Relax at disney?

[REEREEG]

Any tips for making a Disney vacation more relaxing?

Is it possible to have a relaxing vacation at disney?

 

[Butterstick]

I leave a lot more unplanned time than I used to. I also spend more time resort hopping. I love hanging out on the boardwalk, going to the Grand Floridian lounge, viewing the animals on the savannah at AKL...

 

[KimBean]

We go more days. We used to do 4 park days. Morphed into 6 park days for a few times. We had 10 park days in 2014 and we have 11 coming up in November. More days, more FPs, we spend time in park but we go slower, take it all in, pin trade, snacks. I schedule it to get most of the night time stuff done early in trip and then the last half off trip dinner is the last thing for the day.

 

[Shanti]

Is it possible to have a relaxing vacation at disney?

Absolutely. The key to that is resort time. Stay at a nice resort at a time when it's warm enough to enjoy the pool, and set aside a few days for swimming, lounging, hot tubbing and snacking. Bring a dvd player & watch movies in your resort room. Find fun things to do & good things to eat nearby, so you aren't manically crisscrossing the World for activities & meals. Keep it local. I now think of WDW as a resort (in the old-fashioned sense) as much as a set of theme parks, because we really enjoy our down time at the resorts.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Go for long enough that you can set aside at least 2 days to chill and not go to a park.

For me Disney vacations are not intended to be relaxing lol.
Sure I enjoy relaxing moments but since in the last few years I tend to go for short trips I simply don't have the time to set aside for large chunks of relaxation time.
Instead I take the opportunity to have a relaxing day at home before and after.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Allow extra time to get anywhere you will need to be, as stressing to get somewhere in time for a reservation, FP, etc. is pretty much the opposite of relaxing. Yes, resort days can be relaxing. Time in the Magic Kingdom, probably not so much. Seek out less crowded spots.

 

[Klayfish]

Any tips for making a Disney vacation more relaxing?

Is it possible to have a relaxing vacation at disney?

Tips for making it more relaxing? Yes...as Nike once advertised "Just do it"

Is it possible to have a relaxing vacation at Disney? Yes, absolutely.

A vacation is as relaxing as you want it to be. You're not forced to run around all day every day. Nor are you forced to sit at the hotel pool all day. You can pick and choose how much you want to do and when. I agree that a longer trip may afford more opportunity to relax...if your mission is to do as much as possible. But even if you're there for a 3 day weekend, there's zero reason it can't be relaxing. Go at the pace you want. If you don't get to "do everything", be OK with it.

 

[quandrea]

Absolutely. The key to that is resort time. Stay at a nice resort at a time when it's warm enough to enjoy the pool, and set aside a few days for swimming, lounging, hot tubbing and snacking. Bring a dvd player & watch movies in your resort room. Find fun things to do & good things to eat nearby, so you aren't manically crisscrossing the World for activities & meals. Keep it local. I now think of WDW as a resort (in the old-fashioned sense) as much as a set of theme parks, because we really enjoy our down time at the resorts.

Tips for making it more relaxing? Yes...as Nike once advertised "Just do it"

Is it possible to have a relaxing vacation at Disney? Yes, absolutely.

A vacation is as relaxing as you want it to be. You're not forced to run around all day every day. Nor are you forced to sit at the hotel pool all day. You can pick and choose how much you want to do and when. I agree that a longer trip may afford more opportunity to relax...if your mission is to do as much as possible. But even if you're there for a 3 day weekend, there's zero reason it can't be relaxing. Go at the pace you want. If you don't get to "do everything", be OK with it.

We go frequently and the trips are always relaxing. Resort time is key, as is under planning.

 

[Klayfish]

One other thing I would add is that what makes it "relaxing" is really up to you. You could book a week at WDW and spend it floating around the lazy river in the water parks, browsing the shops on Main St in MK, seeing the shows, having long sit down meals, and doing all standby as you just chat with your family/friends. You could spend it sitting around the resort. Or you could spend it running from ride to ride as fast as you can and get as many FP+ as you can. I think a lot of people (myself included sometimes) fall into the trap of feeling rushed at WDW, but there is no reason at all that you have to.

 

[rwdavis2]

Go for more days. You can then sleep in most of the time. This is what we did last Nov. FP+ makes it easier to guarantee that you se the headliner attractions. Skipping rope drop has some downside but the last trip of 8 days we only did 3 rope drops. We still went to a park everyday but in same cases it was only enough time to use the three fastpasses.

 

[Delirium]

I definitely find longer Disney trips to be more relaxing. We only go once every 2-3 years, and found that the shorter the trip, the more we felt the need to cram it all in. A longer trip allows us to do everything we want without the added stress of finding the time to do it.

In my book, a 12 day trip every two years is better than a 7 day trip every year. Even though the two 7 day trips add up to more 'Disney' time, it's broken down into smaller chunks that don't allow for as much relaxation.

 

[Parker Clan]

Our trips are always relaxing.... We go for about 10 days & plan rest days. We also do mid day breaks by the pool since we go in August. We also just sit in the lobby at the GF (where we are staying) and just chill listening to the live music. It's so therapeutic & relaxing. The commando park days are long gone for us We also take it at a slow pace in the parks. No rush to get anywhere. We plan a lot of sit down dinners also to get that time out from the parks and relax.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I think the high price of tickets make it hard to be willing to relax. We own annual passes, so that helps us find time to relax.

 

[tinkerbella16]

We have been so many times, and our trips have become more and more relaxing more now than ever. We take afternoon breaks each day of our trip and it makes a huge difference. The resort is a lot more important to us now than years ago. We do rope drop in the mornings, leave midday to swim, nap and just enjoy the resort, freshen up for the evening and head back to the parks. We love this style of touring WDW now and we have been doing it this for a few years now. Getting that break each day really helps us to recharge for the evenings.

