Small Children and # of hours in the Parks?

[Disney1977]

How many hours do you take your children to the Parks for?

This weekend we went to a local amusement park for 9 1/2 hours. Boy was that a mistake. My three children ages 3, 6, and 10 were wiped out the next day.

So what do other parents do? Thanks.

[disneygeek84]

I don't have kids yet, but I went when we were little, so I can tell you what we did when we were little.

We ALWAYS took an afternoon break to take a nap/rest. It was not an option. My mom would make it as dark as possible in the room and make us lay down for at least an hour, if not more. This helps out SO MUCH for the rest of the afternoon/evening. Even if you do go for 9 1/2 hours in the park, if you break it up with a nap then you might be better off. Otherwise, just call it a night early (around 8pm or 9pm) and head back to your room.

With younger children, I would take advantage of AM EMH instead of PM EMH and just avoid the parks that have PM EMH. If you're going to bed earlier your kids may wake up earlier and that would make AM EMH easier.

That's just my :twocents: and I'm sure that someone else will be able to help out more.

[spb]

There could be a million answers to this question, because every child is so different... As for us, we were just in WDW in May and our four year old Son did so well with a ten hour park day (11:00-9:00)! He would get a bit edgy around 4:00ish and then completely revive after dinner. We figured if he was okay, we weren't stopping. It's only a week, after all. :mickey:

[LittleLady]

During a 6 day stay we usually spread out the park time to an average of approximately 5 hours a day. When my son was four we would spend one morning and early afternoon at one of the parks, then go back to our room and play it by ear. If he took a sufficient nap or at least rested for an hour or two then we would go back to the park around dinnertime. If not, we would just wait until the next day and spend our morning swimming or relaxing, then go back to one of the parks in the afternoon and stay until closing. We are going again in November and since my daughter is now four, we will try to follow the same type of routine. :mickey:

[ParkMan]

I agree with the earlier poster - this will vary greatly based on the child.

Last time we went our kids were 3 & 4. We'd leave the hotel around 9:00 and get back to the hotel around 10:00 at night. A couple times we'll get back around 8:00 and call it an early day.

We don't do naps or breaks in the afternoon.

I think you really have to gauge your kids. We go on a lot of "treks" with our kids. A 10 hour day on a trip for them is something they've done all their lives.

However, we will get together with friends with kids of the same age and we'll see them have a much different tolerance.

The big thing we learned - just make sure to allow time during the day for them to unwind. Find a play area or a place for them to have fun.

[cal5755]

I agree that it depends on how your children are. I have 3 children age 5,9,13. Last year I wore out before they did. We opened and closed the parks most of the time we were there with no naps or breaks. Of course all 3 of my children are Disney addicts as well. There is not a car ride where we don't play 20 questions Disney style or are talking of past trips. They even sit around the computer watching slide shows of Disney pictures over and over again. Then there is Disney princess monopoly and Disney trivial persuit and Disney scene it. Last week my youngest informed me that there was only 25 days left until our next trip so we need to only watch Disney movies now. Once we get to WDW they need to go go go and absorb every bit of magic and fun they can. They said resting in the rides and shows was enough lol.

My cousins children needed breaks and they are around the same age as my kids. They would go to the parks in the morning with us then after lunch go back to the hotel to relax in the pool and nap and then joined us back at the parks later on.

[ryca1dreams]

Afternoon break

It may seem like a waste of time, but it's not. We lost a whole day when the boy was 5 because of a low grade fever - we just kept pushing and pushing until, wham!

Kids (some kids) will keep going until they hit that breaking point, even though they are tired. I guess mine was one. (now that he's a tween it's hard to get him moving at all!!!)

The afternoon break is a must.

[yjgirl32]

It really all depends on your children. My ds can go early in the morning and not stop to take a nap on some days and then othersx he may need a nap. Most of the time he took a nap in my lap when we park hopped. Good luck.

[Dyanna]

We went last year for 5 days when DD was 10 months old. Did full days & nights in the parks with no breaks. She just napped when she got tired. Will be going back in Nov for 7 days & plan on doing the same thing.

[MNNHFLTX]

We lived near Disney World for much of my son's life, so were able to make frequent trips there. Because of that we never felt the need to go full-speed all day long. When he was younger we would typically get there as soon as the parks opened and stay until late afternoon or suppertime without any breaks. Sometimes we would sleep in and stay later at the parks so that we could see the fireworks and night-time shows. By the time my son was 10, I was the one asking if we could back to the resort at a decent time in the evenings, lol!

[FriendsofMickey]

We have taken our girls for the past 3 years (this year is coming up). So, they were two weeks shy of 3, 3 3/4, and 4 turned 5 while there.
Each time, we stayed at the park all day (most days), but then let them sleep the next day until they awoke. They are usually early risers, but would sleep until 8:30, 9:00. We would then get up and go to the park.
Now when we go, the parks usually close earlier, we have always been back to the room and had them in bed around the 9:00 hour. We also have never stayed to see fireworks at EPCOT because we felt they were too late for the girls.

