Talk to me about afternoon breaks...

[mshanson3121]

Okay, in light of how my husband seems to be withering in our recent Canadian heat wave (90F with roughly 90% humidity), and also in light of the medical report for my daughter, I'm second guessing my decision to plan two days where we spend the full afternoon in parks (currently planned on a full day at MK and a full day at EP, from 9-5, last week of June) due to the heat.

We had really wanted to avoid afternoon breaks because the kids don't do well with late nights, and I didn't relish the idea of being up late and then turning around and trying to do rope drop the next morning. But... DH pointed out, we have a 15-20 minute drive from the park to house. DD will more than likely fall asleep and get a bit of a rest in. And when she naps in the afternoon, she NEVER goes to sleep on time anyways. And... I just think it's going to be best if we try to avoid the worst of the afternoon heat.

So... we need to plan an afternoon break for Magic Kingdom and Epcot. We hope to leave by 12:00, but what is the best time to return? When will the heat/crowds/thunderstorm risk start to wind down a bit? We'll plan on doing World Showcase during our evening at Epcot.

Also.... an afternoon break at MK means we won't get to see the Festival of Fantasy. I feel kinda bad about that... but, do you find being out of the parks in the afternoon worth missing the parade?

Do I want to plan our fastpasses for the morning or the evening?

 

[FlightlessDuck]

So... we need to plan an afternoon break for Magic Kingdom and Epcot. We hope to leave by 12:00, but what is the best time to return?

Around 5 or so?

Also.... an afternoon break at MK means we won't get to see the Festival of Fantasy. I feel kinda bad about that... but, do you find being out of the parks in the afternoon worth missing the parade?

I don't think I can answer this, since I don't like the afternoon parades.

Do I want to plan our fastpasses for the morning or the evening?

No idea. Last time we went was before FP+

 

[Kathryn777]

We usually leave a little later like 1:30-2 and come back around 5-6. The night parade is my favorite, so I don't mind missing festival of fantasy. I go in Oct so I don't know about fp. I'd probably do them late morning, and then book a 4th before we leave. The evening is good for the "anytime" attractions.

 

[sharonabe]

Unless your daughter medically needs that afternoon break, EP and MK are two great parks for finding ways to get out of the heat and get some down time.

EP--Ellen's Energy Adventure is a 45 min attraction. That's 45 min in air conditioning. Combine that with a lunch ADR at a TS place or Sunshine Seasons for QS and you have well over an hour of rest time. The Land Pavilion has a couple of little shows too which would give you more time in the a/c.

MK--Hall of Presidents is a good place to get some a/c. I would almost time this so you're waiting inside the building 10-15 min before the next show. There are places to sit and you will then have a good 30-35 min out of the heat. Again, combined with a lunch inside (The Plaza), you've got a good deal of rest time.

Another option for either one of these parks is to hop on the monorail. Do the resort loop at MK. You don't have to get off, and go around as many times as you need to feel rested. You could get off and have lunch at one of the resorts. I'm pretty sure you can also go from EP to the TTC, stay on and go right back to EP. You could do this one over and over as well.

Just wanted to help make your plans even more confusing.

 

[DisneyCAL]

I agree with Sharonabe. If your daughter doesn't need an actual nap just throw a few place you can go to get out of the heat. If your daughter (not sure of the medical condition) can do water activities there is the splash pad at Casey Jr. Soak Station in MK. I would just go with your plans and when 1 o'clock comes around gage what your families needs are, break at hotel or find a place or two in the parks to chill out for a bit. Also get some Frogg Toggs for everybody (they are amazing for cooling you down).

 

[Lucius Best]

It depends, if you took an afternoon break and went back to a park, how late could you stay without the kids crashing? You certainly don't want to keep them out too late too many times, because rope drop is so very important when it is hot and crowded.

You also have to consider the total travel time especially at MK: walking out of the MK, waiting for monorail, and either tram or long walk for the car. Then 15-20 minute drive home, followed by turning around and doing it all again in reverse. Round trip looking at 80 minutes travel time round trip. Driving to Epcot late afternoon, you're parking in the boonies, then a tram, then it is not a short walk to get out to the World Showcase.

Coming back to the park around 5-6pm, it will still be hot and crowded. It won't cool down until after the sun goes down, crowds might drop a little around dinner time.

