Disney with a six month old

[disneygrl20]

:cloud9: My husband and I are expecting our first child in the spring. We just came back from Disney in Oct and I was around 6 weeks along. We are seriously concering going back in December of 2007. The baby will be about 6 months old. Are we crazy? Who has taken a six month old and how was it? Any info and help would be great!

[shannonh]

You're going to get numerous ideas on this. My first thought is to tell you to go with what makes you comfortable. After that, I've gone with a 6 week old. Most would say that was crazy or even dangerous with germs everywhere, but let me tell you all he did was sleep, it was a great trip. And, no he didn't get sick. Will your 6 mth old remember it? No, but you will. The baby will be alert and it'll be fun to see the reaction you get out of the little one. The downfalls of traveling with babies are the things you'll need to take, diapers,wipes, formula, bottles, playpens, carseats, strollers, etc. All of these things you can rent from different places, but I've found that no matter what age, my kids travel better with their own stuff. So with that, do whatever you think is right. Hope this helps a little. :)

[bama-mom]

I say go for it! We took dd when she was 21 months last year and will be taking ds who will turn 7 months while we are there next month. No, he won't remember it, but like the pp said, we will and will make some great memories. Yes, it will be a hassle with 2 car seats, 2 strollers, and all the stuff that you have to have with a baby, but we can't wait.

When we took dd for the first time, we had a whole different trip than we had every year prior to that. We went to character meals for the first time, rode rides we had never been on before, spent a lot less time in the parks (which was just fine), missed some things we used to do, but all in all, I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Not everyone will want to take an infant, but if you do, you will still have a great time in WDW. Best wishes on your new addition!!!!

[cybrkitn]

First off CONGRATULATIONS on your pregnancy! Our vacation was also last month. DH and I are trying for #2 now as well. Besides, DS4 has been asking for a sister since he was 3 :teeth:. Don't know if I'm pregnant or not yet, but we shall see.

There are pros and cons for bringing an infant. The pros being not having to pay for an infant and seeing their face at everything that is around them. Plus all the "awww's" and "how adorable" statements you get :cloud9:

The cons being that the baby will not remember it, lugging all the baby gear around, not being able to go on a few rides as a family.

If you go back with DB (Disney Baby), make sure you have plenty of F-U-N and enjoy yourselves!

[mecllap]

It's wonderful to have the photos of then and now with characters as your young one grows and you make many more visits thru the years. There's more hauling around of stuff, and you may spend less time in the Parks, but I doubt you'll have any regrets about going. Have fun!!!

[Bird-Mom]

We took our older dd when she was 6 months. It was great fun and set her up to be a Disney fanatic. I didn't find it to be much extra work at all. We do not use most baby "gear" (except a convertible car seat and then a stroller sometime after 12 months), so we didn't have much extra to bring except for diapers. We used the extra space in the suitcase to bring home extra souvenirs. ;) I wore her in the baby bjorn or maya wrap the whole time; she loved the view and was very happy.

The pictures are priceless.

[SaraMc]

We are taking our son in Feb and he will be almost 6 months old. We are so looking forward to it. Since the next time we will go he will be 2 and a half and running around Im sure. We are bringing the baby bjorn with us and his stroller but leaving his carseat in the car as we wont have a car while we are here. We are going to have his diapers, formula and cereal delivered to the hotel as thats less for us to lug down. I will however being the overplanner that I am in his diaper bag have at least 3 days worth of formula and diapers just incase. Also some orajel because he should be good and teething by then. I know he wont remember the trip but DH and I will. :love:

[AllisonG]

Going up in february with my 6 month old DD. Now I've taken a 9 month old and a 12 month old but nothing any smaller. So this will be a trip of firsts for me.
My DH thinks it is gonna be a disaster but from previous experiences the baby generally does alot of sleeping with all the extra stroller time.
I am looking forward to creating all sorts of new memories!
Good luck on your pregnancy!

[Northeast Rose]

:thumbsup2 Yes! Congrats on your pregnancy! We did Disney last March with our 3 kids - 11 yrs, 7yrs and 9 months at the time. The memories are priceless and so are the pictures. You'll have a blast.

For the last trip, I brought my own stroller - she was more comfortable in it and it was great to be able to adjust her seat (sitting up, laying down, etc).
I packed her diaper bag carefully for the parks. Everything from that one extra diaper to a wet face cloth in a baggie; Desitin even if she wasn't showing signs of needing it; disposable bags for dirty diapers, a few toys, spare bottle for filling, etc. It can be a bit challenging to pack everything yoou need without weighing yourself down. It's a good idea to review some of the online packing lists for ideas. The good news is that if you forget something at the hotel, Disney has these awesome kid care centers and of course plenty of stores should you need anything.

