Mid-Day Break "Strategy"

[Kamy04]

We are going to WDW in May. I have been twice (way back in '94 and '01). My boys and DH have never been. This is very likely our only trip.



My boys are 6 and the other will be 2 weeks shy of 3.

We want to do mid-day breaks. DS2 will need to nap and my dh hates heat lol.


WE are staying at PoR and Relying on the buses.

I need help thinking this out time-wise.

If we are leaving the parks around 1...we should be at the resort around ??? 2? Then getting down and sleeping...now it is maybe 4:30/5? Then back to the parks at what? 6:30?

I just have no idea how long the transport etc takes.

I am kinda afraid they won't want to go back. Our kids are used to bed at 7pm! Waking up later ds2 should be okay being up later, though.

What time do midday breakers usually leave the park etc?

 

[Lvsdisney]

The two times we went with our kids (similar ages) we left the parks around 1-1:30 (out the gates). Depending on how long we waited for the bus and which park we were at. we arrive at hotel no later than 2-2:30. My kids would settle down, DD took a nap. We'd wake her up right before dinner (5 ish) and either have dinner at the resort or head back to the park for dinner. My kids had no problem wanting to go back to the parks in the evening. They love the rides and the fireworks. If you're afraid of your kids wanting to go back, I say either do an early and longer day at the park and don't go back (rest up) in the evening. OR do a later day to parks, arriving after lunch, giving your kids enough time to rest in the AM and then stay as late as they can tolerate.

 

[SaintsManiac]

If they are used to such an early bed time you might wind up being miserable going back. We hopped to the MK twice on our last trip when DD was 5. She's a night owl, but she was simply DONE at about 9:30 and that was with a stroller! We rented one on our hopping days and she fell asleep in it both nights. If you're using a stroller the entire time then maybe they won't be as tired.

 

[Capang]

We stayed at POR with our then three year old and found it near impossible to take midday breaks. It is just too far from the parks. Sometimes it took an hour and a half or more to get from park to room. I'd rent a stroller and let kids nap in that at the parks and leave early in the evening.

 

[Kamy04]

I am more worried about DH not wanting to go back than the kids lol.

We have rented a City Mini GT for the trip. Just a single but did get the GT for the higher limits (ds is 49 inches tall). Ds2 has only taken a stroller nap twice in his life, but once was at an amusement park, so there is hope!

IS it any faster if we rent a car? OR Is walking back to a car just as time consuming?

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

We stayed at POR with our then three year old and found it near impossible to take midday breaks. It is just too far from the parks. Sometimes it took an hour and a half or more to get from park to room. I'd rent a stroller and let kids nap in that at the parks and leave early in the evening.

I'm sorry but I find that hard to believe. It's not going to take you an hour and a half to get back to any of the on-site resorts from the parks in the middle of the day when most people are not crowding the bus stops.

 

[NY Pirate Princess]

It never took us an hour and a half to get to por from any park at midday. I think you will need to be flexible and go with the flow. Some days you might take a break. Some days you will need a late start. My biggest advice would be to go at the pace of your weakest link (which sounds like your husband) and have fun. We had luck driving to all parks, but mk is easier by bus. The single stroller shouldn't be too bad to handle on the busses. You might be surprised at how much stroller napping could occur. By the end of our trip I swear I could nap in there. Don't stress yourself out too much. You will know when it is time to get your family out of a park.

 

[loves to dive]

It never took us an hour and a half to get to por from any park at midday. I think you will need to be flexible and go with the flow. Some days you might take a break. Some days you will need a late start. My biggest advice would be to go at the pace of your weakest link (which sounds like your husband) and have fun. We had luck driving to all parks, but mk is easier by bus. The single stroller shouldn't be too bad to handle on the busses. You might be surprised at how much stroller napping could occur. By the end of our trip I swear I could nap in there. Don't stress yourself out too much. You will know when it is time to get your family out of a park.

This, just go with the flow and when you see someone needing a break take it. If you get back to the room and after a while someone/everyone doesn't want to go back to the park, go with it and maybe take the rest of the someone's to the pool. It's vacation, not meant to stress anyone or run on some regimented schedule.

