[B]Tips for taking a 18mo. old[/B]

[dizziedupbaby0127]

This will be the first time we travel to Disney with a infant or child of any kind. I need any info and tips I can get. Here is what I have planned already, I would love suggestions!

We are planning on going the end of Aug 2011. There will be 8 adults so watching the baby is not an issue. I plan on bringing a stroller for the baby to sleep in. And we plan on taking mid-day breaks for naps and swimming. We have planned alot of buffets for ease in feeding. We are flying down, she will be a lap child on southwest. and i plan on requesting a pack n play at the resort, and plan on bringing our own sheets and blankets for comfort.

Any tips on dealing with an 18 mo old at Disney? We haven't had a baby in the family in 20 years so we are guessing at what things might be like when shes that age! thanks!

 

[dizziedupbaby0127]

Please help me!

 

[PirateKate]

We recently took our fifteen month old to Disney World. Here are some things we learned that helped make it easier:
- Pay attention to the weather. We were there in May, and our days were much better when we avoided the heat of the day. By no later than two o'clock, we tried to be out of the parks.
-Expect everything to take much longer than without a baby. We had two babies, so it may not be as bad for you, but for us, it was not at all uncommon to go to the parks, maybe ride one ride, eat lunch and head back to the room. When planning your days, leave a lot of extra time.
- Although a fifteen month old can go see shows, ours did not want to. Trying to get him to sit still and quiet through a show was miserable and we soon learned not to watch shows at all.
-Fifteen month olds do enjoy playing. Make sure to plan time in your day for your baby to get to run around. Carter loved playing at the Boneyard and Honey I Shrunk the Playground, and the playground at Toon Town. Of course, one of us followed him everywhere, to make sure he didn't get hurt or lost.
-If your baby is getting testy, a snack can be a big help. We carried around individually wrapped bags of crackers and cookies that he could feed himself. Even if he didn't eat it, he could still take everything out of the bag and dump it in his stroller, making a big mess, which is good fun for him.
-To help combat the heat, we made sure Carter always had a sippy cup of ice water that he could reach in the cup holder of his stroller.
-In addition to changing and feeding equipment, Baby Centers also have a room with a few toys and a Disney movie playing. If you need a break, hanging out there is not a bad idea.
-Counter Service is a wonderful thing. On trips with just me and my husband, we loved to eat at table service restaurants. With the two babies, being able to get our food quickly and leave as soon as we finished eating was a big help. Also, there is no pressure to show up to your ADRs on time, which would have been difficult for us.
-At Disney World, there will be no shortage of screaming kids. Most of the time, it will be someone else's kid. Most of the time, their kid will be older than yours and should know better. And on that rare occasion when it is your kid, most people will understand.


That is what we learned from our recent trip with the boys. It sounds like you will have it easier than we did. There were two of us and two of them. You have eight adults and only one baby. That won't be bad at all.

 

[amyren]

I took DD at 12 months and again at 22 months. Both were amazing trips!
Here are some things that come to mind…
-Schedule down time at the hotel for little one to rest. With DD if she takes a good nap she can stay up past 10 without being cranky. Personally I’d rather give up 2 hours during the afternoon heat to let my child sleep comfortably in the hotel knowing that I can plan to keep her in the park late that night. I was always afraid if she only “cat napped” in the stroller that she would fall asleep early at night.
-Be flexible – You might not get to do exactly what YOU want to do. We scouted out the perfect spot to watch Illuminations but had to leave after about 10 min bc DD was so scared. We almost had to leave Mickey’s PhilharMagic too but after we took off her 3D glasses of she was fine. In retrospect I can see how a 3D show would frighten a toddler LOL.
-Pack a couple of small toys in the stroller. We let DD take 1 stuffed animal (she picked Minnie) and her light-up-spinny-toy (you know the toys that are sold just before the night time parades). These kept her occupied while we were walking around and while waiting in line.
-Take a snack in line with you. DD went through a ton of popcorn.
-Be ware that baby may be terrified of Mickey and friends. Fortunately DD LOVED the characters (at 12 and 22 months) but my cousin’s son was so scared. They kept trying to force him to take a pic which really made things worse. Turns out he loved to watch the characters at the parade he just did not want to be forced to hug them
-If possible stay on the monorail! I know it’s pricey but when we stayed a poly it was fantastic because we could put DD in her stroller in the room and wheel her straight to MK… no bus no car seat.
-Enjoy yourselves and take lots of pictures.

