Disney vacations can be exhausting. There’s a lot of walking involved, you’re out in the weather all day, and you’re doing full days of activities for days at a time. You’re constantly on the go from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep. On top of that, you generally wake up early and go to bed late.
It’s important to let your body recharge and get the rest that it needs when it needs it. So when can you rest at Disney? Some Guests choose to take a break in the middle of the day and have an afternoon nap. However, this may not always be a feasible option for everyone.
Some Guests may not want to put in the effort that it takes to go back to their hotel. Especially if they’re staying off property! Other Guests may not be able to get their bodies to wind down after already being awake and energized. Guests that have young children with them are only going to be able to indulge in a nap if they are able to get the children to sleep.
No matter what the reason may be, not everyone is able to take a midday nap. Is getting rest at Disney out of the cards for some Guests? Absolutely not! In this article, I’m going to go over ways that you can sleep in on your Disney vacation. By utilizing these tips, you’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep, get additional rest in the morning, and still have a great day at Disney!
One way that you could sleep in on your Disney vacation is by taking a day off. I know when most Guests visit Disney, taking a day off isn’t even on their mind. They want to do as much as possible in the time that they have.
This is very understandable. However, this is also a way to quickly wear yourself out. Plus, when it comes to Disney, taking a day off doesn’t mean that you won’t be enjoying Disney or doing anything fun. By no means am I suggesting that you sit in your hotel room all day. There are activities that you can enjoy during an off-day at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World.
Both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World have a shopping, dining, and entertainment district. At Disneyland, this area is called Downtown Disney District. At Walt Disney World, this area is called Disney Springs.
When you visit Downtown Disney District and Disney Springs, you’ll be met with a lively atmosphere and many offerings. At these locations, you’ll be able to enjoy live music, unique stores, bars and lounges, and a variety of dining options that range from delightful snacks to luxury restaurants.
There are also fun activities to do! Try your hand at building a LEGO masterpiece at the LEGO Store or play a few frames of bowling at Splitsville Luxury Lanes.
In regard to size, Disney Springs is much larger than Downtown Disney District and does have more offerings. However, both locations are a great option for enjoying a day off on a Disney vacation.
READ MORE – We Go to Disney Every Week. Avoid These Rookie Mistakes.
Another way to utilize a day off at Disney is by having a resort day. Disneyland Resort hotels and Walt Disney World Resort hotels have a variety of activities for Guests to do. As a Disney hotel Guest, you’ll be able to utilize the pool areas that are at the resort. The Disney hotel pools are often accompanied by additional water fun such as slides or splash pads.
While non-Disney hotel Guests are not able to access the pools, there are plenty of other offerings that are available to both Disney hotel Guests and non-Disney hotel Guests!
Enjoy exploring the hotels, taking in their beauty, and appreciate the details that the Imagineers placed throughout them.
Try out the different dining locations, bars, or lounges. If applicable, make sure that you make a dining reservation ahead of time so you’re sure that you’ll be able to dine at your desired location on your day off.
A Character Breakfast is a great thing to do at a Disney hotel on your day off. This will give you the opportunity to experience the magic and joy of Disney even while you’re outside of the parks. Don’t let the word “breakfast” worry you. You can still sleep in! Character Breakfasts generally have times available into the early afternoon. Realistically, you could sleep in and then enjoy a Character Brunch before enjoying the rest of the resort(s). Character Breakfasts are another thing that’s available at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World.
You can also enjoy a day off at a Disney hotel by enjoying some self-love. Spas are available at both Disneyland Resort hotels and Walt Disney World resort hotels. After you take the time to get pampered, visit the different stores! All of the Disney hotels have shopping locations that are often unique to that specific hotel. Take the time to see what’s available at each one!
Again, due to the size and amount of space available, Disney World has more hotels than Disneyland and naturally has more activities available for Guests. During a resort day at Disney World, you can enjoy things such as fishing, golf, boating, horseback riding, bike riding, wagon rides, crafts, and other recreational activities.
You can also stop by in the evening and enjoy Movies Under the Stars! Watch popular Disney movies in an outdoor environment as your day comes to an end. This is exceptionally fun to do at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort! Join your favorite chipmunk duo for Chip ‘n' Dale's Campfire Sing-A-Long. Gather around a campfire, sing songs, roast marshmallows and make s'mores. All in the company of Chip and Dale! After the sing-a-long, get ready to enjoy the movie!
