Back to the room for naps? Must we?

[Ashlotte]

So, DH really doesn't want to go back to the room for naps because he loves Disney and doesn't want to waste a single moment. I insist that the family go back for a mid-day break. Can someone please help me explain to him why this is important? Or if it isn't convince me otherwise? My DD3 will definitely need a nap, DH is arguing that DS5 can stay with him in the parks while I take her back for a nap.

 

[Glendamax]

I'm single, no kids, and I NEED a break. But if your husband dosen't, then let him and your son stay at the park. There is NO WAY I could stay in the park ALL day. A nap, lunch, shower and complete change of clothes is a MUST for me! I couldn't compromise. By letting them stay, you BOTH win!

 

[tribus121]

My DD took her naps in the stroller when she was 4

 

[jtslykin]

My husband and I took turns going back to the room. Or we played it by ear, if my dauther at that time 3 1/2 was showing signs of her alter ego sybil one of us would head back to the room with her and the other would stay with my son who was 5 at that time. If she fell asleep in the stroller we hung out together and did not go back to the room. This way if we split up we each got alone time with each kid. I found it much more relaxing to play it by ear and let the kids direct us. Also unless we had plansearly we would let them sleep as long as they wanted and right when we got back to the room the tv went on low and the lights off so they went to sleep earlier.

 

[NHdisneylover]

The few times we tried to go back for naps when the kids were little DS fell asleep on the bus then woke up getting off and would not sleep again. So, he ended up with very short naps and then we all wasted a bunch of time going to the hotel and back. After that we had the kids nap in strollers if possible. Even after both gave up naps entirely we found the best "midday break" for us is to have our sit down meal in the afternoon (not breakfast or dinner dinner). Everyone seems to recharge after a quiet meal in the a/c. We often leave the parks and dine at a nearby resort to get further away from the crowds (the kids also enjoyed a few minutes of unstructured play time on the playgrounds at resorts before or after lunch).

 

[Aliceacc]

Without knowing your kids: how likely is it that your 5 year old will make it through several days of this without a monster melt down?

At that point, will your husband continue to deal with your son, and probably miss a whole night's touring?

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Well, it's not a "law" that you have to go back, and you know your own children better than anyone. here are some thoughts, though:

If the 5yo isn't used to walking 6-8 miles a day, he'll likely need a break.

If you have a stroller for him, and he'll nap in the stroller, that might be a good option.

It really depends on your overall schedule--if you're "rope-drop" type visitors, a nap is more necessary than "we'll get there when we get there" visitors. Also, if you have rest days or light days in your itinerary, daily naps might not be necessary.

If you are going in the summer time, it will be very hot. A nap or swim break would probably feel good for everyone. Also, you'll be able to enjoy more of the evening stuff if you've taken time to refresh. Travelling in off-season, this is less crucial.

We split up daily, but we have two older (12 and 14) and two younger (6 and 3). The 6yo will be taking a break daily. However, she may not nap every day, we're going in the summer, we're doing rope drop daily, and having a couple late nights.

I don't know if that really helps you. People have different styles and different kids. I'm envious of stoller-nappers! I would say, plan fo rthe worst and hope for the best.

 

[jimandami]

My DS is 5 also and there is no way he could make it all day in at Disney without a break. My DH is also reluctant to go back to the resort (he just thinks it takes up too much time), but he also knows our DS and how whiny and miserable he will get if he doesn't get rest time. I'm not sure he will actually sleep, we will go back to the room for quiet time (except Animal Kingdom day since they close so early). But, my DS is a morning person (wakes up at 6 AM on the dot) so we are rope drop kind of people. In the end, you know your kids best and if you think he can make it all day, give it a shot. As for you DD, if she won't nap in the stroller, I would go back to the room. When DS was turning 4, he took a pretty long nap every day we were at Disney, even though he hadn't been napping at home for about 6 months.

 

[Mom2Dash&JackJack]

I initially thought the same thing - what a waste to go back to the hotel each day. BUT after our first trip with a young one, we found that it was actually some of our best times (memories) to head back to the hotel, swim (cool off) and nap for the day. We are going in 2 weeks and both of our kids, ages 3 and 6 will be napping each day. Its alot of walking and activity being in the parks. And the nap fuels them for the rest of the day. If they do not get a good nap in - beleive me, you will pay for it later in the day!

 

[stopher1]

Ours always just napped in the stroller. And going back to the room takes so much time because Disney's transportation, while convenient, is not exactly quick. The only time we ever went back to our room for a swim or a rest, would be when we stayed at the DL Hotel last year, and you could walk and be there in less than 10 minutes - otherwise you're eating up much of your day just in the getting to and coming from part. Sure if you have multiple days in the same park and want to enforce it go for it, but let your husband and son stay behind. We figure when we're not at home and on vacation, the "at home" rules don't always apply, plus letting them sleep wherever you are just helps make them more flexible and able to go with the flow...not at least it did for ours when they were of napping age - but let your husband and son stay and play.

 

[WantToGoNow]

We have never gone back for naps during the day. When the kids were babies, they napped in a stroller. Our last trip they were 5.5 and turning 3 and we never went back - and if I'm remembering right, my ds took the only nap - on our last day after 9 straight days. My kids had long given up on naps by that age and wouldn't have taken one even if we did go back.

