How do you have a relaxing Disney vacation?

[esilanna]

Hey everyone!

My s/o and I are going on a relatively short Disney holiday from 8/9-8/12. We bought APs last year for his birthday, which expire the last day of our trip, so needless to say we have been to Disney several times this year. I have the tendency to over-do it and end up hot and exhausted, and we really want to take this time to relax. We are staying at the Beach Club and plan on really taking advantage of the pool, especially as it is our dream resort and we have never stayed there. We have a few dining reservations; we have FP+s, but we can take or leave them. We have plans of sleeping in and basically doing whatever we want.

So my question is... What do you do to relax on a Disney vacation? I'm interested to hear it!

 

[skippytx]

We take a break in the middle of the day, a siesta if you will. Usually spend some time in the pool or hot tub, maybe take a nap. The hot tub is amazing at rejuvenating my tired legs. We don't really go to WDW to relax though, we have other trips during the year we take to relax.

If we go for a longer trip we'll have a non park day. Sleep in, a nice lunch and some shopping at Disney Springs, more pool time, maybe resort hop and see the different resorts.

 

[craigkerstiens]

It sounds like you're doing it right. We try to do a year with AP and then take a year off. Pacing Disney is an amazing thing, for many years we would look at it as if we had to squeeze everything in because we didn't know when we may be back. Now we pretty well know there will be a next time not too far off. Not putting yourself on a schedule, sleeping in, gasp even skipping a fastpass if you would have to run/rush to make it, those things tend to make it a much more relaxing time. Oh, and drinks.

 

[TravelandLeisure]

Sadly, I can’t say that I’ve ever really “relaxed” on a Disney trip. I usually have intentions to, but when I get down there and in the Disney spirit that all goes out the window lol.

This December will be our first trip with a baby (10 month old), so we will definitely have to take it slower.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

My last trip 2 weeks ago is probably the most relaxed we've ever been. Yes, APs change everything, I feel like a reformed park commando....

Anyway, we stayed at the Boardwalk, so that made things easier. Our pattern was something like wake up between 6 - 7. Make lots of coffee in the room. Grab juice and pastries at the Boardwalk Bakery and eat outside on the boardwalk (the Doodle muffins are to die for). Head to a park and do FPs from 9 - noon. Maybe squeeze in a ride or two in between or pick up more FPs if available. Grab a quick lunch around 1 or 1:30 pm. Be sure to have 1 - 2 frozen adult beverages per day. Go to the pool. Spend lots of time floating around on the industrial pool noodles and watching the kids get spat out by the scary clown slide (they loved it !). About 5 or 5:30 head back to the room to change for dinner. Head out to a sit down dinner ADR in the parks or at a resort for about 7:30 pm. Get back to room by 10ish. Sleep. Repeat. Very chill. DH only said I'm Disney'ed out once, on our last day at AK, because "why is it so FREAKIN hot there? There are so many trees. WHy? WhY? IT mAkES nO SENSe"

 

[Christine]

OP, like you've I've always hard-charged it at Disney. Last year, we went in July and I'm getting older and, well, the heat just got to me. This was one of the first trips where I left the park at around lunch time and came back to the hotel for several hours. I relaxed by the pool, just people watched, etc. Then showered and went out for an early-ish dinner. I was SO much more refreshed than usual that I don't know why I didn't do this all the time (well, I do know why but that was when I had multiple kids on the trip). I had a great time leisurely touring the parks at night and felt great getting out of the heat and enjoying the resort.

 

[JerseyGuy24]

We have been to Disney several times over the years so we dont really feel the need to plan out an entire itinerary, follow it exactly, and rush around from place to place anymore. Dont get me wrong, we did that for many years and I know many people who will always do Disney that way. Now, that our daughter is a bit older(11), we get to the parks early, hit whatever rides we can and then whenever we feel like heading back to the pool we do. Then we head out for a nice dinner and maybe hit a couple more rides/shows/etc afterwards. We all realized that we enjoy Disney more if we arent in a frantic pace to do everything, and enjoy just being on vacation.

 

[Magical2017]

I don't relax in the same way I would on say, a cruise. We do bring board games and books to play/read in the evenings, and we do go to the pool midday. We try to have a resort day to rest after being in the parks all day.

 

[SaintsManiac]

We had a relaxing trip a couple of weeks ago. Slept in. Hung out at the pool and the resort. Enjoyed some lounges. Skipped out on the parks when the weather was bad. I actually read almost an entire book on that trip!

The heat and the rain pretty much forced us into relaxing mode.

 

[sponica]

Part of the non relaxing was due to short trips and do all the things. But honestly the most relaxing trip I did was short, we did a ton but added other things to the mix, like mini golf. Low crowd levels probably helped.

Next year we're going for more days so we actually get to enjoy the resort for which we are overpaying

 

[Oneanne]

I also do mid-day resort breaks for a power nap and re-fresh. Would also recommend taking breaks in the parks as well. The Nomad Lounge veranda is beautiful, the lounge at Brown Derby would be great for people watching.

 

[ChimCher-ee]

My last trip 2 weeks ago is probably the most relaxed we've ever been. Yes, APs change everything, I feel like a reformed park commando....

