Mid-day Break & stroller questions

[disneyfan328]

1.) I have seen that some of the best advice is to take a break in the middle of the day and head back to the parks around 5pm. We are going in Sept and my question would be is this really worth it when the parks are closing around 8pm ? at MK that is when spectro and then wishes is scheduled so if we planned to be back at the park at 5 ( so leaving POR around 4:30 or so) is it worth it do or more hassle than its worth? Would we be better off staying in the parks and finding a place for our DS5 and DD8 to rest? We are planning to try and be at the parks early, but getting our whole family of 5 up and ready may be a little bit of a challenge. :confused:

2.)I am also debating on the stroller thing. DH doesn't think we should bother with one, but I am not so sure. Our DS5 is small for his age, and has moderate to severe Ashtma. I am wondering if we are going to need one, and how comfortable and worth the money the strollers in the park are. He would never do in an umbrella stroller so I am guessing we either rent one or go without??

[FatCat]

Mid day breaks are always recommended. Factor into your equation EMH both in morning and night to your park availability windows.

I would recommend the stroller. A multi stay stroller pass is cheaper. The stroller is also useful to toss things into.

[CleveSJM]

1). I think the "MK mid-day" rest advice is best when you plan 3 or 4 days at the MK. If you want to do MK in just a day or 2, then I say stay and find a comfy place to rest. Inside Cosmic Ray's is a good big place with entertainment. I would get into air conditioning so the rest is reinvigorating.

2. I'd get a stroller. It's great for carrying water, bags, etc. if not the kids. Also, if there are wildfires around FL or even GA during your stay, the smoke may bother your DS5.

[Juniorunc2001]

The mid day breaks are a great idea. We go back right before lunch time, and eat lunch in the room - save lots of money!
Then maybe take a dip in the pool. catch a nap, then head back around dinner time. Eat at the park, and enjoy the evening.

[FriendsofMickey]

I think it depends. We have gone down twice with my girls and have never planned breaks except when we were going to the MNSSHP. My girls do not take naps anylonger and trying to have them 'rest' in the room was a wasted effort.
When we went down in September last year, we did go back to our room twice in the 10 days, both times we went swimming and then back to the parks.
I would make a judgement call while you are there. At 5 and 8, I guess you know them better than anyone else. Are they the type that would benefit from an actuall 'nap' break? or would watching a show in the cool air conditioning work for them?

I cannot help with the stroller, because we have never used a stroller at Disney. We just carried them on our shoulders/backs with great success. We just thought having a stroller would be more of a pain than a help.

[crazeedizneefinatic]

I agree when going in the off season it's is too much of a hassle to keep going back and forth. If the park is closing at 8p.m. it more rushing than resting. Maybe instead of getting to the park exactly when it opens get up and spend some time at the resort relaxing. Take a dip in the pool, have a leisurly breakfast poolside. Our family is not early risers anyway so this game plan works for us. We usually head to the park around 11 or so and stay the day. I never found it unbelievably croweded or anything. Now my son has always been very adaptable. When he was younger and took naps we always toted along a pillow so he could nap in the stroller. We always rent. The strollers are nice since the kids can stretch their legs all the way out and really feel comfortable. (note: if renting bring along a purse size packet of clorox wipes. The strollers have always looked clean but if they are putting their face on it somewhere it will make you feel better.) If your little one is 5 I would suggest still usuing a stroller. It does come in handy for bags and such. My son is a tiny 6 year old and we will still be using a stroller in September.:mickey:

[Jasper]

One other factor that others have not mentioned here is the stamina if your particular children. By the age of 5, none of our three children needed the mid-day break or a stroller. And I would have to say that we are park kamikazies who are at the park at least 1/2 hour before it opens and stay until they close. I know I am reading between the lines here, but it sounds like you may be implying that your kids are at that point as well.

Some ways of staying in the parks and avoiding the mid-day break is to schedule a late lunch at a sit down restaurant and then catch the afternoon parade (This assumes you are at a park with an afternoon parade.) We have often worked out our lunch and parade veiwing to create about a 2 hour period where we can all sit down and rest. If a parade is not available, then consider a show right after lunch rather than a ride.

