I'm curious what others have done and how it went. I've never seen the night time shows and fireworks and have always wanted to. I'll be in WDW for a week with my kids who are 1 and 3 and would love to at least see the fireworks at Magic Kingdom at night. We will have a rental car and are staying at Coronado Springs. I usually start getting them ready for bed around 7 so they're in bed by 8. How late are the fireworks and night time shows? Have you stayed late with your young kids to watch these shows, and are they worth it? Or do you regret it because bedtime is a disaster afterwards? I can't decide what to do.
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Keeping kids up past bedtime to see night time attractions
- Thread starter Dreaming of Disney World
- Start date
HRHPrincessAriel
Well-Known Member
We went back and took naps mid day. We also tried not alternate the late nights.
jaklgreen
Well-Known Member
When we traveled with our kids that young, we would not set any alarm and would let everyone sleep as late as they needed. So we were able to stay up a couple of times to let them see the fireworks. Having a break during the day is also a must, even if they just sleep in the stroller while you sit in the shade. I think the look on their face when they see the fireworks is magical. My best advice to you when going with little ones is to keep it slow. Don't try to do "everything" and take a bunch of mini mental breaks. They can get over stimulated easy. Make sure they stay hydrated by constantly giving them some sips of water. Remember that for kids a mental break is letting them run around the splash area or a play ground.
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
My children are only at their best when they're well-rested and ingrained in a routine. (Obviously, yours may be different!) For that reason, we have always tried to preserve our kids' typical wake-up time and bedtimes as much as possible on vacation (the usual wake-up time gets us to the parks for rope drop; bedtime does end up being a little later, but we add an afternoon nap to compensate). We only stay up late the last night, for the MK fireworks. This way, the kids were never overtired and cranky, and we didn't have to re-acclimate them to their usual daycare/school schedule after we got home.
Next time we visit, now that the kids will be 9 and 11 and don't need as strict a sleeping schedule, we'll be staying up for nighttime entertainment at the other parks for the first time (RoL, Fantasmic! and Illuminations will be scheduled for 9pm, which isn't super-late anyway). We've built in extra afternoon down-time, and flexible morning schedules so we can sleep in if necessary the next morning, to make up for it.
Next time we visit, now that the kids will be 9 and 11 and don't need as strict a sleeping schedule, we'll be staying up for nighttime entertainment at the other parks for the first time (RoL, Fantasmic! and Illuminations will be scheduled for 9pm, which isn't super-late anyway). We've built in extra afternoon down-time, and flexible morning schedules so we can sleep in if necessary the next morning, to make up for it.
nickys
Premium Member
I didn't go when the boys were super young, but I always made plans that allowed people to sleep in and have a lazy start to the day. And making it alternate nights too.
That might be easier said than done for you. We had the luxury of longer stays, and we have never rope dropped a park yet!
That might be easier said than done for you. We had the luxury of longer stays, and we have never rope dropped a park yet!
Thank you for the advice. I think we will try making the magic kingdom fireworks one night.
correcaminos
Well-Known Member
At that age, we didn't even try. My son in particular was very known for waking up at the same time every day. It could be that as a baby due to his reflux he had to get fed x many ounces x many hours. Deviating would make his reflux horrific. Anyway we found thanks to a 5 hour delay while flying, that even going to bed at midnight, he'd be up by 7am the next day. So any of the ideas of extra naps (which he already did well) or sleeping in didn't work.
We opted not to see them until he was older and adjusted better. In fact he didn't see fireworks until he was 9 years old since the MK fireworks were so late. We took him on an illuminations cruise when we were staying at Beach Club. He did see the EWP when he was 8 and we were at Polynesian.
Remember the fireworks are *very loud* and they could very well scare a 1 year old and 3yo. At that age I would go with the flow and if it happens, great and if not, no big deal.
We opted not to see them until he was older and adjusted better. In fact he didn't see fireworks until he was 9 years old since the MK fireworks were so late. We took him on an illuminations cruise when we were staying at Beach Club. He did see the EWP when he was 8 and we were at Polynesian.
Remember the fireworks are *very loud* and they could very well scare a 1 year old and 3yo. At that age I would go with the flow and if it happens, great and if not, no big deal.