On our recent trips with 5yo and 7yo niece, AK and HS were 9am-2pm days then back to the pool. There were no breaks planned on MK days, because of the travel, and because there's so much to do at MK. Goal was to make it straight through until 4-5pm. Afternoon break was only planned on the one day she was going to stay late for parade/fireworks. MK we'd do rides and FP all morning. Early counter service lunch inside around 11:30pm, then afternoon doing indoor rides/shows. One crazy busy hot MK day we did Tiki Room, Hall of Presidents, Philharmagic, while using FP for Haunted Mansion and Pirates.

Previous poster mentioned a good idea: for a break, you can just hop on the monorail and ride around and around. Another option for taking a break out of the heat for a few hours would be a relaxing midday lunch at Grand Floridian or Polynesian.

As far as FP+ goes, I would definitely book them for the morning. First hour is great with low crowds, but a lot of rides get long lines fast. Use your first 3 FP+ early, then try to get another one at kiosks. Good thing about FP+, if you are planning a break, you can select a return time for when you will be getting back to the park.

 

[Colleen27]

We're doing breaks on our June trip too. We very seldom do but I know it'll be needed in the heat.

I'm not a parades person, especially in the heat (who wants to stake out a spot to stand around on hot concrete for an hour or more?!?), so I don't feel bad missing the Festival of Fantasy at all. The way I see it, we're either going to miss the afternoon parade or the cooler evening hours and the fireworks, and the choice between those two a no brainer.

For the MK, we made our FP times for the morning because there is some possibility of getting additional ride times via the kiosks. The other parks don't have enough attractions for that so there's no advantage to using FP in the morning when the crowds are lower. Just make them for what you anticipate to be the highest-crowd part of your day, either right before or right after your break (or split between the two).

As far as the nature of your break, though... I second the idea of looking to breaks that don't involve driving back to your off-site lodging, at least on your MK day when getting to and from your car is more difficult and time consuming than at the other parks. Riding the air conditioned monorail in the middle of the day is a nice little rest; it isn't very busy during the middle of the day and you can ride around as long as you like. A late lunch/early dinner in a table service restaurant can also be a good break from the heat without leaving property.

 

[JanaDee]

Okay, in light of how my husband seems to be withering in our recent Canadian heat wave (90F with roughly 90% humidity), and also in light of the medical report for my daughter, I'm second guessing my decision to plan two days where we spend the full afternoon in parks (currently planned on a full day at MK and a full day at EP, from 9-5, last week of June) due to the heat.

We had really wanted to avoid afternoon breaks because the kids don't do well with late nights, and I didn't relish the idea of being up late and then turning around and trying to do rope drop the next morning. But... DH pointed out, we have a 15-20 minute drive from the park to house. DD will more than likely fall asleep and get a bit of a rest in. And when she naps in the afternoon, she NEVER goes to sleep on time anyways. And... I just think it's going to be best if we try to avoid the worst of the afternoon heat.

So... we need to plan an afternoon break for Magic Kingdom and Epcot. We hope to leave by 12:00, but what is the best time to return? When will the heat/crowds/thunderstorm risk start to wind down a bit? We'll plan on doing World Showcase during our evening at Epcot.

Also.... an afternoon break at MK means we won't get to see the Festival of Fantasy. I feel kinda bad about that... but, do you find being out of the parks in the afternoon worth missing the parade?

Do I want to plan our fastpasses for the morning or the evening?

Well, you can either stand on the scorching hot concrete, typically in full sun (because all the shaded spots are taken up first), to watch the parade or you can rest in your quiet, air conditioned vacation home. Which one sounds more appealing?

In the summer, afternoon breaks are a must.

 

[mshanson3121]

Great idea about the monorail. I wasn't thinking about how far back we'd have to park when we come back the second time. Long meals won't be a "break" for us, more like a nightmare. So we'd have to rely on air conditioned rides, monorail etc...

 

[GillianP1301]

Personally, given the scenario you have described... wanted to do rope drop, only 2 park days, not good with late nights.. I would not do afternoon breaks. Instead, I would plan for some cool off/down time in MK and EP. There are plenty of indoor attractions with A/C for cooling down. You could also schedule some ADRs and get your meal and a really nice break/cool down time at the same time.