There are multiple ways to visit the Disney Parks past their regular closing time. By utilizing these after hour opportunities, you’re giving yourself the perfect reason to sleep in on your Disney vacation! By visiting the parks after hours, you’ll also be able to enjoy lower wait times, which gives you the chance to enjoy many more rides and attractions!
At Walt Disney World, you can take part in Extended Evening Hours. Extended Evening Hours are available on select nights for Guests staying at a Deluxe Resort, Deluxe Villa Resort, and other select hotels including Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel and Shades of Green.
Currently, Extended Evening Hours are available at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. Not only will you have extra time in the parks, you’ll also have more chances to join virtual queues! This gives you more opportunities to enjoy popular Disney World rides such as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and TRON Lightcycle / Run.
Disney World also has separately ticketed Disney After Hours events. These after hours events have taken place at Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT.
Disney After Hours takes place on select dates now from park close until as late as 1 in the morning. Guests with Disney After Hours tickets are able to enter the parks prior to the event’s starting time – as early as 7:00pm.
During the event, Guests will have access to favorite rides and attractions, shorter wait times, and complimentary snacks and beverages.
In the past, Disneyland has had a variety of themed after hour events. These events are known as Disneyland After Dark events.
This year, there were a wide variety of these Disneyland After Dark events including Sweethearts’ Nite, Disney Channel Nite, Star Wars Nite, and Pride Nite. In the past, we have seen other Disneyland After Dark events such as Throwback Nite, Princess Nite, Villains Nite, and Grad Nite.
Disneyland After Dark events are over for the 2024 season, but we hope to see more return in 2025!
Another way to experience the Disney Parks past closing time, is to take part in one of the holiday parties! These parties are separately ticketed events that are filled with themed festivities, ride overlays, exclusive snacks and merchandise, and shorter wait times!
This year, at Disney World, you can take part in Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and Disney Jollywood Nights.
While Disneyland does decorate and celebrate the holidays, there isn’t a Christmas party there. There is, however, an EXTREMELY popular Halloween Party – Oogie Boogie Bash. Tickets to Oogie Boogie Bash sell out almost immediately. In the past, the servers have crashed from the mass amount of Guests who were trying to purchase tickets.
If you’re not willing to take a day off, but aren’t quite ready for another day at the parks, sleep in on your Disney vacation and then head to a Disney Water Park! Disney World has two fun-filled water parks – Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach. At the moment, the two water parks operate on a rotational schedule. This means that either Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach will be open during your trip. They will not be open at the same time. At the time that I’m writing this article, Typhoon Lagoon is the water park that is currently open.
At both of these water parks, you can expect to have a day full of water fun. Whether you want to lay back and relax or take part in thrilling activities, there’s something for you at the Disney World Water Parks. From lazy rivers, to wade pools, splash pads, water slides, and more, these water parks have it all!
Again, a water park day is a great way to sleep in on your Disney vacation without having to miss out on any fun. They often don't open until 10am. This is a big difference from the early opening times of the theme parks. Especially with the Early Theme Park Entry that Disney World hotel Guests are able to take advantage of.
With the amount of Advance Reservations that are able to be made at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World, you can essentially have your entire day planned out. By doing this, you will easily be able to sleep in on your Disney vacation.
Take care of your meals for the day by making dining reservations. Activities can also be planned in advance by booking Enchanting Extras. Changes have also been made to Disney’s skip-the-line service and Guests are now able to make Lightning Lane selections in advance for Walt Disney World.
You can also use our Disneyland nighttime strategy to help plan for your evening and sleep in all day!
As a Guest of Walt Disney World, you can choose up to 3 Lightning Lane Multi Pass experiences in advance as well as arrival windows. If you’re wanting to sleep in on your Disney vacation, plan these multi pass experiences for the time that you’d like to arrive at the parks. That way, you’ll be able to get the rest you need, but also know that you’re guaranteed access to those rides at the times you selected. After using your first multi pass experience, you’ll have the opportunity to book another ride or attraction. As you use your passes throughout the day, you’ll be able to continue booking new passes. (Subject to availability.)
You are now also able to book Lightning Lane Single Passes in advance. These are the passes that grant you access to one specific ride or attraction. Two (2) Lightning Lane Single Passes are able to be purchased for each day of your visit.
