Break day absolutely necessary?

[saraheliz]

Travelling at the end of April with DDs (almost) 5 and 3 yo (their birthdays are a couple of weeks later). Please critique my schedule!!

We'll be there for a week and plan on spending all but our last day in the parks in some capacity. BUT, there are several more relaxed days in there so right now I'm not planning on a full break day. Do you think this schedule is too much? (I realize that once we get there, things might change, we're go with the flow kind of people)

Weds: Arrival (noon) into MCO, check-in and head to MK for a little while to see the castle, eat dinner, ride a ride or two
Thursday: EP but not planning on ropedrop, just getting up whenever the kids wake up. We have 11am ressies at Akershus. Figure we'll just last as long as we last, don't plan on being there the whole day since we have two EP days.
Friday: AK ropedrop, be done by early afternoon for some pool time
Saturday: CRT ressies at 8:05, then MK until the kids are tired, I'm guessing after lunch. Relax by the pool/nap for the afternoon, maybe DD for dinner, shopping.
Sunday: HS until after lunch, relax by pool, hit DD if we don't get there the night before. MAYBE try fantasmic if the kids are up for it, but we won't push it.
Monday: EP whenever we wake up. We have 1pm ressies for Le Cellier but like our earlier EP day, we'll just sleep in, go in whenever, do some rides but generally take it easy
Tuesday: Our last full day- we'll hit MK at ropedrop until after lunch, take a break for naps then come back and go straight through until Wishes
Weds: Our flight doesn't leave until 5:30pm so we'll just spend the morning at the pool and grab lunch before getting on the ME.

Do you think we'll be ok without a full break day? I took my older DD two years ago, just before she turned 3, and we went pretty hard for 4 1/2 days and she was amazing with it. We just alternated RD/leave for nap days with sleeping in a bit/staying till the evening days and it worked well.

Thoughts? Thanks!!

 

[LoriNKY]

It depends on your kids, and you know them best. I also have a 3 year old and 5 year old. This will be the oldest's 4th trip and the youngest's 3rd. We go go go and they do great. We do tend to sleep in and go back midday for a rest, but that's it. Your schedule actually seems really relaxed compared with ours. Well, we don't actually "schedule" anything more than our dining reservations. I think worrying too much about a schedule will be more stressful. Especially since you can't totally predict what the kids will be feeling like. Just go, have fun, and take a break when it seems like you need one.

Oh, do you have park hoppers? It doesn't sound like it? The absolute best thing you can do is have park hoppers, because sometimes you'll get to a park and it's crazy & crowded and everyone is unhappy. Days go much easier if you can switch it up on a whim. We'll often go to one park, head back for a break, then hit another park later in the day. Especially helpful for making the most of Extra Magic Hours.

 

[DisneyTravelers2008]

Looks like you have a pretty relaxed schedule. So you could probably skip a full break day. But it also seems that you are pretty practical about what your kids can handle and if you need it, you can re-group and take it.

 

[nytimez]

what's a break day?

 

[Shir Kahn]

what's a break day?

A break day is when you only go from rope drop to about an hour or so before closing, instead of straggling out an hour after closing.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

No kids here so we never take a break day.

 

[Cee]

We usually stay a full week and have 4 day park hoppers. This allows us to take two days off from the parks. Honestly, we look forward to those days just as much as the park days. There is so much more to do than folks realize.

 

[jcmaro]

We've never taken a break day. The first time we went with DS he was 3 1/2. We did naps during most days (it was May and HOT, we all needed naps) but no break. The next time we went we had DS, 5, and DD, just turned 3. Again no break day, and even less naps (it was Nov/Dec). The next time we are going it will be DS (7), DD (5) and DD (2 1/2). I see naps in our future but still no break day. We are not hang around the resort, pool type people so that's part of the reason we don't have break days.

 

[The 6 J's]

The most important thing is to know your own family's tolerances, which it seems like you've already built in to the plan. Generall speaking we've done a similar plan, actually a little more aggressive, with similar aged kids twice now and its worked out great (6,4,11mo and then 10,8,5,3). This next trip we will have a break day but only because we are moving between two resorts that day. I don't mean to hijack this thread into a stroller debate but having our double with us has been a big help in extending the kids ability to happily go for more time in the parks. I'd rather do 7 relaxed days in the parks than 6 commando days and 1 off. Actually I'd rather do 7 commando days but that's me.

The only comment I'd have on the schedule is if you don't do F! on Sunday then Monday you can hit RD at EP and easily get all of FW done and some of WS before your 1pm ADR. Plus that sets you up well for calling it an early night and hitting RD at MK for your last day like you want to.

Hope you have a great trip.

 

[saraheliz]

Thanks for the input everyone! Glad to hear it sounds doable. I want to make sure the vacation is fun for everyone- while still seeing a lot!

I initially was going to get park hoppers, then when I was looking at my schedule, thought they might not be necessary (we had them last time but only used them one day). SO, we're not getting them but once we get there if we decide to hop I have no issue adding them on, we've accounted for the expense, but I figured Id wait in case we don't need to use them.

 

[saraheliz]

The most important thing is to know your own family's tolerances, which it seems like you've already built in to the plan. Generall speaking we've done a similar plan, actually a little more aggressive, with similar aged kids twice now and its worked out great (6,4,11mo and then 10,8,5,3). This next trip we will have a break day but only because we are moving between two resorts that day. I don't mean to hijack this thread into a stroller debate but having our double with us has been a big help in extending the kids ability to happily go for more time in the parks. I'd rather do 7 relaxed days in the parks than 6 commando days and 1 off. Actually I'd rather do 7 commando days but that's me.

