Afternoon Break ?'s

[psu1978]

We are planning a trip for August 2005. I know that everyone recommends getting to the parks early...taking an afternoon break...and then returning to the parks in the evening. My family will have no problem getting to the parks for opening, but here are my questions...

1. When do you break? Do you eat a late lunch and then break? Or do you eat early, tour a little more, and then hit the pool?

2. When do you return? Do you return for an early dinner in the parks? Later? Earlier?

3. How do you handle this with kids? Obviously you can't hit the parks early every morning and then stay until late at night? My kids are way past the nap stage (9 & 15), but still get cranky when they get too tired (don't we all).

I completely agree with the need for an afternoon break in the summer...I'm just not sure how to plan my day. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[hAm53]

I can't help with question 3 since we don't have kids, but we usually grab a counter service lunch around 1/1:30, and that usually takes about 25 minutes. then we head back to the resort or DTD. we'll then head back to whatever park we're watching fireworks at about 5 or 6. if we have a sit-down dinner outside the parks, we try to make it someplace that we can watch fireworks, like 'ohana or the beach from the GF.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Basically, when the park gets crowded, and you all get too hot, and too tired, it's time to head back to the hotel. We like to have lunch in the park, before heading out. Sometimes, we'll have lunch back at the resort. It just seems easier to eat in the park, then when you get to your resort, you can go straight to the room. If we're going to Epcot, we always head back to the park for dinner. At MGM, we go back for the Fantasmic dinner package. Usually, if we're going back to the MK, or to MGM and not going to Fantasmic, we'll eat at one of the resorts, before going back to the park. When you go back, depends on when your family feels rested and refreshed. Play it by ear. You'll be glad you took the downtime. Have a great trip.

 

[InstImpres]

IMHO your children are older and so take many ques from them.

I would say allow a sleep in day part way through the trip to recoup from the up late/out early syndrome.

We have two plans

Character Breakfast than leave park around 2 eat at resort reenter between 4-6pm

or breakfast in room, lunch at park leave around 4 re-enter between 6-7.

Also look for an E Night in MK. We have left the park from 4-8 and than been back until 12 or 1 depending on the timing. We make sure not to have a breakfast ressie the next day and don;'t stress if we don't leave the room until 9 or 10.

BTW my DD is 9. We are both no fuss morning people. Can be up and out in 15 mintues.

Happy travels
Sandy

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

I like to leave the parks around 2, and grab lunch from the food court/counter service at my resort, and eat a relaxed lunch in my room watching TV. Sometimes an hour back at the resort is refreshing enough, and other times I'm away for three hours or more.

I've found that if you're feeling really worn out, just going to a different park than the one you've been at in the afternoon can help a lot!

 

[paigevz]

we've always breakfasted in the room except for 1 or 2 mornings..........one of them our "off parks" day, then hit the parks early, right at opening.........early entry usually..............then have early lunch at the park 11:30 or back at hotel counter service around 12:30...........so leaving the park at about 12-12:30..........then back to the parks about 5 and sit-down dinner there at some point between 6 and 8, and stay until close. It's always worked well for us.................we did it with one son at age 4 years and age 6 years, and with two sons at age 10 months and 8 years................at 4, he always napped and then a quick swim, at 6 he usually just swam (still did use a stroller in the parks, too, and often would nap a bit in the evening after dinner), and then last year with both, the baby napped and the 8 year old swam and watched TV. We always have an off parks day in the middle somewhere, and sleep in that day.

 

[zippehsmom]

Our schedule resembles paigevz's. My only problem is our 18 monthDD would not nap. She cat nap on the way back to hotel and then would be wide awake while we were in the room. When we would go back out in the evening she would sleep in the stroller, but we still needed that break.

zippehsmom