Changing the way I do Disney

drag n' fly

Sassy, salty and sweet....
Joined
Jun 6, 2006
Been doing Disney since 1982. I still really enjoy Disney, but I just don't have the stamina to follow park itineraries, fast passes, line waiting etc anymore. My kids are grown but I don't have grandchildren yet. I'm unable to work as I became disabled due to some major back problems.
But I still love the magic of Disney and would still love to travel there but do it differently and at a slower pace. Any suggestions?
Do we have an over 50 forum for us Disney people? If not we really need one. Tia
 
I think changing up what you do is a great idea. The first question you should ask yourself is what you enjoy most in WDW. Maybe RD is perfect for you, but nightly fireworks are just too much. Or maybe you can't make it out of the hotel before lunch but can't miss the fireworks. Get rid of the things you don't really care about. Take more days and do less on them. Still love Haunted Mansion, but your back twinges on Space Mountain? You know what to do. Or, if you still love Space Mountain, but are afraid it'll hurt you, do it last. That way, you're not in the middle of a tour.

Take time to sit at the pool, or go golfing, or over to Disney Springs for a movie.

Rent a scooter for the parks. You don't have to be disabled or even need one ever at home to recognize what a lifesaver a scooter can be in a park.

Your vacation is about what will make you happy, not how much you can do for the value of the ticket/resort.
 
I think changing up what you do is a great idea. The first question you should ask yourself is what you enjoy most in WDW. Maybe RD is perfect for you, but nightly fireworks are just too much. Or maybe you can't make it out of the hotel before lunch but can't miss the fireworks. Get rid of the things you don't really care about. Take more days and do less on them. Still love Haunted Mansion, but your back twinges on Space Mountain? You know what to do. Or, if you still love Space Mountain, but are afraid it'll hurt you, do it last. That way, you're not in the middle of a tour.

Take time to sit at the pool, or go golfing, or over to Disney Springs for a movie.

Rent a scooter for the parks. You don't have to be disabled or even need one ever at home to recognize what a lifesaver a scooter can be in a park.

Your vacation is about what will make you happy, not how much you can do for the value of the ticket/resort.

Great advice! The tickets are so expensive and the cost to get there is so high I even wonder if it's worth it sometimes. There's this old mentality of trying to get my money's worth but I just can't keep up the pace anymore.
I would just love to go to Disney and get up when I want, do what I want when I want.
I hate the idea of renting a scooter but my kids said they won't go if I don't rent one lol.
Time to start planning!
 
I'm in
the same boat
I had a talk with one of my sons last night and expressed my concerns regarding my stamina due to back/ leg problems.
I'm currently 1/2 time at work till Jan when the doctor will reassess the situation.
I may be a candidate for a scooter this year and getting my head around that is hard.
What I really need is a guaranteed place to sit and rest .

My plans are not set in stone and will probably change ..............................

Day 1 -Unpack and CHILL at resort upon arrival and maybe an evening visit to Disney Springs. I have a small bottle of rum I picked up while airmiling and plan to have a few drinks by the pool,,which is something I never took time to do in the past.
We are staying at OKW Resort.

Day 2 -SLEEP in and late brunch at Disney springs and maybe a dine in movie/Shop.

Day 3 -- get up EARLY as we going to Uber it over to Royal Pacific Resort.
check out U/O with early admittance and front of the line pass.
This was a BIG expense but will make my trip more doable if you know what i mean.
Be back at the resort in time for evening snacks because I booked club level.

Day 4 ---- EARLY admittance to U/O and maybe lunch at the three broomsticks.
I am going to take it one step at a time.OR :moped::moped::moped:

Day 5 ----- SLEEP in and chill at the resort/Pool day.
I may look into a pedicure at Saratoga Springs Resort.

Day 6------ By myself (sons are not interested) Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.
I have learned to utilize FP+ and use the boat service around the World Showcase.
I am usually done by 1pm,,(physically) and will head back to the resort for an early evening.
I have no interest in seeing the fireworks as I've seen them a million times.

Day 7 -------- Our departure/flight time is late evening so I am going to SLEEP in and then
head to Disney Springs for some last minute shopping.

This year I am planning Chill/Relax days and do not feel the need each visit to do the Parks.
Last year with my granddaughter we were go! go! go! in every Park and I was miserable by the end of the trip.
My biggest complaint is the lack of places to sit for a break at Disney Parks,,maybe this is because I now have the need for
taking frequent breaks. (Bring back the benches Disney!!!).
There are many more rides that I can no longer do,, due to my back/leg problems.
Some of Disney's rides are definitely old and in need of upgrading.

I also am a big fan of Dessert Parties as I am usually looking for seating.