Now saying that, they will be 8 and almost 6 this trip (and no strollers) and we are planning to take a break every day - not to nap, but to rest and swim. We did this one day on our last trip and it is the day that everyone remembers the most. We are travelling with another family with 4 children and their youngest dd2 will need a nap and will not sleep in a stroller.

There is no right or wrong, it's whatever works best for your family and maybe your dh is right and splitting up might be what works.

 

[crisi]

We never had any luck with naps back at the resort when our kids were little. They'd fall asleep on the bus - and beware the ten minute bus nap - because when they got to the room they just didn't want to nap - nor were they willing to be quiet. So we'd let them nap on the monorail or on the bus or in their stroller....whereever they fell asleep we LET THEM SLEEP.

We spent years missing fireworks because my non-nappers or stroller nappers don't make it to fireworks. But since napping in the room wasn't happening, we might as well be out. We'd all be fast asleep by nine - the kids by eight. But we'd make it to rope drop in great moods the next day.

Like WantToGo, now our kids are older (mine are nine and ten) and we go back to swim every day.

 

[Faldred]

If your kids need naps, they need naps. The real question is where they need to take them.

I've been to the World twice for week long visits with young children (once with a 13-month old, and again with a not-quite-four-year-old and 26-month-old twins), and have not once gone back to the resort for naps. We've had the kids' own strollers with us both times, and in each case, they were very good about napping in the stroller after lunch each day. This last time, we didn't even try to make the older child take a nap, but he usually doesn't take a nap anymore anyway.

But, each child and family is different. If your child can sleep (well) in the stroller, then just plan on taking a nice smooth walk to put them to sleep, and you don't have to leave the park.

 

[dancin'girl]

If my DS doesn't get a good nap in, he will be so wired he cannot sleep at night- and then everybody will be tired in the morning! He might be able to catch a little nap here or there in the stroller, but I know it will not be enough for him. So, we plan to go back to the hotel and put him down in the crib for a real nap. It worked for DD when she needed naps, and it was a nice break for all of us.

 

[tzolkin]

I thought we would be horribly bored going back to the resort to try to get my youngest to take a nap and one parent taking the other two kids swimming or something. I was imagining getting annoyed about missing the parks and struggling to get the youngest to sleep so he wouldn't be miserable for the rest of the day/evening.

However, our first full day we got up for am EMH at MK, returned the the resort around noon, shut off the lights, and ALL took a nap for about 4 hours. We got up, had a snack, and headed to another park for the evening.

We wound up all taking a nap every day. It was so nice to get out of the heat and away from the crowds, pull the curtains, and snuggle under the covers. Honestly, it was the most relaxing 9 days we've ever had.

We're going again this year, and my DH jokes that he booked the trip just for the naps.


If we were only doing a short trip, I could understand wanting to be in the parks the entire time to "get my money's worth". But, I think we would have wound up with cranky kids and parents if we didn't take the naps.

 

[Arwen0503]

My whole family goes back to the room for a rest, my DS3 is not the type of kid that will sleep in his stroller also i feel its a plus for all of us b/c we get some down time and just relax while our child is alseep. I would see how your children act at the parks, you ever know both of them could end up not napping or they both could us one. I would play it by ear.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

I swear we napped every day we were there. It also gave a chance to change or shower or what ever else we needed to do.

 

[okeydokey]

We never went back for naps. The kids napped in the stroller when needed. I felt the transport time would be a waste. We tend to go in off season times though, so if we planned on staying until 8 or 9 or 10 at night we got a later start and relaxed at the pool in the am. If the park was closing at 6 or 7, we got there early and stayed all day.

 

[PaPa Doc]

I've been at WDW at 3-4 year intervals since 1972, without, with, and with kids and grandkids - my advice: stay flexible but TAKE THE NAPS.

Kids obviously vary widely in their threshold for napping (my 4yo DGD actually climbs into bed on her own when she's fading and becomes demon-possesed if she misses the nap, her older sister needed to be placed in solitary confinement for naps but had the same result if naps were missed). Kids actually NEED 10-12 hours, or they become sleep-deprived and the results are very predictable. (Acute Brain-Not-Working syndrome).

It's nice to be able to slip back to the resort if you are lucky and have kids who will nap whenever their "easy" button is pushed, but there are also many out of the way quiet areas where power-napping in a stroller (or even on the fly) is possible.

We have the advantage that grandpa is on about the same nap (or at least down-time) schedule as the 4 yo, so the two of us can just fade off into a quiet spot in the stroller.

On every WDW trip, I marvel at the number of clearly demented children on the transportation out of the Parks at closing: of course this does NOT automatically mean they're all speep-deprived, but I'd guess most are.

Also, consider that for a toddler there's actually not all that much to keep them "together" in the Parks - they often can't ride, and the amount of high-stimulus sight and sound is really over the top for them. (Hostage-negotiating teams could probably bombard the bad guys with Disney sound tracks to induce them to surrender...)

 

[pooh4evr]

We haven't done the resort napping thing- we don't want to waste the time coming and going when we could be enjoying the parks, usually the girls will/have slept in the stroller- if they are tired we also might get a snack, watch a show, do TTA or slow a bit but I am not taking 3 or more hours from the day. O fcourse we usually go when it is a bit cooler, and don't stay super late though we do watch the fireworks at each park at some piont. Like most things you have to do what will work best for you!