Do you pencil in relaxing?

[January-2007]

I have a question for all you uber planners out there. Do you actually plan a specific time for relaxing during your trip? Do you stick to your plans? Just curious.

[robhink]

Yes I always have a period on the plan marked rest :)

Most of the time we do follow that and will usually head back to the resort to relax, take a swim or take a quick nap before heading back to the parks.

[pshokie]

We did two things.
1) We scheduled afternoon naps (leave the parks NTL than 2:00)
2) We scheduled an "off" day. We let our DD (4) choose what to do on that day. Pool, beach, etc. Lucky us, she chose to go back to MK! :mickey:

[xipetotec]

I have a question for all you uber planners out there. Do you actually plan a specific time for relaxing during your trip? Do you stick to your plans? Just curious.

It's funny... for us, "doing the parks" IS relaxing. :D .. the escape from everything into the fantasy world and all that. So I guess no, we don't really.

However, it's true that we'll take in a ride on the steam train, or the TTA to get off our feet for a bit. And the evenings are usually pretty relaxed. Add to that the fact that we go every couple of years, so we're not too worried about "seeing everything" so our pace is relaxed...

[rsumrall]

I'm an uber planner extraordinaire. I build in down time 3 ways:

Afternoon naps are a must for my crew. 85% of the time we go back to the room for the quick afternoon nap/dip in the pool.
Evening meals are relaxing reentry points for us back into the parks. Many times we will leave our rooms to make an ADR and then hit the park again. The meals are nice, relaxing moments.
Every trip we have a FLEX day on the schedule. We'll still have an evening ADR to make or maybe a character B'fast, but we let the kids choose what we do. Many times we just hit the pool again.

[grumpypima]

Yes, I usually plan for relaxing but my family does not realize it. The first & second day, we are all SO excited to be there, even if rest were planned, no one would rest. I tried to schedule rest (husband was aware of it, at the time) before, but he was too anxious and felt we were wasting the day away. He was anxious, the kids were anxious...it didn't work. Now, I plan for a little flexibility on day three. By then, everyone is moving slow. Day three, we don't set the alarm clock (not that we really need to, in the first place), we usually have breakfast in the resort restaurant and go for a swim. We may hit the park after breakfast but then come head back to the resort, after a short period of time, for an extended nap and swim. After the extended nap & swim, we may or may not return to the parks and/or dinner. We usually wind up ordering pizza. By day four, we are ready go!!!

[meldan98]

I'm one of the plan to the hilt type and having been having fun and frustration (ADR's :mad: Don't get me started) planning. My husband keeps telling me to relax and we will have fun even if our DD doesn't get to eat at CRT for her bday. On previous trips, I've planned which park on which day, the park routes, each attraction and every meal.

This trip, I'm planning about 1 meal a day and which park we are attending. We won't be scheduling nap or specific rest time, because of the limited park hours, but we will take a much slower pace and go at my DD's speed. She'll turn 4 during our trip. Then once we hit the cruise, I'm planning a spa visit. :secret: That will be my R&R.

[January-2007]

On previous trips, I've planned which park on which day, the park routes, each attraction and every meal.


During our last trip I mentioned to my DH that I didn't think we were doing enough, and maybe I should try to figure out what rides to ride when and in what order, oh gosh... He just shook his head and told me no. He said if I had done that on our first trip he would never had wanted to come back, so I'm glad I never took planning that far. Although I think I used to a little more when I was touring solo when I went with my parents.

I'm trying to figure out how to plan while not planning. Thus the question. How do you put relaxation in your schedule? These are some great answers, keep 'em coming!

[DREAMADREAM93]

As much as my dad tries to plan rest time, it never works. My sister and i[and this year me and my entire basketball team] are like the energizer bunny. We just keep going, and going, and going! Im always too excited about the parks to take a nap or go swimming because i could do that at home!



JOrdan :]

[Marilyn Michetti]

NOPE ! My DH will say, "I need a 20 min. power nap", and he sits down on a bench, and is asleep in seconds. I putt around, and tap his knee in a half hour, and we're off.

After MVMCP, we decided to sleep in the next morning, but that's as close to planning as it gets.

My favorite thing is to sit on the porch by the flag and watch the retreat with a popcorn in one of those wonderful rocking chairs.:thumbsup:

[SBETigg]

When I plan, I don't actually schedule "rest" but we do keep some unstructured hours and days to fit rest in.

