Everyone Says to Take an Afternoon Break....

[Buttrcp16]

The pressure is definitely there to stay until closing. We are driving in one car with my parents and I know they are counting on seeing the MSEP (@8p) and Wishes (@9p) as are we. It would be a real bummer to miss out on those. My parents, mom in particular, just LOVES to say "well when you and your brother were little..." when making comparisons to my kids. In the countless times we did Disney when I was young, we never missed the fireworks, ever. It's a pretty big tradition for my family. And of course according to my mom's (selective) memory we were always angels who did entire days in the parks with no problems. Somehow I doubt that! But anyway, if we do end up having to leave I am sure it will be a big disappointment. Hence my worries over getting the kids to nap during the day. It's pretty much a must do.

 

[vettegirl]

Without children my DH and I take a afternoon break. DW is very tiring!!

 

[mm1971]

but I want to hear from people who didn't do this. Did your kids nap in the stroller and do okay through the evening hours?

Here's the situation: We can only afford one day at the parks, and we are going to the Magic Kingdom. Because we are only doing one day, I can't stand the thought of leaving for 3-4 hours in the afternoon. I feel like it's wasting so much of the day. Our kids will be 4.5 and almost 2 when we go in September. We are staying offsite, so to leave after lunch and go back to the resort, it's probably an hour or more round trip. Not to mention, when my kids are tired they conk out in the car and if woken up to be taken to their room, they typically won't go back to sleep. SO with that being said, my preliminary plan is to hopefully get them to sleep in their double stroller while we ride around the monorail. Do you think this is a doable plan? They could snag about a 1.5 hour nap, DH and I can relax, and it avoids the hassle of driving in and out of the park.

I would love to hear from BTDT parents who didn't take the afternoon break at their resort, whether it was a success or failure, and any additional tips.

Thank you!!!

With only 1 day to enjoy the magic, we would go RD to close without a break. When our kids were younger and in a carriage, we took less breaks as they could relax and ride when they wanted to. We take breaks now for two reasons. First, owe try to avoid the hottest part of the day with the highest crowd level and second, since they youngest was 8 both prefer to head back and swim in the afternoon so they can enjoy the night at the parks. As long as they will take a nap, you should be good to go. I will caution that at times our kids found it hard to fall asleep with all the action and excitement. Have a great time!

 

[AZMermaid]

I agree- with one day, I would try for a stroller nap. My kids are not stroller nappers and it would take a LOT of walking to get them to fall asleep and then they would only sleep for 30 minutes or so. But, I did find a somewhat noisy place to be better than a quieter place. This was Disneyland- but we were resting/napping at quieter restaurants the first few days and inevitably, a cart would come by or a kid would yell or something and it would wake them up. One day I stopped at a bench in Frontierland in the middle of a walkway. There was nothing around that people would stop for, so there was just a steady stream of even background noise. This was much more successful and I got to people watch!

 

[Happyjen27]

I'm one of the ones who say always take a break. I always return to the resort for a nap or a break or a swim.

BUT, I would never say that to someone with only one day in the MK.

If I had only one day in the MK, I would absolutely stay as long as possible. I would try and book a sit down lunch in air conditioning if your kids are good in restaurants. I would keep the snacks and water flowing all day. If the body doesn't get the rest it needs, it will need fuel somehow, and food is fuel. I'd avoid sugar if possible so you don't get that crash, or, balance sugar with protein to avoid the crash.

I would take my little ones to Tom Sawyer's island and find a shady spot and just relax. Any kind of down time is restful in this situation. Probably the 2 year old would doze off in the stroller. To be honest, even I fell asleep at Tom Sawyer island 6 months ago, LOL. Probably the 4.5 year old won't sleep at that time, but I bet later in the evening (around 4 or 5) they would collapse and fall asleep.

Also, if possible, I would drive my own car. Even if it means paying my own parking. Not to say that you would leave sooner than the rest of your party, but the stress and strain of knowing that your children's happiness and success at being able to stay happy all day will also affect others would add a stress on me that would make me anxious. Anxious mommy = anxious kids. I would rather be free to make the best choice for my kids and my family and know it won't affect anyone else's day. If that is not possible and I needed to leave with my DH and kids, I would have either myself or my DH return to the MK for the rest of the party when the MK closes, so that all the adults can stay until they finished.

