Baby Sleeping on Vacation Question

[Figment78]

My little family (me, DH and DS, age 1) will be traveling to WDW next week and staying at the Wilderness lodge. We are SO excited! And nervous. Although we're WDW vets, we're first time parents. At home our son goes to sleep in his crib in his own room around 8pm (after a very regular, bath, bottle, book routine) and we did the Ferber method at around 9 months to help him start sleeping through the night better. It's rare that he wakes now, but we are puzzled as to how to help him fall alseep and stay asleep well in a hotel room with us. What if we put him down awake and he freaks out because he's in a new place? Do we leave the room (hide in the bathroom or balcony?) or lay down on the bed and pretend to go to sleep? Or what if we put him down so drowsy and then he wakes up and sees us he wants to play in the middle of the night? I know there's really no way to know, but do any BTDT parents have suggestions or advice?

Also, he'll be sleeping in a playyard on the trip. Where do you all put the pak n play's in the room? We have a bunk bed room - can we move the bunk beds to give us more space or is the furniture stationary?

TIA!
Lisa

[sleepingbooty]

I can't answer about the bunkbeds, since I've never stayed at the WL. But as for keeping your routine going, I would start out by trying to do everything exactly as you do at home - but be prepared for it totally not to work. Our experience with babies on trips is just as you had envisioned: they will not comply as easily as at home because you are NOT at home. I think you will find that you will have to be flexible and not freak out if baby goes off the schedule for a week. Yes, it might take you a month to get him back on it when you get back home, but its worth it, right?

[MidnTPK]

My little family (me, DH and DS, age 1) will be traveling to WDW next week and staying at the Wilderness lodge. We are SO excited! And nervous. Although we're WDW vets, we're first time parents. At home our son goes to sleep in his crib in his own room around 8pm (after a very regular, bath, bottle, book routine) and we did the Ferber method at around 9 months to help him start sleeping through the night better. It's rare that he wakes now, but we are puzzled as to how to help him fall alseep and stay asleep well in a hotel room with us. What if we put him down awake and he freaks out because he's in a new place? Do we leave the room (hide in the bathroom or balcony?) or lay down on the bed and pretend to go to sleep? Or what if we put him down so drowsy and then he wakes up and sees us he wants to play in the middle of the night? I know there's really no way to know, but do any BTDT parents have suggestions or advice?

Also, he'll be sleeping in a playyard on the trip. Where do you all put the pak n play's in the room? We have a bunk bed room - can we move the bunk beds to give us more space or is the furniture stationary?

TIA!
LisaI can't help with the specific of the WL, but I can offer my story and suggestions. We had and have a very similar routine with our now 21 month old daughter. And we maintained it on our trip.

Background: I visited WDW last fall with my then 15 month old baby girl. Three months prior to that we went on a trip with the in-laws where we had to be in the same room as our baby to sleep. Sleeping wasn't actually much of a problem. Our girl peeps occasionally at night, but she sleeps soundly enough that we didn't have any issues. We also put up a sheet with thumbtacks so she couldn't see us.

But if we wanted to do anything else in that same room with her (like use the bathroom, watch TV, or open a can of soda), we likely would have had some problems (as we did on anther trip). It was after this problem-trip that I knew we had to have a separate room for her to sleep in on our WDW vacation, otherwise we'd have a miserable trip to WDW.

Think about it: unless your willing to upset the routine and handle a disoriented cranky baby while on a vacation to WDW, you really need to keep things the same as much as possible. For us, it wasn't about being flexible: it was about the whole family getting a reasonable amount of sleep and having a nice vacation as well.

Our solution was to get another room (a connecting one). The baby slept in one, we slept in another. It worked very well.

Without a separate sleeping space for the baby, yes, you'll have to leave the room, hide in the balcony, or actually sleep when the baby does. Your son has been used to things being one way for 25% of his life, Is it reasonable for him not to be upset when that is unexpectedly changed?

Even the most sound sleepers go through the light and deep sleep cycles, and if you or your husband happen to be making noise during one of the light waking, a normal sleep night could turn into a nightmare....on vacation at WDW.

So my advice is to see if you can change your accommodations to somewhere where you can have a suite, villa, or two connecting bedrooms. I'd take a well rested two-connecting-room vacation at a value resort over a sleep deprived one at a deluxe.

Now there will be lots of contrary opinions to my suggestions. But I'm offering this from experience with a child the same age who use the same method of sleep training for his daughter. And I had a great trip to WDW with her at age 15 months.

