Mid-day break-- Practical?

[BethanyRichardson]

We'll be at MK for one day with a preschooler and a toddler. Our plan was to head back to the resort midday for a rest. But then I started looking at maps and reading about bus schedules... Is it even practical to try to go from MK back to AoA for a break midday, then return for a few hours? (We'll be using the bus.)

The older one will be ok without a nap, but the 14-month old will definitely need to rest. She's not the type to sleep in the stroller or anywhere with distractions. But if we're looking at over and hour round-trip travel time to go back, that's a lot of wasted time.

Has anyone gone back to AoA from MK and returned in the PM? Did it work out ok? If not, what are your favorite 'rest' locations at MK? Does the baby care center have rocking chairs and/or a dark room?

If we stay at the park, I imagine we'll probably leave the park for the day by 3 or 4.

 

[mom2rtk]

We'll be at MK for one day with a preschooler and a toddler. Our plan was to head back to the resort midday for a rest. But then I started looking at maps and reading about bus schedules... Is it even practical to try to go from MK back to AoA for a break midday, then return for a few hours? (We'll be using the bus.)

The older one will be ok without a nap, but the 14-month old will definitely need to rest. She's not the type to sleep in the stroller or anywhere with distractions. But if we're looking at over and hour round-trip travel time to go back, that's a lot of wasted time.

Has anyone gone back to AoA from MK and returned in the PM? Did it work out ok? If not, what are your favorite 'rest' locations at MK? Does the baby care center have rocking chairs and/or a dark room?

If we stay at the park, I imagine we'll probably leave the park for the day by 3 or 4.

We've tried it from there or Pop (next door) a couple times and for us it just seemed like such a huge time drain. The drive is 20-25 minutes. Add in time waiting for the bus and time getting into and out of the park, and that's a lot of time away from the parks.

I haven't done Disney with a toddler though. That might change the calculus on the cost/benefit analysis.

Are you sure she won't conk out on the stroller for a while? Maybe with the help of a ride (or two) on the people mover?

If your trip is during the summer though, you might have to take a break just to escape the heat.

 

[Nancyg56]

It is always a personal preference in my opinion. My family usually goes back to the resort not too long after lunch. We don't mind the time because it gives us an opportunity to swim or to relax. WE always shower and head back out for a later dinner either in a park or at a resort. I think you should see if your little one will fall asleep, and if so play it by ear.

 

[Hootch]

We almost always take a break in the afternoon. We're there in the summer and park hours are long. We took both of our kids the first time when they were three. The first time we were smart and stayed at the Contemporary. Easy break time. The second time, our daughter's first trip, we tried to push through the day. She had a melt down.

An alternative is to go to attractions like COP, the train and Hall of Presidents. That gives them something of a break from stimulus. Also the toddler might be eleigible for the care centers where there are peaceful areas.

 

[LokiHoodoo]

We usually head back to the resort when the park gets really full. We grab a swim and rest our feet for a while. Then we head to a different park feeling refreshed. Taking the bus doesn't seem to slow us down too much. I find having a break in the day makes for a more relaxing vacation.

 

[codimouse]

When we went with toddlers we stayed at the park. I utilized the baby care center. Castmembers were so friendly.
My husband and my oldest would go to watch an indoor show or 2 nearby.
If I remember correctly I used the center near the Crystal Palace.

 

[Lavitz]

If you're going in the summer, who cares how long it takes, you need to get out of the heat (you and the kids).

However we go during November and wouldn't dream of taking a mid day break. Kids sleep in strollers when they get sleepy enough. And you're probably looking at close to 2.5 hours round trip. 15 mins to get to the bus stop from where you are, 30 minutes to arrive at your resort, 10 minutes to get to your room. Add in a 15 minute buffer for late buses, stopping in shops etc and it's 1 hour 15 minutes each way. Not worth it in the cooler months.

 

[Rosebud123]

With kids that age, I'd do a 3/4 day and stay 'til 4. We didn't bother with night time entertainment until my kids were several years older.

