Too many late evenings?

[Romanoff13]

How do people cope with so many late evenings. I have a lot I'd like to do in the evenings and worried about being too tired. Or if any of the shows are rained off, how we'll for it in?
We're there for two weeks and these are our plans for evenings:

Happily Ever After, Fantastic, Star Wars Fireworks, Illuminations, Rivers of Light, MVMCP, Old Town, Hogwarts light show (if its still on), Universal Lagoon show, would like to do the tree trail at Disney Springs in the evening, also would like to experience Pandora in the evening and get the Tangled lantern photos. I'm sure there are a lot of things I've missed off this list... But I am worried about being too tired to fit it all in.
Any advice? How do you manage it all? Have I missed something?

[sha9]

We wouldn’t tend to do everything you have listed there and we wouldn’t do whole days in the parks. We’d do an early morning elsewhere, back to the resort to relax then out for dinner and whatever evening show we had planned. Or we’d do some relaxing around the resort in the morning and a late start for the park we wanted to the evening show in.

You also have to remember that September onwards it starts to get dark relatively early so doing things “at night” tends to be early enough that you don’t have to stay up too late. In September when we go the evening shows tend to be on 8/8.30pm.

[SteveC]

For our forthcoming trip, especially because we’re out there for 4 weeks, we want to do all the nighttime stuff too and have just planned our time accordingly so have booked late afternoon fast passes, will watch the shows, go home late and everyone can have a lie in the next day.

[Firstxmastrip]

What get are the party? our kids (esp the younger ones, 3/4/5 at the time) struggled with the late nights, we managed, MK fireworks (they were fine until we had to get back to the car so had to be carried), fantasmic was ok, we did jingle bell bam. We spread these over our last week.

One thing i would say is the time of year you're going sunset is around 5:30 so some of the things you mention such as the disney springs trail, lantern photo, pandora at night can be don't and still have a reasonably early night of say 8/9.

If we are doing a late night we tend to go out in the morning (no alarm though) have a meal and chill from early afternoon and maybe a swim, then out ready for the evening.

[Nimbus]

Personally, we don’t tend to do every night time show when we go (similarly, we don’t aim to do every ride and attraction either). Plus, in the past there have been less night time shows than there are now.

I counted at least 9 different night time events you’ve listed. That’s doable - as long as you’re not thinking of doing lots of early starts as well. It’s the late nights to see the fireworks followed by early starts to get to rope drop that can be a killer.

However if your going whilst MVMCP is on then you’ll probably be going in November when the night time shows aren’t too late, as sha9 says above. So, it may not be too bad. Just don’t stay in the parks all day. Have a few hours in a park in the morning, have a relaxing break in the afternoon, then head back to the parks in the evening.

[Forkbeard]

We go full tilt everyday for over two weeks. Leave the villa at 6.45am and don't return till midnight some nights and sometimes after midnight. I confess to nodding off in some of the shows I've seen many many times before, especially with a comfy seat and aircon

Being fit and healthy helps the most. It's tempting to say younger people can stand the long nights better, but not in my experience. They are usually the first to complain about feeling tired. Someone over 60 never complained but the 24 year old whinged a bit on one of our trips.

In terms of tips, keep hydrated is the most important. Plan your breaks for food and drink, it's easy to go without when you're having fun. You need those carbs too, it's a lot of walking, so no dieting and laying off the carbs Don't let yourself get too hot and bothered, step into an aircon building and cool off from time to time.

Don't carry too much, that's something I see way too often. Light weight essentials only.

Shades and hats really help a lot imo.

Before a long show like Fantasmic, I'd say take a drink/food break, freshen up. I find that helps me.

Caffeine, either coffee or energy pills from Boots can be useful if you're flagging, but not good for long term use though.

I'm sure there's lots of other tips and ideas, but that's some I can think of.

Good luck.

James

[Licoricelover]

Wow Forkbeard that sounds like a marathon.
We stay on site so go out early, back to hotel for afternoon chill and back out in evening. We are not bothered about seeing everything Disney has to offer.
I am sure if I was staying off site or I didnt go to Disney very often I wouldn't bother with going to and fro and would do full days and evenings too.
Miss not having Ellen's Energy now it was always good for a power nap during the day!
For us the hotels are a big part of the holiday as well as the parks.

[Mexy02]

We normally go late Oct /Nov and it’s quiet easy as it’s not warm until 8-30 - 9ish so we don’t bother getting up too early and stay until past midnight most nights. Like we would at home tbh . The clocks go back so it gets dark earlier as well. We just have a long lunch break or early evening dinner to recharge a bit, the weather is better as you are not trying to battle 100 degrees just balmy 70’s so it makes a massive difference .

[Forkbeard]

Originally Posted by Licoricelover

Wow Forkbeard that sounds like a marathon.
We stay on site so go out early, back to hotel for afternoon chill and back out in evening. We are not bothered about seeing everything Disney has to offer.
I am sure if I was staying off site or I didnt go to Disney very often I wouldn't bother with going to and fro and would do full days and evenings too.
Miss not having Ellen's Energy now it was always good for a power nap during the day!
For us the hotels are a big part of the holiday as well as the parks.

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It is a marathon I don't recommend it, unless you're crazy like us

I don't think we're bothered with seeing everything either, but we got ourselves into this attitude and it is fun I must admit. Certainly different from being back here at home.

Young children, not too young, obviously love this crazy madhouse of excitement, but the kids have since grown up and have kids of their own and they still want the crazy approach

[eggsRspecial]

Originally Posted by Forkbeard

It is a marathon I don't recommend it, unless you're crazy like us

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It's not just me then. My wife thinks I'm planning a military operation with a list of times and places for each park! My view is we can rest when we come back home as we see the holiday as being very active with occasional swim relax days built in.