Afternoon Break: Yay or Nay?

[TiggerTrigger]

When the kids were younger, midday break was back at the resort for nap time and maybe the pool. Nowadays, the mid day break is more like downtime while we're out...from sitting down for a meal to seeing a show or two. On our upcoming trip, we plan on hitting the water parks for our midday breaks.

 

[Lesverts]

Yes to breaks. I travel with my Dad, in his 60's. So we can't go from 8am to midnight.

In general our days our:

For Magic Kingdom
I go early 8 or 9, meet him at 10am, stay in the parks until 2ish, head to the resort for a snack and rest. Go out to dinner, finish our FP and he goes back. I stay in the park or hit up one of the bars.

For everywhere else.
Go together for open, stay until noonish. Head to the resort. Go back for 3 or 4ish. Finish up the rest of the day and he goes back, I hit the park again.

It works for us because I like shopping/drinking/bars/rides and he likes to spend some time with me for a coupe hours a day and than have his vacation at the resort.

 

[Planogirl]

We take breaks almost every day. We don't always go back to our resort but might just head to a resort close to whatever park we're at just to have something to drink and maybe a snack. It can be restful just to get away from the heat and crowds.

 

[ZoZo]

I generally don't, but I don't go during summer. Generally go in either October or February, when park hours are shorter. Given the travel time back and forth to the resort, I don't want to spend valuable park hours for a break (especially when most of the parks close between 7:00 to 9:00 pm those times of the year. If the parks stayed open later, I'd definitely consider a brea, though.

 

[Networth]

It wouldn't be a Disney vacation without taking the Monorail/Boat back to the resort while the fiancé naps and I sit on the balcony and have a drink.

The crowds after awhile become to much, we need that break/nap/shower before we head out for a nice meal and some nighttime fun.

 

[aretha30]

Yay; we go in early August and with two kids (8 and 13) the breaks help them deal with the heat. We go at RD stay until 1 or 2 and head back to our resort until 5 or 6. We swim or nap (sometimes both) and then go back when it's cooler. Who wants to be in the park when it's blistering hot with cranky kids? Not us! They want to be there until 1am when the crowds have thinned and its cooler; we are good with that. The 8 yr old can't hang that late without a break (neither can I these days!).

 

[Aliceacc]

We absolutely take the break!

We're at the parks at rope drop every day. We stay until fireworks. We don't do an off day at the resorts.

There's no way we could maintain that pace in the July heat without a mid day break.

It may not work for everyone, but it absolutely works for us.

 

[dsdeleon]

Yes, always. My husband and youngest son nap and me and my eldest decompress with the shades drawn and AC blasting.

 

[Linda T.]

We go in late July usually and yes we always take a midafternoon break for a nice swim and some relaxation. We head back to the parks around 5:30 p.m. and enjoy the evening.

 

[AliceIn]

We always take a break. We hit the park for rope drop, then head back to the resort around noon. We take a nice long swim, then shower during the afternoon storm, and finally head out to dinner and a park for the evening.

 

[caroline1851]

When my kids were younger, then no break. we got to park at RD and stayed until they felt like leaving. often that was as early as 2pm or so. and we were done for the day. back to resort for swimming, dinner, etc. Early bed and up early again.
My last trip was just ds13 and me. afternoon breaks worked best because he didn't care about having to wait for buses and take the bus ride several times a day.

 

[wilkeliza]

We do them on at least one day on longer trips but often find ourselves planning for shorter time in the parks. We are adults who have done almost everything there is to do so don't feel like we have to comando tour the park. We often set our first fastpasses for after lunch and hang out at the hotel until then. If we want to go to Disney Springs then we start the FPs earlier and don't stay for the night time shows.

This next trip sonce DAK is open so late we have nothing planned until 2pm so we will have a whole morning of break time.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

We do take a break or as DVC owners that have the gift of going every year we do half days in the parks. When taking a break we don't sleep but sit by the pool then it is really nice to have a shower and go out for early dinner. Maybe take a look around the world of Disney at Disney Springs and come back and watch shows in our room. Nice and relaxed. We want to enjoy our vacation not be exhausted plus I am disabled with health issues so over doing it is a no no! But I think afternoon break good for all. My wife enjoys it.

 

[ArielSRL]

We have a break planned for all our full days. We will start at rope drop and go until around noon or 1, breaks around 4 or 5 hours, then back for dinner and nighttime entertainment. I have a 4 and 2 yr old. We may do some pool time but mostly nap time during the breaks.

We will be there in 6 days, so the heat and crowds will be a factor, also.

 

[Parker Clan]

YAY!
We always go in August and it's the only way to maintain stamina and energy for the entire trip to be at the pool during the hottest time of the day

 

[mousefan73]

How do you manage the afternoon storms?

We never realized noticed them as a DAILY thing.. though we did comment it seems to rain each time we walk into EP LOL...
We have only gotten "stuck" 3 or 4 times in 4 years ( we do a yearly Sept trip for 8 days).
but you do have a point... though we would prefer to be stuck in the rain at a park vs at our resort... hanging out in a small resort room would be more annoying than at the parks... we usually have an umbrella.. ( we HATE ponchos) and either use the time to eat, or find an indoor attraction. We find them only bad in that some rides then shut down...

I know last year we had issues with TT being down so I made one day a morning EP, just for TT.

 

[melana]

Well..we have went in different times of the year and each year we have these grand ideas that we will stay in the parks until 1ish and go back to the resort and sit by the pool then head back out around 5ish or 6ish for evening park time and dinner.

It has never worked out that way. We either go back to the resort and sleep and then go down to whatever food options are at the resort. Or we just stay in the park all day. We thought park hoppers would help us do this "break". But they didn't.

We found if we go back to the resort we realize how tired we are and just decide to rest.

But we have never been with really young children so that may make a difference.

 

[Yahweh]

We do every day. My girls are always ready to go back to the resort and spend some time in the pool. Usually around 11am they ask when is it time to go back to the resort

 

[Accident]

I pick this when it's afternoon and decide if I want a break.

We won't hang around if we're starting to be more zombie like and just trying to find things to do. If we're pushing to stay, we get up and break!

also depends on weather, the sun just beats me down and I want to rest, freshen up and then head out when the sun starts to go down.

 

[jacksmommy]

We always take a midday break. No matter when or who we are traveling with. My kids love to recharge at the pool and I like to have a shower and get clean after sweating all day at the parks. We rope drop and then stay late after our break. It works for us.