Slow down & enjoy the vacation ideas?

[NeedMoreMickey]

I’m finally dragging my husband back to WDW in October, his last trip 2009. First - it’s not his favorite place to be and he is coming because he thinks he’s doing me a favor because I would be bored by myself even though I’ve told him it’s my dream for a solo Disney vacation. Second - he is suffering from extreme depression and with his meds he tends to sleep a lot. My job is to come up with a plan for four days that is a very calm, slow moving vacation that he will enjoy. I take a trip every March with my sister and now my niece where we hit 3 parks and the pool in one day so this trip I’m trying to think of things that just the opposite of go, go, go trip. Epcot is our favorite park so we are pretty much set with the shows in World Showcase and things like the Fountain of Nations. My real problem comes with trying to find spectator things in the other parks. He is making an effort, he offered to hold my things while I ride anything if he can wait/sit in the shade.

Any ideas?

 

[Figgy1]

@epcotisbest has quite a few ideas for that type of a trip. The only thing I can offer is make some ADRs for the type of food he likes and see all the shows in the parks. Enjoy AK at a nice slow pace and just go with the flow

 

[Disneydreamer23]

I would do a sit down dining every day where the 2 of you can relax and enjoy the atmosphere, I don't mean like Buffets, but places like Narcooses, Citricos etc.

 

[Horizons '83]

I recommend not trying to do everything you can in one day. Buy a base ticket for one park at a time for each day. For Example, go to Magic Kingdom for the day and stroll through the shops on Main street, go "shooting" at the arcade in Frontierland, ride the Jungle Cruise, see the Hall of Presidents, then hit any rides that don't have long waits. Epcot is a perfect place to stroll along by visiting each "country" in the world showcase, maybe grab a meal and a drink and just soak in the awesomeness of the park. I also find value in getting lost in the Downtown Disney (Disney Springs) shops and galleries, especially when they have it all decked out for the holidays. I also concur with the ASR's. They add so much to a Disney vacation.

Good Luck!

 

[Mukta]

Is the idea of this trip to spend time with him? If so, sleep in each day. Visit the more leisurely attractions like Hall of Presidents, PeopleMover, the movies in Epcot etc. Let him pick all of the restaurants.

 

[KCheatle]

If he's not into rides, there are just a ton of awesome shows at all of the parks. Epcot has great shows at all of the world showcase locations. Some are movies; some are out front. But, either way, those are great, calm entertainment and educational. AK has some stage shows that are great, and otherwise it's a zoo, so there's definitely plenty to see without riding a thing. MK also has great shows and slow-moving rides all over. COP, People mover, Hall of Presidents, Country Bear Jamboree. You could ride the fairy and walk along Tom Sawyer island. And don't forget the parades. HS doesn't have as many options, but has a few good shows that he may enjoy.

Otherwise, there's plenty to do outside of the parks. At WL you can rent bikes and bike the trail between WL and FW. You can take boat rides all over the place. You can fish. You can golf. There's spas at several hotels. You can watch wishes from atop the Cotemp and avoid the crowds.There are movies by the pools at several hotels at night.

There are definitely ways both inside at outside of the parks to see Disney without going crazy to do it - Good luck

 

[epcotisbest]

Thanks @figmentfan423 yes, we take it slow and enjoy things much more than when we used to rush to try to do as much as possible. There is so much to see and do you simply can't do it all so enjoying what you can makes for a more enjoyable trip for us.
The main thing we did that changed for us is simply having a change of mind about WDW. Instead of thinking about how much it cost so we have to do as much as we can, we determined to think of it as quality time over quantity.
One of our favorite things to do is visit the different resorts, explore the grounds and try the restaurants. We sometimes dessert hop, going to different places just to try dessert.
We like to ride the boats. It is fun and relaxing to take boat from OKW or POR over to DTD and back. Or over to WL and Ft. Wilderness by boat.
It is also fun to go over to AKL and view the animals, and eat at Sanaa (get the bread service).
At MK, we always arrive early, see the opening show then go opposite everybody else when the park opens. While the crowds are headed to SDMT, SM, or the other headliners, we'll stroll Main Street just taking it all in, then head over to IASW and enjoy it. There are lots of things to do that don't involve rides.
Another thing we do is spend time at the pool. You would be amazed how quiet and serene it can be on a Monday morning poolside while everyone else is rushing to the parks.
Animal Kingdom is a great place to slow down, see the shows, admire the scenery and explore the trails. You will hear many people on here say AK is a half day park. No way. It is only half day if you choose to rush.
Evenings at the resort are nice too. Find a beach, maybe at WL and view the EWP, then grab a chair and watch the outdoor movie.
Take the time to explore the shops. I am a terribly impatient shopper, but do better at WDW for some reason.
If you get tired, head back to the room for a midday break, nothing wrong with that. Look around and notice the seemingly exhausted tourists trying to do too much and realize you are not wore out and are having a nice time without rushing. It always amazes me the number of people I see who look unhappy. Are they unhappy because of the pace they are trying to keep?
Bottom line is though it may seem odd, it does take effort to actually slow down and smell the roses, but hey, roses!

