Ride or look around?

[DNS]

I am curious how many people go to WDW and ride the rides and watch the shows. I have talked to people who mostly just walk around and enjoy the atmosphere. What do you do?

[Patricia]

I do both. Depending on who I'm with.. I've gone to MK for an afternoon and evening only to walk, shop, eat and watch the fireworks.

Animal Kingdom, no attraction is required for me. I can kill a day there just walking around and taking in the scenery. My favorite walking park.

I spent an entire day alone in Disneyland a couple of years ago and never went on a single attraction other than the train. I watched the street performers, outdoor stage shows (with iced coffee) and parades. It was the best day ever!

[Mickey91]

We do it all!!

[FriendsofMickey]

We ride all the rides we can! We love the atmosphere as well and try to sit and enjoy it, but we have to ride the rides!

[spoiledraf]

My wife is prone to motion sickness and we're a little old for rough rides so we tend to enjoy the shows and signature dining. We do ride some rides but they tend to be the laid back ones. I've done Space Mtn. and TT. And schemed to get her on Ex. Everest once but she wouldn't talk to me the rest of the day after that one. Going with her sisters family in August so I'll have someone to hit some major rides with.

[goofy-4-disney]

I've found that I enjoy doing the rides/shows in the morning and afternoon and then heading back to the resort in the mid to late afternoon to clean up/rest. At night then we go back into the parks and really enjoy the atmosphere then. The parks take on a very different feel at night.

[Missy_Mouses_Dad]

I like to sit on a bench and "watch the world go by". It's interesting seeing all the different people rushing to get somewhere, and I am just enjoying the atmosphere.

[Funforall]

We go whereverthe wind takes us. There is nothing we have to do or dont have to do. Itjust depends on the mood or crowds.

[darthmacho]

I think the large gaps between trips has caused me to run around from attraction to attraction to fit them all in and then get on the best ones multiple times. I'm hoping to do a longer trip next year, and then do a bounce-back a year later, specifically to slow down and enjoy the atmosphere more.

[beksy]

On our trips we plan the meals but not much else and just go wherever we are in the mood for. We try to ride most of the rides but our trips are long enough that we have time to walk around and enjoy the atmosphere, meet characters, enjoy the restaurants, and just explore.

[ValenciaCalling]

I could just sit on a bench at the Contemporary or anywhere in Epcot, and I'd be thrilled just to be there. This actually was the case a lot when I worked there. I'd only have a couple of hours before I had to be at my location, so I would just sit and enjoy the atmosphere. Those are actually some of my fondest memories.

[BWayGrl]

It depends on the day, the park, and who I'm with. As a pp mentioned their wife getting motion sick, my mom gets motion sick as well. So while I'm on rides like Rock N Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror, she gets to take in the atmosphere while she waits for me. My mom and I work really well together in Disney and I think we have a great balance of rides and relaxation. Our favorite thing to do is get lunch at the Electric Umbrella in Epcot and sit outside and watch the fountain show. We don't rush our meal and we can just enjoy the weather and the music and the feel of Epcot. I think my fiance and I tend to rush a little more from ride to ride for some reason.

[MrPeetrie]

We do both. We try to plan our trips so we can take our time and soak up the atmosphere. But for us, that also means seeing/riding some of the lesser attractions. On our last trip, we went to storytime with Belle; saw the Pocohontas show; Birds in Flight. We really like to see ALL WDW has to offer.

We also have these Imagineers Guide Books, which point out little details. We have one for each park and usually take it to each park at least once per visit. They're very informative. And fun.

[kemps@wdw]

the older we get, the less we ride.

[RAIDER]

In our older years we just tend to ride the attractions we like now and take the atmosphere of the parks in now Not like we did 15 years ago when we more or less tried to get on every ride

[lovinmesomedisney]

Do it all! We get to the parks at opening and stay until close, so there is plenty of time to do it all. We definitely are there for the rides and shows. We do take our breaks in the parks, rather than going back to the resort though. This is our time to just chill out and take in all the sounds and smells, and do some serious people watching.

[IloveDisney71]

I couldn't go to any park and not ride any of the rides. I also enjoy seeing the shows, parades, & fireworks. When I get to spend 6 or 7 days (which isn't very often) I feel like I can go at a slower pace and take more opportunity to soak up the atmoshpere. However, when I'm only there for 3 or 4 days I feel like I need to see and do as much as I can while I'm there because I never know how long it will be before I can come back. Even though I've been many times and been on all of the rides too many times to count I feel like I'm missing out if I don't ride everything at least once during each trip. Silly - I know.

[TinkerbellFan16]

We do both. We always make time to sit somewhere, eat a Disney treat, and just take it all in. I personally am a people watcher (I hope I am not alone in this). I enjoy seeing the pure joy on the faces of the young and old alike. But, we also are sure to enjoy the rides and attractions. It wouldn't be a trip to Disney without the attractions, but it also wouldn't be Disney without just sitting and enjoying.