Best Disney Bedtime Movie

[HouCuseChickie]

So, we're driving to WDW one month from today and while we have a nice Disney movie library, I'm stumped about the right one to be our bedtime movie.

We are planning on leaving about 30-60 minutes after their normal bedtime in hopes that we'll make better drive time by driving through the night...i.e. they won't be needing us to stop for potty time, meals, etc. if they're sleeping and traffic should be significantly lighter in the middle of the night. While I doubt we'll get them to sleep as long in the car...they sleep 10-11 hours each night, so if they were awake for maybe an hour into the drive and slept anything close to this amount (i.e. around the 12 hr mark), we'd probably be 80% in drive distance by the time they wake up.

So what Disney flick do you think they'd like, but would still help them drift off to dreamland?

 

[wiigirl]

I like the musicals...beauty and the beast...

 

[93boomer]

I agree with wiigirl on Beauty and the Beast.

 

[coachwnh]

mary poppins!!! our kids can still fall asleep to that

 

[SyracuseOrange]

mary poppins!!! our kids can still fall asleep to that

I used to babysit a family with five kids, and they always loved to watch (or at least start) Finding Nemo before drifting off to sleep. (And I won't lie, being paid to watch Finding Nemo was an amazing job.)

 

[afar28]

Finding Nemo, Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story and Tangled are good ones IMO

 

[journ116]

I, too, would suggest a classic Disney Family "live-action" movie: Mary Poppins, Pete's Dragon, The gy Dog, etc.. These movies have highs and lows, and my kids (including myself), can easily dose off during some of the "heartfelt lessons."

I would suggest steering clear of animated features they've never seen before, because they might be inclined to "stay up and see what happens."

Another option, think of any movies you've put on recently, and then noticed that they would walk away halfway through. This could be a good indicator that they found the movie boring and thus, be lulled to sleep.

Or, you could get/make a lullaby CD...just be sure that the driver won't be inclined to nod off.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I like the musicals...beauty and the beast...

I agree with wiigirl on Beauty and the Beast.

That might be good- Belle is DD6's fave and we are surprising them with dinner at BoG.

mary poppins!!! our kids can still fall asleep to that

That has a lot of potential since Stay Awake and Feed the Birds are great songs to take them from groggy to out for the night.

I used to babysit a family with five kids, and they always loved to watch (or at least start) Finding Nemo before drifting off to sleep. (And I won't lie, being paid to watch Finding Nemo was an amazing job.)

That's also a good one since the soothing movement of the water could lull them to sleep, yet it shouldn't really impact me or DH with driving. Watching Finding Nemo for work also sound NICE! I'll probably be reminded of this at some point tomorrow as I'm ready to scream at my computer

Finding Nemo, Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story and Tangled are good ones IMO

All good choices and will definitely be in our case of movies for the trip. Thanks!

I, too, would suggest a classic Disney Family "live-action" movie: Mary Poppins, Pete's Dragon, The gy Dog, etc.. These movies have highs and lows, and my kids (including myself), can easily dose off during some of the "heartfelt lessons."

I would suggest steering clear of animated features they've never seen before, because they might be inclined to "stay up and see what happens."

Another option, think of any movies you've put on recently, and then noticed that they would walk away halfway through. This could be a good indicator that they found the movie boring and thus, be lulled to sleep.

Or, you could get/make a lullaby CD...just be sure that the driver won't be inclined to nod off.

Pete's Dragon would be a really good one. Sadly, that's one of the ones where I only have it in the dvr Also good tactics for picking something they've seen and seen recently, but also bored them a bit midway through...since I really want them to be asleep before we're out of the state of TX!

I actually have a bedtime mix on my ipod for them for travel, but I worry that it will make me groggy. It has some of the songs we used for them when they were infants as well as some of the more modern sleepy time music. Still, it's those songs from infancy that get me. They'll sometimes come on at work and I'll find my lids getting heavy at my desk...boss just LOVES that!

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Well, I think BatB, Nemo and Mary Poppins are the finalists. Now to test them Thanks all!

 

[BattleKitty]

The sound of music is a nice one, with all the songs.

 

[some other guy]

iirc that one about the dog that got ptsd from the broom is a nice mix of charming and boring

 

[Weather_Lady]

I second the advice about the old-timey Disney movies. My husband and I love them, but our kids are bored to tears by the slow pacing. They haven't made it through a single one of them without drifting off: Old Yeller, Pete's Dragon, Bedknobs & Broomsticks, Lady & The Tramp, Dumbo, Pinnochio, etc.

 

[some other guy]

Old Yeller

that one's kinda rolling the dice about them staying awake up to _that_ part lol
there's also a lot you could use as a threat, like "you little snots get to sleep or we'll make you watch Jungle 2 Jungle!"

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Wow...I got a chuckle out of seeing this old post of mine being resurrected. The kids were 4 and 6 at the time of this post. Now they're going on 13 and 15. The crazy twist...these days, I have no problems getting these kids to sleep, but that trip...they were up nearly the ENTIRE drive. I remember stopping in Mississippi in the middle of the night, having them go to the bathroom in Christmas pj's and fuzzy slippers, still wide awake for breakfast in Tallahassee, FL, and my husband and I were ready to drop. None of these movies helped put them to sleep, but my mix of Red Bull and Mountain Dew along with the radio stations shifting to a Christmas music format in the middle of the night helped keep me awake. If the kids weren't wide awake and watching, I would have turned off Mary Poppins...since as much as I love it, it was making me drowsy! Good times

 

[Sbk1234]

The Watcher in the Woods, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Dragonslayer.