6 year old stamina?

[hanlin]

Hi! Trying to map out the days at WDW and having a hard time deciding how much to plan/schedule without knowing how my girls will react to all the walking and extra stimulation. Do you all plan 1 park a day and stay all day. Would it more feasable to schedule a break back to the hotel. They probably wouldnt sleep but they would enjoy a swim. For instance, we have ADR to Cindy' castle for breakfast 9 am our first full day there (getting to POFQ at 8 pm previous nite). I figured we would do MK that day since we will be there but finding it hard to make ADR for dinner that night. Will we still be at MK at dinner time? We are only there 5 nights so I feel like I want to make the most of every day but at the same time I don't want to lead the girls to a meltdown from exaustion. I have 6 yo twins, one is a mild complainer the other would go with the flow. Oh and I have my MIL and Mom don't forget!!!How much is too much??? Any input would be appreciated!

 

[dixipixi]

We always take a break during the day. Even though the kids are now teens, that break really helps. When my son was 4, he and I went to WDW with my mom (52 at the time) and my sister (3 mos. pregnant). So we had a lot of issues to deal with!!!

We rented a stroller and he mostly rode in it, but was still "done" at the end of the day. Usually my mom and sister were pooped out as well and would take him back to the hotel while I stayed for the fireworks.

When he was 6 he managed to get around without the stroller. Like I said, we have always taken that break. Of course we always go in June and it is very hot. We're used to the heat and it still just drains us.

We plan lots of time around the hotel. My son loves to swim and the pool is usually his favorite thing. He also loves the water parks and we have found one of the best ways to break up all the "park touring" is by going to the water parks. We have actually done a water park in the morning, taken a break back at the hotel, and went to one of the parks at night for fireworks, parades, or shows. The day didn't seem nearly as long or tiring when we have done that.

Hope some of this helps. Don't worry....you'll have a great time!!!!

 

[pezpam]

I don't know if anyone can answer that for you..... Everything depends on your particular kids.

I will say this - the first time I went, it was just me and DD, who was 6 at the time and I think that making that first trip totally flexible was key. I let go of that feeling that we had to be up early, out late, and trying to do and see everything. That allowed me to key in on her needs each day, letting her get enough sleep, etc..... We didn't have the dining plan on the first trip, but did use it on our last trip. I loved it, but if you have questions about the kids stamina, you may want to try to schedule the TS meals for breakfast or lunch, which would leave you free to eat dinner whenever it's needed and head back to the hotel if needed without feeling like you HAVE to stay an extra hour or two for that TS dinner when the kids are pooped out.

Believe me, they will have the time of their lives and will remember everything they did, not the things they didn't do.

 

[MulanMom]

How much to do and when depends on a lot of factors....the nature of your children, how crowded the parks are, how hot or rainy it is, etc. During the hottest weather when the parks are open late, we've done what dixipixi outlined in her message. However, we've also varied things a bit by not always getting an early start in the morning, by staying in the park most of the day and returning to resort at night for dinner, etc. It's very difficult to plan when you don't know how your party members will react. And with children, sometimes how they react changes from trip to trip!

That being said, one of the key things we've learned and try to build in is flexibility. Structure a touring plan around your "must sees" (and no, it can't be everything!). If seeing SpectroMagic and Wishes in MK are important, then you've got to manage your children during the day so they don't meltdown at night. That may entail doing a park early in the morning, returning to your resort in the afternoon for a swim and a nap, and then going to the MK. Or it might mean sleeping in that morning and beginning your tour of the MK around 4, when the PM parade has ended and lots of folks are exiting the parks with their tired little ones. For my family, a sleep-in morning usually always follows a late night. Epcot future world is a park that is good to start touring in the PM as most parkgoers have toured it in the AM and move on to the Future World portion for the afternoon.

Dining reservations are good if you really want to eat at a particular place at a particular time and perhaps see characters, but they can also limit you. MK, as well as the other parks, have a variety of counter service restaurants that have good food. One of the reasons why I mention this is that I hope you do not stay away from MK because you cannot get ADRs for dinner there. Nor would I want to see your flexibility constrained by a multitude of ADRs. Hope that makes sense!

Let's see, another of our tricks to increase our mileage, so to speak, with our kids is to rent a stroller if we planned to do Epcot for an entire day. It's a lot of area to cover. Some folks have the opinion that older children should not require a stroller, and in most cases, that is true. But the walking done at WDW, especially Epcot, is beyond the norm and it helps to get a couple of extra pleasant hours out of our kids. Heck, sometimes I'd like to be pushed around in a stroller!!!

Anyway....keep reading the Disboards, keep asking questions, realize you won't get everything done, and I'm sure you'll do fine and your trip will be great.

Hope this helps!

 

[noladave]

My daughter (now 7), made it through the first day just fine. However, she definitely had issues getting up the next day, so we rented a stroller, and it turns out that it really helped. When she would get tired, she would jump in and relax. It made for a better experience. I know a stroller is a bit much for a 6 year old, but in my book, it was well worth it.

 

[tweedlewtwinsmama]

My 6 year old twin boys seem like little energizer bunnies at times. We have never been to WDW but we do go to Cedar point a few times a year and they make it through the whole day. Although, we do camp there and can go back for rest breaks if needed. When we go to WDW (Pop) we plan to arrive at parks early get a mid-day break in (pool) and stay to see fireworks. We also have TS meals planned where we can sit and chill for awhile

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Thought you might like to post here too:

Traveling with Multiples: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=985649&referrerid=70088

 

[fairydustcrissy]

We have a 4 yo, a 6 yo, and a 1yo. Last year the baby was only 4 mo old, so he was a piece of cake. For the girls, we ALWAYS rent the double stroller. It holds all our stuff, and gives them a place to rest when they need to. We make it from open to close at every park, no problems!

