Taking breaks during the day at WDW?

[infocrazy]

Well that was the other issue, do I just sit there with the stroller while dh and ds ride? I'm compiling a list of rides we could take turns doing with ds while baby sleeps that baby can't do (stiches great escape, Tom Sawyer island, barnstormer). I just feel like by the time we transport back to the hotel, get the baby settled for a nap, then do the wake up stuff (diaper, snack, etc), transfer back to the park well hardly have any time there.

Rider swap is awesome. We did wait with the stroller but it really wasn't that bad. You could also use that time to get fast passes, stand in line for meals etc.

We did a day at each park, drove to the beach one day. Mk was the only full day. Epcot was OK. We did not do the countries. We could see the fireworks from our hotel-wbc.

We went end of April and the highest crowd day was a 5.1 at Mk. Epcot was a 1!!! It was great.

[BayGirl2]

We take our breaks in the park, we don't go back to the hotel, even in a monorail resort. We did rope drop every day and stayed until close most days to do all the shows. Both of my kids are big stroller sleepers, and once they are asleep in the stroller its easier to just leave them there. Had we gone back to the room they would not have napped on demand. The kids were totally fine, they were well rested and only got cranky in the 5 minutes before they fell asleep, which happens at home too.

The harder part was for DH and I. As I said in the other threads, we did at least one, usually two TS reservations a day. That was our break. I'm not a big napper and had we come back to the hotel I think I would have just been impatient to return, not sleeping. The one day I did that (DH left the day before me because I had a business trip) I felt kind of out-of-sorts returning to the park at 4:00.

I admit the afternoons were yucky - hot and crowded with long lines and just annoying. I had to remind myself we already did what we wanted to do, grab a shady bench and a drink, and then I was ok. What annoyed me most was that at WDW there's no indoor places that allow strollers. At DL there are a couple in each park, so I planned ahead and made a list for WDW (from the DIS) and most didn't seem to work out for me. Also before FP return times were enforced DH and I would use nap time as our chance to do child swap on the big rides. With the new enforcement it was harder to do that and that annoyed me a bit too. I don't think going back to the room would have changed my opinion on any of this, it just would have added another logistical step into that part of the day.

[westwoodmom04]

We have done this too, although we returned to the hotel closer to 2-2:30 some days (esp. AK and HS days since we only did 1 day there). Our last trip my kids were 2.5 and 4.5 (we also went when they were 1 and 3 and with DD when she was 18 mos) and we really needed that downtime, even for DD who doesn't nap. Like Hillview, we are early risers and were there at rope drop. By the time we hit early afternoon, we all needed a break from the crowds (even though we go at non peak times) and the sun/heat. And we found by getting my 2.5 year old a decent nap at the hotel, made the rest of the time much more pleasant bc he wasn't overtired and grouchy!

I think a lot of it depends on your family's needs and routines....what time you get going in the morning, how much downtime is needed, how your child naps, how you all handle crowds, waiting and heat, etc.

This is our preferred way to do Disney as well. Neither of our kids were young enough to still take naps, but we were done with the parks somewhere between 2 and 4 each day. Then we would go back to the hotel and enjoy the pool until dinner. We never went back to the parks after dinner which made it easy to get another early start the next day.

[123LuckyMom]

We were at WDW for six days in the parks, two days at MK, one each at AK and DHS, and a day at EPCOT plus hopping between EPCOT and MK on our last day. On the MK and EPCOT days we were there at rope drop, took afternoon breaks, and then stayed until after fireworks at night. On the AK day we stayed through until 5ish. On the DHS day, we plowed through from rope drop to Fantasmic. The baby suffered a little on that day, but that's probably more because my mother and sister fed her that awful, processed turkey leg while we were all on ToT! Honestly, we were the ones who were tired without the break! DS and DD fell asleep in the stroller when they were tired, but we didn't have that luxury! DS wouldn't nap in the room, so he always fell asleep in the stroller on the way back to the park at 4ish! Next time, I think we will probably do the same. We'll schedule breaks on long MK and EPCOT days. It's nice to skip that crowded part of the day and come back refreshed for the evening. If you're not planning to stay late at night, though, you probably don't need the break.