My son is also really not much of a night owl, so my approach has always been start early and tour until we're pooped and then head back to the resort. Some days that is early afternoon and some days that is after dinner, but either way I stick pretty close to his normal bed time on vacation as we do at home and that works really for us. It does mean sacrificing nighttime entertainment time (in a 10 day vacation, we usually only do 2 late nights for evening shows), but that works for us.

 

[mshanson3121]

I'm curious... do you find it more tiring to be in the park for 8 or 9 hours straight (even if you do find some downtime), or do you find it more tiring to do the go to park/leave, go back/leave? I know DH would prefer not to be in the parks for 8 or 9 hours on end, but wondering how tiring it will be to drive there/back twice.

Also, will there REALLY be that much of a difference in temperature/how it feels between say 2 or 3 pm and 6 or 7 pm?

 

[Trinity88]

We've always done breaks because my kids enjoy the pool as much as the parks. For our Nov trip, we don't have to worry about the heat, but I've divided my planning into 3 sections each day (morning, afternoon, evening) and we have at least one section off every day.

That said, we're staying onsite this time so I expect it will be easier to get to and from the parks. When we stayed offsite, MK especially is such a pain to take a break from. But when we've gone when it's hot, we can't handle a full day in the parks. The kids (and I) need a break from the heat. So we did the afternoon breaks, even if it was a bit of a pain to get to and from the car/house.

 

[itchin2go]

We do all of our touring in the morning. We break after lunch and come back only for dinner and/or nighttime entertainment. We go for enough days that we get everything done that we want. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

It can be frustrating to leave the parks and (seemingly) leave all that time on the table when you *could* be getting stuff done. But keep in mind that you have to get up tomorrow and have the energy for that day too.

Try not to get too caught up in the "magical" things you're missing. There is nothing magical about them if people are worn out and don't feel like doing them.

I think this may be one of those elements that you have to play by ear. If everyone's going strong at 1:00 pm. and wants to keep going, maybe that's what you do. Maybe that means people are going to be "over it" by 6 pm. Maybe instead, you notice that everyone's getting cranky at noon. Take your cues from your family.

 

[TheDisneyNurse]

Personally, I like to stay from open to close at the MK and Epcot. My "breaks" are usually eating ice cream in a cool area, or riding the peoplemover around and around, or eating lunch at an indoor QS place for about an hour or so. Just anything relaxing to keep us out of the heat. We try to at least have 2 of these breaks per day.

I think FOF is a great parade, and I would definitely suggest seeing it on one of your trip days. Your kids will love it. Sure, it's hot, but if you don't mind standing behind some people you honestly don't need to stake out a spot very early.

 

[JanaDee]

I'm curious... do you find it more tiring to be in the park for 8 or 9 hours straight (even if you do find some downtime), or do you find it more tiring to do the go to park/leave, go back/leave? I know DH would prefer not to be in the parks for 8 or 9 hours on end, but wondering how tiring it will be to drive there/back twice.

Also, will there REALLY be that much of a difference in temperature/how it feels between say 2 or 3 pm and 6 or 7 pm?

For me, at the end of the day, being in the parks is exhausting. The crowds, the visual stimulation and the constant noise are all very draining.

As the sun sets, the constant glare of the sun goes away. It will also feel cooler because you aren't subjected to the unrelenting sun. Don't underestimate how hot and humid it will be. The humidity/sun is the attitude/strength killer, not to so much the temp.

 

[Tomh]

So... we need to plan an afternoon break for Magic Kingdom and Epcot. We hope to leave by 12:00, but what is the best time to return? When will the heat/crowds/thunderstorm risk start to wind down a bit? We'll plan on doing World Showcase during our evening at Epcot.

As previous posters have suggested, perhaps 5:00 or so is when the risk of rain starts to taper off (absolutely no guarantee there). Heat and crowds . . . they taper off when the park closes, and you leave for the day

Also.... an afternoon break at MK means we won't get to see the Festival of Fantasy. I feel kinda bad about that... but, do you find being out of the parks in the afternoon worth missing the parade?

Honestly, I find taking an out of park break to be completely useless. Now, that is just MY experience, and I am sure it is completely different for every family, so try it and see how it works for you. In my experience, with my family, no one rested, we burned a lot of time and energy going back to the room (15 to 20 minutes . . . . NO, it takes that long to walk out of the park. At MK, count on half an hour just to get out of the park, over to TTC and to your car, then you can figure out how long it will take from there to actually drive to your house) and when we got there, NO ONE got any rest. By the time we got back to the park, we felt as though we had basically wasted 4 hours going to the hotel and back, and had burned as much energy doing it as we would have if we had just stayed in the park to begin with, so I don't do mid day breaks, and therefore, I don't miss the parade to accomplish it.

