What do you do to rest up after a day at the Parks?

[caryrae]

It seems like on a Disney Vacation we always seem more tired day after day. I suppose it's all the walking and fun we are having. How do you relax after a day at the Parks and what do you do to rest up for the next days excitement.

After a day at the Parks do you go in the Resort hot tub, take a dip in the pool, go right to bed, just relax and watch TV, sit in a special area at your Resort, ect? Do you sleep in in the mornings, maybe have a day or 2 or more with no Parks and just relax all day?

[marlaine]

After a day at the park, we usually swim, take a bath and my DS plays with his toys in our room. I've found that after being stimulated all day, he really wants to play with his cars and just play with his stuff that he's brought from home. That's how he unwinds. My DH and I just watch a little TV and get ready for the next day!

[Lisaj13]

I spend time in the hot tub, it does wonders for my feet! That is, if I can persuade my youngest daughter that I should be allowed to leave the pool.

And we usually have quiet evenings and watch a little t.v. to wind down.

[disneymom15]

We usually shower, watch a little TV and go to bed. Sometimes my husband will give me a foot rub (he's such a great guy).

[g8rgirl29]

We usually prep for the next day while watching the weather channel. Tuck the little one in bed. Then grab a cool drink and sink into the jacuzzi in our room!! That is my favorite part of the one bedroom at OKW!! Set the alarm for the morning. By the time I hit the bed I am lucky if I can make it through reading a page in my book!!

[EeyoresBestFriend]

After we return from the parks, we usually have a mudslide, hot chocolate or tea in our Disney mugs and go soak out feet in the Hot Tub. I was pretty put out at POP for that reason ~ it had ever occurred to me that any onsite resort wouldn't have a hot tub. :( We still soaked our feet in our room tub, but it takes away from chatting with other guests about the parks.

Oh yah ~ and at FQ we usually have beignets with the drinks too! :cloud9:

[2lilboys]

We usually take a swim in the pool. My boys love swimming and it helps them unwind after a long, hot day in the parks. :)

On our last trip, we stayed at WL and were able to see the MK fireworks from our room. Each night we would go swimming, then head up to our room to put the boys in their pajamas. Then we would all sit on the bed to watch the fireworks together. Once the fireworks ended, the boys went to sleep and DH would go to the food court to get a snack for us to share while we were watching tv or reading.

[Zippy 1]

We usually take a dip in the pool then off to the hot tub to soak our feet. When we get back to the room its time for a glass of wine and a little tv then off to sleep. Our last trip we did not set the alarm several mornings we just got up when we woke then were off to one of the parks.:mickey:

[Itchy]

Well !!!!!! that is great question.

For me we usually go back to the room before our dinner ressies.
I take a shower and relax a bit.

Then we go have a BIG dinner at one of the greatest restaurants in the world.

Then go back to the room and watch TV and wait for the sand man.

[Mousemates]

take a shower or soak in the tub, watch a little TV, have a snack, and go to sleep.

[JoDisney]

We come back from the park midday and go to the pool/hot tub. It is so nice to relax this way. We then go back to the room. We shower and put on a change of clothes. We go back to a park for the evening. Many times we go to the pool again and then to bed.

[prttynpnk]

Watch a little Stacey, plan the next day, a cocoa from the cafeteria and off to sleep!

[biodtl]

It depends on what time we get back. We tend to GOGOGO from early in the morning until as late as we can.

If we get back earlier in the evening, for some reason, we may take a dip in the pool, but that usually only happens maybe one night the entire trip.

Otherwise, it's a beer or wine for the adults, a drink or snack for the kids, then a little TV while we lay in bed.

[Missy_Mouses_Dad]

We usually go for a swim for a couple of hours in the afternoon then head back to the park for the evening EMH. After the parks close, we have an ice cream and go for a late night swim.

