Are you an early riser at Disney?

[Cookie Princess]

I'm a morning person... I actually wish they opened EARLIER.

Me too...hubby likes to sleep late, but even he will get up early to make rope drop each day when on vacation. We tour early, take a midday break, and return in the late afternoon. FUN, FUN, FUN!!

 

[PinkBudgie]

I said the middle one because if given the choice, I sleep in on the weekends. Sleeping in means getting up at 7:30am like today. (work days I'm up at 5:15am) But reading through this thread makes me realize some people think 7:30 is early!

I was surprised that the parks don't open until 9am. At DLR, they open at 8am. So first I was thinking compared to that, I get to sleep in. But then I realized if we get up at 6am it is really 3am for us. And that's going to be rough!

 

[moriaw76]

Rope drop and early EMH everyday.

 

[LisaTC]

We're early risers in Disney. At home I get up at 5:30am so not having my alarm go off until 6:30am in WDW is sleeping in for me! I love RD and being able to accomplish what we want with minimal wait times.

My kitty cats get me up at 5 - if I'm lucky. Sometimes earlier. DH sometimes had to get up at 4 for his job, so sleeping in until 6:30 or so is great for us. DD sleeps in usually until about 8:30, but at Disney she is ready to roll. We don't always make RD, but usually within 20 minutes...works pretty good!

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

We've taken a break from the parks for the last 4 years and enjoyed annual cruises. We are back for our first full park trip this June and am finalizing ADRs and plans for FP+

Our plan this trip is to be up early to allow for pre park opening ADRs and mid day breaks at the resort.

I was just curious - are you an early riser at Disney?

~Yes, definitely. I love the fresh clean air in the morning, the beautiful sunrise & the empty parks! It just sets the tone for the entire day. I also love the parks late at night, too.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I'm not a morning person unless I'm at Disney

So true for me as well! We're usually at breakfast no later than 7 a.m. at the food court and on the bus by 7:30. We like to get there early because it's not as hot and you can see more attractions.

We don't usually go back to the hotel for naps or swims, although on my solo trip in 06 I did this and it was heavenly. I might be going solo again in 2015, so I might try it again.

 

[khaleesi]

I'm surprised to see how many people here are early risers. Unless the late sleepers are still in bed and will vote later on when they get up

 

[rainwatter]

DD and I get up for rope drop, but we sleep as late as humanly possible. Our last trip we we managed to be at the bus stop 15m after the alarm went off. DH slept in and met up with us around lunch time (he usually get to the parks just in time to head back to the hotel for nap time)

 

[laceemouse]

Our strategy 1. Parks early. 2 Go back to the hotel hottest part of the afternoon to swim and relax. 3. Go back to the parks early evening

You obviously don't have teen girls in your travel party. Going back to swim would require everyone (including me) showering and doing hair and make-up TWICE a day. There is no way that would work for us. Plus, walking around for hours a day on 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night? We could never do that either.

I would like to ask all of the early risers, how do you do this and stay up late? My husband is up at 5 every morning at home, but he is also snoring by 9 p.m.

We sleep in at Disney but we close down the latest park every night. There is no way we could get to bed at 2 a.m. and be up again 4 hours later. Even my early riser hubby can't do that.

We tend to notice on any vacation that as the week wears on we sleep later and later. I wish we didn't need any sleep, we just can't function that way.

 

[laceemouse]

DD and I get up for rope drop, but we sleep as late as humanly possible. Our last trip we we managed to be at the bus stop 15m after the alarm went off. DH slept in and met up with us around lunch time (he usually get to the parks just in time to head back to the hotel for nap time)

I guess you shower at night? I can't do that, I need my morning shower. We do have some kids who shower at night though, it helps to break it up so some shower at night and some in the morning.

 

[jm106]

My dh is asleep by 10 often at home usually waking at 4:30 am. But in Disney, he can stay up as late as needed. My kids go to bed at 8:30 at home but for a weeks vacation, not hard to stay up.
We also don't need to do a ton to get ready. I shower at night, I have a semi plan as to clothes since I consider outfits when packing. I apply makeup still and do something to my hair. If I swim midday, I don't get head wet, so just jump in to shower enough to wash pool water off and get clothes on. So I'm morning. We are out in 30 min, afternoon, 15 min is plenty of time.

 

[JennyMP03]

You obviously don't have teen girls in your travel party. Going back to swim would require everyone (including me) showering and doing hair and make-up TWICE a day. There is no way that would work for us. Plus, walking around for hours a day on 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night? We could never do that either.

I would like to ask all of the early risers, how do you do this and stay up late?

