going back for midday break??

[surgefest]

If the parks are only open from 10-8 and 10-6 do you still think its worth it to go back for a midday break to let the crowds die down and then go back at night?? Thanks!

 

[DangerMouse]

Do you have young kids? If so, then yes, I would recommend a short mid-day break. My kids are all over age 7, and with those kinds of hours, we skip the mid-day walk back to the hotel, and just rest by doing a show (Aladdin, Billy Hill & the Hillbilles, etc.) and having a nice sit-down lunch.

 

[Judy from Boise]

I think it depends on the weakest link in the group. Other things like may work like a break without heading back to the hotel include seeing the Alladin show, having a sit down meal, or spending time in the animation building at DCA. All of these work well in the late afternoon heat.

 

[avalon451]

Depends on how you feel, how your kids are doing, how busy the park is, and how many days total you are there.

If you're there for only 2-3 days, your kids are older and don't get wiped out, and the parks aren't, like, slamming, sure, you could hang out all day. I'd just take a bit of a break somewhere quiet in the parks for a half hour or an hour when you get tired midafternoon, like for a snack break on the lower level of Hungry Bear restaurant (with goodies from Pooh's Corner, MMmmmm). Or Pirate's Lair, or Redwood Challenge in CA.

If you're there for 3-5 days, your kids are younger (say 10 and younger); you'll have lots of time to get everything in, and still take midday breaks. Breaks are wonderful (for the parents as well as the kids), because you can just get sensory overload after awhile. If you're staying in walking distance, even 2 hours out of the parks is very refreshing. I would avoid feeling like you must be running full tilt at all times to "get the full worth" out of your stay.

I always remember reading that part in Unofficial Guide from a mom who said, "Take the nap, take the nap, TAKE THE NAP!" Because she would start seeing, around 5 p.m., cranky kids who finally fell asleep in their strollers JUST about the time the parents wanted them to be awake and polite for their Blue Bayou PS's, etc. And the parents would be cranky, too.

When we were there in Oct. and the parks closed at 6 and 8, we still took breaks and enjoyed them very much. We were there for 3 full days and 2 partial days, and had plenty of time to do all we wanted.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

i need them because of my own problems but i think we will always just plan on them they do work an then you go back in time for the night time stuff

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

If your kids are very young I'd get a stroller and let them sleep in it if they need a nap. That's also a good time for you and any other adults to do baby swap rides, or if you need a break take one in a quiet place while the other adults in your party ride on SR or FP rides. If they are older than 5, then no way Jose! You can sleep in the room when the park closes. They'll have a good 12+ hours to recuperate if it closes at 6!
With that said, we go every year, so I no longer feel the need to literally run(or speed walk) from one attraction to another, and I am far more relaxed in my approach to touring the park. My thinking is if I don't get to ride it this year, then I'll go next year. I still haven't been on TSMM because I won't stand in a line that's longer than 30 minutes. Forgetaboutit. I didn't ride Nemo until this past January -- again because I refused to waste valuable park time waiting in any line for longer than 30 minutes. Unless the park is packed to the gills and all the rides have longer wait times than 30 minutes, there is no reason to stand in long lines anymore for me, and no reason to run around the park freaking out over how many FP I need to avoid the lines. So I guess I am more relaxed than most average travelers. OTOH, if the park is closing early, then it's probably not a high attendance date anyway. Just so you know, I will freak out about FP if the park is packed to the gills!

 

[wdhinn89]

No

 

[Kayla's Mom]

I have 2 daughters ages 2 and 7, we have never taken breaks back at the hotel, my younger daughter naps in the stroller if she is tired (or while riding on DH's shoulders in one instance!). DD7 was the same way, she just napped in the stroller. I know this doesn't work for all kids, but that is the way we have always done it.