Surprise additional guest

[Betty Rohrer]

I am the queen of light packing! Another plan down the tubes!!! At least DD lives down there so she can pick up the baby supplies.

we drove down in August with a 4 month old and the drive was the hardest part for us. granted we were a big group of 14. my daughter and son in law did not use the carrier they brought along as it was just too hot. we rented a double stroller which baby shared with 4 year old sister. we used all forms of Disney transportation with the boat to Fort Wilderness be the most popular as we were in the cabins. there was 6 of us in the cabin counting the baby and the 4 year old. daughter and family had bedroom with the pack and play between the bed and the bunks. daughter allowed the 4 year to sleep on top bunk as there was a great rail on the bunk. my husband and I had the sofa bed in the living room which worked out great for us. one thing to do if you are making ressies is make sure you count the baby in your count. only place we found with infant highchairs was Chef Mickey and Hollywood and Vine had the sling highchair but we did not have the carseat in the park with us. baby over heated in carseat so just used stroller seat recline slightly when awake and she loved it.

 

[Andreas Mom]

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[pooch]

I am something of a control freak, ok a major control freak. I will keep reminding myself that many of these decisions will be up to DS & DDIL!

 

[Andreas Mom]

I am something of a control freak, ok a major control freak. I will keep reminding myself that many of these decisions will be up to DS & DDIL!

But there is nothing wrong with being prepared with the right information!! I had horrible back labor with my son and the thought of carrying him around all day or even for hours on end sounds rough, thats why I would have the stroller as an option. Sorry if I missed it but is your family driving or flying? If they are flying, car seats and strollers check into the airline for free so they could always bring theres from home and just throw it in a closet out of the way if they don't need it.

 

[pooch]

Yes we are flying from CT, about 2:45 flight time. I'm sure they will want some type of stroller & will probably bring it from home & gate check it. We will not be traveling light!

 

[Andreas Mom]

There are so many options with all the baby stuff. She could pack it, or order on amazon and have it shipped there. With Amazon Prime it would be free shipping to the resort. Diapers, wipes, anything that she would be bringing could be sent ahead to the resort and she would only need to pack whats needed for flight and travel time. And if you have a car you could always just stop and buy stuff there so you will be traveling lighter at the airport at least. My kids are 11,7,and 4 and we still don't travel light lol.

 

[Andreas Mom]

Just thought, what the heck do we do about a rental car now? We will be going to Universal and Sea World.

Some vans and SUV's fit 8. I would think a larger SUV like a suburban would fit you all. Could some of you use magical express so that way your luggage is taken care of and then the rest drive down in the rental? For going to universal and sea world you would all fit since the luggage is at the hotel.

 

[jvz82]

Hi. Your story is our story. We planned a trip 11 months out with our daughter, her husband, and their 3 children, (6,9,11), and were surprised 2 months later with news of new one on the way. The baby was just born 2 weeks ago, and trip is in 6 weeks, (gasp!). The ages are so spread apart, we do have some concerns about how it will all work. We are staying on site on the monorail, so trips back to resort will be easy. We have checked out all the baby stations in each park, and any other relaxing spots that may come in handy. They are bringing a baby travel bed instead of those low to the ground play pens the resorts provide. A baby carrier is a must! There are several types out there. They will be sending a box of other baby supplies straight to the resort, so it is easier on the plane. Since the baby is so new, they are still finding their way, and trying to catch their bearings. How will they bathe the baby? They haven's sat down for a family meal in 2 weeks. He nurses constantly, and mommy never seems to get a break. Our biggest concerns are the early December weather (cold?), and making sure new mommy is taken care of properly. The fortunate thing is that there will be plenty of helpers. We are still on track to go, excited and what ever happens will be fine. It is going to be a different kind of trip, and that is OK. If we find anything report worthy, I will get back to you. Congratulations on the surprise news.

