Anyone done it with a 1 year old?

[GottaLuvMickey]

Okay okay, so before anyone gets on me and tells me that I'm crazy for taking my 1 year old to Disneyland - save yourself the time! We're going and all three of us will love it!

But my question is.... I am a die hard WDW'er and have only been to DL once (in '04) but due to money issues, we're not going to be able to take our daughter to WDW for her first birthday in September like we planned... We're going to DL instead! Since she'll only be turning 1 I'm not too devistated by the change in plans... BUT as a new mommy, I don't really know how to do the parks with a little one. We are planning on making reservations at the Quality Inn & Suites that is right there and doing 2 days at the parks... Any parents out there have any suggestions or tips that will help my planning/packing/vacationing easier or better?!

 

[letthembelittle]

I do not think you are crazy, we took our just turned 3 yr old and just turned one year old for one day last spring, it was a great day. My advice would be bring snacks, extra clothes, and dont be stressed out when things dont go they way you plan. We are going again this fall with our then 4 1/2 year old, 2 1/2 year old, and 6 month old and I cant wait! Good luck and have tons of fun!!

 

[kikiq]

I would hardly think you're crazy, since my DDs have been coming to DLR since they were 6 weeks old. Just take your time. Great places for naps are 1. To the left of the castle, name escapes me at the moment. On Saturday night, swing dancing. During the day, decent shade and quiet. 2. If you go past Casey Jr. Train and start walking toward Frontierland, there is a walkway with a smoking area but there are shady quiet areas good for napping. 3. Walk all the back to the Splash Mountain area. By the entrance is Hungry Bear Restaurant. If you go on the bottom by the restrooms, you can get a back table by the water for quiet. 4. GCH in the convention lobby area or the garden area if there are no special events.

Have a good time with her. Our favorite picture of our youngest DD is when she was 18 mos old and was squeezing Dale's nose...Chip and Dale are still her favorites.

 

[mommyof2boys1girl]

We went last year with our 18 month old. A few notes that may help:

have lots of snacks and drinks
take a stroller (kind of a no brainer!)
be prepared for positive and negative reactions to characters. Our dd loved the characters, but only if they stayed a "safe" distance away - if they got too close, she freaked out!
Make use of the Baby Care Centers for cool, quiet places to take a break in baby friendly environments.
Bring an extra receiving blanket - works great for a cover during the PPP where they squirt water on the spectators, large wipe for mopping up spills in the stroller, shade cover for draping over stroller, etc...I only brought 1 and it was pretty filthy by the time we went home!

Most of all, have fun! They are never too young for DL!!

 

[mommyof2boys1girl]

sorry - double post!

 

[dmked]

We have taken our kids when they were around 1 and younger! My kids have always been fine to fall asleep in the stroller if they are tired. If you don't mind riding rides alone, take advantage of the parent swap pass for rides that DD can't ride. Make sure to take lots of snacks and drinks to keep her busy.

 

[GottaLuvMickey]

Wow! Thanks so much for all of your info! Like I said, I know all the ins & outs of WDW and about all the Baby Stations there, but I don't have a clue about DL! The only time I was there was for Spring Break when I was 19 and a freshman in college... I sure wasn't thinking about "how am I gonna do this with a baby?" I just keep getting people commenting about it of "oh, she's too young" and all that... I don't care if she remembers it, I will! I started taking her to the zoo when she was 3 weeks old! Why not Disney for her birthday! Anyway, thanks again!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I'm single, but my family has taken many trips with children under 1, both my siblings, and now my nephew and niece. If a ride has a height requirement, then obviously your daughter can't do it. Otherwise, she should be able to go on everything with you. If you want to do any ride with a height requirement, then be sure to take advantage of the baby switch, which can be combined with fastpasses.

In case you're not aware, the baby switch means that you both stand in line with the baby and when your turn comes you tell the attendant that you'd like to do the baby switch, and one holds the baby while the other goes on the ride and then they switch.

 

[got2travel]

Did they change the baby swap? You used to tell the cast member before you got in line. They gave you a pass. First person goes in the regular line, then the second person takes the pass and goes in either the exit or the fastpass line.

I took me for my DS's first birthday. LOL. I knew I'd get more out of it than him. But he's been back at least 3 times a year every since and he just turned 13.

The biggest thing I had to get used to was that I could not go at my pace, I had to slow things down. And as others have said, bring snacks, bring extra clothes, and be prepared for varried reactions to the characters. They may adore Mickey on the TV, but a giant Mickey right in front of them is a bit imtimdating. Then again there are others that rush right up to him.

 

[mecllap]

You do need to plan carefully, but the pictures will be priceless (be sure to get similar ones in later years -- it's really fun to watch the progression as they grow up). There's lots of advice for going to the parks with young ones, especially on the families board. Now that DGS is 9, I'm kind of missing having a stroller from the early days -- his first trip was 13 months old. We were at WDW, tho, and it's not as stroller friendly as one might expect. Know that you won't be able to do as much during the day -- just try to relax, take it easy, prioritize (get lots of photos with characters if baby can handle them -- don't force it -- be in some of them, too with Photopass). Try to avoid the temptation to do it all, and don't let the little one get hungry and overtired -- take lots of breaks and enjoy the small stuff at the park.

 

[bumbershoot]

In case you're not aware, the baby switch means that you both stand in line with the baby and when your turn comes you tell the attendant that you'd like to do the baby switch, and one holds the baby while the other goes on the ride and then they switch.

