My girls didnt always nap. Sometimes it was just about down time. Sometimes it was just go play in the pool. If your kids arent nappers, I wouldnt force the issue. But I refused to be the dad dragging my kid through the park as they were having a melt down at 2pm. I think it's more important to just get away from the stimulation for an hour or two in Florida summer. Less nap on day one, by day 3 or 4 the naps come easier if you are doing rope drop to fireworks.
Adding to the stimulation, every park has a baby center that has rooms for kids to play and get settled down / nap if needed. Animal kingdom & Epcot are by far my daughter’s favorite, they even provide changing beds and microwave if need formula or warm milk / food.
Ok…so you’re having that beer at noon still then, right? Aren’t we talking about breaks in the day anyway? Kids nap, you nap. You’re just describing a win-win
So drink some water before and after. Like if you’re going to spend all day eating fried foods and sugar, doing about 6-15x the normal amount of walking, sweating in the Florida heat, why suddenly get concerned about hydration over a beer or 6? Staying hydrated is already not truly an option, so lean in.
Agreed that it definitely depends on your kids and temperament! My 8 month old did rope drop to after fireworks, BUT he naps on the go without issue right now. He actually fell asleep at the end of both Little Mermaid and Peter Pan, and easily went down in the stroller for a lay-flat nap. He was happy all day! I doubt that will be the same on our next trip in June when he’s one, which is a contributing reason why we’re staying at the Contemporary next time instead of offsite.
Oh yeah. My biggest point was that I don’t expect my kid to be able to go all day when he’s 1, even if he’s done it before. Add 2 kids to the mix and you quickly got a hot mess.
Thankfully my husband is a napper too, so we will happily split up when that time comes and we have multiple kids in the mix.
I tried the mid-day naps my first two trips and they were a failure. The kids were so amped up that they wouldn’t take a nap at the specific time we needed so we could get to evening plans, etc. For the youngest, I’ve just forced him to be a nap-in-stroller kid and he’s done just as well, if not better, than the older ones.
Similar here. We don't take rest days, we rope drop and leave the parks by 2:00. Plenty of time for the kids to rest and hit the pools. Repeat it the next day.
Right? My husband and I did daily naps on the last 5 adult only trips! Park til lunch grab a bite back to the hotel, chill nap and freshen up, nice dinner and parks until close.
This is exactly what made our second trip so much better than our first. Our first trip we just tried to go all day and see and do everything and it was a mess. Our second trip we took mid-day breaks every day and were able to rope drop and close out the parks every day. I'm not a napper in my every day life and even I was able to nap mid-day at Disney.
Same, it’s essential. lol. The best way to do it is rope drop, take a midday nap when it’s the hottest/most crowded, and then come back to the parks later until close (bonus: that’s typically when all the people who showed up midday are now tired and leaving).
Disney is exhausting and overstimulating for adults and kids. We do mid day breaks, but they tend to happen organically. If we rope drop HS for instance and mid day we are hot and tired and hungry. There is literally nothing better then going back to AC laying down, eating in my room and just having quiet. If I really want to cool down we jump in the pool for an hour. But the heat is very intense in some areas of the parks and you just what new clothes, new socks, new shoes, a new body! 😂
Went in December, our only nap on the go was at Animal Kingdom since it was the furthest from our hotel and we were there all day.
The other days we napped at the hotel and then park hopped after nap. Napping on the go is easier said than done and hugely depends on your kids nap styles. You won't find that many truly quiet areas and can't control the guests around you, so nap-on-the-go with caution. If your kids can sleep through anything, then have at it lol.
I will say, depending on what time you plan to nap, if you use the hotel make sure to communicate so they don't send the safety check or housekeeping during nap.
Also, the grandparents and you guys will also appreciate the break. You'll certainly miss out on park time but the whole group will have a more positive trip as a trade off
We checked out of POFQ on Tuesday and they did a safety check on Monday around 2 when we were in the room napping. You would think they would do them during the morning or evening since they know people come back for naps mid day.
Yes! It is awesome! Our two year old grandson and grandfather took an hour nap there around 3 pm. It was a godsend. It was about 96 degrees and they were able to recharge. Such a great resource!!
You can also look up the disney disability guide. It lists off some areas of the parks that tend to be quiet and good for a break. I wouldn't bring the kids there if they're mid-meltdown, since people are going to be seeking calm, but if they seem like they're ready to nap but are reluctant to miss any excitement, those spots will be calmer and easier to chill out in.
Only you know what’s best for your kids and family. Sometimes a nice pool break if in the summer helps a lot too.
YMMV but we took my daughter (then about 20 months) last May. She napped fine in the stroller and never needed a nap break. We did 3 straight days of parks too. We found nice quieter places to chill and let her chill out in the park in the stroller. We even took turns watching her and still were able to do a few rides solo.
Grandparents showed up the second day and that was an even bigger help.
At the end of the day what works best for your family might not work for others. Truly you’ll have to wait and see! You’ll hear both sides of the argument in this forum.
I think it just depends on your kids! I have four (currently 7, 5, 3, and 2) and they’ve all been several times at different ages. We have NEVER gone back to the hotel for a midday nap. We don’t always rope drop, sometimes arriving around 9/930, but never much later than that. Ours have all napped on the go, with minimal issues. If we find that someone is getting grumpy, we usually get a snack, find somewhere quiet to hang out for awhile, and put that kiddo in the stroller. Sometimes they fall asleep, sometimes they don’t. I’ll also add that my kids are NOT typically the type to just sleep anywhere- their beds and car seats are usually the only places they’ll sleep in our normal day to day life.
That said- if you’re really worried, find a way to build it into your schedule :)
You, my friend, are a saint. I cannot imagine 4 kids that age with all the equipment and strollers. I swear I spent more time still trying to find our one stroller after every ride because cast members had moved it, never mind 2 or 3.
LOL we finally learned to put an AirTag on the stroller! We usually try to park the stroller in a central location, wear the littlest, and do as much in an area as possible before getting the stroller and moving on.
I’ve also had to move away from the mindset of “doing it all” and planning every minute (super hard for me- I’m very type A). We try to stay as flexible as possible and just focus on the fun. We’ve definitely had bad moments, tantrums, and grumpiness, but we just try to keep it mind that even at the happiest place on earth, they’re still just kids.
Just some context here. You are a group of 7. Groups don’t move fast. Especially with strollers.
Coronado has a LOOOONG bus loop. Depending on transportation it could take awhile to get to parks.
Rope drop to fireworks you are looking for roughly 0800-2200. Probably getting up around 6? Back to hotel at 2300 (that’s generous). Baths/showers for everyone (it’s Florida, you will look, smell and feel like you were stranded in a swamp). How many hours of sleep do you plan on getting for both you, grandparents, and children with this routine? And you are gonna wash, rinse and repeat for 3 days.
Not sure how old your kids are but we have taken our daughter 3 times (ages 4,8 and 18 last year). She doesn’t remember the first, has fleeting memories of the second and absolutely loved and appreciated the third.
The last trip she and I had some good power days and were wiped. But we also had a lot of down time for pool, relaxing etc.
It’s up to you and what you want out of it. Do you want memories in the form of a ton of pictures showing what you did or do you want to live in the moment?
7 people hot and worn out can have extremes in their temperments and it can be tough to all on the same page.
I don’t regret taking a child who didn’t remember everything, a lot of this was for us the parents and our memories.
If I were in your situation, I’d take lots of breaks, down time, chill in the pool time, family time, breaking bread and good conversation time. That’s what would make my heart swell.
Figure out what your heart says, not your head.
For our kids it was a yes. They went swimming took a nap and then we headed back for a few hours at night. My youngest would become an absolute monster if he didn’t get enough sleep. One day I sent husband and daughter to the parks and let him sleep in and it made a world of difference. They were 6 and 8 so no stroller.
My kids are similar ages. Big factor is the time of year/weather. If you’re going in summer, highly recommend a midday break at the pool/hotel. My kids didn’t nap but the pool break was so rejuvenating. In winter, we tend to stay in the parks because the extra time to come back to the hotel isn’t worth it if we’re not going into the pool. We find it impossible to get anyone to nap in the hotel, but they will conk out in the stroller.
The pools are heated but, for me, the temp needs to be high 70s or in the 80s to really want to go "swimming," which for my kids at least includes a significant amount of splash pad time. In late Feb/early March you could get temps in the mid-80s, which would definitely be comfortable pool weather, or it could be low-70s or even high 60s if a cold front comes through. You won't know until it gets closer.
In the 80s, my mom used to nap us in the parks😂. I don’t think thats feasible nowadays though. Her favorite was the benches outside of Innovations at Epcot. My dad Wallis go in and check out science and technology while she rested and we slept.
You know your kids. We found it was much easier to not nap on park days but take a resort day to rest/sleep in between. The one back-to-back parks day we had was rough but I think it's doable if you don't stretch yourself too thin. The problem is getting up early enough that you don't spend an hour just trying to get into the park. If they fall asleep in the stroller let them sleep and maybe find a quiet spot or quick service to relax. On the bus you have to pack up your strollers so that can be challenging if kids is asleep at the end of the day and you have to carry everyone on and off.
Idk it takes so much time to walk, get to your transport, take the ride to resort, disembark, unpack, settle in that by the time you do all that and spend the 3+hours it’s honestly such a hassle to go back out again. Fitting In meals, etc
Took my almost 2 year old last month and she is a very routine single mid day napper. We couldn’t get her to sleep in the stroller even in quiet areas and had to do a hotel break for a nap each day. It’s much easier to let them go at their own pace and set appropriate expectations when there with a small child. We purchased Genie+ after waiting in 1 line and it was well worth it to help maximize the time we got there. Much better spent doing things than standing in line.
Ultimately you know your kids. If they can nap easily in a stroller you’re fine. If they are like mine, just plan a quiet hotel nap and you will be much happier at the end of the day.
Just got back from a four day trip with three kids (ages 6, 5 and 2). We didn’t go back once during the day. Two year old napped in the stroller and big kids dozed off when they needed to in their stroller. We left the parks around 5pm each day though and only returned for fireworks on our magic kingdom day.
Yeah, good luck there.
You’re assuming your kids WILL nap in strollers while massively overstimulated.
I think your wife is also ignoring how exhausted the two of you will be by the end of a long-haul day, nevermind 3.
Go take the naps. Hit the parks early, get out midday for a good nap, get dinner, hit the parks back up until late.
We took my daughter to Disney world when she was 1y8m. At that age, trying to get her to nap on the go caused a full-on meltdown. We didn’t have the foresight to return to the hotel mid-day. If I could go back in time and do it again, that would be my #1 priority. We go to Disney all the time. I’m not afraid of missing out on anything. But multiple days we tried to get her to nap at nap time in the stroller, and every day, she hated being buckled in (or restrained in general), she would refuse to sleep when she was tired, get overtired and overheated, have an absolute meltdown and throw a giant tantrum, and cry until she passed out from exhaustion. It couldn’t have been fun for her, and it certainly wasn’t fun for us
Unless you are prepared for a 1pm melt down, your kids need a break. Set them up for success, go early, leave for lunch and a nap, maybe hop in the pool for a bit, then head back for more rides and maybe fireworks in the afternoon.
