For those who bring babies to DLR...why?

[jentifred]

I grew up in San Diego and the attitude in SoCal about Disneyland seems to be less "vacation destination" and closer to "hey, let's go to the zoo". My parents used to plan a trip on maybe a week's notice (as soon as my dad got his work schedule). We'd leave our house at 6am, spend the day, and get home late in the evening. The first time I took a trip there that was longer than that I was 35!

[Mugglemama]

When we lived nearby, Disneyland was actually the place we went for exercise. LOL!

I'm serious, though. We lived about 25 minutes away, and like many people in that area, our yard was almost non-existent it was so small. We had three children when we started bringing an infant to Disneyland...they were 9yo, 3yo, and the baby was 5 months old. Our itty-bitty yard was not big enough for kids to bounce around and get much exercise, and the playgrounds in our area were "meh". We bought AP's and usually went into the parks 2-3 times per week for about 4 hours - enough time to get LOTS of exercise for everyone (except the baby, of course).

It was lots of fun, plus it served a practical purpose. That's why *we* took an infant to Disneyland.

[longhorns2]

I had that same POV before kids. My first adult trips to WDW with my new DH we SWORE we'd never ever ever bring a kid younger than 6 to the parks!

Funny- we took our DOGS with us on vacation (they stayed in the hotel room) and didn't think twice about bringing them along for the ride. LOL

Anyway... you have kids and realize that most of the time, they just go where you go. Including vacations and DL or WDW. My babies were all pretty easy kiddos too- napped anywhere and were mostly pleasant so it wasn't really an issue. My DD went when she was 6 weeks old when we lived in Orlando (had passes, was more an outing than a vacation destination at that point)

I get the question- but as a mom, I now get why we do what we do with our kids!

[bcla]

There are a lot of questions one might ask. One would be why an adult would visit without a child in a particular group.

Families with newborns want to enjoy their lives. They've got little onesies for infants who can't recognize it't Mickey Mouse. Parents dress up their kids for their own sake. They bring the kids to DL because it's. a fun place to take pictures and to blow off steam. Disney is also terribly accommodating to parents with newborns. It's fun to bring a newborn to explore new things even if it won't necessarily be a conscious memory. Keeping a newborn at home simply because it cries and is demanding wouldn't really make sense. Developing young minds need stimulation.

[lisachrystine]

My oldest went to KBF at 8 weeks. He went to DL a few months later. Why? Because we lived in CA and we still liked to go - and like pp said the attitude is more like "let's go to the zoo" than a vacation. Was it a different experience? Absolutely. Was I taking the trip for him? Nope. But, I still have good memories of of sharing it with him. By the time my second came around, we had moved to CO. He went to DL at 9 months old. We were in LA for a wedding and I couldn't be that close without taking a day trip to DL! He had a great time! One of my best memories of that trip is how much he loved the parade. Of course, I also went to DL at 9 mo. pregnant (close enough that my mom wouldn't let me go unless I kept a card in my wallet with the numbers of the local hospitals just in case!), so I might not be the best judge! I go whenever I can and I'll take anyone who happens to be along for the ride. I mean, a day at Disneyland beats a day at home regardless of how many stops you have to make to feed the baby, right?

[kerickson]

I took my DS when he was 9mo and my DD was 2yrs. That was the easiest trip I've had with him to date! I carried him in the Baby Bjorn all day, was able to hop on the kiddie rides like Peter Pan, Mr Toads, and others with him snuggly tucked away. He napped great in his stroller. Fast forward to three years later when we had to leave the parks often to avoid meltdowns and he didn't want to smile in any of the pictures... He's now 6 and we are going in 2 weeks. We shall see how this compares to his first trip!

I think it's a worthwhile question, hard to understand/appreciate the context when you see a crying baby anywhere, not unique to Disney.

