Help with Planning a Longer Stay

[katbair]

Hi everyone!

This is our fourth trip to the world with my family (DH, DD12, DD10, and DS7). My MIL is going to be with us for the first five days of the trip. We are staying from 8/22-9/1. We arrive late on the 22nd and are staying at POP, the remainder of the trip we are staying for the first time at Yacht Club. We normally stay for around 6 days, so in the past, we have done one day at each of the parks to start off and then figure out where the kids wanted to go back for the last two days, with the second day being a half day for the flight home. Now we have 9 full days in the parks with park hoppers, but I can't figure out how to manage vacation with the extra 3.5 days. It's a great problem to have, I know. What type of touring method works best for this type of vacation?

We aren't the rope drop type of family. I am the only morning person in my household, and when I have tried early mornings on the first two vacations, there was mutiny on the fourth day, and we had to re-plan the rest of the trip. We have the deluxe dining plan, which was my husband's request, so we would like to eat two sit-down meals per day. Here are my preliminary plans:

Day
Friday MK Crystal Palace, Storybook Dining
Saturday Epcot Garden Grill, Via Napoli
Sunday AK Tusker House, Tiffins
Monday HS 50's Prime Time, Hollywood Brown Derby
Tuesday Pool (MNSSHP) Trattoria Al Forno, Counter Service
Wednesday MK/HS? CRT, Yachtman's
Thursday Epcot Rose and Crown, Biergarten
Friday AK Cape May Café, Yak and Yeti 5
Saturday MK Ohana, Hoop Dee Doo 4

Does anyone have any thoughts?

Katie

 

[Klayfish]

We do things differently than many, so my advice may or may not apply to you. For example, we stay offsite, pack all of our own food, never rope drop, are "wing it" people, don't take "rest days" (though we don't do park open to close either...ever). We're a family of 5. We've been to WDW the past 4 summers, and each trip was 17 days long. So we can definitely relate to the long trip concerns.

My best advice is to leave a lot of flexibility in. We also aren't planners, we like to wing it. We just find it much more relaxing. I'd suggest keeping the plan you have, but making sure it has tons of flexibility built in. If you're in Epcot on Thursday and suddenly decide you want to head back to HS, then make sure your schedule will allow for it. Or if it's Thursday night and you decide that on Friday you don't want to do AK, leave flexibility.

Regardless, just have fun!!! Staying in the parks a long time is definitely a first world problem.

 

[FSU Girl]

I think with so many days you should take a slow pace in the parks. Sleep in, enjoy your fast passes. The pool at Yacht Club is awesome, so definitely schedule some pool time to enjoy it. You could do some character breakfasts at the hotels before going into the parks. Days you are going to Epcot and Hollywood Studios you could do afternoon breaks at the hotel and go back since it's in walking distance. Disney Springs has some great restaurants and a movie theater, could go enjoy that on one day?

 

[mshanson3121]

Hi everyone!

This is our fourth trip to the world with my family (DH, DD12, DD10, and DS7). My MIL is going to be with us for the first five days of the trip. We are staying from 8/22-9/1. We arrive late on the 22nd and are staying at POP, the remainder of the trip we are staying for the first time at Yacht Club. We normally stay for around 6 days, so in the past, we have done one day at each of the parks to start off and then figure out where the kids wanted to go back for the last two days, with the second day being a half day for the flight home. Now we have 9 full days in the parks with park hoppers, but I can't figure out how to manage vacation with the extra 3.5 days. It's a great problem to have, I know. What type of touring method works best for this type of vacation?

We aren't the rope drop type of family. I am the only morning person in my household, and when I have tried early mornings on the first two vacations, there was mutiny on the fourth day, and we had to re-plan the rest of the trip. We have the deluxe dining plan, which was my husband's request, so we would like to eat two sit-down meals per day. Here are my preliminary plans:

Day
Friday MK Crystal Palace, Storybook Dining
Saturday Epcot Garden Grill, Via Napoli
Sunday AK Tusker House, Tiffins
Monday HS 50's Prime Time, Hollywood Brown Derby
Tuesday Pool (MNSSHP) Trattoria Al Forno, Counter Service
Wednesday MK/HS? CRT, Yachtman's
Thursday Epcot Rose and Crown, Biergarten
Friday AK Cape May Café, Yak and Yeti 5
Saturday MK Ohana, Hoop Dee Doo 4

Does anyone have any thoughts?

Katie

Myself, we would not want to be in the park every day. We would take some R&R days. Take a day to explore Disney Springs, enjoy the resort etc... the kids could do one of the Pirate/Boat cruise excursions while you two enjoy some adult R&R at the spa etc... Take an evening and enjoy the campfire and watch a movie under the star etc... So for us, it would probably look more like:

Fri MK
Sat Epcot
Sun R&R day
Mon AK
Tues MNSSHP
Wed R&R day (nice after the late night from the party), great day for HDDR
Thurs AK
Fri HS
Sat MK (take your morning to relax, pack etc... then go in for the night to watch the fireworks. To me, I think finishing the trip with fireworks is perfect)

If you have hoppers, then that would add quite a bit of flexibility if you feel you want some more time at one of the other parks.

