Kids and difficult park days?

[evergreen]

Originally Posted by Mymemories

We set our routine many years ago when the boys were 2 and 4. It was park early at rope drop and we always went for the EMH park as we said on property. Then about noon we’d head back to the hotel for pool time and lunch at the poolside diner. When they were that young we’d got back to the room after a bit and have a nap. Nowadays we just stay by the pool. Then after our decompression time we’d shower and get dressed and head back into whichever part had evening EMH. As the boys had had their pool time they were more than happy to have more park play time and we’d be able to have a TS dinner and stay for the fireworks.

We still stick to pretty much the same routine and the boys are now 21 and 23.

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This is what we’ve done for 20+ years still do

[Mickie]

As many have said full days are too much. I. Talking for me and Mrs Mickie let alone Master Mickie. We’ve been with him aged 3, 4 and 5. We start early. I generally have an itinerant going up to about 2,00. We normally call it a day about then . I tend to front load our must do rides and fast passes so am happy to drop anything once we’ve had enough. Also have some plans in case we feel like going a bit longer. If we want to do the evening we don’t get there til sometime between 3 and 5pm. Works for us. No we don’t get to do everything but we’ll be back. It’s probably a bit different if it’s a once in a lifetime trip-like the first one was-ha 😁

[Mymemories]

Originally Posted by pchivvy

Try split days.

With regards to the toy buying demands, we gave our kids their allowance and told them they could buy whatever they wanted with it, but once it was gone, it was gone. It's amazing how quickly they think twice about a toy when they are buying it themselves! We did buy a few things on the quiet for them and gave them later but as far as they were concerned, their money was at stake!

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Yes THIS absolutely. I’d forgotten this is what we did as well.

[redfox5]

I can't comment on kids, but as adults, we always break during the day and go back to the hotel. I just can't do an open to close at Disney.

[scoobydooby]

I’d second the allowance thing. With mine been young adults now I’d forgotten that too but we also did the same. They had their money and my rule was spend it all day one on crap or save it for the thing you want the most. Basically do whatever you want with it. But when it’s gone it’s gone. My son once bought a stupid, large, expensive storm trooper hay day 2. It got given to charity several years later having lived on the bottom of his wardrobe for the intervening period. He learnt though 😉

[Guest]

We used to take them to.walmart first day with a couple.of dollars.each. went mad at the cheap Disney souvenirs.

All the rest of the holidays they wander round the parks saying how expensive everything and go back to Walmart at the end 😉

[skb 123]

We are on our way home from this trip with DD 15, but DS 21 chose to stay home this time. We have had our moments over the years but last few trips they have actually done the parks together without us and had much more fun.

This trip we only did the 1st night of MNSSHP on DDs birthday. The rest of the trip was eating, shopping and pool time. Very relaxing for the most part, except for the family in a nearby villa we couldn't see, but oh boy could we hear them! Every day at some point our peace was disturbed by screaming, screeching, moaning, whining - by parents as well as the kids! There appeared to be 3 kids, maybe 2 older and one under 5 probably. Youngest was a real whiner, older boy got the blame for everything, they just couldn't even play nicely in the pool. Parents sounded at the end of their tether, shouting at them and issuing threats every 5 minutes - no Disney later, no ice cream, etc, which no doubt they never followed through on.

I would be embarrassed to think we were ever that bad!

[KateD]

It’s is a long day in the heat. We used to do rope drop til about 2. Took snacks to park and then they chilled in pool or hotel and we went out for evening meal normally after a small siesta and an early night. I think having the 2 hour lunch maybe making things more difficult for you rather than helping. It’s just adding extra time to your day. Mine are now 16, 15 and 13 and they let me know when they have had enough, little ones tend not to be so vocal but it shows in their behaviour. Hope you have a great rest of your holiday
Kate

[ziggyzag]

We only do half days, mornings or evenings, first year we went we did much longer in the parks (daughter was 5, no buggy and seemed to manage fine!) but by the 3rd week she was sleeping 14 hours a night lol, last two years even though she is older now we only do half days then pool or shopping

[Procrastinator]

Originally Posted by loves2plan

10 hours for 4 rides, 2 shows and some food? I know you said the pace was slow, but that's virtually sloth like! Did you spend a lot of time just wandering around? I'd be cranky and whiny if I'd spent 10 hours in a park doing that too. From what you said about lack of queues and using fastpasses, surely you could have done that in the morning, had lunch and then headed back to the resort for some relaxing pool time? That's what we do as we just find long park days too tiring. We enjoy them in shorter doses with down time in between, and it actually makes the holiday feel longer as we do more each day, but in a much more relaxed way.

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Ha, yes, sloth like, but first ride was EE, got there 9:30, had 4 times round that. Then ice cream on way to safari for 11, then KRR at 12, lunch at 1 at Tusker house. Came out of lunch 2:45, into lion king for 3. Out of lion king and over to nemo for 4:30. Then out of nemo and over to fop for FP. Bit of criss crossing the park, but taking it slow. Not quite sure we could have done much more without some faster walking. But anyways.

Today has been a good day. Rope drop to sign up for jedi, then split up for little mermaid / RnR. Then jedi training, snack break, ToT, then Hollywood and Vine for lunch. Almost 2 hours again. Then SDD fp. After the SDD fp at 3:30 they both wanted to stay and do more instead of going to the pool. We split up again for a last ride / show. Left about 5.

I think maybe the end of the AK day they were tired, but that was not the bigger issue - it was / is the sibling bickering / competitiveness. But having talked to them about behaviour and taken away pool time last night and then split them up for parts of today it was a really good day. Happier and much better behaved.

As a slight aside Hollywood & Vine is not the greatest restauarant or buffet, but maybe that is why it was so quiet. We probably had characters at our table every 5 mins while we were eating. That was good fun!

I def like the dinning plan, and the location of the resorts is obviously great. But we are so cramped in these roooms, looking forward to a bit of space in a villa next week!

Please don't think my post was bemoaning our whole holiday! Had 7 great days prior to "AK day", just none that were as park orientated, which makes me question the value of going to the parks. And i still do. But today worked well. Tommorrow is not a full day either and then we are in a villa so they can have a bit of their own space. Roll on week 2!

And thanks to all that posted, some of the suggestions we do, some we might try, all useful!