Did your kids last for fireworks at 10pm?

[disneypolybride2008]

I was thinking DD then 4 would be able to stay up for the 9pm fireworks and that'd be pushing it, but the schedule shows them at 10pm for October. They look SO gorgeous and so does the parade. How did your kids do? That will be our travel day, so maybe she'll have napped on the plane but i doubt it. So hopefully she'll be excited enough to stay up. Should i plan for it or forget it?

 

[Thing 1]

Play it by ear.At four we mostly had to take a break if we wanted to stay for night time entertainment. It will depend on what time you had to get up that day, if she slept on the plane and frankly just what kind of kid she is. Remember if the show is at 10:00, if may be 11:30 getting back to your room. Will that effect your plans for the next morning?

 

[Happyinwonerland]

We start our days later, DD (2) usually sleeps until 9 or 9:30, so she stays up late, and can make it far past 10 pm fireworks.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Our kids were 3 and 5 on their first trip. We had planned for naps, early nights, etc....Well, they wouldn't have any of that. They went open to close and saw all of the shows and fireworks, etc... I think with small children who haven't been before, you have to have a plan...but plan to scrap the plan if things are going differently than expected.

 

[msb578]

Sometimes excited children can surprise you. Our three (5, 2, 2) did an 8 am to 11 pm MK day without leaving the park. The twins napped in their strollers.

 

[luvmy2babies]

At ages 2.5 and 4, my son watched Wishes. When he was 2.5 it was our travel day and he had taken a nap but only for about an hour. We got to the park around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. I think excitement kept him up that night. At 4, we saw them around day 4 or 5 of our trip. He had gone to bed extra early the day before and we didn’t go to MK until around 1pm that day.

Both times he was out as soon as it ended. He fell asleep as we were applauding at the end. Thankfully I had a stroller to get him out to the bus and back to our room. When we see Wishes, we always do Epcot the following day because we can sleep in. We don’t do Soarin or Test Track so that is the one park we don’t feel the need hit when it opens.

In October too it should be a little cooler which will help because heat zaps energy as well. As long as you are flexible, you should be fine.

 

[disneypolybride2008]

great advice everyone, thank you! When DD was 21 months we went on her first cruise and on the first day which was the travel day she was up til midnight. We had the 3 hour flight to Miami, arrived at 10pm and didnt get in the room and ready for bed til midnight b/c of waiting on the play yard in the hotel. She never whined at all, just sat there and when the bed was finally ready we laid her in it and she went to bed. That was one of the easiest bedtimes she had ever had. Then the next morning she was up normal time and stayed happy all day. We had to get up, go downstairs for breakfast and then get on a bus to the ship. We had an early night to help her catch up. I just hope at almost 4.5 she'll be fine too.

 

[ajwolfe]

My kids have always been open to close kind of kids - maybe sneaking a quick nap in the stroller but not even that usually. I would just follow their lead and be prepared for either ending. I think a lot of times kids are so enthralled with it all that they surprise parents and don't stick to a normal routine of napping/bedtime.

 

[han22735]

My kids have always been open to close kind of kids - maybe sneaking a quick nap in the stroller but not even that usually. I would just follow their lead and be prepared for either ending. I think a lot of times kids are so enthralled with it all that they surprise parents and don't stick to a normal routine of napping/bedtime.

Very similar to our first trip with DD just under 3. She always naps for about 1-2 hours in the afternoon and rarely napped at Disney except a few times in the stroller. We were amazed and she never got cranky either. She did sleep through the entire Illuminations at Epcot which I thought wasn't possible with the noise..

 

[KathyB 0911]

My DS never naps in the afternoon while we are there so he never makes it to the fireworks. But like others have said, give it a try because you never know.

 

[Minnesota!]

Yes, my kids did (and still do..), but for us, 10 is not late. That is about the time they wind down at night at home, too.

 

[TempleOT]

We will be trying this for the first time--our kids are 8 and 5. Last year we didn't try it, as we tried our best to do rope drop every morning. This time we are planning to do the fireworks the night before our resort/pool/off day so they can sleep in a bit if they want to.

 

[TinaLala]

Every kids different. They might crash at 2pm and be up until midnight. Just plan on going and hope for a mid day nap.

 

[ChasingLeslie]

My kids normal bedtime is 7:30pm. They can't make it to 10pm for the fireworks on the 4th of July...I have very little hope that they'll make it after a busy day at WDW!

 

[TiggerTrigger]

When my kids were younger, we'd take substantial midday breaks/naps to ensure they could enjoy the evening magic at WDW. The parks are at their most crowded this time anyway. Yeah- we were way off of our normal routine, but it's a vacation So...pre-park opening character meals...park touring and snacks/light lunch until about 2pm...rest/nap time at the resort until dinner time...dinner (park or resort TS)...and then evening in parks. There were a couple of times my kids lasted until 1am with this kind of plan. Youngest was 2 on her first two trips and stayed awake (and totally energized) for all of the evening stuff.

 

[Lupeix]

I am going to try this year that DS is 4 too (last time we went he was 2 and 1/2 and did not make it late, even with a nap). I think you just have to be prepared and flexible, have a stroller your kid can fall asleep into once its over if he wants to and a good exit plan. My plan is to valet park at the contemporary to make the exit with a sleeping kid in the stroller easier. No early morning the next day too. I have the advantage we are coming from the west coast, so I hope that doing it the day after we arrive means he still will be 3 hours behind and maybe we can even do the 11 pm electrical parade after wishes. Also, try to FP Wishes, so you don't have to wait around with a potentially cranky and tired child and you can keep doing rides to keep him engaged until close to the start. I am so happy I got to FP+ Wishes!

 

[disneypolybride2008]

I am going to try this year that DS is 4 too (last time we went he was 2 and 1/2 and did not make it late, even with a nap). I think you just have to be prepared and flexible, have a stroller your kid can fall asleep into once its over if he wants to and a good exit plan. My plan is to valet park at the contemporary to make the exit with a sleeping kid in the stroller easier. No early morning the next day too. I have the advantage we are coming from the west coast, so I hope that doing it the day after we arrive means he still will be 3 hours behind and maybe we can even do the 11 pm electrical parade after wishes. Also, try to FP Wishes, so you don't have to wait around with a potentially cranky and tired child and you can keep doing rides to keep him engaged until close to the start. I am so happy I got to FP+ Wishes!

5 days to go for you! you must be ecstatic! have a great time. hope your strategy works

 

[JoeyEmmaMomma]

Sometimes. Sometimes they are cranky and we just go back to the hotel. Watching them from the Poly beach is our fav, since it's a few minute walk back to our room after.

 

[puffkin]

Our kids do great with rope drop until early afternoon, long mid day break at resort (naps, a/c, pool time, community hall, etc), dinner then back in around 6 through fireworks. They have no problems maintaining that schedule for a week. At home they are usually in bed by 8-8:30 pm and up at 6:45. They are currently 2 and 9 and we go twice a year typically.