Maybe you'll be surprised and he'll be a very flexible baby....but what if he's not....is a vacation in WDW the place to learn that?

[Figment78]

Oh dear - I had better not show DH this thread or he will want to cancel our trip. There is no availability anywhere else with suites or more than 1 room. Even the wilderness lodge doesn't have a second room available during our stay.

We were not planning to talk or watch tv or turn lights on in the room once the baby is asleep. Just maybe read by book light or sit on the balcony with our portable dvd player or (more likely) go to sleep ourselves! Our concern is more about what to do during the putting him to sleep part of the routine (like, will he scream when we hide in the bathroom or will he be ok... can we go to sleep at the same time, etc.)

Does anyone have any positive experiences to share about sharing a hotel room with a baby in WDW? I should share some background too... Our son was always a very good sleeper - we just hit a snag in months 6-8 when he got used to us holding him to sleep and then would wake up when we put him down, ditto throughout the night. That's why we did Ferber, and now he sleeps through the night again.

[Mickey'sGirl]

We have travelled with our boys since they were 2 months old, and putting them to bed in a hotel has never been an issue. We have NEVER had more than the one room, and we have all gotten a good nights sleep.

That said, we are flexible. There is going to be some level of disorientation when he is in a room that is not his own, but with a blankie and a toy from his own bed, you will be amazed at how easy it all is.

We always turned out the lights and made it quiet for them when putting them down, but then we would resume quiet activities after they were asleep. Of course it will be "different" and things might take a little longer, but it doesn't have to be bad.

Have a wonderful holiday

[diz_girl]

Our son was 17 months when we visited WDW in December. We didn't have problems. What problems that we did have weren't due to a different room, they were due to the fact that he had a cold. So one night he woke up a couple of times because of his cold.

We drove to WDW from New Jersey, so it was one night on the road each way. The first night we tried to pretend to sleep, but that didn't work. After an hour, we gave up and just got ready for bed ourselves.

While at the WL, one of us stayed in the room while the other went downstairs and drank coffee or tea in the lobby (their hot chocolate is good too). Whichever of us was in the room sat in the bathoom and had the door open a crack so the room wasn't completely dark and DS would be too scared of his new environment. If you don't want to sit on the toilet (with the lid down), just lay a blanket or a towel and a pillow in the tub so you can recline with some cushioning.

You could also just keep one light on by the bed (or bring a reading light) and just read a book. Ignore the baby and he'll get bored with you and settle down to sleep. Just be carefule not to turn the pages too loudly. That worked with us on our overnight skiing trip last month. As for waking in the night, if he does it, just do what you do at home. In our case, we just give him the opportunity to settle down on his own before intervening.

We didn't have a bunk bed, just a regular room at the WL with two queen beds. We put the pack 'n' play on the TV side of the room, when you enter the main part of the room past the bathroom. The room widens a little there and it created a nook that was a good place for the play yard that didn't stick out into the room.

Just expect him to take a while to settle down the first night that you are there. After the first night, he'll probably get used to sleeping in the room and should be fine. It might take him a little longer than at home, but quicker than the first night.

If you're not bringing your own pack 'n play, bring some extra sheets for the play yard, so they smell familiar to him. A stuffed animal from home also helps. We actually have two of everything in his crib so we can clean them without disruption and we have a replacement if one is lost.

Don't worry. I'm sure that your son will be fine.

[Nini5055]

OK...here is what happened with me. I went with my dd to WDW when she was 4 (turned 5 at WDW).

I did rent a stroller for her, and she fell asleep on the bus ride back to the resort. So soundly in fact that she never woke up when I removed her clothing and wiped her hands and face with a warm cloth.

Otherwise, I was prepared to do the exact same routine as home. :thumbsup:

You will be fine...enjoy your vacation!:thumbsup:

[MidnTPK]

Whichever of us was in the room sat in the bathoom and had the door open a crack so the room wasn't completely dark and DS would be too scared of his new environment. If you don't want to sit on the toilet (with the lid down), just lay a blanket or a towel and a pillow in the tub so you can recline with some cushioning.
Imagining this situation was what motivated us to get the second room. We knew that taking a 1 year old was a trip more for our own sake, than for the baby's, so we did what we had to in order for us ALL to have a nice vacation.

For folks in the early planning stage, in 2009 the Swan and Dolphin are making this pretty reasonable by offering a second room for $99 (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=151067).