We have (I think each visit) taken them back to the resort for a 'rest' each visit at least once during our visit. It always ends badly with them not falling to sleep and dh and I stressed over it. It is not worth it.

I know for some it would not be an option, because their kids are wired differently. Our girls have never had a melt down at the parks (knock on wood ;) ) So, it works just great the way we do it for us.

[Goes4FastPass]

Afternoon breaks sound good and are good - if they happen. I once scheduled an afternoon break where a parent and small child in our party shopped at the resort all afternoon then annouced to us they were tired and 'done' an hour after arriving at MNSSHP (:mad:).

And in warm months, the MK is a much cooler place at 11pm than 11am, let alone 4pm.

And some of the best experiences in WDW - Wishes, Spectromagic, Illuminations and Fantasmic - happen only at night.

I guess one approach could be play 'til you drop but be prepared, have you ever noticed how small kids. when they decide it's time to sleep, it doesn't matter how much light and noise and everything else is going on, they're done (and I think a child's weight triples and their temp goes up 10 degrees when they sleep).

[DawsonAR]

We are always at the park around opening and we leave around 4 or 5 pm. We have a nice dinner at the resort, relax and get ready for the next day. This works well for us. We did each of the evening parades, fireworks etc. previously and they don't have the desire (yet) to do them again. We tried the afternoon break thing and it didn't work for us. The kids wanted to play or swim and didn't get any rest. It is different for each family, but you can try a few different things until you get what works best for everyone.

[Lizzie]

It really depends on the kids. We stopped for breaks last year when our twin girls were a year and a half and we would go back and jump in the pool and than nap and they both naped.

But we took them to DL when they were almost 2 and stopped for naps one of them would nap the other didn't. But the one who didn't always napped in the stroller later that night.

[Mousemates]

There is not a car ride where we don't play 20 questions Disney style or are talking of past trips.

:ditto: We too get to enjoy DisneyWorld even when we're not there by playing 20 questions WDW-style.

[Sharon1026]

Great question. I see so many families going to Disney and being theme park commandos. The kids are miserable by the time it's dinner time. Parents need to remember that it's about the family time together... Parents tend to get hung up on the "I paid X $$ to be here, we are going to see everything!" and lose sight of the bigger picture, which is too bad.

We go at our own pace. Sometimes we take breaks, other times we don't. We gauge it by how we feel and make sure that we are all having fun!

[bigbabyblues]

My boys are 7 and 5, and we've taken them 3 times to WDW.

We usually get to the park at opening, sometimes a character breakfast before opening. We stay until lunchtime, and then go back to the resort and rest. We go back around 4:30 or 5, in time for dinner and things. We usually stay until closing, but if they (or we) are too tired and can't make it, we go back to the room. We also take our break earlier if it's starting to look like we need to.

Last year, DH and DS6 (at the time), stayed at DHS all day, while I took DS3 back to the room to rest. We didn't end p staying for Fantasmic, so it worked out ok. DS6 was really tired, but he really, really wanted to see all of the Power Rangers, and they ended up having to stand in the lines 3 times the PR ame out.

There is no way we can go all day, from open to close.

[Mickey91]

We have taken our kids as young as 15 months and have stayed all day. When they are tired they rest in a stroller. We are only there a week out of the year. One week being off schedule won't hurt them.:mickey: They always did very well. Now they are 10 and 14 and they know, we get up at dawn, go to bed after midnight, and stay in the hot park all day in between.:mickey:

[MickeysEars]

our kids weather parks about everyday we are there. we make sure we have strollers. last year our 2 year old sat in the stroller we brought from home and we rented one for the 5 year old. it was money well spent. and the length of stay stroller ticket was a good deal, but don't lose it like we did :-o

[momof3+twins]

With 5 kids it is all about breaks. We usually skip early mornings ( except MK) and just go at 9 am. Then we leave right after lunch between 11:30 and 12:30. Then take a long afternoon break and return at 5 pm and then stay until 9 pm.
Don't stay late. And take a whole day break if time allows. Just don't push it. Decide which rides you want to see and don't worry about the rest.

[homeschool mom]

We've taken both of our boys (along with their older sisters) at ages 1, 3, and 5. We are "all day long" park people. We generally get there when a park opens and leave when it or another we have "hopped" to closes. When the boys were little, they slept in their strollers when they got tired in the afternoon and usually at the nighttime parades or fireworks. There were probably some minor melt downs at times, but nothing to make a lasting impression on any of us. This type of vacationing has always worked for us, but it won't work for everyone. You need to figure out what works best for your children.

