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

[LadyOlafDisney]

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.

ROFL! This made my day. Commando all the way! That is how I do it. I agree, it's the only way and I'll be 58 a few weeks! Admittedly though, if I had SMALL children, I would start at rope drop and try to get 5 hours in before leaving for a break, and returning in the evening.

 

[daringstoic]

Lolwut? That's exactly what it means. "Just because they're closer doesn't mean they're closer."

Based on your calculations, the shortest travel distance to the All Stars is still almost 20 minutes away, and that's a generous calculation based on my experience there. That's not really what I'd consider to be close. The Contemporary is close to the MK, DAKL is close to DAK, Boardwalk is close to Epcot. The All Stars aren't close to anything.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

We take a different approach to the pool. We usually spend the mornings there. We'll get up, go to the pool, have lunch there, stay until it storms or we're ready to leave, whichever comes first, and then go to the park. Saves travel time, and we still get to relax.

I once had a winter trip when it was warm and my brother and I went back to the pool. We were staying at Boardwalk and had been at Epcot. We were exhausted, him from being in school, me because I'd been in Disneyland the week before (no, do not ask). We ended up falling asleep on lounge chairs.

 

[KCheatle]

When my kids were younger (4 or less), we insisted on a naptime in the afternoon. However, we didn't always do that back at the hotel. I used to take my kids into the air-conditioned areas in the parks (e.g., the circus tent in MK, the baby centers, the innoventions buildings, pizzafari, etc.) and I would either let them sleep in their stroller or hold them. The older they got, that became unrealistic because they were never going to fall asleep in public. So, then we did have to takr them back to the hotel. They always wanted to swim, but since we were using this for rest, I insisted we go to the room, close the curtains, and I actually turned on spa music on pandora. They rested fine, but the travel did take a big chunk out of our day. At age 7, I stopped pushing the nap/rest time, and now I just observe them to see if they need a break on certain days or not. Some days we're out from 8am-10pm with no problems.

My number one rule in WDW is to take it easy. Whatever you do, don't push it. WDW is meant to be fun, and pushing to exhaustion at any age is not fun. If you have to go back to the room, it may seem like a lot of time is lost. But, remember that the time you do have in the parks will be enjoyable because people will be rested. A lot of time spent with crabby people is not fun.

I think the biggest issue you'll have is what to do with the variety of ages on your trip. A 1 year old cannot make it all day. But, a 10 year old probably can and will be annoyed if (s)he has to go back and wait around for the 1 year old to nap for 2 hours. Luckily, when we had one young and one who was 10, my parents were with us, so they kept the 10 yo at the park, while we took my son back to nap. You may want to consider splitting up?

 

[SAV]

The majority of our trips have been over Father's day and a couple in July & we are Park Commando's. We get there at Rope Drop and don't leave until after the night time show. This started when my daughter was 2 and son's first trip he was under 1 year old and she was 4. If they were tired, we put them in the stroller, put a light towel over the stroller and just walked around a bit until they fell asleep. We would go into Air conditioning to cool them off if needed, but this allowed us to still walk around and switch off for rides, while still getting their nap time.

Our opinion was that we were at Disney and wanted to maximize our time in the parks. They can swim at home. I guess because my kids were raised as commando's, they had no issue with that and would always just doze off for us.

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

If I go back to the room, I'm done for the day. I've been going since 1976 - with kids and without - as a kid and as an adult - and I've never taken a break. Generally, once on a week long trip, we'll head in early one day...maybe take a dip in the pool. Otherwise, the park is where we want to be.

 

[Oshay]

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?

We have been going to Disney for years and usually say on-site with kids from infants to teenagers and some trips with the grandparents but I never got the mid-day break strategy, it is just too much time and energy wasted as far as I am concerned. I get that when the heat is bad the little ones and grandparents need a break, so we just make sure we have ADR for a nice sit-down lunch and take our time. A 60-90 min break in the AC with some good food does wonders for everyone in your party epically when the heat is crazy. We have always firmly believed in having a good stroller that they can nap in when you have little ones. You are in the land of million strollers so join the crown but I can also tell you I was never so happy as when we did a Disney trip and did not have to take that stroller.

We are on vacation and are not getting up early, especially if we were out late the night before. We will only do rope-drop maybe once during a 7-10 day trip but if I was forced to get up at 6am to leave my hotel by 7am to be at the park for a 8am rope drop, I know I would be wiped by 1-2 also. I think the mid-day break is almost mandatory if you are a rope-drop crowd, but this is not us.