 

[mshanson3121]

We're here now and have done both. The first days we spent about 5-6 hours in park, though granted our children are older (8, 5). And I found that a good time length. Quite honestly, by the 5 hour mark in the heat, we were all getting pretty tired and wanting a break. I honestly don't think I could see young children handling that, unless they're capable of sleeping in the stroller.

Today, we did HS from RD to 1, and then came home to our rental house for a break (17 minute drive from the park). We're just leaving to go back now. And while I thought it was going to be a hassle, honestly... it was JUST what we needed. It is AMAZING how refreshed and re-energized you feel after a dip in the pool. We find cooling off/relaxing in the pool really gives us a second wind. Even just to sit down and watch tv for an hour. We spent about 3 hours at home. It was just right.

Also, I was worried about the hassle of lugging everything out of the park, then back in etc... and honestly, didn't find it a problem at all. Pack lightly (for us light means we have our backback cooler and my camera bag) and you'll have no troubles.

So my advice would be, if you feel you can, soldier through. But if you're tired, take a break. Do not let your kids get to the point of exhausted-meltdown mode. We've seen a lot of that here so far.

 

[cakebaker]

We take midday breaks every trip, but specifically did this last October when staying at AOA.

We found the bus service there to be fantastic, so waits were very short. We never felt it took any longer to get to and from any particular park staying at AOA than it did any other resort and it was faster than some. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

That said, we usually leave a park around lunch time, return to another park by 5 or 6 and stay until closing. I'm not sure I'd actually do a midday break if I wasn't closing the evening parks, or in the case of the MK with later closings, staying well into the evening.

 

[JimmyV]

My personal opinion....the "Mid-Day Break" from the MK was an invention created during the days when most on site guests stayed at the Contemporary and Poly. It is a breeze to go back there. But trying to employ the same strategy when staying at a Value or most Moderates is tough to pull off. Better to investigate in-park downtime strategies like the train, Riverboat, Peoplemover, CoP, etc.

 

[bbjunkie]

I have forgotten if OP mentioned what time of year she was taking her trip. In my opinion, a mid-day break is not only practical, but essential if you are there from May-Mid-Sept. The only factor that would possibly sway my opinion in this is how late the OP plans to stay in the park overall. But in the summer months, the heat and humidity is brutal, and escaping it for a few hours is necessary to get the most out of the day. On our last trip, we stayed at Pop, (essentially the same bus-ride as AOA). We knew we would leave the parks after planned activities around 12:30-1:00. We were back at the resort, changed, and in the pool by 1:30 until 5:00ish, then changed and headed back to the park by 6:00. At no time, ever, did it take an hour+ one way to get back to or from our resort. I didn't feel like our time was wasted at all. Additionally, our daughter LOVED the pool parties; for her that was an essential part of the Disney trip. So relaxing and refreshing for a few hours in the middle of the day was perfect. Because we were able to recharge, we were able to stay in the parks until closing, which we would not have been able to do without the break because of exhaustion. Although we may have "wasted" a grand total of an hour on the busses to and from for our break, we were certainly able to remain in the parks more than an hour longer than we would have been had we not taken the time out.

Now, if you have intentions of leaving the park for the day by 7:00 or 8:00, then I suppose taking a break at your resort would take a chunk of your day. But homestly, really little ones enjoy the pool as much as any other part of Disney, so you might be best to spend some time there anyway.

 

[WillAustin]

I think the mid-day break is practical when you aren't staying too far from the park you are in. Not sure we'd ever leave AK and come back later unless we were staying at AKL. MK and CR/BLT is really nice though to get back and forth.

 

[Nancyg56]

My personal opinion....the "Mid-Day Break" from the MK was an invention created during the days when most on site guests stayed at the Contemporary and Poly. It is a breeze to go back there. But trying to employ the same strategy when staying at a Value or most Moderates is tough to pull off. Better to investigate in-park downtime strategies like the train, Riverboat, Peoplemover, CoP, etc.

