Mid-day naps

[valpss]

When my kids were younger we never went back to the hotel for naps, they would just conk out in the stroller or we would hold them in the wait lines while they were passed out. And we always did rope drop to fireworks! I know my kids may have been the exceptions and we were extremely blessed by never having melt downs.

Anyway, we are now going with friends that have a 4 year old and she is insisting that the little one has to go back to the hotel every day for 1-2hr naps plus there's no way he will last until fireworks shows at night. I'm not going to tell her how to parent, so that's not my question.

But for those that DID/DO the naps in the middle of the day - can you tell me how long it actually takes out of the day? Leaving the park, waiting for Disney bus back to Pop Century, travel, getting back to the room, getting him settled down, actually nap, and then turn around and go back to the park!?! It seems this could take a huge chunk of time out of the day?

She said he will nap from approx 11am-1pm... am I wrong to be thinking that by the time we get in the park (normal opening time) they would almost have to turn around and go right back to the hotel?

Is there anything I can help advise her on this? Again, Im not trying to tell her how to parent...I just have no frame of reference to help her because we never did it.

 

[leebee]

We never took the kids back to the room to nap; they'd sleep in the stroller, and we were a 10am til fireworks kind of family. My best estimate is that it's going to take about an hour to get out of the park, to the bus, to the hotel, and then into your room. Same with going back to the park after the nap. If this kid sleeps for 2 hours, I can see "nap time" taking 4-5 hours out of their day, especially if they have lunch before returning to the park. Between napping and not doing the fireworks, they aren't going to have a lot of park time. I hope you don't have to return to leave when they do!

 

[BrianL]

I can't much speak for getting the kid down, etc. however you can generally expect a bus ride to take up to an hour, all told. It may not, but mid-day if you factor in the wait and the travel time, it could. Always give it an hour. On the plus side, if you are at Pop, the Skyliner in the middle of the day should be pretty fast out of HS or Epcot - assuming you are near the back of Epcot (that's can be a long walk). Arguably, a round-trip on the Skyliner might be a great place for a nap! I don't know if that is viable to them of course, but hey.

Long story short - you are right in that it is going to take a while. Also, leaving at 11 is pretty early as attraction wait times peak a little later. I would advise more like 2 to 4.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Family of 5, youngest is 12. We go during the summer. You can sense when the mood changes in the parks in the afternoon as the storms roll in. We have gotten in the habit of leaving the parks for about 2 hours when that happens. We eat back in the room so we save time (and a lot of money) with that, plus the outdoor rides go down during the storms anyway. If you are planning a solid 2 hour nap, you are correct, that will be AT LEAST 3 hours outside the park, probably closer to 4, and that's if you don't waste any time getting to and from the room. It's a big reason why we don't do park-hoppers.
Sleep schedules are dumb. We went to Maui one time with my brother who insisted on a sleep schedule for his daughter. It was the biggest struggle getting them to leave the condo for any real length of time. We have a daughter who is about 6 months younger and did not have a sleep schedule - it was no big deal, DD slept just fine wherever we happened to be. Let me guess, this is her first kid? She'll learn. Nothing motivates like abandonment. Pick a time to meet back up if they do head back to the room, but don't be surprised if they never actually make it back to the meeting point.

 

[Peaseblossom36]

I would say at least 4 hours. Our first trip our daughter was 2.5 and we did go back to the hotel for naps, mostly because it was so hot and she (and we) needed the break from the heat. We didn't do it at a set time though, really just when we started to feel like we wanted a break. We did get one stroller nap but that was all she gave us.

At home we stuck to a pretty strict sleep schedule because we had a TON of trouble with sleep when she was a baby (which was awful for everyone). On vacation we did not follow that at all, we just kind of rolled with our kids mood and adjusted as needed. We even did a Halloween party and she had zeros issues staying up late, just fell asleep on the bus back to the resort. Once we got home she really easily went back to her normal schedule

Also- The 4 year old naps from 11-1 or is there a baby? That's an early and long nap for a 4 year old.

 

[liamthompson]

For my then 3.5yo's first trip last year, we did rope drop-12pm and then 4-7pm in the parks. He napped probably 1-2h. There were meltdowns galore because it was hot and overstimulating but so much fun that we went back a few months later.

I asked this same question when trip planning and many people told me don't worry, 3.5yo don't nap any longer...HAHAHA. I'm not militant about a sleep schedule but there's only so much you can do if you have a kid who insists on napping. At home, he will go lay down and put covers on himself and refuse to get out of bed. We forced a full day at magic kingdom a few months ago and he insisted on resting in the stroller and tried to use my soft sided cooler as a stuffie.

Anyway yes, your thought is right - they will pretty much enter the parks and leave after a ride or two. I would suggest they buy lightening lanes and have low expectations. The late afternoon re-entry time worked out great for the safari at DAK. We also covered a decent amount of world showcase at Epcot. For DHS, we had a nice dinner and saw some storm troopers and got to wander around galaxy edge. As long as they manage expectations, it will be OK. For yourself, I would plan on letting them be on their own schedule and you can continue your time in the parks with the understanding that you may just have the mornings together.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I would plan for 1 hour of transportation time each direction for MK and AK plus nap time. Probably 45 mins for DHS and Epcot. The nap time portion is harder to determine.

She may do this the entire trip or, she may do it for a couple of days then switch things up. Are you able to stay in the park then meet up when they return? Sure hope it's not expected that you will go back with them each time.

My daughter and I were rope drop to fireworks people most days. The rare time we went back when needed. There were occasional meltdowns over the years - and sometimes they were my daughter's! . The nap plan really changes based on child, parent and their personal style. I was never big on ensuring my daughter had a specific schedule and that worked for us but other people 'need' a schedule. As you say, you're letting her parent the way she feels will work best for her child.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

We tended to be as much resort people as we were parks people, so we were there for rope drop and got in quite a bit for those first few hours, but we also enjoyed heading back to the resort around noon as the crowds and heat started really coming in. It was so nice to flop down comfortably in the AC and doze off for a bit. Often afterward we’d go for a dip, come back and take showers, then head out again around 4 or 5, sometimes later, depending on weather and what time the park was open till. That worked for all of us and fostered a relaxing vacation. As the kids got older they could also go off on their own if they wanted to, which they often did.

It can be challenging traveling with others who have children - or adults - at different ‘stages’. (It was us when I brought my 92 yr old mother twice and the whole trip really revolved around her needs.) I hope you can figure out a way that works for all of you.