Help! How to room with a toddler

[tsouth]

Hi! My daughter is 2 and has already been to Disney twice. Both times we stayed in a DVC Villa - 1 bedroom. She was small enough to sleep in a pack and play. (We actually put the pack 'n play in the walk in closet and kept the closet door open). Now, she will almost be three by the time we go back to Disney and doesn't sleep well in the pack 'n play. She will need her own bed.

Obviously we don't want to rent a two bedroom villa just so she can 'spread' out. I don't want to have her on a blow up mattress on the floor. What are our options? For those that rent villas, what do you do with young ones. We don't sleep well in the same room. Will that be different when she is older (3 years) ?

For those of you that have opted for a hotel room....how do the children sleep if you are watching TV or moving about in the same room? Often, we will put our daughter down (around 7:30/8:00pm) and then one of us will run and grab our dinner. How do you do it? Any help/tips would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

We just put them to bed. We use the bed rails at the hotel and that's it. We watch tv and they fall asleep. After a day in the parks they are usually asleep in minutes. If not then no big deal. We are on vacation after all. Most of the time we don't even shut the lights off in the room. We also all share one room so we have nowhere else to go. I wouldn't worry about it. Get some bedrails and just put her down for bed. She'll be asleep before you know it!

 

[AnnetteF]

We are DVC members and our DD was 3 1/2 on our last trip. We just got a studio and she slept on the sofa bed (which she thought was really neat!)and we were right there next to her in the queen bed. She would fall asleep and we still watched TV, had the lights on. We could even step out on the balcony if we wanted to. Being away from home, I don't think she would do well in a room by herself ( and in the two bedrooms, the second bedroom is too far away, imo, for such a little one) . The year before that, when she was 2 1/2, we had a one bedroom and she slept in between us in the king bed. There is a company called A Baby's Best Friend, (abbf.com) and they rent toddler beds. But if your little one is already used to a big bed at home (my DD is used to a full size bed) those would probably be too small, especially for a 3 year old. This year DD will be 4 1/2 and we are getting the studio again and doing the same as last year. I know you probably would miss the one bedroom, and this is why a lot of DVC members wish there was a one bedroom with two beds in the bedroom. You could try letting her sleep on the sleep sofa in the living room, but I know my DD would wake up in the middle of the night and if alone she would cry and wind up in bed with us anyway.

The pp is correct that they are usually tired so getting them asleep is not usually a problem.

 

[jessica52877]

I just always put DS in the bed next to ours (hotel room), he will not go to sleep with the tv on, so I just turn it off until he is asleep, he is fine with a light or 2 on. I usually sit on the bed and read and DH plays on the computer.

 

[Minniemouse07]

My kids would sleep through a train traveling through the room... especially since they are tuckered out from going all day.

I wouldn't worry about it!

 

[julm26]

Our DD was 2.5 last september when we went. We stayed at POP and she just fell asleep on the bed, lights on, TV blaring. Since she was a baby, we've made sure she was exposed to all kind of noise while she falls asleep/and sleeping.

Makes life much easier when you are traveling or staying at friends and relatives. Just stick her in a bed, put up a bed rail and she should be good to go.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Gotta agree that they will sleep thru anything after a busy day at Disney. Usually, I'm up watching tv and DD and DH are asleep within seconds!

 

[tanyaandallie]

I have a 4 year old and 2 year old and we have been 3 times. We have never stayed in a suite. DH lays down with one, I lay down with the other. Kids fall asleep, we get up. We always take sound machines with us to keep outside noise out. That helps in the room when they are asleep. We don't turn on the tv but we do turn on the bathroom light, go down for food, etc. Usually I spend that time getting ready for the next day. I lay out clothes, pack the back pack, review our itinerary, etc.

 

[nemomama]

We also lay down with our 2 kids until they fall asleep (usually only takes 5 minutes max). Once they are asleep, they are out for the night, so we can put on a light, TV, talk normally, etc and they stay asleep. I use that time to either read or watch TV and pack the bag for the next day. Plus I also go to bed fairly early myself...my kids are early risers!