Whether you’re staying at a Disney World hotel or not, you’ll have the opportunity to purchase your Lightning Lane Passes in advance. Walt Disney World Resort hotel Guests are able to purchase passes up to 7 days in advance of their stay. All other Guests are able to purchase their passes 3 days prior of their park visit. Therefore, even if you’re not staying at a Disney World hotel, you can still plan out your rides in advance and sleep in on your Disney vacation.
If you want to sleep in on your Disney vacation, you can have more time in the parks by utilizing the time after the nighttime spectaculars. While this isn’t time that’s extended past the normal park hours, it is time that many Guests don’t take advantage of.
It’s very common for Guests to watch the nighttime spectaculars and then leave the park for the day. This is a perfect opportunity to hang back and get more park time in. You can also experience lower wait times! Since so many Guests decide to leave the parks, the wait times tend to drop tremendously. This will give you a chance to get quite a bit accomplished before the park closes for the day.
Nighttime spectaculars take place at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World. Depending on the show, you’ll be able to enjoy a beautiful array of pyrotechnics, fireworks, lasers, water, projections, and music.
There are three nighttime spectaculars to enjoy at Walt Disney World including the fireworks, Luminous, Fantasmic! and the Wonderful World of Animation.
There are three nighttime spectaculars to enjoy at Disneyland including the Fireworks, Fantasmic! and World of Color!
For a more relaxing Disney vacation, consider setting sail with Disney Cruise Line! Disney Cruises are a way to enjoy the magic of Disney without dealing with the crowds, hustle and bustle, and constant go go go of the theme parks.
With the price of a Disney Cruise, you can enjoy:
There are several retired Disneyland attractions and entertainment offerings from the past that visitors remember fondly. While some may be gone for good, there are others that could eventually return…see if you agree with our list of the attractions and shows we wish would return to Disneyland!
Disney has a variety of rules in place for the safety and happiness of its guests, and if guests break these rules, there can be consequences—even for celebrities. See the celebrities who have been banned from Disney Parks and what they did!
Planning a Disney World Vacation?
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Take a Day Off
One way that you could sleep in on your Disney vacation is by taking a day off. I know when most Guests visit Disney, taking a day off isn’t even on their mind. They want to do as much as possible in the time that they have.
This is very understandable. However, this is also a way to quickly wear yourself out. Plus, when it comes to Disney, taking a day off doesn’t mean that you won’t be enjoying Disney or doing anything fun. By no means am I suggesting that you sit in your hotel room all day. There are activities that you can enjoy during an off-day at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World.
Enjoy Shopping, Dining, and Entertainment
Both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World have a shopping, dining, and entertainment district. At Disneyland, this area is called Downtown Disney District. At Walt Disney World, this area is called Disney Springs.
When you visit Downtown Disney District and Disney Springs, you’ll be met with a lively atmosphere and many offerings. At these locations, you’ll be able to enjoy live music, unique stores, bars and lounges, and a variety of dining options that range from delightful snacks to luxury restaurants.
There are also fun activities to do! Try your hand at building a LEGO masterpiece at the LEGO Store or play a few frames of bowling at Splitsville Luxury Lanes.
In regard to size, Disney Springs is much larger than Downtown Disney District and does have more offerings. However, both locations are a great option for enjoying a day off on a Disney vacation.
Have a Resort Day
READ MORE – We Go to Disney Every Week. Avoid These Rookie Mistakes.
Another way to utilize a day off at Disney is by having a resort day. Disneyland Resort hotels and Walt Disney World Resort hotels have a variety of activities for Guests to do. As a Disney hotel Guest, you’ll be able to utilize the pool areas that are at the resort. The Disney hotel pools are often accompanied by additional water fun such as slides or splash pads.
While non-Disney hotel Guests are not able to access the pools, there are plenty of other offerings that are available to both Disney hotel Guests and non-Disney hotel Guests!
Enjoy exploring the hotels, taking in their beauty, and appreciate the details that the Imagineers placed throughout them.
Try out the different dining locations, bars, or lounges. If applicable, make sure that you make a dining reservation ahead of time so you’re sure that you’ll be able to dine at your desired location on your day off.
