4 kids - naps, hopping, suggestions?

[MamaCrystal]

We're taking our 4 kids for their first trip this year the week of Halloween! So excited!! They'll be 8, 6, 4, & 4.

For those with kids around those ages, do you go to each park twice each day with a nap in between? Or just leave late afternoon and do a resort dinner? Or do you park hop with an afternoon nap?

We're staying at WL villas so probably using the boat for MK and buses for everything else, unless renting a car would make a huge difference (crowd ratings for that week range from 2-4). Since I'll be able to make our ADR's at the end of this month, I'm trying to figure out an itinerary and what type of park tickets we'll need.

We'll have 5 full park days... thinking 2 days at MK, 1 each at EPCOT and HS, and haven't decided if we want to bother with AK or not. As of now planning a pool/rest day in the middle with maybe the luau at night. We'll also be doing MNSSHP one night.

Any suggestions are appreciated! Thanks!!

 

[mousefan73]

Your nap plan may backfire with the 8 and 6 year old.. in my experience, if they don't normally still nap at home, or are not jet-lagged, your chances of a nap are slim. Nothing worse than lying down with you wanting to sleep and your kid tossing and turning as they are too excited to nap.


With my kids, I have to choose, late morning , late night plan or earlier mornng, earlier night...

If we do go back to the hotel as a break, all they want to do is swim. so it's not really a rest. and they are 8 and 7.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I'm not going to be much help but here goes.

We played it by ear. We started taking our oldest when he was 2 and some days he'd last all day, others he'd be grumpy and need a nap so we'd head back to the room for the afternoon, let him have nap and pool time and then decide what to do when he woke up.

When we had our 2nd and went back when she was 2 and he was 6, we often took breaks in the middle of the day and then went back to a park for the evening things unless they were both grumpy.
If they were, we just stayed at the resort, had fun in the pool and ate at the resort and got them to bed early.

When the oldest was 8 and youngest 4, we often split up. One parent would stay in the park with the 8 year old and the other parent (usually me) would take the 4 year old back to the resort for a nap before we went back to the park for the evening.

We did have park hoppers and used them but now with FP+ I don't think I'd do any park hopping with young kids.

I think you've got the right plan - that rest day in the middle will really make a difference.

 

[mousefan73]

If they do nap, and you have a park hopper, I'd do Hs first thing AM stay till 1pm or so and then take a looong break until 5pm for the Halloween party.. as it lasts till midnight I believe. Long day though for little ones.

 

[serene56]

We are at rope drop EVERY day. We stay until lunch time then head back to the resort for a swim and a nap

Our GD does not nap at home but she surely did when we took her to disney.
We explained its just disney rest time-- no talking no nothing for 1 hour. She was soon asleep

We headed back to the park around dinner.

-- i can tell you on the last visit with extended family-- they paid a lot of money for this trip and we are not spending the time sleeping /napping.

They paid dearly for that decision because come Thursday they were dealing with a lot of tired, whiney kids

 

[MamaCrystal]

-- i can tell you on the last visit with extended family-- they paid a lot of money for this trip and we are not spending the time sleeping /napping.

They paid dearly for that decision because come Thursday they were dealing with a lot of tired, whiney kids

That's what I'm afraid of Our almost 8 y/o is fine without naps, of course. The current 5 y/o can get pretty cranky without one, the 4 y/o's are okay without one, though I think all the walking will get to them.

I had no idea before I started planning how far in advance everything gets planned, like ADR's and FP+!! Doesn't work out well for the young kid crowd

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

 

[Disneyhabs]

We have never been a go back to the room family. We hit rope drop and stay till park closing. Only when our kids were under 3 did they actually nap and they did so in their strollers. I have been taking my 4 since they were 5 months old. Mine are now 17/12/11/6

 

[MamaCrystal]

We have never been a go back to the room family. We hit rope drop and stay till park closing. Only when our kids were under 3 did they actually nap and they did so in their strollers. I have been taking my 4 since they were 5 months old. Mine are now 17/12/11/6

That's hard core!

I could actually see our kids being okay with that, but would hate to find out they're not once we get there!

 

[mjohnson96]

I have a 4 and 11 and we have been going every year to Orlando since the 11 year old was 1

My plan is usually rope drop in the morning, unless we have an AM ADR, and then we head back to the hotel for nap time after lunch. Now that the oldest one is getting older DH/mom/or me will usally take the older one to the pool, back to the park, or releax.
We then will then have some dinner and head to the parks in the PM for a few more hours.

I prefer to take the car to the parks except for MK, then I use the bus or boat .

It all depends on your kids and how they react, my youngest one can stay longer in the parks than the older one used to without having the melt down. But the oldest one could fall asleep in the stroller where the youngest one never can without a fight.

Hope you guys have a great trip

 

[Disneyhabs]

That's hard core!

I could actually see our kids being okay with that, but would hate to find out they're not once we get there!

