Yet ANOTHER question about taking breaks...

[jcemom]

As I keep tinkering with our itinerary, putting in breaks, then taking them out, then putting them in again... I started wondering just what do you DO during a break? We are going the first week of February. Hours are short and I would like to make the most of our time, but I do not want everyone to drop from exhaustion. However, if we take an afternoon break and the weather is not good enough for the boys to swim, then what? The boys are 9 and 10 -- too old for naps, and DD is 1 1/2 and will probably nap better in her stroller than in the room. Should I plan --for now-- on NOT taking a break, then take one only if we think it's needed? (I know, I'm making this much harder than it needs to be, huh? )

I should add that we do have a couple of "down days" with no parks in the middle of our 10 day trip.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We don't take nap breaks, but we do take swim breaks or TV breaks. These are just to relax a little. We've done the all day park thing once. It was a killer.

 

[MinnieGi]

You may want to play it by ear and see how your little one does with napping in the stroller. At that age our DD also napped well in her stroller but now at 3 must be in her room to snooze. Since your other two are older, you may not need an afternoon break but may call it quits around 4:00 or so whenever everybody is getting to drained. However do you have evening plans in place also? We usually always do an afternoon break so we are refreshed for our evening plans. And we always have plans even though we go during value season with short hours. We go to Epcot, DTD, Boardwalk, HDDR and resort dinners. We could not survive without our break time and I mean DH and I!!!! Hopefully we'll have some nice February swim weather - we did last year!!!!

 

[jcemom]

Evenings are what I seem to be having trouble with. Wishes and Fantasmic are at 7:00, so we would need to have dinner around 4:30 to be sure of enough time (which is actually pretty close to our normal dinner time anyway, so I am okay with that). The problem is that in order to get a break and be back in the park by 4:00...well, see what I mean? Now we're looking at leaving around noon and I just can't imagine being tired after only 3 hours. What am I doing wrong here? LOL

edited to add: How long a break do you take?

 

[westjones]

The kids may be fine. My DD's were 9 turning 10 when we were there in September and they didn't get tired....I DID!!! So for 'me' the breaks were going to the shows. We did the rides more in the morning, and then in the afternoon when I was tired, we found shows/programs to go to that had seats to sit down. Also we took a late lunch around 2:00 pm which gave us a break.

I was OK from 8:00 (early magic hour) until around 2:00, but by then I was tired. My girls....never stopped. They could have kept on going.

DJ

 

[jcemom]

Originally posted by westjones
Also we took a late lunch around 2:00 pm which gave us a break.

That sounds like a good idea. Did you eat breakfast every morning? We were planning on a quick breakfast in the room, then counter service lunch early, then an early dinner. I just can't seem to make everything "fit" and it is driving me crazy! (If you ask DH he would tell you I don't have far to go anyway...LOL)

 

[InstImpres]

I think it also depends on your normal bedtme at home and what it will be in the park. We usually don't need a break on day 1 or 2 but take one on 3 and/or 4. It depends how late I keep them up and how early I get them moving each day. Day 1 and 2 are generally all hyped up (except stroller sleepers are stroller sleepers). I too do what other suggest, rest is a sit down show or a leisure lunch, even from a fast food spot,

Enjoy
Sandy

 

[jann1033]

I favor the play it by ear suggestion...we have never found it necessary to go back to the resort mid day since we always go during value season with shorter hrs. and eat a sit down meal for lunch which is a built in break...we do how ever take a whole day here and there just to relax, go to the resort we are in or dtd or whatever. we find that more refreshing and a better use of our time..we may go to epcot that night but nothing hectic or overly strenuous (like going to Universal that day would defeat the purpose!) if you are going off season you may not need it, if you are getting tired do it.

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

One of my favorite breaks to take if I'm at MK is just hopping on the boat to WL, getting a brownie from Forks, and curling up on the sofa on the 4th floor in front of the fireplace, and spending 15-30 minutes or so jotting down trip report notes. Then just hop back on the boat to MK! There's something about the Lodge that just seems to recharge my batteries after a long morning in the park!

I vote for playing it by ear. After the first day or so, you should be able to figure out pretty quickly what your group is up for.

 

[seashoreCM]

Have you tried taking short breaks in the park, sitting down and enjoying the scenery? Rather than one long break elsewhere?

Compared with having to walk to the front of the park, wait for a bus or get in your car and drive someplace getting more stressed just doing that, you may find that it is more relaxing and less time consuming to stay in the park.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by seashoreCM
Have you tried taking short breaks in the park, sitting down and enjoying the scenery? Rather than one long break elsewhere?

Compared with having to walk to the front of the park, wait for a bus or get in your car and drive someplace getting more stressed just doing that, you may find that it is more relaxing and less time consuming to stay in the park.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

glad you posted this as I thought maybe I was the only"nut " who felt this way!( just kidding)...however like I have said we only go in value season which is very different than busier times. just crowds alone would do me in after 10 mins. by breaking in the park another plus is you can find some of the little "hidden treasures".... like I remember relaxing in and strolling through the Japanese garden all by myself once , no one else around,very relaxing ( although truthfully that was to get away with the not so fun group we were with then)

 

[2tinksmom]

My DDs are 10 and 6 and we don't leave the parks for rest breaks...I think they would mutiny if I even suggested it, lol. IMHO, I think Spaceship Earth should have a big official rest break sign outside. Who wouldn't be relaxed after listening to Jeremy Irons whispering in your ear!!

 

[jcemom]

Originally posted by 2tinksmom
IMHO, I think Spaceship Earth should have a big official rest break sign outside.