 

[katbair]

I think with so many days you should take a slow pace in the parks. Sleep in, enjoy your fast passes. The pool at Yacht Club is awesome, so definitely schedule some pool time to enjoy it. You could do some character breakfasts at the hotels before going into the parks. Days you are going to Epcot and Hollywood Studios you could do afternoon breaks at the hotel and go back since it's in walking distance. Disney Springs has some great restaurants and a movie theater, could go enjoy that on one day?

I think the hardest part for me is going to be learning how to relax a bit. In the past, since we didn't have the time, I would over plan to the point of knowing where I wanted to be at exactly what time. Taking it easy is going to be a bit of a mind shift, but one I think I will enjoy. I'm in Disney.. I need to remember it's vacation.

 

[katbair]

Myself, we would not want to be in the park every day. We would take some R&R days. Take a day to explore Disney Springs, enjoy the resort etc... the kids could do one of the Pirate/Boat cruise excursions while you two enjoy some adult R&R at the spa etc... Take an evening and enjoy the campfire and watch a movie under the star etc... So for us, it would probably look more like:

Fri MK
Sat Epcot
Sun R&R day
Mon AK
Tues MNSSHP
Wed R&R day (nice after the late night from the party), great day for HDDR
Thurs AK
Fri HS
Sat MK (take your morning to relax, pack etc... then go in for the night to watch the fireworks. To me, I think finishing the trip with fireworks is perfect)

If you have hoppers, then that would add quite a bit of flexibility if you feel you want some more time at one of the other parks.

This is great! I like the R&R day after MNSSHP. If we head into Magic Kingdom a bit later, we can sleep in the day of the party as well. I think I may have us to Hollywood Studios on Sunday morning, though. My Mother in Law leaves on Tuesday, and I want to be sure she is able to see Toy Story Land.

 

[FSU Girl]

I think the hardest part for me is going to be learning how to relax a bit. In the past, since we didn't have the time, I would over plan to the point of knowing where I wanted to be at exactly what time. Taking it easy is going to be a bit of a mind shift, but one I think I will enjoy. I'm in Disney.. I need to remember it's vacation.

Relaxing at Disney is the best! Before I got annual passes I would try to be in park from open until close and do as much as possible. Now I go in and do our three fast passes and if we feel like a break we just leave. Definitely try and schedule some down time, 9 days is a lot and you don't want to burn yourself out. The hotels are really cool to hang out at, maybe head over to Animal Kingdom Lodge to look at the animals or something. If you can't fit something into your day just remember you have many more days to do it later.

 

[Vickie1016]

We are the opposite - rode drop till closing on most days. Past several summers we have been on property 11 nights (10 park days). These is what our week looks like:
Tues - WL arrival - resort day/pool/dinner
Wed - MK (most of day, WL for dinner then back for fireworks)
Thurs - Epcot
Fri - HS
Sat - AK/MK at night
Sun - HS - rode drop for Toy Story land, then back to WL for pool (and laundry...lol), back to park for dinner & to catch Star Wars Fireworks
Mon - MK
Tues- Epcot
Wed - MK (PPO bkfst, pool during afternoon, back to MK in evening)
Thurs - Epcot/HS split day
Fri - MK
We are flexible to a point - if we need a mid day break, we will go back to swim/rest. With staying at the Yacht Club, you close enough to Epcot & HS to do 1/2 days and take advantage of their great pool! Have a great vacation!!!

 

[a742246]

When you are staying at the YC there is a miniature golf play area within walking distance (Fantasia gardens) .

 

[Klayfish]

I think the hardest part for me is going to be learning how to relax a bit. In the past, since we didn't have the time, I would over plan to the point of knowing where I wanted to be at exactly what time. Taking it easy is going to be a bit of a mind shift, but one I think I will enjoy. I'm in Disney.. I need to remember it's vacation.

Yes, relaxing is important. Trying to spend the entire time running around simply isn't fun. How you relax can take many different forms. For us, even on a 17 day trip, we don't have any days where we don't go to the parks. After all, that's why we're there. However, we have plenty of days where we'll do very short days in the park. Sleep in, have a relaxing breakfast, maybe sit by the pool a while and then go to the park at or right after lunch. Stay until dinner and then head back and spend the rest of the evening relaxing.

No matter how you do it, I fully agree with the idea of not making it go, go go...unless that's how you want it to be.

