Really???

[wgwtgb]

Okay, on another board I'm getting advice to have early nights and early mornings, or if I have a late night have a late morning. I understand that you don't want to be over tired, but it's WDW!!!!!! Aren't people so excited to be there that adreneline kicks in?!?!?!! Is it terrible to want to see Wishes, Fantasmic, and Illuminations and want to be at a rope drop??? I'm just so with Debbie Downers!!!

Thanks for the rant!!!!

 

[Patience]

Adrenaline plus a 4 year old equals LOL!

Early mornings and late nights with no rest periods at midday results in whining, crying and temper tantrums, at least for my kids. We want to be at rope drop in the mornings (we are early risers anyway) and we want to see the fireworks at night so that pretty much requires a nap for my 4 year old and some down time at midday for the rest of us. Plus, we all have to go back to work and school after our vacation and we definitely don't need to be completely exhausted from running around with no rest from early morning to midnight. Our clients probably wouldn't appreciate that too much...

 

[nchulka]

I totally agree!!! We were at Disney for 2 1/2 weeks and never stopped for a rest! One day we did early ADRs at AK at 8:00, stayed at AK until 5:00, drove directly to MK for MNSSHP and stayed till midnight with a 7 and 8 year old in tow. This was a week and a half into our trip. There will be time to rest when you're dead, live it up when you're at Disney We also went to Disneyland when the kids were 1 & 3. We stayed from 8 AM until 2 AM, despite Disney closing at midnight (I'm still not sure what we were doing for 2 hours ). We were laughing so hard and taking pictures of our car as the only one in the entire parking structure at 2 AM! At 8 AM we had taken special care to remember where we had parked, no trouble finding it when it's the only one there People do tend to refer to me and my family as a bit extreme though, I like to call us fun!!! My kids have grown up this way, it's a way of life, no rest time for us. I do appreciate those who go back for rest and leave early, less lines for me

 

[Rekenna]

I could do it, but my DH and kids could not-they are such whiners!

I want to fill every single second while I am there with something, I really have to hold myself back b/c I drive everyone else crazy!

OP-I hear you, unfortunately there are many that aren't up to the task!

 

[squirrel]

I'm like you!

I have to pack sleeping pills so I get some rest at night. In 2008, I think the most sleep I got was about 6 hrs each night. I'm still not sure how I managed for 2 weeks with so little sleep. Must have been all the caffene in the soda that I was drinking from the refillable mug.

I travel with one of my niece's each year. I do make time for naps in our resort on the nights we will be up late. I've even gone so far as to pretend to go to sleep with her. While she is sleeping I'm writing in her journal or folding laundry.

 

[queendisney]

If you are only there for a few days then I think you should just 'go for it'. We, DH and I, are normally there for a lot longer (three weeks at a go) and can therefore take it a whole lot easier. When we are in DLP we go all out and then just crash out on the way home!!! This is of course coming from somebody who does not have to factor in kids to the equation

 

[kmedina]

I could do it, but my DH and kids could not-they are such whiners!

I want to fill every single second while I am there with something, I really have to hold myself back b/c I drive everyone else crazy!

OP-I hear you, unfortunately there are many that aren't up to the task!

This is my family too. Not that I was not tired, because I was. I still wanted to go, go, go. My husband and son, not so much. Unless everyone is in the same boat, you may have some cranky family members. Some families may be able to tour without down time, but others will be getting it whether scheduled or not. Our plans were changed one day when my husband and son were so tired that they refused to get out of bed. I took that as a hint and crawled back into bed myself. When we woke back up, we were all refreshed and ready to go (for a little while).

 

[Deealee]

No way! I'm on vacation which means I get there when I get there. Last visit we had 6day hoppers and wound up with 4days left on them. We just got to the Poly yesterday and I refused to do anything that required leaving the resort. My dc are 8 & 4th, so as long as thesis it to MK they're more than happy to play in the pool all week.

 

[WantToGoNow]

No way! I'm on vacation which means I get there when I get there. Last visit we had 6day hoppers and wound up with 4days left on them. We just got to the Poly yesterday and I refused to do anything that required leaving the resort. My dc are 8 & 4th, so as long as thesis it to MK they're more than happy to play in the pool all week.

Seriously? Now that is sad - for the kids anyway. They could swim at home but you can't see WDW anywhere else. The 8 y/o especially would love the other parks - probably more that MK.

 

[sharonabe]

I'm with you OP! We do take breaks if we are at the World during the warmer months. The heat and humidity get to all of us. But we prefer traveling in the cooler months and we go from rope drop until closing every day.

Only you know your family and what they can handle. Believe me, you'll know when it's time to take a break if it comes.

 

[duffy]

My dc are 8 & 4th, so as long as thesis it to MK they're more than happy to play in the pool all week.