The only comment I'd have on the schedule is if you don't do F! on Sunday then Monday you can hit RD at EP and easily get all of FW done and some of WS before your 1pm ADR. Plus that sets you up well for calling it an early night and hitting RD at MK for your last day like you want to.

Hope you have a great trip.

This is how I feel, too. We'll go commando that last day but that's fine, we can sleep in and relax and then fly home the next day.

 

[mom2maggie]

A break day is when you only go from rope drop to about an hour or so before closing, instead of straggling out an hour after closing.

This had me cracking up!

 

[MSSANDRA]

We never take a break day (our little one is 5) and your plan looks very laid back so you should be great.

The only big issue I see is not getting to Epcot early any day during what may be a fairly busy time. FP may be gone and you may have pretty long waits on some rides.

Hoppers might allow you to head back to the parks some of the relaxed evening if you want but it looks like you are very aware of what your family needs and your plans should work great!

Have a BLAST.

 

[LovesTimone]

When my DD's where little, they did not sleep in when we were at the world, DH and I couldn't either to excitied. ... So for us we would take a break in the afternoon, for nap time, pool time. Which has always worked out for our family. With EMH it was the way to go for us. We always did park hoppers which worked out so well, some days one park would be so crowded we would just head for another park.

One trip during the summer, we took a break and napped a bit longer than we had planned to get up at 2 and we slept till 6:00pm , so we got up, and dressed and out, headed for dinner which was at 8:00pm, buy the time we were through with dinner, since we had missed the parks before dinner we head for MK and stayed till 2:00am in the morning with a 6 and 4 year old. We had a blast the lines were not very long at that time, some rides we were just walking on, but we were not riding any of the Mountains, so I'm sure this was a major factor.

Best advice, you know your family the best, it seems that you have taken that into your plan, I would just go with it. Have a magical journey,,

 

[kaligal]

I think it is nuts to take off an entire day. I can NOT go to a theme park all day at home. I don't need to travel and pay a night in a hotel to do that.

People always say they go to the pool and "enjoy the resort" that day. Seriously? How can you spend an entire morning, afternoon and evening swimming and "enjoying the resort." I have yet to find a resort that would take me more than an hour to enjoy...and most of them way less than an hour. I cannot imagine spending an entire day doing that.

I take off mornings after we've stayed out late for fireworks. I take off afternoons sometimes, too...especially if we had a tour in the morning.

If I go in the summertime, I always schedule down time for afternoons. Since the chance of rain in the afternoon/evening is pretty decent, I want to make sure we hit parks every morning.

My advice is to get out of the parks early enough that the kiddies can get to sleep and be up early. If you're up early, you will get more done.

Early to bed
Early to rise
Gets you to rope drop, good breakfasts and rides.



Whatever you do, have a great trip!!

 

[lurkernj]

Nah, no break day.

We've done a couple of non-ropedrop days(usually Epcot days), which to me is a break day.

Or, we might take a break in the middle of the day for a nap or swim, or even DTD, but that's after rope drop, and plans for return for dinner and to see evening show. Never a whole day off.

Your schedule seems pretty relaxed already, no need for a break day.

 

[Suellen]

We travel with our kids who are (now) 4 and 6. They have been along with us since they were born (4 mos old for the youngest and 5 mos old for the oldest). We are annual pass holders and typically go for around 8 days. We never take a break day on purpose. We will occasionally get caught up in doing other things and realize that we didn't make it to a park... or course we travel different then most! We were there for July 4th a couple years ago and spent the day futzing around AKL until we were sitting on a bench at the playground by the pool and realized we heard fireworks... oops! Where did the day go? BUT to PLAN a break day? No. We wouldn't do that. And our kids have always done fine.

I also make them walk and carry their own backpack with whatever "stuff" they must lug with them. I'm mean like that.

 

[ktlm]

My DD(5) has been at age 2, 3, 4, and 5, and she would never stand for a break day. Once she is up and moving she is standing at the door telling us to hurry up so she can get into the park. It really depends on your kids. You know best what will work for them. DD is high energy. Your schedule would be way too relaxed for her. We go for a week and do 2 days MK, 2 days Epcot, 1 day AK, and 1 day DHS, and we also usually hit a park for the evening on arrival day (usually MK or Epcot, but this year it was DHS EMH for Osborne lights and the Disney Jr. dance party) and spend a couple of hours at MK before our flight leaves on our last day. At Epcot and MK, she would never want to leave the park for a mid-day break. (We tried it once and it was a disaster). We get to those parks at rope drop and we usually are leaving at right around closing. AK is never a full day park for her, but she doesn't ask to go back to the resort, she asks to go back to MK or Epcot. Sometimes we will do 1900 Park Fare dinner on that day, and then we will either go back to MK or to DTD, unless dinner runs too late. DHS she sometimes gets bored with by mid-to- late afternoon, and again, she will start asking to go back to MK or Epcot. She usually crashes and is out cold the entire plane ride on the way home! I'd say your schedule looks like it has plenty of rest time if your kids need it and when you get there just play it by ear a little based on what seems to be working best for your kids.

 

[jacksgirl]

I think your schedule looks great! It's a little more relaxed than ours, but when our boys were that age, we took it a little slower than now. They are 16 and 9 now, so we are on the go more. Like another poster said, I prefer 7 relaxed days to 6 commando days and a full day off. We are really changing our schedule up a bit this year, adding water parks, Disney Quest, Sea Raycers, that kind of thing - it's hard to keep a teenager's interest, I'm learning . Last year, I geared the trip more toward the (then) 8 year old, more character meals, etc., but this year I'm really trying to add a variety of options which, hopefully, will make the teenager happy. But I think you're definitely on the right track - I hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[nytimez]

maybe I'm missing something, but why do people need a break from their vacations?