[Gregandmel]

OUr goal is to be at the parks about 1/2 hour before rope drop each day, and then spend time in the parks until around 3pm. We do everything we set out to do, then get back to our resort by 4pm and chill out the rest of the late afternoon/evening and get to bed by 9pm. Might sound a bit boring, but the kids love swimming in the afternoon and taking it easy for the next 5 hours. It helps us tremendously to not overdo it. So - it's nothing "specific" that we do to relax & unwind, it's having plenty of TIME to do it so we are ready for the next day!

[CAS]

I love winding down! We head back to the resort in the afternoon when it's the hottest. Usually DW and DD will nap while I take a walk around, stop at the pool bar or whatever. Then I'll take a shower and nap myself. We get up in time for our dinner ressies then take it easy in the parks, DTD or whatever else sounds relaxing!

[Tinkerbella16]

After a long day in the parks we usually always either relax at the resort...grab a bite to eat at the foodcourt, walk around, and sit by the pool. I think POFQ is the perfect resort for all of this since it is so peaceful and relaxing.

Since I love going to DTD during the evenings...when we go to wdw (november), the parks usually close a lil earlier...so we will spend our nights there to walk around, shop, have a sit-down dinner, or sit down for some Ghiridellis! Sometimes I dont even mind doing my relaxing at a park, esp. Epcot or MK! They are the best times to be there, its less crowded, cozy, and just a different experience at night I think!

[Stich8818]

Usually DD after returning from a swim..(I swear shs is part fish) is usually realxing with the toys..either the ones she brought with her or the ones she jus got bought for her. DW usually reading...and me..ESPN the maybe some resort tv(stacy) then off to Neverland...

[Vinny]

After a long day in the parks, usually returning after a nighttime fireworks show, I like to relax in the room for a bit before going to sleep. After getting off the bus, I stop in at the food court and pick up a cookie, cake or some kind of dessert along with milk and bring it back to the room to relax and enjoy. Then I flip on the TV to get the next days weather and decide on where to go the next morning.

[mickeys_princess_mom]

When DD and I go, we breeze through the food court to pick up some grapes and cheese (a tradition), hit the tub for bubble baths, then crank the air on polar bear mode, and lay in bed watching Lifetime and that crazy local appliance salesman! :cloud9::cloud9:

[CaptSmee]

Wow. I'm the only Intercotee that gets up, goes to the park, returns to the room late at night, and falls asleep as soon as I hit the pillow? I don't believe it!:)

[peemagg]

We are also ones who go commando from opening till close then right to bed. We only do this for two days tops at the parks then take 1 day off to relax and sleep in. Of course most of the time for us the parks close early. We tend to go in January, so usually after dinner the parks are closing so it is just back to the room for a little TV if we feel we can stay awake long enough.

[tjstrike]

The 1st couple nights we usually stay till the park closes, head back, drink a b&&r or 2, then go to bed. The rest of the week, we will take an afternoon break at the pool, or just head back after dinner and hang out at the pool or the campfire, maybe take in the fireworks and electric parade down by the beach. :thumbsup:

[Cinderella's Lady in Waiting]

Wow. I'm the only Intercotee that gets up, goes to the park, returns to the room late at night, and falls asleep as soon as I hit the pillow? I don't believe it!:)

No! But we do seem in the minority:confused:.
We hit every early opening and stay for every late closing. Getting up at 6am and getting back to the room at 1a leaves no time for relaxing in a hot tub...... but that is our choice! :thumbsup:
We fall into bed and collapse in a heap till we start all over again!

When the kids were young we went back to the room for swim breaks and naps.

[Hull-onian]

Very good question. We come back about 2:00p.m., get changed, and go swimming. Swimming seems to refresh and renew. Then we get get cleaned up and head out to dinner. It might be in a park or a resort or to DTD. It's all good.:thumbsup:

[AdventurerKim]

We usually go back to the room after lunch and rest, nap, swim, etc.. and then go back out for dinner and more fun! :mickey:

[Disney Doll]

We take afternoon breaks each day. DH and DS nap while I usually look through the pictures we've taken so far. It's the perfect mid day refresher and we are out of the sun during the hottest time of day. We do have some long days, but we always schedule a few early nights and at least one rest day mid week. We like to explore the resort, swim, and check out DTD. It's just nice to have a nothing day.

