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

[anneofgreengables]

So true! Getting up at WDW is brutal when you are on West Coast time still. My poor ds - he is not a morning person and getting him up before 9:00 was frightening for us all! LOL!

When we go to DL we always get there before opening and man what a difference it makes to beat the crowds!

Our upcoming trip to WDW we are going to try to do it if it kills us!

It's even harder coming from the West Coast when you have a seven-year-old and nine-year-old. It's one thing to make yourself wake up at 4 a.m. California time, but another to do that to your kids. So I don't know what we're going to do when we go to WDW in December.

Of course, in Disneyland, we are always early.

 

[jann1033]

Thank you everyone who sleeps in! .

yep you are the reason we can do tot and rnr 2 or 3 times in a row before emh is even over so thank you very very very much!!!

 

[traciedee]

We are usually mid morning people. But with WDW and the crowds and the heat in June, I think we will give early mornings a shot and plan to be at the water parks by 2pm every day. We can go back in the evenings if we have the energy and enjoy the parade and fireworks.

 

[lorli]

Part of me really wants to get to the parks early but then the same part that listens to dh wins out. We are usually there very late and with a 4 year old, staying late and getting up early mix about as well as oil and vinegar. Maybe someday I'll be there at opening but until I'll live through those on the Dis that do.

 

[SnwflkCts]

In 6 days, DH and I made it to one Park Opening (MGM) which was fun but the other days we made it in around 15-30 minutes after opening. Still had time without crowds. I get up at 0330 (that's AM/morning dudes!) every day to go to work - long commute, early start time so there is NO WAY I'm getting up at the crack of dawn -- even for WDW - I'm ON VACATION!!!! SLEEP IN!! (EMH - what????? get up earlier????)

 

[BrerRabbit_fan]

I am up at 6 daily so I can do mornings easily. I'm always grateful to those who sleep in, you make my morning a breeze. I am not sleeping late at Disney, I can do that at home. I always schedule a recovery day before I go back to work.

I'm a commando and that's the way I'll stay.

 

[jade1]

No, we just go when nobody else is there.

 

[Popsicle]

Only if we have reservations for a Character breakfast. The first couple of years we got to the parks early, but I don't we ever got there when they opened.

We did go to Universal before opening once when they were taping the "GUTS" game show. It was REALLY early.

It's vacation... no alarms, no need to rush, everything will still be there when we get there, and we'll still get to do all the things we want to.

(Have to get to EPCOT early this year. Last year, they closed the Fountain View so early, I didn't get my annual coconut flan. BOO-HOO.)

 

[minijeanie]

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?

I would love to hear from you next year when little DISER is here!!!

guaranteed you will be up at the crack of dawn!!!

so I say


Enjoy the late mornings while you can!!

 

[kizmac]

No, we just go when nobody else is there.

Jade! I wanna know when you go! We go in September and the crowds are low but I have never seen it that empty! Do tell...PLEASE!! LOL

 

[Bouncing4Tigger]

I do a little of both, sometimes open sometimes get there shortly after opening.

 

[threeboysmom]

We've been to WDW way too many times now to stress over being there at opening. When we used to tour commando and I had my list of what attractions to cover, we'd get there for opening, but not now. There's only a couple of things at each park that we're interested in, so there's really no point in rushing around in the morning to make it for opening. I have the whole rest of the day! We only spend a few hours at the park now rather than all day - absolutely no need for a mad dash for us in the mornings. I'd much rather enjoy my coffee still in my pj's or take an early morning stroll around the resort grounds. To me, that's vacation!

 

[pta-mom]

Well, it's interesting because I've been wondering the same thing about my family......arrive early or late???

We've never been to DW before and are supposedly going during one of their peak periods...first week of April. But, I've already made later dinner reservations for most of the evenings, coupled with watching fireworks or having a late night swim....with DSs being 8&9 and exhausted from the days activities, I'm not sure we would be up in time to get there the next day as the gate opens!!

We'll see!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Well, it's interesting because I've been wondering the same thing about my family......arrive early or late???

We've never been to DW before and are supposedly going during one of their peak periods...first week of April. But, I've already made later dinner reservations for most of the evenings, coupled with watching fireworks or having a late night swim....with DSs being 8&9 and exhausted from the days activities, I'm not sure we would be up in time to get there the next day as the gate opens!!

We'll see!!

If you have never been, you really need to be there when the park opens to be able to take advantage of as many attractions as possible. Then, leave the park about noon or 1PM. Go back to your hotel, get in a swim or take a short nap. Then hit the park again about 5 for the evening fun.

If you go early, there is a good chance to can do several of the more popular attractions before the lines get too long. Even EMH is usually very crowded and not a good time to hit those favorite attractions unless you want to wait in line.

 

[runner26.2]

Our family of 5 (DD9,DD6,DS3) DW and I do our best to get to the Park for opening. We like that it's not too busy and we will usually leave early afternoon when it begins to get crowded. While the children and I are morning people DW is most definately NOT. So as a compromise we don't go to the Parks everyday and she gets her well deserved beauty sleep while I do stuff around the Resorts with the kids.

We will sometimes go to a Park late afternoon but our preference is to go first thing. We only go back for fireworks, parade, character dinner so of thing.

 

[Dislifer]

You're right, you're right!!! How did you know??!!! We try every day to get there as soon as it opens, but we never succeed I know how great it is to get there when the parks open, because last Christmas we had a PS at the castle for breakfast and it's great to be there early. Too bad I can't do this more often!!!

 

[ReneeA]

My kids don't know that they are supposed to SLEEP IN on vacation...so we are up at 7:00, same as home. We all shower at night (except DH who can only shower in the a.m. to feel clean). We get moving and are out the door to grab breakfast by 7:30 or so.

I love it. We are like others who do everything we want to do in the early morning and go back to the room for a break - swim or naps or both - in the afternoon. Then we go back to the parks about the time it is cooling off.

We do not stay up late. My kids were only 2 & 3 last time we were there, and nobody would have been happy if they were out later than 8:00.

 

[jade1]

Jade! I wanna know when you go! We go in September and the crowds are low but I have never seen it that empty! Do tell...PLEASE!! LOL

I realize you are kinda kiddin, this is the first week in August EE.

 

[lillygator]

the only time we go at park opening is when we have a breakfast scheduled early!

 

[Madi100]

We think about it, and it never happens. We are always there about a half hour later. The one morning we got there early was the morning that we had PS early at Cinderella's Castle. So, we did get there early. The park was empty. Made me wish we'd done it every morning. However, we were trampled on and there weren't big crowds, and I can't remember how we would have avoided that.