Where are the quiet spots in the Disney World parks to take breaks and to rest?
Sometimes you just need a little downtime. The Disney World parks can be highly stimulating, and this can be challenging for some. Those with certain health and emotional issues really need to break way for a while. Really, anyone might need a restful spot. Some people need relief from sensory overload.
You can always go back to your resort for a break. That’s one of the benefits of staying on Disney property. Your resort is going to be nearby. Many Disney resorts have quiet pools, or you can nap or decompress in your room. Then you can go back to the park.
Suppose you don’t want to take the time to go back to your resort. Are you wondering where you can go for a bit of quiet and rest inside the Disney World parks? We’ll give you some ideas here. Keep in mind, though, that there are times when the crowds are so dense in the parks that it might be difficult to find any quiet spots.
We’ll cover the following:
- First Aid Stations
- Disney World Restaurants
- Attractions guests might use as a way to take a break
- Disney’s suggested quiet locations around the parks
- Suggestions from our Disney World planning Facebook group members
First Aid stations in the Disney World parks can provide a quiet space
Each park has a First Aid station that has separate semi-private areas where you can rest, take treatments, etc. Each area is separated by cubicles and privacy curtains or a partial wall. They each have a cot you can sit or lie down on, a table and a chair. Guests are welcome to use one of these areas for rest and quiet.
For details on the First Aid stations, visit our First Aid Stations in the Disney World Parks article.
Consider Full-service restaurants in the Disney World theme parks for a rest
One strategy that can be helpful is to schedule meals in some of the more quiet full-service restaurants. There will always be guest noise in the restaurants, but this gets you out of the crowds, sitting down at your own table, and in the cool air conditioning.
You may want to schedule your meal during a non-peak time to minimize the noise. It’s likely to be less stimulating with fewer people inside.
Use caution though when choosing a Disney World restaurant. Some of them are highly stimulating such as T-Rex, 50’s Prime Time and Rainforest Café. The noise levels can be off the charts. In T-Rex and Rainforest, there are audio-animatronics that turn on periodically. There are also a lot of effects such as thunder and lightning. These are very colorful and busy places.
So, you’ll want to stick to restaurants that might be described as calmer. Of course, keep in mind that it just takes a few noisy patrons to change the atmosphere.
Some examples of those Disney World park restaurants I personally would describe as having a reasonably calm environment:
Magic Kingdom:
- Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen, especially in the back rooms
- Plaza Restaurant
Animal Kingdom:
- Yak and Yeti Restaurant
Hollywood Studios:
- Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater (This tends to be dark and quiet with low crowd noise, but there are old-timey sci-fi movies playing which some might find stimulating).
- The Hollywood Brown Derby
Epcot restaurants:
- San Angel Inn (dark and cool)
- Tokyo Dining
- La Hacienda de San Angel
- Le Cellier Steakhouse
- Monsier Paul
Some attractions in the Disney World parks can be used as a way to take a break
Many people use certain rides as a way to get out of the heat and crowds. Some even take short naps in those attractions. These attractions tend to be calm, and they run longer than other rides. Here are some examples:
Magic Kingdom:
- The hall of Presidents – This is a very calm show, and guests sit in an air-conditioned theater.
- Carousel of Progress – Also a calm show in an air-conditioned theater.
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority – This one puzzles me because there are some sharp turns, and it’s partly outdoors. Yet, we frequently hear from people who use this as a way to rest and to get away from the crowds.
- Tom Sawyer’s Island. Many people in my Disney planning Facebook group mentioned this attraction. Guests can take a raft over to an island which has a lot of nooks and crannies to explore or hang out in. Karen Chase from our group shared that there’s a covered area with tables and chairs that faces the Haunted Mansion. She feels it’s a nice place to eat if you’ve brought food with you.
Hollywood Studios:
Although there are some attractions with low lights, air conditioning and comfortable seats, the shows are on the more stimulating side. However, if you’re looking for a cool, comfortable theater type environment you can check out the following show:
Epcot:
- The American Adventure (America Pavilion) (Another theater based show)
- Beauty and the Beast Sing Along (France Pavilion)
Quieter locations within the Disney World parks for rest or breaks
There are many spots that can be found around the parks. Disney places benches in many locations throughout the parks. You can also find low walls to sit on here and there.
Disney World has a document online that’s designed to support those with cognitive difficulties. On that cognitive difficulties document, they publish a number of possible spots. Here’s what they’ve suggested, minus the ones I’ve already mentioned:
Magic Kingdom:
- Adventureland: Swiss Family Treehouse
- Adventureland: Corridor to the left of Pirates of the Caribbean
- Liberty Square: Behind Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe
- Frontierland: Splash Mountain garden area
- Fantasyland: Pathway leading from Cinderella Castle to Fairytale Garden
- Fantasyland: Pete’s Silly Sideshow area
- Fantasyland: Pathway behind The Barnstormer
- Tomorrowland near Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
Hollywood Studios:
- Echo Lake: Walkway surrounding Echo Lake
- Animation Courtyard: Any outdoor area
- Sunset Boulevard: Courtyard area by Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy
- Commissary Lane: Outside ABC Commissary
- Toy Story Land/Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: Pathway between Toy Story Land
- Toy Story Land/Star Wars: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Grand Ave/Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: Tunnel between Grand Ave and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Epcot:
- World Nature: Area between Seas entrance and Coral Reef Restaurant
- World Discovery: Common area near Mission: Space and Test Track
- World Showcase: Mexico – Outside area to the right of the pavilion near the backstage gate
- World Showcase: Morocco – Village Corridors
- World Showcase: France – To the right of the buildings along the water’s edge
- World Showcase: International Gateway
- World Showcase: United Kingdom – Garden area at back of pavilion (when shows not running at gazebo)
Animal Kingdom:
- Africa: Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
- Africa/Pandora: Bridge between Africa and Pandora
- Asia: Maharajah Tiger Trek
Some additional quiet locations our Facebook group members like:
- Magic Kingdom: Bruce Carter likes the seating in the rear of Cosmic Ray’s, a quick service restaurant in Magic Kingdom. At some times of the day it can be crowded there, but at others there are a lot of empty tables, and it can be easy to separate yourself. He feels the tables are a good distance from the food lines.
- First Aid: Gabby CL has this to say about the First Aid stations in all four parks: “We have used the first aid station several times in all the parks for a bit of quiet time for my son. They gladly give us space and always say we can stay as long as we need. It really helps my son.”
- Magic Kingdom: Cynthia Nabozny likes the seating on the bridge between the castle and Cosmic Ray’s.
- Magic Kingdom: Heather Raymond Gable has a number of locations: Exit of the Tiki birds; where they store the wheelchairs by Pirates; the bathroom by Splash Mountain; the walk path along the Rivers of America; the porch between Country Bears and Pecos Bills; the loading zone for the Liberty bell; upstairs at Columbia Harbor House; by the bathroom at Pinocchio Village Haus; if it’s not lunchtime, the seating for Storybook Treats; by the DVC booth across from Journey of the Little Mermaid; the train station by Goofy’s Barnstormer; the exit of space mountain; Tomorrowland Terrace. “
- Magic Kingdom: Erika Bonham Sprague had this to say about a spot in Magic Kingdom: “There was a Big Top tent near Pirates of the Caribbean ride at MK that my friend and I sat at and enjoyed some sweet treats with 11-month-old twins napping while her husband and our boys went on the ride. It was a nice ambience and quiet. There weren’t a whole lot of tables, though.”
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