[indytraveler]

We are rope drop people and when we stay on property we are EMH both morning and night. So we will take a day off after 2 such days of 16 hrs in the park and tour Downtown Disney and shop. Probably catch a movie. We have never stayed longer than 5 days so its 2 on 1 off.

[thejens]

REST?!? Who needs rest? That's what you do on the car ride back home!
Okay, I admit, sometimes the rest of the family makes me chill out at the resort pool. Also, Typhoon Lagoon is a very relaxing day. I did enjoy going around and around the lazy river and having a cold drink in a lounge chair while the kids played in ketchakiddie creek.
But given my druthers, we are up at opening and crash after the fireworks!

[EpcotChic23]

Depending when the break is. If it's a mid afternoon break, we go to the pool or take a nap and watch tv. At the end of the night, we might go to the bar for a drink. Or shop the resort stores We usally stay at CR or Poly so we can see the MK fireworks. Then take a shower, watch the top 7 must sees and fall asleep.

[RAIDER]

take a shower or soak in the tub, watch a little TV, have a snack, and go to sleep.

Ditto on that one ... :thumbsup:

[TheRustyScupper]

I usually relax by/in the pool with a good single malt scotch.

[Dulcee]

When I went with my family we went all day and usually got back late and crashed. By that point no one was up for anything but sleep.

I'm going this year with DBF who is a bit more slow moving so I've tried to plan in some mid-day breaks so he can nap and not get too cranky . :)

[joonyer]

For most of our trips we have been park commandos, GO, GO, GO, from early a.m. until park closing, however late it might be. Then we'd just crash in the room and do it all over again the next day. No rest for the weary. We'd have to come home to rest up from our WDW vacation!
WeE do sometimes go to a water park in the afternoon, which is refreshing. DW & I mostly just float in the lazy river while our boys do the slides and stuff.

[Ksmith75]

We tried this strategy this year. After spending up until 6pm in Epcot the first day - by the next day - we were so tired in the MK - that we left early and went back for dinner that we had scheduled at the Crystal Palace. So everyday starting that day - we'd stay in the parks until 2pm ish- and then head back to the resort to take showers and naps. And then off to dinner at another resort or at a park - so we spent most evenings at a park before or after dinner. But from 2:30pm-6pm we just relaxed. We were then good to go at night and the next day! - We are only in our 30s and have no kids - but we didnt want to push it. Plus I was so lucky to have gallbladder surgery 1 month to the day before our vacation began - we were not able to train (we usually walk 1-2 months before to build up endurance).

[JRocker]

We don't wind down at the end of the day. Typically it is shower/crash.

Of course, our midday break helps us get away with that.

Our normal day is to be there at rope drop, usually an EMH morning. Then hang until people start getting hungry and complaining that I never let them eat. :blush:
We'll head back to camp, eat, nap, swim, vegetate, or whatever for three hours or so. Then it's off to the parks. Most of the time we head over to the park with an evening EMH, although we don't always hang out till EMH is done. We just go till the boss (DW) says that the day is complete. Since I always agree with her, we go back to camp and crash.

Of course, I think a key for us is that we never get in a rush. We don't run across the park at the drop to get in line, we don't rush from one attraction to the next.

No need to wind down if you never get wound up. :thumbsup:

[True Disney Fan]

:thumbsup: Sounds as if most of our readers are doing the same thing to relax after an exciting, :number1: adrenalin pumping, fun filled day in the park.

Coming back to the room, taking a dip in the pool, hot tub, or just a warm bath. Comfy pj's, something to eat and then under the covers:cloud9: for a little t.v..Wont take long and the Sandman takes over.:mickey:

[dmosher]

I think for DW and I it depends on what we did that day or where we were.
If we did a full day/night in the park, we usually go back to our room, change, soak our feet (or dip them in the pool) then get ready for bed and fill in our Passporter for the days events and expectations for the next day.