Lots of Magic is still there for me but just in a different way.
Hugs to you
Mel
 
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You don't have to have physical limitations to want this kind of vacation. After doing Disney commando style for many years I now want to do what I want, when I want, how I want. I want to see (and eat!) the things that are new since I was there last, and revisit my favourites, but I am past feeling the need to go so hard that I need a week's vacation to recover from my vacation! Alternate early to bed, early to rise, with sleep late and stay out late. Add in a day with no fps or adrs and just get on the first bus that arrives and let chance take you to a destination. The new pre-ordering option at a lot of counterservice restaurants make this kind of touring easier, and eating at lounges that don't take adrs would work well too. And take advantage of every Photopass photographer you see!

Get the scooter, take the breaks, lounge at the pool, enjoy your resort, don't apologize and don't feel like you're not getting your money's worth for the expense of a Disney vacation. It's like going to a buffet and only eating the prime rib because it's the most expensive item; you also need a scoop of inexpensive potatoes to balance it out :)

And I do plan to take my own advice this time!
 
I agree with the suggestions already made ... there are lots of ways to enjoy being at Disney without the push to do everything. I've been going since 1971 (yes i AM that old :P ) and even though I know that every trip might be the last one I've stopped the "OMG i need to do ___ or I've wasted time/money"

You will need to look at what your absolute "I can't miss ___ or it isn't Disney" and then be brutally honest with yourself. Don't set yourself up for failure before you even leave home either, if you know it's going to be hard to get to the airport for a flight that leaves at 8 am (which does have the appeal of arriving in Orlando early but ..) then book a flight that leaves at a more civilized time. You might also appreciate taking a late flight home since it's rather rude way to end the trip with a pre-dawn pick up by the Tragically Depressed bus.

Book your trip around your resort --- this will not be a "sleep & shower only" trip anymore, you will want a comfy bed, space to rest and a more relaxing environment than most of the Value resorts offer. If you can afford it you might want to look at renting points to stay at one of the DVC resorts to get more space, and what is often an easier way to get to either the parks or Disney Springs. You haven't mentioned what your time frame is but i would suggest avoiding any of the typically busy times -- any of the American holidays that involve long weekends, Christmas, spring breaks etc. Even though there are no true down times anymore there are times of the year that are significantly slower -- check out one of the sites that have crowd calendars for the past few years to see what might be quieter. ** Also try to avoid the hotter months because we find the older we get the less we can tolerate the heat & humidity.

If animals are the only thing you go to AK for then you can make a trip to AKL and wander around there instead of tackling the park with lots of walking and few rides that are "gentle". There are some very quiet areas to watch the animals and chat with CM who are more than willing to tell you about their home lives. I can easily spend 2 or 3 hours at that resort alone! No need for a dining reservation, their quick service has excellent food and you can take it out the patio and relax. We go to all of the Deluxe resorts with the same plan, wander around the resort, poke around in the girt shop, have a drink or snack in the lounge, simply sit in the lobby and people watch.

For the days you do go to parks make good use of your FP+s, if you like to sleep in and have a slower approach to the day, eat breakfast late enough that it is also your lunch and head to your first ride around 1. If you like to get an early start then book your FP+ early and plan to leave around lunch. Take a break from the park and have a meal at one of the resorts -- monorail/ferry to any of the 4 MK resorts, or the boats to the resorts close to EPCOT & the Studios. If you have to see fireworks for your trip to be complete, there are ways to watch them without dealing with the pressure of the crowds -- already mentioned is paying to go to a dessert party but if that isn't in the budget you can see all of them from outside the actual parks -- for MK go to any of the monorail resorts and watch from the beach or dock area or go to the ferry dock --- they even pipe in the music there. EPCOT and Studio you can see from areas outside as well. If you are there during "party season" you might want to consider going to one of those instead of a day. You can rest till late afternoon, head over to MK and enjoy lighter crowds as well as cooler temps.

For us it is being in the Bubble is what's important, so we take the time to explore and enjoy that feeling. Try Disney Transportation Roulette: get on the first method of transportation and get off wherever it's headed. If you're not going to the park then you hop off and get on the closest bus and head to THAT resort. Make that the day's event, go to different food courts to see what their specialty is and have it! Take time to chat with CMs everywhere, they enjoy the time to talk with someone who isn't complaining. Make your dining reservations at odd times -- either beginning of service or middle of the day when you won't be rushed and the staff has more time to spend with you.

There's nothing wrong with turning on the tv to the resort channel, listening to the music loop and reading (hubby found that on Youtube when we got home and streams it when he's stressed :rotfl2:) while sipping on a beverage of your choice! If all you want is to have pizza in bed while watching TV, then do that!! Above all, this is "me time" no one else to answer to or explain why you're not doing more. Rent a scooter so you have a place to rest, there are some companies that will deliver it to your resort so you have it for your entire vacation, no shame in using one if it helps you do more. You can do a slower trip and still come home feeling like you've been to Disney with just a little adjustment, mainly in attitude before you leave home. Have a blast, and make this trip just as magical as the ones you've had before.
 