 

[Surgie2]

Agree with others who say go for more days...stay at a nicer resort if possible. In past trips we have gone for 5 days, had 5 day tickets, stayed off-site and were in parks from morning until night. But that was with our older kids and adult kids. Next May it will be a multi-gen trip that I'm determined to make relaxing. 6 adults + 4 kids all under the age of 6. It is "once-in-a-lifetime" (as far as Nana and Papa paying!) so we are splurging with Poly CL. Just making breakfasts and transportation to MK easier automatically makes it more relaxing for us. We are keeping ADRs to a very bare minimum - 3 reservations total during a 9-night stay. This keeps it more relaxing to me. And I will be on it for FP at 60 days out. That way we will at least get 3 rides in per day and anything else is extra. When we've had enough we'll head back to the Poly or some can stay and others go back.

 

[Pmlocke]

My wife and I go every year, we are both in our mid 60's. I can tell you we have the most relaxing vacation every time. Here is how we do it. 1st of all, we book during the down time to get the lower crowds. When we are there we never set an alarm clock. When we wake up, we get up. We spend the morning, after a nice breakfast, in a park and stay there long enough to have lunch there as well. Then we return to the hotel and laze by the pool for about 4 hours. Then we head back to another park, have dinner there and enjoy the night. Yes we go on rides but we take our time. That is how we do all seven days and we always return home refreshed.

 

[nat8199]

We find lots of ways to relax in the parks. We usually spend our mornings hitting rides, have a lunch, then spend the afternoon just exploring with a ride or two tossed in. In MK we wander Tom Sawyer Island or do the pirate maps in adventure land, ride the people mover. In Epcot we wander world showcase eating, drinking, and this year the kids (and DH) want to do the agent p adventures. In AK we wander the animal trails. For HS we will probably leave and head back to the YC. No lines, no stress, just fun and relaxation in a cool setting.

 

[LovesTimone]

Yes and Yes to your questions.

It's all about planning, and what you want to happen... there are no rules that state you have to go from rope drop to fireworks or EMH every night...
So making it about you and your family will start off the vacation on the right foot.

A couple of things that I try to avoid when planning, 1) late night followed by a early morning rope drop or ADR's no one likes a bunch of cranky pants early on. 2) planning every minute of everyday 3) rushing around to get to FP's and ADR's.

When planning I am old school.... I write with a pen and paper yep really old school...one sheet for each day, adding in anything special that we are celebrating or wanting to check out, going from there, looking at ADR's old favorites and new things we want to try. then on to the major FP's... spacing things out, adding in travel time. for me it help me see the whole picture... so that I can move things around before I actually start the process on-line. Also once on-line and trying to make ADR's and FP's if I can't get a time or date it easy to just mark out and move around.

Take into consideration your party size, ages, health and so forth... When my family was young we would hit the parks then head back mid-day for pool time and naps for everyone... then back out for dinner and parades and fireworks. Even when my DD's were in high school, they like the going at night so we might have a pool morning and relax before heading into the park for the nighttime festivities. Now our kids are grown up, and we have grandkid's we are back to the mid-day pool and naps which is just fine.

Timing is important... Don't sweat the small stuff, so you just missed the bus... its okay there will be another one in 10 minutes or so. The ride is down... its really okay its not like there aren't a ton of other rides. One of the kids is having a full on melt down ( or mom and dad is just sayin)... head back to the resort for naptime.

Have a plan on arrival day and departure day... a lot of times on arrival day we don't go into the parks, maybe pool time and Disney Spring for the evening... or just hang out at the resort, get yourself unpacked, get the room organized, so that you are ready to let the magic in. Departure day... Know what time your leaving, whether by DME or uber, what time do you need to be at the airport, or hit the road... Have a breakfast plan whether your eating in your room, QS or one last meal with the characters. Also make sure you know are at if you are on a dinning plan, spending all the credits for snacks to take home, or using the night before for a quick breakfast the next morning, or QS meal...

Keep your room organized, so you are freaking out over where this or that is... have a place for dirty clothes, and start moving them into suitcase to help with space, I have a friend that does laundry everyday when they are by the pool, and she never has a ton of laundry when she gets home.

Having a plan for when you get home what are you going to do for dinner ( order pizza or have something frozen to make quickly and breakfast ( especially coffee and fresh cream) the next morning is always on my list. If the kids are heading back to school, clothes ready, back pack ready, lunch ready...

Lots of little things can really help the overall trip... putting your mind at easy...

Go with the flow, just stop and take it all in.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We have been so many times, and our trips have become more and more relaxing more now than ever. We take afternoon breaks each day of our trip and it makes a huge difference. The resort is a lot more important to us now than years ago. We do rope drop in the mornings, leave midday to swim, nap and just enjoy the resort, freshen up for the evening and head back to the parks. We love this style of touring WDW now and we have been doing it this for a few years now. Getting that break each day really helps us to recharge for the evenings.

This is how we tour. I don't like crowds so I must take a break. Being around too many people for too long starts to irritate me. It works well since my kids are huge pool people. Everyone gets their down time and it makes the trip feel so much more relaxing.

 

[tinkerbella16]

This is how we tour. I don't like crowds so I must take a break. Being around too many people for too long starts to irritate me. It works well since my kids are huge pool people. Everyone gets their down time and it makes the trip feel so much more relaxing.

Plus the afternoons are when the parks at their most crowded and hottest, so we'd rather be relaxing during that time.. especially since we go in September when it is still very hot.