With a 7 year old daughter, I’m planning on heeding the common advice of taking breaks back at the hotel (WL for us). How long do you recommend taking for this rest? Currently, I have two days where we arrive at rope drop (one day 9am, one day 8am), stop for lunch at 11am (eating in the park), then leaving right after lunch for 4 hours… so basically stopping for 5 straight hours starting at 11am and picking back up at 4pm. The big break is due to me figuring that if we’re going to go all the way to the hotel and back, we might as well take a long enough break to be worth it, but is this size of break overkill?
If we arrived at 9 am, 11 am would be too early to break. You are a pretty quick boat ride back to your resort from MK. If DD is hungry, I think I’d do a light snack and eat lunch out of the park. Get in some more fun
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I am going in October with a 2 year old and a 6 year old. We are planning to be there at RD for opening or EMH every day (I have early birds). I am planning to tour til 12:30-1:30 depending on the day, and then be back in the park between 4-5 (some days we’ll be doing other stuff that’s not as intense as parks in the evenings). I figure my 2 year old needs a full 2 hour nap. If he has at least 3-4 hours, he’ll have time to wind down, take a nap, and then motivate. He’s the kind of kid who can just be thrown in the stroller with a snack when he wakes up.
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It depends on the temperament of the child, and what they can do. I would wait until 1 to take a break regardless. My daughter was a travel dynamo at that age, and she could go open to close without complaint.
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With my 7 year old, I watch for the signs – as soon as she starts acting in the slightest way bored or grumpy, I know it is time either for a snack break or time to leave the park. Honestly, if she starts at 8, she’s usually ready to break at 11, 11:30. We rest for an hour, swim some, and head back out around 4:00. I know others might think it is a waste of park time, but it is enough for this age and keeps us from wearing down. The few times we have stayed til 1:00-2:00 I have regretted it.
I would say, you know your kid, just watch for her signs. 
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I agree with your thoughts about taking a proper break. We found that 1-5 or 2-6 worked well for us. By the time you get out of the park, back to your hotel, argue a non-napping child into a nap (or change for pool time), get ready to go back to the park and then take transportation back…you need a bit of time.
I’m heading down in a few weeks with my 5&7 yr olds…there will be breaks (and hardly any super-late nights). They are morning kids, so I’d rather head to bed at a reasonable time and hit RD the next day. Those first couple of hours in the park are golden.
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What is this thing you call a “break”?? 
I think that your planned break time is too long. Do your lunch break as planned, and then tour until about 1:00, taking advantage of the fact that many guests will be eating at 12:00 and the lines may be a little bit shorter.
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Haha. Yes. Are we speaking English?
I think the length of you break sounds about right - particularly if the break involves more than a nap (eg swimming, looking at the resort etc). The only thing I would change would be to tour until about 1 and then go back to the hotel.
We’re strict mid-day breakers, following the Unofficial Guide on our first trip, and have become firm believers in it.
- Break just before lunch
- Lay down in the AC hotel room with lights off, curtains drawn
- Make sure you set an alarm for no more than 4 hours away from the park
- Afternoon iced coffee upon return to the parks
- Party on, Bill and Ted
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