I'm only 43 but we've been going once a year (and sometimes twice) for the past 10 years. After 15 or more trips I just don't have the will to frog march through the parks from dawn until dusk. In fact, we never did that. We always took breaks in the afternoon but even that doesn't do it for me anymore.
What we've been doing is staying offsite in condos (Silver Lake, Bonnet Creek, Sheraton Vistana). We only want to go to the parks on half of our days, and spend the rest of them shopping, lounging by the pool, sleeping in... relaxing stuff. If we take every other day off we are refreshed and ready to go on our park days.

I relate to the struggle of not wanting to "waste park time" after paying so much for tickets. So now we earn our tickets through airmiles, do half the park days that we used to, and make sure to do plenty of relaxing in between. After 12 trips onsite, offsite works better for us now. :)

ETA) I now have to pay more attention to weather than I used to as well. We used to have no trouble going in the August heat and making it work. This last trip I found it harder. Unfortunately with our kids at 20 and 13, we have to work around their schedules and summer works best. But if we can make a cooler time of year work it will be a lot easier to be in the parks during the day.
 
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I've had serious issues with my large joints for more than 10 years but still go to WDW from 1-3 times every year. We started going regularly 12 years ago and have never missed since then. There have been a few times that I was in so much pain that I had to rent a wheelchair and I don't give in easily but I did it and if need be in the future I will do it again. Since those days I have found ways to manage my pain on a daily basis but when I'm at WDW I do need to take regular breaks. With the amount of time we spend at WDW we are just happy to be there and have no desire to 'do it all'. We will start our days out early with as many standby lines as we can fit in before the waits become 30+ minutes. By that point we will have an early lunch and then go to our FP+. In the afternoon we usually go back to the resort to take a break and go back around dinner time and stay as long as we want. Often we don't even do any rides. It's just really nice(for us) to be in the park and browse the shops, stroll around, maybe take in the evening shows(fireworks etc) and soak up the atmosphere. Granted, I may not feel that this is a good plan if I were paying for my park tickets. I too get them from Air Miles and have for the last 10 years.
 
We are 55+ and now buy annual passes not just for resort discounts (we go twice a year for at least 10 days a trip). The ability to spend 4 hours in a park instead of trying to get our money's worth out of a $100+ daily ticket is very game changing. We still love to make a fast pass or 2 but enjoy a lot of pool time, and pick and choose when and where we go each day.
 
Well Disneyland is much more laid back that WDW and you could totally do a 'relaxing' vacation with the two parks. ADRs are 60 days out, but not absolutely necessary unless you're aiming for character dining or the F! meals. Plan your rides the day you're in the park. Stay across the street on Harbor and get a 5 minute walk back to the hotel to relax. Totally doable on the West Coast.
 
Try a Disney Cruise, it's a great alternative! This is what we have doing, one year at the parks then next we do a Disney Cruise, The cruise gives me a good amount of Disney but allows for more down time!
 
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We’ve been going for many years, so we now take longer trips, 10-14 days and tour at a relaxed pace. FP+ is great on those days you want a sleep in.
We typically go to the park for rope drop, leave for the afternoon back to resort for pool break if it’s warm. Or rest in room. Then go back to park in evening.
 
We have changed the way we do Disney. We go for about 3 weeks every January. For two of the last three years we have not gone to the Disney parks.

We are DVC so we get a Tables in Wonderland card for the dining discounts and usually do one TS meal a day. We generally have a vehicle for part of the trip so pick up groceries and wine to have in the room. (For most of the trip we have a one bedroom unit so we have a full kitchen.)

I will generally do an hour plus walk every morning, work for a few hours remotely, go out for a late lunch, perhaps wander around a bit (less energetic walk), work for a bit more and enjoy the evening. Usually wine and cheese at some point back in our room.

We change resorts a couple of time during the three weeks so our walks and evening entertainment varies.

Usually

AKV - no good walking trails but you can watch the animals, talk with the interpreters and there is usually evening presentations on different African nations by a cast member from that country (The dine with an animal expert at Sanaa is good value and interesting.)

VWL - walking trail to the campground is pleasant, you can take a boat to the other MK resorts and check out their activities, Territorial Lounge has good light food and Artists Point is nice for a treat, you can see the fireworks and the Electric Water Pageant from the beach (or your room depending on the view)

OKW/SSR - good walking trail between the two and around, lots of restaurant choices at Disney Springs (We enjoy Raglan Road)

BCV/BW - you can walk around the lake and watch the high fireworks from Epcot. I find this the hardest area not to go to the parks as you are trapped between two.

When we do not have a pass we have taken one of the tours that did not require a pass. (They are pricey but are interesting and gives you your Disney fix.)