Since Plan B doesn't work for the OP, taking thumbtacks and an extra sheet from home might be a good idea. You might be able to cordon off a section of the room so baby can't see you during the night....mitigating that risk

And just to clarify, we never really had a negative experience with the baby....the negative experience was when on an unexpected trip (a funeral) we were are all in one room. We needed the rest so we didn't risk waking the baby, so the whole family was quiet in the dark at 8 PM....well yours truly only needs/can only sleep for seven hours. So I sat in the bathroom reading for a while (until it got uncomfortable), then sat in bed awake for two hours until I could fall asleep.

[DisneyFr33k]

Plus, with all the excitement, I'll bet he will be tired and sleep well! Just be sure to keep him busy! :thumbsup:

[Figment78]

Thank you all for your advice and suggestions. We will definitely be bringing his comfort items that he has at home and have been napping him in the playyard that we are bringing with us for him to get used to. We plan to have him sleep there at night one or two nights this week too.

I did check the DVC rent/trade boards to see if there was any availabilty for a 1 or 2 bedroom at any of the DVC resorts and there wasn't. Yesterday I did check online availability for a junior suite at WL and there was one, today there isn't. I do plan to ask during check in, just in case. Because obviously that would be the ideal situation. Unfortunately, this was a very last minute trip necessitated by a family situation, so we are counting ourselves lucky to even be able to stay at the WL! (our fave).

[GoofyMom09]

I don't think you need to get an extra room. I have traveled with my kids many times and we have always slept in the same hotel room. I am going in April with my son who just turned 1. We plan on not staying out late at night but other than that we will stick to our normal routine. We went with my daughter when she was just around 1 and found that she was tuckered out by bedtime and she slept like a rock. We were able to move around the room, keep a light on and watch TV and stuff without disturbing her. People travel with their kids all the time to Disney and I would say that most of them do not splurge for an extra hotel room:thumbsup:

[disneynarula]

We put our nine month old son to bed under the luggage rack area when we stayed at Pop. We took the comforter off the bed and made a sort of tent for him to sleep under. It worked well for us. He slept soundly through the night. I actually woke up earlier than he did in the morning. We did keep the TV volume down pretty low.

Although he is pretty young have you considered putting him in the bunk bed with bed rails?

[disneynarula]

We also have put him to bed in the bathrooms at hotels where the porta crib will fit.

If you need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night you have to find a public restroom but it was well worth it.

I would not spend the extra money. If he gets a little off schedule is it really the end of the world?

[MidnTPK]

People travel with their kids all the time to Disney and I would say that most of them do not splurge for an extra hotel room:thumbsup:
I wouldn't describe it as a 'splurge'. A vacation in WDW is a splurge. Staying at a deluxe is a splurge. Getting a second room is a step some people take to make a vacation work out better for baby AND family.

If he gets a little off schedule is it really the end of the world?It's not about the schedule...it's about how is a baby going to react to a new environment and new sleeping conditions.

Absolutely, I agree, getting a little off schedule is not a big problem.

But a baby being awake between 1 AM and 5 AM, crying constantly, keeping the parents up the entire time (as well as the families in the surrounding rooms) is not "a little off schedule". It's a horrible experience when you're supposed to be having the time of your life....I mean how enjoyable will a trip to WDW when everybody feels horrible all day from sleep deprivation.

Now I understand the OP can't change her situation and will do everything to make it a pleasant experience.

But I think a lot of folks here are diminishing my position, and forgetting how bad some of those up-all--night evenings with a baby can be. Imagine if one of them....or several of them...happened in a single small room over consecutive nights where you spent valuable vacation time and money. In hotel room, what might have just been a few nights of unsettled sleep can be amplified into something more significant for the whole family....plus the families surrounding you whose only crime was visiting WDW the same time as you and being unlucky enough to be stuck in the room next to the nightmare family with a baby that cried all-night-every-night for a week.

[DisneyFr33k]

I kind of view it maybe a bit on the simple side. Your son will obviously be in an different environment and will get used to that over the days you are there. You being in the room with him will be just one aspect that is different. He will view you sleeping in the same room with him the same as all the new sights/sounds at the World. Once he is back home, the familiar environment and routine will come back to him and you'll probably be surprised how well he readjusts. We've traveled with our then 8 month old and were very strict with her nap, schedule and not sleeping in the room with her. She never even thought twice about us being in there with her. We wore her out, so she fell asleep fast and slept like a rock. Good luck with your trip. Do let us know how it all worked out.

[SBETigg]

But I think a lot of folks here are diminishing my position, and forgetting how bad some of those up-all--night evenings with a baby can be. Imagine if one of them....or several of them...happened in a single small room over consecutive nights where you spent valuable vacation time and money.

