How did your baby handle a Disney schedule?

[Susan Storm]

I'm taking my first family trip to Disney in just 10 days so I'm trying to do all my last-minute preparations. We're bringing a 9-year-old, a 6-year-old, and a 13-month-old. I'd really like to do some of the late night entertainment and go on the rides when it's quieter in the evenings; especially as my older kids would enjoy this. Ideally, we'd get up early, do rope drop, go home in the afternoon and take a break, then go back at night for the late night entertainment. I'm just concerned about how my baby will handle it, and don't want to overwhelm him. What's your experience with your babies and Disney? Did you always go back to the hotel early? Can they handle the late nights? I'm going to try to pack enough to keep him comfortable, and I'll have my baby carrier and stroller. Right now he goes to bed around 8 PM every night.

Also, my husband will be going too, so I'm wondering if at night there is maybe a quiet place I can go with the baby in the parks and let him sleep while the older kids do rides. Any tips or ideas would be great!

Thanks for any help!!

 

[the little marla]

This is us exactly! Minus the 2 older kids, we are bringing our 10m old for the first time in 10 days and I'm so worried about if she will go down for the night in her stroller and then stay asleep to be transferred to the car and then to the hotel. I'm hoping that she will adjust but if not looks like we will be heading back early. Following to see what other's have experienced!

 

[Susan Storm]

This is us exactly! Minus the 2 older kids, we are bringing our 10m old for the first time in 10 days and I'm so worried about if she will go down for the night in her stroller and then stay asleep to be transferred to the car and then to the hotel. I'm hoping that she will adjust but if not looks like we will be heading back early. Following to see what other's have experienced!

When are you going??

 

[gatormom2tots]

We ALWAYS did naps...even last September with a 9 and 8 year old (and 3 year old and 9 month old). Unfortunately my kids were never stroller nappers...plus my husband and I usually need the afternoon nap as well. But I will say that our 9 month old was really unaffected in terms of stimulation from all the action. It was the 3 year old (and our 8 year old was the same way at that age) that seems to get over stimulated and has trouble settling down and then just becomes "difficult."

If you have a stroller napper you will probably be fine...but know that if that baby becomes miserable, the whole FAMILY becomes miserable- we learned that lesson quickly our 1st trip! Also we have stayed at BLT and CR to make it as easy as possible for those afternoon naps- costly be so worth it!

 

[suebeelin]

My 2nd child was 9 months old during his first trip to Disney. Fell asleep at espn in the ergo! He was asleep often by 6:30pm. The ergo was indispensable. However, this kid is not a stroller sleeper so it was ergo everywhere.

His next trip was 11 months later. He was 19mo old. Much harder... Still in the ergo, but slept crazy hours. There were a few days I stayed in the room to put him to sleep by 6:45pm. Hubby and 5 yr old stayed out.

Good luck!! Every child is different!

 

[nalajms]

Our kids just pass out in the stroller. Even at 5 & 3, they still pass out on the way back to the hotel We travel enough that they adjust when the schedule changes. If your little guy doesn't do too well with schedule changes, perhaps it's better to go back with him and have your husband take the 2 older ones.

The baby center is always my first choice. There's a bathroom, TV, and outlets. MK is probably the only one you can't bring a stroller into. Any QS location that's still open will be quiet late at night. Sometimes we even walk around the stores, because there's AC

 

[staceyrhood]

My suggestion would be to bring a stroller fan, it will be hot, even at night (high 80's tonight). It will make the stroller much more comfy to rest in. My son always could sleep thru the noise in the stroller, but my daughter will not. There are not a lot of quiet places. You could always walk into a baby station, they have nice air conditioned areas to sit and rest in with your little one in each park.

 

[pigletgirl]

We planned our touring to where we did mainly indoor attractions in the heat of the day if we decided to stay in the parks. But the afternoon nap and swim time made the world of difference for our DD who was 15 months last fall. She was mostly content during the evening while in the parks.

 

[HCinKC]

We just got back with our 6yo and 10mo. Our baby is very particular about sleeping (blackout curtains and a sound machine, waking easily). By day three, he was napping some in the stroller, but never went much longer than an hour once or twice throughout the day. We did an afternoon break the first two days, but he wasn't cooperating. We didn't even try day three. He did fine the rest of the trip staying in the park for the afternoon and taking cat naps. While he is a sensitive sleeper, he is also a trooper. He never really complains even when he is tired. DH didn't care about any nighttime shows, so he always went back to the room to put the baby to bed. His normal bedtime is 7, but there were nights when he went to bed around 8. The first couple of days were rough, but along with the naps, he was pretty much falling right asleep at night by day three.

As an aside, the exit area at Mission:Space in Epcot has a play area. It is a great place for crawlers and walkers to stretch their legs in the ac.

 

[the little marla]

When are you going??

We are driving down from NJ and are leaving on Sat (5/30).. it takes 18hrs so we are stopping in SC and will be in Disney on Sunday! Hoping my DD has an easy ride down!

 

[Raenstoirm]

We are there next week too, but our bugs are much younger than yours and theres two of them! They will be 14 weeks old. We are staying at boardwalk and planning a lot of late nights to keep the babies out of the sun. They currently go to bed at 8pm and wake up at 6 so our disney schedule is really going to mess them up! Should be interesting.

If you see infant boy girl twins in blue baby jogger strollers say hi!

 

[khertz]

My son had just made a year on our first trip. Even when he napped in the stroller, we still went back to the resort in the afternoon for a break to unwind and let him walk around and play before going to the parks in the evening. We only stayed out late a couple of nights so that we wouldn't push him too much. If we did that, we usually brought his pajamas and changed him into them in the park when it got to be nighttime. We also had noise canceling earphones made for kids so that night we watched Wishes, we laid the stroller seat back with those on and he slept right through!