How I figure napping in the afternoon will go....

[Selket]

Assuming we actually got up and to the parks early (everyone but ME tends to sleep until 9 a.m.) and started back to the hotel by lunch (either before or after).... My 18 mo old usually naps around 11:30 a.m. through 1:30pm. My 5 yr old (closer to 6) doesn't normally nap. I can see DS#1 falling asleep before we leave the park or on the bus back to the hotel and waking up by the time we get there due to shuffling him around and not going back to sleep! And will DS #2 actually nap?

I am wondering if we should attempt the early entry thing or just try to hang out at the hotel until early afternoon (like 2-3 p.m. or later) and then go to the parks and stay later. I know that is the hottest part of the day....but we will have slept late, had breakfast (and maybe lunch) and been swimming. I thought if we did this I might get up on my own and do some of the EE mornings to ride what I wanted (my DH doesn't like the thrill rides as much so he is happy to avoid those. If DS #2 wakes up with me I can always take him (he is the older one).

Any thoughts? Has this worked for anyone?

Carol

 

[Disney_1derland]

We took dd at 15 months old and the first 2 days we trekked back to the hotel for naps and you are absolutely right about the interuption waking her up!

The last 4 days we just went to the parks at opening and stayed. after lunch dd just fell asleep exhausted in the stroller. We took those opportunitys to shop, smell the roses, take turns doing the adult things, etc. We usually had at least 2 hours each day just to thoroughly scour the stores. Don't know if it will work for you, but it did for us.

Your plan sounds good, we didn't get to do the swimming and whatnot and I wish we had. I like a relaxed pace even at Disney so this sounds like a good plan to me, perhaps we will try it your way in March!

have fun,
lori

 

[BevS97]

we never go back for a nap either - it just doesn't work for us.
What we do is take a stroller, and if my dd needs a nap, then she will nap in there, the 1st year she napped most days, last year she only napped occassionally.

Saying that, we don't do massively long days - if we are up early, then we go to the parks very early and leave after lunch, say 3pm at the latest.
Otherwise, we sleep in, get up slowly, maybe swim and head to the parks around 2pm and stay until late - again we have the stroller and if dd needs to rest/sleep then she will do so in the stroller. She has always been the sort of child who will happily stay up later, or sleep on the go if necessary, so it works well for us. I guess if you have a child who needs to be alone, in a quiet room, in order to sleep then it might not work so well.

One of our best ever park vists was last year, when we changed from a villa to AKL - the whole process took longer than expected and so we ended up getting to the hotel in the afternoon - we had planned on going to the park straight away, but we went swimming instead, then had an early dinner at Boma and headed to MK about 6pm.
Since we had had such a quiet day, we all had tons of energy, it was very cool, and the best bit was there were virtually no lines on anything. We managed to ride TONS of rides, including things like Tomorrowland Speedway which had been over 1 1/2 hours every other time we passed it. We were in the park until about 10pm and had a great evening. The park looks even more magical after dark as well.

Bev

 

[HeatherC]

Hi - I have 3 kids....6, 4 and 2. We have gone twice in the last year and a half and stayed off site. With that in mind, we never did do the middle day nap break. My kids are up at 5 and ready to go. So we did! We toured in the am until around 11:30. Then we ate lunch (character ones were a hit). THis gave everyone a nice break from walking and the heat. My little one just kind of napped as she went. We actually finished touring around 3 or 4 and then went back and relaxed for the rest of the day. Seemed to work for us. We also have gone for 10 days....this way we would tour one day and hang out the next. With little ones, it seemed to work. HOpe this helps.

Can't wait for our next trip in November.

Heather

 

[Jenn]

We have always brought our big, comfy stroller and our girls have always napped easily in them. I recline the seat and they are good to go. We use that opportunity to do stuff they can't do (taking turns) like the thrill rides.

 

[Mel6197]

Well my son was 18months and this is how it worked for us..