DH and I had to split up for the rides with the older kids, but we're well used to that it given the age differences in the kids. The plus side is that it gives the kids some special one on one time with Mom or Dad (who ever it taking them on the ride).

[amytheobald]

I have been with 6 week old babies twice. Although we did not commando disney we had a great time and found park facilities, and cast members to be nothing but accomodating. Our last trip was with a 3 year old, a 2 year old and a six week old...and we had a blast. The baby was great, at those ages as long as you keep them dry, and fed they tend to be happy.

[disneysteve]

I am actually disneysteve's DW, but I had to post my first comment here. Our first trip with DD was when she was 6 months and it was amazing. We did a lot of walking of the main paths to get her to nap because there was so much to stimulate her. She was looking everywhere and taking it all in. I know she doesn't remember that trip, but she definately got grounded in Disney then. The memories and photos are wonderful too. Just plan on her needs when working out your day and it will be wonderful. Congratulations!!!

[mwehttam]

We are also planning a trip in July with our DS who was born back on Oct 30th. He will be a little over 8 months and we are very excited. The benifits I see of taking a trip when they are this young is that the trip is still your trip. They are small enough that they will enjoy being in the stroller and not be running around. You can still go to EPCOT and walk around the WS without the boy saying he wants to ride Buzz for the 16th time. :rotfl:Yeah, he won't remember the trip but my DW and I will and at this age and with how fast kids grow up, I plan on remembering this trip for the rest of my life.

-Matt

[Eeyore Mum]

Firstly congrats on your excellent news!! :cheer2:

I did this last year as a new mum with a 5mth old. I had been with my husband before and we love disney. We flew from the UK and although she was excellent on both flights. I honestly found it very difficult. My extended family were there :stir: and I still found it hard. We thought that we were ready as new parents, but we were wrong.

I found that the parks hyper stimulated her and it was difficult to get her to sleep. We went in June and it was really hot aswell (holiday was booked before I knew I was expecting!!! We had been trying to conceive for well over a year) Our daughter was very placid and that made life a little easier but the stuff you need to take with is a nightmare - diaper bag with all the extras each day, changes of clothes incase, milk and bottles. The excitment on her face was beautiful, but I will remember that - she wont!

Hindsight is a great thing and only last night my husband and I were saying it was too much stress and we really didnt enjoy.

Since then we have had another baby and are planning WDW for 2010 (I am a planning freak!!!) when our DD will be 5 and our DS will be 4. I am hoping this will be more manageable! :goodvibes

I guess I am just letting you know that its not easy being a new mum and maybe disney will work for you, but it didnt for me. :guilty:

Do what is right for you. If you need a packing list I can let you know!!!!

Lisa

[dr&momto2boys]

We went with our 5 month old and had a great time! We got his picture taken and put on the walls at EPCOT. It was very cute and it will be neat to go back and see it each time we visit. We took him on all the gentle rides with us and he was very interested in his surroundings. We also enjoyed the resort pool and then turned in early. Our son could sleep through anything even Fantasmic. We planned to enjoy many restaraunts because he had been so good at home with eating out. Unfortunately he didn't like it much when we were there. The childcare centers were a nice and cool place to nurse and rest. You'll have a great time and cherished memories. Congratulations!

[lulu71]

I took my DD last December when she was six months and it was such a great trip. The Osborne lights are fascinating for babied that age!! Also, be prepared to ride It's A Small World many times, LOL. The great thing is that they will nap in their strollers just about anywhere and you won't have to lug all the gear back to your room for a break. Congrats and have a great trip!

[katerkat]

We took Russ to DL when he was six months old and it was a fun, easy trip. A lot easier than when he was 18 months and walking. :rotfl: I was nursing, so we essentially didn't have to pack anything but diapers. He had no problem falling asleep in his stroller. (Though my parents took me at 7 months old and I'm told I didn't nap a minute while there.) I had family with me and Russ was thrilled to hang out with other people the whole time.

Congrats on your pregnancy!

[Disney Fanatic]

Just curious how people feel about kids travelling without all their vaccinations? We too are planning a trip when our little ones are 8 months old and I just remember the Dr. saying that each vaccination they get, they are protected for one more thing! I guess trying to make it easier on me. Anyway, this is the only thing holding me back right now and wonder if anyone has spoken to their Dr.'s about this??