 

[dizziedupbaby0127]

We recently took our fifteen month old to Disney World. Here are some things we learned that helped make it easier:
- Pay attention to the weather. We were there in May, and our days were much better when we avoided the heat of the day. By no later than two o'clock, we tried to be out of the parks.
-Expect everything to take much longer than without a baby. We had two babies, so it may not be as bad for you, but for us, it was not at all uncommon to go to the parks, maybe ride one ride, eat lunch and head back to the room. When planning your days, leave a lot of extra time.
- Although a fifteen month old can go see shows, ours did not want to. Trying to get him to sit still and quiet through a show was miserable and we soon learned not to watch shows at all.
-Fifteen month olds do enjoy playing. Make sure to plan time in your day for your baby to get to run around. Carter loved playing at the Boneyard and Honey I Shrunk the Playground, and the playground at Toon Town. Of course, one of us followed him everywhere, to make sure he didn't get hurt or lost.
-If your baby is getting testy, a snack can be a big help. We carried around individually wrapped bags of crackers and cookies that he could feed himself. Even if he didn't eat it, he could still take everything out of the bag and dump it in his stroller, making a big mess, which is good fun for him.
-To help combat the heat, we made sure Carter always had a sippy cup of ice water that he could reach in the cup holder of his stroller.
-In addition to changing and feeding equipment, Baby Centers also have a room with a few toys and a Disney movie playing. If you need a break, hanging out there is not a bad idea.
-Counter Service is a wonderful thing. On trips with just me and my husband, we loved to eat at table service restaurants. With the two babies, being able to get our food quickly and leave as soon as we finished eating was a big help. Also, there is no pressure to show up to your ADRs on time, which would have been difficult for us.
-At Disney World, there will be no shortage of screaming kids. Most of the time, it will be someone else's kid. Most of the time, their kid will be older than yours and should know better. And on that rare occasion when it is your kid, most people will understand.


That is what we learned from our recent trip with the boys. It sounds like you will have it easier than we did. There were two of us and two of them. You have eight adults and only one baby. That won't be bad at all.

Yes! compared to 2 babies, 1 should be a bit easier! That is a great idea about the play areas! I had actually forgot about them. Grandma doesn't do most rides, so I bet she would love to take the baby over there to play. Thank you for the tips! As DD loves to eat snacks are a must too!

I took DD at 12 months and again at 22 months. Both were amazing trips!
Here are some things that come to mind…
-Schedule down time at the hotel for little one to rest. With DD if she takes a good nap she can stay up past 10 without being cranky. Personally I’d rather give up 2 hours during the afternoon heat to let my child sleep comfortably in the hotel knowing that I can plan to keep her in the park late that night. I was always afraid if she only “cat napped” in the stroller that she would fall asleep early at night.
-Be flexible – You might not get to do exactly what YOU want to do. We scouted out the perfect spot to watch Illuminations but had to leave after about 10 min bc DD was so scared. We almost had to leave Mickey’s PhilharMagic too but after we took off her 3D glasses of she was fine. In retrospect I can see how a 3D show would frighten a toddler LOL.
-Pack a couple of small toys in the stroller. We let DD take 1 stuffed animal (she picked Minnie) and her light-up-spinny-toy (you know the toys that are sold just before the night time parades). These kept her occupied while we were walking around and while waiting in line.
-Take a snack in line with you. DD went through a ton of popcorn.
-Be ware that baby may be terrified of Mickey and friends. Fortunately DD LOVED the characters (at 12 and 22 months) but my cousin’s son was so scared. They kept trying to force him to take a pic which really made things worse. Turns out he loved to watch the characters at the parade he just did not want to be forced to hug them
-If possible stay on the monorail! I know it’s pricey but when we stayed a poly it was fantastic because we could put DD in her stroller in the room and wheel her straight to MK… no bus no car seat.
-Enjoy yourselves and take lots of pictures.

I agree on the naps, at 2+mos DD loves to sleep and would sleep all day and stay up late if we let her! So hopefully an afternoon nap will work great. Interesting note on the shows, I never would have thought of that! Toys and snacks are a must! we are staying at Coronado Springs due to money, I want so bad to stay at the contemporary! Some day! Thanks for the tips!

 

[homeschool101]

Sounds to me like you've thought of just about everything!! Good for You! The midday naps and time to cool down are essential! Hope you all have a GREAT time!!!

 

[skalenik]

We found that the midday nap was key in making our trip with our 2 yr old twins successful.

Also, although we made a schedule of what we wanted to see and do, we were really flexible in what we ended up doing. If we saw the kids were enjoying a particular ride, we stopped and did it again. If they were getting tired, we stopped, took a break and evaluated if we should go back to the hotel.

We also started picking up new little Disney toys or books from the Dollar Store or dollar bin at Target in the months leading up to the trip. We'd keep these in the diaper bag to use as entertainment at the table service restaurants or longlines for rides.

Also, make good use of fastpass and the parent swap. The fastpasses let us ride so many more rides than we orginally expected as a family and the parent/child swap pass let my husband and I ride some of the bigger rides while the kids ate snacks or took a break.

