Animal Kingdom Napping Opportunities

[ThemeQueen]

I left a couple of hours open in the afternoon in hopes that my kids will nap. We are doing lunch around 1 at FTB, then catching It's Tough to be a Bug and open to suggestion on what to do before Lion King starts at 4.

Should we just walk around? Attempt single rider on Expedition Everest? Take the Wildlife Express to Habitat, Habitat?

Our morning plans are as follows:
10:30-11:30 FP+ for Kilimanjaro Safaris
11:00-11:45 Catch a character at AO, if there is a short line and/or ride Tricera Top Spin in Dinoland & visit the Boneyard
12:00-12:40 FP+ for Finding Nemo

 

[Robo]

I left a couple of hours open in the afternoon in hopes that my kids will nap. We are doing lunch around 1 at FTB, then catching It's Tough to be a Bug and open to suggestion on what to do before Lion King starts at 4.

Careful. They my not be able to nap after It's Tough to be a Bug.
Many kids are terrified by that overwhelming attraction.

We love it, but we are not kids.

 

[mkla2015]

My kids napped through Finding Nemo- even being big Nemo fans, they just weren't interested in the show at all and both fell asleep.

 

[angiwright]

I was going to say exactly what Robo said. If your kids are still napping age, Its tough to be a bug may be pretty intense for them. Definitely won't relax them for a nap!

On the subject of napping when my kids were stroller age I found just walking around seemed to be the easiest way to get them to sleep. Then once they would fall asleep I'd find a relaxing spot to sit and enjoy a drink and people watch Kind of miss those relaxing napping moments!! Now my kids don't want to slow down from park open till park close!!

 

[Ava]

How hot will it be when you're there? Both of the trails - Pangani & Maharajah - could be a good place to walk around until they're asleep and then find a quiet place to sit for a bit, but they are outside.

 

[ThemeQueen]

Thanks for the tip on the show. I watched it on youtube and it definitely will be too scary.

I am fine with walking around to look at animals while they fall asleep, but then where does Mama get a good drink in a cool spot?!

What about going to Habitat, Habitat and Rafiki's Planet Watch on the train? Should I try to work that into my day somehow.

Starting to doubt my plans. We are starting all the way at the back of the park to come all the back in front and then going back again. I have never been to AK and can't judge how big it really is.

 

[tink9702]

what ages are the children? it's a LOT of walking at AK, much bigger than Magic.

I think you should do rider swap & single rider at Everest. It's a great coaster. If you go up to the entrance as a family they will give you a pass for the second adult to go in the FP+ line (if it's shorter than single rider). The first person does single rider, the second does rider swap so it will save you time.

There used to be a Dance party show in the later afternoon in Dinoland, the kids might like that! You could also go meet chip/dale/rafiki and ride the train like you mentioned. I believe the interesting animal encounters that occur only early in the mornings though.

 

[ThemeQueen]

My kids are 4 and 17 months.

We have Chef Mickey reservations in the morning, so the earliest we can get there is 1030 or 11. I think our Safari FP+ time was the only time we could get. I will play around with some things tho.

Thanks for the tip on getting the rider swap ticket!!

 

[Flamingeaux]

Hee hee, I once fell asleep during the Lion King show.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Rafiki's Planet Watch is perfect for napping. It's air conditioned, which is in short supply at AK. There is actually a sound booth in Rafiki's Planet Watch where you sit in the dark and listen to sounds of the rainforest. I may or may not have taken some naps there myself in the past.

 

[ThemeQueen]

How hot will it be when you're there? Both of the trails - Pangani & Maharajah - could be a good place to walk around until they're asleep and then find a quiet place to sit for a bit, but they are outside.

Hot, I am sure. It's in 3 weeks so still 80s. I think we are going to do just that. Find some cold drinks and walk around until the kids fall asleep and then go over to EE to take turns on that.

 

[ThemeQueen]

Rafiki's Planet Watch is perfect for napping. It's air conditioned, which is in short supply at AK. There is actually a sound booth in Rafiki's Planet Watch where you sit in the dark and listen to sounds of the rainforest. I may or may not have taken some naps there myself in the past.

