How to slow down?

[BelleKP]

I was just reading some of the trip reports, daydreaming about being in Disney :cloud9: and I am still amazed at how much there is to do at Disney that I have yet to experience! Despite my countless trips, there are many experiences, both big and small that I constantly overlook. My last three trips were so rushed (5 days, 5 days and 3 days) that I always felt I had to go commando style . . . and we only did the 'must dos'.
I've decided that next time I go (hopefully sooner than later) I want to convince DH to stay a little longer so that we can slow down and try some things we've never done before. (Like swim in our resort pool ;) ) Don't get me wrong, I still believe in getting up and getting to the parks early . . . but there is so much else to do that I want to try something new everytime I go.
So I ask my fellow intercotees . . . what do you do to slow things down? Non-ride related things, maybe even non-park related things? Where do you go and what do you do to actually relax in Disney?

[Friend of Figment]

One thing I do is to sometimes just sit and watch people. For instance, I love the Dragon Acrobats at China so I often go about an hour ahead of their performance and find a bench to sit on. Then I enjoy the atmosphere, watch people or read. It's relaxing and I'm still "Doing Something".

We also eat table service meals which of course take longer and slow you down.

FInally, I try to tremember that they aren't going to pack the parks up and take them away. If I don't do something this time, there's always next time.

[MMouse6937]

I agree that I have trouble slowing down when I'm in the world. I listen to a podcast where the guy really gets into the little details at WDW and when I listen I'm so facinated that I want to make it important on our next trip to stop and smell the roses as they say. I find myself when I get there so excited that I start running from attraction to attraction, checking parade times, etc that I don't slow down.

I am really hoping this year to see some more of the detail to the AK. We are going to spend most of the day and the EMHs there and I hope that will give me so breathing room to relax and take in some of the beauty and detail that the park has to offer. :cloud9:

[FromKnoxvilleto Disney]

I started realizing when I got home from vacation and I am more exhausted than when I left we went too fast. We do find it very hard to slow down but we are getting better with at least one do nothing day built into each trip for rest and pool time.

[KylesMom]

Honestly, we did not start "slowing down" until we decided to extend our stay - and book a deluxe resort. Obviously this expanded our budget more than two-fold, so we now plan much earlier and pretty much pay towards the trip each month so the bills we return with are not overwhelming.

We, too had never enjoyed the pool, our resort or very many TS meals until we changed the entire way we vacation. I get alot of guff at work for spending most of our disposable income at Disney World every year, but my family wouldn't have it any other way right now! :mickey:

Even going for 15 days each year, there are still attractions and shows we haven't seen!

[BluewaterBrad]

We stopped "commando" style awhile ago. We are early risers and get around pretty good the first few hours. We have always taken a decent afternoon rest (nap, or pool and :beer: time). We do visit quite often though.:mickey:

[busterthebronco]

we started our trip style by buying 3 day hoppers for 6 day trips forcing us to have park days and non park days.
it wasnt long until we liked the non park days just as much!

[just2mickey]

We too were pushing ourselves hard. We are big Deluxe Resort people only because for us, a one or maybe twice a year trip is all we do. We stayed at the Pop the last time and was able to extend our stay over a longer period of time. It made a huge difference. For many people, nine or ten days is out of the question due to work. One thing that we have done and I enjoy it tremendously is to have tea at the Grand Floridian or go to the spa there for the tired leg massage. It is very affordable and it is quiet and you really can take a moment.

[JMTStone]

I was so much more relaxed once we extended our dates. I know its not always affordable and that's partially the reason I bought DVC. Its like my own little vacation fund. Our last trip was 7 days. Our next trip is 8 days. I think we'll have plenty of time to take it all in. There are STILL things I haven't done. Can you believe I didn't do the Haunted Mansion until a few months ago? I took advantage of short line and walked on during the Holiday Party at MK. There's still so much to do and with my girls 9 years apart, we have to split up a lot. DH and DD15 end up on roller coasters and I end up with DD6 doing whatever she wants. I still haven't ridden ToT. Maybe next time....

