Terrified of tired kids and being miserable (all of us)

We divide the day into 3 sections: morning/afternoon/evening. On most days, we spend 2 segments in the parks. So if we do rope drop, we might return to the resort around noon to nap and pool and then return to a park around 5pm. The next day we would sleep in and not go to a park until noon, but then stay until park closing. That plan has always worked for us.
 
How do you plan your trip/days with younger kids to best avoid exhausting them? Mid-day rest time and back to a park around 4:30 or 5:00 for an early dinner, a few rides and leave around 7/7:30 or stay in the park all day but do an early (5:00 or earlier) dinner and back to the room? My daughter just turned 4 and my son will be turning 6 while we're there at the end of January. Thanks!

Our son just turned 5 on his 1st trip (2016). We did rope drop, left the parks about 1pm - quick nap - dinner at Pop - back to MK 5:30ish and stayed until close. ETA: We did not use a stroller.
 
We just got back from our trip with our four year old and our infant (4 months old). We had a double stroller, plus a baby carrier for when the stroller had to be folded up (a Lillebaby). Baby would pretty much pass out the moment he was placed in the carrier, no matter what; 4 year old would start to loudly proclaim she did not need to sleep in her stroller right before falling asleep in said stroller, around 2ish in the afternoon nearly every day. We did not leave the parks midday because travel time out and back seemed like it would be way too long (we stayed at POR so it was busses for every park). We did rope drop (or as close to that as possible) most mornings and had the kids in bed by 8pm on those days. We had a couple of 9am breakfasts (one at Chef Mickeys, one at 1900 Park Faire) which meant sleeping in slightly later and not arriving at that day's park until nearly 11, so we stayed out later those nights. Arrival day was a no-park day- we drove, so we used arrival day to unpack, unwind, walk around the resort, figure out how to buy things with the Magic Bands :D and then everybody went to bed early (7:30) to prepare for our 7am EMH at MK the next day. We also had a no-park day at right around the mid-point of the trip- it was a Sunday so we went to church, came back and swam at the resort, then spent the evening at Disney Springs.

For us, tiredness didn't cause meltdowns, because both kids rode in the stroller or were held and were able to sleep/rest when they needed it. It was hangry-ness that caused problems- for the grown-ups, too! The first couple of days I was so focused on sticking to The Plan and not missing any of The Things We Had Scheduled and forgot to take breaks for snacks (if it wasn't an ADR, I had forgotten to really factor in meal time). As soon as I found myself snapping at Hubby, we realized- crap, we need something to eat. We always made sure the 4 year old ate a breakfast-y thing in the room while we were getting ready, but the two of us figured we'd grab breakfast in the park...but then we'd run from attraction to attraction. The only near-tantrum out of the 4 year old happened mid-day at DS (ironically our day off) because we hadn't really had lunch and were having a late (for her) dinner, so we immediately found ourselves a couple of nice big pretzels to split and we all felt better. By about day 4 of the 10-day trip, we figured out a schedule that worked best- for days with no breakfast ADR, snack in the room, rope drop whatever attraction we wanted to rope drop, and then hit the in-park Starbucks before heading to our first morning fast pass. Coffee + breakfast item = happy mom; happy mom = happy family. Midday snacks + in-stroller nap = content 4 year old who can hear the word "no" without freaking out = happy mom = happy family.
 
We were just there in early September and our girls are 6 and 3 (soon to be 4). We had no problem at all with them needing a break. Only once my 3 year old wanted to go back to the resort. Every other day we were in a park from 8-9 am till close including 2 MNSSHP's. We did have a double stroller so they didn't walk a whole lot. I think that makes all the difference.

I didn't read all of the responses but this was also my experience with little ones. I think you may be surprised but the best advice I can offer is be ready to go with the flow. If they start melting down, take a break. They may be tired, hungry or overwhelmed. Have a great trip!
 
We’re big into a mid day break. Our girls just do not do well without one.
 