 

[TMJR]

A stroller is the best way to go, especially at the bigger parks or parks where you'll most likely do the most walking...like Epcot, MK and AK. Our kids were 6 and 5 last trip, and both used their strollers all those 3 parks. MGM was fine for them.

I also agree with the above posters regarding an afternoon break. We usually hit a park early, stay until lunchtime and head back to the resort. Swim, rest, etc. then head back to a different park for the evening. It has always worked well for us.

But, you are the one who knows your kids best. Maybe try scheduling a calm day after a full day at the park?

However you plan it, have a blast!

 

[scubamouse]

depends on the kid. we used our double stroller for DS5 and DD4 and DS only used it late in the day or when we were crossing a park (e.g. the soarin to test track round trip or TOT to the backlot at MGM). we hit the park at opening and went hard until about 2:30 every day then napped. We got to do almost everything on that schedule.

we also did training walks before we left. we'd walk our neighborhood and built up to a mile per kid before going. it was good for all of us!

 

[Mom Possible]

Had to add don't just assume they wont take naps. My 6yr old has been done with naps for a long time but at WDW she complains about it for about 5 minutes before she is asleep.

I will admit to bringing the stroller for my 6yr old. She is a complainer when it comes to walking that distance and it is 1. easier on both of us, 2. safe because i always know where she is. Is she spoiled? yes.Am i reconsidering for our next trip at 7yrs old? yes. But up to now I have taken the stroller and had much less stressful vacations.

 

[Matt]

Yeah, my 6 year old daughter has the tendency to get tired at the parks if we don't do it right. We don't usually go back to the room for a break though. We have an almost 3 year old and we bring a stroller for her. If during the day if my oldest gets tired, we'll let her ride in the stroller for awhile.

However, we just take the day leisurely. We see shows in the afternnoon so they can sit. We take in the parades. We stop and just eat a snack at a table for awhile. That keeps them rested.

Also, if you are at the parks for a long period of time like 7-10 days, pace yourself. Even I was wearing down by day 10 in November. Both girls were fine and never complained one day about going back to the room early.

 

[loveysbydesign]

Can anyone recommend a good cheap stroller for my 6y.o.....I was going to bring along the sit and stand stroller my friend gave mye, for my 3 1/2 y.o. dd and 6y.o. ds but if my ds gets really tired maybe we should just buy him an individual stroller to use. Unsure with flying if we can lug 2 small strollers along. Anyone have tips?

 

[UrsulasShadow]

You didn't mention whether you were staying onsite or offsite. I think that makes a big difference in whether you take that midafternoon break. If you're offsite, you might find it takes so much time to travel back and forth between hotel and park, you've lost any possible benefit from leaving and returning later.

Also, the time of year affects park hours. Take into account opening and closing times for each park to see if it makes sense to leave halfway through the day.

I always plan a midday break, even though my kids are older teens now. I always stay onsite, and go during busy times of year (not my choice, believe me!), so the hours are very extended (7am-4am, some days!). A break is essential at those times of year. I also plan break days (at least 2 per week) in which we avoid the parks and resort-hop or shop DTD or visit the pool, or arcade, or movies. Usually I plan one of our more exciting shows that day (Cirque, HDD, Luau).

In short, for long days, break it up if you can. For shorter days, get in what you can and plan for days off.

 

[DVCPAT]

We’ve visited WDW since my oldest daughter was 5 and my second daughter was born. My planning would consist of which park to visit for the day and dinner reservations. Everything in between would depend on how the kids held up.

I would definitely get a double stroller and arrive at the parks as early as possible. You can cover a lot of ground before the crowds arrive. We usually would leave the park in the afternoon and return to the resort for a swim. I’m always amazed to see families entering the park at noon (heat of the day) and see the kids showing fatigue before the day has started.

I had a problem with my kids wanting to buy everything they would see at the rides exit or Disney store. I had to schedule “shopping days” so they wouldn’t fuss if they saw something they really wanted. We give them a limited amount of money, which made them really think about the purchase. I hate to spend money on an expensive toy only to see them favor a $1.00 gadget.

 

[hanlin]

Thank you all so much for your info. I think I will have a basic plan with several plan B's!! My girls are big ride riders so I want to make sure they have plenty of time to do that at MK. Oh, as far as the strollers...can I rent them at the park? Where are they? How much? Will my 38lb and 43 lb twins fit in them? Do you just leave them when you are riding something or seeing a show? You guys are great!

 

[DVCPAT]

Yes, you can rent them at the entrance of each park. Your kids will easily fit in a double stroller. Save the receipt if you plan on returning to another theme park later. When your day is over, return your stroller for the deposit refund.

You will see stroller parking near the entrance of each ride…. Beware, on two occasions, we had our strollers stolen. You don’t have to return to the main entrance if this happens, just explain the situation to a Disney employee and they will instruct you what to do.

 

[fairydustcrissy]

We rent double strollers at the gate. I dont remember how much it costed, more than you would think though. But it is worth it! We have never had anyone mess with our stroller.

 

[cvjw]

When my son was 5, we stopped using the stroller. We always get to the parks early, and then go back to the hotel after lunch for a swim and a rest. We then go back to the park around 4:00 and stay until the fireworks. I am constantly amazed at how much energy my boys have at DW, they walk miles everyday and do not complain. They are just so happy to be there. After a week at DW, they are so tired, they sleep on the drive home.

 

[bags6490]

RENT THE STROLLER! RENT THE STROLLER! RENT THE STROLLER! It helps sooo much. They will be fine for the first couple of days without a break - my 6 year old is. After a few all days and late nights in the parks, we have to let her sleep late in the mornings and/or take a nap/quiet break during the day. Have fun!!!