 

[kohlby]

We've tried a few time and it was a fail. Just because you go back to your room for the child to nap doesn't mean you can force the child to nap! I never had stroller sleepers either. We found that the best thing to do was to get the kids to bed at time at night. I couldn't get them to nap - but I could get them to sleep at night at a reasonable hour.

However, since you're only doing one day - I'd just see how it goes. Going back doesn't mean you'll get them to nap. They may or may not sleep in the stroller. At 4 years old, some kids will rise to the occassion and stay awake through Wishes. The 2 year old may doze off once it gets dark. I'd just roll with it. (Though, of course, make sure to spend some down time doing more relaxing and airconditioned attractions in the afternoon).

*Any chance you're going back anytime in the next couple of years? We're doing Sept this year but usually do Nov/Dec/Jan. It gets darker earlier then so Wishes/MSEP are much earlier. I think Wishes was 8 pm then - which was still pushing it for two of my kids, so we just planned a quieter day the next day.

 

[Crl1817]

The pressure is definitely there to stay until closing. We are driving in one car with my parents and I know they are counting on seeing the MSEP (@8p) and Wishes (@9p) as are we. It would be a real bummer to miss out on those. My parents, mom in particular, just LOVES to say "well when you and your brother were little..." when making comparisons to my kids. In the countless times we did Disney when I was young, we never missed the fireworks, ever. It's a pretty big tradition for my family. And of course according to my mom's (selective) memory we were always angels who did entire days in the parks with no problems. Somehow I doubt that! But anyway, if we do end up having to leave I am sure it will be a big disappointment. Hence my worries over getting the kids to nap during the day. It's pretty much a must do.

At those ages my kids would not have been able to do rope drop to fireworks without a break. It would have been some fussiness in the early afternoon and full on meltdown around 6 or 7 pm. And I would have been the one stuck dealing with the kids because at that point they would have rejected everyone else. And they would not have napped in the stroller, especially not the older age kid. You know your kids better than anyone so you'll have to decide whether they can do it somehow. My dd is four now and doesn't nap much at all anymore, but sure wouldn't nap in a stroller at an exciting place.

If it were me, I'd be planning an exit strategy, ie a separate car. A later park arrival wouldn't have helped me much because my kids never slept in. So skipping rope drop would just make for longer lines with the same level of fussing and tantrums later in the day.

I guess if you can borrow the car and drive them around for a mid afternoon nap, that might work. I'd hate that though because I'd be tired and not wanting to drive in circles in an unfamiliar area.

I hear you on grandparents and unrealistic expectations. In our case it's the in-laws and it's so bad we just don't do much with them.

 

[Buttrcp16]

*Any chance you're going back anytime in the next couple of years? We're doing Sept this year but usually do Nov/Dec/Jan. It gets darker earlier then so Wishes/MSEP are much earlier. I think Wishes was 8 pm then - which was still pushing it for two of my kids, so we just planned a quieter day the next day.

If all goes well we plan to continue doing a Disney trip every other year. Originally this trip was supposed to be in January, but we have a destination wedding to attend in April and it was too much too close together, so we changed the dates. At least this way it will be consistently warm enough to swim! But I am NOT looking forward to the heat in the parks...

 

[Buttrcp16]

At those ages my kids would not have been able to do rope drop to fireworks without a break. It would have been some fussiness in the early afternoon and full on meltdown around 6 or 7 pm. And I would have been the one stuck dealing with the kids because at that point they would have rejected everyone else. And they would not have napped in the stroller, especially not the older age kid. You know your kids better than anyone so you'll have to decide whether they can do it somehow. My dd is four now and doesn't nap much at all anymore, but sure wouldn't nap in a stroller at an exciting place.

If it were me, I'd be planning an exit strategy, ie a separate car. A later park arrival wouldn't have helped me much because my kids never slept in. So skipping rope drop would just make for longer lines with the same level of fussing and tantrums later in the day.

I guess if you can borrow the car and drive them around for a mid afternoon nap, that might work. I'd hate that though because I'd be tired and not wanting to drive in circles in an unfamiliar area.

I hear you on grandparents and unrealistic expectations. In our case it's the in-laws and it's so bad we just don't do much with them.

