MK at Night With Toddler?? Parade & Wishes?

[Muppetfan3]

Anyone ever taken their toddler to this (MK Electrical Parade & Wishes)? On our Magic Kingdom day we have planned, our goal is to leave the park either around 3 or 4 and go back to our resort and nap, chill out and grab a QS meal for dinner. My hope is to return back to MK around 8 pm to be able to watch the Electrical Parade and (at least part of) Wishes.

The deal is, I have a 2 yo. Yes, this plan may seem completely nuts for some. My hope was that if we go back, have at least 4 hours of rest (hopefully a 2 hour nap in there). The next day, we have DHS planned with no dining reservations that am and our first FP starting at 11:30 am (so sleeping in is a viable option). Note: toddler usually sleeps 11 hours no matter what time we put him to bed, which is great. However, in a new environment, who knows. Usually in hotels in the past, he has been just fine.

We took our DD to MK when she was 3 and watching Wishes with her (albeit we were right in front of the castle - my big mistake that year, learned there are much better locations if you want to get out more quickly after it's over) and it was one of the biggest highlights/memories of our entire trip. My heart swelled when I saw her face light up and I'll never forget that moment. So magical. I'd love the same for my son.

I don't want to push it, but if anyone has done this successfully and knows of any tips/tricks on how to get out quick to avoid the max exodus of people leaving MK, I'd love to know. Hopefully I'm not crazy by going back to MK to enjoy the last bit of magic for the day. I'd really like to make it happen but to be smart about it.

Thanks for any help with this!!

 

[hallen4]

We took our DD2 and DS4 last October and if she got tired she napped in the stroller. Most nights however, she would stay up til Wishes no problem. We also had the thought of afternoon naps in the hotel, but the kids were so wired from being in the parks all morning that getting them to nap was nearly impossible. We find they nap better if they just fall asleep while we roll the stroller around (my kids usually fall asleep easily with motion from cars and things). Hope everything goes well!

 

[Klayfish]

Yes, we did it when our kids were ages 4, 1 and 1. They're now 12, 8 and 8, and have done it several times between then and now. It's not really all that big of a deal. You know your child best, do what you need to in order to make sure they're rested up and not cranky from being tired. Get them a snack to enjoy while you're waiting for the parade to start. I think you'll find they'll really enjoy it. As for the crowd, it is what it is. Obviously, being on Main Street or right in front of the Castle is nuts. There are other spots to view from where the crowd is a bit less. When it comes to trying to leave, unless they open an alternate exit, which I've only seen for holidays, either just grin and bear it, or wait it out.

 

[Willow1213]

We're in the same boat for our trip starting tomorrow. I'm fully planning to play it by ear! I'm anticipating nap schedule to be much different than at home. Wishes is at 9pm on Friday, after a 6:40 Ohana reservation I think we can walk out to the beach and watch from there. Other nights Wishes is at 10pm, and I think that's out.

 

[nco91590]

I feel like you'll have a pretty good idea of what you can handle by the time Spectro Magic happens. My kids were like in full on meltdown mode at the end of it. We just found a spot toward the front of the park and high tailed it out of the park before Wishes started. We got a great spot right where the floats come out. The worst part of a long day at MK is the bus ride home, so remember that you all might be stuck waiting to get back to the resort too.

 

[Pixie Dust ✨]

I feel like you'll have a pretty good idea of what you can handle by the time Spectro Magic happens. My kids were like in full on meltdown mode at the end of it. We just found a spot toward the front of the park and high tailed it out of the park before Wishes started. We got a great spot right where the floats come out. The worst part of a long day at MK is the bus ride home, so remember that you all might be stuck waiting to get back to the resort too.

There is no more SpectroMagic. MSEP now. I understand the nostalgia, but it's a different parade & new posters will be confused.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Anyone ever taken their toddler to this (MK Electrical Parade & Wishes)? On our Magic Kingdom day we have planned, our goal is to leave the park either around 3 or 4 and go back to our resort and nap, chill out and grab a QS meal for dinner. My hope is to return back to MK around 8 pm to be able to watch the Electrical Parade and (at least part of) Wishes.

The deal is, I have a 2 yo. Yes, this plan may seem completely nuts for some. My hope was that if we go back, have at least 4 hours of rest (hopefully a 2 hour nap in there). The next day, we have DHS planned with no dining reservations that am and our first FP starting at 11:30 am (so sleeping in is a viable option). Note: toddler usually sleeps 11 hours no matter what time we put him to bed, which is great. However, in a new environment, who knows. Usually in hotels in the past, he has been just fine.

We took our DD to MK when she was 3 and watching Wishes with her (albeit we were right in front of the castle - my big mistake that year, learned there are much better locations if you want to get out more quickly after it's over) and it was one of the biggest highlights/memories of our entire trip. My heart swelled when I saw her face light up and I'll never forget that moment. So magical. I'd love the same for my son.

I don't want to push it, but if anyone has done this successfully and knows of any tips/tricks on how to get out quick to avoid the max exodus of people leaving MK, I'd love to know. Hopefully I'm not crazy by going back to MK to enjoy the last bit of magic for the day. I'd really like to make it happen but to be smart about it.

