What kind of Disney guest are you?

Red Wench

Active Member
Original Poster
Are you one that makes the rope drop and stays in the park or park hops all day until closing or do you come whenever you want to the parks and then go back to your resort to relax and then maybe comeback for dinner in the evening and the fireworks? How do you usually handle your days at Disney or do you mix it up?

I think for those who vacation at WDW and who are staying for an extended period of time like my family does for a week to 10 days or on a rare occasion even 2 weeks we usually mix it up. One day we might do a rope drop and go all day long and then the next day make it a pool and resort day and Disney Springs for dinner.

For Disneyland I guess maybe vacations are shorter and things just might be done different. I have never been to Disneyland California or any of the other Disneyland Parks in the world so I really don't know how long people stay there.
 

AndyS2992

Well-Known Member
We stay for two weeks and stay on property. The first week we try and do rope drop for each park, usually go back to the room and rest at around 4pm and then eat about 5:30 and then rest some more and get ready to get back to the parks by 7pm and stay until closing. The first week we usually one park a day but the second week we'll usually do one park from 9am-4pm then when we go back after resting/eating we'll do a different park until closing. Two days we usually spend most of the day hanging around Disney Springs and the resort pool or head out to the Florida Mall and International drive stuff and then head to a park in the evening just for the fireworks or a show. We spend most of the time at Disney but will spend about 4 or 5 days at Universal Orlando. Maybe a day at Kennedy Space Center if we feel like it. We don't do SeaWorld, Busch Gardens or Legoland.
 

Red Wench

Active Member
Original Poster
We stay for two weeks and stay on property. The first week we try and do rope drop for each park, usually go back to the room and rest at around 4pm and then eat about 5:30 and then rest some more and get ready to get back to the parks by 7pm and stay until closing. The first week we usually one park a day but the second week we'll usually do one park from 9am-4pm then when we go back after resting/eating we'll do a different park until closing. Two days we usually spend most of the day hanging around Disney Springs and the resort pool or head out to the Florida Mall and International drive stuff and then head to a park in the evening just for the fireworks or a show. We spend most of the time at Disney but will spend about 4 or 5 days at Universal Orlando. Maybe a day at Kennedy Space Center if we feel like it. We don't do SeaWorld, Busch Gardens or Legoland.
That sounds like a really nice vacation.
 

belledream

Well-Known Member
For years, we were 100% park warriors - maximizing our time in the parks via rope drop, AM and PM Extra Magic Hours, and never went back to our room for a break. Oftentimes, we'd never see our resort pool open because we left too early and came back too late. Some days, we’d take a park break in the afternoon and resort-hop and that would suffice for rest. But for our 7-10 day vacations, nothing made us happier than spending time in the parks, whether running from ride to ride, or relaxing and people-watching.

With our little one, we followed his schedule. He woke up early so we actually made it to the parks early in the morning, and he took a nap here and there in the parks, allowing us to stay for fireworks at MK and Epcot on two of our days. Otherwise, we loved taking him back to the resort for a swim and a nap in the afternoon and calling it a day... because there were other experiences to be had! And because we needed the rest too. :hilarious:
 

Red Wench

Active Member
Original Poster
For years, we were 100% park warriors - maximizing our time in the parks via rope drop, AM and PM Extra Magic Hours, and never went back to our room for a break. Oftentimes, we'd never see our resort pool open because we left too early and came back too late. Some days, we’d take a park break in the afternoon and resort-hop and that would suffice for rest. But for our 7-10 day vacations, nothing made us happier than spending time in the parks, whether running from ride to ride, or relaxing and people-watching.

With our little one, we followed his schedule. He woke up early so we actually made it to the parks early in the morning, and he took a nap here and there in the parks, allowing us to stay for fireworks at MK and Epcot on two of our days. Otherwise, we loved taking him back to the resort for a swim and a nap in the afternoon and calling it a day... because there were other experiences to be had! And because we needed the rest too. :hilarious:
I imagine those rope drop to extra magic hour days got you pretty well tired?
 

riverscu0m0

Active Member
It really depends on the season we go. In the summer, we hang out by the pool literally all day until it's cooled down then we'll go to DS, MK, or Epcot. However, when we go in the fall for Thanksgiving it's a different ballgame. We'll hit the parks during the morning hours and then soak up the sun at the resort in the afternoon. Both times, we go off property for dinner - even just for fast food. We always spend a day at Mall of Millenia and the outlets, as well. We've had 7 days trips where we go to Epcot every night for dinner though so we just take it day by day. Luckily, we're fortunate enough to have been enough times that unless there's something new - we don't feel like we're missing anything by not visiting a certain park.
 

