Tips for Disney with a 1 year old

[LittleSunshine]

Hi everybody! I have been watching the boards for the past month while planning my daughters 1st birthday/1st Disney trip for this May & I finally decided to join. I was wondering if everyone could please give me their best tips for Disney with a small child. I am pretty sure we are going to Magic Kingdom & Hollywood Studios (she loves Disney jr., so we wanted to do the lunch at Hollywood & Vine) We are just going to the park for 2 days, so I really would like to be able to do the things that she would most enjoy since we only have a limited amount of time. & I would also love to hear what you think are necessities to bring for your child while at Disney. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[egpmama]

Hi! We went for my daughters first birthday too! We've been every 6 months since my daughter was 6 months old! I loved the baby care centers for diaper changes, breaks from the heat, juice, etc. There is one in every park. We also rented a stroller- it was waiting at the resort when we got there, and they picked it up when we left- super easy and way less hassle than hauling your own. I rented from a place called Orlando stroller rentals. Don't rent from Disney- they're more $ and are the big crappy plastic ones
We always had breakfast in the room and got to the park when it opened. Head straight for the popular rides- Peter Pan, pooh, Ariel... Leave small world, carousels, etc for later since they aren't ever that crowded. We did our morning and then ate lunch at the park and headed back for nap in the afternoon. Life is so much better when everyone is rested- and babies that young need a break from the stimulation and heat. After nap we took a swim and went back to the park when everyone was headed out with cranky kids! We also did downtown Disney splash pads- that was a big hit!
I sent myself a package a week before we arrived filled with diapers, wipes, juice, snacks, fruit packets, sunscreen-- all the big, bulky, heavy items that I didn't want taking up space and/or spilling in my luggage. It was waiting for me at the resort when we arrived! Perfect!
Hope this helps! I'll try to think of more things! And the Disney Junior lunch is wonderful- my girls always love that too! (They are 4 & 2 now!)

 

[LittleSunshine]

Hi! We went for my daughters first birthday too! We've been every 6 months since my daughter was 6 months old! I loved the baby care centers for diaper changes, breaks from the heat, juice, etc. There is one in every park. We also rented a stroller- it was waiting at the resort when we got there, and they picked it up when we left- super easy and way less hassle than hauling your own. I rented from a place called Orlando stroller rentals. Don't rent from Disney- they're more $ and are the big crappy plastic ones
We always had breakfast in the room and got to the park when it opened. Head straight for the popular rides- Peter Pan, pooh, Ariel... Leave small world, carousels, etc for later since they aren't ever that crowded. We did our morning and then ate lunch at the park and headed back for nap in the afternoon. Life is so much better when everyone is rested- and babies that young need a break from the stimulation and heat. After nap we took a swim and went back to the park when everyone was headed out with cranky kids! We also did downtown Disney splash pads- that was a big hit!
I sent myself a package a week before we arrived filled with diapers, wipes, juice, snacks, fruit packets, sunscreen-- all the big, bulky, heavy items that I didn't want taking up space and/or spilling in my luggage. It was waiting for me at the resort when we arrived! Perfect!
Hope this helps! I'll try to think of more things! And the Disney Junior lunch is wonderful- my girls always love that too! (They are 4 & 2 now!)

Thank you so much! Those are all great tips! I am pretty sure we are going to be in the same boat, maybe not every 6 months (I wish!) but at least make a trip every year! She will love the Downtown Disney splash pads, she loves anything that has to do with water, so glad you mentioned those!

 

[egpmama]

Haha, well we lucked out the last few years, with a wedding and a family reunion trip, we have gone more in the last few years than normal! We usually go every year too!
The splash pads are great, there are 2 of them in downtown Disney. Bring her suit and a change of clothes and make an evening out of it by having dinner downtown!
If you're staying at a resort, I'd highly recommend taking the monorail or a boat to downtown/a park/etc. They have other transportation options besides the bus, which we found to be so much less crowded and more fun! The boats especially. There is a boat from wilderness lodge and contemporary to magic kingdom, and one from Saratoga springs and old key west to downtown Disney. Even if you're not staying at one of those resorts, you can catch a round trip boat ride for free and it's a cool way to see the property from the water!
They also have kids activities and "pool parties" at the resorts, so if you're there, take advantage of those too!
For the parks, pack your own snacks, bring a cooler lunch box and have cold juice and water on hand. You can pack healthier and cheaper snacks than what you'll find at the park!
Get lots of pictures that you can re-create later. I have a picture of my now 4 year old at 1, peeking up over a railing at the castle and I make her do it every time now! Haha. It's an awesome time to start traditions! The cast members will also give you a happy birthday button and you get special treatment all day when she wears it! Super fun! They also take special orders for birthday cakes at restaurants if you know where you are eating for her birthday ahead of time.
I'll keep thinking-- I feel like being there a dozen times with babies I should know what works! Haha!!!

