How long do you stay in parks with kids?

[disneymom23]

I have 3 , DD10 (a real trooper), DD8(a real drama queen) and DS6(usually a trooper, whines when tired.

How much time can I realistically expect them to spend in the parks? I want to be there first thing in the am, which is 7am for MM. Would a 3 hours nap break in the afternoon be sufficient enough for them to last into the evening.

I'd love to hear from others with kids on what works best for them.

Thanks!

 

[Shakthi]

My 3-year-old DD doesn't nap anymore and if it were up to her, we would never leave the parks.

 

[bumbershoot]

My 3-year-old DD doesn't nap anymore and if it were up to her, we would never leave the parks.

That's how my guy is.

Except he gets way too tired and we all pay the price for that. So next trip, we're doing the nap thing (though I might just send him and DH to the hotel while I continue playing, LOL).

For those ages, though, if they won't nap, you might just have to pick one day for early, one day for late, that sort of thing. Maybe. What do I know? I'm a nightowl, and I have a son who won't nap.

 

[kkmcan]

My kids are too old for naps but we usually do an afternoon break. Back to the hotel to watch tv, swim, sit in the hot tub etc. Then we eat dinner somewhere outside of the park and then head back in for the evening.

It works wonders! We felt so refreshed and energized. Gave our feet a break and got away from the hustle and bustle and crowds. I highly recommend a break even if no one naps. DH and I fell asleep for a while and the kids relaxed and watched Disney channel.

 

[disneymom23]

That's how my guy is.

Except he gets way too tired and we all pay the price for that. So next trip, we're doing the nap thing (though I might just send him and DH to the hotel while I continue playing, LOL).

For those ages, though, if they won't nap, you might just have to pick one day for early, one day for late, that sort of thing. Maybe. What do I know? I'm a nightowl, and I have a son who won't nap.

Bumbershoot, You're my kinda gal. I've been planning in my head how to get the rest of them back for a rest while I stay in the parks, My 10 year old can stay with me. DH is the one who needs the nap the most. We don't call him Grumpy for nothing.

 

[disneymom23]

My kids are too old for naps but we usually do an afternoon break. Back to the hotel to watch tv, swim, sit in the hot tub etc. Then we eat dinner somewhere outside of the park and then head back in for the evening.

It works wonders! We felt so refreshed and energized. Gave our feet a break and got away from the hustle and bustle and crowds. I highly recommend a break even if no one naps. DH and I fell asleep for a while and the kids relaxed and watched Disney channel.

Your kids are similar in age to mine. Mine also don't nap but if I expect to get them up at 6 to be at the park at 7, and then want to spend the evenings in the park, definitely a rest would be in order. How long is your rest period? My kids are happy anywhere, even watching TV in the hotel room. I'll be the one itching to get back.

 

[mindylovesmickey]

My 8 year old doesn't usually nap, but she did several times on our last trips. Our 3 year old napped in the hotel and in the stroller. That said, we would hit MM on those days it was available, ride all we could, have a little lunch and then head back to the hotel for the afternoon, kids rested and watched tv or napped depending on how tired they felt. Then around dinner time we would head out again and made it until around 9 or 10 most nights.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

My DS3 still naps, so we usually head back to the hotel for nap. However, DS7 is not too keen on sitting around in a dark room confused3 ), so DH naps with DS3 while DS7 and I do something else.

Once we did a treasure hunt put on by the DLH (DS7 and other kids participated while parents watched and took photos); sometimes we hit the pool. If the park isn't too crowded and DS7 isn't too tired, we stay and play while DH and DS3 head back to the hotel.

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

My son is 9 and we still take breaks. Shoot if it was just me I'd take a break (I usually take a nap too! LOL). We've always done the parks for 3-4 days, with the break in the middle to nap/swim it's always good!

 

[mAlien13]

Bumbershoot, You're my kinda gal. I've been planning in my head how to get the rest of them back for a rest while I stay in the parks, My 10 year old can stay with me. DH is the one who needs the nap the most. We don't call him Grumpy for nothing.

I agree, this is what we do: we usually travel with groups of various family members, but if one of our kids hits the wall, we send them with a tired family member or my DH and I Paper Rock Sissors...ROFL. We have never taken mid-day breaks, even when the kids were 2 and 4 1/2, they were pretty tough and we just pulled into a cool show or a restaurant and took a long rest mid-afternoon. We have always felt that the times waiting for parades or watching shows are break enough, none of us ever want to leave the parks. We arrive at open and leave as they sweep behind us. It's great.