I agree that it is much easier to return to the resort if you are on the monorail line, but we have stayed at the Epcot resorts and AKL and did not find the break a problem. It really depends on how a family tours. WE like to hit the parks at Rope Drop, have a lunch, then return to the resort. WE go back out for a late diner and park time after that. It works for us, btu I think people need to know their family

 

[cakebaker]

It's equally easy when staying at Wilderness Lodge. Just a direct boat ride away and no stops. We did this on our trip a week or so ago and found it very easy. Plus the quiet boat ride back usually lulled my grandson asleep, making naptime much easier. The bigger boat doesn't require you to fold the stroller so it was very convenient.

 

[lroger01]

Really the only way to find out is to do some practicing. Take a trip to the zoo, outdoor museum, festival, local amusement park, etc. for a day. You'll figure out real quick how long you can stay out and still have fun. You can also test out looking for mid-day break areas and seeing if the young kidlet will nap. Once home, you can see how much rest you need before you're ready to go out again - or discover that once home, staying home is best. Test trips will show you soooooo much about what works with you're family.

 

[ZoZo]

One thing to factor in is the time of year you go. If park hours are shorter (parks closing anywhere from 5:00, like at AK, or 9:00 pm, like at Epcot), afternoon breaks can be a big time-suck. Most of my trips have been in October, when the parks close fairly early (by 9:00 pm at the latest, except for parks evening EMH) on weekdays. We rarely did afternoon breaks (except for perhaps a quick shower and change of clothes) because we'd lose about a third of our available park-touring time. Luckily, MK and Epcot stay open a little later on the weekends, though, so that helps get more done.

Another factor is whether you have a car or will be taking WDW transportation. Having a car tends to save some time, except at MK where you have to park at the TTC then take the monorail to MK from there. Occasionally, I've just missed the bus at the parks, and had to wait about 20 minutes for the next one. That adds a bit of time. But we stayed at AoA last year and found the bus service to be great, so that helps.

 

[pmaurer74]

We'll be at MK for one day with a preschooler and a toddler. Our plan was to head back to the resort midday for a rest. But then I started looking at maps and reading about bus schedules... Is it even practical to try to go from MK back to AoA for a break midday, then return for a few hours? (We'll be using the bus.)

The older one will be ok without a nap, but the 14-month old will definitely need to rest. She's not the type to sleep in the stroller or anywhere with distractions. But if we're looking at over and hour round-trip travel time to go back, that's a lot of wasted time.

Has anyone gone back to AoA from MK and returned in the PM? Did it work out ok? If not, what are your favorite 'rest' locations at MK? Does the baby care center have rocking chairs and/or a dark room?

If we stay at the park, I imagine we'll probably leave the park for the day by 3 or 4.

We take a break every day especially if it is summer. In the cooler months we can make it all day.

 

[Magpie]

We always take an afternoon break. That way, we can hit the parks at rope drop, enjoy lighter crowds, leave when it gets hot and crowded, nap, and then return to another park to enjoy the evenings when it's cooler.

We have stayed at the Pop Century, Coronado Springs, and the Beach Club. Of all of these, the Beach Club was obviously the most convenient for returning from Epcot. But the Pop had the best busses, by far. They were always prompt (rarely waiting more than 10 minutes, can't actually recall waiting more than 20), and the ride is short, even when you're stuck standing. Plus, they drop you off at the front gates, so no hiking through hot parking lots. (Especially nice when going to the Magic Kingdom.)

Sadly, Coronado Springs was excellent about 80 percent of the time, and an absolute nightmare the other 20, because periodically the busses would get flooded with (in our case) kids attending competitions, and they'd be full up before completing the circuit of the resort. It's not fun watching a bus zoom by your stop, knowing it's going to be another 20 to 30 minutes before another bus comes. Disney doesn't seem able to adjust quickly to sudden fluctuations in ridership volume.

Anyway, count me in on team "Midday R&R". Regardless of the resort transportation, I'd never give up our naps. We enjoy our days more, when we're not exhausted.

 

[ColoradoDis]

What about taking a mid-day break at the Contemporary or the Poly - find a nice quiet place in the lobby for some downtime.