Typically, I plan everything in half day segments with at least two-three hours open in the middle between the morning half and the evening half for transportation or whatever (sometimes rest, sometimes pool, or just sipping a drink at the beach). Then, I will leave some half days unscheduled and we fit in rest then or decide to redo a park, or whatever we want at the time.

[berri_boo]

We are not big on planning day-to-day when we go on vacation...but we do make sure to have at least 2 days of no-parks to give our feet a rest.

We also go back to the resort during the afternoon to put our feet up for couple hours then hit the pavement running :walk:

[biodtl]

It's funny... for us, "doing the parks" IS relaxing. .. the escape from everything into the fantasy world and all that. So I guess no, we don't really.


We're the same way. I sit at a desk all day at work and I'm thrilled to be on the go. We never go back to the resort - even the kids love to be in the parks and not stop. It's our version of relaxing - not working or being at school, being in a magical place and everyone being really happy.

[Disney Lover72]

OH my gosh! We never relax unless it is scheduled, like lounging by the pool or going back for the planned nap. Everything we do is by the book. I guess we feel like it has to be to get everything in. I know one thing, I sure don't feel relaxed and rested when I get home from Disney!! But I love it..:mickey:

[meldan98]

When I went on my first trip, we were doing and 4 land/3 sea trip and arrived after lunch on day one (never take a red eye when doing this type of trip). So, we really only had 3 1/2 days to do 4 parks. We ended up planning every day, including all the rides and in which order to ride them. But we didn't do ADR's because back in '98 and in Oct. they weren't really necessary. We still ate at really great places and it was 4 adults, so naps weren't really necessary and we literally tried to squeeze in as much as possible in our 3 1/2 days.

The 2nd trip was our honeymoon, and we planned a few things, because of the time of year we went, (Xmas Eve-NYE in 2000). I made my ADR for V&A for Xmas Dinner (AMAZING) and then tickets to La Nouba, but everything else, we just did what we wanted and had a blast. We were there 7 days and we did't try and see and do everything.

[princessjojo]

You better believe we schedule days for relaxing. We usually go for 7-8 days at a time, but our next trip, we are going for 10 days (DH doesn't know it yet :secret:).

But in those days, we will work in down days and just hang out days. We don't stress times while we're there, except ADR times. Other than that, the boys dictate our days, according to what time they wake up and what they want to do that day. Then when they get tired, either after dinner or after red-eyeing the parks, we go back, whatever they want to do. As much as I love WDW, making them happy on vacation is my priority. The other 355 days between 6/10/07and our next vacation is my time to tell them where to go, when and how they're going there.

[irish1967]

Absolutely - to the extent that shortly after lunch we will head back to the resort from wherever we are for a dip in the pool (formerly nap time but now the kiddos are older...)

Then, typically, early ADRs at a resort TS and back to the park. Also, since we are early to bed, early to rise types, we generally don't do EMH in the evening, unless we are watching the parade, we are back in the room getting ready for bed by 9:00 or 9:30...

I once had a woman ask me if I "drugged" my kids since they were behaving so well at the Spectro Magic Parade. :confused: I was happy to say "No, the afternoon nap pretty much takes care of the bahavior problems." :thumbsup:

"Planning" rest definitely has its pros

[ibrowse17]

Ja, Ich bin eine ober planner...We leave the parks after lunch for an afternoon nap or swim, and also plan an entire day off from the parks. This really helps and works well for us.:thumbsup:

[amy711]

I am definitely planning on scheduling some down time while we are there. We plan on going to the park in the morning and then taking the kids back to the hotel for a nap or some swimming.

[cindyrellinut]

We always plan in a daily rest. Last year I tried to do the all day thing and my DS2 at the time had a major meltdown and it was a disaster. I was also hot, tired and cranky :(. I normally head to the parks early in the morning and do as much as I can until about Noon or so. Then head back to the hotel for a nap and/or swim. Dinner time we head back out again for an ADR, parade or fireworks. This keeps my kids relaxed and lets me take a midday load off.

[Lizzie]

Our girls will be 17 months when we go in September. So we figure we will head back to try to get them to nap at the hotel in the afternoons. But to hang out at the hotel and relax will be more work than walking around with them. And they always wake up at 6 in the morning anyway. And we usually stay up till 12 every night anyway.