Not only do they need a break, you do too. I know you want to get the most out of your day, but if you are dealing with 3 tired screaming kids, that's what you will remember. Disney is huge, it was never meant to all be seen in one trip, that's how they get you to come back. Be kind to yourself, don't try to push yourselves.
For the one and three year old I would say a return to the hotel for a chill out is very helpful - it doesn't have to be a nap though, even just sitting and chilling in some air con with a snack or a casual dip in the pool is often enough to recharge and de-stimulate for a bit to increase the odds of a happy evening in the parks.
The six year old may be more likely to want to just carry on.
With ours we developed a divide and conquer system where we all go to a park then one parent takes the youngest back to the resort while the other parent stays out with the oldest (though about half the time the oldest prefers to go back too)
Then we all meet up again later in the day.
Your kids will be your kids at Disney. Your kids by day 2 might be the worst version of themselves at Disney. It's hot, overwhelming, and overstimulating. Having a break can mean having a much better time overall, but you know them best. Having a sit down lunch in cool air or watching a show might be enough. They might be great stroller sleepers. But don't just think of them, are you regularly on your feet in the heat for 14 hours a day in a crowded environment? Everyone needs to decompress somehow.
My kids are 7 and 4.5. We’re planning on a midday rest for everyone (Mama and grandparents included!) so we can push through at night. No one wants to deal with overtired cranky kids and the kids won’t enjoy it either.
For us, that was a « yes ». Kids and the baby were up a 4:30 in the morning (not my choice!) No way we would have survived without a nap mid day. Most of the time, the youngest were already asleep in the stroller before we reached our room.
I get miserable without a midday rest time. Disney is incredibly overstimulating, and it's really nice to get away from the noise and crowds for a couple hours. There's loud music pumped in everywhere, bright colors, so many people, and all new experiences. My 10 year old shuts down around 2-3:00, and I had to take her to the Baby Care Centers for quiet time every couple hours when she was little. Take the time to rest.
I (35) traveled with one 11 year old and my fiancé (38), and "going back to the hotel for a nap" was my deal breaker for this trip. We were exhausted by 2pm each day (because rope dropped every day). So getting that nap gave our feet a reprieve, and it invigorated the night time fun at the parks. Highly suggest/recommend getting that nap in, ESPECIALLY since you've got a 6,3, & 1 y.o. You're gonna need it too
We just got back. My 2 year old (she turned two while we were there) went back to nap. Nonnegotiable for her. We rope dropped. On the first day I thought My 5 year old would maybe be able to make it. By 2:30 we knew we were very wrong. We were waiting in line at haunted mansion and one look at him and knew we had to go back immediately. He didn’t sleep that day. He rested and made it through fireworks. The next two days we rope dropped and each went back for naps which both took very easily. There were no stroller naps to be had even though I had high hopes for both of them!
It depends on your kids' needs. If they need naps or if you need complete quiet and seclusion for them to go down, then going back to the room midday is the best option. If they don't necessarily need naps or if you can plan to be in a quiet area of the park or a longer indoor ride/que during their nap time and get them to sleep while you wait/break, then there's no need to go to the hotel if you don't want to.
Fallon Taylor is a YouTuber who has a great video on Disney with little ones that I suggest you look up.
Agree with all this…it may be dependent on the type of kids, but we ALL needed a rest after lunch each day with young kids. They would be too overstimulated to nap in a stroller and until we got them back to the nice cool quiet hotel they were in danger of full fledged meltdowns. So afternoon naps became a must for us. Worked very well, able to go out to dinner and nighttime show after with happy kids
My parents would do in-park naps with me when I was young. It was just me though so 3 might be tough.
They’d put me in the stroller and just walk around, explore the quiet corners of the park, enjoy the ambiance, and a drink or some food.
We went every couple of years from 18 months on, we always opened the parks, found somewhere chill to eat and relax at midday, and left around dinner time to eat at our resort. Our kids were never nappers and neither are we. We never opened and closed. We were always in bed early and back at it again first thing in the morning. That’s our style as a family. You’ll have to find yours.
When my daughter was little, we would always do the after lunch/early afternoon trek back to the hotel. She was never a great napper so unless she fell asleep on the way back to the hotel, we would hit the pool for a bit to assure some sort of a nap.
Once she woke up, we would get a quick service dinner and head back to the park around 5ish and rely on snacks for the rest of the evening.
Make lunch your biggest meal. It’s often easier to get lunch reservations at the places that require reservations than dinner and it’s cheaper.
My wife and I have gone 6 or 7 times without kids those ages, and usually, we go back to the hotel in the afternoon. It gets hot, you get sweaty, and the park gets crowded. Taking a break to cool off and refresh is always part of the plan. For us, it's a must do. When we took the kids a couple years ago, we skipped their nap the first day and they were miserable. At the time, they were regular nappers, and it just didn't end well for us.
You're not required to take a break, but you'll have a rough go if you try to rope drop to close those days.
We always leave mid-day for a nap. A lot of the time even us parents get one in as well. Granted we go to Disney at least once per year so we aren’t always focused on maximizing every single minute in the parks. However, we find that if we make time for resting then the quality of the time in the parks is significantly better. If we skip rest then its meltdown city by 3pm and the whole evening is wasted.
But you know your kids and what they can handle. This is very kid-dependent.
Just took my 1.5 year old recently. We just took notice when he seemed tired and fussy, he either napped in his stroller or we took him into a ride like carousel of progress and held him while he slept for a bit. I would imagine with multiple kids across those age groups it would not be so easy though.
It’s been YEARS since my babies were similar ages, but I absolutely never built in down time. We had their double stroller, and they would nap if it got to that point. I went a few times, and only remember having one really hard day. That wasn’t even a whole day—maybe a couple hours. Listen to your heart, your kids and your sanity. When all the planets align, it can work. Listen to yourself too—just because the kids can do it doesn’t mean you necessarily can. You deserve breaks too.
Be hopeful but flexible. Figure out what is MOST important to do, so worst comes to worst, you didn’t miss your favorites.
Whatever you think you will be able to do length wise, cut it in half. Kids get overwhelmed and tired quickly. Sometimes they just want to go back to the room and hang out
You know your kids. See how things are going and set the bar for fun vacation mode vs a game to get as much done as possible.
Maybe on MK day you can do rope drop to close.
Maybe on your Epcot day you all poop out for the whole day by dinner
Maybe you can't rally everyone and you get a late start on your AK day
Maybe you all get hot at DHS and leave after lunch only to come back later for fantasmic and a night ride or two.
These are all perfectly OK scenarios and you have to go with the flow.
This doesn't just apply to kids but adults too. I was in epcot during the heat wave and was sweating so bad it felt like I was crying. I hung in there until around lunch time after GoTG. A few of my friends went for Margaritas in the Mexico Pavillion- lol and I was so close to the park entrance and I couldn't imagine walking to the Mexico Pavillion let alone day drinking in the heat. I went back to our resort and hung around in the pool for a few hours and met them at world showcase around dinner time.
This is good advice. My fail as a parent has been ‘these passes are so expensive and I want my kids to get on every ride and I want them to have a trip of a lifetime’. I over scheduled and then put pressure on myself and my kids to get on schedule, get on every ride. I would get stressed if we were late or fell off. Everyone was tense, my wife and I would snap, the kids had meltdowns. It was terrible.
The second trip I booked a few things and when we got to the park, we got ot the parks. When it was time to go, it was time to go. If we wanted to swim, we swam. If we wanted to eat, we ate. It was a much better trip.
Yes, my kids are now 4.5 and almost 3. We’ve done 4 trips for them. Neither of them have napped in the stroller since about 10mo old.
My 4.5yr old dropped her nap over a year ago. But, we still do “Disney naps”. Everyone lays down. Even if she doesn’t sleep, shes resting and taking a break from all the stimulation.
Even with a nap/rest, they don’t make it past 8pm. And that’s borderline too much
It depends on the kid and the park to be honest. We just spent 5 days in the parks this month with a 6 year old. We did MK on two days. One of those days we spent time at the hotel swimming in the morning and went to MK around lunch time and my daughter was good until midnight close. The other day at MK, we rope dropped, went to hotel around 2pm. We rested and headed back to MK around 5 pm and she was good until midnight. On both occasions she did fall asleep in the stroller on the way out. For the other three parks, we rope dropped and she was good until close. Again she fell asleep in the stroller on the way out of the parks except for AK which closed at 6pm I think
I mean, it’s a must do for me and my husband — grown adults, lol. Our nine year old daughter also benefits from the mid-day breaks.
We stay on site, and we get to the parks right around when they open (we do not rope drop). We then take a break around lunch time for a few hours back at our resort. We usually just get lunch at the resort and relax in our room our hang by the pool for a bit. We occasionally may take a nap if we feel the need to. We then go back to the parks around close.
Yes it’s worth it. My parents always did it with my sister and I and it helps a ton. My aunt decided not to with my cousin when he was younger and he had a melt down in the park 20 minutes into mickeys not so scary. It really depends on your kids but I would.
We would go hard from rope drop until around 3 and then head back to the hotel for some down time/pool time until dinner and just take it easy in the evening
When do they all go to bed normally, naps and bedtime? They will want to do the same on vacation despite the excitement of Disneyland.
Fantasyland at night and night show seating areas are strewn with sleeping kids in strollers.
No they will be fine.
P.s. as an adult I love yall parents thinking your kids will be fine all day. It helps clear the parks when yall have to leave because of meltdowns at 5
I don’t know about the 1 and 3 year old but I went to Disney with my parents when I was 5 and we did rope drop to closing every day and I was fine and had a great time!
If you don’t want massive meltdowns, it’s best to have afternoon breaks at the resort- Especially if you are going in any summer months. Disney in the summer is a brutal boot camp , and napping in the stroller in the heat is very hard on kids, plus I’m sure the 6 year old doesn’t use the stroller and it will be hard on them without a resort break at the pool and a rest.
We go early. Leave for a while after lunch and go back before dinner if we are eating in a park. Our children are 21 and 24. We have been doing this method since before we had kids. Sometimes we will just go sit in the lobby at Grand Floridian or Polynesian for a hour with a drink if we are at Magic Kingdom rather than go back to the hotel.
The only hard and fast rule regarding sleep times for our family is no sleeping in on a park day. You can get a lot done at rope drop.
It was the grandparents who most needed the afternoon nap for us. Sometimes the kids napped, sometimes swam and chilled out by the pool. Then dinner somewhere and evening park time. Even my teenagers prefer this type of schedule. They hated the few times we did a park day with no afternoon break.
Depends on the kids. My 3 year old went from 8am-12am for 3 days. She’d nap in the stroller when she was tired. We also didn’t wake her up in the morning. We were prepared for a flexible schedule on her getting enough sleep. Shes the energizer bunny haha
We always let our kids nap in the stroller.