 

[KenHutch]

Well our trips are usually 10 days at the park and this is what we do. Three days at Magic Kingdom and 2 days each at the other parks and one day for pool/shopping in town (I resort hop that day). I am a retired Marine so sleeping in for me is sleeping past 04:45 hours. We are park commandoes and hit the park for the pre-opening breakfast and stay till close. One thing that eats up time is the girls love the deluxe dining plan and eating at WDW eats up a lot of time. Oh yeah really like your restaurant selections.

 

[katbair]

Well our trips are usually 10 days at the park and this is what we do. Three days at Magic Kingdom and 2 days each at the other parks and one day for pool/shopping in town (I resort hop that day). I am a retired Marine so sleeping in for me is sleeping past 04:45 hours. We are park commandoes and hit the park for the pre-opening breakfast and stay till close. One thing that eats up time is the girls love the deluxe dining plan and eating at WDW eats up a lot of time. Oh yeah really like your restaurant selections.

It's true that the dining plan eats up a lot of time, but since my husband isn't quite as much of a Disney fan as I am, it helps get him on board.
I think what will end up happening is that we will be park commandos for the first four days, one at each park, and then get tired out by that fifth day. After that, taking it easy, will most likely be a welcome respite. Though my kids are now all two years older since the last time we went, so they may be willing to hang out longer than I am giving them credit for.

 

[sponica]

I think the hardest part for me is going to be learning how to relax a bit. In the past, since we didn't have the time, I would over plan to the point of knowing where I wanted to be at exactly what time. Taking it easy is going to be a bit of a mind shift, but one I think I will enjoy. I'm in Disney.. I need to remember it's vacation.

I feel your pain, we're typically a 4 to 5 day trip family and I want the next one to be at least 7 to 8 days, so we don't feel AS rushed and we can actually enjoy the hotel.

 

[KenHutch]

It's true that the dining plan eats up a lot of time, but since my husband isn't quite as much of a Disney fan as I am, it helps get him on board.
I think what will end up happening is that we will be park commandos for the first four days, one at each park, and then get tired out by that fifth day. After that, taking it easy, will most likely be a welcome respite. Though my kids are now all two years older since the last time we went, so they may be willing to hang out longer than I am giving them credit for.

Oh you really do have to pace your trip with kids. Its different with me the girls go with me and I schedule lunches/dinner and fast passes for later in the day because my daughters mother/stepfather and assorted maternal relative all think sleeping till noon in WDW is cool.

 

[bphilb]

Our family typically takes long trips. We have done both 10 and 13 day trips on the Deluxe dining plan over the years. I agree with what most everyone is saying in that you need to be flexible. I would buy 10 day tickets because they get so cheap on longer stays, but there may be a day where you just to a park for a couple of hours to eat or watch a firework show. You will also spend a lot of time in restaurants. Doing two meals a day is essential, but you will likely spend 2.5 to 3 hours a day eating. It's more when you jump parks are head to a different resort. It's not bad, but keep it in mind. Throughout our trips we would typically cancel a couple of reservations and choose to eat somewhere closer. We would also skip some fast passes if we decide not to go to the park during those times. Also, look into other activities that you may not normally do. The VR experience at Disney Springs, Miniature Golf, Trivia Night at Port Orleans (Tuesday's) are all fun things to do that you may not try on a shorter trip. Your going to have a great time. Somehow the trip still goes by way to fast though.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

We always do 13 night stays (DVC) with 10 day tickets. We do 4 Days in MK, 3 Epcot, 2 AK and 1 DHS. We typically only take one rest day, though 2 of our Epcot days are sleep in days. We do 1 sit down meal per day, which gives us a short rest. We are rope drop to close people typically, but with so many park days you can really take it slow. We love the extra time to soak in all of the Disney details. We’ll usually also do 2 US days also. Since you’re staying at YC I would for sure take a full day to enjoy the amazing water area there. Long Disney trips are so much fun and it’s nice to know you don’t have to rush around to see everything.

 

[Nancyg56]

It's true that the dining plan eats up a lot of time, but since my husband isn't quite as much of a Disney fan as I am, it helps get him on board.
I think what will end up happening is that we will be park commandos for the first four days, one at each park, and then get tired out by that fifth day. After that, taking it easy, will most likely be a welcome respite. Though my kids are now all two years older since the last time we went, so they may be willing to hang out longer than I am giving them credit for.

My family likes the time dining takes, so we factor that into the planning. We all like the parks, but none of us wants to be there open to close, however it is easy to forget that mindset when making plans so far in advance. Adding the dining in helps to slow the pace down and forces you to relax.

I cannot tell if some of yoru meals are late breakfast or lunches, but if you want to space your TS meals apart you can book your first meal of the day to be late morning.

I also suggest on your party day you consider booking an early TS meal in the park. It starts to get crowded after 3, and having an ADR may actually save you time. I would book a 4:30 at Skippers or LTT, and then head out to enjoy the evening. Tony's reviews have been getting better, so if you want to start on Main Street you could look at that one as well.