Naps and shortened Fall hours...

[Misskitty3]

For those that have to head back to the hotel for a nap for the little ones how do you schedule your day? We will be at DLR in October and most days the park wont be open until 9am or 10 am and will close by 8pm.

Do you head back after lunch?

I am so tempted to let the kids just sleep in their strollers (if they fall asleep) and use that time for DH and I to go on all the adult rides and take advantage of the baby swap.

So what do you all do?

BTW, we are staying at the GC so the walk shouldn't be too bad if we do head back.

 

[kuusimo]

We have gone back after lunch to have the boys take a nap, and we have had them sleep in the strollers. My suggestion would be to try it each way and see if it works to have them sleep. Sometimes it gets too loud for them, but for the most part if they will do it take advantage of the time.

 

[imjen]

Well, last year we went in October and on the first day we stayed until late afternoon, then went back to the hotel for dinner and a break and came back for Mickey's Halloween treat. The next day we were exhausted and went to the hotel for a rest after lunch and then returned a couple hours later. By the third day my kids were beat. I think mostly because we pushed them too hard and long on that first day. They were 7, 5, and 2 yrs old. We are going again this October and the plan is to be there for EE on Thursday (8:45 am) through lunch and return to the hotel around 1 pm. We will rest for a couple hours and then head back at around 4:00 pm to the park until closing at 8. Friday we have Mickey's Halloween Treat so we will take a longer afternoon break. If you are there Fri-Sun the evening hours are much longer as well. If your kids don't nap well or as long as usual in their strollers I would highly recommend a couple hour break in the early afternoon.

 

[joeysmommy]

We went last September staying at DLH and with the monorail closed (Nemo construction).
Since the hours were only 10-8 we ended up having the boys sleep in the strollers, it was too much of a hike thru DTD to DLH with tired heavy kids.
We had a large group so we switched off with stroller watch and rides.
It worked out well, but since you're staying at the GCH, it should be no problem to shoot back to your room.
I would do EE at 9am, head back to the room around 12pm for lunch and a nap then head back out around 3pm.
That's why we never even went to the pool(main reason we chose DLH) at DLH, didn't have time. DCA closed at 6pm, DL at 8pm.
Good luck!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

We were there last September as well, and did a little bit of everything. Some days we had lunch in the park and headed back to the hotel for nap. Other days we had lunch at the hotel, then nap. And if DS2 fell asleep in the stroller after nap, we let him sleep and continued to enjoy DL! I think there also was a day DS2 did NOT nap; generally that's risky business as far as his mood later in the day, but it worked out OK in that instance.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

what im gona do is between 1-2 we go back and stay for two hours maybe three. and then be at the park for 3-4hours

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

Were staying at the GCH in Oct too, so I think that's going to help. Eat take a quick nap and head back in to the parks. In the summer I think we take longer breaks because of the heat and crowds, and knowing the parks are open late. So it will probably be a shorter break then what we normally do in the summer.

 

[Chumpson]

I had a 4 and 6 year old when I went in October a couple years ago. We went to DL/DCA for 5 straight days. Each day we arrived at least 30min prior to opening and then headed back to the hotel around 1 for naps. We were back int he parks by 3:30 and then closed them out. It worked perfectly for us. One day we were at Goofy's kitchen before park opening, so that day we went to the hotel a little earlier. We stayed at HOJOs and walked to and from each way. It would work even better had we stayed a little closer, Hojos is the farthest I would want to walk to the hotels.

 

[cmwade77]

If 30 minutes to an hour will suffice for a nap, I suggest riding the train around the park, you can stay on as long as you want, thus letting the little ones nap, while remaining in the park and saving some valuable time. Note each full loop around the park takes 20-30 minutes.

 

[Misskitty3]

Lots of great suggestions - Thanks!

 

[DangerMouse]

In addition to the train, here are some other good places for in-park napping:

50th Exhibit (air conditioned and relatively quiet)
Main Street Cinema
Animation Studio in DCA
Lower level of Hungry Bear
Tiki Room -- pick one of the bench seats in the back row.

 

[joeysmommy]

cmwade- great idea! I never even thought of staying on a ride for nap time. Love it! I can even get some great pictures while on the train.

dangermouse- which part of the DCA Animation building? The main lobby area or downstairs?
Is the LL of Hungry Bear restaurant seating too?

Thanks for the great suggestions!

 

[DangerMouse]

cmwade- great idea! I never even thought of staying on a ride for nap time. Love it! I can even get some great pictures while on the train.

dangermouse- which part of the DCA Animation building? The main lobby area or downstairs?
Is the LL of Hungry Bear restaurant seating too?

Thanks for the great suggestions!

Upstairs in the Animation Bldg with all the movie screens. The music and images usually put my youngest right to sleep.

The lower level of the HB is used for restaurant seating, although I have never seen it busy. Usually all I find are people waiting for people in their party who are using the restrooms. If you go toward the back by the water down there you can find a nice spot out of traffic and watch the canoes and ships go by.

 

[joeysmommy]

Thanks dangermouse, now we've got some great options for nap time this year without having to schlep everybody back to the hotel.

 

[kelmac284]

Up until this past year we never stayed close enough to go back for a break. And that was when my kids were small. We always had strollers up till about a year or so ago and my kids had NO problems sleeping in them. NOW that they are older and we can't go as much in off season we usually go on busy times when the park is open late so we always take a break. BUT if we went when it was shortened hours chances are we wouldn't take one but again my kids are older now.

I would def see if they will sleep in the stroller because the time is limited but if not if it is truly slow then a break shouldn't affect your touring.

Good luck!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

We normally go back to the hotel for our little ones to nap and just take a break, normally between 1-3pm, which still gave us 5 hrs in the park at night. We'd also save our shopping for after park closing since Main Street stays open another hour. One day DH took our littlest back for nap and I kept our older one with me in the park, which worked out well too.

I think the ride suggestion is wonderful, but be aware you have to fold up strollers on the train, so they couldn't nap in them, you'd have to hold them. We've never been successful in getting our kids to nap in the stroller at Disneyland - I think too much excitement.

 

[stagemomx3]

Last Oct/Nov. we found we all did better with taking an afternoon break. Staying at GC made this super easy! Plus the kids needed their pool time as well as their park time. With 4 adults and 4 kids(7,8,9,10) one or two adults would take the kids swimming(I prefered the hot tub) while the other adults napped. It still gave us plenty of evening time in the parks. With no crowds to contend with you get so much more done even with shortened hours.