I have always struggled with trying to keep my children’s bed times consistent when we go on vacation. It is not that I don’t want them to have the most fun possible, but if they think they can get away with staying up late when we are away….then when we get home it is the same story. Usually, I am strict when it comes to routine. The boys eat their dinner, shower, put on their pajamas, hear a story and then go to bed. Granted, there are days and situations when this doesn’t happen but for the most part, we try to keep each night the same.
When we go to Disney, it is usually in the middle of a longer trip to visit Grandma in Florida where the bedtime routine is followed. Being that Disney is my favorite place to visit, I sometimes stretch the limits a little bit. With Disney’s extra hours, for those who stay on Disney property, the day is longer and it is harder to leave. It really is a luxury having that extra time in the morning or evening to explore the parks with less pedestrian traffic and shorter lines.
The biggest judgment call about breaking the bedtime routine is the age and temperament of your child. A really young child does not really have a set sleeping time, they nap on and off all day!! When your child is a toddler, they might nap in the stroller during the day allowing them to stay up little later. When my boys were almost 3 and 6, they really wanted to stay late see the Disney fireworks. My Mommy instinct said, “Bad idea”, but I decided to compromise.
My younger son took a nap in the stroller during the day, while my older son kept going and going. When it came to dinner time, we sat down and had a nice meal and then the children put on their favorite pair of Disney pajamas to enjoy the fireworks. Although I was letting them stay up a little later than usual, I eliminated a later step and hoped that when they fell asleep in the car ride home they would easily transition to their beds.
During our last trip, when the boys were 4 and 7, we returned to our hotel room for dinner. My younger son showed signs of exhaustion. Although Magic Kingdom had late hours, and we were really looking forward to returning as a family, I made the executive decision that bedtime was more important. I stayed back at the hotel with my “little guy” while Zev returned to Magic Kingdom with my “big guy”. Within 15 minutes of their departure, I had a sleeping child in the room.
All in all, I think that your children should be what drives the bedtime while on vacation. You are the one who knows how your child reacts when they are tired and cranky and how it will affect the rest of your vacation.
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12. Jan, 2010 
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For those of you who are familiar with the Disney Link, Disney will be updating the desktop software to provide you with information and tools. It will be available very soon, and you can sign up to be notified when it is available. I can’t wait!
