I first published this article over 2 years ago. I felt it was time to revisit. Things change, the parks have changed. The whole point to Crushing It! is to go with the flow and adapt. So here ya go Enjoy!

Let me tell you a story. Back in the late ’90s when our kids were young, we attacked Disney parks like we were storming the beaches of Normandy. We’d sprint from rope drop to the final fireworks, hitting every ride, every show, every character meet-and-greet we could squeeze into those precious park hours. We came home exhausted, blistered, and honestly? It was a blast.

But then something changed. We started bringing my dear mother-in-law along on these trips. Now, she was in fantastic shape for her mid-60s—walked every day, did water aerobics, the whole nine yards. But there was simply no way she could keep up with our military-style park assault. We had two choices: leave her behind (not an option) or completely rethink how we did Disney.

Turns out, slowing down was the best thing that ever happened to our Disney trips.

The Wake-Up Call

That first trip with Mother-In-Law Dear was a learning experience. We tried to maintain our usual pace, but by 11 AM she was ready to plant herself on a bench and not move for hours. The kids were getting cranky. Dear Wife and I were playing referee between tired children and an even more tired Grandma . It wasn’t magical—it was mayhem.

So we adapted. We had to. And you know what we discovered? Slowing down doesn’t mean you sacrifice the magic. It doesn’t mean you see less or enjoy it less. It just means you choose to experience Disney differently. And honestly, I think we enjoy it more now than we ever did when we were running around like our hair was on fire.

Be Like Crush: Just Go With The Flow

If you’ve seen Finding Nemo, you know Crush—that totally chill sea turtle who just rides the East Australian Current and enjoys the journey. That’s our Disney philosophy now, and let me tell you, it works beautifully especially with the grandkids.

This strategy is for those of us who don’t want to plan every minute with military precision. It’s for folks who’d rather enjoy the day as it unfolds instead of having a meltdown because you missed your 2:47 PM Lightning Lanes window. It’s born partly from necessity—we just can’t walk 12 miles a day anymore—and partly from wisdom. We’ve learned that the best Disney memories often come from the unplanned moments.

The Strategy: Six Keys to a Relaxed Disney Day

Over the years, and especially on our recent trips with the grandkids, we’ve refined our approach. Here’s what works for us:

1. Stay On Property (This One’s Non-Negotiable for Us)

Full disclosure: Grandma and I are Disney Vacation Club members. Our home resorts are Disney’s BoardWalk, Bay Lake Tower, Animal Kingdom Villas and Disneyland Hotel Villas. So yes, we’re a bit biased. But even before DVC, we always stayed on property, and here’s why:

Early Theme Park Entry is pure gold. Sure, it used to be a full hour before the general public (those were the days!), and now it’s just 30 minutes, but that half hour is magical. Most people on vacation don’t want to roll out of bed early. Grandma and I are early risers anyway—old habits and all that—so we use this time to hit one or two key attractions before the crowds arrive.

Here’s the thing though: we pick rides near the park entrance. Running to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train from the Magic Kingdom gates? That’s a young person’s game. We’re more strategic. At Magic Kingdom, we might hit Buzz Lightyear or Fantasy Land attractions. At EPCOT, we’ll stroll over to Soarin’, Living with the Land or Moana’s Journey of Water.. The point is, we don’t sprint, and we don’t stress. If the line’s already too long, we pivot to Plan B. No meltdowns, no ruined mornings. Just take what the day throws at you.

I’ve seen people have complete nuclear breakdowns because they weren’t first in line for a ride. Their whole day gets poisoned by that disappointment. Life’s too short for that kind of stress, especially on vacation.

Free Transportation is the other big perk. When you’re moving at Grandpa pace, being able to hop on a bus, monorail, boat, or Skyliner without worrying about parking or ride-share apps is a blessing. We can easily bounce between parks and resorts. Need a break? Hop on a boat to the resort. Want to try a different park for dinner? Take the monorail. Someone forgot their medication back at the room? (True story—more than once!) No problem, we’re back in 40 minutes.

