Do your kids really nap on vacation?

[MNFootballMommy]

I am not sure where you are traveling from, but if you have a time zone change, that could be a factor as well. We used that to our advantage for sure!

 

[ShootingStarMom2]

Our DS never napped in a stroller until we went to Disney. We could be walking through the mall and he would wail the entire way until he got to his carseat and then magically fall asleep. I think with so much to see and do at Disney that he just gave up and closed his eyes. We did let him sleep in the stroller while at MK and we just found a quiet spot to have an ice cream cone and shopped. He also napped everyday for about an hour or two last summer in the hotel room (11 months then) and so did DH. I just cleaned up and read while they slept! We also had good luck getting him to lay down with DH who usually fell asleep trying to get DS to do the same thing.

We went on vacation in December (DS 14 months then) and he napped everyday in the hotel room once we closed the drapes. It can't hurt to try. A nap is a nap whether in a stroller or bed. DS was always happier even after an hour of rest.

 

[tanyaandallie]

Both of my kids nap at Disney. The parks are WAY overstimulating. If you plan to hit the park for rope drop then you will be up early, touring for a while and my guess is your kiddos will be ready for a nap!! Half of the time dh and I nap as well!!!

 

[Manda]

Even at 5, my kid goes out nearly every day on vacation - usually for a couple hours at least. The few times I've tried to push through, he's fallen asleep any way wherever we were. And then we sit around holding a sleeping kid or watching him sleep in the stroller or something. So if he's going to fall asleep, I wanna be back in the hotel room where I can take advantage of it and sleep, too.

 

[hannah_03]

I got to thinking that my 5.5 year old does nap in the stroller some but not in the hotel rooms.

 

[nessz79]

My boys both napped at Disney on our last trip when they were 5 and nearly 4 years old. Sometimes one would only sleep for a few minutes and the other would sleep for almost 2 hours. Either way, we had them lie down for 2 hours and it greatly helped the rest of the day and the rest of the vacation.

 

[koolaidmoms]

My kids still either need a nap or we have to not do a marathon day. We no longer use a stroller and DS and DD are tired! About 2 or 3 (if we get there at 8 or 9 am) we can see the weariness settling in. We try to plan around that. If we let it go the crankies set in and then no one is happy. We go back for the nap and then come back out a couple hours later to finish off the night. Everyone is so much chipper and can go another round at the parks with out complaints.

 

[Myhappythought5]

I have an almost 9 yr old, almost 6 yr old and an almost 2 year old. I can say that until last year all of them napped most of the time. And the only one who didn't nap was the then 8 yr old. But my kids have always been the kind to be able to sleep anywhere.
They might not sleep everyday but they will be so tired that they will probably nap a few times through out your trip.

 

[bubba]

DS(5) fell asleep often in the parks. Sitting on a bench outside It's a Bugs Life with DH, on the lounge chairs at Typhoon Lagoon, sitting on a bench in Italy at Epcot and even during Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular if you can believe it ! He falls asleep for 10 to 30 minutes and then is ready to go. Other than these short catnaps, he does not formally nap at DW. Sleeps like a log at night though .

 

[holden]

Stroller naps = rides for mom and dad! When our DDs nap in their strollers (often at the same time), we take turns going on the "big kid" rides!!!

 

[dyna]

Even my 18 yr old has alway napped at disney. We all take the afternoon break go back close up the room turn off lights an lay down 1st day or 2 DD might only rest but by day 3 she's napping.

We started taking DD when she was 6 I had a rule of 1 hour nap or rest equalled 2 hours of pool time. She rested willingly if just resting DD was allowed to play quietly on her bed with her stuffed animals an such that she took but she had to stay on the bed quiet enough for DH an I to nap.

DH an I took turns gettin up in an hour an going out to pool with DD an letting the other rest awhile if they wanted...if DD happened to sleep longer than an hour that was just a bonus.

That doesn't work with toddlers but helps with the older ones.

 

[hmacmahony]

We travel off season, where park hours are a little shorter. We don't waste the time going back to the room, for us it kills too much room, and is too much of a hassle getting 4 kids back to the room. Plus they would NEVER sleep in the room for a nap. The two younger ones (who had the double stroller) would nap when tired in the stroller, my two older ones (6 and 7) walked the whole time, and were fine. Thankfully my kids sleep late if tired, and we just sleep late. We might get to the opening of the parks 3 times out of a two week vacation, but it is vacation we don't want to get up early. So, for us it balances out that way.

 

[kristinw3girls]

YES, YES!!!! The ONLY way we are able to stay up at night and still enjoy being with each other is by taking naps. ALL OF US DO!! The older kids don't always sleep, but everyone MUCT lay down and be quiet for 2 hours. Most times we are all out like a light. I'm not sure I'd want to go at all if they didn't. We would all be grumpy!!

 

[dsneygirl]

We took DS at 26 months and he slept every day for 2 hours. Most days we went back to the room so DH and I could also have a nap, shower etc. Most nights though he fell asleep in the stroller.

 

[puffkin]

Yes...my almost 3 year old has been there at 3 mo, 19 mo, 21 mo and 2 1/2 and he has napped on every trip. We go back to the room and he usually sleeps for a 1-2 hours. Usually by the middle of the week he takes a really long 3-4 hour nap. We are DVC and get a 1 bedroom, so it isn't bad for us.

He doesn't nap real well in the stroller for us. He wants to ride rides when we are in the parks which is why we go back. We stay up for all the night activities and do not follow his normal 8 pm bedtime so he needs the naps to make it through the day.