Opinions! Afternoon Break?

[paula70]

My family (DH, DD8, DD51/2) and I will be taking our first trip to WDW 2/8/06-2/14/06 (staying at ASMo). I have been doing tons of reserach through these boards, the UG and TGM! (My husband thinks I'm CRAZY !) Here is what I really want to know from you veterans...Do you really go back to the hotel to rest in the afternoon? Both the UG and TGM reccomend we do, but i'm just not sure if it would be worth the hassle of draggin' the kids out of the park and back to the hotel? So PLEASE, I would love to hear from as many of you as possible! TIA!

Disney First timer!

 

[Kae]

Yes we do DS7 DD4. But we find it also helps to sleep in a couple of days and get a later start to the day.

Kae

 

[CastMemberDWA]

Getting to and from your hotel can be difficult...depending on where you stay and which park you are in for that day.

here is what I suggest: If you need a break from WDW head to the lobby at the Grand Floridian. rest on the couches there and you might get lucky and have the piano player in there serenading you.....

If at EPCOT - you could easily take a break on the big rocking chairs on the back porch of the Boardwalk Villas....

MGM- the Swan/Dolphin are closest....

At AK- take the break inside the Conservation Station.....I work there and it is a lovely place to escape to and get away from the hustle bustle of crowds and lines.

That is my 2 cents worth.

If you decide to stay in the parks there are many places to relax a bit...
MK= Hall of presidents
EPCOT = Impressions de France, or AMerican Adventure
DAK= conservation station
MGM=the Animation Studios.

 

[michvin]

We went in Oct 05 with DD 21 mos, DD 4 1/2 and DS 6. We didn't go to the parks on our 3rd day out of 7 (we did pirate cruise, tea party and hoop dee doo) and I would say 2 days we did not go back and the other 4 we did. The one day was AK and we just were going to be there one day and the baby fell asleep and the other two were doing great. We say a show and had an ice cream break. The other time, we were at Epcot, took a long monorail ride and then hit MGM. We did leave around 8pm though...really tired. I recommend the break but if you are all good, stay and take a rest or snack or something.

 

[paula70]

Yes we do DS7 DD4. But we find it also helps to sleep in a couple of days and get a later start to the day.

Kae

I would love that, but everyone says you need to get to the parks early!? Did you still get to do all the rides you wanted to do?

 

[Stacerita]

We didn't go back to the hotel to rest. Thought it would eat up too much time since the parks weren't staying open all that late. What we did was take breaks during the day. Sitting waiting for parades or other shows gave us a good rest especially if we found a bench to sit on. What did keep up doing all week was that we slept in on two different days and didn't head to the parks till the afternoon. The other days were were always there at opening. Doing the sleeping in thing a few times really helped with our stamina the whole week. It worked out great.

 

[crisi]

It depends on you, your kids, the weather, and what you want to accomplish.

With a 5 1/2 year old - assuming they are "average" (yeah right), a rest (it doesn't have to be back at the hotel, a monorail ride, a few relaxing attractions) mid day any day you plan on fireworks (Illuminations, Spectro/Wishes, Fantasmic) is good. Illuminations won't have you pulling into your hotel until after 10pm, if you've had your daughter up at eight and running full tilt until then, you either won't make it, or you won't make it the next day. We often go full tilt until one, then kick back for the afternoon - either go back to the hotel or see all the boring easy don't need to stand in line stuff.

We've found Feb to be chilly for requiring a mid-afternoon break (i.e. the kids don't NEED to swim like they do in October). In summer its a MUST because of the heat. So the weather shouldn't be nearly as exhausting.

It will also depend on if you put your kids in strollers. The rentals will fit pretty big kids, and they can rest while you do the heavy job of pushing big kids in strollers!

Even when our kids were toddlers, we never had luck with naps in the room. Swimming, yes. Naps, no.

 

[Fedya]

When we went, we got got the park at the opening of magic hour and stayed till the end. In order to break up the day, we would get a sit down lunch and dinner for about an hour so that we had time to rest, without having to go to our campground. We also saved the rides that you can just sit and enjoy for the middle of the day when the crowds were bigger and the attractions had more capacity. This way we could rest during the busies partof the day as well.

 

[DisFlan]

Like Crisi says, it depends.