Thanks for any help with this!!

only problem I see could be the down time as you return to your resort no matter what form of transportation you have a good chance pf toddler falling asleep on way to resort and not go back to sleep after you get to your room. been there done that with 17 month old grandson and no one got any rest and he fell asleep waiting for dinner. he could have eaten for free at dinner buffet but had to buy him a counter serve meal about parade time as he woke up. as for leaving I would take my time leaving and let the crowd thin out

 

[mrzrich]

When are you going? In the hot months, its smarter to be at rope drop and high tail it out of the park between around lunch time (before or after depending on where you plan to eat). Best time to nap/swim/relax is the hottest part of the day between 12 and 4. Plan to return to the park around dinner between 5 and 7pm (again depending on your dinner plans)

 

[wallskm]

We've done it several times, even staying for the later (11pm) parade! My son was 16 months at the time and he was totally into the parade and then passed out as soon as it was over! We find that our kids can hang with the late nights on vacation even though they go to bed early at home. It makes bedtime easier as they usually just crash . Every kid is different but in our case it is very possible!

 

[Carole]

We just returned from a week stay with our 3 year old grandson without his parents. We planned the trip around him and did not go on anything he couldn't ride. Was at rope drop every morning, lunch around noon, back to the resort for a two hour nap, short swim then back to the parks. We did fireworks three of the nights. He doesn't like loud noise so we took ear muffs for him to wear. He loved laying in the stroller with ear muffs watching the fireworks. Fun trip!

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

It sounds like you've got a good plan and a good handle on what your kids can do. Man I wish mine would sleep a set number of hours a night. Mine basically sleep until no later than 7 no matter what time you put them to bed. Good for RD but they get more and more tired and cranky each day if we don't keep a handle on it.

As far as leaving, watch for them to be directing people thru the shops on Main Street if you happen to be on the Crystal Palace side of the Hub. It's a little faster.

Also, it's awesome that you have such a special memory of your DD at Wishes, but just keep in mind that that may not be the thing for your DS. If it looks like the plan is going to fall apart, don't stress it too much because you never know what is going to be that glorious moment each trip. This year for me it was sitting next to DD6 on EE as she yelled at the top of her lungs, "I LOVE THIS!!!!" It was in a voice just like Rapunzel when she first left the tower. Brings tears to my eyes and not something I ever would have predicted while I was planning the trip.

Good luck and have a wonderful time!

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

Anyone ever taken their toddler to this (MK Electrical Parade & Wishes)? On our Magic Kingdom day we have planned, our goal is to leave the park either around 3 or 4 and go back to our resort and nap, chill out and grab a QS meal for dinner. My hope is to return back to MK around 8 pm to be able to watch the Electrical Parade and (at least part of) Wishes.

The deal is, I have a 2 yo. Yes, this plan may seem completely nuts for some. My hope was that if we go back, have at least 4 hours of rest (hopefully a 2 hour nap in there). The next day, we have DHS planned with no dining reservations that am and our first FP starting at 11:30 am (so sleeping in is a viable option). Note: toddler usually sleeps 11 hours no matter what time we put him to bed, which is great. However, in a new environment, who knows. Usually in hotels in the past, he has been just fine.

We took our DD to MK when she was 3 and watching Wishes with her (albeit we were right in front of the castle - my big mistake that year, learned there are much better locations if you want to get out more quickly after it's over) and it was one of the biggest highlights/memories of our entire trip. My heart swelled when I saw her face light up and I'll never forget that moment. So magical. I'd love the same for my son.

I don't want to push it, but if anyone has done this successfully and knows of any tips/tricks on how to get out quick to avoid the max exodus of people leaving MK, I'd love to know. Hopefully I'm not crazy by going back to MK to enjoy the last bit of magic for the day. I'd really like to make it happen but to be smart about it.

Thanks for any help with this!!

It's really all about sleeping schedules as to rather or not it works. I have a night owl and the last three trips we went on, we were on a time change which played in our favor. At the time, she would hang well in the parks until about 12:30.

Our best strategy is to not try to beat the people out after the fireworks. If you MUST try to leave right away, then I would watch the fireworks from the flagpole area.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

We're in the same boat for our trip starting tomorrow. I'm fully planning to play it by ear! I'm anticipating nap schedule to be much different than at home. Wishes is at 9pm on Friday, after a 6:40 Ohana reservation I think we can walk out to the beach and watch from there. Other nights Wishes is at 10pm, and I think that's out.

The beach is a perfect and relaxing spot to watch the fireworks.

 

[Moushe]

It sounds like you've got a good plan and a good handle on what your kids can do. Man I wish mine would sleep a set number of hours a night. Mine basically sleep until no later than 7 no matter what time you put them to bed. Good for RD but they get more and more tired and cranky each day if we don't keep a handle on it.

My kids are the same way except they don't sleep past 6! We usually do RD and then leave at the first signs of crankiness (which is usually around 5). For our August trip we are going to try a mid-day break one day and coming back for Wishes but like you said we will have to play it by ear.

