An Exhausting First Day?

[cmpeter]

I think it's exhausting to leave the parks and come back! If we had to return the car in the middle of the day, dh or I would take it and the kids and other parent would stay in the park. If we were to get tired, we would look for a show, attraction, counter service place were we could sit and chill for awhile. Especially if your youngest is 12 and past the nap stage.

 

[peterpanandwendy]

Hi! Im bringing my two little ones, (3 and 1) in August and I agree with many PP's:

1) take the car back the night before or in the morning.

2) 6 hours is a long time to take off from the parks. Even with my little ones we only plan on leaving for naps between 12:30-3:30. There is not a lot you can do in only 2 hours in the morning. I have heard great things about 'touring plans' etc, and while I think they are a decent guideline, it is unfair to say that the best touring time is before 11 and after 4:30… there is SO much more you can do between those two times like hit up a show (Aladdin, Muppets, Princess Faire etc), have a nice sit down lunch in a shady spot, do some of the slower, less busy rides, explore Pirate Lair Island, Explore the wilderness trail in DCA, etc. This is what we have typically done, and what we intend to do with our kids when we go, and we find it really helps to max out our park time, but still take a slower, more restful pace.

With our 3 and 1 year old we are planning:

Arrive for park opening
11:30am - lunch in park
12:30am - naps in hotel
3:30pm - back in park
5:00pm- quick dinner in park
8:00pm - leave park
8:30pm - in bed in hotel

However, if our 3 year old passes out in his stroller than we fully intend on staying in the park for the day.

Leaving the park can be a real pain, in my experience, and just adds a lot of walking.

 

[zanzibar138]

I agree with most of the PPs here. Having to return your rental car in the middle of the day and taking such a long break will really eat into your park time and possibly cause additional stress.

I would definitely return the car the night before or first thing in the morning, which will give you so much more flexibility.

If you feel you need to take an afternoon break, 3-4 hours would be plenty. I think swimming is a great way to cool off and return to the parks refreshed, but maybe limit the amount of time spent swimming so the kids don't wear themselves out. With a 3-4 hour break, there is enough time for swimming AND naps if required.

If you do choose to stay in the parks all day, there are lots of things you can do during the afternoon when it's hot and crowded. Do a couple of laps on the train or monorail, or see a show. Spend some time at Tom Sawyer Island at DL, or Redwood Creek Trail at DCA. Like swimming, these are a great way for kids to forget about rides and characters for a bit and just be kids.