Staying up "late"

[jennk1425]

This will be my DS 3rd trip to WDW. He is now just over 2 and I'd love for him to see some of the World at night. Previously, we were asleep by 7 after a big long day. (He naps in his stroller during lunch. The A/C put him right out.)

So, what are your tips for avoiding cranky-time and keeping the toddler up a bit later to see some of the nighttime stuff? Should we head all the way back to CBR before he gets sleepy and make him nap in the room? I'm just worried that I will lose my momentum if we go back to the hotel mid day.

Thanks for some tips, ya'll.

 

[Jenn4615]

Subbing. Same situation.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I would wait for "night at WDW" getting him to bed on time will make a better trip for EVERYONE. If he happens to get a good nap one day and you want to try a later nap great, but I would try to stick to his routine as much as possible.

At two DS would pass out at his bed time no matter where we were. DGS (3) is a little better but is a bear the next day if we keep him up late!

 

[pnutallergymom]

We try to head back to the room and have an afternoon nap for a few hours. Then head out to the park at night. If we do a late night, we always make sure we have a "sleep in" the next morning and try to do a pool day or absolutely make sure it is an early evening and get the kids to bed a really decent hour so they are recharged!!

Have fun!!!

 

[gisgt]

I think my kids at 2 & 4 are a little more night-owl in general (they rarely go to bed before 9) but we've had success just letting them sleep in their strollers. We always stay to the end of EMH and they usually sleep for an hour or two, then are ready for more fun. While they sleep the adults take turns on big rides. They fall back asleep on the ride to the hotel & stay sleeping until the next morning! I can't imagine taking a mid-day break, I *know* I'd never get my butt back in gear.

 

[annod_89]

We take a mid-day break. I was like you and originally didn't like the idea, but it worked out great. Last year my son was 7 mos. and my niece was 2. Giving them the break and a good nap kept them happy and going until later in the evening.

 

[ilovejack02]

First trip was when DS was 4. We headed back to room everyday after lunch and napped for a few hours, we were always ready to go back after getting up and having dinner. Worked just fine for us.

 

[JUJU814]

My kids are 6 and 8 now and for the last two years, and just a couple weeks ago with dd6, we have ONE late night per trip..with nothing planned for early the next morning.

I know everyone's different, but my kids cannot handle being up late. The one late night is a blast and usually the night we do the fireworks and parade. We might have another evening where we're at downtown disney till 8 or 9...at the latest, but it's dark and they get to see the "action".

Just got back a week and a half ago from 10 nights..and 8 of those nights we were in our room by 8. We had dvd player in our room and could get videos from the concierge desk, so dd and I had a "slumber party" each night watching Disney movies.

 

[SFD998]

Previously, we were asleep by 7 after a big long day. QUOTE]

Bed time for my 2 boys (DS 7 & DS 4) is as close to 8 as we can keep it. Only recently did we start deviating from this time while we are in Disney. We would always get an early start and make sure we were back to the room so they could go down by their normal bed time. We didn't want to break them from their routine for a week and then suffer the consequences when we got back home. However, as DS 7 has gotten older we have stretched that time out and it hasn't hurt DS 4 too much probably because he is more of a night owl than his brother. This past October we took them to MNSSHP for the first time. We wanted to get as much out of it as we could, because it isn't cheap. We planned the day accordingly and headed back to the room after lunch so everyone could take a nap. They weren't too happy with this, but they eventually fell asleep. We workd it out to get about 3 hours. We got up for dinner and then headed in to the park for the party. It worked perfectly. Both boys stayed up until midnight. We also planned for a slightly later start the next morning. It worked so well that we went back to MNSSHP again. We planned the day the same way and again they made it until midnight.

We will be there in June and I know that we plan to take a break during the afternoon to avoid the heat and will head back to the parks after dinner.

 

[monorailsilver]

I have gone 3 times with kids & i can honestly tell you I didn't have crabby, cranky, crying kids...thank goodness!!!

We wake early & do the early entry park of the day. We eat breakfast in our room which saves a bunch of time so dh & I can shower while the kids eat, we dress them & out the door we are for 7:15 give or take.