 

[pixiewings71]

My girls will go from 8-12 if we decide to do it. They may whine a little but not much.

 

[Dobie]

We start when the park opens, have a nice lunch somewhere, and break from 1 or so until dinner. We swim or sleep, have a sit down dinner in a resort hotel, DTD, or one of the parks around 6-7, and then stay in the parks until 10 or 11.

 

[bumbershoot]

Bumbershoot, You're my kinda gal. I've been planning in my head how to get the rest of them back for a rest while I stay in the parks, My 10 year old can stay with me. DH is the one who needs the nap the most. We don't call him Grumpy for nothing.

I have never been a napper, not even as a baby or toddler. My poor mom. I only really ever napped when in college (and supposed to be elsewhere), when pregnant (though those weren't naps so much as something akin to a sleeping disorder, LOL), and for 4 months after DS arrived. One day I just couldn't nap anymore, and I entered the era of being able to do things while DS slept. But hubby can nap whenever, wherever, and he loves to do so. And if DS is tired and can be tricked into doing so, he naps really well.

I had to take a whirlwind solo trip in January, so that I could hope to stop torturing DS and DH with my crazy DLR touring style.

 

[kingshockey04]

The kids I took are both 10 and we only took a quick break once, only to change clothes. That's something I'll never do again, now I'm all exhausted and sick. Next time I will definitely take a mid day break for a couple hours.

 

[NicoleDisneyFan]

I can never get back to the hotel with my kids. If my ds who is 3 got tierd then he would sleep in the stroller. My 5 year old dd will never take a nap. How they get all of this energy, I will never know?? When we get back to the car at night and drive to the hotel then the minute the car starts then my kids are out for the night.

 

[famograham]

Our kids were 9 and 6 when we went in September. We opened and closed the parks each of our three days there...never left!

Were we tired??.....OH YES....but because it had been decades since we'd been as children, and it will probably be a long time before we can go back (money)...we didn't want to miss a single second!

My feet were wrapped in medical tape and covered in blisters by the third night! Owieee!

 

[pixiewings71]

Our kids were 9 and 6 when we went in September. We opened and closed the parks each of our three days there...never left!

Were we tired??.....OH YES....but because it had been decades since we'd been as children, and it will probably be a long time before we can go back (money)...we didn't want to miss a single second!

My feet were wrapped in medical tape and covered in blisters by the third night! Owieee!

OUCH!!!! We have gel inserts in our shoes, it does wonders!!! And take a couple pairs, that way you can switch them out in the middle of the day....if you make it back to your room! LOL

 

[samkj]

Last time we were there the kids were 6, 7 and 9. We got in line around 7:30 every morning (slept in an extra hour on day 3 of 5)and were back in the hotel for the night between 8:30 and 9:15, except the one night we stayed for the fireworks. We usually just find some place for a LONG sit down lunch. The evenings we played by ear. It was more important for us to get to the parks at opening, than to stay and see the fireworks. The kids were sound asleep usually within 15 minutes of getting to the hotel. The kids were exhausted at the end, but honestly they were VERY well behaved, no fighting, and wore a smile the entire time. I have to admit I was amazed.

We thought about afternoon breaks, but honestly we would still have been back at the hotel at the same time each night. I HATE, HATE, HATE leaving the parks immediately after the fireworks with the huge crowds and with a 6:30 wake up we went to sleep early.

 

[disneychrista]

My plan would depend on the park hours & time of year.

During slow season when the park is open 10 - 8pm we do not leave the park.

During normal busy times when the park is open 8 - midnight, we leave the park at about 2pm and then go back at 5 or 6.

During REALLY busy times (Christmas, New Years or other times when the "gates closing" is likely) we do not leave the park but plan on taking a hour or two off either by watching the afternoon parade, taking a long lunch or whathaveyou.

 

[disneymom23]

My plan would depend on the park hours & time of year.

During slow season when the park is open 10 - 8pm we do not leave the park.

During normal busy times when the park is open 8 - midnight, we leave the park at about 2pm and then go back at 5 or 6.

During REALLY busy times (Christmas, New Years or other times when the "gates closing" is likely) we do not leave the park but plan on taking a hour or two off either by watching the afternoon parade, taking a long lunch or whathaveyou.

What does gate closing mean? Does this mean we won't get back in if we leave?