How to relax during park day without returning to hotel?

[SwanVT2]

For our MK day we want to stay through the electrical parade and wishes. We won't have a super early morning, but will need to relax after some rides, quick service lunch, and a few more rides. We plan to have dinner at tony's before finding a seat to hold for the parade. How should we relax (with DD 4)? Ride the monorail, stop at a playground, take the boat to Wilderness? TIA!

 

[cmarsh31]

My personal favorites for a full MK day
Tom Sawyer's Island - great for kids to just run around and play
Hall of Presidents - perfect for a nap during the show (comfy seats, air conditioning, and dark)

 

[Baklava]

We do table service meals as breaks. Monorail loops are good if you can get seats, but you may find yourself fighting a crowd and standing for the first chunk. We like to just find a bench and people watch.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

FW is a great escape. ..take the ferry over and hang out in the shade by their playground. Go check out their horses and other animals if any are out... very relaxing

 

[roseaster]

Hall of Presidents
Monorail
Railroad
visit one of the monorail hotels
visit Ft. Wilderness or Wilderness Lodge
Tomorrowland Travel Authority

 

[jvz82]

I am curious about this too. We had initially decided we would go back to the hotel for a couple hours during the afternoon so the toddler could nap and we could relax, but honestly with 4 young kids the thought of transporting everyone back to the hotel and then back to the park again later sounds like a lot of work too. I'd love to get the toddler to nap during a show or something and then find a shady place to just hang out and people watch. But maybe I'm fooling myself and that really won't be relaxing at all.

I had also thought about the baby stations. They are air conditioned and often have Disney movies playing. I wondered about just hanging out there for an hour during the afternoon. I doubt I can get the toddler to nap, but the big kids would be happy to watch TV for a bit.

 

[roseaster]

When I had toddlers and babies in the park we always made sure we brought our own stroller, that reclined, so that they were comfortable. When they were at the point they needed a nap we would sit down somewhere preferably shady and out of sight of a lot of stimuli and have a snack.

We kept it low key, not a lot of running around and shouting. The toddlers/babies would usually fall asleep. With my daughter who is a witch when woken up we threw a beach towel or baby blanket over the stroller to make it darker.

While the napper napped the other parent would take the other kids on bigger rides that the little one/s couldn't ride or do one of the adventure games.

 

[uccats97]

Some good low key attractions:
Carousel of Progress
PeopleMover
Monsters Inc Laugh Floor
Mickey's Philharmagic
The Enchanted Tiki Room
Country Bears Jamboree
Hall of Presidents
Walt Disney World Railroad
The indoor air conditioned playground in the Dumbo queue

Ride the ferry to the TTC, catch the monorail to Epcot, ride it back to the TTC, ride the ferry back to MK.

Ride the boat to Wilderness Lodge and go inside the main lobby. There are lots of couches and rocking chairs (indoor and outdoor) all around to sit and enjoy the atmosphere. You can walk over to the Villas and sit inside the much smaller, more quaint lobby too. Very peaceful!

 

[Marbel]

Do they make you leave the Hall of Presidents after a show or can you stay for 2 shows back to back? Just curious

 

[mm1971]

For our MK day we want to stay through the electrical parade and wishes. We won't have a super early morning, but will need to relax after some rides, quick service lunch, and a few more rides. We plan to have dinner at tony's before finding a seat to hold for the parade. How should we relax (with DD 4)? Ride the monorail, stop at a playground, take the boat to Wilderness? TIA!

Grab a snack and head over to Tom Sawyer Island. You can hang on the porch along the water, relax and watch the riverboat, people across the river and if the kids get anxious, they can go adventure around the island.

 

[cyneswith]

Tom Sawyer Island, people watching, baby care centers... If it were only DS, I'd hit TSI after lunch then just wander the parks for a few hours - check out gift shops while he relaxed in the stroller. (DS needs downtime, but he doesn't nap. It is possible that DD could nap in the stroller, and DS could space out in one too, but I'd rather PLAN an interrupted day than have a too-full plan and be disappointed to not hit X, Y, and Z.)

 

[DopeyDame]

We're big fans of physically getting out of the park. The quiet rides and Tom Sawyers island are great for a little break, but sometimes you really just need to leave the crowd and be some place totally different.
The ferry between MK and TTC is great - typically they'll let you stay on it so you can just ride back and forth and back and forth. One of the best naps my son had the whole trip!
The monorail wasn't quite so good. There are a lot of stops and you can't really find an out of the way corner like you can on the boat.
So if you want to do the monorail, I'd take it to one of the hotels (contemporary lobby has a ton of nice cool quiet corners).
I also love the idea of Fort Wilderness and the playground - it's right near the boat dock and a lot of fun.

 

[declansdad]

TTA is a great spot to relax. If it's not busy you can stay one and do more than one loop.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Fort Wilderness is nice and just a boat ride away. Also as other posters have said Contemporary has a great cool lobby. I also enjoy just sitting on the seats outside Sleepy Hallow treats getting an ice cream and watching the world go by!

 

[StephanieCL]

I am going to have to note these. Traveling with a 2 yr old. We are taking a reclining stroller that she usually can pass out in. Don't want to go back to the rm but I'll if we have to .

 

[may12th]

People mover is our go to for a short break. We grab a snack and just sit with our family and relax for a bit.

 

[Bluegrrl]

Polynesian resort is nice, and I think Trader Sam's is open for lunch? If not, Captian Cooks is. We usually grap a baked potato from the stand, clam chowder from harbor house and other food from there and eat on the second story. If your lucky, you can snag a window seat where you can see a bit of the parade.

 

[Pesky]

People Mover
Tom Sawyer's Island
Liberty Belle
Carousel of Progress
Train
Agree with maybe visiting some of the other resorts. I don't think I'd try HoP because I remember having to go there with my parents and thought I was going to be bored to death. Of course, I was a tween and that is a common malady at that age. But she might get a wee bit antsy. Good thought by pp on the ferry too!

 

[Neotericisis]

This is a great post! We do plan on leaving the park in the afternoon, but we are a large group so that may not pan out. It is good to have options.