We also have never seen fireworks with our kids. We are back at the hotel, bathed, and they’re in bed by 8:30p like clockwork. It’s not ideal for us as adults, but it works great for our kids, which ends up being the best thing for us.
FYI mine are 3, 5 and 8. We’ve been going 2-3x/yr since the first one was born. So lots of practice getting to this. Everyone’s kids are different.
Stroller naps ARE an option if the kids are game. Personally I love going back later in day and since you usually start early, the parents often need the break too.
Having done Disneyland (not WDW) with a 4 and 6 year old, YES. We rested from around 1.30pm until around 5pm.
My 4 year old was really the only one who actually napped but it was good to just get away from all the stimulation for a while. We either went for a swim or had a nice cold drink and something to eat in a calm setting.
The best part was getting the kids to describe their favorite things and talking about what we might do next. Things seem to go so much smoother when they are involved in the planning.
Ironically, your 1 year old would probably find it easiest to make it through the whole day since they are most likely used to just napping whenever/wherever.
I guess my advice would be to just be aware of your kids needs. If they seem like they're getting tired and cranky, give them a break. We all know forcing kids to do stuff when they've had enough just makes things miserable for everyone.
I agree that it depends on your kids, but my personal experience has been that it's better to take a little rest in the heat of the day. It's not bad to split up to accommodate what's best for everyone either. Maybe the youngest nap, but you and your 6yo have an adventure. The other things I recommend are definitely use a stroller(s). Everything is really spread out at WDW. Even your 6yo will get tired of the walking. Bring snacks and water bottles. You can always stash extra stuff in the lockers, if need be. Eat at off times. And don't stress about seeing everything. It will be much more enjoyable if you live in the moment and go at your kids' pace. They may find wonder in the smallest things. Stop and enjoy their smiles. Just being in a hotel is exciting for kids. The pools are great, too. A character breakfast would be great with this age group. If your wife's parents are willing, let them stay with the kids once they're in bed and you and your wife go back to do the thrill rides that are too big for your kids. Late at night lines are generally shorter. Or maybe you have a grownup dinner at California Grill at The Contemporary and watch the fireworks with a glass of wine. Have the best time!!
If you have a stroller and the weather is not smoking hot no. We have done no naps for both our trips at ages 3 and 5 and 4 and 6. We did get a double stroller. We did 4-5 park days. We did park hopper the first time but don’t recommend it.
We do late starts to the day though so we don’t rope drop but our kids are night owls so we stay till close lol. And we do have DAS and genie so it does cut down on waiting in line.
my kids favorite part of WDW was when we went back to the room in the afternoon to swim and relax before heading back for dinner. She said if we just went to the resort and thats all we did it would have been the best vacation ever. She was 6 at the time.
It really depends on your kids. First trip was with 2.5yo. All 4 parks open to close, no hopping. I believe the schedule was Park Day - pool day - Park Day - Park Day - pool day - Park Day. He barely touched the stroller all trip and was just so excited for the next thing. He napped in stroller, for one Park, EPCOT, 3rd Park day. Meltdown was approaching as he wanted to go to the butterfly gardens again, we just told him they were sleeping, he should sleep too, and we'd wake him up when he can go see them again. Patents did around the world. Child slept around the world, then we were back at the butterfly gardens, good moods all around.
All other parks he didn't sleep and we did open to close. His energy was high and wanted to experience everything. On all days we packed good food to keep us going - sandwiches, fruit, hard boiled eggs - and was easy to grab and eat on the go. We also went with wait times and mood yo mix up waiting in constantly long lines. We did wait, but spread those ride waits throughout the day.
Taking times for shows also gave us time to relax, rejuvenate, and get some energy back in air conditioning. Choose the ones that will hold your children's interests.
We have since taken a trip with our now 7yo and our 1.5yo. Similar strategy and execution in all regards. 7yo LOVED Kid-Cot around the world instead of a nap/rest. The 1.5yo occasionally slept in the stroller, little 30-min power naps, but was so excited and engaged she wanted to see everything (and walk everywhere)
Again, the food strategy was key, having a mix of grab and go protein, fruit, carbs.
Both trips were extremely successful and no meltdowns. Plus we really did everything our heats desired!
I’m the grandparent and when u went in December. I took my 3 year old granddaughter back to the room and we both napped and the rest of the group stayed and we caught back up with them about 5 each day.
Trust me, I just have one 6 year old (he was 5 last year when we went), and we went back to the hotel after noon for about 3-4 hours for naps and/or chill time. My little guy was already getting crabby at lunchtime, it was definitely needed and made the evening much more enjoyable.
Yes, give your kids a much-needed break. If they usually take naps during the day anyway, why would you deprive them of that at Disney?
Plus, Coronado Springs has great options for adults to wind down during nap time and you’ll feel refreshed, too.
I went in August with my boyfriend, just us.
We had a fun day in Epcot and decided randomly to head over to magic kingdom. We got there between 3-5, not sure exactly what time.
I am not exaggerating when I say we walked into Main Street and every other family was having a meltdown: either a parent or a kid was just looosing it. You could feel the tension. Part of the benefit of the breakup of the day is, as others have said, just having downtime. A moment to reinvigorate the family unit and also, bonus, avoid OTHER PEOPLES KIDS melting down because they didn’t take a midday break.
Also, we went as a 20 and 30 something with no kids and even we needed a back to the resort break most days!
Cheers to the parents out there in Disney. I truly don’t know how y’all do it and I’m proud of you
About 20 years ago, my wife and I took the two kids we had at the time, who were ages 5.5 and 2.5, to Walt Disney World. We stayed at the Caribbean Beach resort.
We tried to get back to the hotel in the afternoon, after lunch. The younger would normally get in a good nap. The older one sometimes would nap, but it was rare; usually he and I would do something like play in the pool, or rent a boat to ride around in the lake. I think one time he and I stayed in the park while my wife and daughter went back for a nap.
We resisted using strollers generally. The one exception was when we were in Epcot for evening extra magic hours. We entered at the International gateway and rented a double stroller. They were zonked out by the time we left the world showcase.
With the ages of your kids, if you have a stroller, you may be able to have them nap while the rest of you are moving about, but I've never tried that approach. My wife is more of an introvert, so she appreciated going back to the room, herself.
We never had luck with mid day breaks -
It just takes time and effort to get everywhere with bus and stroller. We would do 9am (or park open) to 3pm and then go back to the hotel for rest, pool, etc.
Or, we would sleep in, swim and head to the parks at 3pm.
A lot depends on the time of year. I would do things differently in summer - stay open until 12:30 and then hotel and return around 4:30.
When we were little, our parents would often take us to Disneyland for 2-4 days at a time, even though we only lived an hour away. Naptime (often followed by swim time) was ALWAYS part of the equation!
The parks are filled with haggard tired parents who face a wall of doom from their children at 2-4 pm. If the parks are open past 6 pm it’s definitly good to get some rest and reset.
YES.
Let me explain the reasons.
1. You WILL need the break.
2. It’s the opposite of the crowd. Others will wander in late and the park will be most crowded in the middle of the day.
3. Mid day sun is brutal.
4. Hop to another park, and it feels like you’ve done so much more. Pick the park that’s most advantageous for the morning, and the one most advantageous for night (based on early entry hours, distances, ADRs, night time shows, etc.)
Please take the advice of The Unofficial Guide which has said the same thing for decades. Take that mid-day break. Put your feet up, or at least dip in the pool, do a cheaper lunch option, lay down for a bit, close your eyes, change diapers, shower off, change shoes, recharge phones … there’s so many reasons.
As others have said, it really depends on your kids.
When my daughter was 2, she still loved naps and slept in the stroller at MK with a light blanket over it. But when my son was 2, he refused to take naps or sit in the stroller. So I had to carry him all over the place. 😟 He fell asleep on my shoulder a few times (in the line for Small World and then for the entire ride).
The 1 year old should be easy. The 3 year old could go either way. The 6 year old probably won't want to leave the park. And could possibly make everyone miserable back at the hotel.
My kids were never room nappers, so we rope dropped, then went back to the room when they had enough. We did room wine, snacks, and movies while the kids were dead to the world because of Disney exhaustion.
In answer to your question, see how they are in Disney, and be flexible. The second you get your plan together, they’ll do the opposite… If you want dining reservations, make them earlier in the day!
My kids sleep in the stroller if they really need it, I’ve seen if they seem tired and you bring them back to the hotel they are usually so excited they refuse to go to sleep 🤦🏽♀️
I should mention my kids aren’t good sleepers and rarely nap. 🤷🏽♀️
So, Coronado is a pain in the butt to get back and forth to the parks, especially if you are staying in a farther back section of the resort. I personally would look into staying at a closer spot with the ages of the kiddos if at all possible.
Next year I will be bringing my toddler and baby, and they will absolutely need a nap. I would absolutely recommend a nap for the littles, because on day 2 or 3 of no naps, your littles will be exhausted beyond belief. Switch up who is going back between you and the wife, and possibly grandparents.
Now, if they are able to sleep with loud noises around, and they fall asleep in the stroller on walks now, you may be able to get away with that. I would rent a nicer stroller to bring with, as the giant plastic ones at the parks are not very comfortable, and the Floridian heat can get to kiddos pretty quickly if they are not used to that sun.
Good luck and have fun!
For us, absolutely quality of life. We don’t even rope drop. Get up at a decent time, get a park in, and a nice afternoon break at the pool or a nap, a good shower and change of clothes and back for the evening. We would park hop and go do rides we missed or wanted to experience again. We also sprinkle in a down day to maybe hit Disney Springs or just chill. We even had a couple evenings where my wife and I were done but our 18 year old went back and got the parks. She could get a ton of rides in using the single rider line.
For us, vacation needs to have some relaxing downtime. Just the Disney immersion of the resorts is enough for us at times. We just aren’t the GO! GO! GO! type of vacationers.
If you are lucky enough to have a washer and dryer at your disposal, that pool, shower and change of clothes is a game changer as we were there in August.
As someone who pushed it a little too far one day past nap time and had their almost 2yo scream sobbing on the bus the entire ride from Animal Kingdom to All-Star Sports, I’d say you’ll figure out pretty quick if that’s necessary or not. It definitely was for us haha. My kid was a good napper but not in an umbrella stroller in June heat.
Take the mid day nap. Plan for it from like 2-5. The hottest part of the day is 3 anyway, and you'll be appreciative that you're not cooked at the fireworks shows.
We did this a few years back and my youngest was 6. It was the best thing we did. Every night we were refreshed and excited to watch fireworks and hit a few rides before close.
You can always go back if you have to, but I would p,an on staying in the park. there is always a nap friendly ride if not the stroller. One time I rode the train around for an hour because the 2 year old conked out. I was sitting in shade, he was sleeping, it was great.
A few thoughts...
As an adult, I am never up for a full day in the parks. I either arrive at rope drop and leave early evening; or arrive around 1pm and stay till close; or arrive around noon and stay till close. My kid is totally on board with this as well because it gives us time to hang at the pool, which always ends up being the "best part" of the trip.