But I do have a question for the mid-day break crowd. So many people say that they are there for rope-drop and then leave the park for a mid-day break around 1-2 and come back to the park around dinner time, out of the park for about 3 to 5 hours. So when you go back to the parks, how late do you stay? And then do you do rope drop again the next day? I know that just does not work for us. When we do rope-drop we stay until 2-3 and are done with parks for the day, we will go back to the hotel take a nap or hit the pool and then have a nice dinner. We spend the night at the hotel doing some the night time activities. Our kids are older now so they really enjoy the parks at night, so we are usually there until closing time almost every night.

So do the parks however works for your family but I feel that doing the mid-day break back at the hotel is a lot of wasted time and energy. I think you got the right idea, do some early mornings, rope-drop until 2-3 and some other late days, start the day off at the pool and then head over to the parks around 3-4 after the little ones have a nap. I don’t know about other people but my kids were more wiped from a few hours in the pool than day of walking around the parks.

The most important thing is to have fun and be flexible, there is no right or wrong way to do Disney just the way that works best for your family.

 

[danyoung56]

So many people say that they are there for rope-drop and then leave the park for a mid-day break around 1-2 and come back to the park around dinner time, out of the park for about 3 to 5 hours. So when you go back to the parks, how late do you stay? And then do you do rope drop again the next day? I know that just does not work for us.

I usually lounge in my room during the heat of the afternoon, then hit a park for a few rides and then a nice sitdown dinner, drinks, and fireworks. That usually takes up the evening. Then up for rope drop the next day. Who said a Disney vacation was restful?

 

[LeighM]

But I do have a question for the mid-day break crowd. So many people say that they are there for rope-drop and then leave the park for a mid-day break around 1-2 and come back to the park around dinner time, out of the park for about 3 to 5 hours. So when you go back to the parks, how late do you stay? And then do you do rope drop again the next day? I know that just does not work for us. When we do rope-drop we stay until 2-3 and are done with parks for the day, we will go back to the hotel take a nap or hit the pool and then have a nice dinner. We spend the night at the hotel doing some the night time activities. Our kids are older now so they really enjoy the parks at night, so we are usually there until closing time almost every night.

The most important thing is to have fun and be flexible, there is no right or wrong way to do Disney just the way that works best for your family.

My husband and I are in the midday break group. We always try to do the park with the extra magic hours in the morning because we can get so much done in that hour, especially at Magic Kingdom. We go back to our resort around 1-2 and nap/relax before going back out to a different park around 4-5 to the park that has nighttime extra magic hours so we could be out between 9pm-1am depending on when the park closes. If we have plans to be out really late one night (mainly MK), then I will schedule a late morning ADR the next day so we can sleep in. Then go to the park in the afternoon after breakfast. I had to change my plans around this March (with BIL/SIL) because of they extended the hours at Animal Kingdom. Our day there, they opened the park at 7am for EMH so we had to be at the bus stop at 6am, which meant I had to wake up around 5am. We definitely needed a midday break that day!!! It wasn't hot, in fact, it was chilly, but the early morning hours definitely caught up with us this past trip. After we all rested, we went to Epcot around 5pm for dinner. We were going to stay until 11pm for their evening EMH but left soon after Illuminations because we were exhausted. Plus, we had another morning EMH the next day so we figured rest was more important.

I do agree that one of the most important things is to be flexible! I didn't plan for half of what happened this trip between my BIL's back hurting, my ankle getting injured, or my husband coming down with a bad cold....

 

[CaptainAmerica]

We are on vacation and are not getting up early, especially if we were out late the night before. We will only do rope-drop maybe once during a 7-10 day trip but if I was forced to get up at 6am to leave my hotel by 7am to be at the park for a 8am rope drop, I know I would be wiped by 1-2 also. I think the mid-day break is almost mandatory if you are a rope-drop crowd, but this is not us.

Objectively speaking, that's a very poor strategy. You're probably in the park the same amount of time that I am, but you're waiting in two hours more of lines every single day.

So many people say that they are there for rope-drop and then leave the park for a mid-day break around 1-2 and come back to the park around dinner time, out of the park for about 3 to 5 hours. So when you go back to the parks, how late do you stay? And then do you do rope drop again the next day.

9 to 1, then 4 to 8, then rope drop again the next day. We do IllumiNations the night before we leave so no rope drop the next morning. We take the morning off after MK fireworks, and tend to skip Fantasmic entirely.

