What to do during naps?

[Haley R]

We’re still new to this whole parenting and traveling thing lol. We just got back from wdw and stayed in the cabins which were great because you get the two living spaces. It was easy to close the bedroom door during ds’s naps and relax in the other room and we didn’t have to go to bed when he did. How do you make this work in a normal hotel room at wdw? We’d like to try other resorts but I honestly can’t imagine doing it without the separate living area. A 1 bedroom is too expensive. He’s a super light sleeper so I feel like we’d be sitting in the dark quietly doing nothing while he naps.

 

[b00kbug]

We’re still new to this whole parenting and traveling thing lol. We just got back from wdw and stayed in the cabins which were great because you get the two living spaces. It was easy to close the bedroom door during ds’s naps and relax in the other room and we didn’t have to go to bed when he did. How do you make this work in a normal hotel room at wdw? We’d like to try other resorts but I honestly can’t imagine doing it without the separate living area. A 1 bedroom is too expensive. He’s a super light sleeper so I feel like we’d be sitting in the dark quietly doing nothing while he naps.

Our last trip, we always did naps on the go. We rented a stroller that lay backward for naps, and he passed out. Not as solid as an at home nap - but it worked.

 

[martikus]

We usually skipped naps while traveling unless he slept while on the go. If we did stop to nap my husband also napped and I read.

At night we usually stayed up a bit later than home (say 9 instead of son’s usual 7) and when he went to bed so did we. My husband had no issue sleeping and I’d read by book light for another hour or two. Our son was always up by 6 so the earlier bedtime wasn’t soo bad.

It’s only a few years and then you are begging them to be tired enough for bed .

But we’ve always only had one room when at hotels or cruises so we just rolled with it.

 

[Calee]

I used to lie down with mine, nap on the go, or sit right outside the room. If you were on the ground floor of somewhere like CBR, you could sit right outside the room and talk, snack, play on your phone, etc. in a pretty environment Some of the ground floor rooms even have a courtyard almost right outside the door with benches or tables.

 

[DeeBee3]

We attempted naps with our kids, but quickly learned they didn't in the room. So, we just went along with our day and the kids tended to sleep in the stroller. However, my kids were 2 and older when we were at Disney. When my oldest was an infant, we just stayed in the room at night and went to bed early. Usually it wasn't an issue because she was not a good sleeper and we were always tired.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

Maybe book a room with a balcony.

 

[NOLA_Tink]

Since my oldest was born, we have only done ASMusic/AoA family suites, the FW cabins, a room with a balcony, or connecting rooms at Pop. He goes to sleep around 8 pm & never napped on the go, so that was the only way to make it work. Now, we're spoiled because a regular hotel room seems so small.

 

[SleeplessInTO]

I’ve only ever stayed in 1 bedrooms at Disney so don’t know if this works dimensions-wise, but in other locations, sometimes we put the crib or pack n play in the bathroom for the night. We used the lobby bathrooms if we needed the facilities after baby fell asleep.
Kid might be a little spoiled now. We checked into the Hyatt at MCO for a night before an early flight home and she looked around and asked “Why am I in this tiny room?”

 

[Dakota731]

All star family suites are good for separate spaces too

 

[AnnaS]

A room with a balcony is great!! I use to use this time too to put a wash. Having a Living Room is also great since you don't have to worry about lights and noise as much. My son has made sure the pack and plays were sort of covered for some darkness and he always brings the air purifiers that are pretty loud just to shut some other noises. They are used to this at home. They all have them in their bedrooms. So loud!!!

 

[Disneyfan754321]

Our family all takes a rest. My DH and I watch a movie on the ipad on the bed or look at our phones. Sometimes I take our older one swimming or to the food court/ store.
We leave the park around 12, and return to the parks around 2-3 so it's a short nap but just enough to relax in the AC

 

[Haley R]

Our last trip, we always did naps on the go. We rented a stroller that lay backward for naps, and he passed out. Not as solid as an at home nap - but it worked.

He won’t nap on the go. I actually don’t mind going back to the room because we keep him on somewhat of a schedule.

 

[Haley R]

We usually skipped naps while traveling unless he slept while on the go. If we did stop to nap my husband also napped and I read.

At night we usually stayed up a bit later than home (say 9 instead of son’s usual 7) and when he went to bed so did we. My husband had no issue sleeping and I’d read by book light for another hour or two. Our son was always up by 6 so the earlier bedtime wasn’t soo bad.

It’s only a few years and then you are begging them to be tired enough for bed .

But we’ve always only had one room when at hotels or cruises so we just rolled with it.

Omg lol I could never let him skip naps. He still takes two really good naps. He’s usually in bed by 7:30 or so depending on how the day goes.

 

[Haley R]

We attempted naps with our kids, but quickly learned they didn't in the room. So, we just went along with our day and the kids tended to sleep in the stroller. However, my kids were 2 and older when we were at Disney. When my oldest was an infant, we just stayed in the room at night and went to bed early. Usually it wasn't an issue because she was not a good sleeper and we were always tired.

He slept pretty well in the cabin. We ran him around a lot to get him tired lol. However the pack n play only worked for bedtime. For naps we put him on the bed surrounded by pillows so he wouldn’t roll off. We watched him in the monitor to make sure he wasn’t suffocating or anything.

 

[Haley R]

Maybe book a room with a balcony.

We did think about that. It’s a good option for sure. The deluxe prices are just kind of crazy right now. I’m having a hard time justifying it when the cabin comes with so much more

 

[Haley R]

Since my oldest was born, we have only done ASMusic/AoA family suites, the FW cabins, a room with a balcony, or connecting rooms at Pop. He goes to sleep around 8 pm & never napped on the go, so that was the only way to make it work. Now, we're spoiled because a regular hotel room seems so small.

Do the family suites have a fridge and microwave? Connecting rooms is a good idea! Dh mentioned that and that could be a good option for us. Ds doesn’t sleep on the go either and I actually like going back to relax for a bit. We live an hour away so we don’t need to be at the parks from open to close

 

[Haley R]

I’ve only ever stayed in 1 bedrooms at Disney so don’t know if this works dimensions-wise, but in other locations, sometimes we put the crib or pack n play in the bathroom for the night. We used the lobby bathrooms if we needed the facilities after baby fell asleep.
Kid might be a little spoiled now. We checked into the Hyatt at MCO for a night before an early flight home and she looked around and asked “Why am I in this tiny room?”

I wish we could do the 1 bedrooms but they’re so expensive. We can’t justify the price of them. I would love having the kitchen though because I like to make meals for Ds some of the time while we’re there. We live an hour away so it’s easy to bring food with. That’s why the cabin was so nice

 

[Haley R]

All star family suites are good for separate spaces too

Do they have a fridge and microwave? I’m not sure when all star music will open back up

 

[Haley R]

A room with a balcony is great!! I use to use this time too to put a wash. Having a Living Room is also great since you don't have to worry about lights and noise as much. My son has made sure the pack and plays were sort of covered for some darkness and he always brings the air purifiers that are pretty loud just to shut some other noises. They are used to this at home. They all have them in their bedrooms. So loud!!!

We use a sound machine with ds. Dh and I have one in our room too lol.

 

[Haley R]

Our family all takes a rest. My DH and I watch a movie on the ipad on the bed or look at our phones. Sometimes I take our older one swimming or to the food court/ store.
We leave the park around 12, and return to the parks around 2-3 so it's a short nap but just enough to relax in the AC

Right now Ds is taking two naps. One is usually 2 hours and the other 1-1 1/2 hours. We’re planning to go in August or September though so by then he may be down to just one nap.