I don't see that anyone diminished your position. People can disagree and still be agreeable. And oh, boy, do I remember those days. Our son was not a sleeper. He's 17 and he still just doesn't need much sleep. It was especially nerve-wracking to be away in hotels and have him up crying. We did whatever was necessary to keep him quiet, and this sometimes meant breaking hard-earned patterns. It's vacation. You're not at home. The child knows this. Things happen. You do recover and get back on track.

I think you can over-stress about this. You really don't know how your child will react until you get there. He may be so tired that he sleeps like a rock every night. Or over-tired and wired. Getting a separate room for baby is an idea, but it would have never worked for us. The child can tell it isn't his usual space, which creates some disturbance right there. Couple that with waking up alone in a new space, and we would have been up all night trying to comfort him.

Kids learn pretty fast that vacation behavior differs from at-home behavior. Despite Herculean efforts to keep baby on track, your sleep pattern may be disrupted and it may take some work to get him back on track when you get home. When he's two, three, four, and even through the teen years, you will still be dealing with getting them back on track after vacation. I think it's easier to give in and realize this early on than to fight it with trying to keep vacation time the same as at-home time. The whole idea of vacation is to get away from routine, isn't it? It is for me. You're trying something new. It's fun, with some added new hassles perhaps, but still fun. Relax, enjoy, and let it unfold (and try some of the good advice other people have offered to see what works best for you). One idea might be to try a night at a bargain hotel close to home just to get a sense of how the baby will do and what you might be facing.

[MidnTPK]

I don't see that anyone diminished your position. People can disagree and still be agreeable.I didn't mean that in the sense that people have belittled my ideas....I meant that people are assuming things will work out for the better, rather than the worse.

I think the best way to help the OP is to encourage her to plan for the worst, and only hope for the best. Saying "oh, things will be fine" just calms nerves now, it doesn't address the issue and provides false security.

[VWL Mom]

We put our nine month old son to bed under the luggage rack area when we stayed at Pop. We took the comforter off the bed and made a sort of tent for him to sleep under. It worked well for us. He slept soundly through the night. I actually woke up earlier than he did in the morning. We did keep the TV volume down pretty low.

Although he is pretty young have you considered putting him in the bunk bed with bed rails?

If you did decide to use the bed rails on the bottom bunk, you could actually build a tent using the top bunk.

[Dulcee]

:ditto: to above. When my sister took her 1 year old the first time to Disney they "built" a tent with an extra sheet out of the bottom of a bunk bed (they also brought bed rails). It was thick enough to not get too hot but it kept out the extra light/noise/movements that would have been distracting. They weren't super strict on getting back to the hotel by a certain time either. They had his stroller and most nights while walking around he'd conk out in the stroller and stay asleep in transit. Try not to worry to much :thumbsup:

[Belster]

I have also follwed the same method to get all three of my children to sleep through the night. We have taken them all and never had a problem. My children DD11 DS4 and DS 1 YEAR are all very used to a strict bedtime routine. At Disney, however, we do not follow the time method. We still do bath, lotion, book, bottle, then bed but we do it at whatever time we come back to the room. They will fall asleep. I always bring a sound machine to drown out he noises you may make should you decide to watch tv, talk read or whatever. I put the machine on the floor next to the play yard and I blast it. I usually have to wake the kids in the morning to go back to the park.

As far as moving the furniture I am not sure.

You will have a wonderful time!!!

[cheeky monkey]

My kids are a bit older but we have much the same issue. We bought a playtent they can sleep in if they need more seclusion and we simply plan to go to bed earlier ourselves. THe playtent is just a kids tent we bought for less than $20 at walmart but it seems the bunkbed and sheet tric would do the job as well.

[Figment78]

I didn't mean that in the sense that people have belittled my ideas....I meant that people are assuming things will work out for the better, rather than the worse.

I think the best way to help the OP is to encourage her to plan for the worst, and only hope for the best. Saying "oh, things will be fine" just calms nerves now, it doesn't address the issue and provides false security.

OP here, hijacking my thread back on topic. Perhaps I didn't explain my "issue" clearly enough. I was simply wondering what other parents whose very young children who typically go to bed alone in thier own room did when they were sharing a hotel room. Did they still put him/her down awake and "leave" to another part of the room, or did they help him/her or her out more, and put the baby down basically asleep? I wasn't asking about what to do while he sleeps before we go to bed. Just asking for shared bedtime experiences. I didn't intend to spark an argument!