A Character Breakfast is a great thing to do at a Disney hotel on your day off. This will give you the opportunity to experience the magic and joy of Disney even while you’re outside of the parks. Don’t let the word “breakfast” worry you. You can still sleep in! Character Breakfasts generally have times available into the early afternoon. Realistically, you could sleep in and then enjoy a Character Brunch before enjoying the rest of the resort(s). Character Breakfasts are another thing that’s available at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World.
Treat Yourself on Your Day Off
You can also enjoy a day off at a Disney hotel by enjoying some self-love. Spas are available at both Disneyland Resort hotels and Walt Disney World resort hotels. After you take the time to get pampered, visit the different stores! All of the Disney hotels have shopping locations that are often unique to that specific hotel. Take the time to see what’s available at each one!
Disney World Hotel Exclusive Offerings
Again, due to the size and amount of space available, Disney World has more hotels than Disneyland and naturally has more activities available for Guests. During a resort day at Disney World, you can enjoy things such as fishing, golf, boating, horseback riding, bike riding, wagon rides, crafts, and other recreational activities.
You can also stop by in the evening and enjoy Movies Under the Stars! Watch popular Disney movies in an outdoor environment as your day comes to an end. This is exceptionally fun to do at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort! Join your favorite chipmunk duo for Chip ‘n' Dale's Campfire Sing-A-Long. Gather around a campfire, sing songs, roast marshmallows and make s'mores. All in the company of Chip and Dale! After the sing-a-long, get ready to enjoy the movie!
Go to the Parks After Hours
There are multiple ways to visit the Disney Parks past their regular closing time. By utilizing these after hour opportunities, you’re giving yourself the perfect reason to sleep in on your Disney vacation! By visiting the parks after hours, you’ll also be able to enjoy lower wait times, which gives you the chance to enjoy many more rides and attractions!
Extended Evening Hours
At Walt Disney World, you can take part in Extended Evening Hours. Extended Evening Hours are available on select nights for Guests staying at a Deluxe Resort, Deluxe Villa Resort, and other select hotels including Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel and Shades of Green.
Currently, Extended Evening Hours are available at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. Not only will you have extra time in the parks, you’ll also have more chances to join virtual queues! This gives you more opportunities to enjoy popular Disney World rides such as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and TRON Lightcycle / Run.
Disney After Hours
Disney World also has separately ticketed Disney After Hours events. These after hours events have taken place at Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT.
Disney After Hours takes place on select dates now from park close until as late as 1 in the morning. Guests with Disney After Hours tickets are able to enter the parks prior to the event’s starting time – as early as 7:00pm.
During the event, Guests will have access to favorite rides and attractions, shorter wait times, and complimentary snacks and beverages.
Disneyland After Dark
In the past, Disneyland has had a variety of themed after hour events. These events are known as Disneyland After Dark events.
This year, there were a wide variety of these Disneyland After Dark events including Sweethearts’ Nite, Disney Channel Nite, Star Wars Nite, and Pride Nite. In the past, we have seen other Disneyland After Dark events such as Throwback Nite, Princess Nite, Villains Nite, and Grad Nite.
Disneyland After Dark events are over for the 2024 season, but we hope to see more return in 2025!
Holiday Parties
Another way to experience the Disney Parks past closing time, is to take part in one of the holiday parties! These parties are separately ticketed events that are filled with themed festivities, ride overlays, exclusive snacks and merchandise, and shorter wait times!
This year, at Disney World, you can take part in Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and Disney Jollywood Nights.
While Disneyland does decorate and celebrate the holidays, there isn’t a Christmas party there. There is, however, an EXTREMELY popular Halloween Party – Oogie Boogie Bash. Tickets to Oogie Boogie Bash sell out almost immediately. In the past, the servers have crashed from the mass amount of Guests who were trying to purchase tickets.
Enjoy a Day at the Water Park
If you’re not willing to take a day off, but aren’t quite ready for another day at the parks, sleep in on your Disney vacation and then head to a Disney Water Park! Disney World has two fun-filled water parks – Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach. At the moment, the two water parks operate on a rotational schedule. This means that either Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach will be open during your trip. They will not be open at the same time. At the time that I’m writing this article, Typhoon Lagoon is the water park that is currently open.
At both of these water parks, you can expect to have a day full of water fun. Whether you want to lay back and relax or take part in thrilling activities, there’s something for you at the Disney World Water Parks. From lazy rivers, to wade pools, splash pads, water slides, and more, these water parks have it all!
