First time with 3 year old

[DannyDisneyFreak]

On our last trip I was a Disney comando, I realize even though I got my DW and I to all the attractions and got to see everything it was not a very relaxing trip. Now when we go in May we will be bringing our then 3 yr old DD and my parents, I have decided to (and my DW has threatened not to go unless we) go back to the resort mid-day for naps and relaxation. I want this trip to be relaxing as well as enjoyable for all. Does anyone have any other tips for relaxing and resting with a 3 yr old as well as getting the most out of the WDW experience. And for those who have took the mid-day break, do you eat in the park before you leave or back at the resort? Also, how do most handle bed times? I know with our DD if she does not get her rest she can be unreasonably cranky. Thanks

 

[pixiewytch]

Breaks for eating and naps are crucial to prevent toddler meltdowns in my experience. However, if you have one like mine there is so much excitement going on that they may or may not actually nap. My little one who is normally in bed by 8p.m every night endured MK from morning until 10p.m fireworks with no break (it was just a day trip) and never slept once.

So I go back to the food thing. What helped us most was taking breaks to sit and eat meals. That seemed to calm him down if he was upset and give us all a little break without so much going on at once. I say offer breaks that involve food or resting at your resort but don't expect them to necessarily sleep. Sometimes just the rest from all the action though is enough to rejuvenate them.

 

[tacomaranch]

We like the people mover that goes thru space mountain and has a nice white noise. Hunter just slowed down a bunch and rested. We got to ride several loops and then he was a bit better.

Honestly, going back to our room for afternoon break and nap with a quick swim was perfect. Then we stayed in the park until close. We once waited and just walked around for about an hour after wishes and then didn't have to wait in line for a bus. No crowds, and we just got to relax before going back to our room.

 

[Manda]

I could have written this post last fall. LOL. We went in 2000 as a couple and I had every minute planned. We were there 6 days and went to all the Disney parks, Universal, and Sea World and rode everything. When I wanted to go back with DS last year, DH said fine - as long as I back off, don't plan anything, and we get to rest.

We went back for nap time every day. We'd get the park first thing and ride everything DS wanted to. Then, we'd eat lunch at the park and head back to the room. Usually, he fell asleep in the car on the way back and I'd carry him sleeping to the room. When we headed back in the afternoon, I'd take his PJs and night time diaper in the car and change him at the car before driving back so if he fell asleep, I wouldn't have to wake him. It worked quite well.

We got a bunk room at AKL and I hung the top comforter down over the side to create a "wall" to make a nice little sleeping space for him. He'd fall asleep quickly on his own if he wasn't trying to watch me or the TV. It worked really well. He was two at the time. We're heading back again on 9/30 and I'm hoping to get a bunk at WL. He's a little older now though and better about knowing when he needs to fall asleep, so I think we'll be okay even if we don't have a way to make him his own private space for naps.

 

[Not so Dumbo]

With our DS then 3 for down time, we took some rides on the train around the park, rode the monorail to Epcot and back a few times, and the TTA was a good too, although that got stuck in Space Mnt for 20 min and we were caught completely in the dark. Also, let them ride in a stroller. Less walking means using less energy. Naps at the hotel are good as long as you child will sleep. It can be more stressful for the parent and child if the child puts up a stink about taking a nap. Bring snacks along to pass time waiting in lines. If we were going back for a nap anyhow, we would just eat when we got back to the hotel, it saved money that way.

 

[skuttle]

We went with DS last December when he was 2 1/2. He slept in his stroller for his naps. We never had to go back to our resort. Sometimes he would just fall asleep and other times we had to find a quiet spot for him. I'm not sure if we'll have so much luck in January at 3 1/2. We'll see, I guess!

 

[tanyaandallie]

Hmmm, not sure if I should give my opinion as I have not been to Disney World with my 3 year old, however, we did go to DisneyLand last year when she was 2.5. We did take a trip to WDW when she was 5 mos and it was much like your previous trips. We had a tight schedule, etc. It was fun but I must say it was very stressful b/c I wanted to make the most of our time and didn't want to miss anything. When we went to DL we went knowing that we had my dd (2.5) and my ds (7 mos) and we would take things slow, not freak if we didn't see everything, etc. It was a wonderful trip. It was not crowded so we saw most of what we wanted to see. I just made sure we had a different attitude. The thing I think is important when you are taking young children is that if you want them to have fun, you cannot push them too hard. Watch them and see how they are doing. I think my 3 year old could go without a nap, but she could not last until 9 or 10 at night with no nap.

We have a trip planned to wdw in Nov/Dec and will be returning to our hotel for naps/rest time. Even if the kids don't sleep, we will all get a little down time.