Keeping the daily events in mind, we tend to do 2 or 3 Park days in a row, then have a "day off" and just relax, Resort Hop, Water Park, etc. On these days, when we return we usually eat and then wander around the WL, reading the plaques, taking pictures and stealing peeks at the Magic Kingdom Fireworks and Electric Water Pageant from the beach, etc.
:pipes:
D

[Tigger&Stitch]

Living so far away, WDW is our primary vacation every year, and we want it to be a mixture of fun and relaxation. We tend to go in September, and plan to have around 10 days in the World. This allows for the 2 days in the parks/1 day off routine my DH mentioned above.

On the days we spend in the parks, we go mid-late morning and stay until after the fireworks. We don't run around, and don't have to - luckily the crowds are low in September and we can get to all the rides we love several times.

Another reason we take a break every couple days is that my feet swell in humid climates! I have to chalk it up to the humidity because we don't have a car here, and I walk everywhere every day without the bloating issue.

In any case, each evening we wait until all the crowds are out of the parks so we can make our way back to the hotel in a leisurely fashion.

[Kathy Jetson]

we get to the parks around 10:30am. we go all day without a break till park closing. Ds5 is out cold by the time we get back to our room so its right to bed for him and a shower for me then to sleep so we can do it all over the next day. we can relax when we get back home.

[dmosher]

we get to the parks around 10:30am

I forgot to mention this. I know a lot of people get up with the sun and rush out to the parks, but unless we have reservations or something we REALLY want to get to, we tend to just get up whenever we get up. Of course it is usually still pretty early, but at least we don't HAVE TO GET UP. This helps and makes it feel more like and actual vacation and less rushed.
:pipes:
D

[Sam&Alex&Josh'sMOM]

We have 2 girls (5 and almost 3 when we get there this September) We have been the last 2 years in September and just dont find going back to the hotel mid day easy to do... We usually sleep till we are all awake (which for me and the girls is about 7-8 ish... ) then we prod DH to shake a leg... Shower... eat breakfast in the room and get to the parks at 10ish... (We always stay at POP so the bus ride to the Parks takes a bit) We have an early lunch in the park... The little one will usually nap at somepoint in the stroller... (at which time we take turns taking the older one on rides, or into stores, or pics with characters, whatever play area is near by (except the Boneyard which i detest,) or just all sit and relax with an itsakadoozle and choc covered banana We usually plan the earliest ADRs for dinners, and then play it by ear... If they are pooped, we go back to the resort early, maybe swim, or watch a movie in the room, and hit the hay... If they are going strong... we stay longer. We do try to stay in the resort at least 2 mornings for swimming... ALWAYS the day of MNSSHP... that way they have played or relaxed... and we get to the park acout 4 ish... and stay late.

DH is ALWAYS happy to sleep late... so we just go with the girls schedule... We have never made it to a rope drop...But we have never missed anything we really wanted to see at least once throughout the vacation.

[Marilyn Michetti]

We're old people. We have dinner, and MAYBE stay for the fireworks. After that, we go back to SOG and go to sleep.

Up early the next morning tho':thumbsup:

[Goofy Texan]

After several trips to the World I've found the half and half plan works best for us.

What we do is get up early the first half of the trip and make rope drop at a park. We stay until it gets hot and we're going through the motions more than having fun. The rest of the day is back at the hotel swimming and chilling (Sometimes we'll do a waterpark or downtown disney, if everyone is up for it).

The second half of the trip we switch to late nights. We sleep in and take our time getting ready hitting a park around 4 or 5pm. We then stay through the evening enjoying the nighttime shows and the fun of the parks after dark.

With this plan we get plenty of rest, but still enjoy the benefits of rope drop and late nights. This works best in the Summer and other times when the Magic Kingdom is open until at least midnight.

The best part is both the early risers and night owls in our family are happy.

[disneymom2000]

Definitely hit the pool. It helps to soothe my muscles and allows me time to do some hydrotherapy to prepare for the next day. I am one of those people who can eat and go right to bed so only at Disney do I allow myself to splurge on some awesome ice cream before turning in for the night. If I happen to get a balcony room, I may sit on my balcony (since I don't go in the heat of the summer) and just enjoy the sounds of the night at Disney. There is just something special about it.:mickey:

[brownie]

Spend the evening in World Showcase!