Got up ate breakfast headed to parks stayed until about 12 (his nap time was 1pm) Got to the room, quiet time,rest, etc Finding things to do with DD who was 5 (Dec when we went, it was cool, and we were getting over being sick so swimming was out, we spent TONS of money in the arcade to let the baby sleep) He would sleep, wake up by now its 3-4pm feed a light dinner head to the parks,
Or on days that he passed out in his stroller, we didnt even try to leave, I would go and find a shaded area while DH and DD went on rides, He only slept maybe 20 min, But it was better than waking him up..
This Oct, No Babies, No Men, Just Me DD Granny, My sister and her daughter..a NO Boys Vacation!! WOO HOO

 

[beattyfamily]

Another who doesn't head back for naps. I have 2 DD's and the youngest has been to WDW at ages 14 months, 26 months, and 3 years old. The older one was 2 1/2, and then 4, 5, 6.

We get to the park as early as we can. Sometimes at opening, sometimes by 10a. We do what we can and they'd nap in the stroller. We stay for the parade at MK for one of our 2 or 3 visits and then head back for a swim and relax. Then we had to dinner or DTD or whatever is open...we go in December usually.

AK we stay till we're done. Same with MGM. Usually till at least 4 unless we're doing Fantasmic. We've done the whole day at MGM for Fantasmic which means till 7:00p for the show.

This has worked out well for us.

Good luck

 

[Gillian]

What are the park hours like when you are visiting? If they are short, you may need to consider that in your strategy.

We like to go in the offseason when thing close early. DS 24 months was able to nap in his stroller sometimes & those were the best days for us!! If we grabbed a counterservice lunch he would nap after eating & we got to relax in the AC for a while. Then we could stroll around or shop while he slept, or take turns doing things that he was too little for.

We did find that he sometimes would not nap if we went back to the room & he fell asleep while in transit.

On the days we stayed in the parks during his nap we would still head back to the room fairly early to swim and relax. The we'd have dinner and be ready to go back out to Epcot or MGM (or someplace that was open later).

 

[Deb & Bill]

If it is important for your children to be able to do the Fantasyland rides - Dumbo, Pooh, Peter Pan, etc., you really need to get to the MK as soon as you can. If you wait too long, you will spend a lot of time waiting in lines. Unless you can get a FastPass ( and some of these do have FP).

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

What we did on our last trip was the youngest took naps in the stroller. It seemed to work fine for us and I really think we'd definitely have the same problem with her waking up before we got completely back to the room if we were to try that last year.

She's a little older this year- and I think we've decided to try it a little differently. We plan on heading back to the resort (either all of us- or just DH with youngest child or youngest two children) after lunch and either we'll all just hang out and relax/swim/etc even if the youngest doesn't take a nap (she sometimes doesn't now anyway) or me and the oldest child will either stay at the park or head back to the park to enjoy the park while the others and DH enjoy relaxing at the resort. DH is soooo liking this idea- he's not really into Disney much (ugh!!) and also not really into many thrill rides (double ugh). So this will probably work best for us.
I'm more of a comando style "vacationer" and enjoy keeping busy doing fun stuff/etc while on vacation- he would prefer a more laid back actually relaxing while on vacation. I can totally understand that- considering where we are each coming from. Me being a SAHM and him working and all that. I want fun- he wants relaxation/rest.... so this should work out well for us.

Oh and last time when we stayed in the park and she napped in the stroller- we also usually didn't stay past 3pm- couple times 5pm max. But on the days we returned earlier- I went back to the parks myself (open late during the Christmas holiday) later when they all went to sleep early. I'm not sure that would work on our next trip though because they won't be open as late as they were then. I definitely would not opt for staying at the resort until AFTER naptime (which can sometimes last till 3-4pm depending on when she finally went down for the nap) then going to the parks.... that would only be a few hours of park time per day! Plus even if it was at a time that the parks were open later- would most kids REALLY enjoy staying at the parks until 10pm or midnight or around those hours? My children sometimes stay up late- but when at WDW they seem to get wore out and have an earlier bedtime. They are pooped around 8-9pm. So even if the parks were open later- that going after naptime option still wouldn't work for us.

