Is it REALLY that important to get to the parks early?

[Pancakes]

It really really depends on when you go. You're going during a really busy season, so I would guess that you would want to get up early and open the parks.

When I went in June, we only opened a park once, and the rest of the trip we slept in til 2 (pfft, teenagers ) But in all honesty, we were fine. The longest we ever waited was like 85 minutes for Toy Story Mania. (Everything else was 20-30 minutes)

But since when you're going it'll probably crazy, you might wanna do some rope drops. But IMO, the parks aren't the same if you're half asleep.

 

[Disney_Jill]

Its really what your family is about and when you are going. If I was going with my older boys (16 and 18) we would take advantage of the late night EMHs and sleep later. If I go with my 7 yr old dd, then we get up early (I am up by 6:30 every day, vacation or not) and take an afternoon break and go back most evenings. We usually make our AK day different since they close early. We get there early and stay until after the parade and then spend the rest of the night at the resort.
Of course, we go to bed by 9:30-10 most nights while at WDW. I am an early person, not a late night person. Again, if I was with the boys I would do this differently.
To the OP, your kids are young, so they probably won't ride too many of the big rides, so that gives you some room. I would do MK early, maybe even an EMH to get the fantasy land rides. The times I go I just have a general plan and go from there.

 

[WheelCEO]

ive never gotten to the parks before 11 and i have been able to do every ride twice.. peak or non-peak

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

What day does 31 days take you? Thanksgiving week? You'll want to be up and out early on Thanksgiving weekend to avoid some of the crowds.

But if it's the week after, I'd say do some early days and some sleep in days to break it up.

I'd also be prepared to take breaks when you need them. I've stayed at POP. It's no biggie to go back to the resort for a break during the day. They have a really nice arcade if it's too cold for swimming.

I'm not a sleep in person and it drives me crazy. I'm up early and rarin' to go at Disney. I've learned to go shopping at the resort, eat a leisurely food court breakfast while everyone else sleeps. And no early character breakfasts. I can't get the family out of bed to enjoy them.

The kids are older now and want to sleep in more. DH always wants to sleep in (heck he just got up a few minutes ago at home and it's 11:40am!) We didn't make a rope drop on our Memorial Weekend trip (made it to the parks by 10am usually) and we were able to do most of what we wanted.

Good luck with your planning!

 

[Dan Murphy]

A mission, or a vacation?

I tend to always visit the low crowd park/s each day and night, never a real problem.

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

I keep hearing about how vital it is to get to the parks at rope drop. But I'm thinking that my family would be better off to sleep in a bit. We're not super late sleepers - we're a high energy bunch, and we're always up by 7 or 8 no matter what, but this trip will be a much needed vacation for DH and I don't want to rush him in the mornings. Also, we have some late ADRs (Chef Mickeys and CP at 9:00 PM) , and it seems like the evening EMHs and MVMCP are worth sleeping in the next day.

I know we could go early and take a nap break in the afternoons, but we're staying at POP and I'm not looking forward to riding the bus back to our hotel more than once every day (my kids are good at napping in the stroller! .

So do I really need to get everybody up and at 'em in the mornings?

There are a lot of variations to this. If you are staying in Disney for long enough of a time, then I would say it's not urgent. But the reason I get there for 9 am rope drop is that from 9-11 am, the lines are shorter than they are the rest of the day. Also, it allows you to get 1-2 more fastpasses that you wouldn't otherwise get.

 

[TDC Nala]

I would say if you're not interested in Dumbo, Peter Pan, Soarin' or Toy Story Mania there are ways around the "get there early" suggestion - unless, of course, you are going at a high traffic time. According to your ticker, the only really high traffic thing you might run into is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving weekend is generally rather crowded.

 

[duffy]

Last trip, my daughter and I would get there before rope drop. We would ride the biggies first, with practically no wait. We would grab a quick breakfast and ride some more biggies.

My sister and her kids would show up around 10 or 11. While we were riding the biggies, they were only arriving. They were so slooooow to get dressed and out the door! By the time they would meet us, we would have (typically) already ridden Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and grabbed a quick bite.

By the time they met us, THEY would have gotten dressed, eaten a sit-down breakfast and walked through the gates.