I understand! I haven't gone swimming in the middle of the day for this reason. Disney or not, I have to do something with my hair and have a little makeup to feel comfortable.

We didn't take any midday breaks on our first trip and I was exhausted the whole time. On our second trip, we took a break most days and it really made a huge difference for me. We didn't swim, but we went back to the room and usually took a 30-minute nap. I didn't fall deeply asleep, but just resting there where it was cool and quiet recharged me.

We usually went to a different park in the evening. I like this much better than going to one park and staying all day, but my travel party was only myself and my husband.

I'm going with my 20-year-old cousin in June. I'm going to try rope drop and afternoon break most days and see how it goes (with one day to sleep in toward the middle). We should be in bed each night between midnight-one, at least. I'm thinking we can get up at 7:30 and on the bus around 8:15.

And, yes, I think waking up at 7:30 is early! I wake up at 6:45 for work every day and want to die each time my alarm goes off.

 

[glamdring269]

I'm up early but have always made it to theme parks for open basically my entire life. I was taught as a child that the early bird gets the worm in the theme park world. I'd rather get up for an AM EMH, enjoy a stress free morning, head back to the room for some relaxation around lunch time when the lines start getting crazy, then head back out to Epcot later that night for F&W fest.

This type of discussion is always interesting to me because I just can't understand the other side of the discussion. If you know the lines are going to be awful if you sleep in then why sleep in? Not saying it's wrong but it's just one of those things I will never be able to understand! (Though I might argue one reason you need to sleep in is because you spend all of that time standing in line all day!)

 

[PinkBudgie]

I can only say what we at DLR and that we plan to do it at WDW. We get up for RP, go back to the room for a nap around 2 or 3pm, then back to the parks about 5pm. At DLR our room is a 10 min walk from the parks, so we'll see how travel time affects our afternoon break. But we can't do rope drop straight through to 11pm. We get way too tired for that.

Although I noticed that at WDW the parks seem to close so early even in the summer! Does Epcot really close at 9pm? That seems really early. MK says 11pm so that's about right for us. I'm just surprised that summer hours wouldn't be longer, especially when the day is so hot and humid. You'd think more people would want to be out early morning or later evening when it is cooler.

 

[mpbs]

You obviously don't have teen girls in your travel party. Going back to swim would require everyone (including me) showering and doing hair and make-up TWICE a day. There is no way that would work for us. Plus, walking around for hours a day on 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night? We could never do that either. I would like to ask all of the early risers, how do you do this and stay up late? My husband is up at 5 every morning at home, but he is also snoring by 9 p.m. We sleep in at Disney but we close down the latest park every night. There is no way we could get to bed at 2 a.m. and be up again 4 hours later. Even my early riser hubby can't do that. We tend to notice on any vacation that as the week wears on we sleep later and later. I wish we didn't need any sleep, we just can't function that way.[/QUOTE

I have no daughters, 2 sons . But, I do shower after the pool and I do not mind doing my make up or hair twice. And yes, when the parks are open the boys will stay at the parks till 2 am. We have been using this strategy for 15 years. It works for us!

 

[2Tiggies]

And, yes, I think waking up at 7:30 is early! I wake up at 6:45 for work every day and want to die each time my alarm goes off.

Someone who understands me! My alarm goes off at 6 and I start to feel human around noon. Getting to sleep on the other hand ..... going to bed at sunrise would be my ideal world! Always been a nocturnal creature. Except at Disney

 

[Viva Las Disney]

I could have gone with option 1 because I'm usually up by 8 or 9am but went with option 2 because I'm from out west and waking up early for rope drop at WDW is more like 4am PT, I do it for rope drop but wouldn't normally be up that early.

I also do the afternoon break touring style. Hit the parks for rope drop, go back to the hotel in the afternoon for a nap, pool, and some AC, and then back to close the parks at night.

 

[HereForMinnie]

I wake up early, but only because I have to. No matter where we stay there is always morning noise from other families getting ready so we drag ourselves out of bed. We usually make it to rope drop. It's a pain getting up early on vacation but it's necessary for us to tour the way we'd like.

I think we're a rare family because sometimes we don't go back to any of the parks after our breaks. We find the parks (especially MK) to be too crowded after dinner. If we go to any park at night it's EP and that's it. We usually head to the Boardwalk area, have dinner at the Swan or Dolphin or hang around our resort pool all night.

 

[Anna114]

I get up earlier at WDW but I work 4x12 so anything before 9 is early for me. I try to get up around 8 or so but that's not going to get me to rope drop in a timely fashion without rushing.

 

[Disneyhabs]

Always up and out early for our park days and up early and out on our non park days.