 

[Seeshark]

After my first trip back to Disney since being a teenager a few years ago, when we stayed at Animal Kingdom, I've done split resorts on my trips since then to stay at ones not far from whatever park I'll be going to, or at least to the best of my planning ability. Because you're right, leaving the park, getting on a bus, and then doing it all backward a few hours later, can be a lot of extra time and energy. I figured if I could at least make the trip from the park back to my room short, like a 5-minute boat ride to Wilderness Lodge from MK, or to Boardwalk from Epcot or HS, as examples, I'd save a lot of time over the course of a week. Can't do much about the extra walking in and out of parks, but something like staying at an Epcot area resort on the days I'm looking to be in Epcot or HS helps, particularly for when I'm going to dinner in the World Showcase - that's a hike from the front entrance. But in that Florida heat, with kids, tough to keep them there all day, or even start at the park after lunch when it's blazing out. On that first trip, I did feel like we were on buses the whole time, so maybe on one of those Magic Kingdom days you have planned you could push it and extend the day and then not go back, since that's probably the longest ride you'll have to and from a park. Or if you have a park hopper, go to AK at night since that's really close by.

Also on that first trip, I had a midday break planned on our first day at MK, but then scored an 5:00pm ADR at Cinderella's that mid-morning, so we ended up staying as it didn't make sense to go back to Animal Kingdom for like 30 minutes. It all worked out but boy was my family cranky around 3:30-4:00pm. I think there may have been a gift shop meltdown somewhere in there.

It's so tempting to sleep in, but I think the way to do the parks is to just be there at or around rope drop when it's cooler and not as crowded and be out of there around lunchtime. I did that last August on a long weekend trip to see Pandora, and it still was 90-plus at 8:30am. But when it hit high-90s/100s, I was in the pool...

 

[Oshay]

Objectively speaking, that's a very poor strategy. You're probably in the park the same amount of time that I am, but you're waiting in two hours more of lines every single day.


9 to 1, then 4 to 8, then rope drop again the next day. We do IllumiNations the night before we leave so no rope drop the next morning. We take the morning off after MK fireworks, and tend to skip Fantasmic entirely.

So according to you, the only RIGHT way to do Disney is rope-drop and be out of the parks by 8pm? And unless someone does the park the way you do they are doing it wrong, I can not disagree more and I will just leave it at that. I have no idea why you would think we are waiting in line for 2 hours more than you. According to your schedule, you are in the parks for 8 hours a day, so how long do you spend waiting in line on an average day?

We plan our Fast passes for the most popular rides and always get more fast passes for later in that day so we can minimize our time waiting in line. We have never missed anything that we wanted to do and we will wait up to about 45 min for a ride, if it is longer we will try it another time. We like the late nights, usually, the crowds are lighter as the rope-drop crowd is gone since they have to get up early. Again do what works for your family.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

According to your schedule, you are in the parks for 8 hours a day, so how long do you spend waiting in line on an average day?

45 minutes per day, tops. And we get on every single ride and show in a week.

You're obviously free to do whatever you want, but know that you're trading walk-on rides in perfect weather for 45 minute lines and scorching heat just to save a few extra minutes of sleep. But you do you.

 

[elcheapo]

We go in the Fall and hrs are shorter. We never go back to the hotel for a break. We didn't do it when my kids were little and don't do it now (I'm 61). Like what was said "it's a long walk back to the bus stop" Not to say we don't take little breaks. We just do it at the park.

We never go back. We are from rope drop until closing. We take our afternoon breaks either in COP, HM or POTC and have and early meal in Crystal Palace or Liberty Tree. Takes too long to go back to resort and head Back. That’s how we break up the afternoon heat.

 

[crxbrett]

But I do have a question for the mid-day break crowd. So many people say that they are there for rope-drop and then leave the park for a mid-day break around 1-2 and come back to the park around dinner time, out of the park for about 3 to 5 hours. So when you go back to the parks, how late do you stay? And then do you do rope drop again the next day? I know that just does not work for us. When we do rope-drop we stay until 2-3 and are done with parks for the day, we will go back to the hotel take a nap or hit the pool and then have a nice dinner. We spend the night at the hotel doing some the night time activities. Our kids are older now so they really enjoy the parks at night, so we are usually there until closing time almost every night.

I'm a daily roper-dropper/mid-day breaker/park closer and I do rope drop the very next day. For me personally, taking a 2-3 hour break and laying in the sun, swimming in the pool and a 20-min nap or maybe walking around or shopping leisurely gives me a huge recharge. Now, I will say, I am very much a morning person and wake up at 4am for my Mon-Fri job, so maybe it's not for everyone to wake up at 6:30, 7am every day on their vacation. But it does work for me and does wonders for my energy levels. Commando style works for me when I go for a single day to Disneyland, but on vacation at DW, I always do the rope drops/mid-day resort breaks and then stay til park closes.