16 days and counting! :thumbsup:

[GrmGrninGost]

We usually go to WDW once a year for 8 or 9 days. We hit the parks at 9:00AM and leave when they close. We have been doing this since our oldest DS was about 15 months old. When the kids got tired, they rested or slept in the stroller. DS is now 14 and DD is almost 11. They wear me out! But, we're only there for a few days a year, so we make the effort to see and do all we can! I don't think anyone in my family could do it any other way! After all, it is Walt Disney World! :mickey:

[SAnderson70769]

Well not to bore you, but here's a little history from my family: When my wife and I were first married, went took a trip to WDW. I remember both of us seeing people with small children and looking at each other saying "when we have kids we're NEVER bringing them to WDW until their old enough!" With that said, our daughter is 5 and she has been every year of her life including her first trip at 11 months (although we took Maw-Maw along!).

It probably really does depend on the child but our days are always this: We arrive around opening time at the parks - usually stay until around 1pm. Go back to the resort, eat lunch and take a nap. Get up and get dressed around 5 and then head back to enjoy the evening for a few rides/shows and then fireworks or whatever. It has always served us well!

Unless its just for one of your days, I wouldnt be at the parks for an entire day/night. The break in the afternoons always seem to revive all of us (not just the little one) to enjoy our evening more!

Have fun!

[Mrs Bus Driver]

Remember you are there to have fun, if someone in your party isn't having fun one or more of you needs a break. If you don't want to leave the park fine, find a cool shady spot and let everyone unwind.

There were probably some minor melt downs at times, but nothing to make a lasting impression on any of us.
What may be nothing to you could be very annoying to others around you that have to watch/listen to it. We are all there to have fun and really I don't enjoy the kids melt-downs. I am going to WDW in 27 days and I don't get to go every year, it has been 6 since my last visit. Please be courteous to your children and others. Just my :twocents:

[megustamex]

Depending on when you go, the heat can be ungodly in the afternoon. And that will wipe you and the kids out faster than anything. The whole point is to enjoy your vacation, relax and have some fun. Pushing ourselves in the past has resulted in extreme fatigue and general crabbiness on the part of everyone, especially me! For us the best way to enjoy ourselves with kids is to have a nice breakfast at the resort, get to the parks around 9:30, stay for a few hours, eat lunch at the parks or head back to the resort for lunch, maybe catch a quick swim or just go right to the room and lie down for a while. I usually need that break in the afternoon just as much as the kids. Also, if you go when it's hot you can come back to the room dripping wet after a steamy morning, so we usually just roll out of bed in the morning to go to the parks and shower in the afternoon before we head back out into the cool(er) evening if we're there in hot weather. I can usually sneak a shower in while the kids are still napping. It's also a good time to leave my husband sleeping with the kids, hit the pool and get our laundry done! Then we head back out to the parks around 5:00, have dinner and enjoy the beautiful Florida evenings.
When we were single we used to love doing 3 parks in one day, staying out till all hours of the night and never returning to the resort till evening. Now that we have kids we really appreciate all the amenities of the resorts at Disney, and that is as much a part of the vacation as the parks. Sometimes my daughter is more excited about going to the pool or the fountains at the resorts than going to MK!

[masondoggy]

A little question for those of you who do take an afternoon break....what time of year do you go? Because we're looking at going the second week of February and it looks like the parks aren't even open past 8 (9 at the latest). So I'm almost wondering if an afternoon break is even worth it. It may just be better to leave early in the evening and go enjoy a nice dinner back at the resort and go to bed or something.

How do y'all do it who go in the winter months when the parks close early?

[Madzac]

Pre kids, we were very much theme park commandos, went from opening to closing most every day and loved every minute of it!!! Since we dont get to go every year, it is hard for me to take it slower because I want to see and do everything!

Our last two trips were the first with kids. At WDW in May of 2006 the kids were 1 and 4. We did our first day all day, but after that we tried to alternate days. We would be there at opening, and then head back around 1pm for a couple hours. They didnt always sleep,especially the older one, but sometimes even just a change of pace hopping in the pool and cooling off made a difference. They always wanted to swim and somehow the break really revived everyone. Then we would head back for dinner reservations and stay for the evening fireworks/parades. If we stayed out late (ie illuminations or fantasmix or spectromagic) the next morning we planned a character breakfast at like 1030, then went on to the parks from there and stayed until 8 or so with an earlier evening. This allowed us to sleep in a little more, and have an earlier end to the day. I have to say, my 4 yr old at the time did great! My 1 year old did much better on days we took the break. This plan worked very well for us and I plan the same thing for our next trip when our kids will be 1,4 and 7.

As for the off season, we went to DL in Feb of 2007 and while there we did go all day. We stayed offsite and decided we would rather just go all day. We still arrived at opening, since you can do so much early on, but with the parks closing around 8pm we were back to the hotel and to bed earlier. Each night both kids had to be carried up to bed! They were worn out but still did great. The then 2 yr old still napped in the stroller and really did well. But it was only four days of doing this, not 8!

The younger one napped well in the stroller as he needed to, but my older one would not give in unless we went back and laid down... too much going on! Also, since the younger one couldnt go on some of the rides, we would baby swap and that was a great chance for him to nap or wear off some energy playing.