It was hangry-ness that caused problems- for the grown-ups, too! The first couple of days I was so focused on sticking to The Plan and not missing any of The Things We Had Scheduled and forgot to take breaks for snacks (if it wasn't an ADR, I had forgotten to really factor in meal time). As soon as I found myself snapping at Hubby, we realized- crap, we need something to eat. We always made sure the 4 year old ate a breakfast-y thing in the room while we were getting ready, but the two of us figured we'd grab breakfast in the park...but then we'd run from attraction to attraction. The only near-tantrum out of the 4 year old happened mid-day at DS (ironically our day off) because we hadn't really had lunch and were having a late (for her) dinner, so we immediately found ourselves a couple of nice big pretzels to split and we all felt better. By about day 4 of the 10-day trip, we figured out a schedule that worked best- for days with no breakfast ADR, snack in the room, rope drop whatever attraction we wanted to rope drop, and then hit the in-park Starbucks before heading to our first morning fast pass. Coffee + breakfast item = happy mom; happy mom = happy family. Midday snacks + in-stroller nap = content 4 year old who can hear the word "no" without freaking out = happy mom = happy family.

I hear you! We are two adults and a teenager, and hangry is always the thing that causes our meltdowns, too. I always have to stop the guys and remind them that we need to have a snack or a meal, otherwise we have problems. If I didn't remind them that we need to eat, they'd run from ride to ride or whatever nonstop all day long.
 
The best advice I have is bring a stroller to the parks! My daughter and niece never would have made it the entire day without one. One of the days we actually found a spot in the shade, reclined the stroller seats, and both girls passed out right there in the stroller. Perfect break in the day!

However, I do not recommend bringing your stroller from home for the simple fact that airlines have a habit of unintentionally tearing those things apart.

We rented strollers from www.cloudofgoods.com and they were practically new and delivered right to our hotel. Totally worth it considering the use the girls got out of it! Saved us from full on Disney meltdowns - both parents and kids!
 


It bears repeating, but you really have to pay attention to YOUR family, and gauge what's best for them. Fatigue and hunger are the two biggest vacation-ruiners, for sure. But, you also have to know your gang--mine were always early risers, so rope drop was a no-brainer. But, we needed a midday break. I am also in envy of people whose children sleep in strollers--mine never did. Ever. All four of them. If your child doesn't sleep in a stroller at home (or at the mall, the park, the zoo, whatever)--he or she might not at WDW. Which is fine--I survived, you just have to work around that fact. There's nothing worse than "counting" on a stroller nap, and finding that the child is too stimulated or whatever, and simply won't do it.

So, be flexible, go with the kids you've got, enjoy yourselves. Drink plenty of fluids, take breaks (in park or out) when you need them, have snacks available. Enjoy yourselves, and if you miss anything this trip, well, it's a great excuse to start planning the next one!
 
We were there in May with our 7 year old and 4 year old. We rope dropped every day and did one PPO breakfast. We also stayed until at least 7 every night.

1. A stroller. I cannot recommend this enough. We rented a double. My 7 year old is very small for his age, so he fit comfortably just fine. He is also the one who fell asleep in it.

2. Snacks. I threw a few snacks (trail mix, granola, yogurt) into our cooler every day. Don’t forget the water.

3. Cooling supplies. Might not be a problem in January, but my daughter is very temperature sensitive and it severely affects her mood. I had frogg toggs in the cooler, and cooling necklace fans.

4. A good, flexible, touring plan. We knew which rides we wanted to see, and did not criss cross the park to get there. We tried to accomplish areas rather than be tied to specific times (other than FP)

5. Know your food. There is nothing more frustrating than standing around when kids are hungry trying to decide where to eat. We ate breakfast in the room, packed a meal for the park, had one ADR set up in the general area of our touring plan.

6. Take a day off. We did two days of park, one day of rest, repeat.

7. Don’t be afraid to adjust your touring plan or split up for a bit. My son loved Tom Sawyer Island. He spent a ton of time running around it. When DD got bored, I ran her over to Triceratop Spin. Gave him the time he needed, and she didn’t miss a ride she wanted.

I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly our entire trip went. Our DD can be volatile, but we did not have a single kid meltdown. The stroller, snacks, and cooling devices were the biggest part of that.
 
