As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
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There are other changes as well.
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We never do mid day breaks, but we don't often make it too late at night. Normally we go for 10 days and do 1 night each for illuminations, fantasmic and wishes. Most of the time we do from rope drop until after dinner adr and go back to our resort. Last trip we did a couple of earlier days toward the end of the trip and just went to the pool, but we had already had at least one full day at each park and two at MK and EP. You could always try alternating days with and without a break.
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Last edited by debic; 07-04-2013 at 07:57 PM..
Reason: add
IMO, there are many factors to consider in the "mid-day break or not?" question. Two of the biggest for me are: How hot will it be when we visit? How late are the parks open? I usually visit in warmer weather months during busier times when the parks are open late. In those circumstances, a mid-day break is very important. It gets us out of the parks during the hottest and busiest hours of the day and we still have plenty of touring time in the evening. But if I were visiting during cooler, slower times when the parks close early (say in January), I would probably be more likely to just stay in the park all day. I also consider how many days I'll be in WDW. The longer my trip, the more relaxed my pace. That may mean mid-day breaks some days, mornings or evenings "off" from the parks, etc.
When we took our daughters, at almost 4 and almost 2 we were staying at WL and we were definitely planning on doing the break. When it came time to take the break, though, we were having too good a time and couldn't persuade ourselves to leave. It was August and we're opening to closing people. Toward evening we let the kids blow off steam in a play fountain and then we changed them at a Baby Care center for TS dinner. It worked out really well and we didn't have any meltdowns. The last time we went, with our 4 kids, ages 9, 7, 4, and 2 we were at MK so long that my brother in law actually called while we were on the way back to the house we were sharing to make sure we were okay. We had been gone for 13 hours! Taking the break or not totally depends on what will help you have a magical vacation. Have fun!
We never do mid-day breaks. We tend to go in October, when crowds are lower- and parks aren't open as long. Mid-day breaks, IMO, just eat up way too much of your time. Instead, our touring style is that we only do one park per day, and we get there right at open time. We just get as much done as we feel satisfied with. We usually end up leaving pretty close to closing time. It has always been like that, even when my DD was very young, and if she needed a break, we would just find some relatively quiet place and relax for an hour. That works better for us.
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Saturday, October 9, 2014 - Kaitlyn and I before the Happy Haunted 5K at ESPN Wide World of Sports
We're fans of mid-day breaks, especially when we go in the hot summer months. We go to the parks in the morning, come back to hotel and eat lunch and hang by the pool, and then go back to the parks in the evening.
Time of year and the amount of time parks are open are the 2 biggest factors I think...
We are break people... We typically drive and so it really is fast to go back and forth except to MK which is the one park we typically do take a bus too bc of the TTC thing.
DH usually naps and me and DS go swim - Now that he's older I give him choices and he loves to go back and take a break and he is NOT A NAP kid.... not since 1 month old LOL.
I go in late January/early February so don't do mid day breaks. However, if I was to go during spring or summer a mid day break would be an absolute must for me. I don't enjoy heat & don't deal with it well. I'm sure the fact that heat zaps my energy & my appetite doesn't help my ability to cope with it either. I'll hop to another park or downtown Disney whenever I feel like it & will also head back to my room early if the mood strikes since I go solo I can do what I want when I want without it bothering or affecting anyone else. Having said that, to mid day break or not really depends on the individual. Are you used to high temperatures? High humidity? Do you & the others in you group cope well with hot weather? How active are normally? (I believe I've read somewhere that the average theme park guest walks 7-10 miles per day while in the park) Also don't fall in to the trap of thinking that because you're kids are fine going all day at your local zoo or amusement park without a break that they'll be fine without a break at Disney. When you go to the zoo or local amusement park you're on the go all day for one day not a week & those additional six days make a big difference. I think I'd play it by ear & follow the kids' lead.
We no longer have the stamina (or desire) to go open to close. We stay on site, purchase park hoppers, and often go to a park in the morning, swim in the afternoon, and go back to a park until almost closing (we also hate the exit mobs). If you don't want to travel back to your hotel, hit a nearby resort for lunch and look around, or plan an ice cream break mid-afternoon (sit, eat, peoplewatch). Just taking a half an hour to stop all motion will refresh you.
Despite being adults doing WDW without kids, we're such overgrown kids that we've found we honestly need to have lunch and go back to our room for at least an hour or two of quiet time. DH watches tv or naps; I read or window-shop in the resort.
I think parents likely know their kids well enough by the time theirs get to be schoolage that they can spot when the kids are getting cranky from too much going and doing. Are your family members wired from sunrise to sunset or acting like Sleepy or Grumpy if they're overdoing? Surely, the OP can guesstimate whether a midday break will benefit the family or won't be necessary.
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The only time we've done mid-day breaks was when DS was about 3 yrs old. From that point on we stayed at the parks. However, we arise in a leisurely manner, if he wants to hit the pool before parks, it's all good. We don't stress ourselves getting to parks. When we're at the park we have Late lunch/early dinner at TS restaurants, which gives us a nice reprieve and refuels us! When we're tired, we head back to the resort to enjoy Elliott Dyson at Scat Cats. What a wonderful life!
I can't remember a day where we didn't take a mid-day break. Usually go back to resort around 2 p.m. to swim then dinner and back to park. We prefer the parks at night too.
we are true "breakers", but we rest up at the parks! one time we say on the train at MK and fell asleep. the breeze was flowing and we felt like we were in OZ! lol! we must've slept for about an hour. they didn't kick us off and by the time we got up, it felt like we slept all day! we closed the park!
For us it depends on how hot it is. We've gone in the winter to WDW and DL in the spring, both times touring all day from rope drop until close without taking a midday break. When we go to WDW in August, which our upcoming August trip will be our third that time of year, we always take a midday break. It's just too unbearably hot around 1:00 or 2:00. Even when it was just DH and myself on our honeymoon we took a midday break. We either went swimming or just lounged around in the air conditioned room. It gets so hot that time of day in August it drains our energy and everyone starts getting crabby. We take a nice cool off break and by 4:00 or so we're ready to head back to the parks. By then it's starting to cool off and we tour until closing or very close to it. I tend to make our ADR's for dinner. That way I don't feel like we have to stay in the park until our lunch ressie if what we really need is a break.
We do the tour-all-day because we have no kids with us. It's tough though, and exhausting! For kids I'd still do the mid day break. Or, you can try one day with a TS for lunch and do all day touring but I wouldn't plan the whole trip to be like that without testing it out first.
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