Booking a room just for afternoon nap/pool time?

[disneydacey]

I've never done it, but, if you decide to do it, this is what I would do. I'm assuming you are driving? If so, I would drive to WL and park before MK rope drop and check-in (you can check in as early as 6 am). Your room may or may not be ready. If it's ready, bonus! If not, take the boat to MK and the resort can text you when the room is ready with your room number. Then, when you are ready to leave MK, you can go straight to your room for your nap (your MB will then work to open the room, you won't have to stop at the front desk again). Even if the room isn't ready until 3 pm, you can still use the WL pool all day long.

Sounds like fun!

You read my mind!!! This is EXACTLY what I was planning on doing.

 

[patty57]

Just an FYI you might want to call WL and see if their main pool will be done by Feb encase you were looking forward to using that.

The pool is scheduled to re-open on Thanksgiving.

 

[tinkerbee]

The pool is scheduled to re-open on Thanksgiving.

That is good to know. The other day it looked like they had a lot of work left to do but they have Disney magic up their sleeves I'm sure they are further along than it looks.

 

[patty57]

That is good to know. The other day it looked like they had a lot of work left to do but they have Disney magic up their sleeves I'm sure they are further along than it looks.

I'm crossing my fingers that it's all finished on time. I have a stay at VWL beginning on December 1st...cutting it pretty close.

 

[tup1830]

i think this is an awesome idea...and its great to see you put a value on spending time together with friends/family.

just mention to the person checking you in that you're interested in the first available room...they have the ability to see inventory and assign you a room on the spot...or at least help put you higher up on the list.

 

[bumbershoot]

I know people who do this in SoCal for Disneyland - they have AP's and use their discount to get a hotel room strictly for the mid afternoon break. I've never talked to anyone who did this in WDW, and I've never done it myself.

The discounts onsite aren't that great with an AP.


And the onsite resorts, except for the Grand IF you are already in that part of DCA already, are actually further away than running across the street to stay at Desert Inn or Carousel. Better use of money to just go stay offsite for such purposes!


OP, don't be shocked if everyone is wiped out after half day at the park and then a swim. If we swim mid-day and take a nap, we're not moving again until dinnertime. Swimming can really take it out of people, especially kids.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

And yesterday my room with no requests etc was ready at 4.

Of course it does not always work. But if you don't ask, you don't even know if it would have helped or not.

 

[nkereina]

And yesterday my room with no requests etc was ready at 4.

I said no requests and doing online check-in HELPS your chances of getting a room early. Not guaranteed. So a moot point. It solely depends on how busy the resort is the night before - if its at or near capacity, your room will be ready later but having more options to choose from (through noting your arrival time and having no requests) helps.

 

[Hej2222]

I've never done it, but, if you decide to do it, this is what I would do. I'm assuming you are driving? If so, I would drive to WL and park before MK rope drop and check-in (you can check in as early as 6 am). Your room may or may not be ready. If it's ready, bonus! If not, take the boat to MK and the resort can text you when the room is ready with your room number. Then, when you are ready to leave MK, you can go straight to your room for your nap (your MB will then work to open the room, you won't have to stop at the front desk again). Even if the room isn't ready until 3 pm, you can still use the WL pool all day long.

Sounds like fun!

We have done something similar last year and are planning to do it again this year. We had one night reserved at AoA (my kids love that resort). We checked in at 7 AM (room was not ready yet), then left our car in the parking lot and took a bus to MK. They texted us around 11 AM with our room number. After lunch we left on a bus back to AoA, and went straight to our room. We had coffee, DD had her respiratory treatment, both kids showered and we all had a short nap. Then we headed back to MK on a bus for dinner and evening festivities. After fireworks we took a bus again to AoA, got our car and drove back to our rental house. We did save some time avoiding TTC and monorail, also bus was much less crowded than monorail after fireworks. My kids loved walking around AoA, and we all felt refreshed and could enjoy our evening better than the prevoius year when we stayed at MK from 8 AM till 11 PM. It is an expensive afternoon, but for us well worth it, in addition to getting MBs and FP+ at 60 days out.

 

[JimmyV]

Strategy for afternoon naps at no extra cost to you:

MK=Hall of Presidents or Carousel of Progress
AK=Nemo Show
Epcot=Reflections of China followed by Impressions de France. (If you are in Future World at nap time, go to Ellen's Energy Adventure. If she can take a nap, so can you!)
DHS=Boat to Epcot, then, see Epcot above.

 

[disneydacey]

Strategy for afternoon naps at no extra cost to you:

MK=Hall of Presidents or Carousel of Progress
AK=Nemo Show
Epcot=Reflections of China followed by Impressions de France. (If you are in Future World at nap time, go to Ellen's Energy Adventure. If she can take a nap, so can you!)
DHS=Boat to Epcot, then, see Epcot above.

I personally nap in all of the above. But I don't think 45 min is going to cut it for a 2 & 4 year old.

 

[JimmyV]

But I don't think 45 min is going to cut it for a 2 & 4 year old.

Slackers! The commando lifestyle is best taught young!

 

[disneydacey]

We have done something similar last year and are planning to do it again this year. We had one night reserved at AoA (my kids love that resort). We checked in at 7 AM (room was not ready yet), then left our car in the parking lot and took a bus to MK. They texted us around 11 AM with our room number. After lunch we left on a bus back to AoA, and went straight to our room. We had coffee, DD had her respiratory treatment, both kids showered and we all had a short nap. Then we headed back to MK on a bus for dinner and evening festivities. After fireworks we took a bus again to AoA, got our car and drove back to our rental house. We did save some time avoiding TTC and monorail, also bus was much less crowded than monorail after fireworks. My kids loved walking around AoA, and we all felt refreshed and could enjoy our evening better than the prevoius year when we stayed at MK from 8 AM till 11 PM. It is an expensive afternoon, but for us well worth it, in addition to getting MBs and FP+ at 60 days out.

Glad it worked out for you. I'm thinking a good amount of resort downtime will make a big difference in 2 toddlers behavior. At least I hope so!

 

[disneydacey]

Slackers! The commando lifestyle is best taught young!

Well they are European, land of the amazingly generous amount of vacation time so.....

 

[Kathryn777]

My only caution is that the kids probably won't nap at their appointed times. My kids even live in the same time zone and their naps were all over the place and are usually right on schedule. They'd fall asleep in the stroller at the MOST inconvenient times