"El Gran Magnifico"

Bring Me A Shrubbery
Premium Member
AP (WDW/Uni). I visit MCO 1x a month (well not lately....talking average - depending on time of year - anywhere from 3-6 nights) -

I average 3 trips On Property for UNI (Royal Pacific mainly)- 4 Trips On Property for Disney (Usually CSR, POFQ, BC, and BW) - 5 trips spread off property (between Hilton Orlando, Hyatt, Hilton LBV, 4 Seasons, Wyndham/Hilton/Waldorf Bonnet Creek or equivalent - and at least 1x a year SpringHill/Western Way).

I'm hoping to pick up my schedule soon.
 

Red Wench

Active Member
Original Poster
It really depends on the season we go. In the summer, we hang out by the pool literally all day until it's cooled down then we'll go to DS, MK, or Epcot. However, when we go in the fall for Thanksgiving it's a different ballgame. We'll hit the parks during the morning hours and then soak up the sun at the resort in the afternoon. Both times, we go off property for dinner - even just for fast food. We always spend a day at Mall of Millenia and the outlets, as well. We've had 7 days trips where we go to Epcot every night for dinner though so we just take it day by day. Luckily, we're fortunate enough to have been enough times that unless there's something new - we don't feel like we're missing anything by not visiting a certain park.
That makes a lot of sense. Those hot Summer days can exhaust you in the afternoon.
 

Red Wench

Active Member
Original Poster
AP (WDW/Uni). I visit MCO 1x a month (well not lately....talking average - depending on time of year - anywhere from 3-6 nights) -

I average 3 trips On Property for UNI (Royal Pacific mainly)- 4 Trips On Property for Disney (Usually CSR, POFQ, BC, and BW) - 5 trips spread off property (between Hilton Orlando, Hyatt, Hilton LBV, 4 Seasons, Wyndham/Hilton/Waldorf Bonnet Creek or equivalent - and at least 1x a year SpringHill/Western Way).

I'm hoping to pick up my schedule soon.
It sounds like you have a busy Disney schedule. :)
 

"El Gran Magnifico"

Bring Me A Shrubbery
Premium Member
I know I wish I could be going to WDW that often. I will going even farther away from the Mouse come Fall to college.

College is good. You'll forget about the "mouse" for a few years. But then you'll ground yourself. And I am in no way saying that WDW is the "grounding" or anything like that.

You'll figure it out. Whether it's 3 Quays and waking up on the Thames, or gorging at Mercado San Miguel in Madrid, or having a great dinner at Zeughauskeller in Zurich. Then you'll come back to the "mouse". You have everything in front of you. I'm jealous. You have so much to explore.
 

The Mighty Tim

Well-Known Member
My day usually goes something like this:

* Go to park 1
* Have lunch
* Go to park 2 for a little while
* Return to resort for a break
* Go to park 3 for the evening

Note that I include Disney Springs as a "Park". Also, some days follow different patterns depending on FP, dining reservations, the desire to play mini golf etc.
 

Red Wench

Active Member
Original Poster
My day usually goes something like this:

* Go to park 1
* Have lunch
* Go to park 2 for a little while
* Return to resort for a break
* Go to park 3 for the evening

Note that I include Disney Springs as a "Park". Also, some days follow different patterns depending on FP, dining reservations, the desire to play mini golf etc.
This sounds like a good planned out day.
 

Graham9

Well-Known Member
I'm afraid age is a terrible thing.

We used to stay from rope-drop until we were almost thrown out at the end of the day. We would try to do everything as quickly as possible for crowd avoidance, for as long as possible, drag ourselves back to the hotel, collapse in a heap on the bed, up at the crack of dawn, grab our stuff and do it all again in the next park.

But as we get older, we are having to pace ourselves. We spend as much time in the park as possible, but we tend to slow down and if we can't see or go on something, we reserve special catch-up days to make sure we do. We have gone from two weeks to sixteen days as we have slowed down and break up the time for a little "chill-out" now and again. We have a few option days where we don't plan anything and maybe spend a little time shopping. We just can't do the things the way we used to.
 

Much-Pixie-Dust

Well-Known Member
Our touring changes based on when we go.
If it’s the week of Christmas or Easter, we will arrive about 30 minutes before rope-drop and stay until about noon. Then, we break back to hotel for lunch and swim. Afterwards, we come back to park for the evening until close.

In the summer, we water park by day and visit a park at night.

At other times of the year, we will rope-drop one day and follow the next day by beginning our park day in the afternoon.

We always mini-golf several times. We rarely park-hop or visit Disney Springs on any trip.
 

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