We went when my daughter was 8 weeks old and it was wonderful! She slept constantly. So much easier than an older baby. Yes, she did nurse a LOT but I wore her in a wrap and could often just nurse her while she was in the wrap and nobody even noticed. Also I took the opportunity on quiet, dark rides or shows to nurse so it worked out perfectly. Tiki room, It's a small world, Country bear jamboree, etc. We did take things more slowly than we would have without an infant, but it was totally fine. It was a really amazing trip!

OP, I think having a young infant like that is very do-able. They don't need solid food yet, so if the mom is nursing it's just so easy. The parks are very baby friendly I think. Invest in a good carrier (I like the Ergo but there are a lot of other good ones), dress baby in cute outfits, and have fun!

 

[pooch]

My DD lives down there & can pick it all up for us. So we don't have to lug it all but still I am not used to lugging anything! I can pack for a week for myself in a small carry on. Make it a medium carry on and I can fit enough for DGS #2 too!
As for the car, I'm thinking, since my DD will be with us with her car, we can probably just get away with another sedan. That would cover us all & we'll only need it for the 2 short trips.

Can't thank you all enough for your help & support.

 

[Habbott]

For a carrier the Ergo's are awesome but mom should really try a few one for the best fit for her and preference. lots of options out there. Ergos are all over the place including target and babies r us.

for the car seat, most car rental places have them that you can borrow or rent along with the car.

Don't trust a rental car company with your child's life. Most places employ people with no car seat experience at all. There are past reports of seats being extremely old and dirty as well. Or worse, what if they only have a booster seat for a rearfacing infant?

I would suggest traveling with the car seat. My oldest used his seat on the plane. Sure, it was a little more work, but he was so much better riding in it than he was last flight (we took a booster at 4.5, even though he was regularly harnessed at home. We were only planning on using Disney transportation, so the booster was just in case we needed it. We did, but that's a different story.).

If nothing else, get a cosco scenera next for $45. It will be cheaper than a rental (and most likely the same thing or close to it that they would provide for you). Only the rental price ends up being more expensive.

 

[Habbott]

My son was only 5 pounds when he was born and has stayed on the smaller side since. So I guess it would depend more on the weight.

This is very true. My 11month old started out at 9lbs 15oz. I baby wear all the time because of my son's school (stairs up and down, but also a crap ton of field trips to non stroller friendly places). This baby has been much more tolerable than my son ever was, thankfully.

 

[PartOfYourWDWorld]

My son was five months old on his first trip and it was a breeze. He was much easier than his older sisters (5 and 2.5 at the time), lol. We didn't need to do a car rental, so no advice there. I was able to fit a folded Rock n Play in one of our suitcases, so that's what he slept in, which was nice. We had diapers and formulas delivered to our resort and brought our own City Mini Double GT - a Godsend on that trip especially! You will figure it out as you go. Have a magical trip!

 

[DisneyParkLover]

As far as tips - I took my 2 1/2 month old September 2013 and leave with my 8 week old this week so I know a little! Here's what I can tell you:
1) prepare for it to be HOT or cold. Even in late September it was in the 90's with high humidity during our trip. Bring stroller fans and plan to be out of the sun at the hottest part of the day. And plan on layers in case it's cool in the evening. Babies can't regulate their temps as well as adults so this is important!
2) A carrier is great! We only use a carrier some at home, but used it a lot at Disney. It is helpful for places you can't have a stroller (lines, restaurants) or times when a stroller is inconvenient (heavy crowds). We love our Ergo, but it is only recommended after 4 months. We used a Bjorn the first trip and will have that plus an Infantino newborn this trip.
3) it will be a slower trip than usual. Be prepared to get a lot less done than you have in the past. There were days we only got a few rides in. It will be an awesome trip but it will be different.
4) try lots of things because you never know what your baby may like. I was prepared to skip fireworks because I thought my son might be scared. I'm glad I didn't because Fantasmic was his favorite thing in WDW!
5) the baby care centers are really nice but not always convenient. I found that a nice air conditioned ride or show works just as well for nursing/bottles (I had a cover and nobody was any the wiser!).

Also, I have my trip report linked in my signature that will tell you more about our adventures with a baby at Disney!