Really, it all depends on your particular children.

[MOJoe]

You ask a good question. And the right answer really depends on your own kids. If they get tired easily or go to bed early, then you may want to take that nap. But with an 8:00 closing time, you must be some of the first people in the park to make it work. If your kids are energetic, and like to stay up till 10:00 every night, you may want to skip the nap.
Problems arise with either choice. The trip back to your resort takes valuable time. But if you really need the rest, it is invaluable. Staying at the park is great if everyone feels good. But if someone needs to rest...well i don't know where anyone can really rest at MK. There is just too much going on.
So the bottom line is to have a good feel for your own needs. You want to enjoy your day without a "meltdown". If that means a nap is in order, then plan for it and do it.

[Deesdisney]

I would take the stroller for sure. My little one is 4 and when she gets tired it is really awful to have her walk. Plus she likes to ride in the stroller so she can check everything out. I have never went back for a break at the hotel however we do take breaks in the park. We usually stop somewhere that is shady and have ice cream or something cold. There is also the kids centers that we used that had TVs with shows on them. I dont know if this is just for a certain age group or not. Plus you can always do a late character lunch and take your time.

[Lucille]

I just wanted to add one more thought to the wonderful responses above.

It is important to remember that September is HOT. Really, really, really hot. I have never traveled with children but DH and I have found that after a morning of running around we really need a bit of relaxing and a quick cool off in the shower or pool. It is nice to be out of the sun and crowds during the worst part of the day.

[sleepingbooty]

Midday breaks work great for us. Our girls (3 & 6) no longer take naps, but we spend the time at the pool. Yes, you spend a half hour each way on the bus, but you are still away from all the walking, away from the stimulations, and in the air conditioning (or water). We go in September as well and found that getting back to the park by 4 or 5 is still plenty of time in the evening. We tried staying all day once, at Epcot, and it was a huge mistake.

As far as the stroller goes, I know many people who've found they needed one at Disney even though they don't use one at home anymore. Even if your child didn't have asthma, I'd recommend it, but since he does - I'd say it's a no brainer. Its very hot and humid in September and he will be exhausted.

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

We have been taking our kids since they were under 1. Our oldest is almost 10 now. We never go back to the resort for a break during the day. They do not want to leave the parks and are fine all day. Our youngest was just shy of 3 last year and would just curl up in her stroller for a nap. She would nap for an hour or so every other day. The boys have not napped at home or in WDW since they were under 4. It works with our family. We also go in September. It is very hot which does make you get tired more quickly, we just make sure we go into an air conditioned attraction or restaurant for a snack.

As for the stroller, if you think your kids mught be okay, I would try it without one and then just rent on there if you find you need it. Thst just might surprise you. ;)

[tinksmom02]

To answer your questions backwards:

Yes to the stroller. At least try it one day and see how much DS needs/uses it. You can always decide not to get it for the rest of the trip.

Napping at the resort...uhhh, maybe??? We've never done it, but we've also never been during the hotter months. To me it just seems like a huge hassle. However, we'll be at MK one day for Magical beginnings, and they also have evening EMH that night, so the park will be open from 8a-11p, I think. I think an afternoon break is definitely in order for that day! But when the park's only open until 8, I wouldn't be there right at opening, but enjoy a leisurely breakfast, then head over and spend the day.

BUT lots of families take breaks, and many swear by them, so I guess whatever works!

[BelleBeauty]

I'm a fan of midday breaks, especially with children. However, I see your point with the earlier closing hours. I would probably suggest leaving the parks by 11:30 if you are going to take a break and trying to return by 3pm or so. You know your family best, so you will be able to tell if you can just find a quiet spot to rest. Choose some less enthralling activities, take a nap, etc. Breaks are nice, but not a rule.

The stroller is very necessary. I find myself going to sleep with burning legs and feet during Disney trips and I'm an adult. I'm sure that both of your DSs will take turns in the strollers. It is A LOT of walking for little feet! Tip - either bring your own light weight stroller or make sure to arrive early and return your stroller early (never at park closing), have one designated person get the stroller and return it while the others do some rides.