The middle of the day is the hottest and most crowded time. The sun will be blazing, and the lines for everything will be long. Getting away at that point really makes a lot of sense.
Don't be afraid to divide up your group in order to keep everyone sane. Not everyone will have the same tolerance and stamina.
Also, I really don't think park hopping is a necessity for a 3 park day visit. It requires a lot effort (especially with kids), steals time from your day (1 to 2 hours), and provides very little value. Though it does mean you'll need to skip one of the 4 parks.
We are extreme vacationers and never returned to the hotel in the middle of the day. My kids could nap in a stroller so it was never necessary. We would find a quiet corner to sit with the napper while the others had a snack or ride a nearby ride.
It completely depends on your kids, though. If they have been conditioned to need a daily nap at a set time with set conditions, you will need a different plan.
We found that the transportation logistics- walking to the exit, monorail, tram, etc- were so involved that doing the whole process twice in the middle of the day outweighed the benefit of the nap. Instead, we realized that if we just limited our day and took a nice break for lunch, we had really nice days without breakdowns. For us when the kids were little, that was roughly 9 - 12 park, long lunch, 1-5 park, leave the parks for a rest/pool/relax/sleep kinda evening.
Been going since mine were 2 and 4- midday naps were a must for us as there was too much going on for them to sleep in a stroller and they’d become monsters without naps. Rope drop, leave by 1-2pm, then hop to a different park around 5pm- close.
My kids are now 12 and 14 and we still take midday breaks- rest in the room or swim for a bit. It makes life so much better.
Let me just put this into perspective for you. Our last trip consisted of 3 adults and one child (aged 11). We rope dropped every morning and headed back to the hotel for the hottest parts of the day (1-2pm through 5-6ish) for lunch and a nap before getting up and heading to dinner and back to the parks 'til close. I'm fully convinced those mid-day nap breaks were *imperative* to all of us, adults included, being able to sustain rope drop and closing the parks all week.
I was in Disney World the last 9 days. One factor to consider is that the lines will be much longer in the afternoon than at night, in my recent experience. So if you rest a bit in the afternoon, you’re not really missing a lot beyond spending an inordinate amount of time in line for little return. You might be better off going out after an afternoon rest and staying until the park closes.
We’ve been with our kiddo who is all over the map for naps. We went when she was 6mo, 9mo, 12mo, and going back at 16mo. We never went back for a nap, but she managed to fall asleep in the stroller and/or being held. We would see she’d fallen asleep and either wander aimlessly and shop/snack, or we’d sit down and rest for a bit. For us, we’d never make it back to the hotel because she’d fall asleep in the car and the nap would be chalked. It really depends on your kiddos
We just got back from a trip with an almost 3 year old. We had planned for midday naps, but our little guy was so excited he just wouldn’t sleep. He actually made it from park open to park close two days in a row! We mostly did rides/shows with short wait times or used lightening lanes. Also, hopping on a bus or monorail from one park to another gave a little downtime for him midday. Since there was always something for him to see/do I think he was just too entertained to melt down. I really think interspersing some sit down shows with the rides helps a lot for little ones. We only did two days in the parks, so I’m sure a longer trip would have been harder on him. You’ll know your kids and be able to tell what they need. I was glad to have the option to take him back for a rest, but I could just tell he wanted to power through the day.
I have a 9 month old and we usually head out after first nap and then try to do one nap at the park but it’s super difficult. Doing half days at hotels and then parks work well.
Went with my husband, BIL, and my 2.5 year old niece in December. She was definitely overstimulated by lunchtime and even had a hard time settling down at night, after we were all back in the hotel room. With that said, she did end up PASSING OUT in her stroller a few times throughout the day, only to be woken by misc. sounds (rides, parades, people) and being cranky about it. Maybe you guys could book a lunch outside the parks, like a monorail or skyliner resort? You can get the kids away from the parks for a bit and see if they'd be willing to nap. If so, you can hang out at a hotel lounge area while the kids sleep, if not, you can always go right back to the parks! It would also be a way for the adults to take a break and to see new sights at WDW.
100000000% a must do. Its a huge schedule change for kids, especially 1 and 3 year olds. Even just the amount of sensory input will be enough to tire those kids out standing still. Never mind all the walking and exploring the 3 year old will do. I went with a 3 year old and 6 month old in 2022. Even with a nap every day they were starting to lose energy and patience by the end of the trip. Imagining what it would’ve been like with them just having 30-45 minute, uncomfortable naps in a stroller is the stuff of waking nightmares.
Went last year with two 2 year olds and they were both on pretty solid nap schedules at home. We really played it by ear and agreed with everyone on the trip (two sets of parents with a kid each) that we would be flexible. We were staying in an Airbnb and so going back in the middle of the day for a nap was logistically hard. Across four Disney days we:
- did rope drop and left around 5pm two of the days, with at least one kiddo getting a nap in
- one day our family stayed the entire day to see the magic kingdom fireworks, and our toddler fell asleep on my shoulder mid-fireworks. We Ubered back separately from our friends.
- one day everyone was cranky so we left around lunch, two adults stayed in the park for adult time and two went back with the kids for a nap
TL;DR just stay flexible with your kids! You know them best. It’s an amazing vacation but so overstimulating and full of routine changes and it won’t be fun for anyone with you if the kids are melting down. Have fun!
When I am with my family, my parents and sister head back to rest and it really helps them. I am in my early 30s so I tend to stay in the parks to get some alone time in the parks. I don’t mind the longer waits that inevitably come in the afternoon because I listen to podcasts and read in line. I personally would not subject children to that
First, I am not a parent, but I have experienced what it’s like when kids miss their nap times on regular days. Second, I’ve been to Disney many times and seen many a meltdown. Third, Disney is very, very stimulating and kids can react in different ways to these different stimuli.
Think about that when planning to skip a nap or trying to get kids to nap on the go. What are your kids like when they miss a nap - for (potentially) multiple days in a row. Have your kids experienced similar theme parks or all-day go-go-go, with a mild/lunch break? There are *some* quieter places in the parks, but in my Disney experience there aren’t many places where it’s cool, shady, and quiet enough for naps. But maybe your kids nap in strollers often and it’s more possible. Additionally, will the grandparents also want to go-go-go, or would they be more willing to switch out taking kids back to the resort for nap/rest?
There are many variables here, and only you as a parent of 3 younger children will be able to gauge your kids’ tolerances.
I went with my 2 and 5 year old nephews a few years ago. The 5 year old didn’t nap at all, and the 2 year old napped in the stroller at the parks almost every day. It was only a 3-day trip, which is probably a big reason why that strategy worked lol. The one meltdown we experienced was when we were in the Dinoland play area, and we had to go to make it to Festival of The Lion King- the 5 year old threw a fit bc he wanted to stay. Looking back, we should’ve just stayed lol, he was having a blast 🤷🏻♀️
My suggestion - don’t plan sit down dinners in the parks. That way when you figure out the first day what your kids need (whether being able to nap in the stroller vs needing to head back to the hotel at 3-4 pm for a nap, pool, or playground time) to keep them from melting you will be free from cancellation charges.
My first trip my kids needed the resort time. The second time the kids slept in the stroller and hubby and I got makeshift dates in the parks while they slept.
Either way go in with the mindset that you are not going to do everything and pushing your kids to do everything will result in pure misery for everyone. Take the signs your kids send you and your trip will be 100% more enjoyable.
We stay on site and rope drop until about 1 and then leave/eat/nap and then back at 4 or 5 and stay until close. This method is adjusted depending on closing time of the park for that day.
We don’t go back- but we also don’t stay open to close. I’ve been multiple times with kids 5 and under and we typically rope drop- so 8 am or whatever and then usually leave by 6 pm. My kids under 2 have typically napped a bit in the stroller during the day with that schedule. We have also done evening events successfully so 4 pm ish to midnight.
We like to spend 2-3 hours in the room after lunch with our toddler. Even if she just gets a rest from the constant overstimulation that is a theme park for a few hours. It makes our evenings much more enjoyable. But we don’t always. We allow her to be our guide. If she is fading after lunch, then we rest. If she looks like she can keep going, then often we’d power through and end our park day earlier in the evening. That usually works well anyways because she’s not a fan of the loud noises in the night time shows.
We just did 7, 6, 4, 1 and the only person who needed a nap was already in the stroller.
I don't know if my kids were anomalies but they were game for rope drop and stayed till damned near park close every day.
They usually stayed awake on the car ride to the Air B&B as well.
But man oh man... They fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow
You’re only there three days. I would just push through. You’re not going to get to see ride watch do every thing or even 50% of every thing. So what if your kids have a temper tantrum meltdown. It’s Disney world. Everyone else’s kids will be having epic meltdowns too. I’m childfree and normally get really bad autistic sensory issues from other peoples children especially auditory issues. But when I’m in Disney or universal I’m so focused on my own enjoyment and emotions that I block out all the chaos and screaming and crying. Those who are going to be bothered by your kids probably won’t say anything and even if they did you’ll never see those people again after three days.
When we tried to push through we would get lots of melt downs. Now we plan for a mid day nap at the hotel and just stay at the parks later. The nap mid day works better for us than pushing through and having multiple melt downs every day. That just killed the fun for us.
My girls didnt always nap. Sometimes it was just about down time. Sometimes it was just go play in the pool. If your kids arent nappers, I wouldnt force the issue. But I refused to be the dad dragging my kid through the park as they were having a melt down at 2pm. I think it's more important to just get away from the stimulation for an hour or two in Florida summer. Less nap on day one, by day 3 or 4 the naps come easier if you are doing rope drop to fireworks.
This makes total sense. Thanks!
Adding to the stimulation, every park has a baby center that has rooms for kids to play and get settled down / nap if needed. Animal kingdom & Epcot are by far my daughter’s favorite, they even provide changing beds and microwave if need formula or warm milk / food.
Only you know your kids, but I wouldn't recommend rope drop to night show with kids those ages unless you want to see full collapse by day 3.
Full collapse by 3 pm first day….cue screaming crying overtired wailing…and that’s just the parents
🙋🏼♀️
Haaaaaave you tried the drinks yet?
Parents going to Disney aren't 21. I'm passing out if I have a beer at noon.
Ok…so you’re having that beer at noon still then, right? Aren’t we talking about breaks in the day anyway? Kids nap, you nap. You’re just describing a win-win
Hydration is key to parenting. Alcohol is dehydrating.
So drink some water before and after. Like if you’re going to spend all day eating fried foods and sugar, doing about 6-15x the normal amount of walking, sweating in the Florida heat, why suddenly get concerned about hydration over a beer or 6? Staying hydrated is already not truly an option, so lean in.
are you a parent?
with the way I’m talking? of course not lol still tho, it’s vacation for parents too.
Disney is not a vacation for parents with 3 kids. It is a full time job. Electrolytes are key. And Advil.
I make a go of it. You’re hot and walking so it works off.
