Youngsters Jet Lag

[cburton1984]

Afternoon, wondering if anybody has any tips with regards to younger children and jet lag, I've been many times to Disney and for the first time I'm going as a parent with my 3 year old. Has anybody any experience in how to help with jet leg, I was thinking of going swimming when we get there to keep my daughter awake??

We are going in November I believe the time difference will be -5 hrs?

Anybody have any other ideas as I'm also thinking no point in over planning as kids are kids....

 

[Tinks1984]

I'd say swimming when arriving would have to depend on the weather once you get there. It may be cooler in November and not ideal for a LO swimming.

I have been researching this myself as my LO will be 3 when we travel next May and from what I gather, LO's tend to actually cope better with it than us adults.

What time will you arrive in Orlando?

 

[HelenSB]

Haha.....this made me smile, as I remembered the first time we visited WDW with my own children, way back in 1997 when they were just 2 1/2 & 6 years old.
We were travelling with my mum & stepdad, & upon arrival at MCO with two sleepy kids I suggested that we just carry them, sleeping, into our rented villa & put them straight to bed....it was the equivalent of 1am UK time!!!! I said we would sort out washes etc in the morning.
Well....by the time we pulled up outside our villa, both girls had woken up & were to be seen, an hour later, bouncing on their beds in excitement!!!!
And the moral of the story is, after 12 more visits....we have never once had to worry about keeping them awake lol!!!!!!

 

[Elise79]

We have taken DD since she was 9 months old and she is now 6!

I have to say the one thing I find the most important is making sure she has something to eat once we arrive. We also don't let her go to be bed before 8pm local time which is her usual bed time at home.

Most likely she will be awake early but we have always just sent our DD back to bed and as its dark she will go back to sleep until we are ready to get up.

When she was younger she would nap in the stroller fairly early on the first day but an hour then meant she was good to go again

The only thing I make sure we do is eat at the right time - I don't fuss with any other routine as we are on holiday

 

[pickers1982]

We didnt do anything particularly special with our two year old. He fell asleep in the car and then went for a quick bite to et on arrival (he didnt eat) then to bed. He didnt wakenup particularly early