 

[LittleSunshine]

Haha, well we lucked out the last few years, with a wedding and a family reunion trip, we have gone more in the last few years than normal! We usually go every year too!
The splash pads are great, there are 2 of them in downtown Disney. Bring her suit and a change of clothes and make an evening out of it by having dinner downtown!
If you're staying at a resort, I'd highly recommend taking the monorail or a boat to downtown/a park/etc. They have other transportation options besides the bus, which we found to be so much less crowded and more fun! The boats especially. There is a boat from wilderness lodge and contemporary to magic kingdom, and one from Saratoga springs and old key west to downtown Disney. Even if you're not staying at one of those resorts, you can catch a round trip boat ride for free and it's a cool way to see the property from the water!
They also have kids activities and "pool parties" at the resorts, so if you're there, take advantage of those too!
For the parks, pack your own snacks, bring a cooler lunch box and have cold juice and water on hand. You can pack healthier and cheaper snacks than what you'll find at the park!
Get lots of pictures that you can re-create later. I have a picture of my now 4 year old at 1, peeking up over a railing at the castle and I make her do it every time now! Haha. It's an awesome time to start traditions! The cast members will also give you a happy birthday button and you get special treatment all day when she wears it! Super fun! They also take special orders for birthday cakes at restaurants if you know where you are eating for her birthday ahead of time.
I'll keep thinking-- I feel like being there a dozen times with babies I should know what works! Haha!!!

I will definitely pack our own snacks! We are driving so we will have our car but I do like the idea of doing the boat ride. Since we are driving in we didn't get park tickets for the first day & we should be arriving around mid-afternoon (as long as there is no traffic) so I think we will make a day of Downtown Disney like you said & let her play & get dinner there! I have only been twice once when I was 4 & then again when I was 24 for my birthday but that was 4 years ago & I know it will be a lot different for us now having a baby with us this time! (& by different I mean better, I can't wait to be able to see Disney through her eyes!) Thanks again for all the tips so far & keep them coming if you happen to think of anymore!

& I LOVE the idea of recreating a picture! It will be so neat when she gets bigger to look at how much she has grown!

 

[MSSANDRA]

One of my favorite tips really is about planing before the trip. A year old is when doctors recommend lots of changes in a child's life. Bottle to cup, formula to whole milk, giving up passie, adding new foods etc. Timing these changes so they do not coincide with the trip is huge on having a smooth trip. Holding off on taking them off the bottle or switching to milk can mean the comfort of the bottle and ease of powder formula during the trip. You also want to avoid introducing ANY new food right before or during a trip in case of allergies. The one thing you do want to introduce well before the trip is finger foods. So nice to entertain a baby on a plane, or to give you a few extra minutes to eat your own dinner. The decisions to extend nursing can also make a much easier trip!

The second thing is to remember that your little one will be happy just hanging out with you guys. She really wont care if she is on Dumbo or Spaceship Earth. She may or may not be impressed with the characters. Its a toss up at that age.

For packing, I would always walk though our day and see what all we needed to carry it out. Feeding supplies, bath needs, sleeping needs etc.

I can't remember if the 12mo well child visit involves immunizations or not but if it does, be sure not to plan that right before the trip to avoid a cranky baby.

 

[LittleSunshine]

One of my favorite tips really is about planing before the trip. A year old is when doctors recommend lots of changes in a child's life. Bottle to cup, formula to whole milk, giving up passie, adding new foods etc. Timing these changes so they do not coincide with the trip is huge on having a smooth trip. Holding off on taking them off the bottle or switching to milk can mean the comfort of the bottle and ease of powder formula during the trip. You also want to avoid introducing ANY new food right before or during a trip in case of allergies. The one thing you do want to introduce well before the trip is finger foods. So nice to entertain a baby on a plane, or to give you a few extra minutes to eat your own dinner. The decisions to extend nursing can also make a much easier trip! The second thing is to remember that your little one will be happy just hanging out with you guys. She really wont care if she is on Dumbo or Spaceship Earth. She may or may not be impressed with the characters. Its a toss up at that age. For packing, I would always walk though our day and see what all we needed to carry it out. Feeding supplies, bath needs, sleeping needs etc. I can't remember if the 12mo well child visit involves immunizations or not but if it does, be sure not to plan that right before the trip to avoid a cranky baby.