 

[Kamy04]

I am only wondering for Fastpass purposes. Trying to decide when to try and get them for. So many scenarios. I already have our adrs and trying to figure out if those times work, too.

I keep reminding myself they don't know what they miss. I only know from reading here lol, so really I am the only one knowing what we "miss."

 

[GADisneyDad14]

It never took us an hour and a half to get to por from any park at midday. I think you will need to be flexible and go with the flow. Some days you might take a break. Some days you will need a late start. My biggest advice would be to go at the pace of your weakest link (which sounds like your husband) and have fun. We had luck driving to all parks, but mk is easier by bus. The single stroller shouldn't be too bad to handle on the busses. You might be surprised at how much stroller napping could occur. By the end of our trip I swear I could nap in there. Don't stress yourself out too much. You will know when it is time to get your family out of a park.

This. 1,000 times this.

 

[JZCubed]

We are going to WDW in May. I have been twice (way back in '94 and '01). My boys and DH have never been. This is very likely our only trip.



My boys are 6 and the other will be 2 weeks shy of 3.

We want to do mid-day breaks. DS2 will need to nap and my dh hates heat lol.


WE are staying at PoR and Relying on the buses.

I need help thinking this out time-wise.

If we are leaving the parks around 1...we should be at the resort around ??? 2? Then getting down and sleeping...now it is maybe 4:30/5? Then back to the parks at what? 6:30?

I just have no idea how long the transport etc takes.

I am kinda afraid they won't want to go back. Our kids are used to bed at 7pm! Waking up later ds2 should be okay being up later, though.

What time do midday breakers usually leave the park etc?

I have a few things to say on these topics.

1.) The Guidebooks we purchased before traveling mentioned that most children have a 4-hour window before they need some change in the activities. We still benefit from that strategy with our 8 y.o. daughter.

2.) Time changes when children get to Disney World. I am sure that no child riding Dumbo (or similar) at 10pm has a bedtime that late. There are many children riding rides well past there typical bedtimes.

3.) Consider this - you leave the Park for a nap and the child immediately falls asleep in the stroller. By the time you are back at your resort (after likely carrying the child if taking buses) - sleeping child is now wide awake. We stopped 'scheduling naps' and simply used times our daughter fell asleep as an opportunity to shop, etc.

What I'm getting at is - you are looking for some hard-n-fast rules (guidelines at least) that we/others follow(ed) managing young children.

And I'm betting what most of us discovered was these 'rules' disappeared once the children were exposed to the extraordinary stimuli of Disney.

Planning is certainly important, but your sense of humor and having some flexibility is the best way to manage time with a youngster.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I am only wondering for Fastpass purposes. Trying to decide when to try and get them for. So many scenarios. I already have our adrs and trying to figure out if those times work, too.

I keep reminding myself they don't know what they miss. I only know from reading here lol, so really I am the only one knowing what we "miss."

So my kids are kind of the same age. Most of my trips have been with DS ages 3-6 over the last few years, and DD2 has been a couple of times as well. I am in the camp of using FPs early in the day. We tend to rope drop or pretty close to it and then be heading back to the resort no later than 1. Start the FPs 10-11, 11-12, 12-1 or something generally in that range. Others will say not to waste them that early but I find I can pretty much only plan out a morning and then the rest of the day gets away from you based on moods, naps, stamina, etc.

Good luck.

 

[JZCubed]

I am only wondering for Fastpass purposes. Trying to decide when to try and get them for. So many scenarios. I already have our adrs and trying to figure out if those times work, too.

I keep reminding myself they don't know what they miss. I only know from reading here lol, so really I am the only one knowing what we "miss."

You may want to review Josh's Cheat Sheets to help you understand what your FP+ priorities might be.

http://www.easywdw.com/easy/cheat-s...t-sheets-maps-touring-plans-and-wait-times-4/

With a young child, 'planning' to go back to the Parks in the evening can be difficult. Sorry.