The week we were there, they did not ever ride Splash Mountain, Toy Story Mania, Dumbo and so many others. They only rode Soarin' because I ran over and got Fastpasses for them. If I hadn't done that, they would have missed it too.

This was the week after Thanksgiving, 2009.

 

[MelissathePooh]

I would say if you're not interested in Dumbo, Peter Pan, Soarin' or Toy Story Mania there are ways around the "get there early" suggestion - unless, of course, you are going at a high traffic time. According to your ticker, the only really high traffic thing you might run into is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving weekend is generally rather crowded.

Seconding this - rope drop really just depends on the attractions you want to do and how long or if you're willing to wait for them. Dumbo is a rope drop attraction or suffer the slowest queue in the world. TSM - same thing with a touch of chaotic insanity at 0900. Peter Pan you can fast pass generally anytime - they don't typically run out unless its a super busy time of year. Soarin' fast pass can run out, but I've always strolled into Epcot on may a day around noon and been able to get a fp for later in the evening - the key there being later in the evening. Test Track is the same as Soarin with a few daily breakdowns thrown in the mix. Personally I'd fast pass Test Track before Soarin just because of the break downs - Soarin's queue isn't that horrible, but waiting for TT just to get turned out - no thank you.

 

[kay1864]

Don't get me wrong, we're not planning a "relaxing" vacation, and I'm a super OCD down to the minute planner. I just want my kids (6 and 2) to get enough sleep and have the best time possible. I don't believe in being miserable in order to have "fun"! So if early mornings are the way to go, then that's what we'll do and I'll just plan more breaks for naps.

Try Ridemax if you like planning. You get a detailed plan that often includes a long afternoon break (when the crowds are at their peak) that your family can use for a nap, relax by the pool, etc. To me it's more relaxing and less stressful to spend less time in line, esp. with little ones, and to have a break. By getting an early start and a plan, you get both

 

[Planogirl]

It depends on what you want out of the vacation. We've done both. But on the more 'sleep in and relax' vacations, we know we are taking the trade off by maybe having to skip some of the things we would otherwise like to do and we really have to be fleixible. And we're cool with that, because we know we will be back and can catch it then. On other trips, depending on who we are with, getting to all the attractions and seeing everything is a higher priority...so we get up early and crank everything out and then (hopefully!) nap.

I was going to suggest a few rope drops and the rest just show up when you want to. There is no rule that you have to see everything. Besides you will likely see most things if you use faspass wisely anyway. We have also had both types of vacations and they can both be good ones.

 

[Yngpreacherman]

I keep hearing about how vital it is to get to the parks at rope drop. But I'm thinking that my family would be better off to sleep in a bit. We're not super late sleepers - we're a high energy bunch, and we're always up by 7 or 8 no matter what, but this trip will be a much needed vacation for DH and I don't want to rush him in the mornings. Also, we have some late ADRs (Chef Mickeys and CP at 9:00 PM) , and it seems like the evening EMHs and MVMCP are worth sleeping in the next day.

I know we could go early and take a nap break in the afternoons, but we're staying at POP and I'm not looking forward to riding the bus back to our hotel more than once every day (my kids are good at napping in the stroller! .

So do I really need to get everybody up and at 'em in the mornings?

A lot of this has to do with your plan. For example, we are arriving on a Saturday afternoon. That Saturday, MK is open until 1:00A.M, with the Extra Magic Hours. Well, we are going to get there Saturday (our first day) and hit MK hard until 1:00 A.M. Obviously, on Sunday we are not going to get up at 7:00. We will already be somewhat tired just because of the travel (not to mention being at the park until 1:00-getting to bed probably past 2. We will not wake up until around 10:00 A.M. on Sunday. Get to Animal Kingdom around Noon and have a great time. Now, the rest of the week we will be getting up around 8 or so.

Another factor to consider is if you plan on coming back and forth during the day. Most who get up early come back around 2 or 3 in the afternoon for a break. So, in the end it is still the same hours as if someone got to the park at 11 or 12 and stayed all day without coming back until that night.

In the end, a vacation is just that. A vacation. Have a good time. Don't worry about what others say or the money you are spending and thinking "I have to do this and that and this..." Doing that will end up in a miserable trip AND a waste of money. Go at your pace and have a magical time!