[mouselover93]

:secret:i ussauly go to a place to eat and just look at the other people havin a fun time and just smile

[KAJUNKING]

every year we talk about how this time we are going to slow down and really take in the sights, we never do, once we get there ist comando style!

[#1donaldfan]

We normally do at least 6 day hopping....

....we stay at POR, so we can take a boat to DtD for shopping....

...we normally come back to the room to nap...at least DW and oldest DD....DS and younger DD and myself enjoy the pool for awhile....

.....everyone enjoys some shopping in the parks.....really, we just kinda go with the flow, there's not really a plan on going slow, we just do what we do....it works for us.....:mickey:

[Pirate & Princess Mom]

The way to slow down at DW....

Take 2 sets of grandparents and 2 preschoolers...works every time. :mickey:

[BelleKP]

every year we talk about how this time we are going to slow down and really take in the sights, we never do, once we get there ist comando style!

See I knew my fellow intercotees would relate!;)
This past August when I was there with a GF, we took a whole day (with early EMH) at AK. This was our slowest day. We actually walked the trails, and all the side paths on Discovery Island. We got some beautiful landscape pictures and we didn't rush a thing. It was our best day for sure! :cloud9: Normally I only spend a 1/2 day here, so it was definitely at a different pace.
But alas, we felt like the rest of the trip was just go, go, go!! :D

[LauraF]

To slow down:
I try to not rush my meals - nothing like indigestion in the hot Florida sun to make you wish you were dead. :sick:

I'm an early riser, so I get up every morning at WDW and go for a walk before breakfast. Sometimes I'll bring a book and find a quiet place to sit where I can watch people go by.

When I get "crowded out" I like to hop on a bus and go to another park or sometimes a resort and walk around. The trip in the middle of the day is usually on a nearly empty bus. I take long trips so there's enough time to see everything.

[Harley-Davidson_Guy]

It is so funny you asked this question. I am just like you when it comes to doing the parks. I have gotten better through out the years. My DH would always grumble because I was always in a rush. Up early and up late. I figure you can sleep at home. He was happiest if he got a nap but that lost out a long time ago. I did find we all enjoy the day better when Daddy has been fed breakfast in the morning though. :thumbsup:
We are moving to the area in a couple of weeks and I said that finally we can breathe when we go to the parks because we won't feel rushed to see it all in only a couple of days. The most relaxing time we had was when we stayed 10 days at Ft. Wilderness in the cabins though.

[Gottaluvgoof]

It is VERY difficult to slow down. We are the type that go park open to park close. I have taken a little slower pace in the parks, but I still can't bring myself to leave until closing. I can always rest when I get back home.

[Marilyn Michetti]

Getting (cough) older helps. We're in our mid 60's, and just plain CAN'T do the commando thing. We don't plan any more than two or three ADR's because they take too much time. The unplanned meals are CS or snacks wherever we happen to be when we get hungry. There's only the two of us, and we've been to Disney enough times to know what we don't mind missing, and we always have a marvelous time.

Pacing ourselves isn't just a choice - it's a necessity.:thumbsup:

[azdisneymom]

Eat a TS lunch. Sit and enjoy the atmosphere. Then try to go to a show like Finding Nemo at AK mid afternoon. We always went commando style when DH came on the trip. Last time he stayed home and it was so much easier to slow down. My favorite trip by far. Never going commando again!

[mouseketeer mom]

We discovered a new way to slow down on our last trip...Sea raycers! We enjoyed them so very much, and zipping around on the water gives a new perspective on the resorts etc..Really fun.
Plus, we find going at least twice a year slows us down. We know we are coming back soon. There isn't an urgency to pack it all in. And going more often means we have seen more, and we don't always repeat things that we didn't love. I feel blessed we have been able to do this.

[IloveDisney71]

Even though I've been to Disney a lot, I still have things that I enjoy doing during every trip (certain rides and performances that I just can't miss) so we find ourselves on the go much of the time. I find time to slow down when my DH & 2 teenage DD's go back for an afternoon nap. That's when I explore the resort or go to DTD for some slower-paced shopping (they aren't there to rush me!).
The only time I feel that I can take Disney at a slower pace is when I have at least 5 days there.