Is it really possible to leave WDW for lunch?

[carefree]

Hi all,

We are a family of 5 heading to WDW in Feb and were wondering if it's actually feasible to leave the resort for lunch and a nap or would it be a huge effort and waste of time?

EDIT: Oh, I should add that we are staying at Coral Cay in Kissimmee! LOL

We worry that spending the entire day from 9am-9pm might be overkill for our kids ages 7-9.

thanks!

 

[mm1971]

Hi all,

We are a family of 5 heading to WDW in Feb and were wondering if it's actually feasible to leave the resort for lunch and a nap or would it be a huge effort and waste of time?

We worry that spending the entire day from 9am-9pm might be overkill for our kids ages 7-9.

thanks!

Are you staying on property or off? It makes a difference in my opinion. If you are on property, yes it is very easy. We actually do it frequently. We will go early and beat the crowds/heat. We head back to the room for a quiet lunch and a swim. Then we return between 4 and 5PM for the night. We don't do it everyday, but a couple of times during our stay. It does depend on the weather and how busy it is when you are there. In the offseason, it is usually just as easy to go a little later and just stay until you get tired. You can take the bus back to your rooms or if you drive it usually is pretty quick.

If you are off property I would say it's not really easy to do. You need to get back to your car, drive all the way to your condo/house, make lunch and then get back in the car and drive all the way back. Even for locations close, it is an extra step.

You can bring lunch to the park with you, maybe that is a better solution. They have lockers and/or you could just bring a small cooler. Find a quiet spot and relax and have lunch. Just an idea.

I'm sure others will have differing opinions. It really depends on your family. Much easier on property in my opinion.

 

[carefree]

Thanks! I forgot to point out that we are staying in Kissimmee and driving to the park. We do plan to bring a lunch, but I was thinking more along the lines of down-time for the kids. I expect that if we arrive at 8am or so, they will be emotionally toast by 1pm or sooner!

 

[Happyjen27]

It was mandatory for us. The one day we tried to stay for a length of time this past trip (8:30AM-4PM at DHS), it was a disaster. The kids went from my normal sweeties into bratty acting out brats.

I wouldn't care how much work it is, going forward I will enjoy the parks for 4-6 hours MAX and then get out. Perhaps return, perhaps not.

 

[spiderman]

oh yes we do it all the time. we have went for something to eat and a little shopping leaving the park around 2pm and returning at 6 pm. still gives you plenty of time to enjoy in the cooler evenings.

 

[crisi]

In February, I wouldn't. In the Summer, absolutely. Hours are short in February and it may take you an hour just to get out of the park and back to your resort (it can take twenty minutes or more to get to your car from the back of the parks). And an hour to get back to where you were - plus your lunch time and your nap time. And its cool in February. If you are tired and you need a break, find a quiet attraction (Hall of Presidents, Spaceship Earth), see a show that you need to sit for (especially at DHS) head over to one of the resorts and look around - you can enjoy the lobbies. Ride the monorail between Epcot and the MK. Peoplewatch in the parks.

But I'd plan on arriving at 8:45, not at 8am. We never arrive before 8:40 or so at the earliest.

 

[mm1971]

Thanks! I forgot to point out that we are staying in Kissimmee and driving to the park. We do plan to bring a lunch, but I was thinking more along the lines of down-time for the kids. I expect that if we arrive at 8am or so, they will be emotionally toast by 1pm or sooner!

Are you going over Feb. vacation? If not, the crowds should be lower and much easier to get most of your stuff in before early afternoon. Then you could just head back and relax the rest of the day without having to worry about the commute back. Then if you decide to go, you go.

If it's over February vacation, it is possible to have park closures preventing you from getting back in, but those are usually only mid day when the park(s) are busiest and by 4Pm they are open again.

I don't think we have every stayed open to close without taking at least a short break. You could always jump on the monorail and go relax in the lobby of the Floridian or Polynesian. No charge!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Not a big deal except at Magic Kingdom. I would try to stick it out all day there.

FWIW, my 6-year-old needed no midday breaks when we were there June of 2012. You might get lucky too.

 

[msmama]

We don't do breaks, but we don't do full days either.

If we are at RD, we usually stay until dinner time (maybe eat and then leave, often dinners at the resort).

Another option for resting without heading the whole way back (to me, it seems like a long drive and I wouldn't do it) is to hop on a monorail or boat or something to get away from the parks.

 

[carefree]

Thanks everyone for the advice! I think we will do our best to stay in the parks, and maybe chill in the lounge of one of the hotels for a bit rather than returning to the resort.

Cheers!

