Parents who have taken toddlers - how do you survive without a suite?
Our toddler will be 2.5 when we go and he’s very used to sleeping in a dark room with his sound machine and no other distractions.
We plan on going back to the hotel midday for naps but I don’t want to have to lay there silently as well lol. We also don’t want to have to go to bed when our toddler does.
Does anyone have any tips/tricks for room sharing with a toddler or are we just going to have to bite the bullet and get a suite?
We never went to a Disney park when our kids were toddlers, but we **did** go on one hellacious week-long trip to Hawaii when my kids were 1.5 and 3.5. At the time, both of my kids, like your son, slept at home in a very dark room with a sound machine on.
They still sleep with the sound machine and they're 12 and 14 now. ODD, especially, has always been a light sleeper and will wake up to the sound of a mouse fart.
Our sleeping accommodations on that Hawaii trip were not ideal for decent sleep for my kids. We all slept in one room. It was hell. Even with the sound machine that I brought from home (but now there's apps for smart phones for this, so no need to bring the sound machine with you). The room never got dark enough at night and both kids would take turns waking each other up. One of us adults had to stay in the room the entire time and just lay there in the dark.
In addition, my kids just would NOT nap. AT ALL. After day 3 in a row of this, you can imagine what happened. They turned into demon children. I was exhausted and miserable the entire time.
You absolutely need to get a suite. It needs to have a door that can be closed off. Not a door with windows that you can see through (I think Desert Inn & Suites might have this set up w/a see-through door?). Hojo's family suites would be ideal in your situation.