Magic Kingdom Quiet Resting Place?

[aeg42]

Taking my 5-year-old son later this month and it's obviously a long day for him since we'll be starting with an early character breakfast and I know he wants to see the fireworks at least one night. I am definitely renting a stroller for him. Would really rather not have to spend a ton of time shuttling back and forth to the resort in the middle of the day for downtime, since we're staying at Pop Century which is pretty far away. Anybody have suggestions for a quiet place that I might be able to get him to nap in the stroller while we're in the park?

 

[LegoMom3]

We always liked Tom Sawyer Island for a little respite from the crowds. Depending on how well he sleeps, you could also try hopping on the train and just go around for a while. Slide all the way in, no will bother you or question how long you've been on! And I've never used it, but the Baby Care Center between Casey's Corner and the Crystal Palace is supposed to have some quiet spots, too.

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[101Pongo]

There is a nice, calm area behind the Tomorrowland Speedway... can get loud depending where the wind is though. Might be worth checking though.

 

[aeg42]

We always liked Tom Sawyer Island for a little respite from the crowds. Depending on how well he sleeps, you could also try hopping on the train and just go around for a while. Slide all the way in, no will bother you or question how long you've been on! And I've never used it, but the Baby Care Center between Casey's Corner and the Crystal Palace is supposed to have some quiet spots, too.

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Can I take a five-year-old into the baby care center? I feel like that's a no-no. Will check out the spot behind Tomorrowland Speedway and Tom Sawyer Island. Thanks guys!

 

[nkereina]

There is a nice, calm area behind the Tomorrowland Speedway... can get loud depending where the wind is though. Might be worth checking though.

The area you have circled - is this a walking path behind the speedway? How do you get to it? Never noticed it!

 

[-Hope-]

I actually wrote a blog post this morning for Disney Devoted on this topic (though I'm not sure it's been approved and posted yet). My recommendations for a good place to take a break in the Magic Kingdom were, as mentioned by some previous posters, Tom Sawyer Island and the Walt Disney World Railroad. Additionally you might consider a ride on the Liberty Square Riverboat, a stop to see the Hall of Presidents, the TTA People Mover, or Carousel of Progress. If water helps your guy feel refreshed (it always did for my kiddos) the Casey Jr. Splash and Soak Station might be a good option.

Time and the type of break offered varies so it really depends what your needs are and what's close by in the moment.

 

[Donald - my hero]

The area you have circled - is this a walking path behind the speedway? How do you get to it? Never noticed it!

I second this suggestion! If you head towards Goofy's Barnbuster and just keep walking past the line you'll be on the walkway. Uhm, the train station will be on your left and you'll be walking along side of the train tracks ... we were able to lean on the railing and chat with a man who was doing last minute checks on the train tracks for quite awhile about the actual workings of the train! You end up at the entrance to the video game-thingee beside Space Mountain You're proof that it's a hidden gem, most don't know it's even there!

 

[robinb]

Taking my 5-year-old son later this month and it's obviously a long day for him since we'll be starting with an early character breakfast and I know he wants to see the fireworks at least one night. I am definitely renting a stroller for him. Would really rather not have to spend a ton of time shuttling back and forth to the resort in the middle of the day for downtime, since we're staying at Pop Century which is pretty far away. Anybody have suggestions for a quiet place that I might be able to get him to nap in the stroller while we're in the park?

There is no reason to run your son ragged. Why not take a break back at Pop Century? IIRC it only takes about 25-30 minutes to get back to Pop and you can take a couple hours to relax and swim. The down time away from the parks to recharge your batteries is worth it and for many kids the pool is their favorite part of the trip.

 

[tina.tina]

I hope you had better luck than we did getting a DS5 to sleep. We were all lying in the dark in our room at Pop for about an hour and DS popped up and asked Can we get up yet? It was obvious that he hadn't even been asleep but I had been drifting in and out as was DH and DD10. He had an absolute melt down at DHS that afternoon (after the failed nap) because he was just so tired. He was used to napping at preschool but nothing we did convinced him to nap at WDW. DH didn't want to deal with a stroller and carried DS some of the time but I think he would not have been as tired if he'd had a stroller to ride in most of the time.

We took lots of breaks during the middle of the day. We had a 10 day trip. I would not advise using swimming during the day as a break because I think it only makes them more tired. It's a good activity but not rest. It didn't seem too far for us to take a break in the middle of the day, though, and the food court is pretty empty at lunch.

 

[willowsnn3]

This past September I discovered TomorrowLand Terrace! Have walked thru there many many times but never thought about stopping there til this past trip.
Of course this was when it was closed so there were all those tables/chairs to choose from and ceiling fans to boot! There is also a water fountain & restrooms too. Great place to rest and people watch.

 

[101Pongo]

The area you have circled - is this a walking path behind the speedway? How do you get to it? Never noticed it!

Yes, it is a walking path behind the Speedway, we stumbled onto it quite by accident. You can enter from Fantasyland between the Barnstormer and the Railroad Station or from Tomorrowland just behind the Arcade at Space Mountain (kind of between the Arcade and the side of the Tomorrowland Speedway track).

This past September I discovered TomorrowLand Terrace! Have walked thru there many many times but never thought about stopping there til this past trip.
Of course this was when it was closed so there were all those tables/chairs to choose from and ceiling fans to boot! There is also a water fountain & restrooms too. Great place to rest and people watch.

Excellent suggestion when it is closed (most of the time it seems)!

 

[aeg42]

Yeah I considered going back to the hotel, but I suspect my son will NOT want to leave the park in the middle of the day. However, if I put him in the stroller and he is tired he may fall asleep for a little while (hence my request for a quiet spot).

Is the spot behind the speedway really so quiet with the sound of people gunning their go-carts?

 

[Xenuprime]

Tomorrow Land Terrace is also a great, quiet place to watch the fireworks from. We get some ice cream and sit there watching the show.