18 month old boy and fireworks

[Jonathan Friedman]

We leave next week for a 7 day Disney trip. Taking the 18 month old with us and plan on doing illuminations and HEA one night each, the rest of the days we will go to bed on schedule. Anyone have any success or failure stories seeing fireworks with a young toddler?

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

My son was a little older, almost 2, when we went. We closed the parks every night, including doing evening magic hours once and MNSSHP. He never had a problem. We typically got to the parks around 10:30 or so and stayed all day with him napping in the stroller in mid-afternoon. We got back to the resort anywhere from 10pm-130am and the only night he fell asleep before getting back was MNSSHP when he fell asleep around midnight shortly before we left the park. I will say though that he's a late rider and doesn't go to bed until around 10 pm usually at home, so it wasn't a huge difference for him to stay up a little later. He absolutely loved Illuminations. HEA he was sort of indifferent about, but our view wasn't the greatest.

 

[LSUmiss]

We just got back with DS 14 mos. He cannot make it past his regular bedtime especially in WDW. Every kid is different, though.

 

[sponica]

I didn't even try. We went with a 21 month old who regularly went to bed around 630. She made it at the parks until 7 PM or so most nights and was asleep by 8.

 

[mjkacmom]

Three of my five kids absolutely hated fireworks when they were little.

 

[YesterDark]

My daughter at 19 months loved the fireworks 2 weeks ago. She just kept saying boom boom and giggling.

 

[stephk1981]

We tried once with DS when he was 2.... Definite failure for us. He fell asleep during Illuminations...we walked back to BC. He woke up, wouldn't go back to sleep. Next morning still got up at normal time.....worst mood and day for us ever.

Ten years later, we tried with DD this past trip at 20 months old ....aweful! It was her 6 th trip, and we hadn't tried staying up past her normal bedtime. We were there with visiting family though, who may not be back. Pretty much same routine.....she fell asleep, woke on monorail going back to Poly. I finally got her to bed by 1 am. She was up by 5 am the next morning, super cranky....not a fun day for any of us!
I have learned my lesson! We cannot do late nights with my kids, sticking to bedtime is important for us to have a good trip. Have a fun trip, hope all goes well!

 

[LSUmiss]

We tried once with DS when he was 2.... Definite failure for us. He fell asleep during Illuminations...we walked back to BC. He woke up, wouldn't go back to sleep. Next morning still got up at normal time.....worst mood and day for us ever.

Ten years later, we tried with DD this past trip at 20 months old ....aweful! It was her 6 th trip, and we hadn't tried staying up past her normal bedtime. We were there with visiting family though, who may not be back. Pretty much same routine.....she fell asleep, woke on monorail going back to Poly. I finally got her to bed by 1 am. She was up by 5 am the next morning, super cranky....not a fun day for any of us!
I have learned my lesson! We cannot do late nights with my kids, sticking to bedtime is important for us to have a good trip. Have a fun trip, hope all goes well!

This exactly why we never try. Once DS is asleep we don’t risk waking him! We even sit in the hotel in the dark. He goes to bed at 9 so it’s not like it’s all that early. If he fell asleep on the way back to the hotel, it would be more of a nap.

 

[stephk1981]

This exactly why we never try. Once DS is asleep we don’t risk waking him! We even sit in the hotel in the dark. He goes to bed at 9 so it’s not like it’s all that early. If he fell asleep on the way back to the hotel, it would be more of a nap.

It isn't forever, I keep telling myself that! Lol. Looking back, think DS started being able to stay up later to watch firework shows around 4. I'm taking DS11 and DD then will be 2 in Nov. We ARE going to ROL...I have never seen it because I've always felt it was too late for her. I think it's at maybe 7 ish in Nov? I am really hoping it goes well, because I really want to see it and Pandora at night! They opened Pandora while I was pregnant with DD and I was so tired then, I didn't want to stay up lol.....

 

[LSUmiss]

It isn't forever, I keep telling myself that! Lol. Looking back, think DS started being able to stay up later to watch firework shows around 4. I'm taking DS11 and DD then will be 2 in Nov. We ARE going to ROL...I have never seen it because I've always felt it was too late for her. I think it's at maybe 7 ish in Nov? I am really hoping it goes well, because I really want to see it and Pandora at night! They opened Pandora while I was pregnant with DD and I was so tired then, I didn't want to stay up lol.....

Same here with Pandora lol! I was 7 mos preg on that trip & I just couldn’t take walking back there. I had already seen pandora during the day on a previous trip. DS is only 16 mos & we are able to go pretty often. He has been at 7 mos & 14 mos & will go at 17 & 21 mos. For us, there will plenty of time to see fireworks when he’s older. Right now his schedule is the most important to us on trips. I get that not everyone can go as often, though.

 

[TreeFalls]

My kids all hated fireworks at that age. We didn't bother until the most recent trip, when we took my youngest right around his 3rd birthday for the sake of the older ones. He trembled and hid his face for the whole thing. But it totally depends on the kid- mine hates noises in general (lawnmowers, hand dryers, etc.), so that might be a good predictor.

As far as sleep, until my kids were about 2 they would pass out in the stroller or baby carrier if we stayed late, so it didn't mess with their sleep too much.

 

[Lilsia]

We started taking our girls when they were 17 months and 30 months old. We did not try to stay up every night but did make it a couple of nights to see the fireworks. They loved them. You never know what a child is going to like or what they are going to be scared of. My girls loves the plush characters but was scared of the princesses.

 

[MomOTwins]

My youngest just turned 4 and he still has never successfully stayed awake for fireworks (has been going to WDW since he was a little baby). DH and I just split up the parks and take turns staying for fireworks while the other goes back to the hotel around 8pm with the little guy for an early bedtime.

 

[MrsDuck]

We didn't even attempt because I'm a psycho about our bedtime schedule.

 

[gtpoohbear]

We had a comically bad time with the fireworks when DS was just a bit older than that. We were staying at YC, and always seemed to time it just wrong such that Illuminations was going off as we got back to the hotel. He would take off running towards the building, faster than any of us could keep up with him, screaming like a banshee the whole way. Needless to say, watching the fireworks was out of the question. He didn't tolerate that until about 5-6 years old. But at least the running/screaming reaction stopped by about 3. That said, some kids do enjoy them. I think all you can do is try... just be ready to abandon ship quickly if it isn't working out.

 

[westie55]

I've done fireworks with my toddlers on a couple different trips. My kids' adrenalin must be really high in Disney which tends to keep them up later than usual. Whenever I try a normal bedtime, they are wild and won't fall asleep! My almost 2 year old made it thru the entire Star Wars fireworks show and my older son did Happily Ever After at 2 as well without issues. They fell asleep on the way back to the resort. It is definitely doable but be prepared to bail if it is failing.

 

[sponica]

@westie55 my kid falling asleep on the way back would be my own worst nightmare. Because then she'd wake up and be running around like a drunken sailor for 5 hours.....