With the dining discount some of the character meals can supply Disney entertainment as well.

Last year we did get a pass, they had a 13 month annual pass so we will get two trips (six weeks). With the FP+ we scheduled the key ‘rides’ reducing the ‘stress’ of having to go to the ride and get the fast passes. We find we can visit Animal Kingdom and take in a number of the activities that do not have line ups (trails, Flights of Wonder, Festival of the Lion King, …). We also find the food at this park more reasonable and interesting. We have not been since Pandora opened so it likely is busier now.

With park passes we also enjoy the concerts at EPCOT (Garden Rocks or Eat to the Beat). It would be nice if the EPCOT after 4:00 pm pass was available to more than just Florida residents.

The years we did not get a Disney pass we did get a Universal AP which was much less expensive (also scheduled to get two years). It is not Disney but the Harry Porter section is great and it gives you some of the park excitement. We booked a night or two at a Universal hotel to get the Express Pass. (I hate lines.)
 
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We have change the way we do Disney. We go for about 3 weeks every January. For two of the last three years we have not gone to the Disney parks.

We are DVC so we get a Tables in Wonderland card for the dining discounts and usually do one TS meal a day. We generally have a vehicle for part of the trip so pick up groceries and wine to have in the room. (For most of the trip we have a one bedroom unit so we have a full kitchen.)

I will generally do an hour plus walk every morning, work for a few hours remotely, go out for a late lunch, perhaps wander around a bit (less energetic walk), work for a bit more and enjoy the evening. Usually wine and cheese at some point back in our room.

We change resorts a couple of time during the three weeks so our walks and evening entertainment varies.

Usually

AKV - no good walking trails but you can watch the animals, talk with the interpreters and there is usually evening presentations on different African nations by a cast member from that country (The dine with an animal expert at Sanaa is good value and interesting.)

VWL - walking trail to the campground is pleasant, you can take a boat to the other MK resorts and check out their activities, Territorial Lounge has good light food and Artists Point is nice for a treat, you can see the fireworks and the Electric Water Pageant from the beach (or your room depending on the view)

OKW/SSR - good walking trail between the two and around, lots of restaurant choices at Disney Springs (We enjoy Raglan Road)

BCV/BW - you can walk around the lake and watch the high fireworks from Epcot. I find this the hardest area not to go to the parks as you are trapped between two.

When we do not have a pass we have taken one of the tours that did not require a pass. (They are pricey but are interesting and gives you your Disney fix.)

With the dining discount some of the character meals can supply Disney entertainment as well.

Last year we did get a pass, they had a 13 month annual pass so we will get two trips (six weeks). With the FP+ we scheduled the key ‘rides’ reducing the ‘stress’ of having to go to the ride and get the fast passes. We find we can visit Animal Kingdom and take in a number of the activities that do not have line ups (trails, Flights of Wonder, Festival of the Lion King, …). We also find the food at this park more reasonable and interesting. We have not been since Pandora opened so it likely is busier now.

With park passes we also enjoy the concerts at EPCOT (Garden Rocks or Eat to the Beat). It would be nice if the EPCOT after 4:00 pm pass was available to more than just Florida residents.

The years we did not get a Disney pass we did get a Universal AP which was much less expensive (also scheduled to get two years). It is not Disney but the Harry Porter section is great and it gives you some of the park excitement. We booked a night or two at a Universal hotel to get the Express Pass. (I hate lines.)

The evening presentations (Cultural Safari) is my fav thing to do at AKL.

Love Universal. I think the rides are amazing. Esp Harry Potter. Last visit we had a 3 day pass and could easily have done 4 days. Staying on property was the best, Portofino was amazing.

We loved the lakeshore path from WL to Ft W. too bad it’s closed now, but guess paved path is stil open. Just not as pretty & scenic.
I couldn’t stay in any resort where I could see a park and not have tickets.
 
What about Disneyland? Way less walking.Walk to the parks. Use Maxpass to book your fp's every morning when you enter the parks.
 
Such great responses thank you. Disney is one of the very few places I can travel alone and feel safe.
Utilizing my ticket in the manner that is best for me and not cramming it in to get value is a work in progress. Flights and tickets are not cheap.
So far I've done 13 to wdw, 9 to dl and 6 dc.
I just want to do Disney at my pace, enjoy the attention to detail and really take the time to appreciate the things I never got to in the past.
So much effort is put in by the imagineers that I would love to really slow down and appreciate it.
The last 2.5 years have been the worst of my life and Disney has always been my go to happy place. I'm really looking forward to experiencing the parks at a much slower pace!
 
Well I just got back from my trip and I have to report that I did not take my own advice at all, lol! All the best plans to take it easy and yet I was frequently limping back to POP at midnight or later. I guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks after all :P
 

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