Do you let your little ones (3-6) stay up?

[Holiztic]

I am reading the Unofficial Guide and am so surprised that all the touring plans for families with young children include staying until park close including fireworks at MK (9 or 10!?!?!?!)

So I was wondering if you keep your little ones up late on Disney vacation?

I have to add that DS is only 3, so I am mostly interested in opinions of parents with kids under 7, though I think even older kids need to be in bed early, especially on vacation!

Maybe if DS napped it would be different, but he doesn't under any circumstance! He may crash for bed at 5, but no naps!

Even if he did nap, we'd still plan to be back in our hotel just for quiet time by 8 for sure. As it is, with no naps, we'll do 5 pm dinners and be in hotel by 6:30 for 7:00 bed. We'd love to be in the parks at night, but we'll have to wait a few years!

Note: The Unofiical Guide also recommends getting to the parks before opening, and eating breakfast before coming, so even staying on site (which we're not) we'd have to be up before 7. So are little ones on the UG touring plans sleeping from 10 or 11 to 6 or 7? Sounds like recipe for disaster the next day!

 

[amylevan]

Don't forget that at different times of the year the evening events can be earlier. (Illuminations is always 9, but wishes and spectromagic can be earlier..)

My neice (3.5 at the time) was kept up to see wishes one night the last time we were there, but it was our last night and she was able to sleep a little later the next day. She napped in her stroller a little until it started, and napped most of the way back to the hotel.

I do have to say that the UOG is right on about being at the parks when they open. That is really the best way to see the parks.

 

[Holiztic]

We fully intend to be up early and there well before opening, thus its even more important for us to get him down early!

 

[tr-ray]

My DD will be 27 months, and my nephew will be 12 mos when we go in December. We will likely try to stagger the late nights - I definitely would like to take in Wishes, but we will go at the kids' pace. If the kids are zonked, then we can skip out.

But I second the notion of getting to the parks for opening. We went when DD was 4 mos old, and we went at opening (or shortly thereafter), and went back to the hotel for lunch (stayed onsite). All of us took naps or relaxed, and we went back for dinner & snacks at the parks.

 

[anotherdisneygal]

No, which is one of the reasons we are staying at the Poly in a theme park view room. We hope to see the fireworks from the room or the beach while the kiddos are sleeping (one of us will watch from the beach, not very romantic, but we aren't leaving the kiddos alone anytime soon!).

 

[E&K's Dad]

My boys (3 and 20 months) are generally in bed by 7:30 and are routine dependent. However, for our upcoming Disney trips we are going to make some well planned exceptions. We will be going to MNNSHP one night which means we are skipping the parks that morning and planning a late start the following day. We will also plan a late night to see F! at DHS so we will have a similar plan those days as well. Other then those two nights we plan on sticking to the normal routine (+/- an hour) while in the parks.

 

[kpm76]

We maintain DD's schedule while on vacation, with few exceptions. She's almost 3 and we have traveled with her to WDW when she was 6 momths, 18 months and 2.5 yrs old. Next trip will be in January and she will be a little more than 3.5 and we will have our DS (due in Aug). We did Wishes one night but every other night we were in the room by 7pm for bath and quiet time before bed at 8pm. DD also naps for 2 hrs during the afternoon so we took a break everyday. We own DVC at the BW so it makes hotel trips easy. Sure, we can't so everything like we could pre-kids but the things we do are very enjoyable because we are not dragging around a screaming, overtired, overstimulated kid....

 

[My2PrincessesMom]

My DD are 6 and 9 and we still keep their routines fairly consistent. They both are early risers and want to get up and get going no matter the time we go to bed. So, if we do stay out, it is usually only once or twice or it is at the pool at our resort. We have enjoyed a movie pool side more than once to take a quiet evening to a fun level.

 

[dsneygirl]

I am one of those parents who throw schedule completely out the window at WDW. Especially if you are there in the hotter months. The difference once the sun goes down is amazing.

We let DS nap whenever he crashes whether in the car, bus etc. And let him sleep for as long as he needs. Last Sept there were 2 nights where he slept right through dinner (from about 4-6pm) then he was good to go until 10 or 11.

My DS is almost 4 and as has been about 10 times to WDW. When he was younger he just napped in the stroller or fell asleep in the stroller when he was tired. Whether it was 8,9,10pm I really didn't care.

Last year at MNSSHP he stayed up until we got on the bus at 12:20pm.