(and I also asked where people put the pack n plays.) :mickey:


Getting a separate room for baby is an idea, but it would have never worked for us. The child can tell it isn't his usual space, which creates some disturbance right there. Couple that with waking up alone in a new space, and we would have been up all night trying to comfort him.


This is exactly the other side of our debate. I'm fairly certain that if it were me sleeping in a new place and waking up alone, I'd freak out. (Granted, I really don't know how a 1 year old thinks, but still). Basically, I've come to conclude that it could go either way - he could scream if he's in his own room, be it a suite or a connecting room, or he could scream because he sees us and won't sleep except in our arms. Which, actually as long as we can change that habit when we get home, doesn't bother me either.

I am probably over-stressing with this subject, b/c of my past experiences. I was one of those children who really hated going to sleepovers at friends' houses and always made my dad pick me up in the middle of the night. Then again, I was never like that on vacation with my family - never gave it a second thought. The only nightmares I used to have were about jellyfish and sharks on our beach vacations! :secret:

I firmly believe in vacations. It's a time for families to bond and make memories. My very favorite memories from childhood are from our WDW trips. It created a bond in my family that I don't think would have been there otherwise. DH and I have highly stressful jobs and do not plan to put vacationing on hold for 10 years while we have children and wait for them to grow up. Vacations definitely are a break from the norm, but sooner or later, we are going to go on one. (In fact, the April 2010 WDW trip is non-negotiable, according to my sister) :mickey:

[BedknobsandBroomsticks]

First of all, it doesn't hurt to say don't worry! Worrying won't get you anywhere. Plan and be prepared. I definitely advocate taking a "sound box" or noise machine, whatever you want to call it. Sharper Image makes a great one. We never travel without them for all of us. Drowns out annoying hotel sounds and relaxes cranky kids! We have put our son in his pack and play in the bathroom (a small one too!) Don't laugh, he slept great and we didn't have one problem. 2 rooms is obviously the best but that isn't always practical. We have 3,
DD 12, DD8 and DS6. Even now with two rooms, things come up. DD8, has an asthma flair up, well guess what, she moves to our bed so the other kids can sleep. You have to be flexible. I can sleep on a bed of nails with a freight train going by but my DH is less flexible so I try to do the tough stuff while he goes for a drink or walk. I will do whatever I have to do to get them settled and there has always been a solution. They never stayed up all night crying. An hour, yes. He, your son, will be tired after the heat and a day at the parks so he will sleep. Stick to your routine as much as possible and just go with the flow. I have slept in a room with my son in Packnplay with my adult cousin, and we did fine. This was a weekend at the shore. I just went to bed when he did. Make sure you bring infant tyleno/motrin and some for yourself too. Have a great time and don't sweat the small stuff. :mickey:

[diz_girl]

Just another note -

We also do the same routine as at home (bath, lotion, pjs, brush teeth, book, bed). We put him down awake and let him settle in by himself. Just like at home, it would prevent him from freaking out if he were to wake at night and not find us holding him. We've had week-long vacations with him three times and also two weekend/overnight trips with him and we've never had him up all night cyring because he is in a strange place.

Having him in the same room with us actually helps him fall asleep and get back to sleep if he wakes at night better than if he had his own room. As a pp mentioned, a strange room is stressful enough for him, but being alone in a strange room is even more stressful. He actually has a tougher time falling asleep when he has his own room on vacation than if we shared a room. I'm a light sleeper and I've noticed him wake at night. He usually stands up, looks around, sees DH and I and then lays back down and falls asleep.

Also, just having a light on at the far side of your bed from him should be enough light to allow you to read until you go to sleep, but not too much that it keeps him awake.

Weather permitting, you can just sit out on the balcony. I don't recall if the balconies at WL have lights, but I don't think that they have them. In case they didn't, when we were at WL we brought a Coleman rechargable lantern to use on the balcony, so that we could sit out on the balcony and read while DS sleeps. You can have the door closed, but the curtain partially open so that he can see you, but you can read/talk and he can't hear it. We didn't use it, as it was chilly at night on our trip in December, but it's definitely an option that I would still try when it's warmer.

Good luck!

[Disney Doll]

I think many people are making too big a deal out of this. I would definitely not get a 2nd room because I just can't see that being necessary and it's quite an additional expense. We have taken 2 trips with our 1yr old, one at 12 months and one at 15 months. We had absolutely no problems.

