Taking a break in the day back to the hotel. Pros and Cons

[EpcotMark]

I am going the week of Fathers Day next month to Disney for a full week with my parents and my sisters family and they have five kids. 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10. I am not real enthusiastic about going when it is so hot, but that's they it is going to be.

We have been debating the concept of going back to the hotel (All Star Music) in the middle of the day to take a rest. It theoretically gives you a nice break. However, leaving the park takes energy too. There is a lot of extra walking out of the park to the bus station, through the heat, and then walking to the hotel room, etc. It all takes a lot of extra time.

I am trying to get some opinions for this time of year if that is a sensible idea or not. I know we have two days at magic kingdom (other parks too). I was kind of thinking of suggesting we do an early day, and a late day for these two days. On the early day, we would leave early perhaps around 5 to go back and rest for the remainder of the day. On the other day, we would start out later, perhaps around noon, and stay through the fireworks.

Can anyone talk from experience?

 

[JohnD]

I am going the week of Fathers Day next month to Disney for a full week with my parents and my sisters family and they have five kids. 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10. I am not real enthusiastic about going when it is so hot, but that's they it is going to be.

We have been debating the concept of going back to the hotel (All Star Music) in the middle of the day to take a rest. It theoretically gives you a nice break. However, leaving the park takes energy too. There is a lot of extra walking out of the park to the bus station, through the heat, and then walking to the hotel room, etc. It all takes a lot of extra time.

I am trying to get some opinions for this time of year if that is a sensible idea or not. I know we have two days at magic kingdom (other parks too). I was kind of thinking of suggesting we do an early day, and a late day for these two days. On the early day, we would leave early perhaps around 5 to go back and rest for the remainder of the day. On the other day, we would start out later, perhaps around noon, and stay through the fireworks.

Can anyone talk from experience?

Father's Day, as you know, is the 3rd Sunday in June. The weather will be much warmer. For you, breaks will be essential. First, the parents: As I can attest, having recently gone with my parents several years ago, their stopping point was around 3:00pm. At that point, they wanted to go back to the resort, shower, get comfortable, have a drink (or two) before heading back out for dinner. As for the kids, I don't have any but your oldest is 10 who will probably have more stamina. The others are likely to get cranky. A mid-afternoon nap or rest for them (and you) will probably do you all a lot of good. You can return refreshed and do more in the parks especially if they are open later.

 

[Minnie Mum]

When we first started going to WDW we debated the merits of a mid day break too. DH considered it wasted time because he wanted to wring every bit of value out of the money being spent on the trip. But at what cost to the rest of us? The crowds were at their peak in the afternoon, and so were the wait times. The heat and humidity were oppressive and soul sucking. We were tired, hot, and the kids were cranky because they were overstimulated. In short, we weren't having much fun.

So on our future trips we changed things up. We hit the parks at rope drop, toured til lunch, ate, and then went back to the resort. The relative quiet was soothing. The air-conditioned room sheer bliss. Those who wanted to could have a nap. The rest headed to the pool for a refreshing dip. Late afternoon we would head back to the park for dinner and an evening that saw us refreshed and with the energy to really enjoy ourselves. It worked so well for us that we've continued this practice on every trip, even now when we go without the kids.

 

[kdubs]

Having taken my kids and now grand kids) since '86, opt for the nap after lunch and then head back. The kids will have a much better disposition, and a short nap will put you in a better mood as well.

 

[mmelka]

I haven't taken a break midday when visiting the parks the last few times, but that's also cause my wife and I are in our 20's and don't have any kids...and we're a little bit crazy! But I would say with extended summer hours, going back to the resort to allow people to relax, change clothes (humidity!), hit the pool or take a nap isn't a terrible idea. You still have a lot of the evening left if you time everything right.

My personal strategy if it were to incorporate a midday break would be to make sure you rope dropped, and then planned your last attraction near the entrance (or if at MK, near a train station), and then head out. I don't know how much it helps with a parade or not, I would say trying to get out before a parade would be best, but I am not much for parades personally. I would also have a game plan for lunch if it was going to be in the parks with an ADR/QS then leave, or have something back at the hotel. Nothing like heat, humidity and hunger to bring out the real terror in all of us!

 

[correcaminos]

We always take a mid-day break. Especially if going with toddler/pre-schoolers I would say it's essential to do it. We love our pool/resort time though and are not the commando type.

 

[Weather_Lady]

I see nothing but "pros" to the afternoon nap break. Our kids were 9 and 11 on our last trip and we tried to dispense with it a few days. We were sorry we had! No nap means everybody's hot, tired and cranky by the middle of the afternoon. With a nap, we were good to go all evening. Next time we'll go back to naps every day -- yes, it's a little extra effort, but totally worth it.

 

[Skibum1970]

For us, breaks are mandatory. Sometimes, we just go tour the MK resorts or head back to the room. My wife isn't gung-ho for WDW to begin with. She enjoys it but she could go several years between visits. So, I don't do the Death March to her. I just have to schedule our FP+ around anticipated break times.

It does help, even for me. It's nice to give the feet a brief break and to escape from the crowds. Plus, it makes staying to close or even into the EMH times that much easier. Otherwise, the wife gets a little cranky.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

With kids in that age range, you don't have much choice anyway.

