By You will inevitably overdo it at Walt Disney World, taxing your body to its logical limits. If you’re anything like David, you won’t even know you’ve done it until you notice the rashes and blisters on your feet. Yeah, he gets gross.
Don’t be like David. Take your time at the parks and plan a few moments where you catch your breath. Here are a few tips on how to recuperate at Disney World.
Pick Longer Rides
Some Disney attractions last just a couple of minutes. For instance, Slinky Dog Dash and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster go fast and end quickly. So, while the rides are great, they can wear you out.
You’ll spend 45-90 minutes standing in line. Then, you’ll barely have time to sit down and get your pulse rate racing before the ride ends. Now, you’re moving again. It’s a fatiguing process.
So, we encourage you to mix in a batch of longer Disney rides, ones that get you off your feet for several minutes. Generally speaking, boat rides are especially good for this.
It’s a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Jungle Cruise will all allow you to relax for a bit. Other options like the Walt Disney World Railroad give you an option to sit for as long as you like.
Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland hosts two slow-moving attractions, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover and Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. Both are excellent options for taking a breather at the park.
Finally, we have the most famous option at EPCOT. Living with the Land is a good ride, albeit one that some find a bit boring since it’s infotainment-based.
We think of it as the best napping ride at Disney World. The dark scenes start early and can quickly put you to sleep. Theoretically, the same statement applies to Spaceship Earth, but David cannot imagine anyone ever falling asleep on what is his favorite ride. Behind his back, Kim notes that she’s snoozed on Spaceship Earth more than once.
Show-Based Attractions
Here is perhaps the best option of all for in-park recuperation. Show-based attractions almost always last at least ten minutes, with some being closer to 30 minutes.
So, you can rest for an extended period while enjoying fresh takes on some of your favorite stories. For example, the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along at EPCOT retells the story from LeFou’s perspective. He’s the one who hero-worships Gaston, in case you’ve forgotten.
Mickey’s PhilharMagic highlights classic scenes from several Disney movies, many of them from the Disney Renaissance era. Then, we have the ambitious, longstanding show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! shows how the sausage gets made during action movies. Stunt actors recreate memorable movie moments.
Some shows borrow liberally from Disney classics, while still telling entirely new stories. For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration recounts the plot of Frozen as told by a pair of wise-cracking Arendelle historians. It’s currently our favorite Disney show.
You may prefer a couple of newer ones, though, as Disney’s Hollywood Studios introduced two in 2025. When you’re tired at this park, you should prioritize The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure and Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After.
All these shows are great, but just as importantly, they’ll allow you to regain energy during your park visit.
Live Performances
Disney theme parks also host plenty of live performances. Most famously, you’ll find some at the World Showcase and on Main Street, U.S.A.
Let’s start with Main Street, where the Dapper Dans often hold court. The parades also go through this area. So, you can just sit on the curb and watch the performances.
We’ll acknowledge that you may get bumped a bit, as people’s eyes tend to roam as they stare at the sights on Main Street and Cinderella Castle. Still, lots of people watch a live performance here. We’ll even discuss parade sitting options elsewhere in the guide.
At the World Showcase, the place you’re most likely to sit down is America Gardens Theatre, which hosts concerts and other live performances. Many of them occur around dinner time, though. So, this suggestion won’t help you as much during the day.
Thankfully, several pavilions host live entertainment throughout the day. You can watch acrobats, drummers, and…soccer mimes. You heard us. Disney offers a ridiculous number of entertainment options. So, find a rest spot and watch a live show.
We’d even suggest that you grab a snack and/or beverage. We feel strongly that you should fuel yourself and hydrate regularly during your park day.
Sit-Down Meals
Speaking of eating, most Disney restaurants, the ones that aren’t shacks or kiosks, offer some form of seating. Plenty of these tables are indoors, too. So, you can order some food, sit down, and cool off. This strategy also works on rainy or hot days, too.
We’ll add that while they’re more expensive, Disney’s Table Service restaurants offer even better seating. In addition, these meals take longer, which can be a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, you’re recuperating from an hour, which will make the rest of your park visit better. But you’re also losing that time from your park visit.