[megs4413]

One of the things you also have to consider is travel time. Depending on where you are staying and what kind of transportation you're taking, it can take an hour to get from a park to a resort. That means you eat up 2 hours of your day with the break just in transport time. I'm paying too much to want to do that, personally. Just another thought.

[KrisM]

One of the things you also have to consider is travel time. Depending on where you are staying and what kind of transportation you're taking, it can take an hour to get from a park to a resort. That means you eat up 2 hours of your day with the break just in transport time. I'm paying too much to want to do that, personally. Just another thought.

Which are the best and worse for this? My SIL stays in FW Cabins each year and she said it's about 15 min. from her cabin to the park most times, with the occasional 5-10 min wait for the boat or a bus. We probably wouldn't come back daily, but I don't want to spend an hour each way all the time!

[megs4413]

Which are the best and worse for this? My SIL stays in FW Cabins each year and she said it's about 15 min. from her cabin to the park most times, with the occasional 5-10 min wait for the boat or a bus. We probably wouldn't come back daily, but I don't want to spend an hour each way all the time!

Personally, I have never stayed at FW. I have spent plenty of time at WL, though, and have used the FW/WL boat launch to travel to MK. IIRC, the FW stop is slightly more convenient than the WL stop for the boat launch and for sure the boats only stop those two places, so it's pretty convenient to MK. This does not apply to any other parks but again, since FW and WL are sort of isolated on their own, my guess is that you don't have to wait long for buses and you don't stop more than just the two places, which aids in convenience. I can't speak more specifically to that resort, unfortunately since I haven't stayed there.

General transportation thoughts/information:
Travel time depends on 3 factors: 1) what kind of transportation are you taking, 2) where are you going and 3) when are you going.

1) some kinds of transportation are quicker than others. First, monorail transportation to MK or Epcot is probably faster than other kinds of transportation to those parks. However, sometimes car transportation is faster (if crowds are high for example). Buses are (IMO!) the absolute slowest form of transportation when the park is uncrowded. I have seen them combine routes when they weren't very busy which means you have to stop at your resort and several others, adding to your overall travel time. it's very frustrating. for that reason, i prefer to travel by car when necessary.

2) it takes longer to get to AKL than pretty much any other park. I always, always drive.

3) if you're going at a peak travel time (like after a parade or fireworks when lots of people are exiting) it will take longer.

What kinds of transportation are available?
Epcot and MK have monorail transportation, but AKL and DHS do not. MK also has boat launches from certain resorts, which are pretty quick most of the time. Buses are pretty slow depending on resort (the value resorts are the worst because they have multiple stops at the resorts.) My preferred transportation is by car, but it can also sometimes take a while if it's a very crowded day and you have to park quite far and wait for a tram. That's only been an issue for us once and it was like a level 9 crowd. Not ideal.

Resorts with monorail transportation:
Grand Floridian
Polynesian
Contemporary
Bay Lake Tower

Resorts with boat launches to MK:
Camp Wilderness
Wilderness Lodge
Polynesian
Grand Floridian
Contemporary Resort

Resorts with boat launches to Epcot and DHS:
Boardwalk Inn and Villas
Beach Club
Yacht Club
Swan and Dolphin

Resorts within walking distance to certain parks:
Epcot and DHS- Boardwalk Inn
Beach Club
yacht club
Beach Club Villas
Swan and Dolphin
Magic Kingdom: Contemporary
Bay Lake Tower


Anything not listed above is BUS RELIANT. As you can see, ALL preferred transportation methods are at DELUXE resorts. IMO, this sort of demonstrates the premium Disney puts on ease of transport and elucidates the importance of ease of transport in having a "magical" vacation. Not everyone feels as strongly about this as I do, but I'm kinda high strung (as if that's not obvious.)

So my preferred resorts for transportation ease in order:
1. Polynesian (you can walk to the transportation and ticketing center!)
2. Contemporary Resort
3. Grand Floridian
4. Wilderness Lodge/Fort Wilderness
5. any of the epcot area resorts (boardwalk inn, swan and dolphin, beach club, yacht club)

*sorry for the novel!*

[beltm]

Tha is for all of the insight! So just to clarify, if baby is asleep in the stroller we can't utilize the baby ride swap then because stroller aren't allowed in line rides? When you ride swap is it immediate like I would ride right after dh, or do I get a pass that allows me to come back and ride in a little while (so dh could come out, find me, and then I could re enter with ds)? Can I go into the epcot world showcase pavilions with a stroller? That seems to be a perfect activity for older ds while baby sleeps in the stroller if I can go in with the stroller. Can someone clarify those two things for me? Thanks.

