Is it possible to enjoy Disneyworld with a baby?

[Stacy Corona]

There's lots time before baby arrives, but what do mom's think about visiting Disney World with a baby? My husband and I were planning to visit late next year and stay a week, but news of the baby is making that less likely. I have a few questions for those more experienced...

1: At what age does this become feasible and were you able to enjoy the park with a baby on board?
2: Are there only a few rides that are slow and safe enough to enjoy with a baby?
3: Are there activities outside of rides that can be enjoyed without a baby?

By the way, I do use a wheelchair. I'm not sure if that changes anything. I'm making videos to record my pregnancy, in case anyone is curious (

).

 

[otten]

I've only been to Disney World once (going back in 10 days!) and had my ten month old and three year old. We had a great time. She could go on any ride without a height restriction so the only things we didn't do were the coasters and Tomorrowland Speedway. It's easily the most baby friendly amusement park I've been to.

 

[muenginerd]

I would say very doable. You may not be able to do the major headliners but that's not a deal breaker.

I'm just assuming this is your first? If you haven't looked into it, check out info on baby wearing. I would wear baby in the park and everything should run as normal. We have an almost two year old and a 9 month old. We haven't taken them to Disney yet but we do lots and lots of festivals and other activities. We wear them everywhere and it's very easy to move around. We perfer to use Tula carriers but there are many brands out there to try. You can strap the kids on and run like normal. Our kids do all their naps and everything in the carriers. Not sure with the wheelchair if it would be better for you or dad to carry baby, but most carries fit both mom and dad. We also use headphones for our kids. That way they sleep through everything, concerts, sporting events, fireworks, large crowds.

Hubby and I also did our honeymoon at Disney when I was 7 months pregnant. I was still capable to do many things minus the larger rides. We actually really enjoyed slowing down and just taking in all the little details Disney had to offer.

 

[richmo]

Yes...flexibility is the key

 

[LadyRayado]

I took my baby at 8 months. We used a stroller and Moby Go carrier, took full advantage of the baby care centers, had a slower pace, and stuck to the family rides and shows. We had a blast. He really enjoyed it too, loved the characters, Pooh ride, parade, and fireworks. Totally doable.

 

[DisneyParkLover]

We've been with babies of all ages starting at 9 weeks. I think babies are great to travel with. They are easy compared to some other ages. Just wear them. They can go on any ride without a height restriction (which means they can ride most things).

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

I'd check the Family Board here as well. They have lots of advice and threads about this.

It's very doable, you just have to adjust your expectations.

 

[ziggystardust]

I hope so! We will be traveling for the first time as parents with our 7month old (at time of trip) twins. I fully expect to take it slow and probably spend some more time at the hotel than usual. But I'm totally fine with it. Its an important trip for our extended family and I wouldn't miss it !

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Sure - we did it with both of our boys. Consider the trips family trips, with the focus on family instead of rides. Soak up the atmosphere, enjoy the time with your family, and cherish the memories.

 

[patdoc98]

In our experience, going with a baby was far superior to going with a 20-month-old. The baby was happy just to be with us - especially with mom - and see bright colors. Rider swap is perfect for feedings and diaper changes - I would change the baby while my wife rode with our older one, then I'd ride while my wife fed the baby.... He was intrigued by all the characters, and he loved the spinny rides (Dumbo, Triceratops Spin, Magic Carpets, Astro Orbitor), Pooh, Small World, Buzz Lightyear, etc. Lots of easy stroller naps. We had a fantastic trip.

Going with a young toddler is a real challenge, in comparison.

 

[TheBigErn]

yes, just have a loose and casual plan and avoid the mid-day heat

 

[Klayfish]

First of all, congrats on the pregnancy!!

I would say that it's more difficult with a baby than with a toddler, but everyone is different. We started bringing our kids when our oldest was 4 and we had twins that were about 11 months. Sure, we had a great time on that trip. We still got to do plenty of rides, just not the huge "thrill" rides. The twins liked seeing all the moving things and music, etc...but obviously had no idea what was really going on. Plus, they got tired, hungry, cranky, etc...like any baby does. My older one, at the age of 4, at least understood what was going on and could communicate things clearly. He got more enjoyment out of it.

So I would say yes, you can definitely go with a baby and you'll still have a lot of fun. But it's a lot different than the fun you'll have when the child is 4 or 5+ years old. Kids are now 12, 9, 9 and we have more fun than ever.

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

DS5 was 6 months on his first trip to WDW. It was a week long trip to OKW in July no less. There were 7 people in the party and everyone had a great time including the 2 nine year olds and 7 year old. Just take care to keep everyone hydrated and be flexible with park time/resort time and it'll be a blast.

 

[jennygirlmt]

I would say that it's more difficult with a baby than with a toddler, but everyone is different.

