Stroller naps or back to the hotel?

[DSNY4ever]

I guess this is just a matter of choice and I know all kids are different, but what seems to work best for everyone- Do you allow your toddlers to just fall asleep in the stroller, or do you go back to the hotel for a real nap? And how long do your kids usually last before they conk out?

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

I will share the problem we always have with this. DD starts getting tired so we decide to leave the parks and go back and take a nap. Somewhere between where ever we are in the park when we decide this and the bus stop...DD will fall asleep in her stroller. We have to get her out of the stroller to fold up the stroller to go on the bus...she kinda wakes up and then is in a half awake/half asleep state for the bus ride. We get to the hotel and put her back in the stroller to get up to the room. By the time we are in our room...she wakes up completely and refuses to finish her nap! Happens daily without fail. We usually bring her swimming to tire her back out and then try to put her back down for a nap.

 

[myAAbatteries&aTD]

We just let ours nap in the stroller..... they're getting a little older now, so that may change and we may need to head back for a break. They'll conk out, my dh will watch them and I get to ride bigger rides that they can't go on....

 

[dizneyluv]

on the first two trips he was 2 then 3. We brought his stroller from home and every single day at the same time he fell asleep in the stroller for 2 hours. It was convenient. We had planned to break at the hotel but I was not about to wake him up from the stroller to go back.

Now that he is 4 on this trip in June I really don't think he will be that easy!

Just wing it and see what happens. Definitely get the naps in so there is no meltdown but I wouldn't disturb them if they fall asleep in the stroller!

 

[tinkandpan]

We have the same problem as the first poster mentioned. Kids get tired, we try and go back and they fall asleep en route ruining any semblance of a nap. Two trips ago, I tried to come back to the room for naps and my daughter wouldn't give in (and she is a great napper) so I felt like we wasted a ton of time. This past time I went back to my original plan and let her (like i used to do for my son) nap int he stroller while I sat in the shade and had a snack etc....

 

[Andreas Mom]

We just got back yesterday and really by the time you get on the bus and get home....they are awake. We had either lunch or an ice cream break while our daughter napped. With a sleeping kid in the stroller it almost is like having a date lunch or dinner since they are there but not really cause they are sleeping

 

[jenjersnap]

My family thrives on the nap and downtime back at the hotel. I like the naps as much as they do! LOL

We drive so we don't have to wait for a bus and we are careful to head back to the hotel by 12:30 at the latest. We've got it down to a science now.

 

[staci]

Last trip, ds (23 mo) slept well in the stroller. I had intended to go back to the resort for naptime, but he seemed fine in the stroller. What we found worked well for us was to do 'kid' stuff in the am when he was awake, eat lunch, and let him drift off to sleep. Then the adults could do a couple more adventurous rides, taking turns staying with the baby, and then when ds was about to wake up, we would head back towards the buses. Then we would go relax at the resort for an hour or so, let him play in the air conditioning, waterplaygrounds, etc, and then we would head back out for dinner and the evening in the parks. Worked well with one kid, I have no idea what we will decide to do with two I guess time will tell!

 

[thunderbird1]

I vote stroller nap, every time. But my ds would never take a nap in a quiet bedroom--it always had to be on the couch in the middle of the living room with all the activity. My nephew was the opposite--couldn't settle down and take a nap unless he was in a quiet room, no matter how tired he was.

Mind you, we still sometimes take the afternoon break at the hotel, but that's for swimming or other downtime, and ds takes a nap before or after on the bus or in the stroller. Pretty much whenever he falls asleep we let him nap.

 

[Dallas_Lady]

on the first two trips he was 2 then 3. We brought his stroller from home and every single day at the same time he fell asleep in the stroller for 2 hours. It was convenient. We had planned to break at the hotel but I was not about to wake him up from the stroller to go back.

Ditto (except our DD was 12mo.) We used the time to ride-swap the things she couldn't get on.

 

[hannah03]

Last year my DD slept in her stroller but we didn't stay on site. This year wear are staying on-site and considering the nap thing.

 

[nemomama]

We never head back to the hotel for naps, it always seemed like a waste of time to me. But both of our kids are great stroller nappers...we just recline the stroller after lunch, make sure the stroller fan is on and the sunshade is pulled down and they are good for at least 2 hours. We do some of the more adult rides, or just relax and take a more leasurely pace and when they wake up fresh and ready to go we are already at the parks! I know a lot of people prefer the "mid-day break" but we always throw schedules out the window when we are on vacation (within reason ). Our kids never have a problem getting back on track when we get home.