[KrisM]

Personally, I have never stayed at FW. I have spent plenty of time at WL, though, and have used the FW/WL boat launch to travel to MK. IIRC, the FW stop is slightly more convenient than the WL stop for the boat launch and for sure the boats only stop those two places, so it's pretty convenient to MK. This does not apply to any other parks but again, since FW and WL are sort of isolated on their own, my guess is that you don't have to wait long for buses and you don't stop more than just the two places, which aids in convenience. I can't speak more specifically to that resort, unfortunately since I haven't stayed there.

General transportation thoughts/information:
Travel time depends on 3 factors: 1) what kind of transportation are you taking, 2) where are you going and 3) when are you going.

1) some kinds of transportation are quicker than others. First, monorail transportation to MK or Epcot is probably faster than other kinds of transportation to those parks. However, sometimes car transportation is faster (if crowds are high for example). Buses are (IMO!) the absolute slowest form of transportation when the park is uncrowded. I have seen them combine routes when they weren't very busy which means you have to stop at your resort and several others, adding to your overall travel time. it's very frustrating. for that reason, i prefer to travel by car when necessary.

2) it takes longer to get to AKL than pretty much any other park. I always, always drive.

3) if you're going at a peak travel time (like after a parade or fireworks when lots of people are exiting) it will take longer.

What kinds of transportation are available?
Epcot and MK have monorail transportation, but AKL and DHS do not. MK also has boat launches from certain resorts, which are pretty quick most of the time. Buses are pretty slow depending on resort (the value resorts are the worst because they have multiple stops at the resorts.) My preferred transportation is by car, but it can also sometimes take a while if it's a very crowded day and you have to park quite far and wait for a tram. That's only been an issue for us once and it was like a level 9 crowd. Not ideal.

Resorts with monorail transportation:
Grand Floridian
Polynesian
Contemporary
Bay Lake Tower

Resorts with boat launches to MK:
Camp Wilderness
Wilderness Lodge
Polynesian
Grand Floridian
Contemporary Resort

Resorts with boat launches to Epcot and DHS:
Boardwalk Inn and Villas
Beach Club
Yacht Club
Swan and Dolphin

Resorts within walking distance to certain parks:
Epcot and DHS- Boardwalk Inn
Beach Club
yacht club
Beach Club Villas
Swan and Dolphin
Magic Kingdom: Contemporary
Bay Lake Tower


Anything not listed above is BUS RELIANT. As you can see, ALL preferred transportation methods are at DELUXE resorts. IMO, this sort of demonstrates the premium Disney puts on ease of transport and elucidates the importance of ease of transport in having a "magical" vacation. Not everyone feels as strongly about this as I do, but I'm kinda high strung (as if that's not obvious.)

So my preferred resorts for transportation ease in order:
1. Polynesian (you can walk to the transportation and ticketing center!)
2. Contemporary Resort
3. Grand Floridian
4. Wilderness Lodge/Fort Wilderness
5. any of the epcot area resorts (boardwalk inn, swan and dolphin, beach club, yacht club)

*sorry for the novel!*

Thank you!

My list right now is down to Contemporary, Cabins, and Dolphin and maybe Bonnet Creek. I know that my family will get annoyed if the transportation takes forever, so I'm trying to minimize that as one of the priorities.

Sorry to hijack the thread .

[beltm]

Tha is for all of the insight! So just to clarify, if baby is asleep in the stroller we can't utilize the baby ride swap then because stroller aren't allowed in line rides? When you ride swap is it immediate like I would ride right after dh, or do I get a pass that allows me to come back and ride in a little while (so dh could come out, find me, and then I could re enter with ds)? Can I go into the epcot world showcase pavilions with a stroller? That seems to be a perfect activity for older ds while baby sleeps in the stroller if I can go in with the stroller. Can someone clarify those two things for me? Thanks.

Reposting my question so they don't get lost.....thanks