Looking for 3 Answers.

[ArmBar]

I really appreciate all the great info everyone contributes on this site. It is such a big help in planning & preparing for our trip.

Our family (In-laws, wife, 4 kids under ages 3-9 and me) is planning a trip to DL for Sep 16 -21 and I have 3 questions I would like to throw out there.

1) We will be getting 4-day tickets. Considering the crowds, off season park hours and weekend-only show, Would you recommend Sat-Tues or Sun-Wed at the parks?

2) For the days when the parks are open 10am-8pm, Would you still schedule a midday break at our hotel, PPH? We have always taken the kiddos back for naps around lunch, but I wonder if I need to change this due to park hours.

3) Since we are going during the off-season, Do I need to make a plan for day or will the park be slow enough to make it up as we go?


Thanks for all the help

 

[Sossy]

You'll be there just in time for Halloween decorations! My suggestions below.
1) If fireworks and fantasmic are important than go Sat-Tues. Either can be canceled by weather conditions and you'll want more than one opportunity if that happens.

2) For the slower weekdays, you will have shorter wait times. In my opinion an afternoon break is still worth it. You could also see how your kids have been doing with the longer days and judge from there. If you don't go back to the hotel, at least spend time inside at a show (aladdin) or at the animation academy. Some kind of rest is very helpful!

3) I've never done a full touring plan for any theme park or vacation, not my style. But I would still pick out a few must-do things to plan around, get FP etc for each day.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[skiingfast]

1. Sat-> would be nice for the extra hours too, and not having to combine F! and RDCT fireworks on the same night. You could split the shows one Sat and one Sun, and have Sun as a backup incase there is a weather issue on Saturday.

2. Probably no nap needed, and it would waste a bunch of a short day to do it. One of the delights of the short offseason hours is sleeping in and getting to bed at a normal time.

3. The weekend will be busy but if you are starting then you will have slow days during the week to get in what you missed.

 

[DizNee Luver]

2. If you still have kids that nap daily.....I would say, taking a 2 hr break would be advisable.....UNLESS, they're able to nap in a stroller as you continue to do things at the park. Kids do better when their schedules are kept as close as possible to the norm. Even with shorter hours & the park closing at 8pm.....doesn't mean the 3 yr old won't still need that quiet time to recharge just like they would at home. We've had young ones nap in their strollers everyday while at the parks....but last year we took our autistic 3 yr old twins.....they HAD to get out of the parks to recoop. So depends on the child(ren).

3. I think just going with the flow will work out nicely during the off-season. There will be a number of attractions down during your visit, so make sure you find the refurbishment schedule so you won't be "Surprised" by your favorite ride being closed. If you have a couple of meals you really want to do....I'd still advise calling Disney Dining to make a ressie....this will ensure you get in close to your desired time. If you have kids that have to eat by 5:30pm or they get cranky.....this will be a must.....lol

Good luck & have a great trip!!

 

[FlameGirl]

I like the Sun - Wed option myself. As for breaks, we play it by ear. And we don't schedule much other than dinners. We like to go where the mood takes us.

 

[MyYearWithTheMouse]

1) Sat-Tue for the reasons mentioned above.

2) How monstrous are your little ones without a nap? How long do they nap? The thing about DLR is that you really don't need to "schedule" a midday break. DLR is so different from WDW in that aspect. The walk to PPH is 10 minutes. You can EASILY send the napping child(ren) back to the room with one adult (switch off adults each day so nobody gets stuck with nap duty the whole trip) and be in and out and done with it. On our recent trip to WDW, the napping was our single biggest problem (particularly as it coincided with the transportation system). DS (age 2) is a BEAR without his nap--we're talking meltdown after meltdown. We found that depending where we were on the property, just getting to and from the hotel ate up well over an hour or more going from park to hotel to park again, not even counting the actual napping time. At DLR, napping is easy, easy, easy. If your kids need the nap, take it, but it doesn't have to be an elaborate schedule. It takes so little time to get to and from the hotel it will be worth it if your kids really need the nap.

I'm just a big believer in naps. A lot of those little kids you see crying and pitching total fits at the end of the day are doing so because their parents skipped their normal naps.

3) The park will be slow enough to decide as you go along.

 

[jernysgirl]

And keep in mind that Sep 16th is the official start to the Halloween season, so it might not be as slow as you were hoping. There are some folks who will come just for the sake of novelty to say that they were there on the opening day of the season. Check out the Halloween superthread for more of an idea of what you will experience.

And I agree with PPs. If your kids are used to taking naps, then don't try to force them to stay in the park. You would be taking the chance that it would make ALL of you miserable. But if you are having too much fun and the kids seem ok, then I would just go with the flow. For the young ones in strollers, I would pack in the bottom of the stroller a light weight blanket or something that maybe you can clip over the front for a little extra quiet and shade (just make sure its breathable and not to hot and stuffy) in case they decide to nap in the stroller.

Keep in mind, that mid-afternoon when the crowds are heaviest and the sun is high might be a good time to catch a show or find a quieter part of the park to just cool off and relax (Billy Hill, Lincoln, Innoventions, Aladdin, etc....) or just find a shady spot to have a snack and drink while waiting for the afternoon parade.

 

[cyclenut]

Another "vote" for Sat-Tues. Both for the longer hours you will get on the Saturday AND for the greater opportunity for entertainment choices.

As for naps. Pace yourself. Don't burn out the kids or they won't have fun and you won't have fun.

The "plan" part is all up to you. You should look at the schedule carefully as soon as it is published to see if there is anything going on that is only available on Sat or Sun and get those in. Otherwise, you should have no problem.

Just remember, the "best" times to go if you want to get through a lot of rides quickly is right after open and just before close. We've gone in the morning and been on and done with several of the more popular rides before noon. So, no real "plan" needed but give yourself a general idea of your "must do" things and go from there.