[crazeedizneefinatic]

We don't really plan it but do find ourselves relaxing during our trip. "Maybe" heading back to the resort. We usually do not spend the first day and a day in between and the last day at the parks. We have done the parks the first day we get there before and found ourselves exhausted. We like to get into Orlando around 10a.m. and relax at the resort, maybe DTD and Chef Mickeys for Dinner. It starts our vacation off just right. We also have a day somewhere just to do the same. We fly out around 3p.m. the day we leave and just take our time getting up and checking out, by that time the ME is ready to pick us up. We are going for 10 days in September and got an 8 day hopper. I think it will be too much to spend every minute in the parks but the difference is only a few dollars from a 7 day hopper. If we don't use the entire day we won't feel so guilty. My Husband feels we need to spend every minute at the parks, no relaxing, my Mom and I just shake our head.:mickey:

[Figment78]

Since it's just me and DH, here's a different perspective from the family rest/nap time.

It depends on when we go. For a weeklong trip (usually 8 days) in the warmer months, we always schedule some afternoons to come back and relax by the pool. We've never actually done the water parks, but if we did, that would count as "rest". It always seems that our "resting" by the pool in the sun then requires us to rest/nap afterwards too! For us, even though we can go to a pool at home, we rarely do (work in an office 6 days/week), so the pool is a treat for us.

If we are there when it is cooler, we don't spend time at the pool and our room, but we might explore a different hotel. Like at Christmas we will spend an afternoon or two traveling to other resorts to see their decorations. When it is cooler out, we take fewer breaks from the parks, but usually linger over meals, since cooler months = fewer crowds = more stuff can be done in less time.

Regardless of the time of year, Usually around the 5 or 6th day, we will schedule a TS breakfast. Having no kids right now means that most mornings we just grab a granola bar and coffee on the way out the door to the parks. This breakfast day is our "late start" day and we usually spend the rest of the morning at DTD.

On our honeymoon (9 days in October), the parks closed earlier (this was before evening EMH), so we spent most days at the park with no break. But I did visit the spa and DH golfed one day. We also spent an evening at Cirque du Soleil , had a lot of dinners outside the parks, like Artist Point, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Palio (now Shula's I think), and also went to the AKL for after-park drinks and shopping. It was a much more relaxing trip than the last few have been!

I guess one way to plan "relaxation" into your trip without making you DH feel like you're scheduling REST, is to just plan some relaxing things to do! Isn't it cool how no matter how many times you go back, every vacation is different!?!

[septembergirl]

As much as I love WDW, making them happy on vacation is my priority. The other 355 days between 6/10/07and our next vacation is my time to tell them where to go, when and how they're going there.

This is our philosophy as well. We love vacation because everyone gets to be spoiled. On vacation, I act like Gram! It's really fun!

[septembergirl]

I am definitely planning for the midday break. I am planning around EMH mornings and evenings. We will do one but not the other with the exception of MK where we will visit in the am for LOMH, then go back to the resort for midday break (hopefully get DD3 to nap) and then go back for MK evening EMH. That is the fullest day we will have, though. Otherwise, I am planning for 2-3 evenings where we will be totally open after our midday break. Of course, I do have a list of suggestions :blush:.

[DestinationWDW]

Another mid-day breaker....actually DH and kids swim and mom naps :secret:! May get 1 or 2 of 3 kids to nap with me but don't mind sleeping alone!!!! Will REQUIRE the breaks this trip in August with heat :thedolls:! I also plan the "down day" with no park plans to do "whatever" and that morning always involves a massage at the spa of my choosing for me :cloud9:! (A great pick-me-up in the middle of the trip!) :cool:

[kakn7294]

My "plan" consists of whatever ADR we have made and a general outline of what park we will visit on what day, although that can change based on how much we've already gotten done and what we still want to see. We never plan for a rest period - we do that when the parks are closed.

[dolphinmickey9170]

I plan which part to go to based on the entertainment schedule, but it isn't set in stone. If someone has a new thought or wants to change stuff, we do. I also plan our ADR's well in advance. As far as rest time, we just stop and take a break in the park somewhere, or once in a while will go back to the resort if we are doing EMH in the evening. This way we aren't so tired and actually can enjoy the EMH.