 

[FunkyDuck]

We took DD in NOV08...she was exactly 18mos old and it was wonderful. I agree with pp's and their great advice...the only thing I would add is to consider her having her own seat on the airplane. We used the CARES Harness and was very pleased with it. Have a fantastic trip!!!!

 

[liriel]

We took our 1 yr old in January. She was just starting to walk and really needed to be let out to walk at times. So just make sure they have time to just walk unfettered. Other than that she was great. Play it by ear to see if they will nap in the stroller or not , and after the first day or so you can adjust your schedule accordingly. Basically you just need to wing it and see how your baby reacts to it and learn to read their cues on what they are in need of. Each day will be different. Just make sure to change things up a lot for them so they don't get bored. Stroller rides, walking, riding on someone's shoulders, and letting them have time and a place to touch and experience things often. With 8 adults that shouldn't be too hard.

 

[thmar]

We took our granddaughter when she was 12 months old. We had a WONDERFUL time!! Just remember to be ready to change your schedule to fit theirs...a break in the afternoon is a must for swimming and naps. Our granddaughter loved the character meals. We went to three of them. I agree with some of the previous posters...let them just enjoy playing on the grass or at DCA bug land. I was amazed at how much fun she had, and how much fun we had...ENJOY!!

 

[DisneyFam09]

Depending how much she weighs by then a hip hammock or some type of carrier. Or with 8 adults passing her back and forth. Until I went with my 10month old 2years ago I never noticied you can not bring strollers in line. When they are awake and happy to stand that's great but inevitalby she will want to be picked up esp if the line is long.
Last yaer we went when she was 30 months old and waiting in lines was much easier. She interacted with other children in line, played with small toys, snacks etc...
Hand sanitizer should be a given. And play areas are a great place to let them be "free" and play.
Remember when you make your ADRs that you are never seated right away so make them a little earlier than usual.
Those are a few things that never occured to me before having my dd. All lessons learned.
I should edit to mention the good LOL! Things she really enjoyed... Small World, Peter Pan's Flight, Poohs Grand Adventure, Play House Disney Live, walking through the castle, fireworks, parades, AK safari, MK race track, Epcot Finding Nemo, Mickey and Minnies houses Meeting princesses and tinker belle, mickey, minnie. Have a magical first trip with dd!

 

[dizziedupbaby0127]

Thanks for all the great tips! I was telling DH last night about the little toys to keep her distracted ideas and he liked it! I have to admit we arre Disney freaks so most of DD toys are dDisney related, she already at 2.5 mos loves minnie and tigger!

We are looking for a new stroller, as our current one is a travel system and its heavy, bulky and has no handle to carry it with. But at the age DD will be we want one that reclines all the way and since DD is very light skinned we need a large sun cover, so we were in search of that!

I did know about the No Strollers In Line, but there is atleast 5 of us that can/would carry and/or hold her while in most lines.

and Hand sanitizer! Great point! I am a huge lysol wipes girl!


Another question I just thought of, we want to pack light, especially since it will be August when we go, is it fair to guess about 2 outfits a day for DD and maybe 2 extras for those messy days?

 

[Four Disney Fans]

You will have a great time! We've taken my two kids twice- one when my daughter was 9 months and just now at 18 months.

-lots of water or juice boxes- whatever she'll drink to stay hydrated. August will be very hot and little ones don't cool themselves very efficiently.
-little kids suitcase with familiar items for sleeping- blanket, little pillow, bears that smell like home. Great for the plane too.
-wipeable bib so you only need to take one
-consider ordering Gardengrocer.com or something similar. We had milk, bananas, yogurt drinks, cheese cubes, box of cereal etc. delivered to our room so we always had healthy snacks on hand. Although we had the dining plan, ordering allowed us to have her favourites available.
-as previously mentioned, be prepared to slow down. Go at your kids' pace and let them tell you how much or little they can do in a day before a break
-bring a carrier if you have one. I used a Babyhawk in front and back carries to give her a break from the stroller while still being able to move quickly from point A to B.

Have a great time!

 

[PiperPizzaz]

Play areas are a big hit at that age and the little water spray areas. It is nice for them to be out of their stroller a bit and running around.

 

[DisneyFam09]

two outfits/day should be ok. we always wear two outifts (well atleast shirts) each day. after the afternoon break we change into a clean outfit or shirt and go out for the evening. disposable or vinyl wipeable bibs! i forgot about those. they were oufit savers.
a few sun/heat related points. make sure to sunscreen her lil feet even if she's wearing sandals.
I brought a water bottle fan and would use the strap to hang it over the stroller shade, turn it on and she would have a nice breeze while napping or whenever.
We used her travel system (graco lite) stroller the first time. and yes it is a little bulky but she was 10months old and it was what she was used to, was most comfortable (fully reclined), and had more storage space/cup holder for her and us. we brought a our Chicco Capri (umbrella stroller) at 30months and it was fine. semi reclined, large sun shade, very portable, but smaller undercarriage basket.