I look at afternoon breaks as part of pacing the trip. Not many people can push full tilt every day and into the night without paying for it after a day or two, especially with younger kids. And you may not want to spend half your trip on "rest" days. The afternoon break helps even things out - it helps prevent burnout before the end of your stay. You'll probably end up doing more of what you want to do, and enjoying it more.

We're veterans. We've been doing WDW for 28 years and we're on the second generation of kids. And yes, we go back to the hotel. Even if the kids don't take a serious nap, the cool-down time is invaluable. Heck, I take a nap and feel better for it. I like to break up my average 7 to 13 miles a day with a little down time.

DisFlan

 

[james15]

Every trip we run into first timers spending all day in the park and complaining about how tried they are.I saw a figure once a average park day you will walk a 11 miles a day.The resorts are part of the experince too. 3or 4 long park days in a row alot of people seem to hit the wall and its no longer fun.Alot of neat things outside the parks to see too.

 

[LoveWDW]

When our kids were little we did a sit down lunch. It let us cool down from the heat and rest. Frequently we would miss any rain shower, too. I'd think that as has been suggested already that if you slow the pace for a while that you can recoup without having to leave the parks. Toward the end of our recent trip we did go back to the Yacht Club and relaxed for an hour or so, but it is true that the parks close early.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I'm just back from a two-week vacation which included my two grandchildren - the eldest turned 4 during the trip, the youngest is 11 months.

My 4-year-old grandson has long ago given up afternoon naps, but he does sleep long and soundly at night. So what worked best for us was to pretty much follow his routine from home (getting up early, going to the parks, and coming back to the hotel in time for him to be in bed by 7:00 or 7:30 at night). Callista, who is nearly one, normally has two fairly short naps during the day. My daughter-in-law carried her in a baby sling and she would just nap right in the sling (sometimes daddy would take her in the sling) while we continued around the park.

We had enough extra adults on the trip that the parents were able to manage a couple of late nights out after the grandchildren had gone to sleep.

I think the little ones enjoyed the trip more because they were able to keep to their usual sleep patterns and felt well-rested. I don't think that my grandson would have managed to nap during the afternoon, and keeping him up late would have just made him (and probably us) miserable.

Not all kids are like this, though! My own daughter was a real night-owl as a preschooler and would have done great with a different plan.

Teresa

 

[wright1baby]

I think, like other post have mentioned, you know your family's limits better than anyone. We took our first trip in June and I thought DD 5 1/2 would be wiped out (bought a Maclaren stroller). She used the stroller once and never really needed a nap. I do have to follow with, by the time we got back to POR she was wiped! She had just enough energy to take a bath and hit the sack! Every child is different and I assumed she would definately need a nap--I was mistaken--it was DH that needed an afternoon nap!

 

[Eeyore2003]

1. You asked about "doing all the rides you want". Please realize these places are huge and you'll never do it all. Don't sweat what you don't get to. The most important thing is having fun.

2. Even DH and myself take an afternoon break!!! LOL I think kids NEED to get out of the parks and the heat and all that stimulation. It just gets to be too much. One of the saddest things I see, is parents "pushing" their kids because "they're at Disney" and they gotta do it all, and then it's "you should be grateful you're here" and on and on. The kids just want to get out of the heat, the people, the stimulation, the lines. They just need to jump in the pool or even lay down. What does it matter what you're doing, as long as you're having fun. Get there early like the books and people here say, and you'll have plenty of time to get in enough rides to make you feel like you've done allot in the parks too. Then go out for a nice dinner and the night time show. Everyone will enjoy it ALLOT more after a break.

One afternoon on our last vacation in November we were going to lay down for just a couple minutes and my DH, 8 y/o niece and myself ended up sleeping for 3 HOURS!!! Most days though even an hour in the pool will perk up the whole family and WELL worth the effort and time.

 

[mjc05]

We take a lot of breaks in the parks. Our rule of thumb is: If you see a bench, sit the heck down and rest.

Taking a break for a table service lunch is also a good way to force a rest break if you don't want to go back to the resort.

 

[Pixiedust34]

We took a break nearly every day, and it was well worth it. We were there in August and the heat was unbearable, plus dh hates crowds. (We have to travel in the summer because dh is a teacher--otherwise, we wouldn't go then). Anyway, during our break, we'd each take a quick, cool shower and change into fresh clothes before hitting the park again in the evening.

