How many hours do you spend in the park each day?

[wideeyes]

Hi, I was wondering how long to you manage in the parks with kids, I was talking to my mum who went last year with some of my younger cosuins (age 6 & 9) and she said after 4 hours they were fed up with the park and wanted to go back to the villa.

I have a dd(5) and am planing to go to the park early and leave about 1/2pm for a break and then return in the eveing if we want to watch fire works/parades, etc and on other days to go to the park about 3pm after spending the morning at the hotel. (we are staying at Port Orleans riverside)

 

[CoralCayTownhome]

Hi, I think you have the right idea and just be flexible. We generally go to the parks for opening time and squeeze most things in, have a bite to eat and then return for a swim at the villa. Our kids are now 11 and 6 but this suits them - when they get up each morning its "What park are we going to today?" but they are quite happy to come back and have a swim later.

If there is a specific ride or show that you want to do again just head into the parks for a short time - we did this quite a few times for Animal Kingdoms Expedition Everest

Happy planning,

Tracey

 

[CustardTart]

That's pretty much what we do - it's the beauty of staying onsite. A couple of hours here and there is how we approach it. Especially with younger ones - you don't want a Disney Meltdown! The only time we pound the themepark pavements is when we go to US/IOA but if you go early enough even that's not really necessary...

 

[JohnnySharp2]

We spread our theme park visits out over the course of the holiday, but have been lucky to have been so many times we can do things at a liesurely pace.

In addition Joshua isn't always that keen on going out in the evening, we generally spend the majority of the holiday in a villa, so we tend to visit the parks mostly in the morning.
Ensuring we get there for park opening, we generally leave after 3 hours or so when often especially in the summer the heat can get a bit much for Josh.
However, irrespective of the crowds or time of year we go, we always get there early.

 

[catherine]

Our DD's (13 & 9) have been going to the parks since they were really young and they never get fed up! We always do the parks at a leisurely pace, but we usually stay there all day. However I think that this years trip may be a bit different. Now that DD is a teenager, she is talking about doing more shopping and sunbathing by the pool etc. so I guess that we'll have to go with the flow and see how things work out!

Whatever you decide to do, I hope that you have a great trip!

 

[Goofyish]

We tend to go to the parks first thing (skipping breakfast), then have an early lunch about 11-11:30. Then around 1pm we head back to our resort for a siesta and nice swim. We then head back to the parks late afternoon for dinner and to see fireworks/evening parades. Although we are fairly flexible depending on what park we are visiting and what ADRs we have booked

 

[boff64]

Always get there for the opening and always stay to the end. We even did that with a 6 month old.

When your paying that much for entrance tickets I want to get every penny worth of value.

Always take packed lunches as the kids very quickly get sick of the same food and they prefer to eat on the hoof. Having said that Churros, Footer Hot Dogs and the odd Turkey Leg would supplement most kids diet!!!!

Joking apart we always tend to stay to the end.................cos we're enjoying so much!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Haworthfamily]

Hi
We get there as soon as we can to them opening - depends on whether we need a lie in then stay until the end with DD 5.

We rarely go out for a break, if we desperately need one we have a long lunch of iced-coffee/ice cream stop.

 

[Madjock]

We usually get there for opening with the intention of staying for a 'few' hours but always end up staying a bit longer than planned as we're having such a good time. We know though when the girls have had enough so that's when we usually take a break and head back for a swim and a rest. Whether we go back in the evenings or not just depends on how we all feel and so long as I see Wishes, Illuminations and Fantasmic at least once on the trip I'm happy.

If you don't feel up to going back to a park for the evening then DTD or the Boardwalk are entertaining and worth a visit.

 

[eyoreaud]

We usually get there for opening with the intention of staying for a 'few' hours but always end up staying a bit longer than planned as we're having such a good time. We know though when the girls have had enough so that's when we usually take a break and head back for a swim and a rest. Whether we go back in the evenings or not just depends on how we all feel and so long as I see Wishes, Illuminations and Fantasmic at least once on the trip I'm happy.

If you don't feel up to going back to a park for the evening then DTD or the Boardwalk are entertaining and worth a visit.

Yes that's what usually happens to us as well, the old "we're just gonna stay a few hours today" almost never happens though and i usually end up with very sore feet!

Wideyes, do you know that theres a boat to DTD from port orleans riverside? We used this quite a lot when we stayed there, it's great if you want to catch a movie, do some shopping and not have to drive or take the bus A lot of people don't know this exists.

 

[angel659]

Hi

It all depends really. Especially park opening hours and the weather and how the kids are feeling. Some days we had breakfast and some days we took a muffin with us and had an early lunch and stayed there for most of the day and went home. We did a lot of park hopping on our last trip, due to Mickeys Halloween party. With kids it might be worth popping back after lunch and returning early evening. Alternate some times go to the park at lunch and spend the whole day there.

I doubt very much you would of had enough of the park and want to return back to the hotel. It will be like us. The kids need a rest, but the adults want to stay. I dont understand why they had enough even the kids. This is not meant to offend you, but sometimes it can depend on who you travel with to WDW if you have a good time or not. Whether the adult party didnt enjoy it and rubbed off I dont know.

 

[Madjock]

Wideyes, do you know that theres a boat to DTD from port orleans riverside? We used this quite a lot when we stayed there, it's great if you want to catch a movie, do some shopping and not have to drive or take the bus A lot of people don't know this exists.

That boat is a great way to get to DTD The breeze could be a bit nippy in December but I would imagine would be very welcome in August (if there is any breeze in August ).

You can also hire boats at POR as well as bikes which can be another nice way to have a break from the parks.

POR is a lovely hotel

 

[wideeyes]

yes, I have looked at the resort board and lots of pictures, it does look lovely.
Very green and scenic.

 

[wideeyes]

This is not meant to offend you, but sometimes it can depend on who you travel with to WDW if you have a good time or not. Whether the adult party didnt enjoy it and rubbed off I dont know.

Well there was a reason I did not go with them,

2 familys went together, one had young children(my aunt and cousins) and the other had teenagers(my brother & sister age 17 & 18), so they had different things they wanted to do however they had only 1 car(a mini bus) and 1 driver(my dad) so everyone had to go to the same park, places and shopping malls each day as they stayed in a villa so no transport.

 

[wicket2005]

Just play it my ear. The first time we went the kids were 7 and 5 and we just stayed in the chosen park all day. The kids didn't get bored because they were having a good time. First time at the parks you want to do every single ride in each one.

Now we are going for the 6th time and do not feel the need to do every single thing. We pick what we want to do and any other rides are add ons if the lines are small after we have done the chosen ones.

We always, always hit the parks early and recommend this tactic otherwise you will hit large lines and kids will get bored in them. Currently we aim to get to the parks before they open, hit the rides we want to go on and then jump out back to the hotel for a swim before jumping back into another park in the afternoon/evening. We spend the vast majority of the time in the parks.

 

[carolfoy]

I never park hop, just don't see the point if you've got a 14 day ticket, we'd go to a park and either spend a whole morning there and retire for swimming at POFQ in the afternoon and DTD in the evening or spend the morning by the pool and head for a park for afternoon and evening. we made our ADRs on a lunch one day/ dinner next day basis so we never had to be in a certain place for more than one meal a day

 

[fizz13]

I worked it to about 7 hours a day, there for park opening till about 1pm, then a swim break, and back out about 5pm till close, but the evening hours normally centre around a meal and fireworks or a show, with a couple of attractions so the evenings are more relaxed, I have never been to evening EMH yet, so these have never figured in my calculation