Typical Disney Day?

[cassi06403]

I'm curious about what everyone's typical Disney Day is like. In the past, DH and I would go to parks one day and then no parks the next and continue our vacation like that.

This trip we bought park hoppers for each day because we want the flexibility now that we're expecting our first baby! We've never done park hoppers each day and I'm feeling a little lost. I'm way too much of a planner. We have ADRs for dinner each night that we'll plan around, but other than that I guess it will be go to one of the parks for a while, go back and rest, take it easy.. and then repeat!

So - what is your typical Disney Vacation Day like?

 

[Ppufi]

Total commando; we keep going and going without stopping!

 

[cassi06403]

We've totally been there and done that! I just know I've got to break that for this trip - it's going to be HARD! lol

 

[xDressedinlove]

I'm a Disney purist. I like to go to the parks every day. We don't go to Universal [nor do we ever plan on it]. The only time we ever do anything different or stay at the hotel is after we've done all we can do for the day.

 

[AUDramaQueen]

With 3 small kids we usually go back to the hotel and rest after a morning in the parks. Our typical vacation day:

We usually eat breakfast in the room (granola bars, cereal etc), get to the parks right around opening and eat an early lunch before the crowds, ride a few more rides or see a show. Then we head back to the resort, rest and then go back out for dinner. We can usually close down the parks even on EMH nights. For some reason my kids aren't that into parades so we don't have to worry about missing the afternoon ones.

We have even made an occossional open to close day, but this is usually the last day at MK when we have to get all or our favorite rides in before we leave!


ETA: We always park hop

 

[kenny]

Combination of all of the above.

Always do MK the first and last day and any night it is opened late. Other than that we decide the night before what park to go to the next day, unless of cause we have an ADR at a park (don't do ADR's everyday though).

Usually one park in the morning, then depending on the mood, sometimes back to the resort so DD4 can swim, other times we just stay all day. Sometimes all at the same park sometimes jumping between parks.

Personally that is what we love about the hopper option. We don't have to have a definitive plan and stick to it. We can do what we want, when we want. Last Dec went to MK around 11am, stayed until 6, hopped to Epcot for dinner and Candlelight Processional, then back to MK until 1am. Was not what we had originally planned. We're going to go back to resort, swim and change (was cooler at night). Ended up just buying sweatshirts for everyone and staying all day. Ended up being one of the best days in all our trips.

 

[jnzimm]

We go to the parks everyday. First thing in the morning we go to the park and then back to the resort for swimming and clean up then its back to the park for dinner and whatever. We buy park hoppers and usually go to a different park at night.

 

[Wild4Walt]

No kids in this party ( unless you count the big kids )

We typically grab some breakfast and head to a park. Since we are there longer than 4 or 5 days we will plan at day or two off property.

My mom has never been to Seaworld so we are doing that this year as well as going into Celebration for lunch and some shopping.

We pretty much plan one TS meal a day either dinner or breakfast and take lunch on the spur of the moment.

This year we are staying at the Beach Club so this is the 1st visit ever that I have penciled in some pool time. This a great pool like that I at least want to get in it at least once.

Since it is 2 adults traveling, we usually end the day with a nightcap at the hotel bar.

 

[ransom]

On our typical day, we wake up at 6 AM and hit the shower. Once I'm dressed, I run down to Roaring Fork to pick up breakfast. I bring it back to the room, where DW is finishing getting ready. We eat breakfast, brush our teeth, then head down to the bus stop or boat pier by 8.

We catch either the bus or boat to the park of the day. At rope drop, we go straight to the most popular ride in the park. We ride that, and perhaps get a fastpass for later. Then we go on to the next most popular ride.

From that point on, we will visit an attraction, then take a break, then visit an attraction, then take a break, and so on until lunch. We'll have a CS lunch, then resume our relaxed touring schedule. Eventually, we'll head for our dinner ADR, have a nice TS dinner, then resume touring until dark, when we'll watch the nighttime spectacular.

