Is it possible to sleep in and still enjoy the parks?

[newholidayx2]

we're planning on not going to the parks at opening for 10 of our mornings - we may however sit at the pool (DS can join me when he's ready) or plan a brkfst PS

We WILL be going to the parks 4 mornings at their regular openings (each park once)

 

[Leota]

Even tho I am a morning person now by habit, I have never been at a Park for the Opening (which I plan to do this trip somehow, since I am normally up at 5:30 am anyways)
We alternate some early mornings & late nights followed by late mornings late nights..... We always get tons done in the first & last hours the Parks are open.

I think it can be done (maybe not during Peak Holiday season). Even for first-time or only time visitors. A vacation should be whatever makes the individual happiest. If that's sleeping in & not going commando, then that's how the person will have the best experience. Our first trip, we were pretty leisurely (we didn't have any idea that we "should" be commando) & we fell in love with WDW. Commando came later....

 

[blitzkrieg048]

It's tough b/c you're in the mid summer but we're going in June and we will do a park like every other day so wee can sleep in on some days. You're going for a long stay so you should be able to do both.

 

[TammyAlphabet]

Last December, I went to Disney with my two kids, without my DH. I decided that letting the kids sleep in each morning would mean that would not be so tired and cranky. I am usually a commando. And I did think that we could have done more, but I have now joined DVC, so, I am determined to relax and keep in mind that many more trips are coming.

 

[vettechick99]

The earliest we got up on our last trip in October was 8 am (me 8:00, DH 9:00). We usually didn't head out of the resort door until 10 or so.

Pros: If you like to stay out late at PI or EMH, you won't be tired or hungover the next day. And frankly, sleeping in is fun...it is a vacation!

Cons: Getting to the parks at 10 or 11 is not the best strategy for hitting a lot of rides. You won't get to ride as many than if you got up and did EMH. If that's ok with you, go for it!

DH and I are the king and queen of lazy park-hopping and we did all of our favorite rides several times (of course this is dependent on what time of the year you go!)

I like the suggestion of getting up early every other day. It's all about compromise!

 

[HappyLawyer]

You are on vacation, sleep in relax and pace yourself, one post said disney spends this much on an attraction, so what, none of this money goes to you, we all know disney is not inexpensive so we don't need anyone using that to justify why you should get up early, i think there are some advantages of heading out later - you miss traffic, and those who do go early leave earlier, if you want to sleep in go for it, this is a time for you to enjoy how ever you see fit, if you leave later and it does not work for you then hey, you have the next day to leave a little earlier,
whatever you decide just make sure you have the time of your life, your way, make the magic your own way

 

[HappyLawyer]

I have promised DH that our July trip (17th -26th - I think) will be much more laid back. To him that means not getting up at the crack of dawn and getting to the parks as soon as they open. While we usually don't take advantage of EMH - I do like to be at a non-EMH park about 30 minutes before the gates open. I know, I know, I'm a freak! But I just love being able to see every single attraction in Fantasyland in and hour and a half - I love getting in Space Mountain and Splash Mountain early in the day. Then I kind of feel like we can take it easy and just play it by ear after noon or so when the parks get absolutely packed.

We have been to DW several times together and I was just there with my little sister over Christmas - so it's not like we have to see and do everything. We are also going to be there for 8 or 9 days - so we should have plenty of time.

I guess what I want to know is - does anyone have any suggestions for navigating the parks during the most crowded parts of the day? I'm sure we'll use fastpass but other than that I don't have a clue.

TIA!

I avoid the parks on Saturday's and some Sunday's it is more crowded to me during this time.

 

[John Dobbertin]

Just hope more & more folks will take that lolling around attitude. WDW is a great place to sleep-in. Stay poolside. Just hang out.

 

[sleepyone]

I am not a moring person either but, at WDW I'm the last one asleep *thinking wake up kids; let's go see fireworks!*. I'm also the first one awake *thinking let's go meet Mickey*.

Our last vacation (also the first) to WDW we got to the parks around lunchtime every day! We didn't get to ride lots of the rides at MK: Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain RR, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, Peter Pan, etc.. We missed all of the World Showcase! There was only enough time for Future World.

How do I wake these folks up? Oh, yeah maybe I should mention the kids were 7, 2, 8 mos.

 

[Mickey76]

I personally don't know how one could enjoy WDW by sleeping in. When I'm on vacation at WDW, I want to do as much as possible, and that means getting up between 6:30 and 7 most of the time for me. I don't mind getting only 6, sometimes 5, hours of sleep when I'm there. I never know when I'll be there again, so I might as well get as much done as possible. I can sleep on the plane on the way home.

 

[John Dobbertin]

These are my kind of folks: Wake up in time to catch the fireworks! Wish there were a lot more WDW fans like that.

 

[GoofyBanker]

Our family has been so much now that we hit our favorite rides at each park and do so at a more relaxed pace. Unfortunately for those that will only go once or twice in their lifetime, only one way to do it.........RUN from dawn till dusk, wear yourselves completely out and when your kids are whinning too much (because they are exhausted) stop and take a food break or ice cream and start all over again until closing time and then get up and do it all over again the next day. Plan on an extra day or two at home after your WDW "vacation" so you can rest up to go back to work. When we went our first couple times with the mentality that we would only get to go those couple times, that's what we did and we had a blast but we were completely exhausted and needed a week off just to rest up again.

 

[John Dobbertin]

For about the same amount the family-of-four is going to spend on a WDW outing, they could stay at The Ritz (or Four Seaons). Then there would be absolutely no "pressure" to ever get out of bed on "commando" excursions -- not even to wake up in time for the fireworks!

 

[Disneyonmymind]

In the summer, the parks are open late, and most people just can't hang that late so the parks clear out nicely at the end. If you are a late night person, rather than an early bird, you can ride all of the most popular rides during that last hour or so before close. Bonus is that it's so much cooler in the late evening and so pretty with all of the lights.

Jackie