Midday break while staying off site?

[MarBee]

Hello! We are staying off site at the Gaylord Palms and will have a car this trip. We’ve always stayed on property and haven’t been since pre-Covid, so please forgive me for being clueless on this.
We are going in August and want to do a MK Day but think we will need to take a break from the heat. We are planning on rope dropping then prob 11:30ish will head back to the hotel to rest and come back around 3:00 and close out the park. I have a few questions...
1) does this seem feasible time wise? (Not sure how to factor in getting the time it takes at TTC to get our car)

2) will we be able to return to MK since we have a park reservation there for the day?

3) will we have to pay for parking at the parks twice?

Any input is appreciated!

 

[FCDub]

Hello! We are staying off site at the Gaylord Palms and will have a car this trip. We’ve always stayed on property and haven’t been since pre-Covid, so please forgive me for being clueless on this.
We are going in August and want to do a MK Day but think we will need to take a break from the heat. We are planning on rope dropping then prob 11:30ish will head back to the hotel to rest and come back around 3:00 and close out the park. I have a few questions...
1) does this seem feasible time wise? (Not sure how to factor in getting the time it takes at TTC to get our car)

2) will we be able to return to MK since we have a park reservation there for the day?

3) will we have to pay for parking at the parks twice?

Any input is appreciated!

2) Yes. No issues.
3) Nope. You’ll just need to save your receipt and be waved back in.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

Hello! We are staying off site at the Gaylord Palms and will have a car this trip. We’ve always stayed on property and haven’t been since pre-Covid, so please forgive me for being clueless on this.
We are going in August and want to do a MK Day but think we will need to take a break from the heat. We are planning on rope dropping then prob 11:30ish will head back to the hotel to rest and come back around 3:00 and close out the park. I have a few questions...
1) does this seem feasible time wise? (Not sure how to factor in getting the time it takes at TTC to get our car)

2) will we be able to return to MK since we have a park reservation there for the day?

3) will we have to pay for parking at the parks twice?

Any input is appreciated!

1- Yes, we've stayed at GP a few times but it's not that far.
2- Yes
3- No keep your receipt for payment.

 

[redboat45]

You will be able to leave an come back no problem and only have to pay for parking once.

You'll probably get about a 2 hour break in in that time frame, maybe little more. MK is the worst park for mid day breaks if you're off site.

 

[MarBee]

Thanks all! I’m hoping we enjoy staying off site.

Since MK seems to be a pain with the TTC, would I be better off ubering from Gaylord Palms to/from Contemporary or one of the monorail resorts?

 

[redboat45]

Thanks all! I’m hoping we enjoy staying off site.

Since MK seems to be a pain with the TTC, would I be better off ubering from Gaylord Palms to/from Contemporary or one of the monorail resorts?

I would say so. If you're ok with that expense. Another thing you could do for your MK day is to get a reservation for a sit down lunch and have a nice break that way. You could even just take a monorail ride to GF or whatever and eat there/cool off in the hotel. You wouldn't really be able to take a nap but it would be a break from the park.

 

[FCDub]

Thanks all! I’m hoping we enjoy staying off site.

Since MK seems to be a pain with the TTC, would I be better off ubering from Gaylord Palms to/from Contemporary or one of the monorail resorts?

Disney knows that people are trying to use the Contemporary as a drop off point to avoid the TTC, and they’ve accordingly taken measures to stop it. Meaning you’ll need to have a dining reservation to get dropped off inside the gates.

The TTC isn’t that big a hassle.

 

[Micca]

Another thing you could do for your MK day is to get a reservation for a sit down lunch and have a nice break that way.

As much as I agree with a midday break in August (!) I'd prefer this idea over returning to the hotel. For me the getting out of the park/travel to hotel/travel back to park/ going through the entrance again, getting to the part of MK you want to experience next...it's kind of a lot.

OTOH, killing 3-4 hours just chillin' at a monorail resort is also kind of a long time. That length of time might be better spent at the hotel where there's a pool and a bed, and a lounge.

