Sleeping in while on a Disney vacation is a big “no-no”. Why would you want to waste your day away when you could be up and in the parks having a magical time? We all know that a trip to Disney World is not cheap. Why not think through how to get up and go every morning without wasting your precious park time? Today I am doing the prep work for you and sharing my tips for getting out of bed and into action! You’ll be on Splash Mountain faster than you can say rabbit in the briar patch! So, what are you waiting for? Get up and GO!
Sort it out
If you are staying on property, chances are bathroom space is going to be limited! Taking a moment to think through bathing and prep time will save you a chunk of time in the morning. I know there are many schools of thought on bathing. I hope this doesn’t overstep my blogging boundaries, but I vote splitting up the shower schedule. As a woman who fully utilizes my makeup and hair time, I opt for the night shift when it comes to getting clean. I have a lot of hair. It takes a long time to get it dry, let alone make it look presentable. Kids are also good candidates for nighttime baths. I like being clean before I go to bed so I don’t really mind not getting a shower in the am. That’s just me, but I know that having a shower schedule has helped my family get up and going in the morning!
Do your prep work the night before
I know how tired I am when I return to my resort room after a long Disney day. I am guilty of falling asleep in the bus (hehehe 😀 ) only to be blinded by the overhead lights and squealing doors. I know my first instinct upon returning “home” is to grab a shower and hit the sack! But, the sensible side of me says, “get everything ready before you go to sleep”. Be ready and the morning will be easier! Here is what I propose: do as much prep work as possible the night before. Picking out clothing, packing your park bag, and filling up on water bottles or snack baggies the night before will cut down your time in the morning. If you are taking advantage of special experiences, for example the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, take a moment to get together anything you’ll need (if you are bringing your own dress or accessories). Finally, take a minute to look over your dining reservations and itinerary to make sure you know when and where you are supposed to be! Trust me, the “morning you” will be ever so grateful.
Have a plan
Having a plan for what park(s) you’ll visit on what day can save you from the inevitable “I don’t care, I’m with you battle”. You know the one, where you say, “what park should we go to today?” and 30 minutes later you are still deciding! I generally start one place and hop my way across the property over the course of the day. I like to have a plan for the start of my day though! Planning with dining reservations and events in mind helps me to get my morning going!
Make a “Deadline”
Okay, just so this makes sense, this is a deadline is talking about deadline for leaving your resort room. I like having deadlines because there is no grey area. Everyone knows the expectation and dilly-dallying just gets cut out. I say make a firm deadline time for leaving and hold everyone to it. This is especially effective for the last few days where you are tired and want to sleep in. The figurative “bus pulls out at X am” will get you up and out of there!
I hope these suggestions will get you and your crew out the door and into the parks! Some days, especially after long days of fun in the park, I really do feel like sleeping in. In fact, until I’ve had my first cup of coffee, I am seriously no good! What do you do to get out and into the parks? Leave your suggestions below in the comments!
As always, thanks for reading!
For more tips, tricks, and ideas for making your trip to Disney World magical, visit my blog Disney Done Right
See ya real soon!
Ashley
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When me and my wife go, we are usually so tired from working that the first day we just veg out and do nothing. Most days after, we go early to the park then go back and take a nap. Only way to do it in my opinion.
I think that an argument can be made for going in later to the parks and taking advantage of the late extra magic hours. This is especially helpful when you travel from the west coast because that time jump is a killer. By noonish people are leaving Animal Kingdom in droves and the crowds of Future World have moved on to the World Showcase.
My sister and I decided to take a trip together a few years ago – just us – no one else. Every morning I got up early, showered, dressed and then went to the food court to get her coffee (she can’t get moving without it either). By the time I got back she usually would just be getting out of the shower and would be eternally greatful to me and we would be out of the room in 15 minutes or less! I’m so used to getting up early that I can’t sleep in no matter how hard I try. I also have a plan. I am going in December and I’ve had my itinery since June. I have some dining reservations but I know everyday which park we are going to. We might hop later on, but at least I know where we are headed first. I hate going round and round with no one giving an answer as to where to go today, so I just take control :o) I have to have a plan!
I suggest keeping your routine that you have at home (unless that is sleep til noon) as much as possible. If you normally get up at 6:30 everyday than do that your body is already used to it. I generally get up the same time everyday (no sleeping in on weekends). I do take the occasional nap in the afternoon on a Saturday and understand that if you get tired take a nap in the afternoon it is so hot then anyway. I went on a large family trip and found it to be a total waste of time not getting into the park at rope drop. the next to last day I got my niece up early and took her to MK where we got there at rope drop and road the train to frontier land then got right on big thunder mountain railroad then right on splash mountain then quickly through the haunted mansion then right over to space mountain. All withing about 2 hours. That was the most we got done in a park out of all of the days there. If your a coffee drinker make plans to have it in your room as it is a long walk to the food court, or at least have a plan to have someone go and get you something while you are getting ready.