Parks at night only?

[laurabelle]

We're going back to WDW in July for 7 nights and I'm seriously considering only going to the theme parks from late afternoon/early evening until closing, sleeping in the next day, eating lunch poolside, then head to the parks, same as the day before. Hubby wants a relaxing trip, and doesn't want to wake up so early to hit the parks when they open. We've been many times, this is the 2nd trip this year alone. MK at least should have late hours while we're there, but we are not doing EMH to avoid the crowds those nights. Oh yeah, our kids are 8 & 11.
Have any of you toured like this in the summertime? Would you do it again?
Wanted to add...we'll be in the parks each night of our stay.

 

[jaysue]

Have not done in the summertime (have done it at other times) - it is a great idea and approach especially if there are only certain rides/attractions you want to experience and do not mind a waiting line or two along the way

Sounds like a great vacation!

cheers
jaysue

 

[barbaraann]

Sounds like a good idea to me. Actually some of my days for my upcoming trip will be planned that way. The only park I really like getting to early is the MK. I would miss that walk down Main Street and my first ride on Dumbo. It's the kid in me. Have to do Dumbo at least once a trip.

 

[LoraJ]

I'm actually thinking about doing this on our upcoming trip next month. Although we have park hoppers, so maybe go to one park, ride a ride or 2, have lunch, go to hotel and nap, and then go back to another park for the evening. We were just at WDW in September and were constantly running around, so I would love to be more relaxed this time.

 

[woody5]

With little kids you can't go from EMH through late night hours, they just don't last that long. So you have the choice of rolling them out of bed everyday and hitting the parks early and ending thing night early or going a little later and staying until the parks close. We have done both and we made our decision based on crowds and weather. The crowds are lighter early in the morning. In the summer I don't think nights thin out significantly. The weather is another factor. Last summer it rained everyday from about 4 to 7 pm when we were there so that would cut into your time. And by rain I mean pouring where you tried to find a spot to stay dry and not move. I like to let the kids sleep some mornings so that we can stay and do things like enight and such.

 

[newholidayx2]

This Aug Im planning ea park at their regular openings - will not do any early openings - it will be hard enough to get DS13 going in the mornings
Most of those early park days will be our first wk. After lunch in the parks we'll return for pooltime and not return to the parks.

Our second wk Im planning on Stormalong Bay during the day and the parks at night. At least once at ea parks late night hrs. The other nights will be their regular closing hours.

 

[AladdinsPrincess]

I think that's the only way to do it in the summertime! DH and I like to spend the day at the water parks and then hit the parks in the late afternoon and evenings. It's usually a little less crowded at night too. Have fun!

 

[Goofy's Muse]

I'd love to try this for a summer trip. We did a variation on it for our quick trip in December (sleep-in mornings and afternoon/evening park touring & shows) and it really suited our 3 teens/pre-teen children quite well. I do agree with the poster that said that mornings in the summer were less crowded, "relatively" cooler and less prone to those pesky thunder showers. Good luck with your plan!

 

[barbaraann]

So the theory is this: If it rains in Orlando, in the summers, mostly in the afternoons, what do you spend your mornings doing. I have planned my summer trip this way. Get up and get all your resort activities out of the way; fishing and swimming, leisurly breakfast. Head out to the parks about noon - and stay till closing - remembering to bring that poncho and when the downpours come you can check out an inside attraction. Going early to the parks, everyday, is not easy, and if an afternoon break, means a long bus ride back, only to have a shower spoil your swimming time well, I know that's only speculation.

I do not sleep in on vacation, but once I leave the resort, I am not that likely to go back in the afternoon, if it requires too long a bus ride. Our vacation, this time is split between POR and BC. Our POR days will be spent before noon at the resort and after that at a theme park until closing. We are traveling with a 12 year old boy.

Our BC days will be early starters, and afternoons back to the resort for a swim, because we finish these days at a different theme park. Sound's like a good plan, can never predict the weather.

The day we change resorts, we will spend almost entirely, with exception of early evening with out of theme park activites.

To Each His Own

 

[MouseClubMom]

We just got back and did only nights at the parks. We arrived at MK one nite after 6pm and rode tons of attractions (Thunder twice, Pirates, Buzz twice, Pooh twice, Speedway, Tiki Room, Jungle Cruise, Small World, WDW Railroad, Aladdin five times), watched Spectro both times, watched Wishes AND ate a sitdown table service meal. We left the park at closing and rode the monorail (in the nose) back to EPCOT where we had parked.

The next day they CLOSED the MK because it had reached capacity.

I highly recommend doing nights only. It worked for us!

 

[Leota]

Sounds pretty nice, actually. We have done a couple days like that following late nights before & always enjoyed them.

 

[Sadie]

I think we might do the same thing. I have to watch my sun exposure due to melanoma. We want to relax yet have plenty of time in the parks. Go to the parks in the am until it gets really hot, then back to the hotel, then back to the park until it closes.

I REALLY wish they would post the hours for June! I mean how do they expect a girl to PLAN??? And we know planning is half the fun!

This is our first time to stay at a Disney resort. Are the bus rides that long? We are staying at POR.

 

[LovePug]

This is absolutely doable since you're a veteran at WDW. I certainly wouldn't recommend it for a first-timer though. We did something similar to this last June...actually, come to think of it, our next trip will be the first time we're going to try the "get to the park at opening" method.