If you are planning on going to Walt Disney World with little ones, you might be wondering how to accommodate naptimes. Because the parks are definitely intense for young kids, you might have a crying, shrieking child on your hands by dinnertime if a regular nap is skipped. There are a few options for making sure that your child gets the sleep she needs while on your Disney vacation, and some will work better than others depending on the personality and sleep habits of your child. Here are some ideas on sneaking in a nap at Walt Disney World:
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Leave the parks in the afternoon. This is a popular option among many families. The afternoons in central Florida can be quite warm, even during the winter months. For this reason, some families choose to get to the park when it opens, stay until after lunch, then go back to their resort or hotel room for naps and maybe a quick dip in the pool. Once everyone is refreshed, head back to the park (or to a different one, if you have the Hopper option on your ticket) for dinner and some evening fun. The good thing about this is that it gives everyone a break. One potential con to this method is that you will be missing a few hours at the park that you could have spent enjoying attractions.
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Let them sleep in their strollers. If you have a very good sleeper, you might just be able to lay him down in his stroller for a little shut-eye. Don’t try this with the strollers that you can rent from the parks; they’re hard plastic and not conducive to sleeping. Instead, use the stroller that you’ve brought along from home that can be reclined and that your child is already used to. This won’t work for many kids, because there is so much to do and look at. It might be easier if you are strolling through the countries at EPCOT, where there is less to keep young children entertained. The good thing about this method is that you won’t have to deal with traveling to your hotel and won’t miss any time at the parks.
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Use the quiet attractions to your advantage. If a short nap is all that’s needed, there are several quiet attractions that you can visit at naptime. In Magic Kingdom, for example, going to see the Hall of Presidents is quiet and dark enough for little ones (and, truth be told, big ones!) to sneak in a 30-minute nap. It’s not terribly interesting to small kids who don’t care about the history of the Presidents, though it is quite appealing to adults. In EPCOT, consider hopping aboard Spaceship Earth after lunch to lull your littles to sleep. This attraction takes place in the dark and the voice narrating the history of communication is soft and soothing. If a longer nap is needed, the Universe of Energy runs for about 40 minutes and much of it takes place in the dark. The movie after One Man’s Dream at Hollywood Studios is dark and quiet, and since there usually aren’t crowds of people watching, you can just sit through it a few times in order to give your child enough time to get in a quick nap. At Animal Kingdom, you can take the train to Rafaki’s Planet Watch back and forth several times to let them get a few winks.
Remember that the goal of going to Walt Disney World isn’t necessarily to cram in as much sightseeing as possible, but to have a good time. If you need to take a break so your kids can nap, don’t feel bad about doing so! It will make for a more pleasant dinnertime and evening for everyone, and is usually worth sacrificing an hour or two of your day.
Have you found any other ways to let kids get their rest while vacationing in Walt Disney World? Share them with our readers!