A couple of days, our breaks would be a little longer and we'd dip into the pool for about 45 minutes and then take our showers.

It was refreshing to shower mid-day, the kids enjoyed resting in the a/c room while they waited for their shower, and we could return to the park feeling fresh and with more energy. That downtime went a long way, especially with the kids, in making our vacation fun.

 

[T-i-double-g-err]

I agree with the previous posters that said it depends on your family!

We found that the afternoon breaks were important to us. We would go pretty non-stop in the mornings at the parks while they were not quite as crowded. When we got to the hotel for a break, we would nap, swim or sit in the lounge with a snack and a little TV downtime. We would also gauge our kids exhausion level/mood and make a call as to whether our pre-trip plans would still be fun given the current status of our children. We specifically stayed at a monorail resort despite the higher costs to minimize the travel inefficiency and to provide an entertaining environment for the downtime. My kids really loved the volcano pool at the Poly.

I specifically recall a morning where we went non-stop through every ride in Fantasy Land at least once, with favorites (Dumbo, It's a Small World) 2 or 3 times (5 times for It's a Small World that day despite my best efforts to forget this fact even in light of the fact that I actually like it ) and the last breakfast seating at CRT for a princess "lunch". We did a few more attractions as we left the park. We certainly needed the break that day; in fact, gauging the kids mood, DW and I canceled our ADR at one of the parks and made a new one for Kona Cafe for an early dinner. We hung out at the resort and relaxed the rest of the day. We ended by letting the kids stay up a little late to watch the fireworks in PJs from the club lounge.

We had fun, which is our primary goal on vacation. I think the afternoon breaks were critical in us having fun. With our kids, if we kept pushing, we might have seen more attractions, but I don't think that time would have been fun for either the kids or us.

Now, you've got my $.02 on this one. I think the breaks definitely made our trips more magical and fun! We plan to do the same on the next trip.

As an aside, during our last trip we tried out the Neverland Club on a lark, kids were not really up to more touring but were not really tired enough for an early bedtime. In any case, the kids loved it. Two nights later we asked the kids if they were ready to go to the parks after our afternoon break and they responded that they rather go to the Neverland Club. In any case, the CM concierge was able to get DW and me in to CG for dinner, and we returned to pick-up two very happy kids who had spent the evening making pixie wands, pictures and assorted other crafts.

 

[Keara'sMom]

I agree with all who have said it depends on your family...When we first went to WDW, our DD was a little over 5, and we tried to follow the guidebooks' touring plan suggestions and recommendations. Well....she was afraid of many rides and attractions and really preferred to play at the pool! It was stressful for all of us, especially since we were there with my family to celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. When we went back last January, dd had just turned 8, and we took a much more laid-back approach (see and do the fun stuff, but not at any particular time or schedule). This was so much more relaxing and fun for us. Sometimes we took swimming/resting breaks, and sometimes we stayed in the parks--it just depended on the day and our moods.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that, while the guidebooks are very helpful, I wouldn't recommend trying to follow all the plans or thinking that you should do the things that the authors say or recommend. Play it by ear, and I'll bet your trip will be more relaxing!

Have a GREAT time!!!

eagerly awaiting our BWV trip 1/1/06!

 

[dsnymomof4]

I think breaks are a must in the summer when its sooooooo hot. But with the cooler weather and early close times, I don't think it will be necessary. Just play it by ear. If you fell the kids are getting tired and could use a break, then do it. I think the most important thing I've learned from my past 3 trips was to be flexible. Even though you try to plan out your days, you have to allow for changes. Just go with the flow and enjoy yourselves!

 

[lclark0621]

We always go back for a break. But my DS is only 2 & needs an afternoon nap, especially on warmer days.

Heck, my 30 year old DH, needs an afternoon nap when at WDW...

You do A LOT of walking & standing in WDW. And no matter how well planned your day is, you will get tired.

If you dont want to go back to the hotel, my advice is to take a break in the park. And take it easy during the day.

If you GO GO GO GO all day, by the next day you will probably be exhausted. You want to enjoy the whole vacation.

Even before our DS was born, DH & I would go back to the hotel for a break each day. We used to go during the hotter months, so we would swim, eat some lunch or take a nap. Then head back to the parks dinner time.