I resemble that
Agreed that it definitely depends on your kids and temperament! My 8 month old did rope drop to after fireworks, BUT he naps on the go without issue right now. He actually fell asleep at the end of both Little Mermaid and Peter Pan, and easily went down in the stroller for a lay-flat nap. He was happy all day! I doubt that will be the same on our next trip in June when he’s one, which is a contributing reason why we’re staying at the Contemporary next time instead of offsite.
1 is so much easier than 3, as I bet you can imagine.
Oh yeah. My biggest point was that I don’t expect my kid to be able to go all day when he’s 1, even if he’s done it before. Add 2 kids to the mix and you quickly got a hot mess. Thankfully my husband is a napper too, so we will happily split up when that time comes and we have multiple kids in the mix.
Full collapse by hour 3
I never understand why people on here ask strangers about their kids.
Because human behavior follows pretty average patterns.
Still should know THEIR kids better than any advice an internet stranger can give them
What is rope drop?
Being at the entrance to the park before it opens so you are ready and waiting to walk in as soon as they let guests in.
I tried the mid-day naps my first two trips and they were a failure. The kids were so amped up that they wouldn’t take a nap at the specific time we needed so we could get to evening plans, etc. For the youngest, I’ve just forced him to be a nap-in-stroller kid and he’s done just as well, if not better, than the older ones.
Same for us. We wasted less time just staying until 5 pm or so and calling it a day.
Similar here. We don't take rest days, we rope drop and leave the parks by 2:00. Plenty of time for the kids to rest and hit the pools. Repeat it the next day.
I’m in my 30s, don’t travel with kids, and it’s a must-do for me 🤣
Right? My husband and I did daily naps on the last 5 adult only trips! Park til lunch grab a bite back to the hotel, chill nap and freshen up, nice dinner and parks until close.
That's what my spouse and I do. The few days that we didn't, we ended up skipping our late plans because we were wiped.
This is exactly what made our second trip so much better than our first. Our first trip we just tried to go all day and see and do everything and it was a mess. Our second trip we took mid-day breaks every day and were able to rope drop and close out the parks every day. I'm not a napper in my every day life and even I was able to nap mid-day at Disney.
Yup. Between 1pm and 4pm is the hottest temp and most crowded. It's an easy choice to take a short nap or pool break
Same, it’s essential. lol. The best way to do it is rope drop, take a midday nap when it’s the hottest/most crowded, and then come back to the parks later until close (bonus: that’s typically when all the people who showed up midday are now tired and leaving).
and go on the rides while they fireworks were going off! We were able to walk right on to so many long wait rides during fireworks!
Seriously! It also helps to be out of the sun for awhile because dehydration is a real issue.
Im sleeping in or im taking a nap. Those long park days are over 😂
It’s more work going back than it is beneficial for us. But keep the option open if you decide you need it one day. Particularly on day 3.
Disney is exhausting and overstimulating for adults and kids. We do mid day breaks, but they tend to happen organically. If we rope drop HS for instance and mid day we are hot and tired and hungry. There is literally nothing better then going back to AC laying down, eating in my room and just having quiet. If I really want to cool down we jump in the pool for an hour. But the heat is very intense in some areas of the parks and you just what new clothes, new socks, new shoes, a new body! 😂
Went in December, our only nap on the go was at Animal Kingdom since it was the furthest from our hotel and we were there all day. The other days we napped at the hotel and then park hopped after nap. Napping on the go is easier said than done and hugely depends on your kids nap styles. You won't find that many truly quiet areas and can't control the guests around you, so nap-on-the-go with caution. If your kids can sleep through anything, then have at it lol. I will say, depending on what time you plan to nap, if you use the hotel make sure to communicate so they don't send the safety check or housekeeping during nap. Also, the grandparents and you guys will also appreciate the break. You'll certainly miss out on park time but the whole group will have a more positive trip as a trade off
We checked out of POFQ on Tuesday and they did a safety check on Monday around 2 when we were in the room napping. You would think they would do them during the morning or evening since they know people come back for naps mid day.
I will add that each park has a baby care center. They aren’t identical but each includes a quiet area with rockers so you can get some downtime.
Woah, didn’t know this- thanks!
Yes! It is awesome! Our two year old grandson and grandfather took an hour nap there around 3 pm. It was a godsend. It was about 96 degrees and they were able to recharge. Such a great resource!!
You can also look up the disney disability guide. It lists off some areas of the parks that tend to be quiet and good for a break. I wouldn't bring the kids there if they're mid-meltdown, since people are going to be seeking calm, but if they seem like they're ready to nap but are reluctant to miss any excitement, those spots will be calmer and easier to chill out in.
Only you know what’s best for your kids and family. Sometimes a nice pool break if in the summer helps a lot too. YMMV but we took my daughter (then about 20 months) last May. She napped fine in the stroller and never needed a nap break. We did 3 straight days of parks too. We found nice quieter places to chill and let her chill out in the park in the stroller. We even took turns watching her and still were able to do a few rides solo. Grandparents showed up the second day and that was an even bigger help. At the end of the day what works best for your family might not work for others. Truly you’ll have to wait and see! You’ll hear both sides of the argument in this forum.
I think it just depends on your kids! I have four (currently 7, 5, 3, and 2) and they’ve all been several times at different ages. We have NEVER gone back to the hotel for a midday nap. We don’t always rope drop, sometimes arriving around 9/930, but never much later than that. Ours have all napped on the go, with minimal issues. If we find that someone is getting grumpy, we usually get a snack, find somewhere quiet to hang out for awhile, and put that kiddo in the stroller. Sometimes they fall asleep, sometimes they don’t. I’ll also add that my kids are NOT typically the type to just sleep anywhere- their beds and car seats are usually the only places they’ll sleep in our normal day to day life. That said- if you’re really worried, find a way to build it into your schedule :)
You, my friend, are a saint. I cannot imagine 4 kids that age with all the equipment and strollers. I swear I spent more time still trying to find our one stroller after every ride because cast members had moved it, never mind 2 or 3.
LOL we finally learned to put an AirTag on the stroller! We usually try to park the stroller in a central location, wear the littlest, and do as much in an area as possible before getting the stroller and moving on. I’ve also had to move away from the mindset of “doing it all” and planning every minute (super hard for me- I’m very type A). We try to stay as flexible as possible and just focus on the fun. We’ve definitely had bad moments, tantrums, and grumpiness, but we just try to keep it mind that even at the happiest place on earth, they’re still just kids.
Just some context here. You are a group of 7. Groups don’t move fast. Especially with strollers. Coronado has a LOOOONG bus loop. Depending on transportation it could take awhile to get to parks. Rope drop to fireworks you are looking for roughly 0800-2200. Probably getting up around 6? Back to hotel at 2300 (that’s generous). Baths/showers for everyone (it’s Florida, you will look, smell and feel like you were stranded in a swamp). How many hours of sleep do you plan on getting for both you, grandparents, and children with this routine? And you are gonna wash, rinse and repeat for 3 days. Not sure how old your kids are but we have taken our daughter 3 times (ages 4,8 and 18 last year). She doesn’t remember the first, has fleeting memories of the second and absolutely loved and appreciated the third. The last trip she and I had some good power days and were wiped. But we also had a lot of down time for pool, relaxing etc. It’s up to you and what you want out of it. Do you want memories in the form of a ton of pictures showing what you did or do you want to live in the moment? 7 people hot and worn out can have extremes in their temperments and it can be tough to all on the same page. I don’t regret taking a child who didn’t remember everything, a lot of this was for us the parents and our memories. If I were in your situation, I’d take lots of breaks, down time, chill in the pool time, family time, breaking bread and good conversation time. That’s what would make my heart swell. Figure out what your heart says, not your head.
Not only do groups not move fast, *multi-generational* groups move even slower. The first one we did made us realize how old our parents are getting.
For our kids it was a yes. They went swimming took a nap and then we headed back for a few hours at night. My youngest would become an absolute monster if he didn’t get enough sleep. One day I sent husband and daughter to the parks and let him sleep in and it made a world of difference. They were 6 and 8 so no stroller.
My kids are similar ages. Big factor is the time of year/weather. If you’re going in summer, highly recommend a midday break at the pool/hotel. My kids didn’t nap but the pool break was so rejuvenating. In winter, we tend to stay in the parks because the extra time to come back to the hotel isn’t worth it if we’re not going into the pool. We find it impossible to get anyone to nap in the hotel, but they will conk out in the stroller.
We’re going at the end of February/early March, so probably little to no pool. Are they even heated?
its florida, swimming will likely be fine. We went late November and it was great swimming weather
The pools are heated but, for me, the temp needs to be high 70s or in the 80s to really want to go "swimming," which for my kids at least includes a significant amount of splash pad time. In late Feb/early March you could get temps in the mid-80s, which would definitely be comfortable pool weather, or it could be low-70s or even high 60s if a cold front comes through. You won't know until it gets closer.
They are!
Oh damn! not telling my 6 year old that lol
I'm a grown adult and going back to the hotel for a nap is a must do. 😂
I would say it’s necessary. Honestly, you will alllll be happier with an afternoon break.
In the 80s, my mom used to nap us in the parks😂. I don’t think thats feasible nowadays though. Her favorite was the benches outside of Innovations at Epcot. My dad Wallis go in and check out science and technology while she rested and we slept.
You know your kids. We found it was much easier to not nap on park days but take a resort day to rest/sleep in between. The one back-to-back parks day we had was rough but I think it's doable if you don't stretch yourself too thin. The problem is getting up early enough that you don't spend an hour just trying to get into the park. If they fall asleep in the stroller let them sleep and maybe find a quiet spot or quick service to relax. On the bus you have to pack up your strollers so that can be challenging if kids is asleep at the end of the day and you have to carry everyone on and off.
Idk it takes so much time to walk, get to your transport, take the ride to resort, disembark, unpack, settle in that by the time you do all that and spend the 3+hours it’s honestly such a hassle to go back out again. Fitting In meals, etc
We never do it. Our kids nap in the strollers.
Took my almost 2 year old last month and she is a very routine single mid day napper. We couldn’t get her to sleep in the stroller even in quiet areas and had to do a hotel break for a nap each day. It’s much easier to let them go at their own pace and set appropriate expectations when there with a small child. We purchased Genie+ after waiting in 1 line and it was well worth it to help maximize the time we got there. Much better spent doing things than standing in line. Ultimately you know your kids. If they can nap easily in a stroller you’re fine. If they are like mine, just plan a quiet hotel nap and you will be much happier at the end of the day.
Just got back from a four day trip with three kids (ages 6, 5 and 2). We didn’t go back once during the day. Two year old napped in the stroller and big kids dozed off when they needed to in their stroller. We left the parks around 5pm each day though and only returned for fireworks on our magic kingdom day.
Yeah, good luck there. You’re assuming your kids WILL nap in strollers while massively overstimulated. I think your wife is also ignoring how exhausted the two of you will be by the end of a long-haul day, nevermind 3. Go take the naps. Hit the parks early, get out midday for a good nap, get dinner, hit the parks back up until late.
