Tips for adjusting to time change

[PrincessX]

Disney vacation coming up and I'm worried about DS-18 months adjusting to time change. Were in CA and so there is a 3 hr time difference. Any parents dealt with this issue successfully or unsuccessfully and have some tips for me?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Lupeix]

I am going from WA, and I am not scheduling anything in the morning for the first two days. You will have a hard time getting up too. Take advantage of it and plan to see the fireworks, which once your kid adjusts you may have to skip

 

[jacknsally19]

So I have travelled through time changes/coasts a couple of times with my dd during her first few years of life and was very nervous about it initially. She has always adapted immediately to the time change. I was the one struggling not her. I wouldn't worry about it at all. Maybe the first morning don't plan an early morning reservation but other than that I think it will be ok.

 

[msmama]

I've gone the other way with my son a few times and he's never really had problems. With a child that naps still (as I assume your 18 month old does) it's even a little easier. Try to keep them up a little bit longer at nap time and in the evening and it shouldn't take long for them to adjust.

And like a pp said, take advantage of it and do the nighttime shows!

WDW is also so exhausting that I'd think it'd make it even easier to adjust!

 

[tripletsmama]

We went the opposite direction when DS was 18 months. We came from New York to Disneyland. DS gets up around 7:30 at home. At Disneyland, he was still up at 4:30! Then, by the times the parks opened around 9, he was ready for a nap. We stayed 4 nights and by our last day he was getting up around 6 instead of 4:30. On those super early mornings we went to breakfast as soon as it opened at 7 and then let DS play around the resort. Then, when he was ready for his nap at 9, we put him in the stroller, went to the parks, and he fell asleep. He was also content to sleep in his baby carrier which I wore, so that worked too. We also found he wanted dinner around 3. So, we would feed him, let him fall asleep in the stroller around 6 (felt like 9pm to him), and go to a peaceful sit down dinner. It was an exhausting several days, but still fun!

 

[chris31997]

In all of our traveling, the kids seem to handle time change the easiest while the adults had the hardest time.

With that said, we tried to always stick with the same time schedule.

Get up at 7ish
Breakfast at 8ish
Lunch at 12ish
Dinner at 6ish
Bed at 8 or 9ish(depending on age of kiddo and the adults )

And naps as needed for the adults.

 

[Alesia]

The easiest way is just to adapt immediately - don't try to ease into it. If your plane lands at noon, don't even think about what time it is back home, just start doing the things that you would normally do at noon.