afternoon breaks & parades during June

[heidica]

So I am starting to plan for our trip June 11-20, 2005 and this will be the first time I have ever been when crowds are really high, so I am trying to include in afternoon breaks (we will have 5 kids with us). In the past, going off season we never did afternoon breaks (no need). What I want to know is when do you take your afternoon break? I would like to plan time to see the afternoon parades and need to decide whether to leave after lunch and come back just before the parades, or what until the parades are over and then leave and come back around dinner time. Any suggestions?

 

[nativetxn]

Bumping you back to page one so that some of our veterans can offer advice.

Katholyn

 

[NCRedding]

We did our first trip in June this year after having vacationed in the off-season. We would get to the parks as early as I could rally my group. Then we would take a break and go back to the hotel to swim, rest, nap, or occasionally shop. Then we went back later in the day. We knew that this would not be our last trip, so we decided to take it easy and focus on the lesser known attractions, or use fast pass. We usually left before the parades and went back before dinner. I think alot of it depends upon when the parades are. The 3o parade--I would leave after; the 4 or 4:30 I would leave before. With 5 kids, I would take my cue from them--when do they act like they need a break.

 

[bobcat]

Take your cue from the kids. If everyone is tired, hot and whiney no one will enjoy staying just to see the parade.

When we do watch the parades we will either stay until parade time and then head back to the hotel for a swim and dinner and then back to the parks or we will leave the park around 11:30 and head back in the afternoon for the parade. This past trip the only parade we saw was Spectro because we were all tired in the afternoons.

 

[heidica]

BUMP

Anyone else have any suggestions?

 

[swilphil]

We have been in June and July, and leave after lunch for our afternoon break. We didn't always make it back to the park for the parades though. This year the MGM parade was at 3:30 and we made it, but we didn't make it back to MK for the afternoon parade. We do love the Spectro parade though.

We get to the parks before opening and do EE at MK. Leaving after an early lunch works well for us because that's when the parks all start getting crowded. When we return to the parks, it seems like a lot of people are leaving so we miss the busiest time of the day.

 

[dzneelvr]

If you leave the park and re enter just for the parade, chances are you won't get a very good seat, at least not one with any chance for shade.

I'd recommend leaving after the parade. The kids can always keep cool in a shop or attraction while someone holds down a place on a bench, etc.
We always go in the summer and a bench in the shade is worth scoping out for an hour. it can mean the difference between enjoying the parade in cool comfort
or almost passing out from the heat.
Try to get a spot in MK, AK, OR MGM that is in front of one of the shop doors--the air conditioning pumping out will be heaven.