Well I'm no help whatsoever! But seriously I'd probably not exit the property if I could avoid it.

 

[ChanaC]

As much as I agree with a midday break in August (!) I'd prefer this idea over returning to the hotel. For me the getting out of the park/travel to hotel/travel back to park/ going through the entrance again, getting to the part of MK you want to experience next...it's kind of a lot.

OTOH, killing 3-4 hours just chillin' at a monorail resort is also kind of a long time. That length of time might be better spent at the hotel where there's a pool and a bed, and a lounge.

Well I'm no help whatsoever! But seriously I'd probably not exit the property if I could avoid it.

I agree with this as well. Leaving MK is tough, and with all the travel a "quick break" really turns into an hour of travel each way, and by the time you get back to the hotel you have to start thinking about packing up again. I would also suggest taking a break at one of the hotels near MK. Get a sit down lunch reservation at the Grand Floridian Cafe or Kona Cafe and take your time (assuming the staff isn't pushing you out). Get a drink (maybe non-alcoholic if it's really hot out - you got to stay hydrated) at one of the bars, or maybe a Dole Whip. Walk around and check out the gift shops. Sit down in one of the lobbies and check your email, or just people watch. If the weather isn't too bad, grab a spot in the shade by the lake and hopefully catch a breeze. Take a boat on the way back to MK to get even more of a breeze. For more adventure, check out Ft Wilderness, there is a lot to see a do, and a lot of nice areas to just sit and relax.

If you are going to any of the other parks, I would say going back to the Gaylord Palms isn't that bad, but for MK maybe try sticking around. Usually the hotels clear out a lot during the afternoon so they are usually pretty quiet. You can't use the pool but at least you can get some AC and avoid the crowds, and if you are looking to shop you can do so without all the crowds.

 

[Disney Fool]

I 'm an owner at Sheraton Vistana which is 2 miles from being on Disney property. I use condo when bringing friends to Disney sometimes. I know exactly where Gaylord Palms is. Its not far. The problem I"ve found with staying offsite and taking midday break, is that often nobody wants to go back to the park!!!!!! They get comfy and don't feel like going through the hassle of getting back in the hot car, going through parking, lines, etc. they get lazy. I'm all for taking breaks especially in the summer months, but I find my guests are uncooperative sometimes. (maybe its because they never realized how big Disney is even after telling them over and over again) I agree that MK will be the hardest to return to simply because of the addition of ferry or monorail AFTER the car ride. Epcot or HS is easier. I would recommend getting as much done as possible in the morning especially at MK, just in case. Do as much as you can in the morning at AK also, especially in August!!!! also plan on staying at resort for a morning and spending afternoon to closing at parks for a day or two.

 

[ChanaC]

Adding in another thought to what I wrote above - even the MK resort quick service restaurants are not bad options. You can order on the app to avoid standing around to order, and since you don't have a waiter or waitress you wouldn't have to feel guilty about sitting at the table for an extended period of time. Capt Cooks at the Poly has some good food options and has indoor and outdoor seating, and you can take the food to go and picnic on the beach if you want. Contempo Cafe at the Contemporary also has some some good options and you can do a lot of people watching, plus watch the monorail go by. Although be wary that there is a lot of Contemporary construction going on at the moment, not sure how done it will be by August. There is some seating outside on a patio that honestly a lot of people forget exist which has some great views of MK, and usually has a good breeze up there. There isn't any tables, just some chairs and benches.

 

[Micca]

The problem I"ve found with staying offsite and taking midday break, is that often nobody wants to go back to the park!!!!!! They get comfy and don't feel like going through the hassle of getting back in the hot car, going through parking, lines, etc. they get lazy.

We're DVC members so we're always on-site, but this happens to us too! The resort feels so comfortable after several hours in a park, you just sort of chill out and the motivation to return to a park slips away. Not that there's anything wrong with that...it is a vacation

 

[starry_solo]

Have you considered taking a mid-day break and walking over to the Contemporary? Or taking the monorail to one of the monorail resorts for AC and a mid-day snack/meal there?