We co-sleep, but DS always goes down by himself for the first few hours until we are ready (at home and on vacation). The fact that we were in the room when he first went down wasn't an issue. I usually lay with him and nurse for a few minutes which I did and he was so exhausted from all the day's activity that he was always out in no time. We did bring our white noise which DS is accustomed to using at home. That masked some of the noise of us being awake in the same room and we actually watched TV and talked quietly while he slept.

The pack and plays are small so you might consider a bed with rails. My son is on the big side so maybe the pack and plays would work for a "normal" sized 1 yr old. CSR brought us bed rails to use at no charge.

BTW, if you are stressing out about it chances are your son will pick up on that.

[GoofyMom09]

[QUOTE=MidnTPK;1851046]I wouldn't describe it as a 'splurge'. A vacation in WDW is a splurge. Staying at a deluxe is a splurge. Getting a second room is a step some people take to make a vacation work out better for baby AND family.


Sure, some people may not describe this as a splurge. For my family it would be because it would significantly increase the cost of our vacation. I would rather take that money and use it for something else on the vacation. Getting an extra room does not guarantee that you will get good sleep on your vacation. As a parent you are never guaranteed sleep, but that comes with the territory. I think it is best to stay positive and hope for the best...there are lots of worst case scenarios. There is no reason to worry about every one of them.
To the OP: We do wait until the baby is mostly asleep before putting him down on our trips. Also, we lie down and pretend to sleep with the lights off until he goes to sleep. After he went to sleep we could wake up and do what we wanted. I hope that helps:mickey:

[LuvAllPrincesses]

My family of 5 just went on a cruise (talk about cramped space), including our just-turned-2 son, who has notoriously been a horrible sleeper - but has always been good about putting himself to sleep alone in his crib. I expected to get no sleep...that little guy slept better for those 10 nights than the previous 2 years! We accustomed him to the playpen at home for naps, took sheets and "lovies", and a very loud white noise-maker. We had him play in the pack-n-play as much as he was willing the first day and made it a familiar place. We did the regular bed-time routine, then all went to bed at the same time (for those of us who were in the room - the balcony was a life-saver); he never once popped up and looked at us even though I put a blanket over the side facing the beds, and then we could turn on the reading lights, TV, etc. after he was sound asleep - though we usually were sound asleep, too. I think he was just too tuckered out from vacation fun to stay awake. So, I expected the worst and got the best; I hope the same works out for you!

[disneynarula]

To answer to OP question. We just do as close to the same bedtime rountine as home. Then they get the idea that it is time to sleep! Our little guy goes to sleep on his own and so we did the same thing at WDW.

[iammrsnesbitt]

We have taken our 2 kids, (now 2 and turning 5 during our trip in April!) on WDW trips every year, as well as several other hotel stays over the years.
We always try to do the normal routine and then tuck the little one in the playyard in the farthest corner possible. Depending on the hotel room, we either push the table away, or tuck it in the closet area, or between the one bed and the wall - look for a little nook! We put a blanket or a towel on the side so that they couldn't see us through the usual mesh sides.
If your son is used to falling asleep on his own in his crib, he probably won't have any problems in a playyard with his own blankie, comfort object, etc. He'll know that you are still in the room, I'm sure, but that will probably be comforting. We were worried on our first trip, too, but it went totally smoothly for us. They are always so tired from their stimulating day that they fall asleep pretty quickly. We just went to the other side of the room and read with a small light on - trying to make it as close to their usual situation as possible.
You know your son - if he is a touch-and-go sleeper at home, he probably will be at the hotel. If he is in a good "sleep on his own" routine, then he will probably be fine.
Good luck! Have a great time!

[kakn7294]

We never had a problem with our DDs on vacation. They slept in their strollers when tired, were very flexible in their schedules - we never kept to one at WDW, and went right off to sleep when put down for the night. They never woke up to play in the middle of the night and all stayed in 1 room. We just placed the pack 'n play along the wall opposite the beds, usually between the dresser / tv unit and the table. We always took their own blankets and favorite toys - just be sure to pack them up in the morning so they don't accidentally disappear in the laundry.

[Figment78]

Thank you ALL for your wonderful responses, suggestions and advice. We have adopted the idea of preparing for the worst (by doing things like bringing a white noise machine - purchased one yesterday - thanks!), but not worrying about it. My philosophy about worrying is often that the only purpose it should serve is to help you prepare. Once you are prepared, the emotion of worrying is unproductive. So I'm prepared and now I'm going to let it go and just be excited to introduce my son to my favorite place!!!!

Thanks again everyone - this thread was very helpful!