When do you take your afternoon break?

[PrincessIM]

We will be in DL July 18-22. From doing some research on this board, an afternoon break is the way to go. I was just wondering......for those of you that take a break in the afternoon, what time do you leave the park and what time do you return. I figure we'll leave around lunch time, have some pool time, nap and return in time for dinner. Just thought I'd ask what everyone else does.

 

[CrazyDuck]

It depends on when the park opens, and more importantly when it closes. On days it closes at 8p we go back for naps around 1p then back in the park around 4p. On days it closes at 10p or 11p we go for naps around 3p then back in the park around 6p or 7p then we'll shutdown the park! This is with my dd6 and ds4. When they are older naps get shorter!

 

[HydroGuy]

For us on our summer trips it depends on many factors:

o How old are any children
o How hot is it that day
o Did we start the day at DL or DCA
o If we started at DL did we do the Magic Morning
o What FPs are we trying to get
o What are lunch plans
o How late we think we will be out

What that means for us is that we start at DLR at 7AM for MM or 8AM for regular opening we usually break any time from 11AM to 1PM depending on the above factors. However, if we made a decision to sleep a little more and just start the day at DCA at 9:30AM or 10AM we may delay the break until 2 or 3PM just so we can get in a solid block of hours there (4-5 hours).

We usually do hotel breaks for at least 3 hours and sometimes 5. That is the time from when we walk out the park gates until when we re-enter the park gates. But on days we eat lunch or dinner at DTD it will be longer.

If we delay the break until 1PM then we snack in the morning and eat a late lunch at that point. We use lunch breaks for FP collection. For example, we get a FP before we lunch, take the hour for lunch, then we get another FP after lunch.

Everyone gets a swim and nap and when that happens for us we feel so fresh as we come back into the parks my kids usual vocalize how good they feel.

 

[LuLusApple]

Depends for us too, when the crowds arrive, park hours, when it starts to heat up. Usually anywhere between 12-2pm and come back between 5-7pm really just depends on those factors.

We just recently, last couple trips started taking breaks and it makes a big difference in our longevity

 

[blackjackdelta]

For us on our summer trips it depends on many factors:

o How old are any children
o How hot is it that day
o Did we start the day at DL or DCA
o If we started at DL did we do the Magic Morning
o What FPs are we trying to get
o What are lunch plans
o How late we think we will be out

What that means for us is that we start at DLR at 7AM for MM or 8AM for regular opening we usually break any time from 11AM to 1PM depending on the above factors. However, if we made a decision to sleep a little more and just start the day at DCA at 9:30AM or 10AM we may delay the break until 2 or 3PM just so we can get in a solid block of hours there (4-5 hours).

We usually do hotel breaks for at least 3 hours and sometimes 5. That is the time from when we walk out the park gates until when we re-enter the park gates. But on days we eat lunch or dinner at DTD it will be longer.

If we delay the break until 1PM then we snack in the morning and eat a late lunch at that point. We use lunch breaks for FP collection. For example, we get a FP before we lunch, take the hour for lunch, then we get another FP after lunch.

Everyone gets a swim and nap and when that happens for us we feel so fresh as we come back into the parks my kids usual vocalize how good they feel.

We do use approx. the same strategy. We have learned from the master and just by plan old experience.

Jack

 

[gethane]

We totally planned on afternoon breaks and somehow they just didn't get done until too late to be breaks. I will [cross my heart] follow this advice for our next trip though!

 

[8lovesmickey]

Depends for us too, when the crowds arrive, park hours, when it starts to heat up. Usually anywhere between 12-2pm and come back between 5-7pm really just depends on those factors.

I agree with LuLu... our preferred strategy is to go to the parks as early as possible and head back to the hotel around 1 or 2. Eating lunch at the resort is more relaxed for us, then we sit around the pool and/or nap, take a shower, and head back.

Another thing that has worked now that our kids are a little older is to stick it out at the parks until about 3, then go take a break / swim and eat dinner at the hotel. Then we're recharged around 6 or 7 and ready to close the parks!

 

[TeaToo!]

We get to the park at opening, eat lunch there and head back for a rest and a swim about 2:00. We stay at hotel for a good 4 hours or so. Then we go back and hit DCA for a while, then back to DL for some night time stuff.

But we have sometimes had to literally drag ourselves back at night.
Oh good times, good times!

Most important is HAVE GOOD SHOES! This is my big problem area.

 

[nana50]

We get to Disney early, then around lunchtime depending on where we are staying we go back to the hotel and have lunch, a rest, a swim, then head back after dinner. If it is a short day we just come back for a rest or swim before heading back. Having a hotel close by is a lifesaver and makes Disneyland much more fun and less tiring.

 

[gethane]

No doubt about the shoes! Is there a thread somewhere on shoes?

 

[TeaToo!]

No doubt about the shoes! Is there a thread somewhere on shoes?

Wow we need one. I take on average 4 pairs of shoes with me (because Im such a foot PITA) and by the end of each day I'm ready to throw them out a window or burn them and I never want to see the wretched things again! Once I even had to walk back to our hotel barefoot, knowing full well I was walking through old undetectable vomit, fungus and any number of invisible nose monsters. My poor feet hurt the whole time I'm at Disney.