I don't understand this sentence. 8 and 4th? as long as thesis it to MK? Thesis?

Are you saying as long as they can see MK they're happy to play in the pool? I'd hate to travel just to spend all week in a pool. I can swim much cheaper in a pool here! "Look, kids, it's Cinderella's castle. You can only look at it from afar."

Back on topic, my 15-year old loves to tell about our first day on a trip in 2009: I woke her at about 6:30 am, saying, "It's 6:30. You're at Disney World. GET UP!!"

We are get-up-and-go people when we're at Disney World. Make rope drop every day, no breaks back at our room, but then we're done for the day at 9 or 10. We're usually back in the room between 8 and 9 and lights out at 10!

 

[TheRatPack]

Well, my teens could sleep all day when we're home but at Disney they can get up early and keep going, they love Disney. My little ones are horrible sleepers....sometimes they take a nap in the stroller if they get tired...but otherwise they keep up with the teens pretty well. We all crash when we get back to the hotel room though, my younger ones get a nice warm bath and then they are OUT. Best sleep they ever get, I think LOL

 

[Patience]

Whew! Just reading some of these posts is making me tired! Seriously though, how do you manage when you return to the "real world" after running full tilt and on little sleep for a week or more at WDW? I know I would be completely worthless. We are going in October so the fireworks and park closing won't even be that late (and we are taking a midday break) but I am already worried about needing another vacation when we come back from our vacation! We have demanding jobs and my eldest daughter's class load is tough and there are extracurricular activities for both her and my little one and... and... and... We pretty much run around like chickens with our heads cut off all week so I really don't want to come home completely spent and exhausted. So how do you do it?

 

[duffy]

I always plan a day to recover at the end of the trip before going back to work.

 

[hannahdrewmom]

Ultimately it is your vacation and you need to do what is best for your family. I think when you ask for advice from people though they are going to give you it and for most families, with a 4 year old (or really any younger kids), it's just not a good idea to be up at 7am and not get in bed until 11 or 12 at night. If you don't want their advice or don't want to heed it then don't do it or ask for it. Do what you want.... but know that people that give you the advice are giving it to you from experience. It may not be what works for your family... but it is what will work for most.

With that said we could probably go all out for 2 days... then I would be paying dearly for those first few days. It's one of those burn out things... the adrenaline eventually wears off in our family and then I have a very cranky 4 and 2 year old and it is not the most magical place on earth. In the long run I end up missing more when I've tried to do this.

PS- the recommended sleep guidelines for a 4 year old is 10-12 hours a day.... that may be more than your child needs but people go on what is recommended for most.

 

[Deealee]

Seriously? Now that is sad - for the kids anyway. They could swim at home but you can't see WDW anywhere else. The 8 y/o especially would love the other parks - probably more that MK.

Wow!

Judgmental much???

Maybe our type of vacation would be 'sad' for your dc, but mine like it just fine. And what part of we had 6 day HOPPERS makes you think we didn't visit any other parks?

 

[Colleen27]

It really depends on your family. That's something that rather annoys me about a particular subscription based planning site that shall remain nameless - the almost religious adherence to certain elements of touring planning that really aren't universal truths. We've done rope drop to close, 3am EMH, and all sorts of craziness. I plan sleep in days only to find that sleeping in is 9am instead of 7 because we're all so excited to get going. And I do plan some down time between vacation and return to work, sometimes just a day at home to rest and unpack, other times what we're doing on our next trip - a night with no parks, just pool time at the Beach Club following the weeklong parks part of the trip.

 

[WantToGoNow]

Wow!

Judgmental much???

Maybe our type of vacation would be 'sad' for your dc, but mine like it just fine. And what part of we had 6 day HOPPERS makes you think we didn't visit any other parks?

The part that said you had 4 days left and even if you did visit all 4 parks on the 2 days you went to parks, 1/2 day at each isn't enough to even get a taste of those parks. If I wanted a relaxing, do nothing vacation, WDW would not be our destination.

 

[Deealee]

The part that said you had 4 days left and even if you did visit all 4 parks on the 2 days you went to parks, 1/2 day at each isn't enough to even get a taste of those parks. If I wanted a relaxing, do nothing vacation, WDW would not be our destination.

It was enough for us. I had a relaxing do what I want, when I want vacation. Exactly what I'd planned.

3:35pm and we still haven't left the Poly.

 

[duffy]

The part that said you had 4 days left and even if you did visit all 4 parks on the 2 days you went to parks, 1/2 day at each isn't enough to even get a taste of those parks. If I wanted a relaxing, do nothing vacation, WDW would not be our destination.

I pictured the same thing. Two days at the parks, while staying at least 6 days at the Polynesian, even with hopping, is like driving waaay out of your way to a great buffet, and then just eating only one appetizer. And passing other great buffets to get there!!

Just not for me.