What to about 2 yr old's 7 pm bedtime?

[Julanne]

Our 2 year 4 month old ds is a great sleeper - in his own dark room.
Any other situation - in the car, in a stroller, anywhere else - and he becomes a screaming overly tired mess.
I am worried that we won't be able to leave him in Flounder's Reef because he won't sleep. And there aren't any in-room babysitters, right? (I really hope I'm wrong on that.)

Worst case scenario is that dh and I take turns sitting in the bathtub while the other does fun stuff and the kid sleeps in the room. Does anyone have suggestions that are better than that?

I was reading some posts on the resorts thread about ways to set up rooms in various resorts to partition off part of the room so he can't see us and then doesn't yell at us to get him out all night. Is this possible in a room on the ship? We are in a category 4 room, so we may have some more options than I originally thought. It looks like there is a separate room with a bathtub - would a pack n play fit in there? Also, is there a partition between the seating and sleeping areas?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[disneygatorfan]

I don't think it would fit in the bathroom... but....

There is a curtain that separates the "bedroom" from the living area. And if you moved the coffee table, it would fit in the living area, and you could just pull the curtain shut. The curtains are very thick, and very good at blocking out light, even from the sliding door out to the verandah.

 

[Footnotegirl]

I've got no experience with kids, but if he does okay in the dark in his own room, and you've got a Cat 4, he should be fine in the back portion of the room and if someone has to stay back they can be in the front portion and have the lights on. The curtain between the rooms is very thick and blocks light extremely well.

There is, as far as I know, no in-room babysitting.

 

[zack&alexmom]

Try bringing some clothes pins to keep the curtains closed tightly. Try Flounders Reef though - you never know - he may surprise you. Also, have you met anyone on the Cruise Meet board - you may be able to hire a teenager to babysit for a few hours in room. Good luck - let us know how it works out.

 

[jel0511]

Yes, it's true that there is no in-room babysitting, only the group sitting at Flounders. You never know, your DS might actually like Flounders. Maybe trying to give him a later afternoon nap so he can last a few hours longer in the evenings at Flounders might be the trick. There is a curtain between the sitting area, where his pack-n-play or bed with bedrails will be, and the bed and bath area. You can close this curtain and very little light gets through the curtain to the otherside. We closed this curtain every night when we put our two kids to bed, and we stayed up for a little bit. The light on the otherside never bothered them, and they were asleep pretty quickly.

 

[grlzmom]

I agree with the suggestion to definately give Flounders a try. They are used to dealing with babies/kids that don't know them and try really hard to keep them happy. And, they do have a dark room in the back with cribs for sleeping children.

There definately is not room for the pack n play in the bathroom. You will be able to put in on the side of the room that is partitioned off (with a curtain), however then you will have to cut through there to get out on your verandah if you want.

We had ours fall asleep on the bed (bottom bunk), that way we could enjoy the verandah. We did not have any success with the pack and play, took up too much room and the kids didnt like it. So we used the lower bunk with bed rails and it worked out great for ours.

 

[castlegazer]

We're planning on hanging out on the verandah while they go to sleep. No need to sit in the bathroom - something my husband and I have done manya time while traveling.

Do the room for a few nights until they get used to it and then be signed up for Flounders for a night later in the week. Try it out. If it doesn't work, so be it, go back to the room option.

Order drinks and pie of the day or the All Hands on deck and have a romantic night out on the verandah with your husband.

 

[Julanne]

Thank you all for your suggestions! We will definitely try Flounder's and see what happens. Can you go back and sign up for more if it ends up working, or should we try to sign up and then cancel if it doesn't?

Now I have some more questions, though... Please forgive me - I'm a nervouse first-time cruiser!
Someone mentioned a bottom bunk? I don't see that on the room plan I'm looking at - just the Queen bed. And are the bed rails something that are already there or do we have to request them? Also, I'm assuming they provide a pack and play if you request one - like at the resorts. Is this right?

Thanks!

 

[cristit14]

Someone mentioned a bottom bunk? I don't see that on the room plan I'm looking at - just the Queen bed. And are the bed rails something that are already there or do we have to request them? Also, I'm assuming they provide a pack and play if you request one - like at the resorts. Is this right?

Thanks!

The sofa turns into a bed and there is a railing on the side of it. The room steward set it up for us every night. My kids are a little older so I can't help you with your pack and play question. Have a great trip!!

 

[TootyJane]

Julie,

First off, I wouldn't really worry about your ds's bedtime. You are, after all, coming from the West Coast so all timing will be a bit off. We always found that our kids were able to stay up much later because of the time difference and it's also the main reason why we choose late seating. HTH

 

[jfis1020]

O.k. I may be way off base, but here goes. When DD5 was 1, our boys were 3 and 6 we bit the bullet and took a teen (this was to WDW). We had a really special girl who we paid her expenses, but she in turn had to take care of the little ones when we went out.

It was two fold because we got some nice quality time and she got a nice trip. Her dad had just been laid off and it was a vacation of a lifetime. I still feel good knowing that she had a blast and we were able to take her. Yet, we still benefitted from her going. It was well worth the money. I'd do it again if need be.

Do you have a special sitter or a neice? I know a friend once took a nephew for the same reason.

 

[magic]

When my son was very young we always had a neice or the daughter of my best friend to travel with us. They seemed to enjoy helping out and would get a free vacation. I am like the poster above if this is possible it might be the perfect solution. If not possible, be sure and try flounders, you might be completely surprised on his reaction.

 

[aprilgail2]

I had my friends 15 year old daughter with us just in case my 4 year old daughter didn't like the clubs so she could watch her in the room if she was tired but as it turned out she loved the clubs and most nights made it up later than me! I would fall asleep in bed while she was still watching TV! First cruise she was 2 and I just brought the stroller and let her sleep in there, she was SO tired by the end of the day it wouldn't have mattered if she was sleeping on a bed of nails!

 

[Julanne]

Actually, our nieces (and nephews) - ranging in age from 22 to 5 years old, with a few in the preteen age-range - will all be there! I have planned all our other WDW trips for just my husband and myself (and my sister on our last trip), and have read the DIS boards to get a lot of great help. On this one, I keep approaching it the same way and forgetting that we are a whole troop. When someone mentioned bringing a sitter or family member, I had a big DUH moment.

The problem I have is in asking one of his cousins to spend time in our room when they are all coming as their own vacation. We will ask and see, but I don't know how that will go over. Maybe it would be different if we were paying their way and they wouldn't have gone otherwise, but as it is... I'm just not sure they'd want to give up all the fun stuff they could be doing.

 

[jfis1020]

Actually, our nieces (and nephews) - ranging in age from 22 to 5 years old, with a few in the preteen age-range - will all be there! I have planned all our other WDW trips for just my husband and myself (and my sister on our last trip), and have read the DIS boards to get a lot of great help. On this one, I keep approaching it the same way and forgetting that we are a whole troop. When someone mentioned bringing a sitter or family member, I had a big DUH moment.

The problem I have is in asking one of his cousins to spend time in our room when they are all coming as their own vacation. We will ask and see, but I don't know how that will go over. Maybe it would be different if we were paying their way and they wouldn't have gone otherwise, but as it is... I'm just not sure they'd want to give up all the fun stuff they could be doing.

SPENDING MONEY for the cruise? You never know, maybe there is something he/she would like to buy and you could just be the "ticket"!

 

[Hans Solo]

Think Duct Tape!!!!

Just kidding