 

[Sherry E]

The afternoon break is really essential, I think, to preserve stamina and energy, get out of the sun (or rain), rest weary feet, recharge your batteries (both literally and figuratively!) and to be able to get a second wind for going back into the parks at night. Whether you sit by the pool, sit in the room, take a nap, watch TV, read, or maybe just sit in the lobby of the hotel, it's all good just to get a change of scenery for a while. This is why I am not really fond of doing one-day only trips if it can be helped - because it's hard to justify taking a chunk of time out of a one-day trip (when time is limited) to rest, and too many things get crammed into one day.

We base afternoon breaks on all the same criteria that has already been mentioned here, and throw in the additional element of whether or not we are meeting other friends in one of the parks at some point, whether we will be eating with those friends, etc. We have tried the early afternoon break. We have also tried the 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. break. It seems like what works a little better for us is going back to the hotel sometime in mid-late afternoon, resting for a couple of hours, and then coming back into the park (whichever park it is) to meet friends and eat dinner in the early evening (around 6 p.m.-ish), and have some nighttime fun!

 

[Sherry E]

Not only are good shoes important (I am a New Balance person, but others swear by other brands), but also bring some nice cooling foot lotion (peppermint works well), some blister protect or blister block thingies, some powder, some Motrin or other pain relieving tablets or gel - all the necessary tools to make the feet feel their best!!

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

Wow we need one. I take on average 4 pairs of shoes with me (because Im such a foot PITA) and by the end of each day I'm ready to throw them out a window or burn them and I never want to see the wretched things again! Once I even had to walk back to our hotel barefoot, knowing full well I was walking through old undetectable vomit, fungus and any number of invisible nose monsters. My poor feet hurt the whole time I'm at Disney.

Agreed we do need one. There used to be one on these boards, but it's gone now. Probably could do a search. I use to be a New Balance user because they have the widest toe box area, but since I broke my toes kickboxing, I can't wear any enclosed shoes for any length of time. The only time I don't get blisters at DL is when I wear flip flops or slippers.

 

[PrincessIM]

Agreed we do need one. There used to be one on these boards, but it's gone now. Probably could do a search. I use to be a New Balance user because they have the widest toe box area, but since I broke my toes kickboxing, I can't wear any enclosed shoes for any length of time. The only time I don't get blisters at DL is when I wear flip flops or slippers.

I broke my foot in October in a kickboxing class too and since then the only shoes I've been able to wear are runners. We have two weddings coming up in May and I'm hoping I"ll be able to wear heels by then. On our two previous trip I wore Nikes but they weren't a runner, they had a strap across and were flat....super comfy! I'm hoping that works for me again this time.

As for taking a break, the plan is to get there early and take a break for a lunch, then come back later in the day. It's our first summer trip and we want it to be as enjoyable as can be and it sounds like taking a mid day break is the key!

 

[smiley_face2]

The only shoes I will ever wear at DL anymore are my Dawgs, or Crocs. They make so many nice styles now you don't have to look frumpy in them! Seriously, the first time I tried them there...put them on in the morning and didn't think about my feet once! Next time we go in winter, I plan on getting a winter version of them...they do make them. I've had to suffer on our Christmas trips with regular shoes, and even though my regulars are Dr.Shoels gel support something or others.... by they end of the day my feet hurt!! So ya...Dawgs or Crocs...and name brand too, not knock offs from a chain store! they ARE worth the extra $$!

 

[bnbheartdisney]

We arrive when the park opens and leave in the afteroon around 2:00/3:00. Return to the hotel to rest/nap and return to the park around 5:00/6:00 and stay till closing.

 

[mystic_path]

Well if your going in July you are most likely going to have longer park hours where the park will probably be open until 11:00pm each night during the week, and midnight on weekends. If there isnt some sort of event going on during this time that may make the park close early one night that is.

The park will probably be open around 9 or 10am so you have a few hours in the morning to have play time. Usually for my party of adults we leave the park around 1:30-2:00 and head back to the hotel for a swim, or a nap and then head back back out around 5:00, go for dinner and then head back to the park to play for several more hours until closing.

Again watch the Disneyland.com website for park hours and such. They may change, but generally the park hours during July are extended.

 

[thmar]

My grandchildren are little (now 2 and 4). We usually have lunch in the park or Downtown Disney. We stay on site (DL or GCH), so we usually head back to the room early afternoon for a swim/nap...plus it's a great way to beat the afternoon heat. Then we either have dinner at one of the Disney hotel restaurants, downtown Disney, or the park. We stay until the kids are tired. If you have small children, it's easy to guage by their behavior. Though at any age (child or adult), the break rejuvenates you, and the swimming and exploring (especially if you stay on-site) is awesome.

 

[mvf-m11c]

We mostly get to the park when it opens during the first hour except on MM since we have AP. Then around 1 to 2 in the afternoon, we leave the parks and take at least a 2 to 3 hour break. We need the break to get ready for the night shows and fireworks.

Sometimes during our break we head out to the pool or take a nap and sometimes we just head on to DTD to eat during the lunch time. It is important for us to take a break in the middle of the day, so we can do night activities in the parks, and there will be less crowds later during the day after the fireworks.

Then around 4 to 5 we mostly head on over to the restaurants in DTD, we like to eat dinner in DTD than in the parks. I know that it is busy during both parts of the day, but we like to eat at the ESPN Zone or RFC.