Toddler sleeping arrangements

[khmoorefield]

We're travelling with our almost 3-year old at the end of April. We're staying in a Studio Villa at Beach Club. I was planning on getting a toddler air mattress with rails and placing it on top of the pullout bed. My husband suggested just requesting bed rails for the pullout, but I've come across some negative feedback on the comfort/safety (large gaps around the mattress) of the couches. Any experienced parents have suggestions or ideas here? Our son still naps/sleeps in a pack n play at Grandparents, but honestly he is too big and I would be worried for his back if he had to sleep in it every night for a week. Thanks!!

 

[westie55]

Is it just you and the toddler in the room? Does he still sleep in a crib at home? The BCV studio will have a pullout sofa bed and a pull down Murphy bed. My DS slept on the murphy bed shortly after his 2nd birthday. It wasn't very high off the ground, and we put some pillows down in case he rolled off, but he was fine. Granted, he slept on a narrow toddler bed at home so this wasn't that much of a change. If you think that will be too narrow for your son's level of movement, you can open the sofa bed and put him in the middle of it. This will give him a lot of room to move before he fell off. Disney will provide bed rails if you ask. The pullout couches aren't super comfortable for an adult, but generally toddlers are used to firmer mattresses. I would say that a sofa bed would be sufficiently comfortable for a 2/3 year old.

 

[KayaWildfire]

You can always shove in some extra pillows into the cracks in the pullout mattress and use the bed rails so he doesn't fall off-we have done this on several vacations at many hotels. It should be fine comfort-wise, it tends to adults that complain about the comfort of the beds.

 

[Ajan]

We are planning on bringing our KidCo Pea Pod. Our 2 year old grew out of his Pack n Play a while ago and we've been using the Pea Pod ever since. It's like a little pop-up tent just for him. He absolutely loves it and it provides a dark environment so he wakes less easily. It folds up into a small-ish carrying case. We use it everywhere when we travel. Just another option!

 

[khmoorefield]

Is it just you and the toddler in the room? Does he still sleep in a crib at home? The BCV studio will have a pullout sofa bed and a pull down Murphy bed. My DS slept on the murphy bed shortly after his 2nd birthday. It wasn't very high off the ground, and we put some pillows down in case he rolled off, but he was fine. Granted, he slept on a narrow toddler bed at home so this wasn't that much of a change. If you think that will be too narrow for your son's level of movement, you can open the sofa bed and put him in the middle of it. This will give him a lot of room to move before he fell off. Disney will provide bed rails if you ask. The pullout couches aren't super comfortable for an adult, but generally toddlers are used to firmer mattresses. I would say that a sofa bed would be sufficiently comfortable for a 2/3 year old.

He does still sleep in a crib at home...it'll be my husband, son, and me, otherwise I would just let him sleep in the queen bed with me! Sounds like the sofa bed will be fine, I'd worry about him rolling off the murphy bed.

 

[khmoorefield]

We are planning on bringing our KidCo Pea Pod. Our 2 year old grew out of his Pack n Play a while ago and we've been using the Pea Pod ever since. It's like a little pop-up tent just for him. He absolutely loves it and it provides a dark environment so he wakes less easily. It folds up into a small-ish carrying case. We use it everywhere when we travel. Just another option!

Does that come with a mattress or are they essentially just on the floor? Although I suppose you could set it up on top of the pullout...

 

[Ajan]

Does that come with a mattress or are they essentially just on the floor? Although I suppose you could set it up on top of the pullout...

There is a pad, though it is thin. My son has slept in it comfortably on both carpet and hard wood floors with no problem though. I was worried at first, but when I really felt the mattress in his toddler bed at home... wow that thing is hard! I don't think the tent is much harder when on the floor to be honest. The only thing I don't like about it, is that it's tricky to fold back up. I've gotten the hang of it now, but I had to watch a bunch of youtubes and it still takes me a couple of tries. Still worth it for us as we travel a fair amount.

 

[MudQueen22]

When we went when our younger child was 23 months old, he slept in the bed with me, dh had a bed to himself, and we brought a double-high twin air mattress for our older child with Disney-themed sheets to make it fun for her. This worked well for all of us.

 

[HarleenQ]

You can stick a pool noodle between the mattress and sheet for a bumper. I'd probably just let him sleep on the pull out with that. I've also come across toddler cots you could bring.

 

[MarkLT1]

If you're not comfortable with the sofa mattress, give the front desk a call. Last time we were at OKW, our boys were.. well at each other's throats a bit. In our room there were 2 queen beds, and after the first night of the two boys fighting while sharing the other bed, I called the front desk, and they delivered a brand new twin-size air mattress with sheets, blanket, pillows, etc. Then we just had to deal with the boys arguing over who got to sleep in the "cool new air mattress."

 

[2019TripIdeas]

We were just at Boardwalk with our 3 kids (ages 5, 3, 2). All 3 slept together in a queen, no bed rails. The first half of the trip we were at POR which had the pull-down murphy type bed that is child sized. Our 5 year old slept on that without issue (the 3 and 2 year old shared the other queen there), but I'm sure either of the other two would've been fine on it as well. All 3 of our kids sleep in regular twin beds at home, and they've never had bed rails, so it's just not something we worry about I guess. Our 5 and 3 year old have both rolled out a few times in the first few weeks of being in a regular bed and then never again. The 2 year old has never rolled out in the year since we got rid of his crib. I think it must be kind of muscle memory that they know not to roll?

I think in the grand scheme of things, a week of being on a subpar mattress or whatnot will have zero effect on your back. There are so many children in the world who sleep on couches/floors/etc and sure it's obviously not ideal... but it won't hurt him long term. If you personally feel too worried about him falling out, I'd just get the rails and if you are really worried about the gaps, I like the previous suggestion of shoving a pillow in. That seems easiest and simplest. Enjoy your trip!

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you don't want to carry around foam pool noodles, you can find the blow up type. So you can fill them full of air when the kids need them to sleep or to use in the pool. Then deflate them when you want to pack them up to take home with you. Tuck the blown up pool noodles under the bottom sheet at the edge of the bed. Kiddo can't roll out of bed over the pool noodle.

 

[Anna131517]

Ask for the bed rails. There may be some gaps but an almost three year old should be fine. When I transitioned my three kids to toddler beds I just rolled a towel up under the sheet and never had any problems. I did that with our 2 yr old in January at Disney and she was fine. Alternatively, you can place the mattress on the floor and have her sleep on it there.

 

[Aj1129]

We usually have our son sleep with me in one queen bed and my husband in the other queen bed to himself. My son has always been fine sleeping next to me. I keep him close to the middle so he doesn’t roll out.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

The sofa bed is a full size. Unless he's a wild sleeper I don't think he would fall off of the bed. Take an extra sheet, roll it up and place it under the sheet. That should work fine.