 

[crisi]

We tried the back to the hotel for naps, but they kids fell asleep on the boat (we were staying at WL) and the ten minute nap was the end of nap!

The rest of the trip we ended up doing the "Disney Transportation" nap. The train around the Magic Kingdom. Ride the bus in a circle for an hour holding sleeping kids. We didn't do the monorail, but riding it in circles would have been good as well. We tried stroller naps, but without much luck.

This next trip they will be four and five. And we are hoping that middle of the day planned downtime (a hall of presidents show) may do it for them.

 

[Selket]

I love the "disney tranportation nap" - LOL! What happens to us is that we try to get back to his napping place - even when I'm running errands at home - like trying to get back home for his nap - and he falls asleep in the car and wakes up when I pick him up to go inside - then he does NOT go back to sleep! This makes for a very irritable afternoon! We could possibly go to the parks after his nap as he is usually up from it by 1:30 or so and the parks are open later during our stay in august. I guess I will plan the schedule more around my DH's desire to sleep in and his willingness to watch the younger one during the day at the hotel. I'll let him take the little one's pace and I'll take the 5 yr old's pace and see where that gets us. Perhaps once he sees what waiting in line is like he'll be more willing to get up and do some EE mornings with me!

I've learned to have LOW expectations for any trip in terms of what we will see and do and then anything accomplished beyond that is just great!

Can't wait!

 

[susy]

If you are going when the parks are open late, this is what I would do...

Sleep in breakfast, pool, lunch, naps, showers head out to parks (around) 3. By 4pm most that were there at opening are heading out exhausted!I would also rent a stroller for your 5yo. If it will be a late night, tuck their jammies (or something comfy) into your diaper bag. Change them after dinner and they can just hang out in the strollers (really nice at World showcase ) I would do MK for EE at least one day and get the fantasyland rides done and toonetown .

My dad and his wife like to sleep in and this is the advice I would give them for a trip.

We do the get there early, leave and go back and by 4 or 5 the crowds have thinned!

 

[flynnmnstr]

I agree with a lot of the above posts. You have to read your child. We had planned on going back to the room to nap everyday, but after the first two days of trying we gave up and just let him nap in the stroller. It wasn't so much that he fell asleep in transit but that he wasn't that comfortable sleeping in the hotel room.

We would get out as early as possible in the morning (normally at the parks by 9 am). Stayed there through his nap. Some days he was more tired than others. DS has always been a late sleeper and late to go to bed so that works really well for a WDW touring guru like myself. When he woke up we would go back to the hotel for a rest and a snack. We were staying at the Dolphin so we would just walk into Epcot for the evening. We would bring his pjs and change him there. He would usually fall asleep at some point before or during Illuminations and then DH and I would take our time walking back to the hotel.

The only negative is that we always went to Epcot in the evening because we could walk out of the park and back to the hotel without waking him. We never would go to MK at night because of the bus ride back at night. And the Studios always closed too early.

We are going again at the end of August and I will do the same thing by letting him sleep in the stroller. If that doesn't work than I will try to take him back to the hotel mid day for a nap.

 

[crisi]

The "bring PJs along" idea is a great one for little ones going to Fantasmic or Illuminations.

 

[keith-atl]

Get a comfortable stroller, last year we brought our oversized SUV version of a stroller and our daughter lounged out and slept in that while at the park ( I was jealous at times ) this year we are a bit smarter and are bringing a deluxe model of an umbrella stroller that lets the seat go back and has storage and cup holder, but it folds up easy for buses and disney transportation. I dont recommend the disney rental strollers they seem more geared for kids 4 and up and not so well for toddlers and infants.

That being said as for nap time, our daughter sleeps from 12 to about 1:30 - 2:00 we never got out of the parks before 2:30 so if you have a nice stroller they will just sleep in it, kids are funny like that, when they need a nap they will take it. Oh one other thing if you do bring a stroller make sure it has a rain guard if you are out and about at night if you decide to go to parks after your childs nap, cause it seemed every night we were out for dinner last year it rained atleast 1 hour a day.

I guess the best advice is to see how your child reacts the first couple of days to get a good idea which would work best for youl.