 

[maxiesmom]

If you just want to relax for a bit, and not necessarily nap, there are things to do in each park. For example, at MK you can ride the train around the park as many times as you like without having to get off. And if the Tomorrowland Transit Authority isn't busy (and it usually isn't) you can ask and they will let you ride around a few times.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I think that leaving property is really not worth it in terms of time or energy. Now staying on site, we often will break mid-late afternoon and head to another park for dinner. February hours are going to be shorter and you may end up spending 4+ hours out of the parks....an expensive break. There are lots of ways to get a mid day break. One great way is to plan some sit down lunches. You can plan ARD's in the park, or for most of the parks, a near by resort. If you are at MK, a quick monorail ride puts you at one of the monorail resort. From Epcot you can walk or HS a short boat gets you to some nice places for lunch. You can take a long ride on one of the resort transportation boats or monorail to just rest and chill for a bit. Plan some down time with shows too. After a show and maybe a snack, everyone should be ready to go!!!

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

We stay off property too and we leave around 1 pm and take a break back at the room until around 4, then go back out for evening shows and dinner.

Kissimmee is 15 minutes down the highway from Disney so it is very feasible to take a midday break.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

My opinion which may vary from others is that it is only worth it if your willing to miss 3-4 hours of park time. Even on property it is 20-40 minutes each way for transportation then getting to the room and eating or napping is another hour or two, all this adds up to a lot of lost time. We chose to only go back to the hotel/resort when we were going back for extra magic hours or it was just a late night at the park.

 

[DawnM]

I consider it a huge hassle.

20 min. to walk to the front of the park, 10 min. to wait for tram. 10 min. or longer tram ride (depending on when they leave after they come to pick up), 20 min. to hotel.

Then when you return, parking will be even further away. 10 min. wait for tram, 10 min. tram ride, 10-20 min. to get back into the parks.

So, an additional hour or so just to get your break.

Dawn

 

[maplevale]

Unless at a park with long hours I don't see how feasible it is.

When in Epcot 2 years ago my parents had to go back to our hotel (POR) to get some faxes. They took a cab (waiting right there at the gate) to and from the hotel and were in their room only about 20 minutes. They were gone over 2 hours! I never would have thought it would take that long!

I really wanted to head back this upcoming trip from Epcot (we LOVE RopeDrop and to more from 9-12 then we do the rest of the day!). However with 5:30 reservations (in Japan) I figure we need to leave the hotel at 4? Assuming all transportation goes well that means we need to leave the park at 12, get to the hotel by 1, eat, swim and be back on a bus in <3 hours. It seems like a lot of running to me. Maybe if it's a REALLY hot day I will want to - otherwise we plan to strap the kids in the stroller and wander around the World Showcase with a drink!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Unless at a park with long hours I don't see how feasible it is.

When in Epcot 2 years ago my parents had to go back to our hotel (POR) to get some faxes. They took a cab (waiting right there at the gate) to and from the hotel and were in their room only about 20 minutes. They were gone over 2 hours! I never would have thought it would take that long!

I really wanted to head back this upcoming trip from Epcot (we LOVE RopeDrop and to more from 9-12 then we do the rest of the day!). However with 5:30 reservations (in Japan) I figure we need to leave the hotel at 4? Assuming all transportation goes well that means we need to leave the park at 12, get to the hotel by 1, eat, swim and be back on a bus in <3 hours. It seems like a lot of running to me. Maybe if it's a REALLY hot day I will want to - otherwise we plan to strap the kids in the stroller and wander around the World Showcase with a drink!

When we were offsite in 2012, we could get from our cabin to Epcot (or back) in 8 minutes. Now, that said, the wait for the tram mid day can be long, and if you're in World Showcase, it's a long walk to the front.

Bottom line, if the meal is your only goal, I wouldn't do it. If you need a break anyway or are preparing to hop to another park, then it's probably worthwhile.

 

[theyoungs07]

We often take mid-day breaks while staying offsite. We take 10 park-day trips so that we can relax a bit. Extra days on the tickets cost very little, lodging isn't bad when offsite either.

We have been in November (similar hours to Feb) and we'd do what we could after an early morning ADR (an hour or so before the park opens) until we or the kids get tired and want a break. Driving is great because your kids rest in their own vehicle/seat. We'd get a lot done in the morning, then head back for the last couple of hours the park is open for shows or to get some late rides in. My kids vary in age from 12-1 and they all appreciate some time away and pool time.

If you are driving, get yourself a AAA parking pass, that way you don't have to mess with a long walk or the tram once you get to the lot.

 

[ajwolfe]

It would be too much of a hassle in my opinion. Our kids have always been good about being able to handle opening to close without much difficulty, when we choose to do it. The only time we ever take a break to go back to the hotel is if the kids want to swim and that's rare like once a trip, otherwise we stay in the park(s) until we are done. If you have little kids with you, I'm going to assume you will have bags and have to go thru bag check, etc so it's going to take you some time just getting in and out of the parks.

 

[MegSmethurst]

Don't fully decide until you get there. Don't push your kids past their point. You don't want to be that family pushing a screaming baby in the stroller while holding the hand of another screaming kid! I don't know where you come from but also be aware of jet lag...

Don't let the time away from the parks deter you from taking a break if they need it! We enjoyed our breaks even if we just drove around in the air-conditioning...