Is sleeping in on a disney vacation wasting time?

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Of all the strategies talked about on the boards, the one that will work consistently is get there early, have a touring plan. There are other strategies that can help. But none of them work as consistently well as getting there preferably before opening and having a good touring plan. So our thinking is why sleep when the parks aren't at their fullest when you just as easily could have slept when they were either closed or packed? If we're disciplined about getting to bed on time, especially the day we arrive, it's easy to get up. I think the kids were cranky about getting up the first time. But once they got through a ton of stuff, the crankiness ended.
But the vast majority of people don't want to do that and I'm fine with that. Because if they did do that, the strategy wouldn't work.

 

[HiHoOffWeGo]

Everyone should do what is best for their families. No one will tell you or I what is best. This forum by proxy ask "Is sleeping in wasting time" and in my opinion only, YES and money too. I guess for me the cost of a WDW vacation every other year and with so much there is to do it really is wasting my time not getting out before 10-11-noon. I could understand one maybe two days of a 7 day stay but...

My DGD8 on Thursday of our last trip told me I was wasting her vacation to WDW because I was a little slow getting out of the sack that morning. It was 7am! I wonder if some children are board with WDW and can't get excited that they are in the world. This in my opinion is no ordinary vacation. Cost and things to do make it so. There is no place on earth with so much available and if it is so hard then I would go to Myrtle Beach where I have a great view of the ocean and a pool and just enough attractions to fill in half my day at a fraction of the cost. I can rent a home on the lake for $1200 for 7 days and cook my own meals and sleep in and enjoy fishing etc... So why would anyone spend the time or this much money on WDW and stay in bed.

The question is "Is sleeping in wasting time" My opinion, YES!!! I can sleep at home. OOPS! In my opinion.

 

[ilovebassets]

We always sleep in and never set the alarm on vacation. I wake up at 5:30 every day at home. My husband and son usually get up at 7:30 together and take at least two hours getting out of the house.

This means I'm usually desperate to finally sleep in and get some rest and am happy to take it easy. It also means that my late sleeping and slow moving son and husband would be very cranky and unpleasant to around if I tried waking them up early and pushing them out the door quickly. What's more important to me? Having a happy family or making sure we see more attractions? I'll take the happy family.

A few caveats:
1. We never go at super busy or super hot times of year.
2. We go every two years for a week at at time on average, so the next trip is never THAT far away (and there's not too much we haven't seen before).
3. Being well rested means we often stay up late and close the parks. As much as everyone talks about squeezing in attractions early in the morning when lines are short--we find that equally true as the parks are shutting down.
4. When we arrive mid to late morning, the first thing we do is grab a fast pass for a top ride, then see some less popular attractions, then have a leisurely TS lunch, do some shopping, and see some characters. By the time that's all done, it's mid afternoon, and all those rope-droppers are ready to drop themselves and leaving the parks for their mid-afternoon naps!

I truly truly believe you do not have to get up super early on vacation at WDW to see and do everything you want to do so long as you avoid peak season.

 

[ccgirl]

A lot of posters are talking about the best "strategy". My question would be the best strategy for what? For our vacation, the purpose of it is to spend relaxed times together while getting in some rides, shows, etc.

It is not getting up early so we can ride as many rides as possible for noon. As others have said, my family are night owls as well and we have just as good of time, and probably ride just as much by sleeping in, getting there by 10am and staying there late. We usually go to EMH.

If your family is able to happily get up and enjoy the parks, then more power to you. My family will continue to sleep in and give you more room at the parks while going late and staying late.

It all depends on the family. To me, it would be a waste of my money if the kids were always complaining and we came back from our vacation feeling like we needed another one because we didn't get rest and relaxation in. I realize there are some kids who naturally wake up early. Mine do not.

 

[Robo]

A lot of posters are talking about the best "strategy". My question would be the best strategy for what?

Many guests choose WDW with a specific desire to ride the attractions.

Being able to do the more popular attractions by
using a plan of action, while others with similar goals
are having to stand in longer lines, eating up more "vacation time."

WDW offers so many "destination" attractions...
rides that ARE "must do" that they are (to many)
the principle reasons for choosing WDW in the first place.

If a guest can ride these attractions with less hassle,
that is often considered an accomplishment in its own right.

 

[tndisneyfan]

We have toured WDW both ways. None of us really like getting up early, we are basically lazy. So our first several trips we would sleep in, hit the parks around lunch time, and stay late. We did a lot of evening EMHs too. We had a lot of great trips touring this way. You can make it work.

Now we are rope droppers. I'm not sure how it happened but we are. I think DS actually wanted to see the rope drop cermonies at all the parks. I remember him saying he wanted to get there at rope drop for a certain park and I sighed real big and rolled my eyes (in my head not really though). We found that we liked being in the parks early. We were able to ride more rides with less wait. DH likes to be there early because he says the best pins are in the parks in the morning. We are still basically lazy, no one loves it when the alarm goes off at 7:00, but we are all OK with getting up and doing that because we know we are going to come back to the room during the hottest part of the day and take a nap.

My advice to the OP is do whatever is right for your family. Try getting there for rope drop a couple of days, and sleep in the rest.

 

[maxiesmom]

A lot of posters are talking about the best "strategy". My question would be the best strategy for what? For our vacation, the purpose of it is to spend relaxed times together while getting in some rides, shows, etc.

If we want a relaxing vacation, we don't go to Disney World. A trip to WDW costs a small fortune, so we don't want to waste that money sleeping. You can sleep at home, or on the plane.

