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Miniature Golf

Evening is often the most comfortable time to check out Fantasia Gardens or Winter Summerland, especially in summer.

Night Swimming

Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon run extended hours in summer, and evening swimming can be a delight during the hottest weeks of the year. You don’t have to worry about sunburn and the crowds are much lighter. Hotel pools stay open late as well, many until after midnight.

Disney World After Dark Without the Kids: Finding a Sitter

Why would any decent parent seek a sitter while on a family vacation? Consider this scenario: Meaghan’s sucking the inside of her mouth. Loud. Mom keeps making everyone stop while she readjusts the strap of her shoe to accommodate the blister she picked up halfway around the World Showcase Lagoon. You spent $204 to get through the Magic Kingdom gates—and Devin spends two hours feeding quarters into the same arcade game that’s in the mall back home. Dad has been singing the first line—and only the first line—of “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” since Thursday. You’ve asked to see the kiddie menus from nine different restaurants in nine different Epcot countries, and you end up at the American pavilion fast-food joint because Kristy won’t eat anything but a hot dog. It’s 108 degrees, this trip is costing $108 an hour, and that infernal sucking sound is getting on your last nerve.

Although it may seem un-American to suggest building time apart into the middle of a family vacation, the truth is that everyone will have more fun if you occasionally break up the group for a while. Even the most devoted of families aren’t accustomed to being together 24 hours a day—for every meal, every ride, every potty stop. Every minute.

Some of the hotels in Orlando have responded with programs designed to get the kids involved with other children while parents have a night on the town. The idea is that everyone returns refreshed and recharged, with some happy stories to tell, and you can start the next day actually glad to be together again.

Quite a few off-site hotels have their own kids’ clubs. Visit and tour the club before you drop your children off and make sure that the place seems clean, safe, and has an appropriate child-to-caregiver ratio.

On-Site Kids’ Clubs

To get current pricing or make reservations at a kids’ club dial 407/WDW–DINE. The following on-site hotels have kids’ clubs (all numbers begin with area code 407):

Animal Kingdom Lodge

938–3000

BoardWalk

939–5100

Contemporary

824–1000

Dolphin

934–4000

Grand Floridian

824–3000

Polynesian

824–2000

Wilderness Lodge

824–3200

Yacht & Beach Clubs

934–8000

The clubs generally run in the evening for kids ages 3 to 12, but they’re most interesting for the 3 to 8 set. The older the child, the more likely he or she is to be bored. The clubhouses are well stocked with toys, computers, video games, and large-screen TVs. Make reservations by calling Guest Relations at the appropriate hotel; on-site guests get first crack at the available slots, but if the clubs don’t fill up, space is available to off-site visitors. Note that children must be toilet trained.

Prices, policy, and planned entertainment change quickly at the kids’ clubs, so confirm everything when you make your reservations.

The clubs usually open at 4 or 4:30 PM and closing time varies. Obviously, if you’ll be dining at a Disney resort, it makes sense to try to book your kids into that hotel’s child-care program so that you can just drop them off, go on to your restaurant, and return to pick them up later. Parents are given pagers in case of emergencies, so you can truly relax while you enjoy your time alone. Rates are usually around $12 per hour per child with a two-hour minimum, and a credit card guarantee is required when you make your reservation; if plans change, be sure to cancel or you’ll be charged.

Insider’s Secret

The Polynesian offers the most elaborate kids’ program: the Never Land Club, with buffet food and entertainment for the youngsters.

In-Room Sitters

Kids