 

[Mickey5150]

Thanks @figmentfan423 yes, we take it slow and enjoy things much more than when we used to rush to try to do as much as possible. There is so much to see and do you simply can't do it all so enjoying what you can makes for a more enjoyable trip for us.
The main thing we did that changed for us is simply having a change of mind about WDW. Instead of thinking about how much it cost so we have to do as much as we can, we determined to think of it as quality time over quantity.
One of our favorite things to do is visit the different resorts, explore the grounds and try the restaurants. We sometimes dessert hop, going to different places just to try dessert.
We like to ride the boats. It is fun and relaxing to take boat from OKW or POR over to DTD and back. Or over to WL and Ft. Wilderness by boat.
It is also fun to go over to AKL and view the animals, and eat at Sanaa (get the bread service).
At MK, we always arrive early, see the opening show then go opposite everybody else when the park opens. While the crowds are headed to SDMT, SM, or the other headliners, we'll stroll Main Street just taking it all in, then head over to IASW and enjoy it. There are lots of things to do that don't involve rides.
Another thing we do is spend time at the pool. You would be amazed how quiet and serene it can be on a Monday morning poolside while everyone else is rushing to the parks.
Animal Kingdom is a great place to slow down, see the shows, admire the scenery and explore the trails. You will hear many people on here say AK is a half day park. No way. It is only half day if you choose to rush.
Evenings at the resort are nice too. Find a beach, maybe at WL and view the EWP, then grab a chair and watch the outdoor movie.
Take the time to explore the shops. I am a terribly impatient shopper, but do better at WDW for some reason.
If you get tired, head back to the room for a midday break, nothing wrong with that. Look around and notice the seemingly exhausted tourists trying to do too much and realize you are not wore out and are having a nice time without rushing. It always amazes me the number of people I see who look unhappy. Are they unhappy because of the pace they are trying to keep?
Bottom line is though it may seem odd, it does take effort to actually slow down and smell the roses, but hey, roses!

I agree the boat rides are a great way to slow things down, especially with how beautiful the scenery is from the boats. The MK and DD resorts especially are fun for boat hopping.

 

[JIMINYCR]

There is a lot to do if he wants to do a slow paced, more relaxed type trip. Disney can be enjoyable if you want to avoid the rushed pace.
There are bike rentals, horse carriage rides that are relaxing.
Take time to walk the AK trails, visit the conservation station.
Strolling the Boardwalk.
2 Miniature golf courses.
All the sit down shows.
Cirque du Soileil
Fishing, boating
Get him to relax in the hot tubs

 

[KikoKea]

We used to rush, but since we've been many times we don't feel like we have to cram in as many things like before. We've found we enjoy the parks more now and have discovered more fun things to do besides. One thing we've come to enjoy is visiting other resorts. Animal Kingdom Lodge is beautiful and has nice areas at both lodges where you can observe the animals, including an evening fire pit. It is quiet, calm, and relaxing. The Sanaa overlooks the animal area and is one of our favorites- they have several 'sampler' platters so be sure to try them.

The Grand Floridian is a beautiful resort and has a live band in the lobby in the evenings- not sure if they are there during the day. Find a comfy couch, relax, and listen before having dinner. The GF landscaping is lovely and the paths are nice to walk, particularly in the evening when the lampposts are lit.

At the MK, DH and I love what are probably the most boring attractions to others- the Carousel of Progress and the TTA Peoplemover. We ride both of these several times a day. We enjoy looking for new details in the CoP sets and just plain enjoy breezing around on the TTA. For a QS lunch, try the Harbor House at a non-peak time and go upstairs. Usually, the place is nearly deserted and is quiet. It's a great place to relax and watch the crowds below from a window. We also like to get a snack at Cosmic Ray's during slow times and listen to Sonny Eclipse. If that's too loud, go to the other end of the seating area where it is quiet and you'll find one of the prettiest views of the castle in the park. For a long break, we ride the train completely around the park, and then to the next area we want to visit.

Honestly, there's not many places to relax at HS these days. We usually hit our 4 favorite things and are gone. But, AK has lots of shady walkways (once you finish the hike in from the buses or car park!) to explore. And, their shows are very good. We like to eat at the Flame Tree BBQ and find a quiet table in the eating area. For going slow, AK is great.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Are there any backstage tours that would suit his interests? For someone who isn't crazy about WDW, it might help them if they feel like they aren't doing the "normal" Disney things. Steam trains? Behind the seeds?