[dmband]

This thread hits at a good time for me
Reason being is I just had someone ask me why we took our kids on vacation when "they will not remember it"
Part of my reply was why are you having a birthday party for your child? They will not remember it.
(That drove home the point to them)
Point being we do lots of things for and with our kids that they will not remember but we will remember it and you can't go back and make the member is once the time passes

[busymom232]

Originally Posted by Smile&Nod

some folks have to plan their trips more than a year in advance so they can save and pay the trip off - during that year some of those babies are born! (not from personal experience but I know several folks that have gone with infants because the trip was planned and paid for!)

my son jordan is living proof of that my monkey was a month old when he went with us most of it was paid but it was also the point of telling his 3 older siblings that why couldnt go casue of baby probley might cause some resentment

[bumbershoot]

Originally Posted by dmband

This thread hits at a good time for me
Reason being is I just had someone ask me why we took our kids on vacation when "they will not remember it"
Part of my reply was why are you having a birthday party for your child? They will not remember it.

Do you know the only people we know who have said that have NEVER taken their children? It's been years since they said that to DH, and they still haven't gone. Their kids are almost college age now.

And if they had said it *to me*, I would have let them know that I barely remember my *honeymoon*. We had been engaged for ages, I was planning a wedding for my husband (I wanted Vegas, he wanted a big white poofy wedding, and I created the wedding *for him* and also without him because after making that huge request he went the way of the typical groom and checked out of planning almost entirely...can you say STRESS?), I planned the honeymoon, I was worried about money, etc etc etc...and then in the week between wedding and honeymoon I got pregnant and it was so obvious that DH knew it inside of a week. I was going to bed at EIGHT on our honeymoon and could not even be woken for the Midnight Chocolate Buffet. I was a zombie on the honeymoon, and my memory is almost nil from the whole week before then week of the Alaska cruise.

But...should I not have gone?


Took DS at 17 months (if I had the pictures on this computer or photobucket right now, you would see me wearing cute little curly-head boy in a mei tai, in the rain, going into the line for Jungle Cruise, waiting in line for Veggie Gumbo at Royal Street Veranda, etc) then a year later, and he didn't talk about it at all. Until 6 months later, after the holiday season had passed and his grandfather had died, and suddenly (having not looked at pictures or us talking about it at all, since we came home from that trip with FIL in the hospital), when he started talking about the trip. 6 months later!


To not have taken him would mean we wouldn't have gone. If we hadn't gone for those two trips, we might not have known that we have Disney-love. If we hadn't known that, we would be FAR more boring, LOL.

[goldies 5]

My boys' were so easy going as babies, I loved taking them. With the youngest two girls' its more challenging. Still I wouldn't leave them at home. It's like chilbirth, sometimes it hurts, but eventually you forget the pain.

[ashnjam]

That's a funny question to me because some people would say why would you go to Disney without babies or kids?

[everwondering]

For us, we live in San Diego and have annual passes. We're also expecting and due in January (our youngest beside the soon coming baby is 9), and since our passes expire the first of April, we're planning on going this Saturday, hopefully again the week after Christmas for a day, and then for sure at least a day or two at the end of March, when the baby will be about 2 months old. We're not planning on renewing the passes next year, so we want to make sure we get all the use out of them that we can before their expiration. I think I'm more crazy for going at 9 months pregnant than for bringing a newborn. lol

[algae]

Hmm.. nobody mentioned anything about 2yrs or younger being free

That's partly why we went--that and we happen to like to go. We lucked out and have a kid that doesn't melt down in the park, though.

[tikimao]

I first went when I was a baby...back in 1967!

We took DD#1 (now 13) when she was three months old. It was a great trip--she enjoyed being with mom and dad, seemed to enjoy the rides (except Haunted Mansion, she did not like that one) and we had a lovely time together. She even had the courtesy to nap while we had lunch at Blue Bayou, so DH and I could enjoy a quiet meal.

We're heading down in February with our kids--DD13, DD9 and DS who will turn 3 months on the trip.

Babies are free, portable and enjoy the colors and music.

[Niebz]

Disneyland is a fabulous place to take babies. We are from Canada so it is not just a simple day outing for us but we still do it. We loved Disney before we had kids. When we had my daughter I went through a bout of postpartum depression. It was a difficult time and even though we planned to wait for the first Disney trip we planned a spontaneous Disneyland vacation for when she was 6 months old and it was everything I needed to feel like my old self again. We've since had another baby that we took at 6 months old and I'm pregnant with another baby who will be travelling with us in August again, at 6 months old. Disneyland is such a wonderful vacation for families with babies. We do it for ourselves but they enjoy it too. Honestly, babies are very easy to travel with especially with all the amazing facilities at Disney. It is a wonderful way for our whole family to bond with its newest member.