Do you let you kids sleep in at DVC?

[SSRex]

Unlike our last trip to WDW in June 2002, which was before DVC membership and the first time there for my wife's 2 kids, our trip this summer will not be a commando type 4 WDW theme parks in 5 days kind of vacation.

Yes, we will be going to Universal for parts of up to 5 days, but I expect to spend much more time by the pool, touring the DVC resorts, and enjoying our 2 bedroom villa.

We have 4 kids, 2 are 11 and 2 are 14 and they like to sleep in.
I suggested that we let them do that at least 2 mornings while I attend the member update meeting at 8am on Tuesday\Thursday

She says that she is not paying for a vacation and then letting the kids sleep in. She wants to be up & out of the room by 8am each morning doing something somewhere. I disagreed and she suggested that I submit a poll to see what you do with your kids.

 

[melk]

A better question might be: Do your kids let YOU sleep in at DVC?

Our kids are up by 6:30 every morning, especially at Disney. I'm a morning person so I don't mind but DH would love a few mornings to sleep in on vacation.

So I couldn't vote in the poll, but I certainly wouldn't mind a lazy morning or two while there!

 

[Lora]

I chose "once", but it probably is more like twice.

We like to get to the parks early and take advantage of the short lines. We also like to come back to the room for lunch and a break. Out of about 8-9 mornings, we probably get up for about 2-3 EMH, get to off-day parks on time another 4-5 and sleep in a couple.

 

[jaysue]

We try and adhere to a scheduled approach every other morning. We pretty much wake up when the kids do (they are early risers) - every other day we get moving fairly promptly and on the other days we move out as we want to


thanks
jaysue

 

[Laurabearz]

We are up and out, but not comando.... our kids are young (4,3,11 months) and I find it is best to get up and out early because that is what we do at home, if we dawdle the whole day gets away from us! LOL

BUT

We also retreat back early and are done with the parks by lunchtime and head back to the resort for pool time and general lounging about...

 

[mikesmom]

I voted "always let them sleep in" but you should realize my DS was 16 when we bought into DVC (he's now 21). I've always felt that it was his vacation AND our vacation. I always plan at least 2 PS meals and maybe another activity or 2 , and otherwise, we all enjoy our time in our own way. He usually is out and about much later than we are, sleeps later in the mornings and (believe it or not) is much more into pool/resort days than we are. He loves to swim, use the various activities, etc. He usually brings a buddy.

When he was smaller (we started going to Disnay when he was 7, and usually went every other year), vacations were our "no rules" time. Of course rules for manners and good behavior had to be followed, but we had a lot of "ice cream for dinner, stay up late, sleep in, hang out" days. It truly was great fun for both of us (I was a single mom at the time), as at home rules were rules and budgets were tight and we both worked hard and toed the line at home. Vacation was time to relax and still is.

I've never felt it was like a vacation when I had to run hard to get my moneys worth - too much like work!!

 

[Mickmse2002]

It all depends on how you define sleeping in. We normally wake early at home (me at 4:00 am, wife and kids by 6:00 at the latest) so for us, getting up early is no big deal. I love to take early morning walks on the Boardwalk and the kidlets like going to the parks early in order to be out of them during the hottest part of the day. We come back for lunch and an afternoon swim then back to a park in the evening if the mood strikes us.

 

[crisi]

Let the kids sleep in. Hah! I'm generally up before they are, but they aren't far behind - all on their own. We've had kids awake at 5:30 in the morning! If I do try and sleep in, they will have us up around 7:00.

 

[LoveToDisney]

By the time you have teens, I noticed that no matter how much I planned, they always wanted to do the opposite. Even if they "said" they wanted to get up the next morning "early"...when the morning came, they no longer wanted to when you were trying to wake them. Maybe the first day after arrival they are eager to get going, but it's downhill after that. We found that we ALL enjoyed our vacations more with these ground rules...if they were not awake and getting ready (showing they wanted to go early to the parks), we would let them sleep in, leaving a cell phone nearby, and head off to the parks as a twosome for a short morning. By the time we returned, they were usually just getting up and were in much better moods than if we had forced them to get up early. It was nice because it gave my DH and I some time to enjoy the parks just by ourselves. Whatever you choose to do, remember it's not how much of Disney you see and do, it's how much everyone in the family enjoys the vacation and the good memories of getting along that they will remember. I have to admit, I am looking forward to the trips that will be coming soon when the kids are in college and it is just the two of us in off season to do as we please....AAAHHHHHH!!!!

 

[Dopey Sharon]

Funny you should ask....my DS, 21, just told me that when we go, he's not getting up early. I said that was fine. If he wants to sleep to noon or later (like he does here on the weekends) that's up to him. I'd rather have it this way than fighting to get him up and listening to him gripe and complain the whole day. I bought walkie talkies, for the trip. I will just leave one in the room and take one with us. When he finally rolls out of bed, he can find us. We'll probably be back to the resort, swimming, by the time he gets up anyway.

 

[pat-rick]

We do it a little differently.
I'm up by 06:00AM for walks and coffee around the lake between BCV and BWV. The evening before we decide who wants to get up early and where we want to go. 5 Grandsons are 5 to 16 and we usually have at least 3 adults so splitting up is not a problem. I like to get out early while others enjoy a slower pace. We use cel phones once everyone is at the park just to get a location to find each other.
It seems to work great for us and everyone has a choice but its usually the same ones who like to get the early or late start.

One morning on our last trip it didn't look to nice outside but we decided to go to MK anyway. Through the gates and it started to drizzle. We put our poncho's on and 1st stop was Buzz-Lightyear. We hit almost every attraction to Slpash mountain then decided to have lunch at 11:30am at Pete's. After lunch was the Pirates, jungle cruise and aladdin then home to SAB for the rest of the afternoon. The early birds had a great morning and could not believe everything they we able to do is just a couple hours.

