Planning breaks while on your Disney World vacation may seem counterintuitive but the better moods your children are in throughout the day, the better your vacation experience will be! The constant hustle and bustle of a day in the Disney parks can be a lot on grownups, and even more so on children. Finding opportunities for some much-needed downtime during the day may not be easy with your itinerary set to get most of your time, and money in Disney, but here are a few simple tricks to make your vacation even more magical!
1. Find spots to cool off and let your little ones stretch their legs. Some of my children’s favorite places to stop in the parks are little play alcoves or water features Disney has set up throughout their parks. Keep your eyes open, you can find them everywhere! Some of our personal favorite at each park are:
Magic Kingdom: Winnie the Pooh’s little house in front of the ride, a small playground underneath Big Thunder Mountain (let the big kids in the family go on the ride while the little ones play below) or Casey Junior’s Splash and Soak.
Animal Kingdom: The Boneyard
Epcot: Splash Zone right outside of World Showcase
Hollywood Studios: The Baby Care Center! This specific baby care center is always a big hit with our little ones. They can color and watch a few minutes of a movie all while stretching their legs in the air conditioning. My kids love the child-size toilets here!
2. Head back to your resort in the afternoon. If your on-site Disney resort is close, consider heading back for a quick dip in your resort pool or a trip to your room to regroup while your little one naps. Of course, your park tickets are expensive and you want to get the most out of them, but a toddler that’s crabby by 2:30 pm isn’t conducive to a fun day in the parks.
After some downtime, plan on heading back to the parks for dinner and more fun!
3. If you don’t want to leave the parks during the day for naps, try planning your entertainment and rides around your little one’s nap schedule. Take in some air-conditioned longer shows such as Carousel of Progress or The Hall of Presidents in Magic Kingdom, Festival of the Lion King in Animal Kingdom, or Frozen Sing-Along Celebration in Hollywood Studios. I’ll always plan these air-conditioned shows for an early afternoon when my little ones usually nap.
You can also use Rider Switch to keep the fun going for older kids while your younger children nap in their stroller. Find a cool place to relax while one adult takes the older children and then comes back and switches with the other adult, giving them a chance to experience the ride as well.
Making sure to keep to a semi-normal nap routine is imperative to a magical trip for the whole family. Keeping that in mind will keep even the littlest in your family raring to go!
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