Sure, you could stay off property and Uber everywhere, but that’s not for me. I like knowing exactly where the bus stop is. I like not having to coordinate pickup times or worry about surge pricing. Plus—and this is important—Disney resorts continue the magic. The theming, the landscaping, the background music… it’s all part of the experience. You’re fully immersed from the moment you arrive until the moment you leave.

Proximity to the parks is another factor. Contemporary (and Bay Lake Tower) is a quick walk to Magic Kingdom—you can watch the fireworks from your balcony if you’re lucky. BoardWalk, Beach Club, and Yacht Club are an easy stroll to both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. When your feet are barking at you after a morning in the parks, being 10 minutes from your room beats being 30 minutes away in an Uber.

2. Get an Early Start (Then Pace Yourself)

I know I just said we’re not running around like maniacs, but hear me out: starting early is still crucial. The parks are at their best in the first few hours—lower crowds, cooler temperatures (especially in summer), and attractions running smoothly.

Here’s our typical morning:

• Wake up around 6:30 AM (we’re old, we wake up early anyway)
• Leisurely breakfast at the resort or grab something quick to take with us
• Arrive at the park 15-20 minutes before Early Entry begins
• Enjoy 2-3 attractions with minimal wait times
• By 10 or 11 AM, when the crowds are really piling in and it’s getting hot, we’re ready for break time

The key is pacing. We’re not running. We’re not power-walking. We’re doing what I call the “Disney stroll”—a purposeful mosey. We stop to look at details. We take photos. We might grab a coffee at Starbucks on Main Street. Or we just sit and people watch.

3. Return to Your Room for Midday Downtime (This is the Secret Sauce)

This is where the magic really happens, and it’s the part most people skip because they think they need to maximize every park minute. They’re wrong.

Here’s what a typical midday break looks like for us:

11 AM – Noon: We start making our way toward the exit. Not rushing, not stressed. We might stop for a snack or let the kids pick out a souvenir. The point is, we’re leaving before everyone is completely fried.

Noon – 12:30 PM: Travel time back to the resort. This is where staying on property pays off. We’re on an air-conditioned bus or boat, the kids are decompressing, and we’re all cooling down.

12:30 – 4:30 PM: Resort time. This is non-negotiable. What happens during these four hours varies:

• Sometimes the grandkids want to swim in the resort pool. Perfect. Grandma and I sit in the shade with a book and a cold drink while they burn off energy.
• Sometimes everyone’s wiped out and we all take naps. Those resort beds are pretty comfortable, and a 90-minute nap works wonders.
• Sometimes we order pizza to the room and watch a Disney movie.
• Sometimes we just sit on the balcony and relax. The kids might play with their new toys from the park.
• If we’re at BoardWalk, we might walk over to EPCOT just to have lunch at a restaurant and then come right back.

The point is: we rest. We recharge. We get out of the Florida heat and humidity. We let our feet recover. We prevent the late-afternoon meltdowns that plague every Disney park around 3 PM when you see families falling apart at the seams.

I can’t stress this enough: this midday break has saved countless trips. Little kids need downtime. Old people need downtime. Even teenagers, though they won’t admit it, need downtime. Four hours in the middle of the day gives everyone a chance to reset.

4. Do Only What You’re Able (Smaller Chunks, People!)

This is about knowing your limits and being honest about them. We can’t do 12-hour park days anymore. Our feet hurt. Our backs hurt. We need bathroom breaks more frequently. And that’s okay.

Here’s how we chunk our day:

• Morning session: 2-3 hours in the park (using Early Entry)
• Midday break: 4 hours at the resort
• Evening session: 2-4 hours in the park (or not—see next section)

That’s it. We’re talking 4-7 hours of actual park time spread across the day, with a huge break in the middle. And you know what? We still get a lot done. We still ride the rides we want. We still see the shows. We still eat the Dole Whips and Mickey bars. We just do it at a pace that doesn’t leave us limping and cranky.