 

[disney_family_1247]

At this point, we've been with 7 week olds to 7 year olds . We have NEVER gone back to the hotel for a nap. I know that lots of people swear by them, but to us it seems like a waste of time. We are not early risers, so we don't even get to the parks before 11am. By the time we walked to the entrance, rode the bus to the hotel, got to the room, took the nap, and did it all again in reverse, the park would be closed! Our little babies napped in the sling or stroller. The toddlers were fine in the stroller. The get a good 1-2 hour nap that way. Depending on the park, we use the time to wander around a shop, get a snack, or relax on a bench and have some grownup conversation.

 

[MinnieMe2DW]

I'm enjoying reading the responses. My son will be nearly 3 and NEEDS his nap still, we're talking major meltdowns without his beauty sleep. I HOPE he sleeps in the stroller, would be easier, but I can totally see him doing what others are saying, having that 15 min cat nap in the car and then nothin.. sigh, I guess we're just giong to play it by ear. But *I* am all about a nap in the afternoon for me ! zzzzzzzzz

 

[kim_o]

I guess this is just a matter of choice and I know all kids are different, but what seems to work best for everyone- Do you allow your toddlers to just fall asleep in the stroller, or do you go back to the hotel for a real nap? And how long do your kids usually last before they conk out?

Last June DS1 was 21 months old, so I was planning on going back for naps. But, he would just fall asleep in the stroller between 12 and 1 pm. Seemed counterproductive to go back to the hotel then. So we let him nap in his stroller. He'd usually stay asleep for 2 hours.

I plan on doing the same thing this year. However, the key is to remain flexible. I have no idea if DS2 will sleep in the stroller (gut feeling tells me not without a fight, but I'm hoping he will). I think you should encourage stroller naps, and if that doesn't happen, then go back to the hotel.

 

[rt2dz]

Well, since my three kids don't all nap at the same time and when we've tried to go back to the hotel for breaks (not necessarily naps) we've had our only melt downs at WDW, we definitely just let things happen in the parks. I find that leaving is much more problematic (even with our own car or staying on a direct route via monorail/boat/walking); we’ve given up on thinking that leaving the parks is the best for everyone.

I find a stroller nap, even if it is shorter, and taking an in-park break works best for us. In-park breaks include a monorail/train ride, a sit down meal, a long air conditioned show, a park switch, window shopping, etc. We also never wake the kids up to get to the parks early and we leave when they deem it necessary.

Plus, they never have the same schedule on vacation as they do at home. My oldest gave up napping at home four years ago, but still does nap at WDW. The baby sees getting out of the stroller as time to be energized. My middle one NEEDS his nap and I don’t see that ending soon, but will cut it short if he’s interrupted (transportation, etc) and that’s worse than no nap. Life’s short. Go with the flow on vacation (for us) and things always fall back into place within 24 hours once home. Of course, my kids will sleep on a fence post if tired.

 

[designermv]

In October we took our daughter who was almost 3 and stayed at the WL. Because it was so close and it was easy to hop on the boat and head back, we usually napped in the room. However, a few days in, we discovered that she would take very good naps in the stroller, so we got a little more daring and stayed out in the parks a few times. The best was the day in Epcot when she napped for 3+ hours during Food and Wine Fest, and we got to walk around sampling beverages all afternoon while she peacefully snoozed.

We took an umbrella stroller (Maclaren Techno) with an almost-full recline and a full-canopy, so it was very comfy for her. I think that helped.

 

[becca011906]

I'm very suprized by this thread... i've seen it recomended SO SO SO many times on the boards... "go back to the room for a nap..." over and over. We have never ever doen this not once we we have went with a almost 4 year old and a 18 month old, then with a 5, 3, 13 month old, then last year with the kids being 6,4,2. they ahve always napped in the stroller. Again we feel like it's a big waste of park time AND we do the down time in the parks... long rides, AC shows, sit down meals are all kinda like mini breaks from the parks w/o leaving the parks.

 

[DebRMN]

I have only stayed off site previously so just naps in the stroller/park.
We are staying onsite this year, but at ASMu, & I doubt I will go back for naps. My twins, most likely, will take short naps in the stroller (they don't nap at home).
My little one will too.
My kids have NEVER transferred well, so I would never attempt to leave the park when they seemed tired. I know it wouln't work to my advantage.

I think what I might try this yearat MK .....see how it goes anyway is when my little one seems tired, hop on the train & take a few trips around the park. With any luck, maybe all 3 will sleep at the same time!
If it doesn't work, we'll continue with the stroller & hang out or switch off at an adult ride

 

[Grendalynn]

Subscribing to this thread for sure. DH and I have had this conversation many times!! Still on the fence about what to do - as a child my parents were always big on leaving the parks for a nap/swim break! But DH comes from a comando type family... Haven't read all the posts yet, but i am interested to see the responces...