Tips for West Coast people on how to deal with East Coast time

[anneofgreengables]

The West Coast is three hours behind Florida time. So a 9 a.m. park opening is really 6 a.m. in the West Coast, which means you have to get up 4:30 a.m. Pacific time to make it to park opening. Hard to do with two little kids. What did you do?

 

[mnasf]

The West Coast is three hours behind Florida time. So a 9 a.m. park opening is really 6 a.m. in the West Coast, which means you have to get up 4:30 a.m. Pacific time to make it to park opening. Hard to do with two little kids. What did you do?

Honestly, we make our stays a little longer because it does take awhile to adjust. We've done the trip with flying during the daytime and it seems like you're on the plane all day. WE had a lap child, too. Then in November (daughter still on lap) we tried a red-eye out of San Francisco. It was nice because it was non-stop. It did seem to kill us on the firtst day. We just tried to take it easy. We took a nap, and the kids who didn't want to colored, watched TV, etc. I try to have my kids tired before the trip so they sleep on the plane. They are fussy at first on the plane, but the non-stop makes is so much faster to get there and get it over with. I have 3 kids. I'd plan on taking it easier the first day or two. We still get to the parks before opening, but we couldn't last all day. We don't usually go back for naps, but we had to the first day or two. Getting the kids to bed FL time is best at first. I think it helps them adjust. When I didnt' have school aged children, I would slowly move them to that time zone before we left. Maybe we'd never make it the full 3 hours, but we just got up earlier each day, etc. It's hard, but it does help.

 

[rgf207]

From someone who travels ALOT (and I do mean a lot) I have had a lot of experience with time differences.

The best thing to do is to drink a lot of water, not soda or anything else just water. and as soon as you get to your destination get on that destination time. Make yourself stay up until your normal bed time. If your bed time on the west coast is 10 pm, stay up until 10 pm on east coast time. This will most likey help you adjust better. get up at normal time too. It usually only takes me a day to adjust.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

We just let our kids run on their own schedule when waking up in the morning, then we adjust their bedtime based on when they get up.

I personally have a really hard time w/any red eye flights. It seems so convenient to fly during the night and have an extra day of vacation...but I don't sleep well on planes and always end up feeling sick for the first two or three days in Orlando. Plus it doesn't help when you are dead-tired and can't access your hotel room until 3-4pm.

 

[LiteBrite]

Based on my west-to-east travels from the States to Europe, I agree with rgf207 - make yourself stay awake on arrival day until bedtime. When I've done that, I wake up the next morning feeling perfectly normal.

On your way back home, try not to sleep on the plane, and again, stay awake until your normal bedtime.

 

[anneofgreengables]

Well, our arrival time is 8:20 p.m. (which is really 5:20 p.m. West Coast time). So if I try to put my kids to bed early so they can wake up early the next morning, that means if I put them to bed by 10 p.m., it'll really be 7 p.m. West Coast time. So they will have a hard time falling asleep when their regular bedtime is 8:30 p.m. I just hope they go to sleep right away that first night so they can wake up the next morning at 7 or 4 a.m. West Coast time.

 

[MouseWorshipin]

You might try waking them an hour earlier each day for three days before you leave. That way, there won't be an adjustment for them (or you!)

 

[anneofgreengables]

You might try waking them an hour earlier each day for three days before you leave. That way, there won't be an adjustment for them (or you!)

Good idea. And put them to bed an hour earlier each day.