Kids may know they don't have to go to school, but then they are also able to figure out they will have to do a lot less waiting in line if they get up early, just as if they are going to school. Most doctors recommend getting kids up at the same time every day anyway, it keeps their bodies in a better balance. It is the up early, then sleeping in, then up early again that is so hard.

 

[mjp12831]

We run our kids ragged in our week at WDW - up to get to the amemh park, hop, then hop again to pmemh park.

We'll spend very little time in our room - leave by 7:30, back at midnight or later, get a few hours of sleep and repeat.

Sometimes our kids look downright exhausted walking around the parks at 11pm, but ask them if they want to go back and they perk right up and protest. After we return home, it takes them a few days to recover.

If you enjoy a more leasurely pace, more power to you, but you can't say in general that kids can't take a hectic pace, need to sleep, ... To us, yes, sleeping on a WDW vacation is a waste.

 

[ccgirl]

Many guests choose WDW with a specific desire to ride the attractions.

Being able to do the more popular attractions by
using a plan of action, while others with similar goals
are having to stand in longer lines, eating up more "vacation time."

WDW offers so many "destination" attractions...
rides that ARE "must do" that they are (to many)
the principle reasons for choosing WDW in the first place.

If a guest can ride these attractions with less hassle,
that is often considered an accomplishment in its own right.

Maybe it's the # of times we go to WDW??? IDK but we seem to hit all of the "destination" attractions with little to no wait by using the fastpass system. We have done the early thing as well and, honestly, for us, we just prefer to sleep in.

If we want a relaxing vacation, we don't go to Disney World. A trip to WDW costs a small fortune, so we don't want to waste that money sleeping. You can sleep at home, or on the plane.

Kids may know they don't have to go to school, but then they are also able to figure out they will have to do a lot less waiting in line if they get up early, just as if they are going to school. Most doctors recommend getting kids up at the same time every day anyway, it keeps their bodies in a better balance. It is the up early, then sleeping in, then up early again that is so hard.

We are fortunate that my children go yearly, sometimes multiple times each year. I also have the budget down pat and have never paid more than $2500 for the entire vacation, including airfare, thanks to timeshare. We also make great use of fastpasses and never wait in lines more than 20 - 30 minutes. The sleeping in works great for us, I realize it does not for everyone.

It really depends on the type of family OP has.

 

[luvthemouse71]

Im also not one for touring plans. Im on a schedule at work, why on earth would I run on a schedule on vacation? I come home from my trips feeling rejuvenated emotionally and physically. To me, that is the definition of a successful trip to WDW.

I also think that if you spend the whole vacation counting pennies in your head, then that defeats the purpose of a vacation as well.

 

[ccgirl]

We run our kids ragged in our week at WDW - up to get to the amemh park, hop, then hop again to pmemh park.

We'll spend very little time in our room - leave by 7:30, back at midnight or later, get a few hours of sleep and repeat.

Sometimes our kids look downright exhausted walking around the parks at 11pm, but ask them if they want to go back and they perk right up and protest. After we return home, it takes them a few days to recover.

If you enjoy a more leasurely pace, more power to you, but you can't say in general that kids can't take a hectic pace, need to sleep, ... To us, yes, sleeping on a WDW vacation is a waste.

Bolded mine. I never said needed, I said wanted. It is their vacation also so I let them.

That is the beauty of WDW, there are so many different "types" of vacations for everyone.

 

[mjp12831]

Maybe it's the # of times we go to WDW??? IDK but we seem to hit all of the "destination" attractions with little to no wait by using the fastpass system. We have done the early thing as well and, honestly, for us, we just prefer to sleep in.

The ability to dominate the parks with the FP system will be drastically different with the new enforcement rules. More reason to get out early.

 

[Moodyzblu]

Im also not one for touring plans. Im on a schedule at work, why on earth would I run on a schedule on vacation? I come home from my trips feeling rejuvenated emotionally and physically. To me, that is the definition of a successful trip to WDW.

I also think that if you spend the whole vacation counting pennies in your head, then that defeats the purpose of a vacation as well.

us too. I LOVE our time at WDW sitting by the wonderfully themed pool knowing that at any second we can get dressed and head on over to a park and have a blast for a few hours then grab a bite to eat and either continue in the park or go back to the resort for more pool time !
We don't stress about being anywhere ay any particular time. NO alarm clocks for us !! We get there when we get there.
I also have never spent a "small fortune" on our trips. But we DO like to splurge when we are there. But if it was THAT expensive I wouldn't be able to go every year.

 

[jujube]

After reading the thread, this is my conclusion: Some people love to sleep in and some people love to make rope drop. It depends on the family.
No one way is right for everyone.

 

[mom2rtk]

After reading the thread, this is my conclusion: Some people love to sleep in and some people love to make rope drop. It depends on the family.
No one way is right for everyone.

Sort of like asking on a message board whether your kids will like chocolate or vanilla better.

 

[jujube]

Sort of like asking on a message board whether your kids will like chocolate or vanilla better.

Bingo!

 

[ccgirl]

The ability to dominate the parks with the FP system will be drastically different with the new enforcement rules. More reason to get out early.

We actually stuck to the enforcement rules before so it won't be any different for us.

As others said, we all like to vacation different ways. Some may consider sleeping in a waste of time. Others may consider running around to get it all in commando a waste of time.

It all depends what you want to do with *your* time.

As others have said, there are no right or no wrong answers here.