Need advice- Break or no break?

[JillShari]

The first time we went to Disney 4 years ago with one child who was almost 4, we tried a no nap first day at Hollywood Studios. He hadn't napped at home in almost 2 years, so we didn't think we needed a break. What a huge PITA and huge meltdown!!! It was horrible and stressful. So, we learned.

This year in March we took both our kids, now 8 and 4 and planned to be there close to rope drop and go back to recharge. I made lunch reservations, so before we left the park we sat down, ate and then maybe picked one other thing on our way out. My oldest didn't nap but he rested. DH and I took naps...and the little guy did twice. Otherwise, we hit the pool which turned into one of their fondest memories of our trip!

The days the little one napped, we went back to the parks and that was AWESOME. The nights he didn't we had a early normal bedtime. (refreshed us too!) I didn't make dinner reservations because I didn't know how our timing would work out. But, next time I would probably try to get a few and plan them for a time where you know nap is over and it would still be reasonable if there wasn't a nap.

Basically.... you have to know your kids. You have to do what you think is best for your family. And honestly... there are always screaming or crying or some ones kid having a meltdown... I just knew that it would help us enjoy our trip, if we weren't that parent!

 

[LONES]

Another alternative we use quite a bit is making our largest meal of the day at mid-day. We usually do one sit-down meal a day and sometimes it's nice to take a break around 1:00, get into the air-conditioning, and have a relaxing meal. Might even be out of the park at a nearby resort. But just having that time to sit and slow down would be enough to have us ready to go again. You're also out of the heat at the worst part of the day!

We've never traveled in the summer heat, but we also use this method. We normally travel with my parents, and they also like a mid-day break in a restaurant. Then, we often all go back to the hotel around dinner time, and that's when the kids swim, and we just get a late dinner in the food court. Sometimes DH and I would go back to the parks ourselves later in the evening, but this last trip we never even did that!

I've always worked full time, so everything I need to do has always been packed into evenings and weekends. Our family wouldn't know a schedule if it bit us in the behind... everything in our lives is constant chaos. My kids have been raised that life just kind of has to happen wherever you happen to be. That might mean napping in a carseat under a tree during a graduation party, or in a stroller sitting by the little ice cream cart with Grandma and Grandpa while Mom and Dad ride Expedition Everest. This has always worked for us... but I can see where if your kids are used to having a scheduled naptime in a quiet place, this approach would not work at all.

 

[KristenFNJ]

We have been going to WDW since DS1 (now 12) was 1, and have had all three boys there as babies on up...

For us, we have never taken breaks. When the first 2 (2 yrs apart) were small we always traveled with our double-stroller, and they would fall asleep whenever they were tired and just nap in the stroller. (Which was actually pretty awesome-we'd get to ride the big rides while they slept!). Same with #3 (5 years later), with his single. They were very comfortable in our own strollers, with soft padding and adjustable reclines and shades... probably more so than they would've been in the rentals at that age, so that probably makes a difference. (FWIW, our kids are notoriously bad sleepers until well into elementary school, so it's not a matter of them being good sleepers at all!)

We stay off-property and drive & park. The time and energy to go back and forth just aren't worth it. But I have heard of people taking longer to wait for a bus and travel back to their Disney resort than it takes us to get to our car and drive home! For us, for the investment in the tickets, and how much we love doing all of our favorite things in the parks and don't want to lose that time to travel back and forth, the pros outweigh the cons for staying in the parks. Magic Kingdom especially, there is SO much that is spot-on for 5 year olds, with only one day in the park I just can't imagine giving up 25% or more of that time.

Of course this doesn't work for everyone! But it is an option, if you're not sure about the cons of leaving the parks and want to see how it goes, it could work out better than you think. You can go in with the intention of trying to stay through the day but keep the back-up plan in the back of your head to get out of dodge if the kids just can't handle it. At least then you'll know you got the most out of your time and won't be left wondering if they would've been fine and wouldn't have had to miss out on park time...

 

[MamaBear58]

Last time we went, it was in August, and it was 5 days in the parks, the kids were 4.5 and 1.5 and I was pregnant. We went back to the hotel for "naps" twice. It was a huge waste of time. They were way too excited to sleep or rest... it was only stressful. It was way to hot to go to the pool, so we didn't want to do that either. I think it easily wastes 2 hours of time to go back to the room. The rest of the days, we just did stuff until the kids got tired (or it rained) and then when that happened, we found a sheltered or even air conditioned place, and just sat and rested for a while.

This is our plan. Granted, we are going in November, so it won't be as hot. But obviously my 2nd grader doesn't nap, and my daughter, who will be 4 and a half in November, doesn't nap for us on the weekends. So the idea that they will go for planned down time while in WDW is a joke!! We will just play it by ear...things like the train ride or Hall of Presidents after lunch to take a break. Or if we are wiped we'll just go back to the pool. But I can't see us returning to the park, except maybe MK or EPCOT. HS closes at 4 the day we are going...AK closes at 5 the day we are going.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We always go the last week of August. MId day breaks are a MUST. The heat is crazy around 12-3.

For MK we leave by 1 pm unless we have a lunch ADR.

Epcot we leave around 1-2.

AK we leave around 1-2 when we are done and call it a day at that park.

DHS we leave around 2 and go to another park in the PM or just stay at the pool.

My KIDS love swimming as much as the parks, if not more so it's a plus plus for us.

 

[monorailsilver]

Summer=be at the park at rope drop! well before! have lunch and then leave and go back 'home' and nap and then return at dinner time til closing and repeat the next day. For us we try not to do more then 2 days in a row.

All my kids napped-my dd was 12 last August and she napped, my ds was 9 and my dd was 7, yep napped. It made everyone more tolerable of each other! My sister went with her 2 dds who were 21 and 15 and the 15 yo was so cranky because she was tired. They didn't go as long as us so they didn't have a non park day.

 

[pigletgirl]

Play it by ear. Once you get to the point where someone would rather be in the pool than the park, it's your cue.

For us, that means a break every afternoon. And my youngest child is 11.

Yep, you know your children best. Nothing like an overheated child. If you don't go back to your room, make sure you take time to be in air conditioning and that everyone has plenty of fluids.

 

[jd019]

Ok so rope drop it is as well as a midday break. If a park opens at 9am and we get to the park at 8:45am is that early enough? I don't want to have to entertain my little ones outside the gates before the park opens for too long. You all are so helpful!

 

[jen3b]

Absolutely, without a doubt take a break.

 

[PennockFive]

Ok so rope drop it is as well as a midday break. If a park opens at 9am and we get to the park at 8:45am is that early enough? I don't want to have to entertain my little ones outside the gates before the park opens for too long. You all are so helpful!

I'm curious about this as well. How early should you get to a park for rope drop? Does MK require getting there earlier than rd at a different park. If we are going to a park for emh do they go through the same opening??

 

[kohlby]

I'm going to go against the grain here and say it depends on your kids - that there are some families that a break won't work for. If your kids will nap, then I would definitely do the break. When my kids were that age, there was no way a nap was happening - in or out of the park. One of my kids doesn't do well if she doesn't get enough sleep, so it meant early nights. The heat is an issue - so if you have nappers, go back. But if you have a child who needs to be asleep at night very early, then it can be worth it to not leave.