 

[Oshay]

I'm a daily roper-dropper/mid-day breaker/park closer and I do rope drop the very next day. For me personally, taking a 2-3 hour break and laying in the sun, swimming in the pool and a 20-min nap or maybe walking around or shopping leisurely gives me a huge recharge. Now, I will say, I am very much a morning person and wake up at 4am for my Mon-Fri job, so maybe it's not for everyone to wake up at 6:30, 7am every day on their vacation. But it does work for me and does wonders for my energy levels. Commando style works for me when I go for a single day to Disneyland, but on vacation at DW, I always do the rope drops/mid-day resort breaks and then stay til park closes.

If you are morning people and that works for you, Great. I just know that we would not want to get up early for rope drop after staying until closing the night before especially during the longer summer hours.

The OP asked the pros and cons of the mid-day break and I agree if you are doing rope-drop then a mid-day break is almost mandatory. It is just a lost of wasted time if you ask me, to walk out of the park, wait for the bus, the bus ride back to the hotel , the walk to your room, then do it again to get back to the park. Its got to average about an hour each way (obviously it depends on what park and what hotel). I do agree that they could be helpful and be a recharge but in IMO its a lot of time and energy wasted for an hour or two break. I only suggested taking a break by having a have sit-down lunch. Or do rope-drop and maybe stay until 2-3 and then be done with parks for the day. Just another option is all I am suggesting, and as always do the works best for you family.

 

[Jim Chandler]

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.

Ok you are thinking everyone must be with everyone which is wrong. If your parents want go have a rest then they should.
Your sisters family has the ability to have the 3 younger ones to nap in a stroller. So they should play it day by day. On the 3rd day a nap will look a lot better than on the first day.
As for yourself I assume you are over 18. Make your own decisions. Stay with sis or go with parents. Hell even stay at the hotel all day if you want.
Just saying every day is different as they say happens as we plan. Trust me the days later in the week are very different from the first days.

 

[John Holden]

Its all good no matter how you choose to do a day at Disney. Do whatever makes you comfortable and those who travel with you. That being said, I agree with the rope drop and do the extra magic hour thing if possible. At Animal Kingdom we did Flight of Passage with zero wait time, the Navi River Cruse, Everest and the Kawali River Rapids in a little more than an hour and a half. Then we did other things like the Safari before noon and left for the day. We did not use any fast pass. When we were leaving the park was packed and when we came back around 6 pm we used our fast passes. During the break we all went to the pool and all rested or took a nap. We all ate when we felt like it at the pool. Simple. Be careful because some of your party (or all of your party) may not want to go back to the park and there lies the rub.....your family experience may get split up. Good luck on your choice.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

If you are morning people and that works for you, Great. I just know that we would not want to get up early for rope drop after staying until closing the night before especially during the longer summer hours.

The OP asked the pros and cons of the mid-day break and I agree if you are doing rope-drop then a mid-day break is almost mandatory. It is just a lost of wasted time if you ask me, to walk out of the park, wait for the bus, the bus ride back to the hotel , the walk to your room, then do it again to get back to the park. Its got to average about an hour each way (obviously it depends on what park and what hotel). I do agree that they could be helpful and be a recharge but in IMO its a lot of time and energy wasted for an hour or two break. I only suggested taking a break by having a have sit-down lunch. Or do rope-drop and maybe stay until 2-3 and then be done with parks for the day. Just another option is all I am suggesting, and as always do the works best for you family.

Do you park hop? If so, taking the break doesn't add as much travel time because you're already doing the walk and wait for the bus anyways. Only the return trip is incremental.

I agree with the advice to do rope drop to mid afternoon some days. That's our strategy on the day we watch Festival of Fantasy, which would otherwise be during our time off.

 

[DfromATX]

But I do have a question for the mid-day break crowd. So many people say that they are there for rope-drop and then leave the park for a mid-day break around 1-2 and come back to the park around dinner time, out of the park for about 3 to 5 hours. So when you go back to the parks, how late do you stay? And then do you do rope drop again the next day? I know that just does not work for us. When we do rope-drop we stay until 2-3 and are done with parks for the day, we will go back to the hotel take a nap or hit the pool and then have a nice dinner. We spend the night at the hotel doing some the night time activities. Our kids are older now so they really enjoy the parks at night, so we are usually there until closing time almost every night.

Rope dropper/mid-day breaker here... We stay until closing usually, which is not really that late, what 9:30/10:00? And yes, we do rope drop the next day too. My kids are 15, 20, 21, and 22 and even they like taking the breaks. They don't nap, but they "chill" and play on their phones, etc. For us the break does wonders.