I have high hopes for our 4 year old. He almost NEVER naps anymore, and hasn't since he was about 2.5. He is a ball of energy and goes nonstop most days. But from time to time, he will have an odd day where he is a total grouch and ends up needing a nap, seemingly out of the blue for no reason. So we will need to play it by ear with him. He might make it through the day, or he might lose it come dinnertime. My almost 2 year old will certainly need a nap, whether it is during his usual time after lunch or later in the day once he poops out.

We are only renting 1 car for the 6 of us, so taking a separate car isn't an option. I can't justify the expense of renting a second car just in the chance we need to leave the park early. What will probably happen is once my parents see the kids in meltdown mode, they will give in and let us leave. But who knows - maybe they'll snag naps when needed and make it through til the end. I can dream, right?

 

[jtowntoflorida]

You are taking a ONE DAY trip. For me, the breaks are necessary (especially in September!) when you're there for a weeklong or longer trip. For shorter trips, we take no breaks, and I have advised people to do the same. For one day, I'd go as long as the kids let you BUT you need to get a break from the heat mid-day. Try to reserve a table service lunch, but if that's not doable, expect to take a prolonged counter service lunch.

On days when we haven't taken a break, our kids haven't made it very long in the evening, so I would expect them either to crash and the adults having to take turns on rides, or leave by early evening.

 

[ktlm]

Whew, okay I am feeling much better about the stroller nap idea! I have read about taking afternoon resort breaks so often, I felt like I was making a huge mistake by not planning on one. We will probably stroll around the park around naptime and see if they nod off without any problems. It's been a LONG time since either one of them has napped in a stroller, but we are going to experiment this summer with day outings. I am already planning on stroller fans, cooling towels, etc. As a last resort I guess we could put them in the car and drive around, though I really dislike that idea because it's no fun for us. I'd rather be enjoying the MK!

I wouldn't worry about it if the day outing stroller naps don't go well. WDW is a whole different thing. It is a lot more walking, a lot more excitement, and a lot more to see. My DD refused to even get into a stroller after she hit 12 months old and took her first steps, much less to take a nap in one. It was unheard of at home. At WDW, she happily hopped into the stroller to ride around and later nap. Plus, she entirely gave up naps right when she hit age 3 at home. We couldn't even let her take a nap at age 3 at home because if we did, she would be up until 1:00 a.m. Again, at WDW, she would still take day naps in the stroller and go to bed easily in the room at night. It is just a whole different deal with kids at WDW, and they will surprise you. I don't think you can really know how your kids are going to be at WDW, until you are actually there for the first time.

 

[cabenb]

If you feel it's OK or beneficial why not?

 

[Buttrcp16]

If you feel it's OK or beneficial why not?

In reference to what, exactly?

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

but I want to hear from people who didn't do this. Did your kids nap in the stroller and do okay through the evening hours?

Here's the situation: We can only afford one day at the parks, and we are going to the Magic Kingdom. Because we are only doing one day, I can't stand the thought of leaving for 3-4 hours in the afternoon. I feel like it's wasting so much of the day. Our kids will be 4.5 and almost 2 when we go in September. We are staying offsite, so to leave after lunch and go back to the resort, it's probably an hour or more round trip. Not to mention, when my kids are tired they conk out in the car and if woken up to be taken to their room, they typically won't go back to sleep. SO with that being said, my preliminary plan is to hopefully get them to sleep in their double stroller while we ride around the monorail. Do you think this is a doable plan? They could snag about a 1.5 hour nap, DH and I can relax, and it avoids the hassle of driving in and out of the park.

I would love to hear from BTDT parents who didn't take the afternoon break at their resort, whether it was a success or failure, and any additional tips.

Thank you!!!

We NEVER take breaks... when my daughter was younger she would just nap in the stroller and we would walk around and take turns doing things...

You only have one day in the parks? There is NO WAY that I would take a break if I only had one day at the park! Just try to make sure the kids get sleep the night before and expect them to be cranky the next day! I would push through, naps in the stroller and enjoy every second that MK is open!!!

 

[Buttrcp16]

We NEVER take breaks... when my daughter was younger she would just nap in the stroller and we would walk around and take turns doing things...