Know what you can skip: We’ve learned that it’s okay to not ride every ride. It’s okay to skip the parade if everyone’s tired. It’s okay to leave before the fireworks if someone’s melting down. The Disney police aren’t going to arrest you for not maximizing every second.

Listen to your body: If your feet hurt at 2 PM, don’t push through to 10 PM just because you “paid for a whole day.” That’s how injuries happen. That’s how you turn a fun vacation into a forced march. We’ve learned to read the signals—when someone’s getting quiet and draggy, when the whining starts, when you see that glazed look in someone’s eyes—and we act on it.

5. Return to the Parks Early Evening (Or Don’t—It’s Your Call)

After our midday break, we evaluate. How’s everyone feeling? What’s the energy level? What’s happening at the parks this evening?

Option A: Head back to the parks If everyone’s recharged and ready to go, we head back out around 5 or 6 PM. The evening has several advantages:

• Temperatures are cooling down
• Lots of families with young kids are heading out (prime meltdown hour)
• You can catch the evening entertainment—fireworks, nighttime spectaculars, etc.
• Many restaurants have availability for dinner

We’ll do another 2-4 hours, have dinner either in the park or at a resort restaurant, maybe catch the fireworks, and then head home. We’re usually back at our resort by 9 or 10 PM, which feels late to us old folks but is way earlier than those rope-drop-to-close warriors.

Option B: Skip the evening session Some days, everyone’s done. The morning was enough. The pool time was perfect. We’re all content and relaxed, and the idea of going back into the crowds sounds terrible. So we don’t go.

Instead, we might:

• Have a nice dinner at a resort restaurant (we love Corn Dogs on the Boardwalk)
• Take a boat ride around the Seven Seas Lagoon and watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the water
• Walk around the BoardWalk and get ice cream
• Just hang out at the resort and enjoy the theming and atmosphere
• Order room service and watch movies

You know what? Those evenings are just as magical as the park time. Sometimes more so. Some of our best memories are from resort evenings where we weren’t rushing anywhere, weren’t standing in lines, weren’t navigating crowds. We were just together, relaxed, enjoying each other’s company in a beautiful setting.

Don’t feel guilty about skipping the parks. You’re on vacation. Vacation is supposed to be relaxing. If going back to the parks sounds exhausting rather than exciting, don’t do it.

6. Be Flexible (This is the Hardest Part for Type-A Personalities)

I’ll be honest: Grandma is a planner. She likes schedules. She likes knowing what’s happening when. Disney these days with their app and Lightning Lanes and mobile ordering kind of feeds into that planning obsession. But we’ve learned that the best Disney days have a loose framework, not a rigid schedule.

What flexibility looks like in practice:

• We have a general idea of which park we’re visiting, but if we wake up and everyone wants to switch, we switch.
• We might plan to ride Space Mountain, but if the line’s too long, we pivot to something else without drama.
• We might plan to eat at a certain restaurant, but if we’re not hungry or everyone wants pizza instead, we change plans.
• If it starts raining, we don’t push through like troopers. We either embrace it (ponchos and puddle-jumping can be fun!) or we head back to the resort.
• If someone’s having a bad day—cranky kid, aching grandparent, whatever—we adjust the whole day rather than powering through.

The weather will not cooperate: Florida weather is unpredictable, especially in summer. Afternoon thunderstorms are basically guaranteed from June through September. Instead of fighting it, we build it into our plans. That’s another reason the midday break works so well—we’re usually in our air-conditioned room when the worst storms hit.

Someone will have a bad day: Kids have bad days. Adults have bad days. Someone will wake up grumpy or get too much sun or eat something that doesn’t agree with them. When that happens, we don’t try to push through and “make the most of it.” We adjust. Maybe that person sits out the evening session. Maybe we all take it easy. Maybe we leave the park early and go swim instead. Fighting against a bad day just makes it worse.

The parks will throw curveballs: Rides break down. Shows get canceled. Restaurants are fully booked. Weather impacts operations. Cast members are having bad days. You can’t control any of this, so don’t let it control you. Roll with it. There’s always something else to do, something else to see, somewhere else to eat.