[MsMin]

When the kids were little we found they napped better in the park than in the room. Go to the HoP and they would go right out. If we went back it was to swim when it was summer.
In '91, my BIL was stationed @ McDill and we drove in from St. Pete every other day. We scheduled a full day to sleep late and relax around the pool. But it literally took almost a full 24 hours to go to WDW from there with 6 kids. My sister and I would get up @ 3 am so we could get to the park for opening, we got there at 8 every a.m. and left at closing which was usually 1am by the time you got the car loaded and off again, then the drive back. We went to WDW for 3 days over a 6 day period.. A real wacky but memorable trip.
Now that they are all older and we go in winter we don't swim. Our relaxation comes in the form of a nice TS or a slow ride.

[pook@wdw]

It's funny... for us, "doing the parks" IS relaxing. :D .. the escape from everything into the fantasy world and all that. So I guess no, we don't really.

However, it's true that we'll take in a ride on the steam train, or the TTA to get off our feet for a bit. And the evenings are usually pretty relaxed. Add to that the fact that we go every couple of years, so we're not too worried about "seeing everything" so our pace is relaxed...

:ditto:

[tinksmom02]

When I plan, I don't actually schedule "rest" but we do keep some unstructured hours and days to fit rest in.

This is sort of what I do...I have our days planned, with what parks we're visiting, and our ADRs for that day (just 1 per day), so the general plan is there, but it is a very loose schedule. I don't have "rest time" written into my plans anywhere, but I'm (pretty) sure that we won't need to be at MK from 8am-close for 2 days of the trip.

DH is already telling me that our next trip isn't going to be a commando trip. He wants to "relax." I told him that WDW with a 5 year old is not the place to go to "relax." LOL

I also dedicate at least one day as a no-parks day. We all really enjoy DTD so we tend to spend a lot of time there. Course, this time around we're going in Sept so I am hopeful we'll get some pool time in!

[GrmGrninGost]

No, we don't schedule in "rest". We usually go for 9 days, once a year. Our thoughts are, one week (or so), once a year without a rest time during the day won't hurt anyone. We hit the parks at opening and stay until it closes. We usually don't park hop because of the time it takes to travel. There is so much to see and do, we can't get it all done even with this approach. But, we usually come close! :mickey: If we get tired, we will ride something with a short line where we can sit and relax ( TTA, Small World, etc.) or go to a show or perhaps to a restaurant. The DKs hold up fine, and we all have a wonderful time!

[Mickey91]

:funny:

[r4kids]

We do 10 days or so with a 6 day water park and more opt. We do Disney quest and the water parks on our down days. We sleep a little later this way and I try for every 2 days or so to recharge. Oh and by the way this is so I don't get cranky and throw myself on the ground in a tempertantrum. My kids would be sooo embarassed.:mickey:

[Namine']

We usually go in August so it gets real hot so midday we go back to the pool to rejuvenate. Then go back to the parks.

[tink2006]

Several years ago my DS (now 14) asked if we could have some time away from the parks to enjoy the hotel.... Sometimes you can learn something from your children :blush:. Since then, we always make sure to take a complete day for nothing. We might go fishing, rent a bike, walk around the hotel, swim....whatever we feel like doing that day - no ADR's, no plans. I usually plan this day for the middle of our stay. This way we are refreshed and ready to go for the rest of the stay. We have been doing this for years now and we all look forward to this down time. It has really given us some wonderful quality time as a family! :thumbsup:

[mudpuppysmom]

OK, I must be :confused:.....I THOUGHT since we were at Disney on vacation already THAT was the relaxation part of the trip......we are on vacation.....so the trip is relaxing/down time for us!!!

[PrincessCathy]

What a great thread. I am definitely an overplanner. DH goes to WDW because he loves me NOT because it is his favorite place. Our next trip is in Fall of '09 for our 10th anniversary and I am, of course, already planning our trip. I am hoping to go for 10 days and plan on including much more "down" time on this trip. Many of your suggestions were very helpful.

[BethieTink]

I definitely plan alot of "down" time into our vacation. It is usually just DH and I, so I only have to worry about the 2 of us.

We both like to get to whatever park we are doing that day, when they open, stay till around lunch time and then head back to the resort. Swim, nap and get ready for dinner. Head to our ADR, wherever that may be and just relax for the rest of the night. We usually only hit attractions at night, if we are doing a special event or something like that.

This was seems to work best for us.