Maybe we're just lucky because even at almost 4 he will still sleep in the stroller but it works well for us.

 

[jillianml]

My DD is now 10.We didnt travel much when she was younger,I was sick back then.I am much better now and we travel alot now to make up for it!When she was younger she had trouble sleeping and sometimes didnt get to bed till 10 if we were lucky!Disney probably would have been a great way to get her to fall asleep!I think it depends on your children.I would think if they crashed in a comfy stroller they could sleep while you watched,as long as they wouldnt be too hot or cold based on the weather!

 

[alyssa810]

I am one of those parents who throw schedule completely out the window at WDW. Especially if you are there in the hotter months. The difference once the sun goes down is amazing.

We let DS nap whenever he crashes whether in the car, bus etc. And let him sleep for as long as he needs. Last Sept there were 2 nights where he slept right through dinner (from about 4-6pm) then he was good to go until 10 or 11.

My DS is almost 4 and as has been about 10 times to WDW. When he was younger he just napped in the stroller or fell asleep in the stroller when he was tired. Whether it was 8,9,10pm I really didn't care.

Last year at MNSSHP he stayed up until we got on the bus at 12:20pm.

Maybe we're just lucky because even at almost 4 he will still sleep in the stroller but it works well for us.

What's a schedule?!!?
I'm just kidding. My DS stays up late on vacation. A lot of times we're sleeping much later in the morning and our meals aren't the same time as they are at home, or when he's in day care, so his nap time isn't the same either. He'll nap in the stroller, and is pretty comfortable in doing so. We will go back to the room early if he seems too tired or cranky, but if he's up late and in good spirits, they we stay out.

 

[steph124ny]

My boys (3 and 20 months) are generally in bed by 7:30 and are routine dependent. However, for our upcoming Disney trips we are going to make some well planned exceptions. We will be going to MNNSHP one night which means we are skipping the parks that morning and planning a late start the following day. We will also plan a late night to see F! at DHS so we will have a similar plan those days as well. Other then those two nights we plan on sticking to the normal routine (+/- an hour) while in the parks.

I wish!!! My 4 year old is a complete nightowl and always has been. There has never been a time when I could have bedtime any earlier than 10pm for her!!! And she gets up every morning just fine for pre-K and never naps...I feel like I haven't slept in 4 years!

 

[dsneygirl]

What's a schedule?!!?
I'm just kidding. My DS stays up late on vacation. A lot of times we're sleeping much later in the morning and our meals aren't the same time as they are at home, or when he's in day care, so his nap time isn't the same either. He'll nap in the stroller, and is pretty comfortable in doing so. We will go back to the room early if he seems too tired or cranky, but if he's up late and in good spirits, they we stay out.

Wow we would get along great at WDW.

I also confess last month on the Disney Wonder my DS was in the kids club until midnight. (he had like a 3 hour nap that afternoon)

 

[hmacmahony]

we let our kids stay up on vacation, after all its vacation and I don't want to sit in the room at night time anymore than they do. Some of our most fun things have been the xmas and halloween party, and eating ice cream at midnight!! My kids are flexible, they sleep later if we are up late. They don't freak out if they don't nap. Its their vacation too, time to let loose and have a little fun!!
I have some great pictures, of my kids at under 2 and under 3, sitting on a bench on main street, after a xmas party, eating ice cream, and we were pretty much the last ones out of the park. It was easily 1 in the morning! Of course, they crashed on the bus, but no biggie. They slept late! It was great!
The only place my kids have EVER napped in a stroller past newborn, ever, was disney. If they were tired,they crashed. No biggie.

 

[ktlm]

Yes. My DD has been once at 2 and twice at 3. One of her favorite things at age 2 was the Spectromagic parade. We usually stay in the parks until about closing. Sometimes she is up the whole time, sometimes she tells us that she is ready to go back to the resort, and very rarely, she will fall asleep in her stroller and we will head back to the resort. At 3, we went to MVMCP and had to drag her kicking and screaming of the park at 11:00 p.m. She wanted to stay until the park closed at midnight and we were telling her not gonna happen. She is high energy. We also start out the parks usually within 15 minutes of rope drop, and we don't take an afternoon break (tried it on the first trip and it was a disaster- all we got was an angry child who refused to nap for over 2 hours). As far as the fact that your DS never takes naps, you might be surprised at WDW. My DD never takes naps at home. In fact, if she happens to fall asleep for a nap, you can expect to still be trying to get her down to bed at 11 or 12 at night. Naps at our house are not a good thing! At WDW, she usually crawls into the stroller and naps once or twice a day. Then, she is ready to go until pretty late in the evening.