I have been told that doing what I do must not be much of a holiday but the kids have always loved it and to this day refuse to leave the parks unless we are hopping to another park.

 

[MichelleVW]

We have never been a go back to the room family. We hit rope drop and stay till park closing. Only when our kids were under 3 did they actually nap and they did so in their strollers. I have been taking my 4 since they were 5 months old. Mine are now 17/12/11/6

I don't know how people do that! We get cranky after about 6 hours or so and we need to leave. I usually go with my girls who are now 21 and 23 and we almost always nap lol! If we go during a slow time we will stay at a park until 3 or so and not go back...but when the parks are open late we will leave by noonish and then head back after dinner.

We like to use our own car and it makes breaks easy.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

for us the bus or boat ride back to resort was our downfall. as soon as they settled is a seat or lap and started moving out they went. getting off and getting to room would wake them up. just enough for them to not go back to sleep but just make them more cranky. head out for ressie for dinner and would fall asleep as they got there or at dinner. how does your kids due with 20 minutes of down time, a car ride, before getting home to bed? plus as you leave park to go to room and you have to wait 20 minutes for bus to come and child fall asleep in stroller you will have to remove them before boarding bus so it could be almost 40 minutes to your resort

 

[nadira36]

Our 4 are younger - currently 7, 5.5, 3, and 7 mos.

But FWIW, with the bigger kids now - we arrive for RD, but plan to leave the park between 3 and 5 for the day - go for a swim, relax at the resort, have dinner and wind down for a decent bedtime. However, we know there'll be another trip so we don't feel like we're wasting anything.

During colder, non-swimming trips, we plan 3 sit down meals spaced through the day and do RD through park close. The TS meals allow everyone to relax and regain energy. with less time away from the parks than going back to the resort.

We don't park hop right now and won't until we're done with the buggy. The exception would be if we stayed at BC, YC, or BW.

 

[mjr0483]

When our two were younger the sun would zap them and you get them in the dark room and out they went.

But around 7 & 8 that was out the window. We still make it back to the room and get out of the heat and relax.

 

[dimndgal1]

We took DD to DL at 18 months & 3, WDW at 4 and almost 5

At 18 months we did shorter days but by 3, she was able to crash in her stroller when she was asleep. At 5 we did standard park days but any long EMH evenings we went back to the hotel for a break (mostly because it was June in Florida and we all needed a break!).

We are planning on doing Disney in Sept with DDs (7 and 15 months at travel) and most days aren't too concerned (LO sleeps in her stroller when we go touring zoos and museums so I assume similar action in Disney). That said, on our MNSSHP day I am planning no morning park and just taking it easy because I want her to be more alert for the party even if she crashes by the end. Also, the day after is a resort day (no parks) so we can all recover some before touring again.

I think that's where you have to decide for little ones... if they can nap in a stroller, great, but if you're paying for an additional event, is it worth risking them sleeping through the whole thing or being cranky and doing a park in the morning?

 

[Disneyhabs]

I don't know how people do that! We get cranky after about 6 hours or so and we need to leave. I usually go with my girls who are now 21 and 23 and we almost always nap lol! If we go during a slow time we will stay at a park until 3 or so and not go back...but when the parks are open late we will leave by noonish and then head back after dinner.

We like to use our own car and it makes breaks easy.

We drive down every year and then park the car at the resort and do not touch it we love the buses and monorail service.

 

[MamaCrystal]

That said, on our MNSSHP day I am planning no morning park and just taking it easy because I want her to be more alert for the party even if she crashes by the end. Also, the day after is a resort day (no parks) so we can all recover some before touring again.

Aha... that's a really good idea for MNSSHP! We've been planning to go on Halloween but maybe we'll move it up to Tuesday instead because we're already planning a rest day on Wednesday.

 

[mousekatool]

Our DS was 2.5 on our first trip, and we tried the midday napping strategy, which worked pretty well. However, last year, the kids were 4.5 and 7, and neither wanted to stop touring to nap. They were too excited! So we compromised. We park hopped, and would usually break at the hotel for an hour or so between parks, or before dinner. That gave everyone a chance to freshen up and change clothes, or nap, or whatever. We also rented a double stroller, and they catnapped some (but not much) in it.

 

[MartDM]

Get to the park early(ish) spend 4 hours or so, then head back to the resort. The younger kids can take a nap and the older kids will benefit from some down time away from the sensory overload of the parks (even if they are exploring the resort or swimming, the break from the parks will do them good). Have a healthy lunch/snack and head back to the parks at dinner time for a few more hours with everyone refreshed and ready for more fun.

 

[wallskm]

Mine were 16 months and 3.5 on our last trip and we found going back to the resort to be too much trouble. Though they were both young enough to fall asleep in the stroller when needed. This year they will be almost 2.5 and 5 and we are planning to play it by ear. We plan to keep the afternoons low-key even if we stay in the parks.