Oh, that is good to know. I worry about transporting the kids (mostly my almost 46 lb 4 year old) if he falls asleep tho and we want to get back on the train. It doesn't look like there are any places for refreshments in that area?

 

[ucfknight]

If Finding Nemo doesn't put your kids to sleep, nothing will.

 

[Ava]

Oh, that is good to know. I worry about transporting the kids (mostly my almost 46 lb 4 year old) if he falls asleep tho and we want to get back on the train. It doesn't look like there are any places for refreshments in that area?

I wouldn't try for the nap at Rafiki's; there are no refreshments for sale there, and you have to fold up strollers in order to get on the train. Plus, your 4yo will probably enjoy the activities & things to see there.

 

[disnut8]

Oh, that is good to know. I worry about transporting the kids (mostly my almost 46 lb 4 year old) if he falls asleep tho and we want to get back on the train. It doesn't look like there are any places for refreshments in that area?

Not to be snarky but if your four year old falls asleep and you want to get him back on the train, just carry him onto the train. Just realize that all children need to be out of the strollers and not put back into strollers until cleared of the red line there on both sides.

I would suggest just walking through one of the animal trails or going over to next to Dinosaur for that small "trail" and a few nice spots to sit and relax. You can also walk around the trails around the Tree of Life.

 

[disnut8]

but then where does Mama get a good drink in a cool spot?!

Dawa Bar. Dawa Bar. Dawa Bar.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Not to be snarky but if your four year old falls asleep and you want to get him back on the train, just carry him onto the train. Just realize that all children need to be out of the strollers and not put back into strollers until cleared of the red line there on both sides.

I'm willing to bet that the "worry" the OP had about her 4 y/o falling asleep in rafiki's is precisely the prospect of the child waking to get them back on the train. I don't think the OP expected to be able to board the train with the child in the stroller, and that was the concern about that plan.

Op - I would just walk around until they fall asleep...whether on the animal trails, or maybe around the tree of.life trails (are they open yet? They may not be, in which case disregard!), or even just around discovery island/oasis area. Nap time is a great time to ride the height requirement rides like EE or Dinosaur.

 

[ArwenMarie]

DAK doesn't have that many good napping opportunities IMO. Also doesn't have a lot of AC minus the two major shows. And in three weeks it is still going to be as hot as heck midday and probably also stormy later in the day. For some reason DAK feels like the hottest park to me. Not sure how locked in your days are but maybe go to Epcot or MK after CMs? And then do DAK one morning at rope drop instead, minimizing the need for the Safari FP.

 

[disneypolybride2008]

i would not plan a nap time, what if they don't.. then you may feel like you wasted that time, just go about your plans and if they fall asleep let them. Hopefully you have strollers for both. The kids will be all fired up being at Disney and may not nap, may not keep the same schedule at home.. just plan what you want to do. Our DD2 would not nap the whole day, she was up at 5 am raring and ready to go beaming buckets of sunshine all day long.. then our AK came mid-week. I held her on my lap for the Lion King show, it's pretty energetic and she just zonked out. We walked her out, put her in her stroller and she napped for awhile. That was her only nap the whole week. We got her in bed by 8pm every night since she was not napping and up since 5am. I don't know how her little body did it, but she was so full of adrenaline. This time around she'll be 4, we are not planning any naps. She doesn't nap at home, and if she's tired enough there, she'll zonk out on a ride or in the stroller. When she was 2 we also went to Sesame, same schedule she took there.. and she only napped once during those vacation days and it was at a restaurant mid day after we had to leave the park b/c it was storming. She was sitting in her booster chair and fell asleep. I took her out and held her while she napped, and ate with one hand. The 17 month old should be able to just fall asleep whenever wherever. Nemo almost puts me to sleep everytime. She didn't fall asleep through that, it was later at Festival of the Lion King, lol. Have a blast!

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

There are a lot of trails at AK - quiet secluded little nooks where you may have few people passing by - so I think you could find a spot to sit beneath the trees.

For me though, I'd want air conditioning - so I'd suggest Finding Nemo, Rafiki's Planet Watch or Pizzafari Counter Service - but usually the air conditioned counter service restaurants are really busy and they try to clear tables right away so no time to linger - but if it's not busy you might could order something and sit for awhile.