Tell me about your "relaxed" WDW vacay

We used to be rope droppers every day. Last trip (2016) with the addition of FP+ allowed us to sleep in some days. It was an 8 day trip so we had multiple chances to do all the attractions we wanted without being commandos each day. Also, staying at Boardwalk helped. We could sleep in. Hit a pack for a while, come back and go to the pool, eat dinner, then walk over to EPCOT or take a boat to DHS. We did everything wanted with, I think 2 days worth of pop drop.

Not sure how this is currently doable without FP+
 
We've were on WDW property for 14 days(4 were at Vero) in 2020 and never went to the parks. :) That was pretty relaxing. We swam, swam, swam and swam some more. We also did pony rides, bike rides, and visited a few other resorts.
Where are bike rentals available right now?
 
We are rope drop "dropouts". I always intended to, but DD needs her sleep and hates mornings. I just can't justify rousting a grouchy child out of bed for rope drop. Our trips keep getting more relaxed each time we go. We always do 10-day tickets and did four days at MK, concentrating on one land each day and hitting our favorite rides before leaving. This allowed for repeats of favorite rides and leisurely exploring areas we may have skipped before. It was great!
 

One thing my husband appreciated was when I brought him into Baseline TapHouse at HS and Nomad Lounge at AK. Briefly getting away from the crowds to have a relaxed drink and appetizer really added to a relaxed feeling for the day. We’ve also taken midday detours on our MK day to monorail (can that be a verb?) over to a resort for a drink or lunch and a drink before returning to MK. These breaks opened his eyes to the fact there can be many facets to a Disney trip. My husband doesn’t not like WDW, but it wouldn’t be his first choice for a vacation. I’m slowly trying to convert him.
 
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We are rope drop "dropouts". I always intended to, but DD needs her sleep and hates mornings. I just can't justify rousting a grouchy child out of bed for rope drop. Our trips keep getting more relaxed each time we go. We always do 10-day tickets and did four days at MK, concentrating on one land each day and hitting our favorite rides before leaving. This allowed for repeats of favorite rides and leisurely exploring areas we may have skipped before. It was great!

This is fantastic. We have also found the value of sleeping in a bit to help us start our day at a more relaxing and slower pace. It pains me to not rope drop, but I do love strolling into the parks without having to worry about being at the front of some line. I can definitely see us relaxing more as we continue to travel to WDW over the years.
 
This is fantastic. We have also found the value of sleeping in a bit to help us start our day at a more relaxing and slower pace. It pains me to not rope drop, but I do love strolling into the parks without having to worry about being at the front of some line. I can definitely see us relaxing more as we continue to travel to WDW over the years.
Plus, my daughter's favorite meal is breakfast, so enjoying a big breakfast at our resort before we head out is an important part of her vacation. Sometimes we forget that our kids need vacations from the hustle and bustle of rigid school schedules, just like we need to get away from our hectic work schedules.
 
Relaxed for us looks like: Getting up when we get up around 6:30 or 7:00 and walking four miles. Coffee and a very light breakfast. Then off to whatever park we have fastpasses. We are not wait in line people. If fast passes go away so will we. We add a bite of lunch and do attractions where fast passes are not necessary. If we eat a sit down lunch we just snack for dinner. We leave the parks late afternoon and enjoy a cocktail before dinner if we have had snacks at lunch. We may wander back to the parks for the fireworks or watch them from the resort. We enjoy the electric parade a night or two. Sometimes I go over to Disney Springs and do a bit of shopping. I like time at the spa and we also very much enjoy special tours. DH enjoys chill time in the evenings. Our Disney vacations are not go gog go. Things will change as grandchildren come along. Waiting! lol. For now a great pace is to enjoy and appreciate for us.
 
have a more "relaxed" vacation.
Our most recent WDW trip was the most relaxing but we still had long park days. Because of the lower crowds (and we went thanksgiving week, so still busy) we didn't feel the need to hit the parks early. We did breakfast in the room, coffee on the balcony and then headed to the parks around 10-11am. Just having a later start to the day and not rushing as soon as we got up helped to create an over all feel.

