Going in May staying at AoA. Have a 2 yr old with me. I have scheduled breaks every day returning to the resort for naps. I am trying to figure out what mode of transportation to and from the resort will be best for each park. I have scheduled 3-4 hours each day for naps but am getting worried that I will be spending hours traveling between the parks and the resort and not much time napping.
The skyliner works great from Epcot and HS back to AoA. AK and MK we took the bus back for naps and it worked ok because at that time the buses were not very full and did not have to wait
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Skyliner to/from HS and Epcot should be 15 minutes. Bus to MK and AK can be 25-45(ish) or even a little longer if you’re unlucky. Nap time can be a struggle, but you will figure it out. And you will have a great time in any case. I’m sure of it. We went last Halloween with 5, 3, and almost 1 year old
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The Skyliner is great for the EP / DHS. I know it’s going to be an extra expense, but the Minnie Vans will pick you up right out side MK / Ak and drop you off within a few minutes. IMHO - Your time is valuable. I’d rather spend $50 - $60 round trip to get my transit done in 10 - 12 minutes as opposed to an hour on a cramped bus. The Minnie Vans will have a car seat available for your your 2 year old.
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Minnie Vans are great because they have the car seats easily available and you can see how long you have to wait and when you will arrive through the Lyft app. Major drawback is the cost, but you may find it is worth it to not have to wait.
Skyliner would be great if you have a single stroller because you can just roll it on without folding it up.
Buses can be a mixed bag. You may get to your spot and the bus arrives quickly, or you may be waiting for 20+ minutes. There may also be additional stops before you get to the resort, so it’s not a straight shot home. If you are the only adult, you will also have to fold it up and get 2yo on the bus by yourself, which is a hassle. Luckily the buses aren’t super crowded around nap time, though.
From Epcot and HS, I would do the Skyliner and I think you’ll be fine. I would take a bus to MK and AK and consider a Minnie Van back to save time.
Alternatively, does your child sleep well in the stroller? You may be able to get away with just walking around a quiet area for nap time. AK has some quieter trails and rest areas. MK you could even take a loop around the lake on the resort boats with a nap on the boat (or get off and walk around the resorts when they are not busy). Sometimes the stress of transportation isn’t worth the journey if they will nap without a bed!
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I’ve struggled with this question too, or more specifically trying to figure out how much time out of the park I would need to take for my kids to get an 1.5 hour nap/rest
MK you could even take a loop around the lake on the resort boats with a nap on the boat (or get off and walk around the resorts when they are not busy). Sometimes the stress of transportation isn’t worth the journey if they will nap without a bed!
I love that idea. Thanks.
When my kids were younger on trips maybe ages 18 months-3 and needed naps, I found that trying to get back to resort for naps was difficult because as we approached lunch and nap time, we’d put the kid in the stroller to head back to the front of park to catch the bus/boat/monorail/whatever and the kid would inevitably fall asleep in the stroller or on my lap on the bus, catching a 20-30 min cat nap and then not napping at the resort. They then wanted to play in the resort room, wearing everyone else out 
Even though they were pretty scheduled as far as naps go at home, the extra busyness at Disney wiped them out.
We eventually found that scheduling an hour or so after lunch for walking with the kid in a stroller or sitting in the shade and letting them sleep worked better for us. We also kept a regular-ish bedtime and only attempted one late park night per trip–usually the last night. This was before skyliner and we didn’t stay on monorail resort so those may have changed our approach, maybe. YMMV and some adults like the rest back at the resort as much as the kid. I think it’s extra walking to leave so not worth it to me. Also, we’ve never been between June-September so that might make a huge difference.
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Did you ever use the Baby Care Centers? I wondered if it would be a quiet, cool place that I could rock him to sleep without having to leave the park. I read somewhere that they had rocking chairs. I didn’t know if there were individual rooms or one open space. Also if there were multiple rooms.
We take a nap every day - adults too! For us a stroller nap would not be the same! Actually sleeping in a bed is so worth it when you come back refreshed and ready to have fun!
Does anyone know if you can cancel a MV once you’ve called it? I’ve read they can take some time to show up, but if I get to the front and see a bus waiting for me and they aren’t there could I cancel it? I wouldn’t do this to a normal Uber/Lyft, but given that its Disney operated and is surely going to get another fare I might consider it.
I have–they were great for nursing with little distraction and some calm. It’s been awhile though and I’ve also used the first aid stations so I can’t remember which set up was which.
I want to say yes, although I didn’t use it myself. I’m pretty sure there was a ‘cancel’ button on the screen after ordering. Not sure if there are any restrictions tied to it, so you may want to check on that.
The Lyft app does give you a good idea of how long it will take to arrive, though, and you can also use the Disney app (if staying onsite) to check the current arrival times of buses so you don’t have to walk to the bus stop to check.
I’ve been told the bus times in the app are very unreliable.