That's definitely smart to think about holding off on switching from formula to milk. She will be turning 1 in the middle of our vacation so holding off on starting milk a few days isn't going to hurt anything and it will be so much easier going to the park with her powder formula vs milk with a cooler. I will probably schedule her 1 year check up for when we get back because I am pretty sure she will be getting shots. Once we get closer I will take some notes on what we use daily to make packing easier to try and avoid over packing (which I am sure is impossible) She loves her finger foods already & you are right it's the only way I can eat is to let her play with her food! Thanks for the tips! It's nice hearing from other people because even some of the most obvious things you don't think of because you are trying so hard to remember everything at once!

 

[Tinkerbell117]

I just wanted to add that we took our DD at age 1,2, and 3, and the age of 1 has been the easiest so far! She was so in awe of everything, and she wasn't old enough to be afraid of anything yet! I'd recommend a baby carrier for some of the rides, make use of the baby care centers, take lots of breaks, and just go with the flow Our DD was a big stroller napper, so we never had to leave the parks during the day, we just found a shady spot to relax while she napped or just strolled around.

 

[LittleSunshine]

I just wanted to add that we took our DD at age 1,2, and 3, and the age of 1 has been the easiest so far! She was so in awe of everything, and she wasn't old enough to be afraid of anything yet! I'd recommend a baby carrier for some of the rides, make use of the baby care centers, take lots of breaks, and just go with the flow Our DD was a big stroller napper, so we never had to leave the parks during the day, we just found a shady spot to relax while she napped or just strolled around.

I'm glad to hear that 1 was the easiest. You don't know how many people comment that I am out of my mind taking her to disney already, to which I always reply that they aren't paying for the trip so why do they care if she remembers or not. She is a little date devil already so I know she will love the rides. The swings at our park don't go high enough for her & she got a little truck for Christmas that her dad pushes her on & he can't go fast enough for her either. Lol. We have a baby carrier so I will add that to my list! She will also sleep anywhere & her best sleep is when I vacuum so I know noise won't be a problem for her, so like you said we will probably just find a shady area for her to nap in. Thanks

 

[jk and ek]

I'll have to come back to this thread in two weeks... we leave on Sunday with our soon-to-be one year old (he has his first birthday while we are there)!

 

[LittleSunshine]

I'll have to come back to this thread in two weeks... we leave on Sunday with our soon-to-be one year old (he has his first birthday while we are there)!

Thanks! Have fun! I'm excited to hear how it goes

 

[TinkTitans]

We are taking our 11 month old at then end of he month. I couldn't imagine going without him. He will be getting his 1st haircut at Harmony Barbershop and I can wait to see his reactions - the good and the bad !!

 

[BellesLibrary]

I was logging on to ask about my upcoming trip with my 18 month old later this year, and I found this thread. Guess it was just some Disney magic, right?! I've got to go write down some of these tips--I've never been with a little one before!

 

[BellesLibrary]

We are taking our 11 month old at then end of he month. I couldn't imagine going without him. He will be getting his 1st haircut at Harmony Barbershop and I can wait to see his reactions - the good and the bad !!

I've thought about marking our first visit with a trip to Harmony Barbershop, too. Is there anything to it other than saying that baby's first haircut was in Disney? (I'm sure that there's got to be some Disney magic in there, right?!)

 

[ShayBells]

Depending on when you are going. Get a stroller fan. When DS was 8 months he sweated buckets and we ended up buying one. It was the best investment. Really helped. Also try to fit everything in MK that doesn't have a height requirement. You probably won't get it all in a day so get a list before hand and make sure you do your favorites first. Enchanted tales with belle is great. The little mermaid ride. Poop. Small world. Dumbo. Things like that then move one to others like Aladdin and pirates. And have fun. It's a good age. The smiles are worth it every time!!!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[TinkTitans]

I've thought about marking our first visit with a trip to Harmony Barbershop, too. Is there anything to it other than saying that baby's first haircut was in Disney? (I'm sure that there's got to be some Disney magic in there, right?!)

They get a certificate and a pair of Mickey ears that say 1st haircut. I'm hoping there is a Photo pass person there too. There are some videos online if you want to see more