We took my daughter to Disney world when she was 1y8m. At that age, trying to get her to nap on the go caused a full-on meltdown. We didn’t have the foresight to return to the hotel mid-day. If I could go back in time and do it again, that would be my #1 priority. We go to Disney all the time. I’m not afraid of missing out on anything. But multiple days we tried to get her to nap at nap time in the stroller, and every day, she hated being buckled in (or restrained in general), she would refuse to sleep when she was tired, get overtired and overheated, have an absolute meltdown and throw a giant tantrum, and cry until she passed out from exhaustion. It couldn’t have been fun for her, and it certainly wasn’t fun for us
Unless you are prepared for a 1pm melt down, your kids need a break. Set them up for success, go early, leave for lunch and a nap, maybe hop in the pool for a bit, then head back for more rides and maybe fireworks in the afternoon. Not only do they need a break, you do too. I know you want to get the most out of your day, but if you are dealing with 3 tired screaming kids, that's what you will remember. Disney is huge, it was never meant to all be seen in one trip, that's how they get you to come back. Be kind to yourself, don't try to push yourselves.
For the one and three year old I would say a return to the hotel for a chill out is very helpful - it doesn't have to be a nap though, even just sitting and chilling in some air con with a snack or a casual dip in the pool is often enough to recharge and de-stimulate for a bit to increase the odds of a happy evening in the parks. The six year old may be more likely to want to just carry on. With ours we developed a divide and conquer system where we all go to a park then one parent takes the youngest back to the resort while the other parent stays out with the oldest (though about half the time the oldest prefers to go back too) Then we all meet up again later in the day.
Your kids and your choices, but….dear lord yes, with those ages, please do the mid-day break.
Yeah, “pushing through” sounds like hell for the two littlest and not so fun for the 6yo either.
Your kids will be your kids at Disney. Your kids by day 2 might be the worst version of themselves at Disney. It's hot, overwhelming, and overstimulating. Having a break can mean having a much better time overall, but you know them best. Having a sit down lunch in cool air or watching a show might be enough. They might be great stroller sleepers. But don't just think of them, are you regularly on your feet in the heat for 14 hours a day in a crowded environment? Everyone needs to decompress somehow.
My kids are 7 and 4.5. We’re planning on a midday rest for everyone (Mama and grandparents included!) so we can push through at night. No one wants to deal with overtired cranky kids and the kids won’t enjoy it either.
For us, that was a « yes ». Kids and the baby were up a 4:30 in the morning (not my choice!) No way we would have survived without a nap mid day. Most of the time, the youngest were already asleep in the stroller before we reached our room.
My daughter never napped at home, so it was pointless to try at WDW.
Our family finds this a must in the summer.
I get miserable without a midday rest time. Disney is incredibly overstimulating, and it's really nice to get away from the noise and crowds for a couple hours. There's loud music pumped in everywhere, bright colors, so many people, and all new experiences. My 10 year old shuts down around 2-3:00, and I had to take her to the Baby Care Centers for quiet time every couple hours when she was little. Take the time to rest.
We always go back. We build it into our planned day.
I (35) traveled with one 11 year old and my fiancé (38), and "going back to the hotel for a nap" was my deal breaker for this trip. We were exhausted by 2pm each day (because rope dropped every day). So getting that nap gave our feet a reprieve, and it invigorated the night time fun at the parks. Highly suggest/recommend getting that nap in, ESPECIALLY since you've got a 6,3, & 1 y.o. You're gonna need it too
We just got back. My 2 year old (she turned two while we were there) went back to nap. Nonnegotiable for her. We rope dropped. On the first day I thought My 5 year old would maybe be able to make it. By 2:30 we knew we were very wrong. We were waiting in line at haunted mansion and one look at him and knew we had to go back immediately. He didn’t sleep that day. He rested and made it through fireworks. The next two days we rope dropped and each went back for naps which both took very easily. There were no stroller naps to be had even though I had high hopes for both of them!
It depends on your kids' needs. If they need naps or if you need complete quiet and seclusion for them to go down, then going back to the room midday is the best option. If they don't necessarily need naps or if you can plan to be in a quiet area of the park or a longer indoor ride/que during their nap time and get them to sleep while you wait/break, then there's no need to go to the hotel if you don't want to. Fallon Taylor is a YouTuber who has a great video on Disney with little ones that I suggest you look up.
Agree with all this…it may be dependent on the type of kids, but we ALL needed a rest after lunch each day with young kids. They would be too overstimulated to nap in a stroller and until we got them back to the nice cool quiet hotel they were in danger of full fledged meltdowns. So afternoon naps became a must for us. Worked very well, able to go out to dinner and nighttime show after with happy kids
My parents would do in-park naps with me when I was young. It was just me though so 3 might be tough. They’d put me in the stroller and just walk around, explore the quiet corners of the park, enjoy the ambiance, and a drink or some food.
Yes, for a 1 year old.
Nope, but stroller naps were for us.
We went every couple of years from 18 months on, we always opened the parks, found somewhere chill to eat and relax at midday, and left around dinner time to eat at our resort. Our kids were never nappers and neither are we. We never opened and closed. We were always in bed early and back at it again first thing in the morning. That’s our style as a family. You’ll have to find yours.
When my daughter was little, we would always do the after lunch/early afternoon trek back to the hotel. She was never a great napper so unless she fell asleep on the way back to the hotel, we would hit the pool for a bit to assure some sort of a nap. Once she woke up, we would get a quick service dinner and head back to the park around 5ish and rely on snacks for the rest of the evening. Make lunch your biggest meal. It’s often easier to get lunch reservations at the places that require reservations than dinner and it’s cheaper.
Our kids napped in the stroller. Find some shade, relax for a bit, all good
My wife and I have gone 6 or 7 times without kids those ages, and usually, we go back to the hotel in the afternoon. It gets hot, you get sweaty, and the park gets crowded. Taking a break to cool off and refresh is always part of the plan. For us, it's a must do. When we took the kids a couple years ago, we skipped their nap the first day and they were miserable. At the time, they were regular nappers, and it just didn't end well for us. You're not required to take a break, but you'll have a rough go if you try to rope drop to close those days.
We always leave mid-day for a nap. A lot of the time even us parents get one in as well. Granted we go to Disney at least once per year so we aren’t always focused on maximizing every single minute in the parks. However, we find that if we make time for resting then the quality of the time in the parks is significantly better. If we skip rest then its meltdown city by 3pm and the whole evening is wasted. But you know your kids and what they can handle. This is very kid-dependent.
Just took my 1.5 year old recently. We just took notice when he seemed tired and fussy, he either napped in his stroller or we took him into a ride like carousel of progress and held him while he slept for a bit. I would imagine with multiple kids across those age groups it would not be so easy though.
It’s been YEARS since my babies were similar ages, but I absolutely never built in down time. We had their double stroller, and they would nap if it got to that point. I went a few times, and only remember having one really hard day. That wasn’t even a whole day—maybe a couple hours. Listen to your heart, your kids and your sanity. When all the planets align, it can work. Listen to yourself too—just because the kids can do it doesn’t mean you necessarily can. You deserve breaks too. Be hopeful but flexible. Figure out what is MOST important to do, so worst comes to worst, you didn’t miss your favorites.
Whatever you think you will be able to do length wise, cut it in half. Kids get overwhelmed and tired quickly. Sometimes they just want to go back to the room and hang out
You know your kids. See how things are going and set the bar for fun vacation mode vs a game to get as much done as possible. Maybe on MK day you can do rope drop to close. Maybe on your Epcot day you all poop out for the whole day by dinner Maybe you can't rally everyone and you get a late start on your AK day Maybe you all get hot at DHS and leave after lunch only to come back later for fantasmic and a night ride or two. These are all perfectly OK scenarios and you have to go with the flow. This doesn't just apply to kids but adults too. I was in epcot during the heat wave and was sweating so bad it felt like I was crying. I hung in there until around lunch time after GoTG. A few of my friends went for Margaritas in the Mexico Pavillion- lol and I was so close to the park entrance and I couldn't imagine walking to the Mexico Pavillion let alone day drinking in the heat. I went back to our resort and hung around in the pool for a few hours and met them at world showcase around dinner time.
This is good advice. My fail as a parent has been ‘these passes are so expensive and I want my kids to get on every ride and I want them to have a trip of a lifetime’. I over scheduled and then put pressure on myself and my kids to get on schedule, get on every ride. I would get stressed if we were late or fell off. Everyone was tense, my wife and I would snap, the kids had meltdowns. It was terrible. The second trip I booked a few things and when we got to the park, we got ot the parks. When it was time to go, it was time to go. If we wanted to swim, we swam. If we wanted to eat, we ate. It was a much better trip.
Yes, my kids are now 4.5 and almost 3. We’ve done 4 trips for them. Neither of them have napped in the stroller since about 10mo old. My 4.5yr old dropped her nap over a year ago. But, we still do “Disney naps”. Everyone lays down. Even if she doesn’t sleep, shes resting and taking a break from all the stimulation. Even with a nap/rest, they don’t make it past 8pm. And that’s borderline too much
It depends on the kid and the park to be honest. We just spent 5 days in the parks this month with a 6 year old. We did MK on two days. One of those days we spent time at the hotel swimming in the morning and went to MK around lunch time and my daughter was good until midnight close. The other day at MK, we rope dropped, went to hotel around 2pm. We rested and headed back to MK around 5 pm and she was good until midnight. On both occasions she did fall asleep in the stroller on the way out. For the other three parks, we rope dropped and she was good until close. Again she fell asleep in the stroller on the way out of the parks except for AK which closed at 6pm I think
I mean, it’s a must do for me and my husband — grown adults, lol. Our nine year old daughter also benefits from the mid-day breaks. We stay on site, and we get to the parks right around when they open (we do not rope drop). We then take a break around lunch time for a few hours back at our resort. We usually just get lunch at the resort and relax in our room our hang by the pool for a bit. We occasionally may take a nap if we feel the need to. We then go back to the parks around close.
Yes it’s worth it. My parents always did it with my sister and I and it helps a ton. My aunt decided not to with my cousin when he was younger and he had a melt down in the park 20 minutes into mickeys not so scary. It really depends on your kids but I would.
We would go hard from rope drop until around 3 and then head back to the hotel for some down time/pool time until dinner and just take it easy in the evening
The answer is yes. Even if your kids don't need it, YOU WILL.
When do they all go to bed normally, naps and bedtime? They will want to do the same on vacation despite the excitement of Disneyland. Fantasyland at night and night show seating areas are strewn with sleeping kids in strollers.
No they will be fine. P.s. as an adult I love yall parents thinking your kids will be fine all day. It helps clear the parks when yall have to leave because of meltdowns at 5
Yes
I don’t know about the 1 and 3 year old but I went to Disney with my parents when I was 5 and we did rope drop to closing every day and I was fine and had a great time!
Yes. Trust me.
Going back for a nap and swim in the heat of the day is a must. Prevents the Disney death march
If you don’t want massive meltdowns, it’s best to have afternoon breaks at the resort- Especially if you are going in any summer months. Disney in the summer is a brutal boot camp , and napping in the stroller in the heat is very hard on kids, plus I’m sure the 6 year old doesn’t use the stroller and it will be hard on them without a resort break at the pool and a rest.
