Tips for taking babies to WDW

[lilacmama]

Planning a surprise trip this June (so hard to keep it a secret all thus time - only three weeks left now) for my 8-year-old dd, but want to be prepared for making it a nice trip for our 1-year-old, too. My mom and sister are going with the three of us which will be a big help, and we are staying at pop century. We will have our umbrella stroller there, too. Any suggestions for making it a fun trip for both girls would be greatly appreciated!

 

[ironpig70]

Never been to the world with a 1 year old but did DL with an infant. Personally if you can take a bigger stroller, one that reclines so they can sleep and be completely shaded the better.

Tide make laundry bars which make doing laundry much easier. I'd prefer to do a load of laundry then pack a whole bunch of extra clothes.

Lastly take plenty of baby sunscreen and water. Babies are very easy to get dehydrated and wont tell you when they are thirsty.


Have a great trip.

 

[quagmire0]

Well be taking DD 13mo uh n a few weeks. What we learned with DS when he was 18mo, was to 1. Keep a nap schedule, 2. Keep drinks and snacks at the ready, and 3. Be wary of shows with 'sudden' noises - Muppets, Philharmagic, and Figment (there was a sudden pop that freaked DS out). I think those were the only rides he really had a problem on.

 

[karenklo]

I took my second son when he was 10 mo. We also had an umbrella stroller. It unzipped down the side so he could sleep. I did stick to nap schedules. Either taking him back to the room (we were on the monorail) or finding a quiet path out of the way in the shade. At the age the train and monorail were rides to him! Have a great time!

 

[stackyallred]

On DS' first trip, he was 11 months old. Keeping his schedule as normal as possible was a big help. At the time he was still taking a short morning nap and a long afternoon nap so we would purposely try to be in a place where he could nap in his stroller for that first nap (we were sure to have a reclining stroller with mesh lining so the air could flow through). One of us (It was me, DH, my MIL, and Sister in Law) would take turns each day pushing him around in whatever park we were in until he fell asleep while the other adults went to an attraction. Then we would go back to the room for his afternoon nap. We learned early with him that he was happy if he ate and slept on a schedule that he was used to. Every kid is different of course, so whatever you usually do, I say try to stick with it within reason (it is vacation so naturally there are exceptions!).

Also:

-Taking a sound machine was helpful so that during naptime and bedtime we could block out any noise we needed to make before we went to bed.

-We used the baby stations for changings often rather than the public restrooms because it was cooler and one of us could change him while the other one went to the restroom and then switch. (This can be done in the public restrooms of course but it was just less hectic in the baby centers.)

-I tried to portion out all of his snacks before we left home so I wouldn't have to do it there each morning. I just bought lots of snack bags and packed an assortment of things that he liked (dried fruit, dried cereal, etc). I just like to have as little work to do on vacation!

-You've probably seen this on another thread already, but we did use a bright, unique ribbon for his stroller so it was easy to find among the many other strollers that looked like ours. When the CMs move them while you are in an attraction, it can be very hard to locate it if your model is a popular one.

Can you tell I am an over-planner??? Have a great trip!

 

[bethan92]

I'd definitely take advantage of the Baby Care areas!
As a previous poster said, there's more changing stations than in the restrooms and much less crowded.
There's plenty of seats and high chairs in there as well, which is great if you need a snack or some food without it being super busy.
Additionally for your DD8 there's always a film on, books to read, and if you ask the cast member you can do some colouring too.
This is also a great place to buy anything you may need baby wise. They stock diapers, training pants, baby food, formula, pedialyte, and much more

 

[Golf4283]

We will be taking my son in July. He will be 3 months at that time. We just plan to tale our time and relax. Also we bought a personal cooler that we can rig up to the stroller. Got it on amazon. It's called the "handy cooler". We just used it during my sisters outdoor graduation for him. It was awesome.

That's my really only concern is him overheating. He'll still be pretty young so he'll sleep when he has to.

 

[jennycraig]

I'll be going to Disney with my baby when she is 7 months. Does anyone know where I can buy the noise cancelling headphones for babies?

Also, which rides can babies go on without doing the parent swap?

 

[amomma23]

I'll be going to Disney with my baby when she is 7 months. Does anyone know where I can buy the noise cancelling headphones for babies?

Also, which rides can babies go on without doing the parent swap?

Can't help with the headphones, but babies can ride anything without a height requirement. There are only a handful of rides at each park that DO have a height requirement.

 

[jennycraig]

What about at the water parks?

 

[PGHDisneyfan]

On DS' first trip, he was 11 months old. Keeping his schedule as normal as possible was a big help. At the time he was still taking a short morning nap and a long afternoon nap so we would purposely try to be in a place where he could nap in his stroller for that first nap (we were sure to have a reclining stroller with mesh lining so the air could flow through). One of us (It was me, DH, my MIL, and Sister in Law) would take turns each day pushing him around in whatever park we were in until he fell asleep while the other adults went to an attraction. Then we would go back to the room for his afternoon nap. We learned early with him that he was happy if he ate and slept on a schedule that he was used to. Every kid is different of course, so whatever you usually do, I say try to stick with it within reason (it is vacation so naturally there are exceptions!).

