Come on, 'fess up: You don't get to the parks at opening either.

[wdwoldtimer]

Am I the only one? We try, but sleep prevails and we usually don't get to the parks until 30 minutes to an hour after opening. Have done this in both Septembr and June, and you know what, we still had fun!

So, who else is with me?

Totally with you on that one! We always plan on it, but never make it....by a long shot.

 

[Wish Upon A Star]

I think maybe we've been at park opening 3 times? Usually we aren't up and out of the resort until well after 10 a.m. I usually make breakfast ressies between 9:30 - 10 . . .but, we do stay out late, so it's not like we are totally being lazy . . .

Honestly though I am not a morning person at all . . .I get up early every day for work and when I get a vacation I like to sleep in a bit . . .otherwise I'd be pretty

 

[CheapMom]

Never ever. Do they really do a giant ribbon cutting ceremony every morning at mk or is that just on TV?

 

[Pig Pen]

We have discontinued Rambo-type touring. I make a few ADRs and plan what park on which day, but we leave the schedule pretty loosey goosey after that.

We love to get up early in the morning and nurse our coffees for a while before heading out. If the park is crowded, we prioritize what we want to do and don't stress out if we miss something because we know we will be back again, and again, and again!

 

[DisFlan]

Nope, I'm happy to let all the early birds crowd the rope drop. Like Pig Pen, we know we'll be back. If we miss something this time, we'll catch it next time around. We don't have to pack everything (or anything!) into a certain time frame.


DisFlan

 

[Poohs Pal]

I'm an up and out, while DD would love to (and not in a good way)me. Susan

 

[scarboroughmom]

We are always there a little before the parks open. The kids have had one or more rides on all of the popular rides before noon. Then we have lunch, slow down a little, spend time at some of the playground-type places, and work the fast passes hard until dinner. But we usually go to bed fairly early. We do take one down day in the middle and sleep late, and wait until the afternoon to go to the parks. But we usually pick a park that we have already been to for that day.

 

[KJHawley]

DW and I are lucky to be at a park by one in the afternoon. We like to sleep in, because hey, we're on VACATION! The only exception we're planning on making for our next trip is morning EMH at the AK- because most of the animals are more active in the morning.

 

[Tigger22]

We use to be the "up at the crack of dawn and close out the park" people the first few times at WDW. Then we realized that we would go home needing a vacation, rather than feeling like we WENT on vacation. So we now take a more laid back approach to our trips. We always see whatever is new since our last trip, and pick a few things that we have never done or a new place to eat. We take more time to enjoy being on vacation...which includes sleeping in some mornings and staying up late some nights.

Less than two weeks to go!!!!!!!!

 

[cobbler]

We have NEVER been to an opening of any park during all our trips. Probably never will make one either. We just like to relax and wander our way there when we get going.

 

[Jen D]

I really love opening the park, and MK is amazing. That said, I've only done it a couple times. We always end up just a little late, like 15-20 minutes. If it was just me, no problem, but I have trouble getting the rest of the family moving, especially dh. And it really doesn't pay to turn into a drill sergeant. If the rest of the family is exhausted and cranky, then it's no longer the Happiest Place on Earth. So as the cruise director of all our Disney vacations I have to strike a balance between managing the fun to maximize prime park time, and making sure everyone feels like they are on vacation.

 

[jann1033]

it's rare for us not to be right up at the gate when it opens( as in one of the first through what ever turnstile we are at) but we don't stay out late. we are those who go to wdw mainly for the parks so we are in them almost everyday open to close ( we take every 5th day off to go to dtd, whatever)

 

[foxfire]

We are there for park opening and, most of the time, stay til park closing...altho' we will hop to another park if we have done all we want to at the first one. This is usually later in the trip tho' when we are revisiting parks. We do build in at least 2 nonpark days so we can sleep in and have some down time. Then, we're ready to be at opening again on the next park day!

 

[vellamint]

Most of the time we do not make it at opening - more like 10:00 10:30.....that being said of course....THIS year I have breakfast ADRs almost every morning we are onsite for 8 am!!! I am telling my family the plans and if they want to sleep in they can stay with their father.....I will have our Character Breakfasts with the kids that are up to it and then be at the parks early.........(can you tell that I dont think DH will be up to it!! lol)

Actually in the 12 days we are there this year only 5 will be onsite and they are all my "early" days. The week we are off site I am trying to stagger early days with late days......the planning, the planning I say!!

 

[Twinprincesses]

We relax, have coffee and b-fast at our hotel then roll into the parks at around 10 or 11.

 

[k5thbeatle]

Once upon a time, a long, long, long time ago we got up and opened the parks. We rarely do these days.

 

[Andrea]

we get up really early on vactions also. i cant sleep in when i know disney is out there waiting on us lol

 

[WaltD4Me]

I am so NOT a morning person. Getting to the parks by 10am for me is a minor miracle, so making it for the opening?!...It might never happen.

I've tried twice to make it MK for opening because I REALLY would like to see the opening ceremony just once, but didn't quite manage it either time. I had good intentions, but it just didn't happen.

I'm going to TRY again for my upcoming trip this May, but if I miss it again, there's always the next trip.

 

[Mike N Kathy]

We are def not early birds ! Making it in by 10am is early for us lol

 

[newholidayx2]

Last Aug DS & I made it to all of the parks for their openings during our 1st wk vacation while at VWL. Our 2nd (while at BCV) was a much more relaxed approach. We had already done the big rides at least once at that point.