 

[mykidsintow]

Like a PP my kids will sleep through anything. We have never quieted the house for naps or bedtime. I vaccum their room when they are sleeping, put away laundry they never move.

Vacations are much the same. My now 6 yr old will stay awake being nosey, but since he is so tired from the parks he passes right out at Disney. No problems at all.

Good luck and I hope you have a great trip!

 

[kitsch4]

I agree with all the others who say that after a busy day being outside and on the run at Disney, the kiddos fall right to sleep. Last time we were there, we stayed in a studio. The kids slept on the pull out sofa, which they thought was really cool. If you are concerned about her falling out of bed, you can put pillows under the mattress on both sides of the bed so it will create a slope.

 

[JVL1018]

I'll be the dissenting opinion.
My kids need total quietness to fall asleep and it takes them forever, it was very annoying. VERY ANNOYING sharing one room with them.

We are DVC members, but stayed at CBR last August so we could get free dining(it was our 3rd trip within the year so no more DVC points LOL)-ugh never again, no sharing a room with the kids.

But I'm not sure why you think you need a 2 bedroom instead of a 1 bedroom villa, you can have seperate beds in a 1 bedroom villa.
We always get a 1 bedroom, the kids sleep on the pull out couch in the living room, we hang out in the bedroom, and once the kids are asleep, we can go in and out and use the kitchen etc.

 

[tsouth]

My daughter will not even be three by the time we go. I would worry to death with having her alone in the main part of the villa. I would check the balcony doors and the front door 10x a night. The kitchen isn't childproofed. etc..... I like the idea of the toddler bed rental. That would definitely work in the 1 bedroom villa. I'm probably making a mountain out of a mole hill.

 

[JVL1018]

My daughter will not even be three by the time we go. I would worry to death with having her alone in the main part of the villa. I would check the balcony doors and the front door 10x a night. The kitchen isn't childproofed. etc..... I like the idea of the toddler bed rental. That would definitely work in the 1 bedroom villa. I'm probably making a mountain out of a mole hill.

Ahh, I see! Yes a toddler bed would work well in that case.

My kids always climbed into bed with us(my 6 year old son still does, around 3-4 am every night.. ), so what we did when they were that little, was put them to bed in the king bed in the bedroom and then we hung out in the living room.
Then when it was time for us to go to sleep, we just went to bed, sharing with DD.
We only have a queen at home, so even with a 3 year old in there on vacation,(DS 1 at the time was in the Pack and Play) we had plenty of room..I know that most people don't want the munchkins in their bed though, LOL.

 

[tsouth]

Thanks everyone!

 

[dawz1026]

my ds 20 months will only sleep with me....

 

[budbeerlady]

Depending on where you stay.... At AKL we sat on the balcony and enjoyed a before bed drink/ snack. We put the sound machine on and the bathroom light for DD, she was asleep before I could finish by dessert.

At Pop, we put the sound on again, and dragged out the chairs and flipped the door lever so we could come and go. Then we sat on the cement right outside our door (in front of our door really) and looked at the lake. (And again I usually ate dessert while we relaxed.) I felt kinda odd but not many people walked by us. It lets us unwind and talk about the day while DD drifts off. I had a bunch of surprised planned since it was DD's birthday trip, it gave me time to tell Dh what I had planned. And to tell him where we are eating, going, etc the next day. Dh really doesnt want to know untill we get there, otherwise I would talk about the trip 24/7 and drive him nuts.

 

[Nee Nee and Biddy]

A couple of people have talked about bed rails. Does the hotel have bed rails for toddlers or do you have to bring your own? Thanks!

 

[CRSNDSNY]

I'll be the dissenting opinion.
My kids need total quietness to fall asleep and it takes them forever, it was very annoying. VERY ANNOYING sharing one room with them.

US TOO!
My daughter was incredibly difficult falling asleep on our last trip. She was 2y8mo at the time and she would not lay down for the life of her. It was a battle nearly every night.

I am already getting worried about going through this again in August.

my ds 20 months will only sleep with me....

I have to laugh at this. I believe you are seeing into my future. My son is 8mo and only sleeps with me. I really need to break him of that!