Timeline for Resorts for Break Time?

[RedWhiteandBlugold]

We are staying at CS and planning on heading back to our room for a break each afternoon. Any good advice on how much time to budget for a good afternoon break that includes travel time to and from the parks? I'm trying to nail down our park schedule before our FP reservation date comes up. Thanks!

 

[MunchkinSweetPea]

We scheduled a 4 hour block for our breaks. About 30 mins each way (when you factor in parking and actually getting into/out of the park with kids in tow), and about an hour at the pool. The rest of the time was spent napping and then getting dressed for the evening ahead of us. Enjoy your trip!

 

[Muppetfan3]

We scheduled a 4 hour block for our breaks. About 30 mins each way (when you factor in parking and actually getting into/out of the park with kids in tow), and about an hour at the pool. The rest of the time was spent napping and then getting dressed for the evening ahead of us. Enjoy your trip!

That's pretty much exactly what we did (about 4 hours - say leave park by 3, back to resort, nap/pool/lounge/shower and change, back out around 7 pm). Some days are a bit different depending on what is on the schedule but nothing in our trip is "over scheduled" and we have to skip something, then so be it. Some days are a little different (if we have a late night - for example, we have a late Magic Kingdom night - the next day is open for breakfast (no reservations) and the first FP isn't scheduled til later). That's just us, our kids need their sleep (who doesn't?), but they usually sleep in if it's a late night, as long as it's not too too late).

 

[MunchkinSweetPea]

Yes, a late morning start following a late night is a must! Trying to get everyone going bright and early after a long night usually doesn't end happily.

 

[Heidi K]

I agree with a four hour break. If you have younger kids who will actually nap, eat lunch on the early side so you can leave the park around 1.

 

[RedWhiteandBlugold]

thanks! that's super helpful. Our first two days we have early morning reservations so I'm trying to factor that in with the bedtime and nighttime entertainment schedule.

 

[Mousemommy1]

We typically arrive to the parks around 9 am and leave by 1 pm. We go back to the resort for naps and swimming and then head back out to the parks around 5 pm and hang out until close.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

We typically arrive to the parks around 9 am and leave by 1 pm. We go back to the resort for naps and swimming and then head back out to the parks around 5 pm and hang out until close.

This is what we do too. Even in December it was nice to avoid the hottest/most crowded part of the day with our little guy. And the grownups get a break too. Will probably always tour this way until our boys are teenagers and want to sleep in later.

 

[scrapquitler]

We are staying at CS and planning on heading back to our room for a break each afternoon. Any good advice on how much time to budget for a good afternoon break that includes travel time to and from the parks? I'm trying to nail down our park schedule before our FP reservation date comes up. Thanks!

We also usually plan for 4 hours or a little more. Most of the time we leave the park between 2-3pm and go back so that we re-enter the park around 6:30/7pm. If it's an EMH at MK that goes past midnight, we might wait until closer to 8pm to go back. I always sleep but the DH and DS don't.

 

[monorailsilver]

We try to eat lunch inn the park around noon and then leave the park. We start to wake up around 4 and shower.

 

[megster1123]

Is 4 hours really enough to get out of a park, bus back to AoA, nap and then back to park? Are you saying it's 4 hours for everything including travel/walking time? Trying to decide if it's worth it to take the kids back and crash for a couple hours...but the travel time is making me think twice about it.

 

[Aliceacc]

We tend to leave the parks at 12;30 or 1, and return for dinner between 5 and 6.

Our FPs are at about 10, 11, and 12; we can work lunch in between the last 2.

 

[tami82]

We don't do rope drop ever but take the monorail or bus at 9:00 and it's usually pretty empty. After 2+ hours we will eat around 11:30 before crowds and leave somewhere between 1 and 2. We then go in the pool, eat dinner around 5:00 and go back to park later on as we stay in a monorail resort so it's fairly easy to come and go as you like. This has always worked for us and never had any cranky kids doing it this way. You may be able to stay longer, see how it works out the first day and take it from there. I try not to plan too much on certain things.