You only have one day in the parks? There is NO WAY that I would take a break if I only had one day at the park! Just try to make sure the kids get sleep the night before and expect them to be cranky the next day! I would push through, naps in the stroller and enjoy every second that MK is open!!!

We are planning an early bedtime the night before, and nothing planned except pool time the day after (which is our last day of vacation anyway). I wish we could go more than one day, but there's always next time when the kids are a little older!

 

[tinkermomto3]

I say you know your children and what works best for you. We went when my kids were 11 months, 2.5 and 4.5 for 6 days at disney and 2 at universal. ONE DAY we decided to try the "back to the rooms for a nap" because we did CRT at 8:00 and were going to try to stay till the end of the halloween party that night. I spent 3 hours in a dark hotel room trying to convince 3 children to lay down, don't touch that, at least be quiet. We went back around 4:00 and all three fell asleep in the strollers before we even made it to the castle.
I knew going into it it was a bad idea for my kids but that reaffirmed my NO LEAVING THE PARKS FOR NAPS belief.
The only other day we did rope drop to close was an epcot day and they did great. The adults were tired and cranky, but the kids were awesome. Most other nights we were all asleep by 9, up by 7am so we didn't do very short days either.

 

[Buttrcp16]

I say you know your children and what works best for you. We went when my kids were 11 months, 2.5 and 4.5 for 6 days at disney and 2 at universal. ONE DAY we decided to try the "back to the rooms for a nap" because we did CRT at 8:00 and were going to try to stay till the end of the halloween party that night. I spent 3 hours in a dark hotel room trying to convince 3 children to lay down, don't touch that, at least be quiet. We went back around 4:00 and all three fell asleep in the strollers before we even made it to the castle.
I knew going into it it was a bad idea for my kids but that reaffirmed my NO LEAVING THE PARKS FOR NAPS belief.
The only other day we did rope drop to close was an epcot day and they did great. The adults were tired and cranky, but the kids were awesome. Most other nights we were all asleep by 9, up by 7am so we didn't do very short days either.

I honestly feel that's how my kids will be, especially my older son. He will HATE the idea of having to leave for a nap. Unfortunately the more I think about it, the more I think he will resist napping at all, even in the stroller.

Since we are renting a double stroller so both kids can ride, this should help keep their energy levels up, right? I am hoping that they will conserve energy not having to walk everywhere. They both do fine in strollers. My younger son only starts to protest if he's sitting in a stroller not going anywhere for extended periods of time. He's gotta be on the go! We aren't planning on staking out prime parade spots or anything, so that shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Hope Counts]

For one day I would say screw it and just stay in the park.
The reasons we plan to take DD back is
1) we will be there 3 days and I don't want her to be a miserable mess by day 3
2) she has ASD so she may need to be removed from all the stimuli for a couple hours to recharge.
For typical kids for 1 day I would just stay in the park and try to get them to take a stroller nap. If they are tired and miserable the next day if they are anything like most kids I know the pool will perk them up and then you can get them to take a really good nap that afternoon.

 

[tinkermomto3]

I honestly feel that's how my kids will be, especially my older son. He will HATE the idea of having to leave for a nap. Unfortunately the more I think about it, the more I think he will resist napping at all, even in the stroller.

Since we are renting a double stroller so both kids can ride, this should help keep their energy levels up, right? I am hoping that they will conserve energy not having to walk everywhere. They both do fine in strollers. My younger son only starts to protest if he's sitting in a stroller not going anywhere for extended periods of time. He's gotta be on the go! We aren't planning on staking out prime parade spots or anything, so that shouldn't be an issue.

My oldest hadn't napped in 2 years when we went to Disney. She's one of those kids you hope DOESN'T fall asleep because if she does it has the opposite effect on her (she becomes a crazy whining/crying mess if she sleeps at all during the day) I'm pretty sure she napped about 50% of the days we were there. Mostly not till around 6 or so, but she would finally give up and just go to sleep. Even when she didn't nap she did fine

 

[pigletgirl]

Well, I will find out in September how this goes for us. I'm hoping that DD will just pass out in the stroller and then DH and I can do some rides while she sleeps. If she starts to become difficult we'll immediately head for the resort.

I'm trying to not have any expectations, and just going with what DD needs to do. This is part of bringing a 1 year old to Disney!