We leave at lunch time, right after lunch usually & are back to our room no later then 1pm. We all have naps (OK all but me since I do the laundry during nap time). Even my then 7 year old napped if you can believe that.

We head back to the park all showered & cleaned at about 5 & stay til closing.

My kids are refreshed & clean & napped in a comfortable bed vs a stroller. I know I couldn't nap in a stroller or a chair for a few hours so why would I let my kids, but that is me.

Oh & my kids ages for each trip were-
15 months
4 1/2 & 22 months & 8 weeks gestation, LOL!
7 1/2, almost 5 & 2 1/2

 

[ancestry]

Honestly with my kids I didn't try doing the nighttime stuff until they were over six years old (actually 2 months shy of 7) and even then looking back I have to say it wasn't the greatest idea. Napping during the day sometimes helps but not always.

 

[mickeymaker2003]

We're odd. My daughter has been at 18 months and 2 1/2 years old. We open the parks and shut them down (without going back to the room). Granted, it was during September, so park hours were shorter. She napped in her stroller and was happy as a clam all 10 days of each trip. We did have a sit down meal most days (I love free dining). As other parents were carting around their sleeping 5 year olds, my DD was happily chatting and people watching on the ride back to the room at night. She did fall asleep at exactly midnight in the stroller the night we did MNSSHP.

I don't know what it is, but she is a born commando I guess. That works out okay for us We would have taken her back to the room to sleep, but she didn't seem to need it. Her stroller fully reclines (Techno XT), we dug her lovey out of the backpack and told her it was nap time. She would fall asleep rather quickly and take at least a 1-2 hour nap. We had a stroller fan and ventilated the back so she would stay cool.

Last trip, she wanted to hop to MK every night to ride Tea Cups, Peter Pan's Flight, and Dumbo. If you are on the last rides of Dumbo for the night, you can watch the fireworks from the ride depending upon closing time.

 

[CherylA]

I have gone 3 times with kids & i can honestly tell you I didn't have crabby, cranky, crying kids...thank goodness!!!

We wake early & do the early entry park of the day. We eat breakfast in our room which saves a bunch of time so dh & I can shower while the kids eat, we dress them & out the door we are for 7:15 give or take.

We leave at lunch time, right after lunch usually & are back to our room no later then 1pm. We all have naps (OK all but me since I do the laundry during nap time). Even my then 7 year old napped if you can believe that.

We head back to the park all showered & cleaned at about 5 & stay til closing.

My kids are refreshed & clean & napped in a comfortable bed vs a stroller. I know I couldn't nap in a stroller or a chair for a few hours so why would I let my kids, but that is me.

Oh & my kids ages for each trip were-
15 months
4 1/2 & 22 months & 8 weeks gestation, LOL!
7 1/2, almost 5 & 2 1/2

Ditto and it's always worked perfectly. Now that my youngest in 5 she's not so much for a nap anymore so I'm not sure what to do!

 

[StuckInKS]

We did evening EMH every chance we had on our last trip (closings were between 10-12 I believe,) but we are not park openers. We never got to the parks before 1pm and we got to Epcot on our last day at 4pm. My kids are night owls. Even I was a night owl as a child and I have always been that way. My dad says he would come home from work at midnight and I'd be standing up, rocking from side-to-side in my crib. My mom would give me a bed time of 8-10 (depending on age) and it took me FOREVER to go to sleep. My kids are the same. This next trip will be later in the summer and EMH (esp at MK) will be later. I plan to stay as long as the kids want. We have a double stoller, which the youngest two may nap in, and if my oldest kids tell me their tired, we will head back. I plan to let everyone sleep in and we will get going whenever we get going. I am due with #5 at the end of July/early Aug, so going later in the evening when it is not as hot will be best for me. I do want to do a CP pre-rope drop breakfast, but we will do that the morning after an early night at AK or something and then go back to the resort for a mid-day break.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

We took super late naps! DS2 hung like a champ our entire trip. We ran crazy hours, but we were consistant with those hours the entire trip. Some nights DS would nap until 6-7p and then we'd head back into the parks. DS didn't take but 2-3 days to return to normal once we got back. It was worth it to us.