Can you have a leisurely summer vacation at WDW despite the crowds and heat??

[IvyandLace]

Wondering what the feasability of two PAP holders going in the summer who would like to sleep in and still enjoy the parks leisurely would be...any tips?? Has anyone gone in summer with a few PSs and had a laid-back time regardless of the crowds and the heat?

My DH and I were discussing this last night as I was once again reading my Unofficial Guide. In the UG, they continue to stress "Get to the park early!!" especially in the summertime. My DH doesn't think that getting up early helps in the summer...he thinks that lines will still be long so why not just sleep in like we enjoy doing and take things from there? When I tried to explain the importance of starting early so that we could enjoy a nice long break (perhaps at a water park of our choosing) in the afternoon, he responded that the waterparks will be packed by then!! AGH! I'm afraid he might be right on this!

I wouldn't mind doing EE at MK one day to get in some rides in Fantasyland/Tomorrowland that I particularly enjoy, but I don't think we would do any other EE. This summer trip (which is still in its infancy stage) would make the fourth for me and the third for my DH in this year alone...so we DO NOT HAVE to ride anything. We, however, would enjoy popping "in" and "out" of parks as we choose to, and we would make it a priority to enjoy the night-time shows especially Spectromagic, WISHES, and IllumiNations.

I guess what I'm trying to ask is this: Has anyone gone in the summer and found that they could sleep in/not be so "commando" and still were able to enjoy the parks?? Or do you find that the summer crowds makes a plan even MORE necessary? I'm trying to see just how much "planning" is the minimum I can get away with since I would like not to be held by a schedule this time (FOR ONCE!!)...trying to prove to DH that I can go to WDW without planning every little detail! Don't know if I could do it...but would certainly enjoy trying!!

Thanks for any tips or advice given that could help us out on this confusion!

IVY

 

[Geoff_M]

We were there for two weeks this month and "Get there early" is still the order of the day. Sleep in if you want long stand-by waits and FP return windows that are several hours out. We had a "leisurely" time... we got up and were at the parks at opening, enjoyed the realitive cooler air temps, got on a good number of attractions, and then retreated back to the villa when the parks got too crowded for our liking or we got too hot. We'd spend the balance of the day time relaxing in the villa, or napping, or swimming, or off-site shopping. After supper we'd then head back to a park for fireworks.

 

[lentesta]

Hi IvyandLace,

Thanks for reading the Unofficial Guide.

If you're going to pick and choose attractions, FASTPASS (and some shows) will help you make the most of seeing the MK, Studios and AK. For Epcot, the single-rider line or FASTPASS might be your best bet, but I doubt lines will be as much of an issue there as in other parks.

Sincerley,

Len Testa

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

Why not forget about going to the parks in the daytime at all? Sleep in, go to a water park when it opens at 10 am, or just rest by the pool all day, maybe shop a little at Downtown Disney or have an early dinner at one of the resorts, and then head to the park of your choice around 5 pm. If the park you choose closes really late, you could even have a nice dinner at the park and then take advantage of the fact that parents with young children often need to go back to their hotels. If you don't mind seeing the fireworks from the top of Splash Mountain or rounding the corners at Big Thunder, you should be able to get on some of the best rides at MK when everyone else is watching a parade or the fireworks. This strategy should work with every park except AK, although I know in May that they were even experimenting with keeping that park open until 8 pm one night. (You would need to take into account that Future World at Epcot closes most of its attractions at 7 pm, although I think the most "thrilling" stay open longer.) For 2 adults who don't feel the need to experience every attraction, this might be the most relaxing way to get the best of all "worlds", especially if you relax and assume that anything you get to do beyond seeing the fireworks is a welcome "extra".

 

[bobcat]

I agree with Geoff_M. Do some early mornings to get in your must see's and then relax during the afternoon and then have leisurly nights back at the parks. We usually start our summer trips out as comandos at the beginning of our trips and then the last half of our trip is more leisurly. That way we get to see everything we want and still have time to relax.

 

[SnackyStacky]

If you're looking to go commando and hit every attraction, nope. You can't sleep in. That doesn't mean you can't have a leisurely vacation, it just means that you can't sleep in.

For no other reason, I'd get up early just to do as much as could be done before the intense heat starts to set in. Then go back to the hotel and nap, or swim, and have lunch.

But that's just my personal opinion!

 

[mmorizio]

Here's an article I wrote a while back on going to WDW in August. You might find it helpful.

http://www.morizio.com/Article_pages/5-05-04.html

 

[The Sweetness]

There is a HUGE dif. in trying to see EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!! and having a nice relaxing day, picking and choosing what you want to see, and ride. If you want, just chill, and let the peeps rush by.

 

[cfbarker]

DH and I were at WDW a few weeks ago celebrating our 10th anniversary. This is the first trip that when we came home, we did not need a vacation after our vacation. We took it easy. We didn't rush. I can't say we slept in, but we didn't always get to the park at opening. One day we got to AK at 11:30. The best safari we've ever been on was at 2:00 in the afternoon! We rode Dinosaur (20 min. wait), saw ITTBB (20 min. wait), ate lunch, watched the parade, and did lots of walking around and were out by 5:00 (this was on a Wednesday). We found that lines were very short during parades, so if you don't have to see the parade or you plan to see it another day, you can get several rides in. We did lots of shopping. I think we hit every shop in every park! We stopped to smell the roses! I planned a few ps's and we went on the KTTK tour so our park days were pretty much planned, but I didn't have any touring plans.

Christine