[Bird-Mom]

Just curious how people feel about kids travelling without all their vaccinations? We too are planning a trip when our little ones are 8 months old and I just remember the Dr. saying that each vaccination they get, they are protected for one more thing! I guess trying to make it easier on me. Anyway, this is the only thing holding me back right now and wonder if anyone has spoken to their Dr.'s about this??

My dds are 4.5 and not quite 2.5. They are not vaccinated, and I have no worries about them catching anything while traveling. Your doc isn't really giving you the whole story about vaccinations. Do you think that your child's immune system is not sufficient and needs to be altered with ingredients such as aluminum and formaldehyde? What exactly is the "one more thing" they are protected from? Do you know what the vaccinations are for? Have you researched the incidence of the diseases? Do you know that vaccines do not always work, and the immunity they give is, at best, limited? Furthermore, if you received any vaccines as a child, any immunities that you may have gotten are likely gone, unless you have been revaccinated as an adult.

Do you take them out and about in Toronto? If so, what is the difference? Do you think they will catch something at Disney that they could not catch in Toronto? (which, btw, is one of my favorite cities)

I don't mean to pick on you, but if you are just taking your doc's word for it that vaccines are great, you (and anyone else who thinks so) should do your research. There are many other less invasive ways to maintain a healthy immune system.

I don't want to get into a vax debate, and I am very secure in my decsions, but if anyone has any questions, I would be happy to discuss in PM.

[IluvKingLouis]

On our first trip, Linnea, dd was 9 months. We chose WDW because we knew we needed a vaca and we liked the idea of the babycenters. They were a blessing!

It was our first trip with a stroller, and although we thought we'd walk less, we think we did more walking. We'd start to go somewhere along our normal route, then run into stairs. Then we'd have to double back to find the ramp! :rotfl2:

You'll see WDW from a much different perspective. DD at 9months loved the ducks, flowers, live musicians, and fountains. Oh and she had to go on every bench in every park and to the bench dance (she'd stand on the bench, pulling up on the back and wiggle to whatever music there was).

[Bangerang]

I think the kind of trip you have depends mostly on the temperment of your child. When our oldest DS was 6 mths we went across country for a friends wedding and he traveled like a dream. He was on a routine and we basically stuck with it throughout the trip. We now have a 5 and a half month old DS and I can't imagine taking any type of trip like that with him right now. He's a short but frequent napper who has difficulty sleeping anywhere except for his crib. Before he was born we talked making a trip this year to WDW. Now I'm glad we decided to wait a year.

[alicenwonder99]

We were there in Sept with our dgd who was 6 months old at the time. It was a breeze! She's such an "easy" baby, so we had no problems with her. The one thing I do recommend for you is to stay at a monorail resort. When you take the monorail, you don't have to fold up the stroller. Taking a Disney park bus with an infant is a royal PITB!!

Have fun. :)

[disneysteve]

Taking a Disney park bus with an infant is a royal PITB!!
It is also a big safety risk, since there are no seatbelts or carseats on the buses. We much prefer having our own car and driving everywhere we go. It is safer, more comfortable and more convenient than using Disney transport, especially when you have little ones to manage. I've seen quite a few kids get hurt over the years when a bus made a sharp turn or stopped suddenly and they slid off the seat or fell over if standing.

[tiggerbell]

I am so sorry, but this post is totally :offtopic:

I am trying to get ahold of the OP of this thread - disneygrl20 - and I've PM'd (hasn't opened yet) and she has no e-mail address attached to her profile.

disneygrl20 - You applied to be a member in Extreme WPASADI here on the DisBoards - well, your team is looking for you! We've been given until the 30th of November to find you...

PM me, e-mail me, find us in the Community Board (it's the Trip Reports team).

[MyTy]

Couple of quick questions for all of you who had travelled with infants. What rides were you able to do at MK and AK, and where in those parks were you able to find a place for your baby to take a nap? We'll be at WDW in about 2 weeks with our 8 month old daughter. We did read up on the baby centers, but it wasn't clear whether we could take our daughter in there for a nap.

Thanks,
Rich

[Bangerang]

My understanding is that there are no napping facilities at the babycare centers. Here are some places we found for naps:

MK - Tom Sawer's Island. The downside is you are not allowed to bring strollers onto the island so you have to be willing to hold your little one.