Pros: A much needed break for everyone - and from the heat. Resort/pool/downtime.
Cons: Expect around an hour +/- back/forth travel to the resort plus any time spent there.

 

[LeighM]

My husband and I are in our mid 30s with no children and we require afternoon naps in the summer at WDW The humidity just saps our energy. We have park hoppers, so we'll rope drop one park, go back to the resort around 1 or 2, nap in the ac for a couple of hours, before heading out to dinner or to another park. That way, we will (hopefully!) be able to stay until park closing, especially those late nights at MK.

 

[winstongator]

I've done them when we've stayed at Port Orleans Riverside. You can also park hop (if you have those tix). You do lose some time & energy, but doing rope drop to fireworks/night show in the summer. Without a break, you pretty much pick one. With a break you can do both.

 

[LauraRose]

Past 5 trips always stayed full days and really struggled. This trip we would go from opening (or EMH) till about 12 and go back resort and back out till 5 and it is the best thing o ever done. Trip felt a lot longer and we avoided the crowds and heat. We had one day we stayed till 4pm and we didn’t enjoy it anywhere near as much as we had been with breaks.

 

[Mander]

My husband and I took a mid-day break almost every park day of our honeymoon. With summer hours being longer, I would definitely take a break when you need to!

 

[thomas998]

I am going the week of Fathers Day next month to Disney for a full week with my parents and my sisters family and they have five kids. 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10. I am not real enthusiastic about going when it is so hot, but that's they it is going to be.

We have been debating the concept of going back to the hotel (All Star Music) in the middle of the day to take a rest. It theoretically gives you a nice break. However, leaving the park takes energy too. There is a lot of extra walking out of the park to the bus station, through the heat, and then walking to the hotel room, etc. It all takes a lot of extra time.

I am trying to get some opinions for this time of year if that is a sensible idea or not. I know we have two days at magic kingdom (other parks too). I was kind of thinking of suggesting we do an early day, and a late day for these two days. On the early day, we would leave early perhaps around 5 to go back and rest for the remainder of the day. On the other day, we would start out later, perhaps around noon, and stay through the fireworks.

Can anyone talk from experience?

Your big problem is going to be the kids. We tried doing what you said when our kids were around 3 to 6 and the problem was that they were so hyped up from the morning that trying to get them to nap or relax back at the hotel was next to impossible. And if the kids won't nap it makes it hard for the parents to rest too. So while it sounds like a good idea don't be surprised if they kids don't want to help.

I would suggest if you really want to do back and forths from the park that you consider a rental car (van judging from the size of your group)... buses can be bad at any given time and it can easily chew up an extra hour or hour and a half simply going back and forth from the park to your hotel.

We found that when we had little kids that it worked best to go to the park and stay until they were ready to call it a day... if we wanted to do fireworks we would let them sleep late on that day and hit the parks in the late afternoon and then stay until the fireworks.

 

[JosieBee]

I don't get to go to the parks frequently so can only go on what my limited experience has been but the last two times I left in the afternoon, I had to wait quite a long time for the bus to come as they just didn't have many running in the afternoon. This was two years ago in late May for All-Star Sports and last October for Pop Century. The break was nice to have but by the time I waited for the bus, was on the bus for the ride back, it was almost an hour by the time I got back to my room and then I had to allow and other hour to wait for return bus and travel back to the park. My sister who was staying at the Caribbean Beach resort waited even longer and I got on the bus before she did and made it back to the park before she did, too. So just keep that in mind when taking a break if your hotel is not close by and allow for bus waiting and travel time.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Forget the kids, I hate being hot, sweaty and tired. We go in August generally and it's "hell-hot". Why would anyone want to be walking around in that.
Nope, mid day breaks are a requirement for this gal.

 

[DfromATX]

We will be there at the same time, but no matter when we go we always do mid afternoon breaks. I don't even have little kids anymore - all 4 are over 15, but we all need that break. We usually do rope drop and stay until mid afternoon, then head back after dinner. It gives us a chance to swim, shower & rest up before we close it down. Trust me, the break does wonders. Otherwise, you'd be hot, sweaty, tired & grouchy. Ok maybe you wouldn't, but I would!

 

[Mainahman]

We did summer in august. Last week in august mind you years ago. We did the rope drop to mid day routine, went back to the hotel to re group, cool off, and then back to the parks. Usually we would then park hop. Hit the park with EMH that night or something. That mid day break was great to cool off in the heat of summer. You gotta have downtime too!

 

[LUVofDIS]

Look, there is only one way to do this Disney thing, you plan to get there at rope drop and you stay until the CM's kick you out, that is how I do it and so that is the best way.

That is until my wife has her say, than we get there around ten AM and leave around two or three and come back around six. I just don't get it. I also don't understand why she always gets her way. I need to revisit this.

 

[John park hopper]

Look, there is only one way to do this Disney thing, you plan to get there at rope drop and you stay until the CM's kick you out, that is how I do it and so that is the best way.

That is until my wife has her say, than we get there around ten AM and leave around two or three and come back around six. I just don't get it. I also don't understand why she always gets her way. I need to revisit this.

Ha Ha I love it ---- your wife and mine must be twins