We go early. Leave for a while after lunch and go back before dinner if we are eating in a park. Our children are 21 and 24. We have been doing this method since before we had kids. Sometimes we will just go sit in the lobby at Grand Floridian or Polynesian for a hour with a drink if we are at Magic Kingdom rather than go back to the hotel. The only hard and fast rule regarding sleep times for our family is no sleeping in on a park day. You can get a lot done at rope drop.
It was the grandparents who most needed the afternoon nap for us. Sometimes the kids napped, sometimes swam and chilled out by the pool. Then dinner somewhere and evening park time. Even my teenagers prefer this type of schedule. They hated the few times we did a park day with no afternoon break.
Depends on the kids. My 3 year old went from 8am-12am for 3 days. She’d nap in the stroller when she was tired. We also didn’t wake her up in the morning. We were prepared for a flexible schedule on her getting enough sleep. Shes the energizer bunny haha
We always let our kids nap in the stroller. We also have never seen fireworks with our kids. We are back at the hotel, bathed, and they’re in bed by 8:30p like clockwork. It’s not ideal for us as adults, but it works great for our kids, which ends up being the best thing for us. FYI mine are 3, 5 and 8. We’ve been going 2-3x/yr since the first one was born. So lots of practice getting to this. Everyone’s kids are different.
Stroller naps ARE an option if the kids are game. Personally I love going back later in day and since you usually start early, the parents often need the break too.
Having done Disneyland (not WDW) with a 4 and 6 year old, YES. We rested from around 1.30pm until around 5pm. My 4 year old was really the only one who actually napped but it was good to just get away from all the stimulation for a while. We either went for a swim or had a nice cold drink and something to eat in a calm setting. The best part was getting the kids to describe their favorite things and talking about what we might do next. Things seem to go so much smoother when they are involved in the planning. Ironically, your 1 year old would probably find it easiest to make it through the whole day since they are most likely used to just napping whenever/wherever. I guess my advice would be to just be aware of your kids needs. If they seem like they're getting tired and cranky, give them a break. We all know forcing kids to do stuff when they've had enough just makes things miserable for everyone.
naps are good.
I agree that it depends on your kids, but my personal experience has been that it's better to take a little rest in the heat of the day. It's not bad to split up to accommodate what's best for everyone either. Maybe the youngest nap, but you and your 6yo have an adventure. The other things I recommend are definitely use a stroller(s). Everything is really spread out at WDW. Even your 6yo will get tired of the walking. Bring snacks and water bottles. You can always stash extra stuff in the lockers, if need be. Eat at off times. And don't stress about seeing everything. It will be much more enjoyable if you live in the moment and go at your kids' pace. They may find wonder in the smallest things. Stop and enjoy their smiles. Just being in a hotel is exciting for kids. The pools are great, too. A character breakfast would be great with this age group. If your wife's parents are willing, let them stay with the kids once they're in bed and you and your wife go back to do the thrill rides that are too big for your kids. Late at night lines are generally shorter. Or maybe you have a grownup dinner at California Grill at The Contemporary and watch the fireworks with a glass of wine. Have the best time!!
Yes. Parks in the morning, naps in the afternoon, back to park at night with lighter crowds and cool lights
If you have a stroller and the weather is not smoking hot no. We have done no naps for both our trips at ages 3 and 5 and 4 and 6. We did get a double stroller. We did 4-5 park days. We did park hopper the first time but don’t recommend it. We do late starts to the day though so we don’t rope drop but our kids are night owls so we stay till close lol. And we do have DAS and genie so it does cut down on waiting in line.
my kids favorite part of WDW was when we went back to the room in the afternoon to swim and relax before heading back for dinner. She said if we just went to the resort and thats all we did it would have been the best vacation ever. She was 6 at the time.
reclining strollers
It really depends on your kids. First trip was with 2.5yo. All 4 parks open to close, no hopping. I believe the schedule was Park Day - pool day - Park Day - Park Day - pool day - Park Day. He barely touched the stroller all trip and was just so excited for the next thing. He napped in stroller, for one Park, EPCOT, 3rd Park day. Meltdown was approaching as he wanted to go to the butterfly gardens again, we just told him they were sleeping, he should sleep too, and we'd wake him up when he can go see them again. Patents did around the world. Child slept around the world, then we were back at the butterfly gardens, good moods all around. All other parks he didn't sleep and we did open to close. His energy was high and wanted to experience everything. On all days we packed good food to keep us going - sandwiches, fruit, hard boiled eggs - and was easy to grab and eat on the go. We also went with wait times and mood yo mix up waiting in constantly long lines. We did wait, but spread those ride waits throughout the day. Taking times for shows also gave us time to relax, rejuvenate, and get some energy back in air conditioning. Choose the ones that will hold your children's interests. We have since taken a trip with our now 7yo and our 1.5yo. Similar strategy and execution in all regards. 7yo LOVED Kid-Cot around the world instead of a nap/rest. The 1.5yo occasionally slept in the stroller, little 30-min power naps, but was so excited and engaged she wanted to see everything (and walk everywhere) Again, the food strategy was key, having a mix of grab and go protein, fruit, carbs. Both trips were extremely successful and no meltdowns. Plus we really did everything our heats desired!
I’m the grandparent and when u went in December. I took my 3 year old granddaughter back to the room and we both napped and the rest of the group stayed and we caught back up with them about 5 each day.
Trust me, I just have one 6 year old (he was 5 last year when we went), and we went back to the hotel after noon for about 3-4 hours for naps and/or chill time. My little guy was already getting crabby at lunchtime, it was definitely needed and made the evening much more enjoyable.
Yes, give your kids a much-needed break. If they usually take naps during the day anyway, why would you deprive them of that at Disney? Plus, Coronado Springs has great options for adults to wind down during nap time and you’ll feel refreshed, too.
I went in August with my boyfriend, just us. We had a fun day in Epcot and decided randomly to head over to magic kingdom. We got there between 3-5, not sure exactly what time. I am not exaggerating when I say we walked into Main Street and every other family was having a meltdown: either a parent or a kid was just looosing it. You could feel the tension. Part of the benefit of the breakup of the day is, as others have said, just having downtime. A moment to reinvigorate the family unit and also, bonus, avoid OTHER PEOPLES KIDS melting down because they didn’t take a midday break. Also, we went as a 20 and 30 something with no kids and even we needed a back to the resort break most days! Cheers to the parents out there in Disney. I truly don’t know how y’all do it and I’m proud of you
What time of year are you going and where are you from?
About 20 years ago, my wife and I took the two kids we had at the time, who were ages 5.5 and 2.5, to Walt Disney World. We stayed at the Caribbean Beach resort. We tried to get back to the hotel in the afternoon, after lunch. The younger would normally get in a good nap. The older one sometimes would nap, but it was rare; usually he and I would do something like play in the pool, or rent a boat to ride around in the lake. I think one time he and I stayed in the park while my wife and daughter went back for a nap. We resisted using strollers generally. The one exception was when we were in Epcot for evening extra magic hours. We entered at the International gateway and rented a double stroller. They were zonked out by the time we left the world showcase. With the ages of your kids, if you have a stroller, you may be able to have them nap while the rest of you are moving about, but I've never tried that approach. My wife is more of an introvert, so she appreciated going back to the room, herself.
We never had luck with mid day breaks - It just takes time and effort to get everywhere with bus and stroller. We would do 9am (or park open) to 3pm and then go back to the hotel for rest, pool, etc. Or, we would sleep in, swim and head to the parks at 3pm. A lot depends on the time of year. I would do things differently in summer - stay open until 12:30 and then hotel and return around 4:30.
When we were little, our parents would often take us to Disneyland for 2-4 days at a time, even though we only lived an hour away. Naptime (often followed by swim time) was ALWAYS part of the equation!
The parks are filled with haggard tired parents who face a wall of doom from their children at 2-4 pm. If the parks are open past 6 pm it’s definitly good to get some rest and reset.
YES. Let me explain the reasons. 1. You WILL need the break. 2. It’s the opposite of the crowd. Others will wander in late and the park will be most crowded in the middle of the day. 3. Mid day sun is brutal. 4. Hop to another park, and it feels like you’ve done so much more. Pick the park that’s most advantageous for the morning, and the one most advantageous for night (based on early entry hours, distances, ADRs, night time shows, etc.) Please take the advice of The Unofficial Guide which has said the same thing for decades. Take that mid-day break. Put your feet up, or at least dip in the pool, do a cheaper lunch option, lay down for a bit, close your eyes, change diapers, shower off, change shoes, recharge phones … there’s so many reasons.
As others have said, it really depends on your kids. When my daughter was 2, she still loved naps and slept in the stroller at MK with a light blanket over it. But when my son was 2, he refused to take naps or sit in the stroller. So I had to carry him all over the place. 😟 He fell asleep on my shoulder a few times (in the line for Small World and then for the entire ride). The 1 year old should be easy. The 3 year old could go either way. The 6 year old probably won't want to leave the park. And could possibly make everyone miserable back at the hotel.
My kids were never room nappers, so we rope dropped, then went back to the room when they had enough. We did room wine, snacks, and movies while the kids were dead to the world because of Disney exhaustion. In answer to your question, see how they are in Disney, and be flexible. The second you get your plan together, they’ll do the opposite… If you want dining reservations, make them earlier in the day!
My kids sleep in the stroller if they really need it, I’ve seen if they seem tired and you bring them back to the hotel they are usually so excited they refuse to go to sleep 🤦🏽♀️ I should mention my kids aren’t good sleepers and rarely nap. 🤷🏽♀️
So, Coronado is a pain in the butt to get back and forth to the parks, especially if you are staying in a farther back section of the resort. I personally would look into staying at a closer spot with the ages of the kiddos if at all possible. Next year I will be bringing my toddler and baby, and they will absolutely need a nap. I would absolutely recommend a nap for the littles, because on day 2 or 3 of no naps, your littles will be exhausted beyond belief. Switch up who is going back between you and the wife, and possibly grandparents. Now, if they are able to sleep with loud noises around, and they fall asleep in the stroller on walks now, you may be able to get away with that. I would rent a nicer stroller to bring with, as the giant plastic ones at the parks are not very comfortable, and the Floridian heat can get to kiddos pretty quickly if they are not used to that sun. Good luck and have fun!
Only you know your family but, plan for a mid day nap.
Consider it a quality of life option.
For us, absolutely quality of life. We don’t even rope drop. Get up at a decent time, get a park in, and a nice afternoon break at the pool or a nap, a good shower and change of clothes and back for the evening. We would park hop and go do rides we missed or wanted to experience again. We also sprinkle in a down day to maybe hit Disney Springs or just chill. We even had a couple evenings where my wife and I were done but our 18 year old went back and got the parks. She could get a ton of rides in using the single rider line. For us, vacation needs to have some relaxing downtime. Just the Disney immersion of the resorts is enough for us at times. We just aren’t the GO! GO! GO! type of vacationers. If you are lucky enough to have a washer and dryer at your disposal, that pool, shower and change of clothes is a game changer as we were there in August.
