Toddler nap times and making PS arrangments

[Selket]

We're going in august and I'd like to make some PS arrangements. I'm just trying to figure out how to make them around my younger son's nap times (he'll be 19 months). Did you find that your toddlers just slept whenever and got out of their naptime routine or should I try to keep to that schedule? He normally sleeps between 11:30-1:30 or 2:00 - right at lunch! Perhaps I should avoid lunchtime PS and just go for dinner ones and some breakfast ones (though we plan mostly to do breakfast in the room). Is it usually possible to leave the stroller unfolded and out next to the table if he is asleep when we go to eat?

What is the rule for cancelling a PS? Is there a penalty? I can see us having one for dinner, etc. and not able to make it and not know until a few hours before (or right before!)

Thanks!

 

[DisneyPhD]

Hi we are also going in Aug (13 to 22 at OKW) and have the same delemia. We were there in March when DD was 23 months old. Her naps varried greatly, generally there were later then eariler and there was a few nights that we were in the room, waiting for her to get up so we could go out for dinner.

This Aug she will be almost 2 1/2 and I am thinking if she does nap it will be from 2:30 to 5:30, so we are planning on eating later, (but then again who knows.) At home she is often alseep by 12:30, but not when were were at WDW. In my experince PS is not set in stone, unless you do the Princess Breakfest at CRT at MK. If you make PS, and it apears your son is napping and won't be awake in time, call and cancel and see if you can make it later.


Also las March we wanted PS at Canada, they couldn't get us one. We walked up and asked if we could have a table, and was seated with in 5 min.

I would do dinner, or at least an early lunch at 11:00.

Good luck (too us both!) Also the heat in Aug may really whip them (and us) both out and there may end up being more naps take back in the room, instead of int he stroller. Our plan is parks in am, back to hotel for pool, and nap after. But as life is with a tolder, felxablity is neede to make it work.

 

[eek40]

The only place they charge you if you miss your ps is for the breakfast with Cinderella in the castle. All others its not a problem. They dont normally have issues with strollers and sleeping kids, they are pretty used to that. But you may want to ask ahead, some of the resturants are pretty small, others are huge! If you wanted something special for your toddler go for when awake so he/she will enjoy.
good luck
Aimee

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

I am in the same boat. My DDs will be 4.5 and 22 months in August for our trip. And it sounds like your toddler is onthe same nap schedule as mine. I have an advantage though. I am changing time zones when I visit, so without chnging their actual schedule, I can make it work. In EDT, DD will go down for nap between 12:30 and 1:00, so I can fit in the earlier PS for lunch, then back to CR for nap time.

My in-laws also live in Eastern time zone, adn I do this all the time when we visit them. Of course with the excitement of WDW, I expect their schedules will be a little off. But I will try to keep it as close as possible!

 

[Selket]

I'm going to guess that my youngest DS will probably fall asleep later than his usual nap time - which will be on the bus as we get back to the hotel! LOL! Then he'll end up waking up as we get off the bus and not go back to sleep and we'll end up with a cranky butt who falls asleep just before dinner. Fortunately as my DH is not a disney freak he will probably be happy to let older DS and myself go off and ride or swim while getting the younger one caught up on meals or naps. I think I will make some PS for dinner and maybe a lunch here and there and see what happens.

 

[dijid]

We just got back from a trip with my 22mo DS. I'd advise you to try and keep the nap schedule as close to normal as possible. My DS went down slightly later than normal - but he also was so worn out that he slept longer. There were many times where we were sitting around waiting for him to wake up after a 3 hour nap! At home, I'm lucky to get 2 out of him, but I guess all that fresh FL air did him in LOL!

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Based on our last family trip and how she napped..... considering how she naps so varyingly now though.... we are planning on just doing breakfast PS's and dinner ones- and only a few dinner ones. Breakfast is the only one I can COUNT on being able to make it- the others I'm not so sure about. Definitely wouldn't do one for lunch because I don't know when everyone will be hungry or if/when she'll be napping. And dinner ones are going to be iffy also- don't know when they'll be hungry or if they'll be tired for the day and not want to bother to go back out to eat dinner far off from the resort/etc. So breakfast is the only one I can really make sure we make it- I KNOW they'll be hungry & awake in the morning. LOL

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

We made our PS around her naps (which are normally 12-2), but found that when we hit the cool restaurant, after being in the heat with the stroller reclined, she fell asleep earlier than usual. THis happened at least 3 times. She has never been a big eater, and we just got her a snack later. It gave the heat exhausted parents, and big sis a little break too. Sometimes that 45-60 minute nap was all she took, and was raring to go when we were done eating.

I found it very difficult to try to guess when my girls 5, and 2 1/2 at the time would want to nap, or need a break. As much as I tried to plan everything out, we ended up changing it. Never did make it to the MK parade. That will be top of our list this year.

I never had a problem changing PS, or cancelling all together.

 

[CEDmom]

We were at WDW last March when DD was 2 1/2 and again this May when she was a little over 3 1/2. At home she wakes at 6:30am, naps between 1-3pm and goes to bed at 8pm. Both times at WDW she was completely off her schedule. She'd get up about 7:30am, finally nap between 3-6pm and finally go to sleep at night around 10pm. We had to cancel to 2 PS we had because she was sleeping. If I had it to do again I'd go for a very late breakfast or very early lunch.

You could still have a light breakfast in your room before hitting a park. Then take a break and have a bigger breakfast or lunch.