LOL
Actually, Epcot is what I was most worried about, being a 9:00-9:00 day without a break!

 

[BriarRose59]

I too would vote for the shorter breaks during the day. We sit down with a drink or light snack and watch the people go by. The ice cream shop on Main Street USA is a wonderful place to do this, yes even if February (your ice cream doesn't melt as fast)!We have seen some real "interesting people" while at the World! Remember to stay hydrated even in February. If you don't keep drinking water you will get tired a lot faster.

 

[tjmw2727]

We usually do the parks without a break unless the girls specifically want to swim one day. My girls are 7 & 9 so your boys should be ok. Take it slow with baby and if he does well in the stroller your fine. I used to take my littlest off to a quiet shady area, grab a snack for myself and walk her to sleep. DH would take the older girl, to ride few things and that worked well.

My sil had a hard time getting my nephew to quiet down last Nov (he was just over 2) so she hopped on the monorial for a few loops and he crashed! (Not ideal but it was cool and he always sleeps in the car.)

We always plan our "sit down" meal as a late lunch. We eat quick breakfast in the room, snack in the am and then rest at a nice lunch between 1:30 and 3:00. This is our break and big meal if the day, it helps that it's also less $$ than dinner. We just do fast food/counter service for dinner which allows us the most time in short hours. We can even grab dinner while waiting for Fantasmic. In November we got hot dogs at Casey's and watched wishes from the tables there, it was perfect.

We also alternate later mornings with late nights, so after Illuminations or Fantasmic we would do an off day or later park day to make up for it.

Enjoy
TJ

 

[pjlla]

I am probably just repeating what a lot of folks have said, but.... we also go during value season, when the park hours are a lot shorter. When we last went our DS was almost 4 and our DD was 6 1/2. We did not take breaks during the day at all. We had one day, mid-week during our 7 day trip that was our "day off" from the parks. We spent the morning at DTD, had lunch there and then returned to our hotel to swim and have supper. But all the other days we did the parks from opening until closing. The latest days were the day we arrived (evening flight, kids in bed at 9:30pm) and the last night (figured we would make the most of the last day... kids in bed about 9pm). We did use a stroller for our DS and I'm sure that helped keep him from being too tired. I also tried hard to stick to their 8:30 pm bedtime. Keeping my kids in a somewhat normal routine for bedtime helps keep them from getting too cranky!

Also, I planned our first day in the parks to be at AK, knowing that it has the shortest hours and we would be tired from the late flight the day before. They were in bed by 6:30 pm that first day (AK closed at 5pm). If I felt we/they needed a break during the day, we found a quiet place to sit and have a snack (including the train ride at MK and other such long, quiet rides), or just rest our feet (son laid on the floor at my feet during Hall of Presidents.... didn't sleep, but just "vegged".) That always helped us get re-energized and re-motivated to keep going. Most nights we were riding rides until the last possible minute!

Keep in mind that a trip back to your hotel (either off-site or on) will involve probably a bare minimum of two hours. An hour travel time back and forth (from wherever you are in the parks when you decide to leave, to the TTC or parking lot or bus stop, back to hotel can be a long time!) and a minimum hour to rest.

ONE LAST THING.... to JCEMom.... why would you not get to the parks before 11 am? Are your children late sleepers? Or did I misunderstand you? BY ALL MEANS, get to the parks as early as possible. I certainly wouldn't wake a sleeping child at 5 am, but see no reason not to be at the parks by 9 am. Especially when the parks close so early..... Just my opinion of course!!

 

[jcemom]

Oh, no...we're planning to be there at opening. I probably didn't explain myself well enough in one of the posts, sorry.

Thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions! I worry too much!

 

[jcemom]

I think what I will do is not PLAN to take breaks, but if we want/need one, then we'll take one. I'm sure we'll be okay if we miss a PS... LOL I really need to learn to be more flexible. You would think with three kids I'd have figured that out by now. As of now, our itinerary looks like this:

Tues - arrival (around 3:00), no plans
Wed - MK/Wishes
Thurs - Epcot/Illuminations
Fri - no plans/rest day
Sat - AK/MK for Spectro and Wishes
Sun - no plans/rest day
Mon - MGM/Fantasmic
Tues - DQ/Cirque
Wed - MK/Boardwalk and Illuminations (hoping for a cruise)
Thurs - departure day (around 2:00), no plans

We have plenty of down/flexible time I think to "recharge" if needed. I actually handle things well when they don't go "according to plans" but for some reason I always have to have everything planned out on paper even if it doesn't work out that way in the end. Yes, I drive DH totally crazy! I really need to relax...LOL

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by jcemom
LOL
Actually, Epcot is what I was most worried about, being a 9:00-9:00 day without a break!

if you are not standing in long lines there is a good amount of "sitting " at epcot .probably the worst is some of the movies in the countries that do not have seats but make you stand which is more tiring than walking I think. so maybe split them up ( the only one I am sure has nice comfy seats is France so another good mini break) I think the Us has seats but know cananda and china do not ( unless my memory is even worse than I think which could be!) norway and mexico are boats and except for the living seas I think every other FW pavilion has some kind of sit down attraction along with maybe a couple short standing ones(like I am pretty sure there used to be a standing movie at the Land but haven't gone to it for so long do not know if it is still there!...one of the more boring films imho) so maybe hit the standing ones early and finish with the sitting ones when your feet will thank you.

 

[janette]

There are lots of places for downtime in Epcot. Almost all the pavilions in future world have places to explore. While the older kids play at Innovations or ImagineWorks you can sit and rest with your youngest. It's usually fairly quiet and comfortable.