Naps for 3 year olds in Disney World?

[Fall1]

I'm trying to figure out if DS and DD will still be napping by our October trip. They will turn 3 in June and are still napping now, but that's 9 months away.

When did your DC stop napping? I'm trying to figure out if it will be best to book TS lunches or dinners.

Thanks!!
Janice

 

[karemore]

All children are different. But even if they aren't napping at home, they may need it at WDW!

My daughter still needs a nap after an extra busy morning, or when she's sick and she's almost 5. Some of her friends stopped napping by 3 and never went back. I'd assume the nap is needed to be on the safe side.

 

[jenn-n-okla]

LOL
My kids are 13 and 8. I am 40 and we STILL enforce naps at Disney. Usually mid day when it is too hot to enjoy anything anyway. We may not sleep but the lights are out and everyone is laying down......at least for 30mins. It may take a movie on to get there. When the kids were younger it wasn't a problem. This last time when they were 11 and 6 it was a bit harder. We told them no swimming or rides if they did not rest each day. After the second day of going going going they didn't complain anymore.
IF you are stuck in the park and not staying onsite then in MK you can go on the carosel of progress for a nap, the hall of presidents is also a good place. In EPCOT, the Canada movie is good but they will have to sleep on the floor or you will have to hold them. Mexico's boat ride is not too bad either. there are lots of little places in the shade behind and in the countries so going in October you should be able to find a nice cool spot for a nap in the strollers. You can always go to the baby care centers too.

 

[Go Saints!]

When we went last year DS was 2 about to turn 3 the week we returned. He did not nap. He is one of those children who will go to bed early if he does not nap, but will stay up late if he does. He does nap at school, but does not at home. When we were at Disney we got up early and came in early. He did fall asleep once in the stroller, and we sat and rested for a little bit. It depends on what you want for your children. If you want to stay out late then you may want to go back to your room for a break in the middle of the day. If you don't plan on staying out after 8:00 or 9:00, then you may want to let them stay up. Good Luck! Their moods should let you know if they need a nap or not.

 

[indimom]

I'd plan for the possibility of a nap, but it may or may not happen depending on your child. Ours were 5 and 7 on our last trip and took a nap every day even though they didn't at home. They were pretty tuckered and this helped us stay up for fireworks and still get up for EMH in the morning. BUT, some kids can not settle down in one room with parents, especially younger kids, especially at DISNEY WORLD, so don't be surprised if it doesn't work out.

I've worked in day care for years and most children still take a nap at 3, it just may be a shorter nap. Many take a short nap until kindergarten. But for Disney, I'd play it by ear and do what works.

 

[clairemolly]

My kids seem like the opposite. When we took our oldest for the 1st time, she was just shy of 3 and still took naps at home. She slept in her stoller when she got tired. Neither of my girls are good at napping on command anywhere other than daycare, not even at our house. Just doesn't happen, no matter how hard we try.

The one time we tried to go back to the hotel for a nap when our youngest was 10 months old on our last trip, she screamed for 2 hours and then fell asleep on the way back to MK. She did much better when she just fell asleep in the stroller. DH and I just child swapped and rode some bigger rides with the oldest late in the afternoon while she slept in the shade with a stroller fan on her.

 

[PrncessA]

DS was 4 and still took naps some days before cutting them out completely. DD is almost 3 and hasn't been napping for about 4-5 months now. It all depends on the kid, you can't force my kids to rest. If they need to I can tell and give them down time but if DD doens't want to nap, she won't, period.

At Disney World they both took naps everyday mostly in the stroller in the parks.

 

[frtchr]

DD turned 3 about three weeks ago. She still naps at home, and she also naps at Disney. We have to go back for naps for DS (16 months) and I know DD appreciates the rest time. We do all our ADRs as lunches. Immediately after lunch, we return to the hotel, nap, and then do a CS dinner at the MK. (We go back there every night.) I know my kidlets tend to do better at a sit-down lunch instead of dinner, but it really depends on your routine and what your kids are used to. Hope it's a great trip!!

 

[Hannathy]

None of mine ever napped at Disney. My 2 yr old may have dozed in the stroller a few times but they never napped and most definitely not at 3.

 

[cel_disney]

My DS was 3 on our last trip and took a nap almost every day. On the day we arrived, we pushed through without a nap thanks to the low key morning but had an early night (at hotel around 8 after dinner at Garden Grill). We found it was much easier to stick with our 'normal' at home sleep schedule in Disney than to try to change it - we hit parks first thing in the morning, had 11:30ish TS ressies for lunch and 6pm TS ressies for dinner.

We did have one night where we had a 6:40 ressie but didnt get seated until 8:15pm..I was SOOOO thankful that we had a nap that day!!!!

We are lucky that we usually go during slow times (september) so we can get alot done in the time that we have in the parks...

We are going back in December this year and DS will be just over 4 - I still plan to figure in a few naps but given that the parks close earlier in the evening and its not as hot, we might have to forgo naptime a few days!!

 

[Bitsmommy]

Even if we didn't nap we did take a rest while at disney. DS turned 3 down there the last time we went. We would go back to the room sometime between 2-4 and he would rest. We would shower and change clothes for a TS dinner. After dinner, if he felt up to it, we went back to the parks.

 

[1971DBday]

We were just at WDW in Nov/Dec and DD3 still needed naps. It wasn't like she was passing out to take one, but I knew this would make her a happier child and me a happier parent. This was her 4th trip and she is used to noise around her so it was not problem to get her to take a nap by the pool. That way I could relax and enjoy the scenary. I just simply covered her lightly with some pool towels.

 

[tam626]

My ds is 4 1/2 & still naps. When we went in '08 we took nap breaks but this past Sept. I just had him lay back in the stroller late in the afternoon & he'd pass out for an hour while we just strolled the parks or dh got on rides. That worked out great.

 

[Britgirlus]

When we went last year, ds was a few weeks shy of 6, and even though he quit naps the previous fall, when he started Kindergarten, he took a nap every day at Disney (so did we). We're early risers, so were at rope drop most days - ate lunch at the parks, then back to our rooms for 2 or 3 hours nap. We'd be out until 9 or 10pm, then to bed in time to be up early the next day. We'll probably do it the same way this year, too

 

[candielips]

We do all our ADRs as lunches. Immediately after lunch, we return to the hotel, nap, and then do a CS dinner at the MK. (We go back there every night.) I know my kidlets tend to do better at a sit-down lunch instead of dinner, but it really depends on your routine and what your kids are used to. Hope it's a great trip!!

I LOVE this idea!
And I cannot believe that I never thought of it. Thankfully it isn't time for me to make my ADR's for our fall trip because I am def going to put some lunches in there!

 

[tzolkin]

Even though my youngest was not taking naps when we took our last two trips (he was 2 and just under 3), we nap almost every day at Disney.

We do an am EMH park until about 11:30, head back to the room, shut off the lights, and we usually ALL fall asleep for a few hours. Last trip my older kids were 10.5 and 5 and they napped at Disney. The naps were part of the reason DH agreed to another trip.


I would try it even if the child doesn't nap at home. It was well worth it for us, since we've never had a Disney meltdown (child or adult )