I think park hours can be a big factor. If the parks are closing early or if it is too cold to swim then we would never go back for a mid-day break. We just went as long as we could, grabbed an earlier dinner & then sometimes stayed for nighttime entertainment but more often we'd just head back to the hotel. We are rope drop people so usually the kids were tired by then. Also they were never that into parades or fireworks so it was never that big of a deal for us. Fighting the bus crowds after a nighttime show can really lead to some bad meltdowns!!
 
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We quickly learned that the mid-day break was useless for us. My kids would not nap back in the room. They would not rest. They would not sleep in strollers. This was even as young as 2 years old! What has always worked well for us was getting there at rope drop and staying until a child starts acting like it's time to go. This takes one parent very in tune with this because the idea is to leave before the meltdowns. It means one parent may need to convince the other who just doesn't see it yet too. We couldn't get our kids to rest enough during the day. But we could get them into bed early enough that they got enough sleep at night. So that's what we did. (Until the last night when we kept them up figuring cranky kids on the way home was fine.

My biggest advice is to be flexible. Plan for one thing but get ready to change it as you figure what works for your family.
 
Definitely bring or rent a stroller.

When my older two were little, we'd do rope drop, then leave the parks right after lunch for a nap and maybe a swim at the resort, then we'd go back out for dinner and maybe more park time. We always stay onsite and rent a car, so getting to/from the resort and parks is fairly quick. We tended to try to stick to their eating and sleeping schedules as much as we could to prevent meltdowns and that worked for them. A few years later, baby #3 came along and he just has a different personality - very go with the flow. He could handle less scheduled days with longer time in the parks and later nights, so do what works best for your kids.

I've never been in late January. Do the parks close early? If so, mid-day breaks may not be the best use of your time unless the kids really need them.
 
First time I took my kids alone (left husband home to work) with my kids they were 4 and 6. Honestly, it was so easy! They had been before a couple of times.

I brought a good stroller so they could take turns resting or napping in it.

We do not get up and out super early. We had a bit to eat in the room, then got out when we felt like it.

We never went back to the room for a nap per se, but did go back and swim a couple times.

We had annual passes that year, so went 2 more times that year. So, we didn't feel the need to do everything. We just did what we felt like doing.

We did NO sit down meals. Only counter service. I would find them a table, have them sit and wait while I went and got our food. It worked out just fine!

We were typically back in the room after dinner, I got them baths and ready for bed by 8:00 or so. I was tired as well, so I'd have a glass of wine, let them watch some TV, then we'd all be in bed at a decent hour. We didn't watch fireworks when they were younger. They seemed to do best keeping on their normal sleep schedule.
 
Mid-day breaks are a must do for us. We're always at a park at rope drop, stay until 12:30/1 then go back for an hour-ish nap, then a quick swim to wake everyone up and then back the park for dinner. Some nights we stay till 8 and head back to get to bed and some nights we stay till 10 or 11, depending on hours and everyone's moods. Sometimes it means we can't get to everything, but having non-cranky kids makes everything so much better.
 
With my 4 and 6 year olds, we got to the parks by 10am, stayed until 3 or 4pm, went back to hotel and rested/ate a casual dinner there. We then returned to the park at night for as long as the kids wanted to. Most nights, they were able to stay up through fireworks and then would fall asleep in their stroller on the way home. We found night time to be the best time of day in the parks bc the crowds and lines would die down, as would the sun. But my kids are not particularly early risers, so this worked best for us.
 
Echoing others that have said to be prepared to go with the flow. We have done all different schedules at Disney, even within one trip! I try to balance out a rope drop morning with a rest in the afternoon, or if we plan to stay late one night we might get up later or take a midday break. Mine can do rope drop to close, but I usually follow that up with a late breakfast and relax at the pool kind of morning.
 
I didn't read through all of the replies, but I'd agree with the people who have said to go with the flow. Don't feel like you have do "go, go, go" all the time. There are places you can sit back and relax in the parks. Take a ride on the train, hang out on Tom Sawyers Island. I think diversifying your activities will help. And I also agree that you may be surprised by your children and how they may act differently at Disney.
 

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