How long can your kids last at the parks in a day?

[Crazy Harry]

We recently had a son, and of course I am already thinking about all of the things I want to do with him, including WDW. I am the type who wants to be in the parks all day without leaving early or taking a break to go back to the hotel. I don't get to the parks often, so I want to take full advantage. And especially with him I want him to experience everything. So I wonder if I can get a good idea of what the right age is or how to gauge his tolerance. I know every kid is different, but there may be patterns or even personal tips that would be helpful.

 

[RandomPrincess]

Go now! As soon as you can get a baby on a workable schedule you can take them into the parks. Before they crawl/walk is great as most babies will sleep anywhere.

We took our DD at 8 mo and DS at 11m, 11months was pushing it but he did pretty good. He would nap in his stroller. Our DD was almost 3 and there was no way we could just keep going with her she was just to over stimulated she would be exhausted but couldn't sleep in the stroller there was just to much going on. So for her benefit we left the parks for some down time. Even though she napped at how she only napped our final day at WDW she was just to excited but the down time int he hotel helped her a lot and we were able to go back out in the evenings.

With young kids you will most likely have to change your schedule and expectations. We moved at a much slower pace and did no height limit rides at WDW and only 2 at IOA, but that was our choice as we wanted to do thing our kids could do and enjoy seeing them experience the parks. We also met lots of characters! Plenty of parents make good use of Child Swap and Single Rider lines to hit the bigger rides.

Are next trip the kids will be 2.5 and 4.5 and our DS still will nap in the stroller but not sure if he will at Disney and our DD doesn't nap anymore at home but I doubt she will make it open to close more then one day. We are still planning to head back to the room most days for a break. Our DD is over 40 inches so we will be hitting some big rides. Using child swap or maybe even heading back to the room with DS and leaving my DH and DD to hit some 40 inch rides and meet again later.

 

[Joshua&CalebDad]

Two suggestions:

1. Leave the parks at mid day for nap time, and

2. Stay onsite.

We took our eldest son for his first trip right after he turned 3. He was a trooper most of the day and napped in the middle of the afternoon while we rode Buzz Lightyear and Carousel of Progress (we were literally holding him in our arms, we didn't have a stroller with us) and we stayed until the park closed. Our second son went for the first time at a year and a half and we were grateful that we stayed onsite. We would leave the parks everyday right after lunch for naps and come back in around 4. It worked great for us.

 

[tare]

Our dd started going at 1 and 1/2 and actually did pretty good staying up late then. Naps in the afternoon of course!!! On her eighth trip at 8 she was still stating up late. It depends on the cold though I would assume.

 

[tare]

Child I meant

 

[Disvillain63]

We took our DS at age 3 years and our DD at age 3.33 years. We are park commandos and went from open to close. They'd nap in a show, such as The Hall of Presidents or in their stroller during a parade. By the time we returned to our resort (CBR), they would be ready for pizza and out by the time it arrived. We never had a melt down...not even DH. We did spend extra time in Toontown, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and at various water play areas. It was also about the characters, as much as the attractions at this age for them. On the first visit with DD, my DH and I would split up in the park, so DS could ride SM while DD rode Dumbo or IASW (6 times that trip).

 

[HouCuseChickie]

So much of this is going to hinge on you and your child. If your child will sleep/nap in a stroller with ease- you may be able to pull full park days without breaks. You will need to factor in all of the park noises that might overstimulate them and make napping more difficult as well as fireworks which might wake up a sleeping child.

Our kids never slept well in strollers at any age under any circumstances, so midday breaks were pretty vital and taking a much slower approach to touring was pretty much the only way to make a WDW possible for the girls' first couple of trips. Our younger daughter went twice as a 2 yr old. She had a huge meltdown every day on our first trip- she had just turned 2- so it was mega sensory overload for her. It also took us by surprise b/c she was the easygoing one at home. She was better about it on her 2nd trip eight mos later, but we still had one day with 2 colossal meltdowns. Still, both were wonderful trips...it was just very different going to the parks with the kids. The older one has always done better with all of this and by last trip, while we still took breaks on MK days- the girls did really well with no breaks on our DHS, AK, and Epcot days (ages 4 and 6 last trip).

All this being said...you know your child better than anyone else and will know how much of the commando approach they can handle. I will say this, while we would take midday breaks, we also usually picked the parks with evening EMH and that break would definitely help the girls stay up later.

 

[Kbullz]

Last visit my DD was 2 1/2 and my DS was 4. We did MK 2 days, HS, and AK 1 day Sometimes the kids slept in double stroller and other days neither of them slept. Every child is different. My kids are always very energetic I knew there was no need to go back to hotel to rest. When they were tired enough they would pass out in the stroller. Their was always the daily meltdown or two. But that is what seems to work for us. Every child is different and every day with them can be different.

 

[Figgy1]

That all depends on you and your child. I have natural born commandos. My youngest never napped for more than an hour by the time he was one and would also say go faster on any ride he thought was moving too slow! At just 5 we did 10 days in the world open to close in June no stroller and he opened and closed the parks every day! Don't go by him because every child is different!

 

[disneyfriend32]

I think my plan is grand, we always get the waterpark option and go there in the morning, we all get to sleep late.the kids are 3,6&13. Then about 2 we go back to the hotel and the younger ones nap,while we shower.and and maybe get.a little nap too. Then at 4 or 5 we go to the theme parks when its a little cooler. It really does make it easier when the kids are well rested. I aslo try to get some friut and veggies in them before we go to the theme parks, they just feel better. Especially my 6 year old, has to drink a whole bottle ofwater before we leave theroom, when he gets overheated, hes all drama! We make a gameout if it,and he always complies. We also go for 9-14 days so there is no "rush" to do anything, on this working vacation.