 

[DisneyFam09]

another item we brought along was a rubber like place mat. since we didn't order her own meal and ate with her hands. we'd set the place mat out and not have to worry about flying plates or waitning for an extra plate. it rolled up and was easy to wipe with a wipe or rinse in a sink roll it up and go.

 

[Minnie*bell]

Please help me!

Hey! I'll be taking an 18 month old in Nov 2011!!! Did u have the baby yet??? It's funny b/c this will help me 2, except we can't book our trip 'til @ least Aug when the specials for the year come out. Did u book urs yet? give me the scoop!

 

[Minnie*bell]

We recently took our fifteen month old to Disney World. Here are some things we learned that helped make it easier:
- Pay attention to the weather. We were there in May, and our days were much better when we avoided the heat of the day. By no later than two o'clock, we tried to be out of the parks.
-Expect everything to take much longer than without a baby. We had two babies, so it may not be as bad for you, but for us, it was not at all uncommon to go to the parks, maybe ride one ride, eat lunch and head back to the room. When planning your days, leave a lot of extra time.
- Although a fifteen month old can go see shows, ours did not want to. Trying to get him to sit still and quiet through a show was miserable and we soon learned not to watch shows at all.
-Fifteen month olds do enjoy playing. Make sure to plan time in your day for your baby to get to run around. Carter loved playing at the Boneyard and Honey I Shrunk the Playground, and the playground at Toon Town. Of course, one of us followed him everywhere, to make sure he didn't get hurt or lost.
-If your baby is getting testy, a snack can be a big help. We carried around individually wrapped bags of crackers and cookies that he could feed himself. Even if he didn't eat it, he could still take everything out of the bag and dump it in his stroller, making a big mess, which is good fun for him.
-To help combat the heat, we made sure Carter always had a sippy cup of ice water that he could reach in the cup holder of his stroller.
-In addition to changing and feeding equipment, Baby Centers also have a room with a few toys and a Disney movie playing. If you need a break, hanging out there is not a bad idea.
-Counter Service is a wonderful thing. On trips with just me and my husband, we loved to eat at table service restaurants. With the two babies, being able to get our food quickly and leave as soon as we finished eating was a big help. Also, there is no pressure to show up to your ADRs on time, which would have been difficult for us.
-At Disney World, there will be no shortage of screaming kids. Most of the time, it will be someone else's kid. Most of the time, their kid will be older than yours and should know better. And on that rare occasion when it is your kid, most people will understand.


That is what we learned from our recent trip with the boys. It sounds like you will have it easier than we did. There were two of us and two of them. You have eight adults and only one baby. That won't be bad at all.

I just want to say that is really, really good advice. I'll be taking an 18 month old & I'll be a new mom 2! This is super helpful & gives me a real idea of what to expect. But I'll just have one little boy w/ me. I really like ur ideas I'm literally taking notes. = )

 

[morgan75]

Wow what great advice! We are also taking an 18 month old for the first time. We have been to disney with teenagers but never a baby. Thanks for asking your question.

 

[dizziedupbaby0127]

Hey! I'll be taking an 18 month old in Nov 2011!!! Did u have the baby yet??? It's funny b/c this will help me 2, except we can't book our trip 'til @ least Aug when the specials for the year come out. Did u book urs yet? give me the scoop!

Congrats! Yes, I did She was born March 10th 2010! We are waiting till a deal comes out too! ~Crosses fingers for Free Dining~ We are very lucky in the sense that we will have so many people with us to help out. DH's sister who is baby crazy (shes 26 and getting married next June) is all about doing things with the baby. And DH's mom doesn't do most rides, so she will allow us to do the big rides without worrying about the baby.

I just want to say that is really, really good advice. I'll be taking an 18 month old & I'll be a new mom 2! This is super helpful & gives me a real idea of what to expect. But I'll just have one little boy w/ me. I really like ur ideas I'm literally taking notes. = )

Wow what great advice! We are also taking an 18 month old for the first time. We have been to disney with teenagers but never a baby. Thanks for asking your question.

Congrats to both of you on being new mom's also! It is an amazing thing, but very much a challenge especially when you haven't had a baby in the family in years! That is why I asked this question! The youngest is 20 now, so I'm going into all this blind (well not any more thanks to my wonderful DISsers) I'm glad I can help others too! Over the years I have found these boards to be the best TOOL I could ever have in planning these trips and tons of other things too.

Morgan when is your trip? Will you be doing a TR? I'd love to read if you do! I always do Pre-TR but stink at TR, always too busy when we get back!

Here's a few pics of my baby! Her name is Riley Lynne

She loves her Minnie Mouse (This was not posed either)