Nap for 3 year old

[AshleyMWC]

My dd will be almost 3 when we visit in December- 10 days shy of it As it is now, she only naps about an hour here, and sometimes thats a fight. I feel like she'll be totally wiped out there, as will my 5 year old, but I feel like the logistics of napping are hard. Between catching a bus, getting back to the hotel, getting them settled down enough to nap. My fear is that she'd even fall asleep on the bus ride. We will have a double stroller for the trip, so I'm wondering if people have had good luck with kids napping in the stroller?? I just feel like we'd literally waste hours TRYING to get them to th hotel and to nap, but we will if we need to!

 

[Thing 1]

Breaks/naps just work for us. We all need the break and it give us the change to enjoy the parks later at night. Neither kid really napped much after 4ish but they did lay on the bed, in the dark and watch disney TV. I napped!!!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Tough question since all kids are so different. DS has been 3-6 on our trips. At first he was still napping every day so we always just went back to the room to try to maintain some sense of our schedule. We found early on if we pushed through with no nap, he'd just be too crabby/out of it to make much use of the late afternoon/evening hours. Was it the most effecient use of park/vacation time? No. But it helped keep spirits up over the trip.

Even when he grew out of naps, we'd still take a break every other day or so. Sometimes you can just tell when all the walking/swimming/excitement catches up with him and he needs it.

None of our kids have ever been good stroller sleepers for us, but you always see plenty of zonked out kids being pushed all day!

 

[roseaster]

When mine still napped they would nap in the stroller. We did find the trouble you thought about. The one time we tried the go back to the room for a nap thing they fell asleep on the bus and then were wide awake when we got to the room. They would never lay back down because when my kids were at WDW they wanted to do stuff. Even when it was pouring rain.

 

[Minniemoo15]

DD was 2.5 last time we went and she took epic naps in the stroller (2.5+ hours). She hadn't napped in her stroller since she was a baby before that so I didn't know what to expect, but WDW wiped her out.

It was easiest for us than to just stay in the park. Dh and I went on some adult rides while my mom walked around the park with sleeping DD. It was really nice.

We might do mid day breaks this year because she will be 3.5 so probably won't nap as much as she will rest/relax.

 

[teddygurl28]

we did both actually. sometimes she would take 2 naps and we weren't ready to leave for her morning nap so we just let her go in the stroller, and then would try to get back to the room for a second nap in the AC...normally mine doesn't nap in the stroller at home (actually is not a fan of the stroller at home at all) so WDW does crazy things to kids!

 

[wmjeffer]

I feel you! My daughter will be turning 3 on the last day of our trip. She had been napping every day when we went last year (around the time she turned 2), and going back to the room for us was a total bust. I think she only napped once out of 6-7 days and it took SO much time out of our day, even staying onsite. We always felt like we were rushing to get to the hotel for nap and then rushing back out in the evenings.

Right now, she only naps 1-2 twice a week, so we're not planning on afternoon breaks (but we're planning on rope drop to 2-3pm, then relaxing at our condo for the rest of the day - swimming, playground, etc.

I think it's best to be as flexible as possible!

 

[Lvsdisney]

I personally enjoyed taking a break at the hotel. DH and I needed the rest as much as DD and DS! You can trial it one day and see what it's like. If she's miserable by 6pm, than the next day take a break!

 

[monorailsilver]

We always returned to our room to nap, yes even us old farts napped!

The only time one of my 3 kids fell asleep on the ride back was when my oldest was 15 months old. I stopped her am nap that trip and a few days prior she had her 15 month shots and was feeling a bit under the weather from them.

Otherwise, no one fell asleep. They didn't get carried and had to walk onto the bus, or if we took the monorail back they did sit in the stroller. We jut made sure we didn't leave the park Too late. Like if nap time was at 1, we would leave closer to 12.

I love my nap and time away from the park. It is vital for us in the summer. We plan multiple pool days so we get to enjoy the resort too.

 

[HeatherL1985]

Does your stroller have a pretty decent recline and sun shade coverage? If so - then stroller naps will probably work out for you. We have done the all day park tour and it wasn't bad. Our kiddo is a good napper but never napped in his stroller....until Disney World. He would just go-go-go until he passed out.

We typically return to the resort for "quiet time" so that we can let the overstimulation ebb a little before we take in the parks at night, though. Plus - I really appreciate the break, too.

 

[ElenaRN]

Our kids (esp ODD) are not great nappers. It would be a waste of time for us to go back to hotel only for them not to fall asleep. We have had more luck just staying in parks. They have both fallen asleep in the stroller on all of our trips. We usually take that time and take turn riding things the kids can't or wont like Space Mountain or Exp Everest for example.

 

[jac1976]

My kids had no issues napping in their strollers. DD even slept through a high school marching band marching and playing just a few feet away from her.

 

[wulfgeat]

We did ok with a 2.5 year old DD who hated naps. A quiet corner would usually get her to go to sleep. She fell asleep in Festival of the Lion King, Frozen Singalong, and in line for Pirates of the Caribbean. Once asleep, she was out for an hour or so. We never went back for a nap and never ended the day early just for her. Did I mention she hates sleep?

 

[twix516]

I have a trip planned for November with almost 3 year old twins. On our MK and Epcot days, I planned for a 3 hour break to take them back to the hotel to nap. But on those days, I also plan for them to be up much later than usual. For HS and AK, I plan to just end the days early so they can get to bed. My kids still take 2 hour naps and home, so I think they will need it!

 

[billnye97]

I have a trip planned for November with almost 3 year old twins. On our MK and Epcot days, I planned for a 3 hour break to take them back to the hotel to nap. But on those days, I also plan for them to be up much later than usual. For HS and AK, I plan to just end the days early so they can get to bed. My kids still take 2 hour naps and home, so I think they will need it!

My daughter (3 1/2) is the same way. She takes long naps at home and we are planning for a break to let her nap and be recharged. My wife is going to stay with her and I am going to ride Space Mountain (my wife hates roller coasters) while they relax.

 

[AshleyMWC]

Thanks for your help everyone! I think we'll just have to play it by ear the first day or 2. I'd love them to fall asleep in the stroller, but we'll see. We are renting a double citi mini from a stroller rental place, so it will be tommy enough I think and reclines if need be.