Anyway, we stayed at the Boardwalk, so that made things easier. Our pattern was something like wake up between 6 - 7. Make lots of coffee in the room. Grab juice and pastries at the Boardwalk Bakery and eat outside on the boardwalk (the Doodle muffins are to die for). Head to a park and do FPs from 9 - noon. Maybe squeeze in a ride or two in between or pick up more FPs if available. Grab a quick lunch around 1 or 1:30 pm. Be sure to have 1 - 2 frozen adult beverages per day. Go to the pool. Spend lots of time floating around on the industrial pool noodles and watching the kids get spat out by the scary clown slide (they loved it !). About 5 or 5:30 head back to the room to change for dinner. Head out to a sit down dinner ADR in the parks or at a resort for about 7:30 pm. Get back to room by 10ish. Sleep. Repeat. Very chill. DH only said I'm Disney'ed out once, on our last day at AK, because "why is it so FREAKIN hot there? There are so many trees. WHy? WhY? IT mAkES nO SENSe"

I stayed at the Boardwalk for the first time two weeks ago, and you have written the blueprint for the perfect relaxing stay! Except I was one of.the "kids" getting spat out the clown!

We kept our parks to just the ones we could walk to, though, for the four-day trip.

We even went to Jelly Rolls, called it a night around 9:30, and still didn't feel rushed.

So, this gets my vote for the perfect plan for a relaxing vacation at the Beach Club, OP!

 

[jbehr12]

Hey everyone!

My s/o and I are going on a relatively short Disney holiday from 8/9-8/12. We bought APs last year for his birthday, which expire the last day of our trip, so needless to say we have been to Disney several times this year. I have the tendency to over-do it and end up hot and exhausted, and we really want to take this time to relax. We are staying at the Beach Club and plan on really taking advantage of the pool, especially as it is our dream resort and we have never stayed there. We have a few dining reservations; we have FP+s, but we can take or leave them. We have plans of sleeping in and basically doing whatever we want.

So my question is... What do you do to relax on a Disney vacation? I'm interested to hear it!

Do some relaxed bar hopping. I went for a solo trip in May and my most relaxing memory was from a monorail crawl around the magic kingdom getting a drink at each resort. You see a lot in a small period of time and it’s quite relaxing, especially sitting back in the monorail to your next location. Then take it to Epcot for a stroll around world showcase

 

[NickC]

Although we don't really relax on Disney vacations, every year we go, we get better and better at slowing down. Since you are at the Beach Club, I would suggest taking advantage of the proximity to Epcot. We've stayed there a few times, and would make dinner reservations at our favorite places in WS. Then we would either walk back, or watch Illuminations. The pool at BC is spectacular as well.

 

[thepicklebee]

I have done everything from the big family trip with 3 families to just our little family to just my hubs and I. Our couples trips are by far the most relaxing. We know we will be back, so we have zero interest in trying to cram everything in.

We make liberal use of lounges and bars (expedition Everest at night after a few drinks is a new level of fun), and really just spend more time engaged with each other and talking about what’s going on around us.

Sometimes we go back to the hotel in the afternoons, sometimes we just hop to a different park. We are very go with the flow.

 

[Scubadaddy32]

OP sounds like you have a good plan.
I call all my vacations "playcations" so that shows my type A personality, but we did slow it down a bit the last trip.
Not getting up early, making FP's after 11 AM. Taking time to go back to the hotel and freshen up a bit at some point during the day and eating at some of the restaurants at the hotels and Disney Springs at night.
Being night owls, we took advantage of some of the After Hours events and EPCOT Extra Magic Hours which were wonderful as we leisurely rode all of the most popular attractions in the park multiple times.
Being at Beach Club take advantage of EPCOT Extra Magic if available. In the two hours the last time we went, we were able to ride Test Track, Soarin and Frozen 3 times (end of the night) in those two hours at a very leisurely pace.

 

[KMWoolley]

"Relaxed Disney Vacation" is an oxymoron to me, I always feel like I need a vacation after my vacation

...and I wouldn't have it any other way

 

[PSUGuy]

We're basically Food&Wine folks but even when we go other times we have the same loose plan. Hit a non-EMH park at RD, tour until noon or so then hop to WS, often with a snack and pool break at Board Walk where we always stay. Late afternoon it's another such break then we enjoy the buskers on the Boards and maybe take in Illuminations or its replacement in the evening.

"Relaxed Disney Vacation" is an oxymoron to me...always feel like I need a vacation after my vacation

This used to be us until 2005 when low Jan crowds allowed us to try a different path.

Bill From PA

 

[Ksquared]

We have done lots of trips esp when the kids were younger we were we always on the go. But one trip in particular, I remember being in HS and we were only there an hour and the kids kept saying they wanted to go back and go in the pool. And I looked at my husband and said, why not if that's what they want to do then so be it. And that was the beginning to us trying to "go with the flow" as much as possible. I cancelled most of the reservations for our upcoming trip (we are not on the dining plan). We still do FP, still plan which parks we will go to but we also have a day w/o any parks scheduled with dinner and walking around Disney Springs and if we decide to park hop, not park hop, go in the pool, hang out in our room, that's all up in the air once we get there.

 

[cgattis]

We hardly ever take time to watch all the movies in Epcot. Maybe a whole afternoon/evening snacking, drinking, and watching movies around WS or do one or two on a couple of evenings? There’s also the spa at the Dolphin but it’s a touch pricey for the quality of the experience IMO—treatments were fine, but the relaxation area was just meh (looks awesome but feels too bright and loud). I also love just strolling around the lake at night and looking at all the lights . It’s a lovely resort area.