Did they change the baby swap? You used to tell the cast member before you got in line. They gave you a pass. First person goes in the regular line, then the second person takes the pass and goes in either the exit or the fastpass line.

It's going to depend on where the line starts. I've seen Space and Indy with a line far before a CM, so you'd need to stand in that line until you got up to the CM, and then ask for the pass.


OP, I'd invest in a really good, supportive, ergonomic baby carrier like an Ergo. The Ergo allows front carries (baby facing you only) and back carries (baby facing the same way as you), and it was just brilliant. We actually used a mei tai for DS's first trip at 17 months, and the Ergo a year later, but that's just b/c I didn't have an Ergo when he was 1.

 

[DahliaRW]

We did Disney with our 3 1/2 yo and our 15 month old last September. Our 15mo LOVED all the rides he could go on. Lots of visual stimulation! The only thing that scared him was that first drop in pirates, but once we got down he was fascinated.

Child swap is great for rides with a height limit, and definitely combine it with fast passes. You can go directly to the fastpass CM to get the childswap card and then go get in the regular line if you don't have a FP. We ended up with dream FPs when we went, so it was never an issue for us.

Definitely a stroller, snacks, drinks, tons of diapers, a change of clothes and clothes for layering are a must. My 15 mo would nap in the stroller, so we could child swap rides while he slept or go eat or whatever. Also, take it easy around characters, some kiddos are afraid. Mine wasn't, but I wouldn't push it.

 

[nun69]

I did it with a 15 month old and as some of the other posters already stated, be patient and don;t worry if things don't go as planned...defientely take snacks, extra clothes and I always have an extra pair of socks and a sweatshirt...DD did great even when we got inline at o dark thirty for MM and just hung out in her stroller while DH and the other kids rode the big rides....and she did really well the rest of the day, got a nap in here and there and was just fine....you will have a blast!

 

[youmyflower]

sorry if I repeat what some others have said, but I'd say acquaint yourself with the baby care centers right away. There is one in DL and also one in DCA. They are a great resource for all things baby related.

Consider going back to the hotel for naptime. Otherwise, I have been known to ride the train around the park for an hour at a time (they don't boot you off ) and nursing a tired baby to sleep and then riding while the rocking train lulls them to sleep. It is pretty quiet and peaceful and you still feel like you're in the magic while the little one sleeps.

One thing I don't think gets thought of too much is some sort of child ID. I just purchased some of these http://www.mypreciouskid.com/id-bracelet.html for my upcoming trip. Not something pleasant to think about but oh-so-important.

 

[DahliaRW]

VERY good point on child id. When we went we used these: http://www.safetytat.com/ because they don't come off!

 

[skoocher]

Last time we went, our son was 9 months. He did great. We were there for two days and he went on every ride he was allowed to go on and loved each one. Even the "dark" rides did not bother him.

We did bring our own stroller and were grateful for that. I think it helped him feel more comfortable and that made for a good trip.

Have fun and good luck!

 

[Kayla's Mom]

VERY good point on child id. When we went we used these: http://www.safetytat.com/ because they don't come off!

We have id tags from Petsmart that we made with our girl's names and our cell numbers on them. We put them through their shoelaces. Just another thought in case someone doesn't have time to order something online.

 

[prncssmel]

We took my nephew right before he turned 1. It was wonderful and totally worth it, even if he won't remember it. As far as tips, here is what he liked:

He loved Nemo. The pictures and sounds were great for his age.
Another favorite was Winnie the Pooh. He loved any ride with music.
The Disney strollers actually aren't the bad, especially if they are free with your Disney Visa. Just pack your diaper bag well.
While he was napping in the stroller, we used the baby pass on big rides.

 

[mericlaire]

I just got an email from them today (Safety Tat). 15% off $ this month. Code is FEBTAT09 ...hope it helps! Have fun! - Meri

 

[bluedoll]

Okay okay, so before anyone gets on me and tells me that I'm crazy for taking my 1 year old to Disneyland - save yourself the time! We're going and all three of us will love it!

But my question is.... I am a die hard WDW'er and have only been to DL once (in '04) but due to money issues, we're not going to be able to take our daughter to WDW for her first birthday in September like we planned... We're going to DL instead! Since she'll only be turning 1 I'm not too devistated by the change in plans... BUT as a new mommy, I don't really know how to do the parks with a little one. We are planning on making reservations at the Quality Inn & Suites that is right there and doing 2 days at the parks... Any parents out there have any suggestions or tips that will help my planning/packing/vacationing easier or better?!

I don't have any kids. But I have been to DLR with my niece when she was 15 months old. However, we only had her there for a partial day (it was June and it was hot and crowded.)

Some of my thoughts...
Rent a stroller. It's easier than lugging around your own. Although I'm not sure how far your hotel is from the parks so that may make things different.
Bring little snacks for inside the parks.
Use the baby care centers.
Take breaks throughout the day. Even if you don't go to the hotel, at least take breaks in air conditioned buildings. September can be pretty hot.
Relax. Don't tour commando style. Don't just go from ride to ride. Enjoy the atmosphere. Take plenty of photos of your little one all around the parks.
Over at DCA there is a cute area...Bug's Land. It has stuff for little ones.
Even though she's only 1....make sure she has sunglasses, a big floppy hat, and sunscreen. As I said, September can be hot and sunny.