I’ve watched families completely fall apart because their carefully planned schedule got disrupted. They had dining reservations at 5:30 but the ride they’re on breaks down and they miss it. Instead of just getting a mobile order somewhere else, they spend an hour being furious about it, fighting with each other, trying to get the reservation reinstated. Their whole evening is ruined, and it didn’t have to be.

Embrace spontaneity: Some of our best Disney moments were completely unplanned. Finding a quiet corner in the France pavilion and just sitting there, people-watching. Stumbling onto a street performer or character interaction. Discovering a snack we’d never tried before. Taking the long way around the park and noticing details we’d walked past a hundred times. You can’t schedule magic, but you can make space for it to happen.

What This Actually Looks Like in Practice

Let me give you a real example from our last trip in December 2023:

Day 3: EPCOT

• 7:00 AM: Wake up, breakfast at BoardWalk Bakery
• 8:30 AM: Walk to EPCOT for Early Entry (park opens at 9, Early Entry at 8:30)
• 8:30-11:00 AM: Rode Soarin’, Test Track, and Frozen Ever After using Early Entry. Walked through the Seas pavilion, saw the manatees.
• 11:00 AM-12:00 PM: Walked back to BoardWalk, slow and easy, stopped to look at the boats
• 12:00-4:00 PM: Pool time for the grandkids, reading time for us. Ordered sandwiches from the Boardwalk Deli. Everyone napped for about 30 minutes.
• 4:00-5:00 PM: Got cleaned up, relaxed, packed our evening bag
• 5:30 PM: Walked back to EPCOT (It’s literally 10 minutes from BoardWalk)
• 5:30-8:30 PM: Had Fish and Chips at Yorkshire County Fish Shop, walked around World Showcase, rode Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, got pastries in France, watched the fireworks
• 8:45 PM: Walked back to BoardWalk, everyone happy and tired but not destroyed

Total park time: About 6 hours, split into two sessions Total steps: About 8,000 (compared to 20,000+ on our old trips) Total meltdowns: Zero Total magical moments: Too many to count

That’s what this strategy looks like in action. Not every day is identical, but they follow this general pattern.

Some Final Thoughts from Grandpa

Look, I get it. You spent a lot of money on these park tickets. You want to maximize your time. You want to do everything. I felt the same way for years. But here’s what I’ve learned: being in the parks for 14 hours doesn’t mean you’re having 14 hours of fun. Usually, you’re having about 6 hours of fun and 8 hours of endurance trial.

Our way, you’re having 6 hours of concentrated fun with none of the endurance trial. You’re coming home with happy memories instead of blisters and regrets. You’re taking photos of smiling faces instead of crying kids and exhausted parents slumped on benches.

Disney is not a competition. You don’t win by riding the most rides or staying the longest hours. You win by enjoying yourself and making memories with the people you love. And sometimes, making those memories means slowing down, taking breaks, and giving yourself permission to not do it all.

Trust the process. The first time you leave the park at 11 AM when it’s just getting busy, you’re going to feel weird about it. You’re going to feel like you’re wasting your ticket. But when you come back refreshed at 6 PM and everyone else looks like they’ve been through a war, you’ll understand. When you’re riding rides with short lines because you timed it right while everyone else is in line for food or leaving the park, you’ll get it. When you wake up the next morning ready to do it again instead of hobbling around like you’re 90 years old, you’ll be a believer.

So here’s my challenge to you: on your next Disney trip, try it our way for one day. Just one. Get there early, enjoy a few hours, go back and rest, then decide if you want to return. See how you feel. See how your family feels. See if you’re having more fun or less fun. Remember be like Crush and go with the flow.

I think I know what you’ll discover. The magic isn’t in cramming every minute full of activities. The magic is in being present, being relaxed, and being together.

And that’s a lot easier to do when you slow your roll.

Until next time, Disney Grandpa

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Share your thoughts: Have you tried a slower-paced Disney approach? What worked for you? What didn’t? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear from you!