Do I want to plan our fastpasses for the morning or the evening?

Good question. The first hour, maybe two in the park you can get a LOT done. Generally, I try to use my pre-planned FP+ in the morning, giving me the opportunity to draw additional FP+ in the afternoon, but with a mid day break starting at 12, and lunch having to fit in there somewhere, I don't know. Maybe try to get a big headliner between 9:30 and 10:30, do something standby as soon as you get to the park, then straight to your first FP+, and then see if you can move your 2nd and 3rd FP+ windows up some. Sometimes you can get an earlier time on them, perhaps doing the 2nd one between 10:15 and 11:15, and then the 3rd might be 11:45 - 12:45, you might get all three done in the morning, and have a chance to draw #4 before you leave the park to use in the evening when you return.

 

[tlmadden73]

I am planning on going in August with a 3 year old and no afternoon breaks (leaving the park). We'll see how that goes.

I think it would be more tiring and time consuming to:
1) Walk to the park entrance (Depending where you are this could take 15-20 minutes)
2) Wait for transportation (another 5-15 minutes?)
3) Ride on a bus (maybe crowded) back to the resort (depending on resort .. could be up to 20-30 minutes!)
4) Walk from bus to hotel room (another 5-15 minutes depending where your room is in relation to the bus stop)
5) REST
And repeat steps 1-4 backwards how much time later.

In my opinion .. that is a lot of walking to get some rest ..

I'd rather just find a restaurant and or AC show to cool down in for the afternoon and recharge for later in the day and then leave early if the family is getting tired.
Really any attraction where you can sit down would be perfect .. or just take a boat to Tom Sawyer's Island and find some shade.

 

[itchin2go]

I am planning on going in August with a 3 year old and no afternoon breaks (leaving the park). We'll see how that goes.

I think it would be more tiring and time consuming to:
1) Walk to the park entrance (Depending where you are this could take 15-20 minutes)
2) Wait for transportation (another 5-15 minutes?)
3) Ride on a bus (maybe crowded) back to the resort (depending on resort .. could be up to 20-30 minutes!)
4) Walk from bus to hotel room (another 5-15 minutes depending where your room is in relation to the bus stop)
5) REST
And repeat steps 1-4 backwards how much time later.

In my opinion .. that is a lot of walking to get some rest ..

I'd rather just find a restaurant and or AC show to cool down in for the afternoon and recharge for later in the day and then leave early if the family is getting tired.
Really any attraction where you can sit down would be perfect .. or just take a boat to Tom Sawyer's Island and find some shade.

OP is staying offsite, so they'll be walking to their car in all likelihood. I know that comes with its own issues, but they don't involve waiting for buses.

This is a "to each their own" kind of thing. We wouldn't dream of staying all day from open to close in the parks, while I know others love to do this. It actually IS relaxing to us to have the break. I understand that others feel differently. That's why I suggested OP play it by ear to see what works for her family.

 

[tink9702]

I'd schedule FP+ for 10-11, 11-12 & 12-1. And move the 12-1 up as you finish the one before it if possible. Then do lunch right after the 3rd FP+. At that point you can either decide to go back to the house OR stay in the parks. That way you have options.

And I'd definitely do lunch BEFORE leaving so that if the child falls asleep in the car you aren't worried they didn't eat before.

 

[mshanson3121]

Yes, this is leaving me more undecided than before, lol. I will admit, I'm leaning more towards just staying in park, as basically what I'm getting is:

- If we're at the back of the park it'll take about 15-20 minutes to walk to the front
- Then we need to plan on another 15-20 minutes to get back to our car
- Then another 15-20 minutes to drive back to the house

So basically, we've just killed an hour to go back to the house for a 3 hour break, and then have to turn around and do it all over again, except this time we'll be much farther back in the parking lot. And of course the kids will be up late, which I'm not sure how that will go over trying to RD the next morning.

Now... my next question is, on the two late nights we have planned (one at MK for Wishes, one at HS for Fantasmic)... I'm wondering if we shouldn't just arrive in the afternoon and stay through, make use of FP, our DAS card, and indoor/air conditioned attractions, until evening?