Not having any FP was a breath of fresh air. We just used our app to see the wait times and figure out what we wanted to do. Late night at the parks was the best. With no night time fireworks people tended to leave early so the hour before park close had amazing short wait times.

We actually enjoyed having a few ADR's because it actually meant having a table and not having to walk around with food trying to find a safe place to eat. QS meals with the app ordering was pretty simple.

We went to DS and actually hated it - to crowded and no rules being enforced.
 
Our family realized (After several commando vacations) that not all of us like to start the day the same way. Mornings are typically the point of contention for us. So we built in flexibility for everyone to start their day however they choose.
  • I prefer to wake up early, shower and breakfast at the food court while enjoying coffee, I rope-drop and generally enjoy being in the crowd during the first couple of hours of the day while everyone around me is excited and things are still magical.
  • My wife likes to sleep in, read in the morning, skip breakfast but still have her coffee and she joins me in the park usually around 10am.
  • Let the kids do whatever they want. We ask them to join us in the same park most days (not all) by a certain time; usually after 2pm.
Disney vacations, especially relaxed ones, don't mean that you have to spend every moment together as a family. There are plenty of hours in a day to make memories. Those moments will mean more to everyone if they are actually enjoying their vacation. We find that our kids are much happier to be with us in the parks when we give them more flexibility.
 
Plan for a totally different trip. My solo splurge was not focused on rides. I took time to take in the atmosphere like the Trolley Show and Dapper Dans in MK. Every park has a show/character schedule. I did a tour every day: MK was Marcline, AK was Wild Africa Trek, EP was Future and DestiNations tours. Try a photo safari and do whichever Epcot scavenger hunt is available. Spend some time on a bench and just people watch. That was in 2016. With all the covid changes those things are probably not available at the moment. You might want to just do a resort hop. Pick a few resorts to visit by different modes of transportation. Ask for a resort schedule (AKL has a ton of things to do) and see what activities are offered during the day at the pool. Also try out the different food courts instead of ADRs in the parks. Visit the Poly and watch the Electric Water Parade from the beach. Go the Disney Springs and take a ride in an anphibacar.

You realize that you almost “doubled” the cost of the Disney vacation with all the tours andanphibacar rides. Not everyone can afford to give Disney MORE money for their lack of entertainment. Must be nice... You really are the “whale fish” Disney is hunting for now.

I do ask that some posters modestly understand their financial situation in being able to “upgrade” during the pandemic to stay satisfied with their Disney trip.
 
We like making dining reservations at DS restaurant because they are privately owned and use programs like Open Table so we can cancel day of no fee.
 
Plan for a totally different trip. My solo splurge was not focused on rides. I took time to take in the atmosphere like the Trolley Show and Dapper Dans in MK. Every park has a show/character schedule. I did a tour every day: MK was Marcline, AK was Wild Africa Trek, EP was Future and DestiNations tours. Try a photo safari and do whichever Epcot scavenger hunt is available. Spend some time on a bench and just people watch. That was in 2016. With all the covid changes those things are probably not available at the moment. You might want to just do a resort hop. Pick a few resorts to visit by different modes of transportation. Ask for a resort schedule (AKL has a ton of things to do) and see what activities are offered during the day at the pool. Also try out the different food courts instead of ADRs in the parks. Visit the Poly and watch the Electric Water Parade from the beach. Go the Disney Springs and take a ride in an anphibacar.
How dare you share your relaxing Disney tips with us! Shame on you! You whale fish!!
Bahahaha! I’m totally joking by the way. Bet you didn’t imagine that you riding in an anphibacar on YOUR vacation could be so offensive.😂
 
We are doing all QS and no sit down meals (so we have flexibility for food and I didn't have to plan where we were eating when)

To each their own, but this is the opposite of relaxing to me. As my kids have gotten older, we have taken things slower and been more willing to miss things. What we won't miss, is a nice sit down dinner each evening. I actually think that planning where to eat in advance, makes it more relaxing when you are actually on the trip. We know what restaurants we like, so we eliminate the stress inducing "where do you want to eat tonight" question by having it planned in advance. Sure, you might feel like italian one night when you have reservations for a steakhouse, but in the end if you are getting good quality food that everyone will enjoy, that is the important thing. Plus, its a lot easier to enjoy a beer or four at a table service restaurant.
 