 

[tricia]

When we took my DS1 when he was 3 yrs 3 month old, he had a total aversion to naps. He had given them up entirely at 2 1/2 and was very stubborn about not taking them. We tried once or twice at WDW, but found that staying in the park and doing things at a relaxed pace worked better. We generally booked an early dinner at about 5 or 5:30, then headed back to our resort for a swim and in bed by 8:30. For bed we just put him down in one of the beds and pulled a chair out in the corridor and sat there with a book till he fell asleep. DH would usually walk down to food court to get us a coffee or something.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

I'm a Disney Commando to so I worry about the same things. Although I have learned this summer throughout various day trips that DD can sleep just fine in her stroller. But that being said, I've made sure to schedule in afternoon breaks if needed.

 

[dman11]

Like tricia, our DD stopped taking naps around 2 years old. So we knew afternoon nap times wouldn't work for us. We just made sure we had some down time in a quiet place during the afternoons with her. We also knew our 2 older kids (DS11 and DD10) wouldn't be happy with leaving the park in the middle of the day. So one of us would take the little one for some quiet time and the other would take the other 2 to whatever they wanted to do. They are the Comandos in our family!

One of her favorite things for quiet time was the transport in Tomorrowland. I also found out that the benches in front of the castle are NOT a good place for downtime.

Overall, we all enjoyed doing it this way. In fact, some of my favorite and most memorable times were when her and I were alone in the afternoon just doing something relaxing at WDW.

I guess it really just depends on your kid and your family's needs but this worked out great for us. And I found out there are plenty of ways to find relaxing quiet times in WDW. You just have to look for them and not be in a rush to get to do the next thing.

 

[monorailsilver]

I have taken mid-day breaks on all the trips I have gone on (not sure about 1975 but I would think so since I was 3/4).

What we do is (and this was pre-kids too), try to get to the park as early as we can. We bring breakfast with us & eat it in our room. While one of us is showering the other eats, gets the stuff ready to take with us (OK that would me me that gets the stuff ready).

My kids tend to eat slow so this works best for us & since they like to wake up when the sun comes up, even better.

I take advantage of which ever park opens early that day.

Then we usually eat lunch in the park since we have too many favorite places we like to eat & then we head back to the resort.

Last year dh, dd, ds all took naps & I just sat there outside on the lanai waiting for them or I did laundry.

If they woke up early enough we'd go to the pool for an hour & then we came back showered quickly & headed back to the park for dinner.

We usually had a plan as to what we were going to get to eat & where so we made dinner our first stop.

We usually leave the park at around 12-1 & then return between 4-5. But I will say the night time parks we go to are only Epcot & MK because they are easy for us since they are a hop, skip & a jump away on the monorail from the Poly.

Last year my oldest dd was a little over 4. She stopped naps at about 3 (because she'd stay up until 10pm). The first day of last years trip, I didn't have her nap & I took her to the pool.

When we went to Epcot that night, we had dinner at the Fountain View Cafe & then started walking. She was fast asleep by the time we got to Mexico.

So she slept & woke up at around 7.

The next day we made her nap & she & my then 22 mo old were fine at night.

They were rested & I will say they didn't cry or moan other then typical moany complaints of a child that age (I am hungry, I want to go see that,etc...).

We were back to our room pretty much by 10-10:30 every night.

I am in favor of leaving the park to come back to a boring room to nap.

 

[Cinderella_68]

Whenever we theme-park it, we have schedule that works perfectly for us.
We get to the parks at or close to opening to ride and experience attractions with smaller waits. (We usually eat breakfast at the hotel, before we leave, since the kids and I must eat when we wake up. Not to do so would cause unnecessary crankiness! We either order room service, send daddy for milk and muffins-he doesn't do breakfast, and gets ready faster than anyone else.)
We eat lunch, either in the parks or out, and head back to our hotel for a quick swim. They also really like to eat lunch poolside on occasion. The kids know the deal, in order to swim, there must be a nap. After our swim, we go back to our hotel, shower and get into pajamas for our nap. We draw the curtains and turn out the lights.
Once we rise, we dress and are usually ready for a snack or dinner. We head back to the parks for the evening festivities and the 2 year-old usually conks out about 10pm or so. She will sleep in a stroller, though, so that the older kids can spend some time enjoying their favorite rides before heading back.
We like to build in a day or two to "sleep in until we are full." This makes sure the kids stay cranky-free, as well as daddy!
However, remain flexible, and sometimes you just have to stop, take a breath, and ask "what would feel best right now?" Sometimes, we will substitute a long drink-and-ice-cream break for the swim and nap if the kids are doing well and having too much fun. Of course, the trade-off is that our day will end earlier as they get tired. Sometimes, we have so much fun at our hotel, we never make it back to the parks.

 

[hoosiergirl7]

Thanks for all the useful info. I stumbled on this post while looking for current Disney info. Our son is almost 3 and we are taking him to WDW for his first time in 3 weeks. We were uncertain how to handle everything since he still naps. However there were lots of great suggestions on how to experience the parks with little ones around the age of 3. I know our son will love it since he's been to Disneyland while we were still living in CA.

April 1986 - off-site
September 2004 - Port Orleans
September 2006 - off-site

19 days until we see the Mouse!!!