Time Change Tips?

[disneydreaming80]

Disney World is 3 hours ahead of us. We are taking a red eye flight and land at 9:45 in the morning Florida time. I am not so concerned with my older son adjusting. However, I am concerned with our 3 year old as she is much more scheduled, etc. Any tips on how to help make the time change easier on her? This is her first airplane ride too so lots of big changes for her this trip! Thanks in advance for any help with this!

 

[jec6613]

Sleep on the plane, and also adjust your times beforehand. Start moving the 3 year old's sleep schedule (and yours, and your son's) to three hours ahead, doing it 15-30 minutes at a time per day, in the days leading up to it, and ensure that you and they can sleep on the plane - for the grown-ups usually a stiff drink or Benadryl will do the trick, but you'll know best for your kids.

Red-eyes are brutal no matter what way you do it, I have a personal policy against flying on a redeye on coach, and even in Club on BA I'm usually pretty miserable the first day.

 

[minnie mum]

As well as trying to partially reprogram your internal clock before you leave, just realize that you will all feel tired for a couple of days. If your child still naps, continue to do so, but don't let her sleep too long or she wont want to go to sleep at bedtime ( which will seem early to her).

The only good thing about flying the redeye east is that you'll be so tired that first night that going to sleep will be easy.

 

[disneydreaming80]

As well as trying to partially reprogram your internal clock before you leave, just realize that you will all feel tired for a couple of days. If your child still naps, continue to do so, but don't let her sleep too long or she wont want to go to sleep at bedtime ( which will seem early to her).

The only good thing about flying the redeye east is that you'll be so tired that first night that going to sleep will be easy.

That was my hope in booking a red eye, haha! Thank you!

 

[cattywampus]

We went the EXACT opposite coming from the West Coast and stayed on California time last Nov. We didn't even attempt rope drop (horrors of horrors). Who wants to be at a theme park at 4:00 am? It would have been a struggle, not worthy of the word vacation. Once I decided to buck the system, planning fell right into place.

We closed down the parks every night, using EMH, MVMCP, and any late night options. Midnight was 9:00 pm to 6 year old -- very doable. We loved the parks after dark, ride lines were non existent (for the most part) the last hour or so and all the time during MVMCP) and we saw all of the nighttime entertainment without worrying that it was too late for child.

Returning to the west coast and school was a breeze, since we never adjusted for time change.