I hear what you are saying. In the past "Pre Covid" we would go until we dropped. Once we bought the DVC it changed our perspective. We used to go yearly until this little virus came around. Now, we are about to return for the first time in 2 years. That is an eternity for us. With all of the changes, we are applying the Keep It Simple Stupid method. Our kids are picking must do's and nice to do's. That way we are not just running around without a plan. Also adding to our shift in tempo is the fact that my Mother in Law who is in her early 70's is coming along. I am fairly certain that she would not enjoy WDW if we enjoy it like we go , go, go like normal. So, yes we are actually looking forward to slowing down and "smelling the roses" if you can dig
 
We never get ADR's. It's all quick service. No rope drops either. We get up when we get up and just go at whatever pace we set.

The only real advance planning we do is FP, but I won't set any before noon. And even those we might change on the fly that morning depending on availability.

We've found that Disney World is more enjoyable when you're not watching the clock all the time.
 
We are doing all QS and no sit down meals (so we have flexibility for food and I didn't have to plan where we were eating when),
I agree with PPs who said this plan is not conducive to relaxing. As mentioned, QS options are limited and mobile order only. Because its mobile order, you'll find that popular dining times fill up in advance. This means you either need to pre-plan your lunch and book it early in the day, or you may need to wait an hour for a QS timeslot once you are ready to eat. Also, with shortened park hours, we found we didn't have enough time to go back to our resort for a mid-day break, so having a TS lunch allowed us to use that as our mid-day break instead.

In the current environment and for the foreseeable future, ADRs are made 60 days in advance which is more manageable than 180 days. We also made TS reservations for Disney Springs on the fly, hours before we wanted to eat. We just chose from the places that had availability, which is also an option for Disney Springs or resorts - any place outside the parks.
 
Sleeping in sounds relaxing in theory, but what you are really doing is guaranteeing that when you arrive at the parks, it'll be hot and crowded. We much prefer arriving early, having an early TS lunch in the park, and then heading back to the hotel to chill by the pool to avoid the peak early afternoon crowds, before returning for the last couple of hours at the park once people have started to leave for dinner.

I second what others have said about splitting up. I've often taken the kids on a ride or two while DH sits and reads a book at a coffee shop or lounge. He also sometimes joins us at the park later in the morning or leaves after dinner (or used to, before the reduced hours). With cell phones, it's never hard to fine one another, and it gives him an opportunity to check out and kick back a bit, while we go on the rides with the longer lines or that he is not a fan of.

Like others have said, I can't think of anything less relaxing than all QS meals. While some people love mobile order, we find it frustrating to navigate, time-consuming, and often glitchy. And once you are there, you have to stalk tables for one to open up, carry a loaded tray (with no lids on drinks any more, not always the easiest), and clean up everything when you're done. None of it is world-ending stuff, but such a different experience from unwinding at a TS restaurant. Get same day ADRs or do walk-up waitlist for TS, and you can also eat at lounges which are always no-reservation.

The one thing I do agree with is the plan to hop to Epcot in the evening. Epcot is always lovely at night, and Boardwalk makes it super convenient. Highly recommend catching Mariachi Cobre in the outdoor theater near America pavillion. Perfect place to unwind.
 
You realize that you almost “doubled” the cost of the Disney vacation with all the tours andanphibacar rides. Not everyone can afford to give Disney MORE money for their lack of entertainment. Must be nice... You really are the “whale fish” Disney is hunting for now.

I do ask that some posters modestly understand their financial situation in being able to “upgrade” during the pandemic to stay satisfied with their Disney trip.

This is not a budget thread. I do ask that some posters stay on topic...

The OP asked for insights into how other enjoy slower, relaxing vacations.
 
Once I know what parks we'll hit on what days, I get everyone's "must do" at each park. If we hit everyone's must do as a priority, everything else is icing on the cake. That was easier to accomplish with FP, but it's still doable.
 

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