[DawsonAR]

My kids are 8 and 5 too. We do rent a stroller for my 5 year old who also has asthma. It is much needed. When the parks close early we don't leave to take a break. We always find a spot to sit down and relax for a period of time.

[GrmGrninGost]

We started taking our DKs to WDW when the oldest was 18 months. We have never taken a mid-day break. We only go once a year, so we don't want to waste time. DKs always napped in stroller. Worked well for us. We usually rented a stroller. Bringing your own can be a real hassle on the bus, monorail, boat, tram, etc. This may not be the way a lot of folks do it, but it worked for us!:mickey:

[mermaidmarian]

We almost always use mid-day/afternoon breaks because we are generally going to hop to another park for the evening and everyone is looking forward to recharging with a cool dip in the resort pool. Also, because with kids, table service dining (unless it's a character meal) is more of a hassle than a pleasure, we often will eat at the resort before heading back out again. As others have said, do not forget about EMH extending park hours.

I would say that the stroller rental is money well spent. Generally, adults are always wanting to move faster and farther than the kids are. You can cover a great deal more ground with your child in the stroller than having him toting along beside you. From a safety standpoint, I always liked having my son right there in front of me when we were walking in the parks. Plus, since he is a dawdlebug, I'm quite certain our trips would have been consumed with nagging for him to catch up. Finally, if we were planning to make a day and an evening of it (and we generally were), he just had so much more left in the tank for the night if he had the stroller available. After he was 5+, sometimes he'd walk and sometimes have a ride. It worked out fine and I'd strongly recommend it.

[WVParkfan]

The best advice we ever received was taking the mid-day break. For those of you who have never done it, you might want to give it a try.

I highly recommend the mid-day break. It's not just a break for the kids. After a full morning at the parks, sometimes "Dad" needs a break, too.

Why do you want to wait until 5pm to go back? A mid-day break doesn't have to include a nap.

We are morning people, so we go to early EMH (8am) and then head back to our room around 11:30am. We eat lunch and if it is really hot, then we go to the pool. If not, then we head back to the parks. We certainly do NOT spend 5 hours at our room.

Why not consider taking a short break (Noon to 2pm), and then be back in the park by 3pm?

As for the stroller... I suggest doing it the first day and finding out for your self whether you need it or not. There's nothing that can ruin a vacation more than a cranky child.

[Goes4FastPass]

When we were at WDW last late September - early October it was HOT.

Our strategy was get up (ugh!) early. Open a EMH park (we really liked Little One's Extra Magic Time - so will you 5 and 8 YOs) and hit headliner attractions then LEAVE and return in the late afternoon.

I'm think in hot weather, the MK is a much more comfortable place at 11pm than 11am.

[MouseManiac]

Go with the stroller! :thumbsup: We went last year in September with our twin 5 year olds, and our three year old (who was the only one we brought a stroller for). We must have been crazy to think that the twins would have the stamina to trudge around in the heat! Especially if your child has asthma, the humidity alone could give him trouble. September is HOT! We made it to the Tree of Life in AK, and had to turn around and rent one! I suppose if it were cool, they would have gone forever, but the heat just crushed their stamina. You might even want to consider a double stroller... It wouldn't surprise me if the 8 yo climbed in at some point as well!

As far as the down time... We did leave the parks each day... we would hop into our rental car, crank up the A/C, and cruise around while the kids napped. There is something about the car that made them crash out, which made dinner and afterward much more enjoyable. You know your kids best, if they wouldn't nap at the hotel, why bother breaking up the day? Is your 5 yo the type to nap in the stroller? If so, I would say it is a must! Bring a towel that can be used as a pillow/shade/wipe (for when it rains) and you'll be set! Plus, like another poster said... there is a great big pocket on the back where you can put stuff.

Hope this helped!:mickey:

[Mickey91]

Go to the parks and stay there! We are from VA and the only difference between the hot miserable weather in FL and VA is that in VA there is no Disney World at which to have fun. You can get complimentary ice water at any counter service place and your kids can nap if they need to in the rented stroller. I would not take your own as it is a MAJOR pain on the busses and monorail, etc. You will only be there for a short time and you should make the most of it!:mickey: