Parents who have taken toddlers

[JodyLynC]

My girls will be almost 3 when we go. I wanted to see what kind of daily schedules parents with toddlers use. For example, when do you try to take naps. Do you go back to the hotel or let them catnap in their strollers? When you do go back to your hotel, do you stay there for the rest of the afternoon or go back to the parks? Do you stick to your meal schedule from home or extend the time in between meals and snack more often?

Any extra tips would be very welcome.

Thank you. :thewave:

 

[2dogmom]

When I went when my DD was 2.5yo, she napped in the stroller. When we tried the very first day to get her to nap at the resort, she wouldn't fall asleep. As soon as we decided to go back to the parks, then she fell asleep before even getting to the bus stop. LOL So every day she would nap about 2 hours in the stroller. With my other DD, when she was 17mo, she would nap in the room and my 4yo with go swimming with dad. So each child is different.

As for eating, we just went with eating when hungry, snacking when hungry, and just going with the flow. Just remember not to push and try to read your kids and you will do fine.

 

[EthansMom]

I just went with my DS3.5 and DD13 mos. We mostly did the be at the park at opening and stop in the afternoon for a nap/swim break and then back to the park either just after dinner or in time to eat dinner at the park. I made PS's for us pretty much every day right at 12:30 p.m. and we would leave the park after eating lunch. It worked very well with a toddler and young child. Since my little guy doesn't usually nap at home, DH and DS would go swim while DD napped in the hotel room.

My son never would nap in his stroller and although my daughter did drop off in her stroller, she never seemed to get enough rest.

 

[JeanJoe]

My girls will be almost 3 when we go. I wanted to see what kind of daily schedules parents with toddlers use. For example, when do you try to take naps. Do you go back to the hotel or let them catnap in their strollers? When you do go back to your hotel, do you stay there for the rest of the afternoon or go back to the parks? Do you stick to your meal schedule from home or extend the time in between meals and snack more often?

We just went with our almost 3yo (and 10mo). Because the kids usually get up very early, our strategy was to be at the park of the day at opening, and do rides before they got busy. By late morning, the crowds would be getting big enough and DD2.5 would be starting to get hungry / cranky, we would head back to the resort and grab a bite to eat.

We were lucky to stay on site at the Wilderness Lodge, where they had daily Arts+Crafts at ~1:30, so she would always want to do that (the high point of her day, I think, even better than the parks!), and then would take a nap. After nap would either be swimming at the resort pool, or rarely, heading back out to a park. I think for my DD2.5, park in the morning AND evening was a bit much for her, so we usually didn't do that. Also, our DD2.5 was not able to sleep in the stroller at the parks; just too much excitement going on, I guess.

Meal schedules really got a bit messed up.

Tried to keep bedtime routine as close to as home as possible. I think the "routine" of daily arts+crafts before nap and bedtime ritual made it easier for her, a little less disruptive.

Lots of this is probably specific to my two little beasts -- as they say, "your daughter may vary!" Good luck, and I hope you have as wonderful a time as we did!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

My ds's first trip was right before his third birthday. We went in the summer. We got to the park at the opening (getting up early wasn't hard for my kids) and we stayed til about 12 or 1. After lunch the kids swam and then napped. We were then able to go to dinner and watch the nighttime parades/fireworks etc. without a problem. Sometimes they even swam at night. I was really worried about messing up ds's schedule and couldn't imagine what was going to happen with him sleeping in the same room as us and his sisters. He was a trooper. I think he was so worn out at night Mickey could have been in our room at night and he still would have slept! The best part of his being so young was that he had no expectations and was so happy with everything. He thought the monorail was a ride, loved the ferry and his first bus ride was a Disney bus.

 

[crisi]

I'd like to preface this by saying each kid is different. Some will take stroller naps, some will take naps in the hotel room, some can plug through the day without a nap.

Our first trip was when our kids were 2 1/2 and 3 1/2. The first day we followed everyone's advice. Got up early. Enjoyed the parks. Went back to the resort for a nap. Disaster. They wouldn't sleep, they were far too pumped. We had two hours of "DON'T JUMP ON THE BED! LIE DOWN AND TRY TO SLEEP!"

We didn't have great luck that trip with stroller naps, but my kids would fall asleep nearly instantly on any moving vehicle. So we took hour long naps on buses, the MK train, monorails, boats. Each parent holding a child while they napped. An hour gave them enough nap to get through until about 6:00pm, and we'd head back to the resort where they were asleep by 8pm.

 

[pbharris4]

Ok, well I try to stick to my DD's schedule as close as possible. It works for her and us as well. When she's happy we all are! I learned from my 1st DD to schedule around her. Last year she was 13 months and this year she will just turn 2. ANd her schedule is still basically the same. We don't go to a park every day we are there. (We're DVC members and plan on going for many years). DD is not much of a Car sleeper (but she will, just not as long) and rarely sleeps in her stroller. But park days, we wing it. Usually she'll be a little fussy, but then doze off. If she's real cranky, one of us will take her in a air conditioned store so she's more comfy and browse. Also, we get one of those attachable battery operated fans w/ foam blades to attach to her stroller because it keeps her cool. (Need to try to keep it out of her reach though.) We also spritz her with water mist frequently. IF we are at the resort or nearby, she goes back to the room for a nap.

As far as eating: We eat a lot of sit down meals (just so we can get out of the heat) and occaisionally counter service, too. I try to stick to her schedule there as well. And she'll let us know it if we are late! I will give her a snack and water to push it back a little further but 30 mins to an hour is about all I can get out of that. And the MOST important thing (for us) is to get her to bed no later than 8:45pm and that's pushing it. She usually goes to bed at 8:15pm. SHe's a great sleeper and we want to keep it that way. My older DD has always had sleep issues (she's 9) and just 4 months ago, she FINALLY started sleeping by herself in her own room..so you can understand why we stick to it.

Basically, every child is different, but I really can't stand it (no flaming please) when I see kids screaming, and pitching fits because they have been pushed to their limits. Some kids can stay up late and do fine eating at different times, some can't. You know your child best.

 

[all4fun]

Our first three trips (13-20 months old) our ds surprisingly napped great in the stroller. He would easily get a two hour nap every day in his stroller, so we never bothered making any extra effort to go back to the resort if we didn't feel like it. Our last & fourth trip he was almost two and he didn't do as well in the stroller, only catnapping a few times a day for very short periods. We were staying at the Wilderness lodge and took him back to the resort one day to nap and like some of the pp's mentioned, it backfired, because he refused to nap the entire time we were there. The rest of the trip we just winged it. I would agree with the assessment that every child is different. I hope you find something that works for you.

 

[disneymama73]

Well, my kids are kind of rare and are late sleepers. They also like to stay up late. I, myself, am a night owl, so this works fine for me. For my kids to wake up before 9am is unusual.

Soooo, when we do WDW, we don't wake them up early. If we were to wake them, they would be miserable all day, so we let them get their rest.

I get up early, however and shower, do my hair and makeup, get things ready for the day - usually breakfast in the room (cereal, muffins, etc.), make bottles, organize the backpack, get the girls' clothes for the day out and such. Then when the kids wake up, they basically just have to eat and get dressed. Since we don't wake them up early, however, we usually get into the parks pretty late. This works ok for us though because while lots of people are leaving to swim, have lunch, nap or whatever, we are arriving.

Basically, we follow the kids' leads. They nap in the stroller and the little ones often fall asleep on rides, the bus, monorail, etc. When they're tired, they sleep, when they're hungry, we eat. I try not to make a lot of PS's because of this. We go with the flow. We have been to WDW 7 times with our kids, starting out when our first was 6 mos old, and I will say, we have never gone back to the room to nap. However, we often get back to the room early in the evening, swim and the kids go to sleep. They love to watch the bedtime stories on tv. Usually, that just knocks them right out.

We have stayed out late occasionally for MNSSHP and to see Fantasmic, and all of the kids were just fine. But we made sure on those days that we took it a little bit easier than usual.

My biggest piece of advice would be to go with the understanding that you are NOT going to see everything. That is what we have always done. If you try to see everything, everyone is going to be rushed and cranky.

Things happen. Babies have huge poopy blowouts in their strollers at MGM , and then again at MNSSHP where you have to buy yourself a new shirt for obvious reasons , kids get hungry 2 hours before your PS at Crystal Palace....you get my drift. Just take it slow and enjoy!

 

[Clare D]

Hi
My DS had just turned 2 when we visited last December. Again like most of the mum's have already said we got into the parks early and then just went with the flow. As the parks closed at 6pm we didn't have the dilema of whether to return to the parks so stayed there all day. As long as my DS had snacks such as yoghurt, fruit etc and plenty to drink he was fine until lunch. After then it would be a bum change and settle him in his buggy with his blanket and then he would snooze for about an hour.
This year we visit in OCTOBER and only have 4 days in Orlando before the coast. On the Friday though we are planning to do MK early, leave in the afternoon and return to the AKL to swim and nap and then we are off to LTT for a PS and then MNSSHP. I just hope that DS will sleep before we head out again.
Also take into consideration how long you are there and where you stay. If on site it is sometimes easier to pop back and change, nap etc than off site. If you are at Disney for quite a while have rest days where your little ones can catch up with their sleep so they are refreshed for a day at the park. Also what about taking PJ'S so that you can chage them if you are planning on staying late.
Enjoy

 

[nboicepardee]

I never thought I would bring a toddler to Disney, but I changed my mind and we brought our almost 2 year old in February. She had the greatest time. My best advice (and like others have said, every child is different), is pay attention to your childs cues and attempt to keep to their schedule somewhat. We tried to eat at the same time as we usually do at home. She gets cranky (just like her mom ) when she doesn't eat regularly. We were only there 4 days and did parks 3 of those. We didn't head back to the resort to nap, but brought her big stroller that reclined and she napped in it each day for close to an hour (she doesn't generally nap more than 1 1/2 hours at the longest anyway). We would recline her stroller and tell her it was nap time and she was so exhausted that she would fall asleep. She only had one melt down and that was when we were leaving Mickey's Toontown playground area to head back to our hotel. She didn't want to leave! She was great at meals because they were within an hour of her regular time and we brought snacks and drinks to eat throughout the day. Have a great time! I am sure it is harder with 2 or more kids. We didn't get to do half of we regularly did before we had our daughter, but the things we did we much more meaningful and had so much sentimental value. Watching her run and hug the characters brought tears to her dad's eyes.