 

[Jareds_mommy]

I am reading the Unofficial Guide and am so surprised that all the touring plans for families with young children include staying until park close including fireworks at MK (9 or 10!?!?!?!)

So I was wondering if you keep your little ones up late on Disney vacation?

I have to add that DS is only 3, so I am mostly interested in opinions of parents with kids under 7, though I think even older kids need to be in bed early, especially on vacation!

Maybe if DS napped it would be different, but he doesn't under any circumstance! He may crash for bed at 5, but no naps!

Even if he did nap, we'd still plan to be back in our hotel just for quiet time by 8 for sure. As it is, with no naps, we'll do 5 pm dinners and be in hotel by 6:30 for 7:00 bed. We'd love to be in the parks at night, but we'll have to wait a few years!

Note: The Unofiical Guide also recommends getting to the parks before opening, and eating breakfast before coming, so even staying on site (which we're not) we'd have to be up before 7. So are little ones on the UG touring plans sleeping from 10 or 11 to 6 or 7? Sounds like recipe for disaster the next day!

we are from the west coast so yes we do, we try to keep them on west coast ti e for everything, so its easier when we get home.
Even at home though my 2 are night owls,
and never go to bed before 8.30- 9
but they sleep until 9 too
this is our third trip in 18 months and we find sleeping in and staying up at EMH evenings work really great for us

 

[KELLY]

I am reading the Unofficial Guide and am so surprised that all the touring plans for families with young children include staying until park close including fireworks at MK (9 or 10!?!?!?!)

So I was wondering if you keep your little ones up late on Disney vacation?

I have to add that DS is only 3, so I am mostly interested in opinions of parents with kids under 7, though I think even older kids need to be in bed early, especially on vacation!

Maybe if DS napped it would be different, but he doesn't under any circumstance! He may crash for bed at 5, but no naps!

Even if he did nap, we'd still plan to be back in our hotel just for quiet time by 8 for sure. As it is, with no naps, we'll do 5 pm dinners and be in hotel by 6:30 for 7:00 bed. We'd love to be in the parks at night, but we'll have to wait a few years!

Note: The Unofiical Guide also recommends getting to the parks before opening, and eating breakfast before coming, so even staying on site (which we're not) we'd have to be up before 7. So are little ones on the UG touring plans sleeping from 10 or 11 to 6 or 7? Sounds like recipe for disaster the next day!

This is us. My kids are 2 and 4. My 4 year old don't nap but by 8 pm is done for the day. My 2 year old takes a 2 hour nap at home. But if we our out takes a 15 minute power nap and is fine. But on vacation we just go with the flow. My 4 year old will tell me when she has had enough.

 

[Kimberly Hill]

My DD usually gets up around 5-5:30am (on her own) so sleeping until 7am at WDW is late for her. That said, we do come back to the resort in the afternoon and sometimes she'll fall asleep for 30 mins to an hour. After dinner, we play it by ear. We go to WDW often so missing something one trip isn't a big deal.

 

[dsneygirl]

My 4 year old will tell me when she has had enough.

This is my DS. Last trip he would say to us when he was sleepy "can you put the stroller back" (reclined) he was usually out in about 3 min after that. It was like a secret code.

 

[kimbo0569]

We don't really follow a schedule so to speak on vacation. It's vacation for everyone. The first time we did Disney was when my oldest was 2 1/2 - we were at the parks when they opened and took a break in the afternoon so she could nap. Then we did some parks in the afternoon, and were able to do Illuminations and Wishes. And she was fine.

The next time we went with kids was when my oldest was 6 1/2 and my youngest was 3. My youngest didn't nap at all so while we didn't get to the parks at opening, at the time of year we went, the lines were basically minimal or non existent. So we could push through...we had early dinners or late lunches. We did see Wishes and did the PM extra magic hours at MK. The little one fell asleep on the bus on the way back to the resort twice but there were no meltdowns at all. She was fine.

I don't pay too much attention to the Unofficial Guide as far as that's concerned because it really depends on the child. If you think they need the routine on vacation, then go by their needs. If they could use a break in the middle of the day and are fine at night to see Illuminations and/or Wishes, then go from there. It's a judgement call, imo.