Discretionary time at Disney

[Masonmj84]

Which mindset do you lean more toward (realizing that many people may fall somewhere in between and that there are no right or wrong answers):

Mindset A:
I err on spending as much time as possible in the parks. What makes Disney unique is parks and attractions and, for me, getting the most bang for the buck at Disney means getting as much park and attraction time as possible. Along those lines, Disney is not a place I go to chill at a resort or spend time in restaurants. If I want that type of a vacation, there are plenty of places to go that are better than Disney (from both a cost and value perspective).

Mindset B:
I err on doing a mix of parks, resorts, and dining. While I enjoy the parks, I can only take so much of them, especially when they get too crowded or hot. Disney is not only unique for its parks but also its resorts and restaurants and, for me, maximizing my vacation at Disney includes enjoying all of what it has to offer. Along those lines, I usually reach a point each day where I'd rather spend time hanging out by the pool or eating at a table service restaurant than jostling crowds or waiting in lines.

 

[BrianL]

I am mostly an "A" but with some time for dining as I really enjoy the food. Most of my dining choices will be in-park, but I don't mind taking the time for them.

 

[rpb718]

Been there as an A, and done that plenty. Now I'm a solid B.

 

[Tondee]

A...park commando!

 

[Fizban]

I'm a "C" person. Let's wake up in the morning and "C" what kind of a day I am in the mood for.

 

[Alesia]

Definitely A. I can sit around and do nothing at home for free.

 

[LizzyS]

A all the way!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I am an A, but far from commando. We do the parks all day every day, but at a very casual pace.

 

[GaryDis]

I don't err. Whatever I choose to do is perfect for me; ymmv. Sometimes I'll choose A, sometimes B, sometimes I'll change my mind mid-day.

 

[Magpie]

We're Bs! The one time I tried to go all day with my husband, just a morning at MK followed by an afternoon at AK, nothing crazy, he ended up napping on a bench at Rafiki's Planet Watch and wanting to go back to our resort at 5 (missing the awesomeness of that last hour at AK).

Now I make sure we get our afternoon nap every day. If that means we never see a 3pm parade, so be it!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I'm a bit of both. I am mostly A except I do lunch ADR's sometimes for a break or I take a break of a few hours in my room at the resort mostly before heading back into the parks.

When I find myself getting frustrated with crowds or lines, I'll do more time at the resort like I did when we split our stay as a family at AoA and AKL. By the time we'd gotten to AKL, I was with the teens only and all of us were tired of the crowds (Memorial Weekend) so we spent more time at AKL. I loved doing that and was glad I'd booked us a Savannah View Room since we spent so much time in the room that time.

 

[Figmentmommy]

I'm definitely a park person from morning until night - late night. That being said I don't often rope drop - but often close the park. I also love taking time for a sit down meal every day. I do also believe in getting the most for my money -like Alesia said if I wanted to do nothing all day I'd just stay home. So maybe I'm a little bit of both. Thank goodness DH & kids are the same way!

 

[RyannB]

Mostly A, but we do do one TS a day, usually dinner.

 

[kmb584]

I'm definitely an "A" person! Regardless of where I vacation I like to be on the go from the time I step out of the resort room until my head hits the pillow at night. I went on numerous "B" vacations as a child, teen, and young adult, and was bored senseless by the second day.

 

[loves to dive]

Like GaryDis I don't err but I'm sorta kinda a B. I just kind of go with the flow, start in one park, hop over to another, have a TS meal, go to the pool, it's all good. I don't get bored with the parks and the crowds and lines don't bother me, but I rarely spend all day in any one park and I don't rush around either, I'm southern we go slow.

 

[Happy_2_B]

Was an A for many trips. Now a B. Don't necessarily agree that there are better resorts to stay at for a vacation from a cost/value perspective as a generalized rule. We just got back from England- $750.00 USD per night at the Intercontinental at One Park Lane in London. AKL is much less than that per night- the rooms are bigger- and where else can you sit on your balcony- enjoy room service- and watch animals roam the savannah other than on a trip to Africa? It all depends on your point of view I guess

 

[Colleen27]

Much more A to be sure. With the kids, I'm a "let's ride everything!" type. On my own I do fewer rides but fill my time with in-park entertainment, especially the musical acts. I'm not very good at sitting still, even at home, and it is really the last thing I want to do on vacation.

 

[Planogirl]

I'm an "A". I enjoy nice resorts but it being a Disney resort isn't necessary and the food is for the most part rather humdrum. That said we do enjoy some of the restaurants and other out of park attractions but it's the parks that pull us back.

 

[ArwenMarie]

A. We may do shorter days sometimes but we never skip a whole day while we are there.

 

[Eeyore's Girl]

I am an A in that I like to stay on the go, and there was a time when that meant staying in the park the entire day. We'll be there in a couple of weeks and I intend to stay busy (no naps for me!), but some of the days will be spent having non-Disney experiences, such as visiting some of the state parks and wildlife preserves, while other days will, in fact, be rope drop until closing days.