2 hours before you've gotta get your son out of the pool, get dressed and head back. Just stay there and take in Mickey's Philharmagic and other relaxing things during this time.

If you really have to go easy on the family and a 9am-11pm day is something you want to avoid, and Wishes is a must-do, then I think I would have to just go at noon. But I think based on how much you'd get done between 9 and 11, your day would actually seem busier for them getting there later. For some folks, this really is okay. If they're good w this, I'd go w that plan.

If it was me I'd skip Wishes. Our kids have seen it, and it's a mob getting out afterwards. Go home after dinner and swim till bedtime. That seems to be the most relaxing. Go early to get more done, then leave when everyone is ready to go. Don't put a requirement on having to go the distance and decide on the fly. Maybe a nice dinner at BOG will give everyone a second wind. Maybe you'll figure you're good and want to go. Either plan is fine then. This could even be one of you taking your son back while the other two adults want to stay out for some adult time.

 

[Sharpdisney]

I would not do a split day MK while staying at Pop. Too much travel. You'd be in transit for 4 hours of the day.

This I think is what is sealing the deal for me; I don't want a break to end up being a hassle for us.

I understand the advice of how much we will get done starting at 9 am, and I'll certainly keep that open if my group wants to go all day. But, I don't want to force an early day, as I really need an early day on two other park days. For us it is a vacation and experience; I'm not on a mission to see and do it all. Plus (sorry to those that hate FP), since I have my FP secured for three long-wait rides in the afternoon, I can easily stroll into MK around 1 pm and know that I'll still get to experience those rides.

I appreciate the idea of skipping Wishes, but this is our first and likely only trip, and I'd least like to have the family have an opportunity to have a diverse experience - a touch of some rides, characters, restaurants, fireworks, pool time, monorail, and other distrations. Just a little of it all, I hope....

ttintagel - I totally appreciate your comment about watching DS and family. I feel like my poor kiddo is dragged around enough in his normal daily life - wake up early because DH and I work, at school for 10 hours, rush home, hurry for dinner, hurry for bath, can't play because I need to clean the house or do laundry, sorry we can't stay long, etc. etc. So it is really important to me to let him have the vacation he wants to have too, and enjoy his break from school and schedules too. I have a "plan" so that we aren't clueless when we walk in the door, but as I said, if we change it all up to suit ourselves when we arrive, fine by me!!!

 

[missmun52]

I may be in the minority but we take a break every day of every trip. We go to rope drop every morning, stay till 1 or two back to the resort where we rest 3 hours. We are back out for dinner for around 6pm or so and then we go to a park for as long as we feel up to it, but really never past 10.

We have traveled with my now 10 year old since he was one and it works for our family. I find it takes us a. Average of 30 min from leaving the park to getting off the bus, we have never really waited long mid day as far as I can remember.

Best plan is to plan to be flexible!

We are taking our now 2 year old who hates naps so I may just plan for our nights to end after dinner and stay all day, but I've done our fast passes where we can take an Afternoon break if needed or get extra fastpasses if staying.