skip the early morning and go later in the day?

[traej73]

Hi. We have been to wdw many times and are looking forward to a relaxing (trying not to go commando) and warm getaway next week. I know the crowds are going to be large especially since we usually go in the fall when they are non existent. We were thinking of sleeping in (as much as you can with two little ones) and hanging around the resort swimming until mid day then heading to a park in the afternoons and evenings. Has anyone tried this? Should we try this or should we stick with the morning parks, midday swim, and evening parks? Thanks, T

 

[tinkerbear]

My first choice is to go in the morning, come back for a swim, then go back in the park. THat being said, I think it is quite possible to do what you are suggesting. Depending on what you are interested in seeing. If you have been in the past and are not going commando to see everything, I think you could have an enjoyable time doing it this way.

I would look at each park you plan to visit differently.

In EPCOT, if I were to go in late, I would start in the front by late afternoon , I think most people are out of the front of Futureworld. I would be cautious and realize however, while you might get to see attractions, fast passes might likely be gone for the day for the big rides when you get into the park. If not, go right to the must do fast pass attractions to get fast passes.

In MK, I would work from Adventureland to Tomorrowland in a circle around the castle. I think this would work because most people I believe start in Frontierland/Adventureland to go on Spash and Thunder first, hopefully, by the time you got there, people would have cleared out of the area.

You might want to figure out how important seeingthe parades and evening shows are? You can ride a lot of popular rides during parades and fireworks

 

[picantel]

We always go in the mornings when the park opens(if crowded) and then head back to the resorts. I have always found that the first 3 hours are the least crowded and we can get the most done. Around 10:30-11 in the morning you can see the people who slept in start to rush in and then it starts getting crowded. We have a 5,8 year old so in MK we go to buzz first and ride it about 5 times in a row without a line and then move to the cars and then fantasy land. It has always worked out.

 

[frankenpooh]

I think it depends on how important it is to you to ride the most popular rides. You may have a problem with fastpasses being all gone by the middle of the day, so you might be out of luck for Buzz or Space Mtn, etc. I've never noticed an afternoon lull in the parks (we've been in June and October before). We'll be there next week, too -- I don't want to be commando, either, but I've warned my family that we need to be at park opening every day. We'll see how that turns out!

 

[we-luv-mickey]

Hi. We have been to wdw many times and are looking forward to a relaxing (trying not to go commando) and warm getaway next week. I know the crowds are going to be large especially since we usually go in the fall when they are non existent. We were thinking of sleeping in (as much as you can with two little ones) and hanging around the resort swimming until mid day then heading to a park in the afternoons and evenings. Has anyone tried this? Should we try this or should we stick with the morning parks, midday swim, and evening parks? Thanks, T

I have done this and think it works out great. I just pick the park that has EMH for that day so we can stay later. We have breakfast and go swimming for a couple of hours. We stay in a studio at OKW so that we can bring food. We always eat sandwiches for lunch after swimming before we head to the parks so that when we get to the park we can ride instead of worrying about stopping to eat. If I don't do it this way I catch myself not wanting to leave the parks mid-day and then my kids don't get to swim as much. It is much more relaxing this way for some reason.

 

[OurMsBrooks]

I am a certified night-owl. There's not much I hate more than getting up early. In fact, when my oldest started school I semi-seriously considered hiring a babysitter to get her ready in the morning!

That said, when I am in WDW I want to be one of the first people at the gate every day of the trip. Nothing compares to the openness and speedy touring of the first couple hours in the parks. Things seem the cleanest and freshest, and you can walk right on rides. Cast members seem bright and ready to go, and it's some of the only times you don't have to wait for slow-loading rides (like Dumbo, for example). Also, the parks have cool opening "ceremonies," such as the arrival of Mickey at the train station at MK.

There's only one other time I happily get up early, and that's for an outdoor sunrise Mass on Easter (and after that I get chocolate and a long nap). I love to sleep, but the payoff for being there when the parks open is worth it.