For those that midday break, how long?

[Magpie]

For those of you that have younger children and head back to the parks around 5-6, how do you keep them on a normal bedtime schedule? Debating on whether I should be pretty rigid with my son's schedule (bedtime between 7-8 usually) or if we just let it fly and enjoy some things at night. He'll be 13 months at the time of travel.

I'd vote for whatever keeps you sane.

Some babies are good at going with the flow and mellow about changes to their routine. Others melt down and scream for hours.

You know your son best!

If he can handle being out at night, and still sleep decently well in the resort room afterward, great! But if he can't, and if it's going to ruin everyone's sleep, then it isn't worth it.

When my kids were that age (we didn't go to Disney, but in general when we travelled), we'd usually spend the morning and early afternoon out and then spend the rest of the day relaxing and turn in early. But that was just what worked for us. Disney resorts are excellent for relaxing, by the way. You son will have a great time in the pool, and there are movies outside every night. It's not like you'd be stuck sitting in your resort room for hours, bored.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

The only park I wouldn’t take a break in is magic kingdom as it’s too much of a hassle to get to the parking lot ferry/monorail combo.

Plus I like to venture out to get better priced better quality food...and take a power nap!

 

[NYCgrrl]

The only park I wouldn’t take a break in is magic kingdom as it’s too much of a hassle to get to the parking lot ferry/monorail combo.

Plus I like to venture out to get better priced better quality food...and take a power nap!

However if you are staying at a monorail hotel MK is the easiest park to get to.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

However if you are staying at a monorail hotel MK is the easiest park to get to.

One day @NYCgrrl...one day.

 

[NYCgrrl]

One day @NYCgrrl...one day.

....if you go camping for about 10 years listening to your SO saying the sameeeeee thing when you begin planning ( "You know I HATE camping?!") first...a monorail hotel can be in yer future too .

 

[bluejasmine]

My husband and I started mid day breaks so that we could enjoy our resorts more, we typically stay on the monorail line so that makes it easy.
We rope drop and eat lunch a bit earlier and leave between 1/30 & 2 and come back between 5 &6 normally. We will normally go to the pool and relax there and then shower and put on some fresh clothes for the evening meal and park time.

We use to tour commando from park opening to closing but we find we really enjoy this way of doing the parks better, plus we always take one day off from the parks from a 9 day stay, to sleep in, relax, maybe rent a cabana or a boat, it becomes more of a vacation instead of rushing around

 

[lovethesun12]

I think park hours will have a lot to do with how beneficial a break is. We go during Easter so often are at the park at 630am for a 7am (EMH) opening. By 12:30pm we are tired and we can take a 6h break, return at 6:30pm, and still have up to 6h (sometimes 8h when extra magic hours are until 1 or 2am) of park time left. This is so different from a 9am opening and early closing.

For a 9am opening, we wouldn't have an early wake up, crowds probably wouldn't be as bad (hence the late opening) so we might skip a break in that case. Although we always go over Easter so can't comment from experience

 

[Bete]

We do EMH and end our time with lunch between noon and 1 pm. Once in a while we will go to 2 pm if we can snag a 4th FP after lunch.

We stay at values; so, the bus rides and naps will end up being 4-5 hours depending on the time of the year before getting back to a park.

I have done this style of parking for at least 10 years. We wouldn't do it any other way.

 

[AFwifelife]

For those of you that have younger children and head back to the parks around 5-6, how do you keep them on a normal bedtime schedule? Debating on whether I should be pretty rigid with my son's schedule (bedtime between 7-8 usually) or if we just let it fly and enjoy some things at night. He'll be 13 months at the time of travel.

Depends on how they are doing. Most times though we are still back to the hotel around bedtime. After our break, we go to a different park for dinner and to do one or two more things.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

For those of you that have younger children and head back to the parks around 5-6, how do you keep them on a normal bedtime schedule? Debating on whether I should be pretty rigid with my son's schedule (bedtime between 7-8 usually) or if we just let it fly and enjoy some things at night. He'll be 13 months at the time of travel.

I've seen children that age who will fall asleep in the stroller and be fine; other ones who must go back to the room. I had one of each type. We recently traveled with friends that had 2/3 who would sleep in the stroller. Good idea to have a quality stroller. PSA - please, please remember the sun - head to toe. I have seen so many babies frying in the Florida sun while sleeping.