Also:

-Taking a sound machine was helpful so that during naptime and bedtime we could block out any noise we needed to make before we went to bed.

-We used the baby stations for changings often rather than the public restrooms because it was cooler and one of us could change him while the other one went to the restroom and then switch. (This can be done in the public restrooms of course but it was just less hectic in the baby centers.)

-I tried to portion out all of his snacks before we left home so I wouldn't have to do it there each morning. I just bought lots of snack bags and packed an assortment of things that he liked (dried fruit, dried cereal, etc). I just like to have as little work to do on vacation!

-You've probably seen this on another thread already, but we did use a bright, unique ribbon for his stroller so it was easy to find among the many other strollers that looked like ours. When the CMs move them while you are in an attraction, it can be very hard to locate it if your model is a popular one.

Can you tell I am an over-planner??? Have a great trip!

All super points, we went in April with our 8 month old and 5 year old. After the risk rocky nights sleep it was off to Target to get a sound machine. My 5 year old has been sleeping to the animal kingdom soundtrack since the day he was born and so has the baby, problem being we only brought 1 CD/ DVD player and the baby slept with us. I would absolutely bring one! Helps in the morning to, since it blocks out noise of getting ready while the baby sleeps.

I would also go with the largest stroller you are comfortable with drink holders, under storage, smooth ride, bigger shade, recline are all reasons to bring it. Also I like a clip on fan for the hot days. A miserable baby makes for a crummy trip. If you can't find one you can grab one at the gift shop in tomorrow land by the tomorrow land speedway. It's Mickey colored , battery powered and has a long flexible arm for $20.

We used to put a luggage tag on our stroller which was great during the day but didn't do jack at night. Adventure land gets a wee bit dark POTC so we you the blinker strobes that jiggers wear when they run. You'll thank me for that one some day!

Go with no expectations other than having a good time, a list of must dos, and an understanding that some things won't end up as planned and you should be fine.

Ps don't forget an extra rain poncho to cover the stroller with and a few clothes pins to hold the poncho I place

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Take plenty of duct tape.

 

[kdn hawaii]

We are staying at AK. Is there a convenience store nearby or somewhere to pick up diapers and other baby stuff nearby? We are not renting a car.

 

[jessc79]

We are staying at AK. Is there a convenience store nearby or somewhere to pick up diapers and other baby stuff nearby? We are not renting a car.

We always order diapers from Garden Grocer.

 

[kdn hawaii]

We always order diapers from Garden Grocer.

Thank you!

 

[TinaLala]

This is going to sound crazy but, make sure you pack diapers and bottles. I know it sounds crazy but you dont want to go there and realize you have no diapers, no car and not enough cash to pay for Disneys diapers! Put some in every bag along with wipes and bottles.

With that said buy a stroller fan, keep a ziploc bag of wipes in cooler if youre going in the summer. Bring swimmy diapers and keep them with you and be prepared to strip them down to run thru fountains.

 

[kdn hawaii]

This is going to sound crazy but, make sure you pack diapers and bottles. I know it sounds crazy but you dont want to go there and realize you have no diapers, no car and not enough cash to pay for Disneys diapers! Put some in every bag along with wipes and bottles.

With that said buy a stroller fan, keep a ziploc bag of wipes in cooler if youre going in the summer. Bring swimmy diapers and keep them with you and be prepared to strip them down to run thru fountains.

Do they need to be in swim diapers to run through fountains?

 

[TinaLala]

No, but it will make things easier for you to change.

 

[ChickyRootie]

This may sound silly, but bring a small lightweight blanket and a comfy (non itchy) sweater. When you go from the heat into the chilly restaurants and rides the extreme and sudden temperature change can make the baby cranky. Before you walk in just throw the blankie over baby's lap...after he/she adjusts to the temp, slowly, you can take off the blanket and baby can enjoy the nice cool environment!

 

[tink_n_pooh]

I highly recommend a stroller fan and an extra large shade if you will be going during the warmer months. We have one like this, it folds up very compact and creates a very large canopy area for the stroller. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2302843

Bring cup/bottle cleaning supplies in your luggage. You don't realize how difficult it is to clean everything without a bottle brush. If not staying in a villa also bring a small container of dish soap and a sponge.

Bring as much from home as you can. The resorts and baby care centers have the essentials, food, formula, milk, etc but you will pay heavily for it. You may also not be able to get the brands, flavors, and exactly what your LO is used to. If you don't bring it from home take advantage of one of the many personal shopper/delivery services available.

Baby care centers are great.

Invest in and know how to use a good baby carrier. I love my Beco. Many people like Ergos, wraps, and slings. A Bjorn is not ideal (read: not good at all) for mom (or dad) or baby, there are much better options out there.

Bring diapers in your luggage. All that space that they take up on the way there can be used for souvenirs on the way home.

Enjoy yourself and take it easy. Stay hydrated. Make sure the LO's stay hydrated. Plan for frequent stops. Enjoy every second!