My kids get up at the same time every day no matter what time they go to sleep. We didn't risk it on our trip last year because I knew it would backfire on us the next day. We did get to see Rivers of Light though since there was an early show the night we were in Animal Kingdom. Sadly no fireworks 
ScarletBegonias
Well-Known Member
My daughter went when she was 15 months old, 22 months old, and last year when she was almost 3. She usually crashes mid day in the stroller and takes a 2 hr nap while we walk around and do other things. We've had many nights in the parks where we were there super late. There is so much stimulation for her, that she will just crash. One year she slept through the firework show. I couldn't believe it as she's the lightest sleeper ever. We never left for naps, because she'd wake up on the way back and be totally awake. It was easier for us to just stay in the parks.
We throw bed time out the window at Disney. We always stay until closing. Some of our best times are nights after a long hard day at Disney in the hotel room. Kids 8,6,5,4,3.
BoarderPhreak
Well-Known Member
Sleep is for the stroller, home and the airplane.
Our DD was two last year when we went and we went out fairly late, well past her bedtime (at least 2-3 hours and then some). Didn't phase her at all the next morning.
Our DD was two last year when we went and we went out fairly late, well past her bedtime (at least 2-3 hours and then some). Didn't phase her at all the next morning.
BraveGirl
Well-Known Member
My kids (4 and 7) subscribe to my Disney philosophy of "sleep on the plane on the ride home." We stay till park closing, every night we are there. Sometimes we'll go back midday for naps, or sometimes the younger one will fall asleep in the stroller. The older one has been able to pull 13 hour park days with no nap since she was 4. Last year, we did an EMH morning at Magic Kingdom and then scrapped our plans to go home midday and decided to go straight through. The little one slept in the stroller in the afternoon, the older one pushed through sans nap till we were done with our castle dinner reservations around 9:30. This past January, I took them to DL for the day . We got there at rope drop at 7:40, went back for 1 hour naps midday and then stayed at the park till past closing, which was midnight. Disney magic keeps them awake and happy. 
They are truly my children.
They are truly my children.
slappy magoo
Well-Known Member
This next trip we're trying something different by pretty much always alternating one solid day "park commando" open to close, followed by a late morning in, no parks, enjoying the hotel or going to Disney Springs. It might be awesome, might be a disaster. We'll find out.
Thanks for all your responses!
Emyli Mouse
Member
Our littles are 2.5 and 4.5 now, but the last time we went they were 10 months and 2 years and 10 months. We are pretty regimented with our schedule because the kids do best that way. When we are at Disney, we just go to the park two days during the week we are there and arrive at rope drop, the kids usually will crash some time in the late afternoon or early evening, and then we can make it to the fireworks. The only place my kids have seen fireworks is MK because it's the only place worth pushing them that hard. Have fun!
Squigglove
Active Member
I guess it depends on the child/children. Mine was always a late nighter. We first took him when he was 1 turning 2, end of summer when things are still going on at midnight. He skipped daytime naps, and slept full nights. It was a bit disturbing to his routine but it was only a week. Once we got home everything went back to normal. I feel like, when visiting a place like Disney, "when in Rome" applies. Just run with it until you fall down. If it's too much, you'll know. One thing we have ALWAYS done since our very first visit to Disney was take a day off!!! If your trip is longer, then take two days off. That means at least one day of allowing yourselves to wake up when your body is ready, leisurely taking showers/baths, having coffee in the room, just taking your time; then go to brunch and spend the second part of the day at a park or an easier/less demanding place like Downtown Disney or the like.
Gillyanne
Well-Known Member
Now that we have APs, we don't feel the need to "get the most" out of our ticket costs as I did when paying $100/day (when we didn't have APs we'd only be able to get 1 or 2 day tickets each visit.) My youngest niece has now been coming with me on my AP (she's under 3) the last 5 or so trips. We've found hanging around the apt through naptime (earlier if we can swing it) and then heading over to the parks mid-afternoon has worked the best for us. This has allowed her to stay up later, and we're more likely to get her to take the nap (she fights and usually wins at the parks.) Like above, she can tend to be a night owl already so even though she'd be past her regular bedtime she'd fare well. I'd also make the most out of FP+ for things for her like M&Gs and be sure to book right as we went into our 3rd FP to try to get other things for her. This also helped her mood when not having to wait in line so long. Better mood = better toddler at night!
courtlynndear
Member
My son has been going since age 5. We go from rope drop to close, with no breaks. He always does fine and wakes up the next morning just fine, he's as excited to go back to the parks as we are.