 

[JZCubed]

So my kids are kind of the same age. Most of my trips have been with DS ages 3-6 over the last few years, and DD2 has been a couple of times as well. I am in the camp of using FPs early in the day. We tend to rope drop or pretty close to it and then be heading back to the resort no later than 1. Start the FPs 10-11, 11-12, 12-1 or something generally in that range. Others will say not to waste them that early but I find I can pretty much only plan out a morning and then the rest of the day gets away from you based on moods, naps, stamina, etc.

Good luck.

^^^^^This^^^^^

 

[GADisneyDad14]

And I'm betting what most of us discovered was these 'rules' disappeared once the children were exposed to the extraordinary stimuli of Disney.

This is SO true. The "rules" disappear, along with any hopes of making that evening ADR you snagged 180 days out, of making it to that certain ride you stalked the website for a FP for, etc, etc.

It's all good in the end, but flexibility is key. This can be REALLY hard because, as OP noted, this may be a one time trip. You can get a lot done in one trip but can't do everything... so just sit back, relax, and enjoy what you can.

Again, good luck!

 

[kayteekt]

I am only wondering for Fastpass purposes. Trying to decide when to try and get them for. So many scenarios. I already have our adrs and trying to figure out if those times work, too.

I keep reminding myself they don't know what they miss. I only know from reading here lol, so really I am the only one knowing what we "miss."

We started going to disney when my DD was 18 mo. Our son came along 4 yrs later, his first trip he was 5mo old. We had been going annually until this past year when we bought APs. Kids are 8 and 4. In all those trips (about 10) we've just played it by ear. You just have to, to a point...you know. Sometimes they sleep in the stroller, sometimes not. Sometimes the oldest loses it before the younger...sometimes it's DH lol.
You just don't know when they'll crash and you just have to accommodate.

If you're worried about FP which is valid for sure...I would plan them pretty much everyday for 10-noon. That way if you need to leave, you've got in at least 3 "big" rides. If you need a late start, then you're covered there too. After you use your 3, you can schedule your 4th. So you may want to use it right away (would still be early afternoon) or you could schedule for the evening.

Also, you can always modify your FP while you're there. Don't use one, you can just let it expire and reschedule it. No biggie.

You really can't do it wrong, when we started going all those years ago the only thing we planned were ADRs and we had a blast...which is why we've kept going back.

General planning is good, but just expect to be flexible and spontaneous

 

[Kamy04]

Thanks all.

I plan on being flexible there, just really trying to figure out a FP strategy. I was thinking morning, so I am glad to see others have done the same. I have Joshs' book and plans...waiting on the new crowd calendar ;-)

We are rope dropping at least the first 2 days. After that we shall see.

Of course school introduced ds2 to frozen before christmas...he loves it so that has added some things we planned on skipping lol. Only the hardest fp to get...ha!

 

[Cruisin Spartan]

We have a 4 & 2yo. We usually do Park around RD in the morning until 12 or 1, break at the hotel, the next head back to the hotel around 3:30 or 4:30ish. Typically, we book our FP for the evening since the waits aren't usually that bad until around when we are leaving for break. It's worked pretty well for us over several trips.

 

[Klayfish]

What I'm getting at is - you are looking for some hard-n-fast rules (guidelines at least) that we/others follow(ed) managing young children.

And I'm betting what most of us discovered was these 'rules' disappeared once the children were exposed to the extraordinary stimuli of Disney.

Planning is certainly important, but your sense of humor and having some flexibility is the best way to manage time with a youngster.

Completely agree with this. The best laid plans can all go out the window when the equation is WDW + young kids.

When our kids were your kids ages, we lived in PA and never knew when we'd get to come back (always planned, but money dictated) so we never did mid-day breaks. For us, the time and effort to lug the kids and gear back and forth just wasn't worth it. They weren't stroller nappers much either, but that changed while at WDW.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

I would also suggest taking a break mid week if possible and schedule a slower resort day if possible to let the kids catch up on sleep. Bedtimes tended to go out the window on our trips. Even with a resort / Disney Springs day, my DS then 3 and 4 had epic meltdowns the Fri of each Sat to Sat trip. HE was just done.