I would say twin 11 month olds are closer to toddler than baby and would be on the harder side

Congrats on your pregnancy and what a unique and exciting journey you're on!

We took a 4 month old and she was easy peasy. We had a single stroller between her and the 2 year old and then a carrier where I left her for all the slow rides. Between those, shows and characters we had plenty to fill our time (I was pregnant the next time and thus skipped all the big rides and still had a great time). You can always rider swap as well.

We did finish the parks by 4-5, which is on the earlier side for families but you definitely won't go until close.

Otherwise it's a good time! The younger the better because they tend to nap anywhere and stay chill. By 5-6 months they are mobile, have sleep habits and early bedtimes and need more routine. But it would still work out!

Best of luck to you!

 

[notrub98]

Honestly, I cannot fathom dealing with all that is Disney with a baby. It was hard enough with toddlers.

 

[kohlby]

My husband and I went many times without kids. We saw the mess of strollers in Magic Kingdom and agreed that we would wait until our kids were out of strollers to bring them once we had kids. Then the in-laws wanted everyone to meet at Disney for their 50th anniversary. And so we did. With a barely 3 year old and a 2 month old. The baby wasn't the issue - it was the 3 year old. We learned a lot and went back 6 months later determined to use what we had learned. Since then, we've been many times with kids.

At 2 months old, the baby was in the sling the entire time. The biggest issue was me being able to drink enough in the heat. I need to drink excessive amounts the first few months of breastfeeding and I was still during that time and it was May/June - so a bit warm. At 2 months old, baby was still on the excessive poop schedule. If I had waited until 3 months, that would have been so much easier. But all-in-all, it was pretty easy with a baby that young.

We went back when that baby was 8 months old. She was in the sling a lot but would go in the stroller for naps. She actually napped some - which is far more than I can say for the next child when he went at 11 months old. Whether 2, 8, or 11 months, I didn't have to worry about a schedule other than getting them to bed at a reasonable hour. They were quite portable and stayed in the sling most of the time. (The 11 month old was behind a bit and didn't care about walking for quite a while longer. 11 months would have been super tough with my eldest who was running well before then). They all breastfed, so that was super easy to carry around with me.

As for rides, there were many rides the baby of the moment could do. There were some that the baby couldn't, but child swap allowed the rest of the family to do it - me included. Baby didn't care about doing rides though so it was about me getting on rides too - which child swap made possible.

From going with both babies and toddlers, toddlers are harder. Toddlers can run. Toddlers might think it's hilarious to run away from you. Toddlers care more about what rides they do and don't do. Toddlers get scared more easily than babies IME. Babies are far more portable.

So, if I had to pick an ideal age for babies, I'd say around 4-6 months. They're pooping less frequently, nursing is figured out, you've recovered fully from the birth, and the majority aren't very mobile yet.

 

[Bob Dolewhip]

Congratulations

I would say do not plan this trip until after your baby is born, especially as a first time mom. It is too much stress and there are too many unknowns.

My firstborn was a really hard baby. She didn't sleep. We had thrush. Recovery from childbirth was difficult. She was colicky. I had a rough transition to motherhood.

Once you know you have given birth to one of those "good" babies that like sleeping and car seats and not screaming THEN plan your trip.

We waited until she was 2.

Btw she is 7 now and still a pain in my butt. My second child is a sweet angel LOL. Such opposites.

 

[kohlby]

Congratulations

I would say do not plan this trip until after your baby is born, especially as a first time mom. It is too much stress and there are too many unknowns.

My firstborn was a really hard baby. She didn't sleep. We had thrush. Recovery from childbirth was difficult. She was colicky. I had a rough transition to motherhood.

Once you know you have given birth to one of those "good" babies that like sleeping and car seats and not screaming THEN plan your trip.

.

I didn't have babies who liked sleeping or liked car seats. That was the toughest part of Disney with a baby - the drive down! But I'm still glad I went My babies loved being carried so as long as they were in the sling and got to nurse quite a bit, things were pretty good while in the parks.

I do agree that it might be better to wait until baby is here. It's part baby temperment but part yours. It's how you react when things don't go as planned and how stressed out it makes you. I never went with my first as a baby because that's back when we were planning on never going when kids needed strollers. By my second child, I was more relaxed. Taking a 2 month old was no big deal to me. Babies can be a lot of work whether at home or at Disney. I figured Disney is more fun. There's a good chance I would have thought Disney to be more stressful after the birth of my first child though. I needed some time to mellow out.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

Great question. Congratulations on your pregnancy!!! I am glad you asked this, as I am currently pg and debating on going at 6mths old vs 14 mths old. Tough decision!!! But glad to hear that many rides can be rode, even with a baby.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

Also want to add, just watched your video and went to your channel. I think it's awesome that you created the channel and I appreciate you showing us your world as a person in a wheelchair. So happy for you and your hubby.