 

[CapeCodTenor]

So glad I found this thread. I'll be taking my first trip to the World with a 4 y/o next year and will need to schedule some breaks.

 

[RedWhiteandBlugold]

Ok, so here's kind of a follow-up question. Have any of you ever "powered through" from Rope Drop to the end of the 3pm parade and then just call it a day and not return to the park? My kids are 7, 5, and 1. I know the 1 year old will nap in the stroller no problem, but I'm worried about wearing the other two out. We have an 8am CP reservation that day so it would be an 8-4ish day in the park for them. I see that as the only option to see the Festival of Fantasy Parade. Unless we go on our arrival day straight from the airport. Anyone ever do that with young kids? We are starting super early with a 7am departure flight with a 11:15 landing. The original plan was to hang out at the hotel for a little bit and decompress and then head to MK for a couple hours, but now I'm thinking about going right to MK to see the parade as a way to kick off the whole trip. (also arrival day is a Saturday late August, if that makes a difference about heading to a crowded Park in a hurry to get to the parade).

 

[Aliceacc]

Ok, so here's kind of a follow-up question. Have any of you ever "powered through" from Rope Drop to the end of the 3pm parade and then just call it a day and not return to the park? My kids are 7, 5, and 1. I know the 1 year old will nap in the stroller no problem, but I'm worried about wearing the other two out. We have an 8am CP reservation that day so it would be an 8-4ish day in the park for them. I see that as the only option to see the Festival of Fantasy Parade. Unless we go on our arrival day straight from the airport. Anyone ever do that with young kids? We are starting super early with a 7am departure flight with a 11:15 landing. The original plan was to hang out at the hotel for a little bit and decompress and then head to MK for a couple hours, but now I'm thinking about going right to MK to see the parade as a way to kick off the whole trip.

Here is, hands down, the very best advice I ever got about a WDW trip. Better than FP, better than rope drop:

Don't give any one ride, attraction, parade, meal the power to "make" your vacation. It's far better to say "We missed ___. We'll do it next trip, but we had a great time!" than "We saw ___. All 3 kids were brutally cranky, and my husband and I had a massive fight about how to deal with K's tantrum."

Make a plan for the best way you think you can see Festival of Fantasy. But if skipping it and getting back to the resort will work better for your family, skip it without hesitation.

We've never seen it, and probably won't this trip either. We tend to miss the afternoon parades, as we're back at the resort by then in the pool. And no one as ever complained.

 

[lennyd]

1 to 4 the heat of the day and starts to get more crowded at that time you want to be there for rope drop or sooner if you have Adr go back around 6 it will be cooler!

 

[RedWhiteandBlugold]

Here is, hands down, the very best advice I ever got about a WDW trip. Better than FP, better than rope drop:

Don't give any one ride, attraction, parade, meal the power to "make" your vacation. It's far better to say "We missed ___. We'll do it next trip, but we had a great time!" than "We saw ___. All 3 kids were brutally cranky, and my husband and I had a massive fight about how to deal with K's tantrum."

Make a plan for the best way you think you can see Festival of Fantasy. But if skipping it and getting back to the resort will work better for your family, skip it without hesitation.

We've never seen it, and probably won't this trip either. We tend to miss the afternoon parades, as we're back at the resort by then in the pool. And no one as ever complained.

Love that advice! I might have to print it out in big letters and superglue it to the stroller

 

[Aliceacc]

OK, how's this for an alternative?

If you really do want to make the parade, rethink that early Crystal Palace ADR. Make one for brunch, at 10:30 or so, and let that be the time you enter the parks. Stay from 10:30 till after the parade, and play it by ear from that point.

Or do a character meal the night you arrive, skip CP all together, and enter the Magic Kingdom even later on your MK day.