We still do this because we feel strongly that we’re on vacation and should enjoy ourselves. We’ve discovered over the years that when we push too hard, we don’t have as good a time.
So, many of our suggestions here will work better if you share the same vacation philosophy. Those of you who would prefer to push should prioritize the aforementioned shacks and kiosks. You can easily grab-and-go for food all day at Disney theme parks, especially EPCOT during festivals.
World Celebration Gardens
Speaking of EPCOT, Imagineers spent several years redesigning this park to bring it in line with Walt Disney’s original vision. He loved the World’s Fairs he visited and wanted a place like that in Florida.
After his death, park planners tried to honor his wishes, but the results were decidedly mixed in some areas. Disney finally accepted this truth around 2018 and plotted a new course.
One of the primary goals involved splitting the former Future World into three themed lands. World Celebration is one of the new lands, and it’s the unofficial hangout spot at the park.
Three areas here will provide you with a desperately needed respite at the park. They are CommuniCore Hall & Plaza, World Celebration Gardens, and Dreamers Point.
Technically, Dreamers Point is a part of World Celebration Gardens. We’re mentioning it individually since you can sit on a park bench and take a photo with the Walt Disney statue here.
That’s the best part about World Celebration Gardens. Disney added plenty of outdoor seating here, making it an ideal place to relax. In truth, this might be THE best spot at Disney World to recuperate, presuming that it’s not too hot.
Bars and Lounges
We’ll continue the theme of eating and drinking your way to a better Disney vacation. This tactic will make more sense once you’ve tried it a few times, but it’s an imperative.
So, you should always be on the lookout for bars and lounges in each themed land. We’ve broken down the list of the best ones elsewhere in the guide. So, we won’t rehash it now.
Still, you should always lean toward having more fun at Disney, and that’s not just going on rides and watching shows! Disney’s bars and lounges are universally excellent.
Most of them feature a combination of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages as well as shareables and small plates. So, any adult can go to one of these places and have fun.
Even better, when you’re tired or hot or trying to escape the rain, these places will help you catch your breath while you relax and unwind a bit.
Park Hop
Switching Disney theme parks may seem a bit counterintuitive, but here’s why it’ll work. For starters, you’re no longer working on a timeline, as you’re not rushing from ride to ride.
Instead, you’re heading to the bus depot or Disney Skyliner or whatever. Then, once you’re awaiting your ride, you’re calming down and unwinding a bit. Next, you’re riding Disney transportation, which is extremely comfortable. Odds are good that you’re sitting down, too.
So, by Park Hopping, you gain a brief respite as you move from place to place. Also, since you’re momentarily above the fray, you enjoy a rare opportunity to reset. You can plan your next itinerary. So, you get in a better head space, too.
Go to a Hotel Lobby
Here’s the strategy we employ the most. We talk about Resort Hopping and split stays elsewhere in this guide, with some people using the terms synonymously. Others view them as different.
We consider Resort Hopping to be when you hang out at a hotel where you’re not staying. Under this definition, we go Resort Hopping a lot, and that’s because we looove Disney hotel lobbies.
Our favorite is the Great Ceremonial House at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, but we often visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney’s Riviera Resort, and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge as well.
All these places offer tranquil environments where you can sit there and soak up the ambiance of the Disney Bubble. Disney hotel lobbies are quite possibly the purest places to be at Disney World, except for Main Street, U.S.A.
Disney Vacation Club Lounges
Finally, we have a bit of a niche option, but it’s one that merits mention. Disney Vacation Club owners who qualify for Membership Extras can visit DVC lounges.
What we adore about these places is that they include free snacks and beverages. Sure, you must pay thousands of dollars for a DVC contract first, but members do that anyway.
So, as a bonus, we get to visit places like McKim’s Mile House at Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom or the DVC member lounge at the Imagination! pavilion at EPCOT.
We love the latter option, as we frequently stop here on our way back from the World Showcase. It’s a wonderful rest stop during a park visit. Plus, they have a Coke Freestyle machine, and we love those so much that it’s a miracle we haven’t bought one for our house.