 

[cyndiella]

Thanks all! I’m hoping we enjoy staying off site.

Since MK seems to be a pain with the TTC, would I be better off ubering from Gaylord Palms to/from Contemporary or one of the monorail resorts?

I would also vote for a sit down lunch at a monorail resort, then go down to the beach and stretch out on a lounge chair and listen to the water. Grab 20 winks and you are good to go after a wonderful 'decompression hour'

 

[MarBee]

Thanks all! We are not doing any other parks this trip. Just one day at MK and our other days checking our some other Orlando-area stuff. We had been Annual Passholders for several years prior to this and went a few times a year. We were originally skipping Disney altogether this year, but I just needed a fix.
Normally we don’t go in the summer bc I’m not great in the heat, but I just really really missed this place. I’m hoping it’s not a nightmare for me

 

[MarBee]

Have you considered taking a mid-day break and walking over to the Contemporary? Or taking the monorail to one of the monorail resorts for AC and a mid-day snack/meal there?

I thought about this but just worried it won’t be enough of a cool off. I’m awful with the heat and normally would never ever go in August during the day (usually just go after sundown and close out the park). But I really am just in need of a Disney fix so bad that I am paying way too much money to go to MK for a day and hope it gets me through till when APs come back again.

 

[emily nicole]

We've done it at both a townhouse rental (Reunion Resort) and an offsite AK area hotel (I think it was called the Ramada Maingate). The monorail/ferry extra step was a little bit of a pain, but certainly doable. One evening, while staying at the Ramada, we were on the monorail arriving at MK and I realized I forgot my wallet. We had to turn around and go back. Yikes! But still, it only cost us about 1 hour all told.

 

[kathy884]

We like to take a midday break at the Polynesian (we like the theming of the resort more than the Contemporary for relaxing - although the Contemporary is a lovely resort too). We take the monorail over, eat table service if we have a reservation (else eat quick service at Captain Cooks if we don't -- or if we don't have a full quick service meal at Captain Cooks we get a Dole Whip), sit out by the beach area (in August that would be in the lobby), and then take a monorail back.

When I don't have time to leave leave the MK park and need some A/C and a quick power nap, my go to place is the Carousel of Progress. Amazing how easy for it is me to cool off and snooze on that when I am tired lol. That ride almost always has a super quick line too. That might be something to do if you need more than just a midday break for getting away from the August heat.

We stay offsite too and have had the same issues that others have had after taking a break at our offsite resort twice years ago (no one in the family wants to go back). Went to the MK from rope drop till 2, went back to the Sheraton Vistana and went for a swim. DH and DS were so relaxed and enjoying the resort and chill out time that they didn't even want to go back. That was when DS was little, though, and liked the resort swimming pool and activities even more than the MK (although he loved both). These days lol DH would not go to any theme park in the first place and DS would be totally up for going back as an older person.

 

[kwdw]

While the Gaylord is close, I’d plan differently without needing the break. I’d do one of two things: (1) RD and then have lunch at a monorail resort or FW at about 1 pm. Get an ADR, but QS is okay, too. Bring a backpack that day to carry a charger, maybe a change of shirt or however you want to refresh. Hang out at the resort in a quieter location. They all have public spots with seating and less traffic. Go back to the park around 4. (2) Or, skip RD. Humidity is high in the morning and can make you feel miserable even though the temp is cooler. Head to the park later. Browse Main Street on your way in with a plan to eat a TS lunch. Start with some cooler attractions like Laugh Floor or COP, all things you aren’t going to get blasted by the heat waiting for. Then, assuming it’s closer to 4 pm now, start your main touring. It’s still hot, but by 4-5 pm, there’s more shade and the humidity is lower. Close out the park. When it’s super hot and I’m off site, if I break in the middle of the day, I never make it back to the park! I do on site some, but that plan never works when I am off site.

 

[_19disnA]

Mid-day break makes sense especially in August when it tends to be the hottest time of the year. Early/late is a good plan to avoid the hottest part of the day and relax back at your hotel.