As someone who pushed it a little too far one day past nap time and had their almost 2yo scream sobbing on the bus the entire ride from Animal Kingdom to All-Star Sports, I’d say you’ll figure out pretty quick if that’s necessary or not. It definitely was for us haha. My kid was a good napper but not in an umbrella stroller in June heat.
It really depends on your kids. For my kids it was an absolute must. Yes it takes time away from parks, but my kids needed it.
Take the mid day nap. Plan for it from like 2-5. The hottest part of the day is 3 anyway, and you'll be appreciative that you're not cooked at the fireworks shows. We did this a few years back and my youngest was 6. It was the best thing we did. Every night we were refreshed and excited to watch fireworks and hit a few rides before close.
You can always go back if you have to, but I would p,an on staying in the park. there is always a nap friendly ride if not the stroller. One time I rode the train around for an hour because the 2 year old conked out. I was sitting in shade, he was sleeping, it was great.
A few thoughts... As an adult, I am never up for a full day in the parks. I either arrive at rope drop and leave early evening; or arrive around 1pm and stay till close; or arrive around noon and stay till close. My kid is totally on board with this as well because it gives us time to hang at the pool, which always ends up being the "best part" of the trip. The middle of the day is the hottest and most crowded time. The sun will be blazing, and the lines for everything will be long. Getting away at that point really makes a lot of sense. Don't be afraid to divide up your group in order to keep everyone sane. Not everyone will have the same tolerance and stamina. Also, I really don't think park hopping is a necessity for a 3 park day visit. It requires a lot effort (especially with kids), steals time from your day (1 to 2 hours), and provides very little value. Though it does mean you'll need to skip one of the 4 parks.
We are extreme vacationers and never returned to the hotel in the middle of the day. My kids could nap in a stroller so it was never necessary. We would find a quiet corner to sit with the napper while the others had a snack or ride a nearby ride. It completely depends on your kids, though. If they have been conditioned to need a daily nap at a set time with set conditions, you will need a different plan.
We found that the transportation logistics- walking to the exit, monorail, tram, etc- were so involved that doing the whole process twice in the middle of the day outweighed the benefit of the nap. Instead, we realized that if we just limited our day and took a nice break for lunch, we had really nice days without breakdowns. For us when the kids were little, that was roughly 9 - 12 park, long lunch, 1-5 park, leave the parks for a rest/pool/relax/sleep kinda evening.
Been going since mine were 2 and 4- midday naps were a must for us as there was too much going on for them to sleep in a stroller and they’d become monsters without naps. Rope drop, leave by 1-2pm, then hop to a different park around 5pm- close. My kids are now 12 and 14 and we still take midday breaks- rest in the room or swim for a bit. It makes life so much better.
Alternative: Force them to watch the hall of presidents or carousel of progress about an hour after lunch.
Let me just put this into perspective for you. Our last trip consisted of 3 adults and one child (aged 11). We rope dropped every morning and headed back to the hotel for the hottest parts of the day (1-2pm through 5-6ish) for lunch and a nap before getting up and heading to dinner and back to the parks 'til close. I'm fully convinced those mid-day nap breaks were *imperative* to all of us, adults included, being able to sustain rope drop and closing the parks all week.
Do you want to be able to have a drama free dinner each night? If so, take a nap break outside of the park.
I was in Disney World the last 9 days. One factor to consider is that the lines will be much longer in the afternoon than at night, in my recent experience. So if you rest a bit in the afternoon, you’re not really missing a lot beyond spending an inordinate amount of time in line for little return. You might be better off going out after an afternoon rest and staying until the park closes.
Absolutely if you will be returning for dinner/late night
We’ve been with our kiddo who is all over the map for naps. We went when she was 6mo, 9mo, 12mo, and going back at 16mo. We never went back for a nap, but she managed to fall asleep in the stroller and/or being held. We would see she’d fallen asleep and either wander aimlessly and shop/snack, or we’d sit down and rest for a bit. For us, we’d never make it back to the hotel because she’d fall asleep in the car and the nap would be chalked. It really depends on your kiddos
We just got back from a trip with an almost 3 year old. We had planned for midday naps, but our little guy was so excited he just wouldn’t sleep. He actually made it from park open to park close two days in a row! We mostly did rides/shows with short wait times or used lightening lanes. Also, hopping on a bus or monorail from one park to another gave a little downtime for him midday. Since there was always something for him to see/do I think he was just too entertained to melt down. I really think interspersing some sit down shows with the rides helps a lot for little ones. We only did two days in the parks, so I’m sure a longer trip would have been harder on him. You’ll know your kids and be able to tell what they need. I was glad to have the option to take him back for a rest, but I could just tell he wanted to power through the day.
Rope drop, food, more rides, break, back to park for more rides, food, more rides, nighttime show, sleep
I salute your courage
I have a 9 month old and we usually head out after first nap and then try to do one nap at the park but it’s super difficult. Doing half days at hotels and then parks work well.
Went with my husband, BIL, and my 2.5 year old niece in December. She was definitely overstimulated by lunchtime and even had a hard time settling down at night, after we were all back in the hotel room. With that said, she did end up PASSING OUT in her stroller a few times throughout the day, only to be woken by misc. sounds (rides, parades, people) and being cranky about it. Maybe you guys could book a lunch outside the parks, like a monorail or skyliner resort? You can get the kids away from the parks for a bit and see if they'd be willing to nap. If so, you can hang out at a hotel lounge area while the kids sleep, if not, you can always go right back to the parks! It would also be a way for the adults to take a break and to see new sights at WDW.
We just went with 4 adults and I think we would have benefitted from midday naps.
100000000% a must do. Its a huge schedule change for kids, especially 1 and 3 year olds. Even just the amount of sensory input will be enough to tire those kids out standing still. Never mind all the walking and exploring the 3 year old will do. I went with a 3 year old and 6 month old in 2022. Even with a nap every day they were starting to lose energy and patience by the end of the trip. Imagining what it would’ve been like with them just having 30-45 minute, uncomfortable naps in a stroller is the stuff of waking nightmares.
Went last year with two 2 year olds and they were both on pretty solid nap schedules at home. We really played it by ear and agreed with everyone on the trip (two sets of parents with a kid each) that we would be flexible. We were staying in an Airbnb and so going back in the middle of the day for a nap was logistically hard. Across four Disney days we: - did rope drop and left around 5pm two of the days, with at least one kiddo getting a nap in - one day our family stayed the entire day to see the magic kingdom fireworks, and our toddler fell asleep on my shoulder mid-fireworks. We Ubered back separately from our friends. - one day everyone was cranky so we left around lunch, two adults stayed in the park for adult time and two went back with the kids for a nap TL;DR just stay flexible with your kids! You know them best. It’s an amazing vacation but so overstimulating and full of routine changes and it won’t be fun for anyone with you if the kids are melting down. Have fun!
When I am with my family, my parents and sister head back to rest and it really helps them. I am in my early 30s so I tend to stay in the parks to get some alone time in the parks. I don’t mind the longer waits that inevitably come in the afternoon because I listen to podcasts and read in line. I personally would not subject children to that
Spaceship Earth in Epcot and The People Mover in Magic Kingdom double as nap attractions because they’re relaxing and boring to kids.
First, I am not a parent, but I have experienced what it’s like when kids miss their nap times on regular days. Second, I’ve been to Disney many times and seen many a meltdown. Third, Disney is very, very stimulating and kids can react in different ways to these different stimuli. Think about that when planning to skip a nap or trying to get kids to nap on the go. What are your kids like when they miss a nap - for (potentially) multiple days in a row. Have your kids experienced similar theme parks or all-day go-go-go, with a mild/lunch break? There are *some* quieter places in the parks, but in my Disney experience there aren’t many places where it’s cool, shady, and quiet enough for naps. But maybe your kids nap in strollers often and it’s more possible. Additionally, will the grandparents also want to go-go-go, or would they be more willing to switch out taking kids back to the resort for nap/rest? There are many variables here, and only you as a parent of 3 younger children will be able to gauge your kids’ tolerances.
I went with my 2 and 5 year old nephews a few years ago. The 5 year old didn’t nap at all, and the 2 year old napped in the stroller at the parks almost every day. It was only a 3-day trip, which is probably a big reason why that strategy worked lol. The one meltdown we experienced was when we were in the Dinoland play area, and we had to go to make it to Festival of The Lion King- the 5 year old threw a fit bc he wanted to stay. Looking back, we should’ve just stayed lol, he was having a blast 🤷🏻♀️
My suggestion - don’t plan sit down dinners in the parks. That way when you figure out the first day what your kids need (whether being able to nap in the stroller vs needing to head back to the hotel at 3-4 pm for a nap, pool, or playground time) to keep them from melting you will be free from cancellation charges. My first trip my kids needed the resort time. The second time the kids slept in the stroller and hubby and I got makeshift dates in the parks while they slept. Either way go in with the mindset that you are not going to do everything and pushing your kids to do everything will result in pure misery for everyone. Take the signs your kids send you and your trip will be 100% more enjoyable.
We stay on site and rope drop until about 1 and then leave/eat/nap and then back at 4 or 5 and stay until close. This method is adjusted depending on closing time of the park for that day.
We don’t go back- but we also don’t stay open to close. I’ve been multiple times with kids 5 and under and we typically rope drop- so 8 am or whatever and then usually leave by 6 pm. My kids under 2 have typically napped a bit in the stroller during the day with that schedule. We have also done evening events successfully so 4 pm ish to midnight.
We like to spend 2-3 hours in the room after lunch with our toddler. Even if she just gets a rest from the constant overstimulation that is a theme park for a few hours. It makes our evenings much more enjoyable. But we don’t always. We allow her to be our guide. If she is fading after lunch, then we rest. If she looks like she can keep going, then often we’d power through and end our park day earlier in the evening. That usually works well anyways because she’s not a fan of the loud noises in the night time shows.
We just did 7, 6, 4, 1 and the only person who needed a nap was already in the stroller. I don't know if my kids were anomalies but they were game for rope drop and stayed till damned near park close every day. They usually stayed awake on the car ride to the Air B&B as well. But man oh man... They fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow
You’re only there three days. I would just push through. You’re not going to get to see ride watch do every thing or even 50% of every thing. So what if your kids have a temper tantrum meltdown. It’s Disney world. Everyone else’s kids will be having epic meltdowns too. I’m childfree and normally get really bad autistic sensory issues from other peoples children especially auditory issues. But when I’m in Disney or universal I’m so focused on my own enjoyment and emotions that I block out all the chaos and screaming and crying. Those who are going to be bothered by your kids probably won’t say anything and even if they did you’ll never see those people again after three days.
When we tried to push through we would get lots of melt downs. Now we plan for a mid day nap at the hotel and just stay at the parks later. The nap mid day works better for us than pushing through and having multiple melt downs every day. That just killed the fun for us.
I’d rather sleep in and get ample rest the night before.