 

[lenshanem]

I didn't vote. Usually I get up early and get ready, get their clothes out for the day, pack our day bag, etc. They usually wake up as I'm getting stuff ready.
Since my Dad was like Clark Griswold, I kinda have to prevent myself from following his footsteps and going commando.

I have been planning our trip this week (I make a loose itinerary based on what PSs we have.) and I factored in two mornings to sleep in for ALL of us. We'll sleep until we wake up. I thought this would be important since this is a longer trip and one of the nights before we are planning on Spectro and Wishes.

 

[pumpkinboy]

originally posed by Ben Franklin
Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

Wise words from a wise man.
Remember that Sloth is one of the Seven Deadly Sins

I am not going to waste the best part of a Florida day in bed , darn it, and my kids aren't either. Of course, they are 4 and 6, and have an early bedtime anyway, so they are usually ready for breakfast and raring to go by 7 AM at WDW. We did all sleep in (yeah, 8:30) the day after MNSSHP tho, but just took that morning as a resort morning, not doing much of anything except swiming, maybe a craft project.

Maybe when they are teenagers they can sleep in, but not anytime soon.

 

[twinmomplus2new]

On our last trip, I decided to throw caution out the window and simply let them sleep till they woke up. And they did somtimes sleeping till almost 10am. Adn we would wander out around lunch time. Spend a few hours and come back take a nap. and stay out late.... Several nights we were really late. Midnight or later.
I do not do well in the heat for prolonged periods of time, so I prefer touring the parks at night when it is a bit cooler for us. And for the little ones in the stroller, I hate when they have that I am melting look. We relax, foremost it's vacation after all, swim, and play later.
Our last vacation was the best trip we have had to Disney in 4 years.

 

[denecarter]

on what we've got planned. But lately, I've been letting DD (16) sleep in. I wake her up at 9 or 10... if I waited for her to wake up on her own we'd be leaving the room at 4 pm!

It should be interesting this summer when we take two "early-riser" nephews. Of course without her beloved Internet, videogames, dvd, and cable and all the walking around, she'll be more willing to go to bed before the crack of dawn.

Just sign me,
Mother of a teenage vampire
(night owl doesn't even begin to cover it)

 

[riopooh]

I'm a night owl and DH is an early bird. Ds is like me and DD like him - so we have to mix it up - alot depends on what was going on the night before!

 

[kweaver]

I didn't vote...because I don't force any kind of sleeping decisions on the kids unless they have to be up for school. Whatever happens, happens!

Our kids (3, 6, 9) are generally early risers...they have to be...they get on the school bus at 7am! The little guy usually wakes up with the older two. While they relax their sleeping patterns a little after school gets out (when we go to WDW), I can't see them sleeping in too long when we're down there. However, if it was a really late night...or I forsee meltdowns and frustration coming for the next day...I'll definitely encourage a late morning!

We're the *up early with breakfast in the room and getting to the parks around opening time...stopping for a bite of late lunch on the way back to the villa for a long nap and maybe a swim...dinner out and back to the parks til closing time* kind of family. You know us parents...errrr...kids...they need those afternoon naps!

We'll have a Sun-Fri trip...and I only forsee us going to the parks 3 days...with a trip to a waterpark thrown in for good measure.

 

[BWVDee]

There should be different choices depending on the age of the kids. Once they are teenagers it is usually a whole different ballgame!! We have been going to WDW since the kids were babies and when they were little we were all up with the sun and opened many a park in our day! However as they got to be teens they no longer wanted to be up early and at the parks at the crack of dawn, they wanted to relax and sleep in, eat a leisurely brunch, etc. At first I was horrified and tried to force the early rising for everyone and it was not worth it. Nothing takes the pixie dust out of a WDW day faster than a miserable, tired, cranky teenager, LOL! I finally realized that it was their vacation also, so now the old adults get up and go to the parks and if any of the kids ( who are now young adults) wish to come, great; if not they sleep in and we all meet up later. Everyone is much happier! And to tell you the truth I enjoy my times in the parks with just the old adults, LOL!
My kids have literally grown up vacationing at WDW and though they still love going to WDW for vacations, they also are not nearly the park lover that I am. DS can easily spend a week at WDW and only enter a park a few times and then it is usually to see one of the night shows and have dinner at one of the park restaurants. DS is prefectly happy going to the pool, DTD, golfing, going to see area friends and other areas outside WDW (horrors!), etc. DD is much more my park buddy, but even she likes to sleep in and relax at least 3 -4 days out of a 10 day trip.
That is what is so great about WDW--there is something for everyone and WDW is the easiest vacation spot there is for groups to split up and be able to navigate around. Also staying in a DVC resort makes it even better because you have the accomendations to allow everyone to enjoy WDW in their own way.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

Our family likes to sleep in. The kids are too old for naps and the only way we can keep them up long enough for Fireworks, Fantasmic, etc. is to let them stay in bed a little longer in the morning. Afterall, we are on vacation...

 

[DeDixie]

I voted for every other -- we really just try to balance things. I look at our DVC trips as a vacation, not a trip. To me a trip is where you are spending your money to see/do different things. A vacation is enjoying every minute to the fullest, luckily with DVC we can now vacation at DIsney -- there is no more Comando for us. Now we only do what makes us the happiest. We don't feel guilty about not doing/seeing something, we are on vacation.

We like to do some EE days, we sleep in some days, we hang by the pools in the afternoons, we watch tv, we wander around DTD and other resorts. Just like our meals have changed, some in the villa and some in the parks/resorts.