Again, a water park day is a great way to sleep in on your Disney vacation without having to miss out on any fun. They often don't open until 10am. This is a big difference from the early opening times of the theme parks. Especially with the Early Theme Park Entry that Disney World hotel Guests are able to take advantage of.
Plan Your Theme Park Day in Advance
With the amount of Advance Reservations that are able to be made at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World, you can essentially have your entire day planned out. By doing this, you will easily be able to sleep in on your Disney vacation.
Take care of your meals for the day by making dining reservations. Activities can also be planned in advance by booking Enchanting Extras. Changes have also been made to Disney’s skip-the-line service and Guests are now able to make Lightning Lane selections in advance for Walt Disney World.
You can also use our Disneyland nighttime strategy to help plan for your evening and sleep in all day!
Disney World Lightning Lane Passes
As a Guest of Walt Disney World, you can choose up to 3 Lightning Lane Multi Pass experiences in advance as well as arrival windows. If you’re wanting to sleep in on your Disney vacation, plan these multi pass experiences for the time that you’d like to arrive at the parks. That way, you’ll be able to get the rest you need, but also know that you’re guaranteed access to those rides at the times you selected. After using your first multi pass experience, you’ll have the opportunity to book another ride or attraction. As you use your passes throughout the day, you’ll be able to continue booking new passes. (Subject to availability.)
You are now also able to book Lightning Lane Single Passes in advance. These are the passes that grant you access to one specific ride or attraction. Two (2) Lightning Lane Single Passes are able to be purchased for each day of your visit.
Whether you’re staying at a Disney World hotel or not, you’ll have the opportunity to purchase your Lightning Lane Passes in advance. Walt Disney World Resort hotel Guests are able to purchase passes up to 7 days in advance of their stay. All other Guests are able to purchase their passes 3 days prior of their park visit. Therefore, even if you’re not staying at a Disney World hotel, you can still plan out your rides in advance and sleep in on your Disney vacation.
Stay After the Nighttime Spectaculars
If you want to sleep in on your Disney vacation, you can have more time in the parks by utilizing the time after the nighttime spectaculars. While this isn’t time that’s extended past the normal park hours, it is time that many Guests don’t take advantage of.
It’s very common for Guests to watch the nighttime spectaculars and then leave the park for the day. This is a perfect opportunity to hang back and get more park time in. You can also experience lower wait times! Since so many Guests decide to leave the parks, the wait times tend to drop tremendously. This will give you a chance to get quite a bit accomplished before the park closes for the day.
Nighttime spectaculars take place at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World. Depending on the show, you’ll be able to enjoy a beautiful array of pyrotechnics, fireworks, lasers, water, projections, and music.
Disney World Nighttime Spectaculars
There are three nighttime spectaculars to enjoy at Walt Disney World including the fireworks, Luminous, Fantasmic! and the Wonderful World of Animation.
Disneyland Nighttime Spectaculars
There are three nighttime spectaculars to enjoy at Disneyland including the Fireworks, Fantasmic! and World of Color!
Take a Disney Cruise
For a more relaxing Disney vacation, consider setting sail with Disney Cruise Line! Disney Cruises are a way to enjoy the magic of Disney without dealing with the crowds, hustle and bustle, and constant go go go of the theme parks.
With the price of a Disney Cruise, you can enjoy:
- Spacious Staterooms
- Entertainment
- Dining (Snacks, Casual Dining, Upscale Restaurants, and 24-hr. Room Service)
- Pools & Recreation
- Youth Clubs
- Nightclubs & Lounges
- Disney’s Private Island (on most Bahamian and Caribbean cruises)
READ MORE – Here Are the Attractions We Want Disneyland to Bring Back to the Parks
There are several retired Disneyland attractions and entertainment offerings from the past that visitors remember fondly. While some may be gone for good, there are others that could eventually return…see if you agree with our list of the attractions and shows we wish would return to Disneyland!
READ MORE – Disney Bans Guests From Theme Parks. No Exceptions Were Made For These Celebrities That Broke the Rules!
Disney has a variety of rules in place for the safety and happiness of its guests, and if guests break these rules, there can be consequences—even for celebrities. See the celebrities who have been banned from Disney Parks and what they did!
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