Once that's over, we'll leave the park and head back to the Lodge. We'll go to our room and pick up our mugs, our Passporter, and our nifty flashlight that doubles as a lantern. Then we'll head to Roaring Fork and fill our mugs with soda or coffee. Then we'll go outside to one of the tables, where we set up the flashlight in lantern mode and fill out the day's Passpocket page.

Finally, we'll head back to our room, get ready for bed, and then go to sleep so we can get up the next day to do it all over again.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

I have to say that ransom's plan sounds great to me!

We rarely make rope drop and tend to stay in the Parks all day. We only take a rest day if we absolutely hit the wall and have to. That has only happened once that I can remember.

But with you having the baby on board, I would think that you would need to rest. Although I remember having a few months that I was very energetic so maybe you will be in that stage during your trip!

Most important thing obviously is to take care of yourself & the baby. I would say to stick with a loose plan, drink a ton of water and rest when you need to. Have a great trip and Congrats!

 

[Bill From PA]

We rarely skip a day. In 2004 we took the extended family for an 8 day stay at the Swan but I bought 7 Day Hopper Plus tix for the crew so in the middle we had a pool day. Now, we hit a non-Epcot, non-EMH park for rope drop every day, tour that park until standby lines exceed 20 mins or so, then we hop to WS every day. I'll grab a FP for Soarin' which is usually for the early evening and we'll stroll the countries, catch the shows and have an adult beverage or three as we go. We always stay at BoardWalk or S/D so in the evenings it's JellyRolls, the ESPN Club or Big River or else PI. With the Adventurer's Club closing, we've got a hole in our itinerary, we used to go there 3 - 4 nights per trip. Next March we'll probably go once to hit Raglan Road, maybe I get there before wifey to have a cigar in Sosa's.

On MK days we make a point of hitting the lounge right off the 'rail at the Poly, I think it's the Kona Cafe. Next trip we'll do the 'Drinking Around the Kingdom' thing, hitting a watering hole in each of the MK resorts.

Bill From PA

ps. Forgot to mention, we get up early each morning and I stroll the BoardWalk with a stogie while the wife has a relaxing cup of coffee. We'll have a bagel or two before hitting the park, but that's it for food until we hop out of the early park, we grab a sandwich before hitting WS.

 

[duketennisgal]

We do parks every day, I just feel if I'm going to Disney World then I'm going to Disney World if you know what I mean.

Usually we get up pretty early, have breakfast and head over to whatever park has Early Entry. We do what we can till about lunch time or whenever we get tired, we grab lunch and head back to the room for naps/swimming. We then head back to the parks late afternoon, have dinner and spend the rest of the evening in whatever park we want to see the evening show.

That's our typical day, been doing it for 6 straight years now!

 

[nanceliz]

We are up early, grab breakfast (either buffet at the hotel--shades of green) or character breakfast. Then to the parks for opening. We tour the park until lunch. Eat lunch in the park (usually counter service) then take a break and go back to the hotel.
Then we may go back to the same park or a different one if it has the EMH evening.
We tour a park everyday.
Our breaks are water park days. We sleep a little later, go to the water park. stay till mid afternoon. take a break and maybe hit a park that evening. Maybe just hang around the hotel.

 

[cassi06403]

You guys are helping me out SOO much! Thank you! Keep them coming!

GoofySon'sMom - Thank you for the congratulations - We're so excited and it's still sinking in for us!

 

[Parkhopper]

We pretty much are commando style vacationers (understatement!) We will be at the park of our choice at rope drop. Sometimes we go for the morning EMHs. We will do what we want in that park, hop to another park and then hop again if needed. We usually do a counter service lunch and a table service dinner. After the parks close down, we head over to the Adventurer's Club and close that down too.

If we get 5 hours of sleep each night on a vacation we are doing GOOD! We had one trip where we wore out 3 different sets of friends (one of whom said she would never vacation with us again - LOL!)

Luckily DS is almost 14 and he has been able to keep up our killer schedule for a few years now. When he was a toddler we would take him back to the room for a 2 hour nap. I don't think that we have ever taken the time to swim at Disney...we can swim at home.

Suzi