I can't believe I'm asking a Disney question

[rupertpenny]

Actually, this applies to any amusement park/all day activity. 

If your kid still takes a nap what do you do when you're at Disney? What if you can't go to a hotel and your kid doesn't sleep in strollers? Just tough it out? Only go a half day? 

I'm from Orlando and I'm going to be home at Christmas so I thought we'd take B for a day (we can get in for free) but I have no clue what to do nap wise. There are also some theme parks where we live (one is actually Disney, one is something else) that I've thought about taking her too but they are both too far away from home to go back for nap time. One of these places is has a lot of animals and I think she is at the age where she would really like it (and our normal zoo sucks) but it just occurred to me that naps may be problematic. 

Maybe I should ask my parents. I know I went to Disney when I was still napping age, but I think I would also sleep any place any time so maybe they won't be of any help. 

[VillainV]

If you can go for free at Christmas, then I would just go and see how your LO does. If they are hanging in there, then stay, if they start to fade, then you can leave. And it's not like you'll feel like you're wasting money by leaving early.

[Deleted]

I was worried he would be cranky if he didn't get a good nap but he napped fairly well in the stroller. I was jealous of the parents I saw with five year olds passed out fully upright in umbrella strollers but I had to work hard to maximize optimum stroller napping conditions - shade, movement, less noise, etc.

One day he only napped for thirty minutes and them raged hard for ten hours. We paid for that the next day.

I say get there hoping to get a few good hours in and bail if necessary.

[Stingyshark]

We were at universal yesterday from 9-6. Dd finally gave it up when I put her in the tula around 2. She slept for maybe 45 minutes. Then she fell asleep in her stroller as we were leaving.

Then we went to dinner, and didn't get home until 9:30. She did really well. I was shocked. We might pay for the lack of good naps today..

[londoncalling]

We planned for 2/3 or 3/4 days. We rope dropped at the park, and only made plans to be there until 2 pm or so. And then kept reevaluating as we went along. Dd2 did really well and has NEVER napped in a stroller in 2.5 years. She took 3 naps at the parks and did really well.

The days that she didn't nap at the parks we ended up leaving around 4 pm for the day and the days she napped we were able to have longer days.

[h]

I think it just depends on your kid. Some people plan shorter days, some kids stroller nap, some kids are fine without naps.

When we did Legoland when our kids were almost 4 and 15 months, the younger one napped in the stroller. When we did Disney World when they were 5.5 and almost 3, we went to the parks for 12+ hours straight, and nobody napped or seemed to miss it. We are doing Disney again in March with 7, almost 5, and almost 2 yos. Our youngest will have to nap in a stroller or carrier or skip it.

[rupertpenny]

@notquiteblushing I am so jealous whenever I see a kid napping in a stroller. Or whenever I see a kid asleep in public. Or whenever I see a kid happily in a stroller, lol.

londoncalling what is rope dropping? Just being there when the park opens?

I guess if we have to leave early it won't be the end of the world. Is there even that much to occupy a 16 month old for a whole day?

[oliviapope]

My kids never sleep in a stroller-unless at Disney. Even my six year old crashed in the Bob a few weeks ago! You are going to do one day, and it will be free-just go! If he sleeps he sleeps, but chances are he will be so stimulated that he will keep going until he passes out don't worry about "nap times" just see how he does.

[ginkgoleaf]

DS will nap in the stroller at six flags, so I imagine her do the same at any theme park. I can't remember the last time he napped in the stroller not at a theme park - I think the noise, constant motion, etc must help put them out.

[origami]

We toughed it out and then put the kids to bed early. One usually napped in the stroller, the other didn't. This was at 2-3yrs though. Younger than that I would have prayed for a stroller nap and probably would have been forced to make it a half day due to crabbiness.

[dancingirl21]

J never naps in the stroller but ended up taking a 1.5 hour nap both days we were at MK and Epcot. We would just walk him around in a cool gift shop for a few minutes and reclined his seat and he conked out. I think the excitement of it all exhausted him. Good luck!

[madringal]

For one day? I would tough it out and go without a nap.

ETA - I took DD2 when she was 15 months old, and even crabby after 3pm, we had a great time.  She was OVER it however by firework time.

[tealblue]

For one day, I'd tough it out and go. My kid was the worst sleeper ever and I got into the mentality that we had to be home for bed and nap time. Now that he's older and can do ok without a nap/pushed back bedtime, it's still hard for me to get out of that mentality and go with the flow. We did a vacay when he was 20 months and he did not sleep well or nap consistently for nearly a week. Surprisingly he wasn't a beast. I just went with it and he crashed occasionally and was a party animal the rest of the time.

[carolinagirl831]

My kid will easily nap in the stroller, so she'd pass out in the park. We would not leave or go back to our room, but dd is not that kind of kid

[auberge]

Our 4 yr old made it from 11am-7pm this summer before we could tell we needed to go. Under age 2, he would nap in the stroller but not since then.

Our 1 yr old has been to legoland and disney with us. At legoland, we were there all day and she slept in the ergo. At disney, she slept in the stroller.

[londoncalling]

rupertpenny. Yep. Just being there in time for the opening show/park opening.

For one day I'd just go and power through as long as possible.

[dragonfly08]

This is one reason DD #2 didn't go to Disney until she was 4. I wasn't paying big bucks for all of us to potentially be miserable from nap time on. But if I'd had the opportunity to go for free for a day, I'd have stuck her in a stroller and toughed it out as long as possible, hoping for the best! Be there when they open, hit your must do rides first, and you may be surprised that she's so stimulated/excited by everything she either powers right through nap time, or she surprises you and takes one in the stroller anyway.

[lishie]

My boys always fell asleep in the stroller at Disney. They had dropped naps for me well before our trips, but were so exhausted from all the activity at the parks that they snoozed in the stroller (even at age 5). One trip it was great, DS2 fell asleep around 1, and DH and I were able to sample lots of snacks and drinks at the world showcase during food and wine festival. We'd never have been able to do that had DS been awake at time.

If your child likes animals, AK may be a good choice, as it may be a little less crowded during the crazy christmas crowds. We're visiting DH's sister in Orlando at Christmas. We're going to brave the crazy crowds since we have AP. I'm scared, but we're doing it anyway