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

It really, really is.

Morning is when the crowds are at their lowest.

Knock off the big attractions early, and tour at your own pace the rest of the day.

A good plan, is the difference between a great vacation, and a stressful one.

Respectfully, I disagree with your central thesis. A good plan does not necessarily involve arriving at the park right at rope drop. A good plan starts with understanding what you want to get out of the trip. If dragging the kids out of bed and to the parks at 8AM is going to cause meltdowns later in the day, that doesn't sound like a good plan.

Just to add to my previous post.

Disney is not really the place you go to relax. Get out a calcualtor and work out what it is costing you per day of vacation, and then ask yourself if you want to sleep through that.

You can sleep at home for free.

As others have already said, but as I'll reiterate, we've found our vacations at WDW to be nothing but relaxing. While our family doesn't spend a lot of any day, much less vacation, sleeping, we enjoy touring at our own pace and just enjoy the time together. I personally find rope drop to be the most stressful and un-relaxing part of a trip to WDW, so we will quite possibly never make another one in our many future trips.

OP, you know your family's personality and collective energy level. Getting there early can be fun and make the touring easier, but only IF the act of getting there doesn't take the fun out of the day. Regardless of what you choose, have fun!!!

 

[proud_canadian]

If I were you I would rethink the late nights unless your kids are used to them. My DD's are 6 and 3 and they are normally sleeping by 7:00, so a 9:00 start time for dinner would be asking for trouble with them.

At home we normally wake up by 5:30-6:00 for work, so sleeping in until 7:00 is a dream for us. So, we just got back from Disney, and were there in September during a "slower time" and left our condo between 8:00 and 8:15 (Windsor Hills).

Our first day was Epcot and we were there by 8:30 ish standing at the turnstyles. We were on the 2nd runthrough of Soarin'. By the time we got out, I believe the wait time was already 30 min or so and the time was only 9:15. Before 10:00 we did nemo and the seas pavillion and figment and that pavillion in addition to Soarin.

The lines start off small and just continue to grow and grow throughout the day, and with most nights at the parks having fireworks or nighttime entertainment, I didn't find the lines slowing down come evening.

Regardless, we went to MK the next day and planned to stay late for fireworks so arrived around 2:00 pm and the place was a zoo! We did get a lot done, but it was just so much stressful trying to move around the sea of people.

On our Hollywood studios day, we planned to arrive around 8:30 but ended up lost and by the time we got into the park it was about 9:02 and the rope had already dropped and we were at the back of the herd going to TSM. We knew we wouldn't make it to the ride in decent time, so stopped by animation courtyard where there were 6-7 characters the kids got to meet with ZERO line up. We made it to TSM I think around or just before 9:30 and the fast pass line had a 5-10 min wait, and our return time was 11:30. The main ride I believe had a 50 min wait already. I have heard though that the line ups and fast passes are even worse now though. Remember this was on a 1-2 day on the crowd calendar.

On our AK day, we got there about 5-10 min before they dropped the rope and we went to camp minnie/micky and the kids met - Minnie, Mickey, Donald, Chip and Dale, Goofy, Thumper, Miss Bunny, and Meeko, by 9:15! By 10:00 we had done Lilo and stitch meet and greet, bathroom break, Triceretops spin, and Dinosaur and were waiting in line for Expedition Everest!

Our last day at MK we got there in time to see the RD ceremony. We did meet and greet with stepmother and stepsisters (first family of the day!), Peter pan, winnie the pooh, and Snow White by 9:30. We then went to wait for the toon town opening. At 9:45 it opened and we were in the 2nd or 3rd group let back to meet the fairies. By the time we got out of meeting them it was just around 10:00 and the time was 75 minutes!!!! The princess line was 15 min so we went to meet them, and when we came out it was around 10:15 and the line up for the princesses was 40 min as well!

Our strategy with our kids (who don't nap), was to get there as early as possible (except our fireworks night). And we took a rest day the day after our fireworks day. We did as much as we could and then left in the afternoon between 3-4 o'clockish, went back to resort for rest and swim time. Then relaxing evening and early bed!

