Take a Break? NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TinyDancer]

We are the first ones in the park and get the majority of the rides done with little to no wait. Then we head back to the cabin (we stay at FW) and take a short nap, then head back to a different park. Lunch will be on one side or the other of the break, it doesn't really matter. We go crazy. We have taken to grilling a nice dinner for ourselves one night but that is more for that experience (we always used to grill when we were kids and my parents lived together) than it is for the break itself.

I can't wait to go back!!!

[Imagineer1981]

i hope to take it easier with my son...I hope

[Insanity Clause]

We will be there in April for a week with three of our kids and we plan on being there at rope drop but then coming back to the hotel for about an hour in the late afternoon and then heading back for dinner rez and whatever park is having EMH. Now this is the plan...we have never done something like this before with our kids so all this might change...we might find that nobody want to go back but we will be there for a full week and why push it to exhaustion. I would rather take an easier approach...we can still see and do everything that is important to us.

[pdrlkr]

We stay from open to close every day!

[NJGIRL]

No Breaks For Us! We don't need them and never have. We have one nice slow sit down meal per day and that's enough of a break for us. Now just because we don't leave the park for a nap doesn't mean we are rushing around like crazy people either. We take our time in each park and enjoy everything we do.

[thumperbug]

We generally don't set an alarm clock and pretty much get up and go. We are usually out the door by 9. We go until either the park closes or we have physically had enough.

My DS was never a napper and he has more energy then anyone I know and he can go go go until all hours. Usually my DH or I wear out but we don't normally take midday breaks.

On our most recent trip we did something we never did before...actually took breathers some mornings and used the pools. We had always brought swim suits with us on trips but never used the pools. Last time we did!!!

On our next trip in Feb 09 we will be staying at the villas at WL so if we want to take breaks it is pretty quick back to the resort. We spend most of our time at MK.

[Aggie97]

We sleep in most mornings, have a CS breakfast at the resort, and then head to a park for the entire day and night. We often eat a late dinner at a resort TS restaurant, after that day's park has closed. We do not often park hop -- except to go to evening EMHs, which we rarely miss. We never have returned to the resort for an afternoon break.

In the parks, we move at a relaxed but efficient pace (we don't have kids yet). We very rarely wait more than 15-20 minutes for attractions, almost always watch parades and fireworks, and spend a decent amount of time shopping. We like to stop and smell the roses (sometimes literally)-- we often pause for quite awhile to extensively photograph or even just watch something that looks interesting or funny. We never have had a problem riding everything we want multiple times per trip.

If our trip is longer than a week, we usually take a break from the parks one day in the middle to go to a resort character breakfast in the morning, visit DTD or resort hop for the day, and have a leisurely TS dinner that night.

I know we don't follow any of the tried and true WDW schedules, but this works extremely well for our vacations!

[Stich8818]

The previous 2 trips for us was the military mad dash trips. The last one was a on site, stay the whole week stay. So taking our time and even the adr's we were good on time. It was nice to take our time, makes me look forward to the next trip. I guess too we did ride somethings twice but not everything and still had a great time..We took in a lot of the fun that is Disney and the ambiance of it all.

[TheWizofDiz]

When we used to fly down from MI, we would commando the parks all day....now, living much closer, we slooooow down and sometimes just go over for a nice dinner and watch the nighttime shows...ie, Fantasmic, Wishes, Illuminations, etc. But I can completely relate to all of you the are coming from long distances. You want to make sure you and your family get to take in as much as you can! But, if you are down for a week, it is nice to be able to head back to your hotel and swim, rest or just check out your resort...there is much to see.

[MickeysEars]

we make sure we go for a long enough time so that we DO NOT have to treat our trip like boot camp. Not everyone can stay for 2 weeks like we do but I believe that it should be quality not quantity.

[KylesMom]

we make sure we go for a long enough time so that we DO NOT have to treat our trip like boot camp. Not everyone can stay for 2 weeks like we do but I believe that it should be quality not quantity.

When we first began taking family vacations to Disney in 2000, we would go commando-style. We'd end up being tired, cranky and just not enjoying ourselves as much by the end of our 8-day vacation. We now make it a priority to stay for a longer period of time so that we can enjoy our resort (and each other) without running ourselves ragged. While we do get to the parks before rope drop each morning, I don't think we'll ever stay at one park for 15+ hours straight again . . .

That being said, if we only had four or five days, I'm sure we'd have to forego the breaks to see and do everything we wanted to!

[glenpreece]

Go Go Go!! Time is money at WDW. When I go solo or with somone who can keep up, I zip through the parks. I always do all four on my last day.