We have also napped on the wooden walkway that goes between Liberty Square and Frontier Land. There is some traffic here but most people use it as a cut through so it's not as noisy as other places. Note: this is along the parade route which is quite loud. On the upside, if you time it right you have great seats for viewing the parade.

We haven't used it yet, but Faiytale Garden between shows looks like a good spot too.

Epcot - The garden behind the UK Tea shop in the World Showcase. It's mostly overlooked so it's nice and quite.

The area around Innovations West and the Fountainview Bakery. There are some nice indoor spaces here.

MGM - We found this the hardest park to find good napping places and eventually settled for the brick wall along Commissary Lane. In hind sight, the ABC Commissary in between peak dining times might have been a better choice.

AK - The covered pavilion across from the Flights of Wonder Theater. This is also a good spot for watching the afternoon parade too.

Any seasonally closed eating area. They are generally covered and quiet when not in use.

Our DS was almost 2 on his first trip so I don't know that I am a good reference for rides with an 8 month old.

[DisneyPhD]

My oldest 1st trip she was 8 months old. My 2nd DD 1st trip was 7 months old. We are just now as a family watching the video from May 2005 when DD was 9 months old. in fact we were just talking and this Jan with be my 5 year olds 9th trip to WDW! (Her 10th will be in May.)

I was just telling my DH I was so glad we took her then and took video.

Here is a vote for breast feeding and keeping it up for the trip. It is so much easier. Everything you need is with you at all times!

My best advice is bring a good comfortable but small stroller. Have a rain cover for it (just in case, but in Dec you shouldn't need it.) Dec is a good time of year to go (as long as it is before the Christmas rush.) Not much rain, not too hot but normally warm. It can get chilly though, so dress for it.

Bring some comfort things from home (blankets, a lovely.)

Really 6 months can be a great age to go. They can sit up pretty well by then.

Good luck with the pregnancy and child birth. Another thing about 6 months old is you have some time to get comfortable as a family and get to know your child before traveling with them.

[dsneygirl]

We took our DS at 3 months, we went across the continent to Seattle/Vancouver and 4 months and we are going back to WDW at 5 months. I agree with some other posters that a lot depends on the temperment of your child. Our DS is extremely easy going. We took him to MNSSHP and he fell asleep in the stroller at 7:30, slept through fireworks and 2 parades. I also didn't find it that much of an ordeal to bring all his stuff, not much more than needed for any day out.

Also we had no problem with Disney buses. Our stroller folded up small (Mac) and I certainly never did not feel safe. But if you are at all concerned than rent a car and use that.

[kohlby]

We ended up going when my daughter was 2.5 months old. It wasn't ideal, but it was an extended family vacation so I felt I had to go. It turned out to be easy with her except for the long car ride there. (It's 7 hours without kids for us, 9 hours with kids and reasonable stops - it took us 15 hours to get back!) We're going back in less than 2 weeks and she's 8 months old, so I guess it wasn't too bad! We went when it was hot the first time. Though the baby did fine, I wouldn't recommend that. Baby gear really isn't an issue for us. Though we do use diapers and wipes, I breastfeed, co-sleep, and use a sling. I highly recommend a sling. That way you don't have to bring a stroller. We did take a stroller in case my daughter needed it but she was fine in the sling. My 3 year old used the stroller instead. Carseats are going to be an issue for years and years, whether baby is 6 months or 4 years old. At 6 months, there's a chance she might be small enough for an infant carrier - which is much easier to lug than those big convertible seats.

So, my suggestions are: Use a sling, keep the stroller at home if you have one. Get a crib at the hotel or rent from an area service if you don't co-sleep. Breastfeed. Buy a diaper bag that's a backpack - not just for your trip, but for all your needs! I used a regular diaper bag for my first child and a backpack when I had #2. I should have started with the backpack. Do not start solid food until after your trip. The current AAP reccomendation says to start solids at 6 months or later. Things will be much easier if you wait until you come back! The baby centers are great for distractable babies who don't want to nurse when there's too much going on.

I'm not sure what will happen with my daughter's napping this trip - she's the most distractable baby I've ever met and I usually lie down with her on her twin mattress to nurse her to sleep. At 2.5 months, she would fall asleep in the sling. A sling doesn't give the typical sleep position for a 6 month old, but it is next to mom and that counts for a lot at sleep time for my kids! However, if this is your only child, then you can always head back to the room mid-day for baby to nap.

*My son would have been a terror to take to Disney before 2.5 years old. Temperment definately means a lot.