Worked for us, when we spent that much money we wanted to see as much as possible, but it all depends on your priorities. BUt if you're up by 7 anyways, no reason you can't be there for RD... BUT I would rethink those late nights with such young kids!!!!

 

[whacked]

I would consider working your children to an earlier schedule a week or two before you go.

Yes, I believe that it is important to get to the parks early if you are interested in rides. Even more critical if your kids are young. The later you get there, the more time you will spend in lines. Unless your kids are very patient, you won't ride much if there are crowds.

I would consider working your children to an earlier schedule a week or two before you go.

I think the best way to go is get to the parks early, and leave just before lunch for a lunch, a swim, and a nap. You can catch some parades and shows in the late afternoon/early evening if the kids have energy.

I always suggest the UG sections on touring with young children. They are worth the price of the book. Most libraries also carry it.

 

[2girls4me]

I keep hearing about how vital it is to get to the parks at rope drop. But I'm thinking that my family would be better off to sleep in a bit. We're not super late sleepers - we're a high energy bunch, and we're always up by 7 or 8 no matter what, but this trip will be a much needed vacation for DH and I don't want to rush him in the mornings. Also, we have some late ADRs (Chef Mickeys and CP at 9:00 PM) , and it seems like the evening EMHs and MVMCP are worth sleeping in the next day.

I know we could go early and take a nap break in the afternoons, but we're staying at POP and I'm not looking forward to riding the bus back to our hotel more than once every day (my kids are good at napping in the stroller! .

So do I really need to get everybody up and at 'em in the mornings?

IMO, no. We took DD and unless we had ADR, we got there when we got there. She was good about sleeping in the stroller when she was tired. She generally got up about 7 and we would leave when we were ready.

 

[solfan68]

9 out of 10 may say you're not optimizing your vacation at The World if you're not there for rope drop, but we just haven't found it to be true for us. We go in the summer when my teacher wife and elementary kiddo are out of school. We typically arrive mid-morning, catch a mid-day break and often hit the park that has evening EMH. Our family genetics is just not geared to the cockadoodle-doo set. We'd much rather shut the place down and then catch a leisurely start the next day.

The so-called benefits of rope drop would totally be thrown under the bus if I tried to yank my wife out of bed by the big toe. Its not like we sleep in until noon, but you'll never be fighting me for that seat on the first bus of the day. Now if you want to catch the LAST ride on Big Thunder, we'll save you a seat !

 

[mrbghd]

Everyone has made really good points. Most importantly is it's a personal decision. You know your family best. Mixing it up works for us most of the time.

The one thing I wanted to say was I have seen so much talk of "having to get things done." To me that just seems stressful from the jump. It seems more likework than fun. I don't know if it because we go yearly or what? But we have our list of "must do" things but never treat it like a job where we have to get them done and out of the way.

 

[AuroraMeansDawn]

You have gotten lots of good advice on both sides of the fence here. I can only speak for myself and for our family we find going early is a good strategy. We are something of a hybrid commando. We like to do is get up and moving early and visit the parks for the first few hours they are open and enjoy the headliner attractions in the first few hours then have "brunch" as the parks get busier. Then tour leisurely in the afternoon visiting the attractions that don't have such a long line or go back and rest. I don't have nappers anymore (save for myself who really enjoys a good disco nap) but I can't go full tilt all night and day and not have a meltdown myself. A 44 year old woman catterwailling on Main Street isn't a pretty thing.

We're planning to try an evening EMH as well and not get up early the next morning and experience has taught me to never get everyone up for an rope drop more than two mornings in a row without a rest/sleep in break.

The key here is you find the touring style that you like. If someone else swears by something it doesn't mean it's perfect for you. If your kids are early risers and you can manage it, go early. If they want to sleep in and take a late nap (and with those really late dinner ADRS I tend to think this might be a good strategy) then go for that. The beauty of WDW and all of its choices is that there's an option for everyone. Have a great time!

 

[canopynut66]

Just to add to my previous post.

Disney is not really the place you go to relax. Get out a calcualtor and work out what it is costing you per day of vacation, and then ask yourself if you want to sleep through that.

You can sleep at home for free.

had to laugh as this so true and told my cousin this very thing when she went with us last fall (for the first and last time) with us at least!!!!!