[Lisaj13]

If I'm with other adults I can do the parks military style, but not with my kids. The time comes in late afternoon when they're not having fun any more, and a break at the hotel pool isn't just a good idea, it's a necessity. Then we can head back to WDW with people refreshed and ready to go.

If one of my kids isn't having a good time, nobody's having a good time.

[Seasonscraps]

I don't think it would be possible to lollygag anymore then I did when I went to disney.

We only went to the morning EMH at Animal Kingdom. We barely got to a bark before 9:30-10. We would leave shortly after to go sit by the pool & have a few drinks. Maybe go back some place in the late afternoon/evening - depending on our dinner plans.

[Tinkerbella16]

I only get to visit my favorite place in the whole world once a year...so from the time I get back from a trip till the time I go again, its a long wait...and I plan everything carefully. In other words when I am at WDW, I like to take my time, take in the atmosphere, and relax because I'm on vacation. I find the best way for us is to wake up early, grab breakfast, hit the parks until 1-2pm, then head back to the resort to relax, or nap and grab lunch...then shower or freshen up and go back to the parks for the evening. I don't want to rush my trip by...after all of the wait and planning, I want to take things slow and enjoy the world!!

[Tink#64]

We normally do 6 / 7 days so we normally go back to the resort, re-generate a bit, ( me and kids swim and wife sleep)....it breaks the day up pretty nicley.....

Most days we're in the parks at opening & stay until sometime in the afternoon. We really enjoy that break back at the resort. DS's 11 & 12) swim & we get lunch or dinner from the food court & eat pool side. Then we head back to the parks for evening parade,fireworks and shopping! We usually stay all day at DHS - from open til close because of the old parade time & then short time until needing to get our seats for Fantasmic! But then I always plan Epcot WS for the following day & we sleep in that morning & hang out at the resort, exploring & swimming for a few hours & then head over to WS around 3'ish & stay until close for IllumiNations! This makes for such a relaxing day! I usually plan this for mid trip!

Our 1st trip was that military style and we only had 4 days! We came home completely exhausted! Now we usually do 8 or 9 days & sometimes we even take a whole day off & have an adr for a restaurant that we've not tried yet at one of the resorts. We enjoy visiting a different resort for dining & shopping & exploring. Or we might do DQ & play putt putt, etc! We really enjoy having that extra time, to be able to take our time & not feel so rushed.

[mrsgaribaldi]

We take a break and sleep in late. In fact, when we went in Sept, I slept an entire day. I got up just to go to the Adventurer's Club that night. We've only been to one park for its opening. Maybe some day we'll see the rest. If we miss something, we'll catch it on the next trip.

[mudpuppysmom]

Hi, My name is Dana and I'm a park addict

We set the alarm clock, get up sometimes eat in the room, sometimes have an ADR in park --then get out there right around rope drop (I have learned to go shortly after so you can walk right in and not have to ride the wave in!). We do sit down to eat though Sometimes TS, sometimes CS, but we do take a break for lunch.

My pedometer usually tells the tale at the end of the day (sometimes it is even panting when we go to Epcot!!).

Yep, I'm military style -- total commando!!!

And DS goes right along with it!!!

When DH comes on trips with us he frustrates DS because of how often he wants to sit down and relax or if he wants to go back to the resort to "relax". He says, "Dad, we can swim tonight!"

DS#1 and I can go go go -- DH slows us down, so we leave him home sometimes!!

Now we have DS#2 and I'm quite sure he is going to slow us down for a few years (until he can walk well on his own at least) -- but hopefully he takes the same approach as DS#! and I have -- we like to see as much as we can in the week we are there!!

Does it help that DS strategizes what he wants to do each day?? Yeah, it does, then mom makes it happen. We don't generally criss cross parks either, unless we have to (We do use FP when we need to).

As someone else said......plenty of time to sleep when you are dead.......my uncle says that all the time!!

[thrillme]

I like to get there at open and stay till close. Breaks are taken in the Hall of Presidents. Once you get in you can take a nap in the A/C.

Alas my son is getting older now (nearly teenager) and if I don't let him get some "rest" he's terribly GRUMPY and so is my HUBBY.

I figure if I can't feel my legs anymore then they don't hurt so ... no problem.

[Jasper]

Unfortunately our trips are normally no more than 4-5 day affairs and only happen every 2-3 years so we feel we have to make the most of it while we are there. That means we are there at rope drop and don't leave until asked to do so at the end of the day.

Even though we are in the parks all day, we still take time to relax and check out the environment. We always find a seat for the parades early so we can rest and check out the scenery and we also have a sit down lunch as late as we possibly can in one of the parks which also gives us time to sit and relax.

Because of my health and the lack of money caused by my health issues it has been over 4 years since we have been to WDW. While we hope to get there in December or January this year I don't know if I am going to be able to go like I have in the past. Time will tell.