If you were going to do a park-focused trip, how many days is enough/too much? Don’t consider finances or other commitments. Only consider exhaustion, things to do, crowds, and fun! Stipulation is you have to do parks for the majority of every park day but you can take just 1 rest day total. Maybe RD-dinner or late start-close?
We are planning to do 9 park days during our trip in addition to a “rest” day in the middle (1E, 2MK, 3AK, 4HS, 5MK, 6rest, 7E, 8AK, 9MK, 10TBD on departure day). I’m second guessing my plans 2 weeks out as I’m worried we will get burnt out especially with the high spring break crowds (today, even Barnstormer posted a 60 min wait!) and I’m not good at calling audibles to bag an evening or skip a RD on the fly. 4 kids ages 7-17? Too much?
I doubt that you’ll run out of things to do, especially if it’s high CLs with longer waits. I’m a pretty active 60 year old who does well with short sleep nights, but four full park days in a row is my limit; and I prefer three - and I only go during the cooler, less crowded months. My next trip will be 5 (full) park days and I am planning a non park day in the middle.
I love to go for 10 nights and will be in the parks for at least 9 of those. My 2 favorite parks to start off with are EP or AK, and do the other the 2nd day, then maybe MK or HS, and do the one I haven’t done. Then maybe MK again. In the planning stages, figure out where we want to eat to get what parks we will be going to on that day. I know that in the past on a 10 night stay, I’ve spent 3 days at MK, 2 at each of the others. I am not a big PH fan but have done that to split it up.
We only done 5 day and 4 day trips (no rest days and no parks on travel days).
This year we’re doing a 7 day trip with 6 park days and 1 rest day (again no parks on travel days). We are going to MK for a few hours on our rest day for dinner and HEA. Ideally, I’d love to have two days for each park - we have small children and like doing RD-early afternoon so we’d feel less rushed with 2 days per park.
I have 8 planned for me and DH in October with one off day in the middle and a couple RDs to mid afternoon and a couple late starts to close, but the parks close early. It is more tiring when you have kids because they have expectations too. I know I am not much help, but I might keep what I have but try not to be disappointed (it’s hard I know) if you have to change plans mid-stream
Right now we have 9 nights planned with 2 free/waterpark days for June. 2 days MK, 2 days EP, 1 day HS, and 1.5 day AK. Last day DS because we ship souvenirs home. While we could spend the whole time in the parks and not run out of things to do, we plan midday breaks. Whether any of us feel like taking a break or not when time comes, no big deal either way. We do have TS lunches so there is a bit of a break indoors already. I’ve given DD10 a “must do” list for each park, but she is limited to 1 ride and 1 character M&G a day. It seems like a small amount but it is easier to limit it beforehand and be able to do more later.
I think the weather would drive our ability to make it in the parks this many days in a row. We did 9 park days in a row last month but the weather was just about perfect and it didn’t feel physically taxing as far as the heat factor was concerned. The last two days were low 80s and I could just tell mid-way through those days that it was draining us faster than the other days’ weather.
All that to say, I LOVED having this much park time. It really helped me to slow down our pace and enjoy the little things we missed when we were speeding from attraction to attraction.
I don’t think it’s too much. I think the rest day is great. I’m not a huge fan of PH when the group is a larger. I love PH on adults only trips. I plan either RD to dinner or late afternoon to close too instead of RD to lunch, break, back to the park. ( easier for my group of 8)
On my next trip for 8 nights, 9 days, I have 6 park days and a hard ticket for MNSSHP plus we will schedule 1water park day prior to a later night at a park. I keep my travel days light on purpose, after missing a firework cruise due to a very delayed flight in the past. Now I usually head to Disney Springs on the first night.
The longest I have ever done (with DD-now-21-then-13) was 12 nights and we had a blast and did everything, somethings multiple times. There is a lot to do. It doesn’t have to all be done on one visit, but if you want to do it all on a longer visit, you won’t run out of stuff.
That’s a good rule. We have a travel day on either side. Our 1st travel day is only from home to spend night at airport which is a few hours drive as we have a 5 am flight with a just-before-7 am arrival to MCO. Last day is to head home.
I don’t think we will! With kids in the kid, tween, and teen ages, someone is a fan of almost everything so we do a variety of attractions for sure. I’m more worried about burn out with high CLs.
We haven’t done this in the past as the one or two times we’ve tried to take a break, getting back to the resort was more tiring than relaxing. Once we didn’t even return for F! even though we’d gotten the dining package. However, I will add that we usually go in November or March (although we’ve been in Oct, Nov, Dec, March, May but we’ve never been during late May- September time frame) so weather has never been a driving force (it’s been near 90 a few days but not face of the sun heat!). That would probably change everything.
That’s what I was hoping. That we wouldn’t feel rushed all the time except in the morning to get to the park. We are planning 5 RDs (4 for the teens who agreed to RD 1x per park), 3 later starts, and 1 rest day in addition to our arrival day where we are scheduled to land at 7am.
Hoping the weather isn’t too warm at the end of March. I had to buy a hoodie last May as it was chilly and rainy for our trip so you never know–could be 65 or 100 in March.
And @DeepInTheHeartofTexas, thanks for your trip report. I had gotten a little bored with the idea of the trip and planning and winter/life here was getting me down but reading your report and seeing all your pictures really got me excited again!!
That is exactly what we try to do. Although we do have two RD-close days planned (park day 2 and 4) and a couple shorter days as well.
Sounds wonderful! No doubt you didn’t run out of things to do. There is so much. I’ve been to Disney 16 times I think and I still have never ridden the Liberty Boat not that it’s thrilling but gotta do it sometime.