 

[gtpoohbear]

When the kids were little, we would leave the Park after lunch (around 1-2pm) and come back in time for dinner (around 6-7pm). And usually have time for a couple of rides after dinner, then fireworks/parade/shows/etc.

Now that they are older, and because we no longer go in the summer (when the afternoons are unbearably hot), we do full park days (open to close), but take a whole rest day in between.

 

[Elle :)]

I bow down to the greatness in all of you people that can rope drop AND stay until park close. I'm just not able to do that. My body starts to shut down by noon (I literally start dragging my feet and acting like a cranky 5 year old...not cute). It gets too hot and too crowded for me to enjoy myself.

We RD and usually leave the parks around 12-1pm. Get food, swim and/or nap, take a relaxing bath, and head back to the parks for around 6pm. It works out perfectly because you feel relaxed and refreshed. Plus, the sun is going down and no longer trying to sear the flesh from my bones.

 

[Southernmiss]

Our family of 6, all 14 and older, 2 years ago stayed at Ft. Wilderness Cabins. We arrive abt 30 minutes after park opening, stay until 1 or 2, back to the cabin for our big meal of the day ready in the crockpot, rest, nap and return to the parks abt 5 or 6 until EMH ends.

This is the way we love to tour.

Cracks me up when dh and I are ready to go back but the 'kids' are hard to get up from their naps about midway through our trip!

 

[JennyMP03]

I bow down to the greatness in all of you people that can rope drop AND stay until park close. I'm just not able to do that. My body starts to shut down by noon (I literally start dragging my feet and acting like a cranky 5 year old...not cute). It gets too hot and too crowded for me to enjoy myself.

We RD and usually leave the parks around 12-1pm. Get food, swim and/or nap, take a relaxing bath, and head back to the parks for around 6pm. It works out perfectly because you feel relaxed and refreshed. Plus, the sun is going down and no longer trying to sear the flesh from my bones.

Same. I'm a 33-year-old baby and naptime is absolutely crucial to keeping me functional at Disney World. Or, at the very least, some time lounging by the pool with a drink.

Like many have said, I aim for RD, lunch between 11-1, and then return to the hotel for 3-4 hours. Return to the park for FP beginning 5-6 and a nighttime show.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Two hours for me usually. I leave the park whenever, stay at the resort for 2 hours and then go back to the park. So depending on travel time I could be out of the park for 3 hours maybe a bit more than that.

When our kids were little, it would usually be closer to 4 hours because of nap time.

 

[AllieBoo]

We go in early June when it is pretty hot, so we normally leave about 1:00 pm and head back to the resort to swim or nap. We usually head back to a park about 5:30-6:00 pm.

 

[crostorfer]

We used to go at rope drop, leave before noon, and then go back around 5, or whenever we have a dinner reservation. I still believe that is the best way to tour the parks, and that is still the advice I give people.

Now that my kid is a teenager, she's turned into a bit of a traitor and has rebelled against my fool-proof touring system, and that has all been shot to crap. I just have to go with the whim of my husband and daughter. I've been officially out-voted. Grrrrrrr.

 

[Bullseye]

The only park I wouldn’t take a break in is magic kingdom as it’s too much of a hassle to get to the parking lot ferry/monorail combo.

Plus I like to venture out to get better priced better quality food...and take a power nap!

See I'm just the opposite, MK is the one park I have to get out of by mid-day. It just gets so mobbed. Plus mid-day you can usually get first monorail out so I'm back at the resort within 30-40 minutes.

 

[Linleedo]

We go to parks at rope drop and stay until around two o'clock. Then we head back to the resort for pool, nap(sometimes), shower , and get ready for dinner/ park time. It's so refreshing! The only problem is during high humidity when thunder storms are nearby.( I can't remember how many miles for the lightening strikes). But, Disney will close the pools. One trip, we only got to use the pool midday for two days. It was sunny and gorgeous, but because the lightning was within the "range", no pool

 

[goofyintoronto]

When i'd go with my DS, it would always be in August. Due to the heat and humidity, we'd leave the park around noon-1pm....then we go to a different park in the afternoon, usually around 4pm-5pm. The midday breaks are a must to recharge.

When i go solo (in Oct).....no break.