 

[PurpleKomodo]

We stayed at MK through the parade and fireworks last summer with DS who was a couple months shy of 3 at the time. I too was worried about the late night as he is a strict 8-8:30om bedtime the rest of the year. We did not go back to the resort mid-day, he just napped in his stroller. I was pleasantly surprised by his stamina. There is just so much to see and do at MK that it kept him going. We had a FP+ for the parade so we were able to get a good spot and we got him the balloon he had been dying to have all day, which helped pass the time until it started. In between the parade and Celebrate the Magic, we buzzed over to meet talking Mickey while DH got us a spot next to the flag pole for Celebrate the Magic and Wishes. We got out of meeting Mickey a few minutes after Celebrate the Magic started and joined DH. DS was able to stand (with support from us) on the railing around the flag pole which saved our backs, let him see, and prevented the ever faux pas of shoulder sitting. After the fireworks, we put him in the stroller and joined the mass exodus out. He fell asleep in the stroller before we passed under the train station. We had driven to the park early so we took the fairy to the TTC and were able to walk to our car. DS transferred to the car and promptly went back to sleep and then again to bed at the resort.

For late nights while we were there in general, the rule we tried to follow was not to stack them back to back. So, we did Wishes at MK one night and then the next night we were at EPCOT and did not stay for Illuminations. We stayed late at DHS for the Frozen fireworks and the next night we came back early. That seemed to help stave off becoming super overtired. DS also napped anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half every day in his stroller. He is an early riser by nature, so he was up by 7am every morning regardless of how late we were up so we did RD every day.

 

[SillySallySews]

Your plan to take a toddler to the park at night isn't nuts at all and you won't be alone. Tons of kids of all ages will be there late into the evening. We've watched the evening parades and fireworks with one or even two toddlers many times. Sometimes they stay awake, sometimes they doze off in the stroller. I'm not sure there really is a way to avoid the mass exodus of people leaving after the fireworks, unless you view everything from somewhere near the train station and maybe dash out before the end of the fireworks. We much prefer to just sit in place after the fireworks are over and give it a chance to clear out. We try to view the fireworks from somewhere near the Adventureland/Crystal Palace side of the hub and the last couple trips we've wondered over to Aloha Isle and had a Dole Whip as soon as the fireworks were over. It was nearly empty and by the time we were done it was much easier to leave.

 

[Muppetfan3]

We just returned from a week stay with our 3 year old grandson without his parents. We planned the trip around him and did not go on anything he couldn't ride. Was at rope drop every morning, lunch around noon, back to the resort for a two hour nap, short swim then back to the parks. We did fireworks three of the nights. He doesn't like loud noise so we took ear muffs for him to wear. He loved laying in the stroller with ear muffs watching the fireworks. Fun trip!

Love the idea about the earmuffs! Great idea!! Sounds like you had a fabulous time!

 

[Muppetfan3]

It sounds like you've got a good plan and a good handle on what your kids can do. Man I wish mine would sleep a set number of hours a night. Mine basically sleep until no later than 7 no matter what time you put them to bed. Good for RD but they get more and more tired and cranky each day if we don't keep a handle on it.

As far as leaving, watch for them to be directing people thru the shops on Main Street if you happen to be on the Crystal Palace side of the Hub. It's a little faster.

Also, it's awesome that you have such a special memory of your DD at Wishes, but just keep in mind that that may not be the thing for your DS. If it looks like the plan is going to fall apart, don't stress it too much because you never know what is going to be that glorious moment each trip. This year for me it was sitting next to DD6 on EE as she yelled at the top of her lungs, "I LOVE THIS!!!!" It was in a voice just like Rapunzel when she first left the tower. Brings tears to my eyes and not something I ever would have predicted while I was planning the trip.

Good luck and have a wonderful time!

I love it!! Your memory with your DD loving EE. That's so awesome!! It's the little things in life that make it special. I just love it. So excited to take my family back to WDW, such a magical place.

 

[Muppetfan3]

Your plan to take a toddler to the park at night isn't nuts at all and you won't be alone. Tons of kids of all ages will be there late into the evening. We've watched the evening parades and fireworks with one or even two toddlers many times. Sometimes they stay awake, sometimes they doze off in the stroller. I'm not sure there really is a way to avoid the mass exodus of people leaving after the fireworks, unless you view everything from somewhere near the train station and maybe dash out before the end of the fireworks. We much prefer to just sit in place after the fireworks are over and give it a chance to clear out. We try to view the fireworks from somewhere near the Adventureland/Crystal Palace side of the hub and the last couple trips we've wondered over to Aloha Isle and had a Dole Whip as soon as the fireworks were over. It was nearly empty and by the time we were done it was much easier to leave.

Dole Whip makes everything better. Thank you for your advice, and for not making me feel alone!! We are only doing one day at MK, want to make the best of it. I appreciate the ideas/strategies. I imagine my kiddos are going to be so happy.

 

[Jackie417]

We went in May. We did Rope Drop til about 12:30, went back and our 2 year old had a 2 hour plus nap and went back from 6-10 and he did great! Every child is different of course!