 

[nboicepardee]

I forgot to add that when she napped we went on a grownup ride! They have a system where you can switch off when you have small children. Only one would have to stand in line, then the other would get a fast pass to go right on. It was great! We each did one grownup ride each day.

 

[JodyLynC]

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences. DH and I are new at this and don't want to be the parents that drag their tired, cranky kids around so we don't miss anything. We are staying for 6 nights and think that will be a good start.

We are planning on hitting the parks early (as the girls are early risers). We will eat some character breakfasts early, and spend a couple mornings having breakfast in our room. (cereal or PB&J sandwiches, milk, and fruit.)

It really helps to hear that other parents have done this and survived.

 

[SaratogaShan]

I suppose we got lucky and got a commando kind of child since that is the way my husband likes to tour. My DD 3 pitches afit at the mere thought of leaving the park. We are ther from open to close every day of our vacation. She just falls asleep in her stroller when she gets tired. We walk around or just find a bench somewhere to sit while she sleeps ( when she was smaller we just took her on rides while she slept). When she wakes up she is refreshed and ready to go again. That aside, if she had a different temperment and needed to go back to the hotel for breaks, I would not hesitate to do so. You will find out very quickly what works best for your family!

Shan

 

[debbiedoo]

I agree each and every child is different.

When mine was that age--we all slept in till about 8:30/9:00--out to the parks by about 10:30--came back after fireworks. My daugher did not take naps at three--we lucked out.

Not to mention being in the parks they are excited and want to take everything in.


Good Luck!!

 

[pbharris4]

You will all have a great time!

 

[Mickeyorbust]

We went two years ago with our then 1 year old DD and 9 year old DD and her 9 year old friend. We found it easier to take a break from the park just after lunch. Our 1 year old would nap in the room while our 9 year old and her friend did resort activities with DH. We returned to the park the same day once everyone was ready, usually around 3:30 - 4:00. Worked out very well for us, DD1 was rested enough to stay awake for the parades and DD2 & friend did alot of fun things at the resort they probably would not have done if we had stayed at the park all day. We plan to follow the same plan this year. Take into consideration that for some strange reason the parks seem unusually crowded between 11:30 and 4:00 and it gets very hot. Getting a sleepy, grouchy toddler to stand in line during the heat of day is extremely trying.

Hope you have a great trip to Disney!

 

[Aidensmom]

Nap? Nap?! If I tried to leave the park in the afternoon to have my 3-year old go take a nap, that is when there would be trouble! I know most people find it best to take a nap in the afternoon, but you really just need to see what your own child is like. My son would have a fit if we left to take a nap, and would fight taking one so bad he would never fall asleep, so we don't even try. We stay at the park all day, but know that when about 7:30 rolls around he will be exhausted, and we leave to let him go to bed for the night, even though that may mean missing parades or fireworks.

 

[jeast]

This will be our first trip with DS5 and DD2. My kids are early risers so we plan on hitting the parks early, going hard, and head back for a nap/swim. although my DS no longer naps, he is used to having 'quiet time' after preschool when his sister is napping. I am guessing he will either nap or at least rest for an hour or two before we head back to the parks. It should pretty much gibe with their schedules at home and I expect they will be exhausted from going so hard at the parks.

 

[Nora94]

I can NOT believe I did this, or that it worked, but it was not like I imagined.

Our dd was 2 years 8 mos when we went. She normally crashes for nap about 11:45 and sleeps till 2 easily.

The first day at Magic Kingdom, we stayed from open till 11:30 at night. OMG. Still find it hard to believe. She only napped in our arms while waiting for Dumbo (about an hour). We woke her for the ride. She was out seconds after getting into her carseat that night, but she was still loving it right up till the last float in the parade.

The second time we went to Magic Kingdom, we knew we wanted to do the extra magic hours. So, we all took late naps - from 2:30 pm - 5. We had dinner, than went to MK and stayed till - OMG AGAIN - 1:30 in the morning! We weren't home till after 2. Than the next day was our cinderella table at 8:10 a.m. That was a little crabby getting dressed,

We found we didn't want to waste time going back to the hotel for naps. Almost every day we did an open to close at the parks. I really wish we had an extra day for the pool. Even at the water parks she did great. The few naps she took on those days were in our arms while waiting for rides. She did great, really. Not the normal melt downs or anything.

And when we got home she went right back to her normal schedule just fine.

Oh, as far as meals, we did breakfast always, and then played the rest by ear, she did great with that too. We brought a juice box into the parks some days, but she was fine w/o it.

HTH,
Nora