How many rides per day?

Blue32

DIS Veteran
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Mar 21, 2012
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I am curious to know how many rides some of you usually get to in a given day? We will be going offseason so the hours will be reduced and we will be touring with our kids (6 and 4) so the pace will be leisurely. I am just wondering how many rides/attractions to plan on doing per day.... Thanks!
 
The average at DLR is about 9 per day. This includes all guests such as people who visit and do not like to go on rides. And people like local AP holders who may only stop in for a few hours at a time.

Those on forums like this are savvy and, in many cases, more focused on rides and can easily do 20 per day and if we try hard 30 or more.
 
Last month we spent 2 1/2 days in the park. It was during off season hours and we took a 2 hour break for naps each day (for my 1yr old & 3 1/2 year old).

In the 2 1/2 days we were there we rode over 30 rides
 
Just pulled up the pictures from our DL trip to check (we took a picture on every ride the first day). Mom (32yo) and DD (7yo) went on 24 attractions. This accounts for things like a trip on the Monorail as 1 ride, and the Train as 1 ride, and the trip to and from the Island as 1 ride... As well as seeing Captain EO, It's Tough To Be A Bug, climbing the tree house, and such.

I don't think we "hurried" at all. We got there around 9:30 or 10am on a Sunday (so, not at rope drop). I heard everyone tends to head to the right, so we went to the left, and started with the Jungle Cruise and Indiana Jones first. We hit multiple things at DLR and DCA, because DD BEGGED for The Little Mermaid to be her first ride--but we compromised, and made it a first day ride instead of the very first ride.

I didn't take pictures of it, but it sure seems like we did the Tiki Room that first day, too, because I *needed* to stop for a Dole Whip ;)

We didn't do any sit-down meals that first day. We did the free breakfast at the hotel, hot dogs for lunch, and ... I can't remember what we did for dinner. I think corn dogs maybe? LOL... At any rate, we weren't eating enough to feel like a beached whale, so we didn't really take much time out from riding and doing things :)

Oh, and this was during "ski week" (Feb 26-March 3), so it was "off season" but kids were still out of school in the area. (Stupid ski week!)
 

We were there over our Spring Break April 2 & 3. Busy days in the parks. The first day we started at 8:30 AM and went with no breaks until Fireworks and rode 16 rides between the 2 parks. Day 2 we didn't get started until 11 and did primarily DCA until 5:00 PM, riding 7 rides (we were really dragging that day), went back to hotel until 7:00 when we returned to DL and did 5 more and then had to leave in the middle of fireworks because one of my kids got sick...so 12 rides that day.
 
We got a lot of rides done each of the three days we were at DLR in early January - peak crowds. However, it was far too overwhelming for DD2. She cried during most of the rides on our first day at DL.

I would suggest taking it slow and focusing on the experience as a whole, rather than the number of rides taken. You can split up the adults (or take turns with the older child) to get the 'big' rides done. We will be making plenty of time on our upcoming trip just to stroll around the various lands, take the train all the way around, ride the monorail, etc. And actually get in the DLH pool - we skipped the PP pool last time (cold, and time constraints). Hoping to make more time for small snacks and impromptu character meets, too.
 
During off-season last year, we got in A LOT of rides on a weekday. The first day we arrived (Tues) we were able to ride my DD6's favorites over and over again. That day, we did most of DL. Then we went over to DCA and rode rides in multiples. There were just no long lines. We had enough time left over for my DD to play at the Redwood Creek Challenge for hours. That was a WEEKDAY. Then the WEEKEND came, and then it was a different story. The day we left was a Saturday, got there @ 8 a.m., got in 3 rides by 12 p.m. So I think even during off season, there's a big difference between weekdays and weekends. I'm assuming the opening of Cars Land will make this year much busier too. I don't think I'd be able to survive the peak seasons...:scared:
 
Make a list of the rides you want to do. Paying close attention to where they are located and whether or not they have fast passes. Try to avoid running back and forth across the park. With a 4 and 6 year old, they can get tired (adults never do;)). Once you've looked at the rides that look like ones you want to do, I bet you'll see that number as far more doable than the 54 or whatever that there are total. Plus, use rides like the Jungle Cruise, the train and the Monorail as rest rides. When you are ready for a rest, ride one of these. You'll get at least 10-15 minutes rest time.

We have three kids. We've had AP to DL since 1995. I took my kids to the park at 6 wks, 4 wks and even 2 wks (for the youngest). They are now 14, 12 and 9. And we've been to WDW on average every other year. We have found that when we focus on what the kids want to do, and go at their pace, resting when they need to rest, that we have more fun, than when we try to make dinner reservations, or the rope drop (though my kids are early risers, so that last bit is easy). I was also raised by a woman who said, "If you do it all this time, what will there be to do the next time." We didn't like it, but it holds true for so much in life.

Have a great time. hth.
 
We usually get between 18-25 attractions a day (with a long nap break in high season, and often no break in the 10:00 - 8:00 off-season days). We get in the most rides on the shortest days.
 











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