[LudwigVonDrake]

Get a snack from the food court, hopefully watch some Appliance Direct on TV (I LOVE APPLIANCES!!), shower and get some sleep.

[disneyworld55925592]

We head back to the hotel in the afternoon and swim. Then we head back into the parks for a little while for dinner and fireworks. At night we head back and get ready for bed watch a little tv but usually fall asleep right away

[LittleSpirit02]

On our most recent trip to Disneyland and we only had a couple of days and wanted to make the most of it. We walked from just about park opening time from the time the parks closed. We definitely had a full day. We loved every minute of it but also were ready to crash when we got back to our hotel so there wasn't much down time there. It was basically straight to bed to sleep and rest the feet.

When we're in Disney World, however, we like to hop over to Downtown Disney to relax for a while before heading back to the cabins. Often times it's open for one hour after the parks closed (maybe with the exception of the Magic Kingdom). Again, we tend to spend about every second we can in the parks so sometimes we just relax on the ferry back to Fort Wilderness and then get our rest. In the morning we like to watch Resort TV, have our breakfast and read the paper before heading out.

[disneykidsince1970]

We just finished a week-long trip where we stayed at the FTW cabins (which we loved!). On our last day we rented a pool cabana at the Grand Floridian. I was surprised they let us since we weren't staying there but there were 3/4 available so they let us have it. It was me, my sister, my bro-in-law, my niece (4), and my nephew (2). It was super - just we were looking for. There was a couch where the kids could lay down, a tv/dvd (our server was nice enough to get a copy of Dumbo for us), a fridge stocked with soda, a bowl of fruit and lots more. Plus we had a server dedicated to us who constantly came by. We had a lovely lunch and many tasty bloody marys. It was totally worth the $150 for 4 hours.

[Tigger&Stitch]

We just finished a week-long trip where we stayed at the FTW cabins (which we loved!). On our last day we rented a pool cabana at the Grand Floridian. I was surprised they let us since we weren't staying there but there were 3/4 available so they let us have it. It was me, my sister, my bro-in-law, my niece (4), and my nephew (2). It was super - just we were looking for. There was a couch where the kids could lay down, a tv/dvd (our server was nice enough to get a copy of Dumbo for us), a fridge stocked with soda, a bowl of fruit and lots more. Plus we had a server dedicated to us who constantly came by. We had a lovely lunch and many tasty bloody marys. It was totally worth the $150 for 4 hours.

Wow - I had never heard of this! That sounds fantastic. :)

[cinderella crazy]

After several trips to the World I've found the half and half plan works best for us.

What we do is get up early the first half of the trip and make rope drop at a park. We stay until it gets hot and we're going through the motions more than having fun. The rest of the day is back at the hotel swimming and chilling (Sometimes we'll do a waterpark or downtown disney, if everyone is up for it).

The second half of the trip we switch to late nights. We sleep in and take our time getting ready hitting a park around 4 or 5pm. We then stay through the evening enjoying the nighttime shows and the fun of the parks after dark.

With this plan we get plenty of rest, but still enjoy the benefits of rope drop and late nights. This works best in the Summer and other times when the Magic Kingdom is open until at least midnight.

The best part is both the early risers and night owls in our family are happy.

I had never thought of this.

We usually get up early and go to whatever park has early entry. we eat lunch and then go back to the resort. DH and DS (5) go to the pool and DD(2) and I stay in the room and nap. We then go to a diiferent park for dinner and a few rides and are usually back to the room by 7:30 pm.

We had wanted to watch some of the fireworks but the children just couldn't make it that long. I wonder if we try your approach if we might be able to do this. Thanks!

[Daddy Mouse]

It usually helps me to have a :beer: sit in the hot tub, and then go to bed.

[nicster]

The third day of our DW marathons is the day we get to the water park the hour before it opens, and float on the Castaway Creek & enjoy the wave pool & sandy beaches for a couple of hours. Then back to the resort, shower and change & go for a nice meal. Then? We hit the parks again … running!