Baby and WDW

[cinderella_bella]

Ok this has probably been asked before but has anyone taken a 3-4 month old to WDW and how was it? I have 3 other children who will be 10, 7 and 3. Am I crazy to be thinking this. It will probably be a slow pace trip but any other things that are going to make it way harder that I maybe haven't thought of. Other than the obvious of course. Thanks

Tania

 

[swilphil]

I have taken a 6 month old to WDW and it worked great. I don't really remember a whole lot of difference between my kids at 6 months and at 4 months. The baby slept in the stroller and enjoyed looking around. We would put the baby on our lap on many of the rides. Definitely bring your own stroller. The park strollers are too big for a baby that age. You might want to bring a double stroller so the 3 year old can ride in it, too. Plus the stroller is great to have for storage of the diaper bag, umbrellas, purchases, etc.

I would recommend going back to the hotel during the mid-day--more for the 3 year old than the baby, even the older kids could use a break and probably would enjoy some time at the pool. You will probably want to stay on site to do this.

 

[BevS97]

we are planning on taking a 3 month old in December. Everyone thinks we are mad, but I am not too concerned. My recollections of my eldest DD (age 6) are that she was pretty easy at 3 months, quite happy in her stroller as long as she was fed and changed at regular intervals.
We are taking our own stroller (the Disney ones are not appropriate) and she will be able to nap in there.

The only thing that we are doing differently, is we have opted to book an apartment offsite rather than stay onsite. Although there are advantages to being onsite, I think the 2nd bedroom for my other dd, and the laundry and kitchen facilitys will be a big bonus.
We will also be in Orlando for 2 weeks, so will have plenty of time to take things slowly, We won't be doing long commando style days, but taking it easy and relaxing more, so rather than going back to the room for a nap, we will probably start out early and head back to our apartment early afternoon and call it a day for the parks, or else have a lie in and not head out until after lunch (on those days we want to see parades or fireworks).

Bev

 

[viluvsdisney]

Hi - we found the baby carrier (Bjorn) to be helpful. As long as your little one can sleep in it - it works out great! That way if the 3 year old needs a break - you can still function hands free with the baby in the carrier Have fun!!

 

[Narcoossee]

We took our 5 month old to Disney. It was by far the easiest trip that I have done with her. (She's been back 3 times by age 2). She just went along with the flow. I took a baby sling type carrier. She would fall asleep in it and I could still get on and off rides or walk through the park without waking her up. I was also breast- feeding and found the sling a very easy and modest way to feed her. I brought a small container of dish detergent with me so that I could wash any items like bottles, toys, that she chewed on etc. We also have found that by taking clips that (the kind that can be removed without wall damage) we could find a spot to place the crib/pack -n-play and hang a bed sheet to seperate her from us a bit at night time. We would put her down earlier and have one light on or the TV. This way we could still interact without her being disturbed. Sometimes we would even put her in the little vanity area of the bathroom and put the sheet over the doorway. Then it's like she was in her own little room. There was just enough space for us to squeeze by the crib in the morning to shower without waking her. Be sure to take a stroller raincover as well. It is critical to keep her stroller dry. A bigger kid can tough out a wet seat but you don't want that for your little tot.

 

[tammie33]

We're going in early December and I'm due Oct. 1 so we will have a 2 month old with us. It's a family trip that was planned long before she was - will have my parents, my boyfriend, my sister and her two kids (ages 10 & 5), and our beautiful daughter. And yes, most people outside my family think we are crazy, but I can't wait. It's a first trip for everyone but my boyfriend, my mom and me.

I think you have it right though, just take it slow. Make sure to plan time for the older ones to get to do the rides and things they want to do. And take advantage of the baby centers. We are staying offsite in a 3 bedroom condo and plan to come back if needed for breaks. I've also only planned a few late nights - Fantasmic, Illuminations and MVMCP (boyfriend doesn't want to do that one again - so he'll stay at the condo with the baby that night).

Do what is right for you and your family - and DO NOT worry about what other people think!

Tammie

 

[Melissa R]

We went just for a day when DS#2 was 8 weeks old. We normally wouldn't have done it, but it was a big family event with out of town relatives. It was definitely slower paced than normal, and we headed back to the hotel at about 6:00 PM where we normally don't leave until closing time. I spent a lot of time with the baby while DH took older DS on the rides. We didn't bother with baby swap, although we'll be doing the swap this trip (baby is now 1).

The baby care stations are very nice. We spent a nice amount of time in there, cooling off, eating, and changing diapers. The CMs who work there are wonderful! They do sell baby items there, but it'd have to be an emergency purchase - everything was VERY overpriced. Bring plenty of your own diapers. If you are breastfeeding, there is a wonderful room there only for nursing mothers. It is quiet, low lighting, and has comfortable chairs. Be warned, though, that they will not let you bring your stroller into the baby care station, so you have to carry baby and everything you need in your arms.

I don't know what time of year you're going, but let's face it, it's always hot in Florida, so keep that in mind.....little babies don't always handle the heat well. Do lots of cool, long things - Hall of Presidents, Small World, Country Bear Jamborree for example at MK.

 

[aimb]

I'd take a 4 month old to Disney in a heartbeat! We took ds when he was 7 months old, and it was wonderful. I took a Baby Bjorn, and it was so great because he would fall asleep in it, and I could still get on rides without having to wake him up. He was happy to be in his stroller too and even napped very well in it. He just went with the flow and ate when he wanted to, slept when he wanted to - just like he did at home...lol. The baby care stations are wonderful! We used them a lot to nurse, change diapers, or just take a break from the heat.

We did go at a much slower pace than we normally would though, and we did take mid-day breaks so we could get ds out of the heat. We also ended most of our days pretty early - we didn't see any fireworks on that trip, but we still had a great time.

 

[lurontravel]

You won't have any problems taking your wee one. It's amazing how much they are aware of at that tender age, my niece went to epcot when she was 3 1/2 mos old, and she LOVED figment, she'd just smile and laugh the whole ride (she went several times that trip b/c she enjoyed it so much). And at the AMerican Pavilion when she heard our National Anthem, she perked right up and looked at my dad, and just smiled (my dad used to sing the Nat'l Anthem to her whenever she got fussy). So, don't underestimate babies!
I followed suit, and took my babies right away too. They also loved it, and they talk about WDW all of the time! My kids are now almost 2 &4 yrs, and since we live in FL and have Seasonal Passes, we're there a LOT.

Like previous posters have said, use the babycare facilities, they are wonderful, especially the nursing rooms. They are the best. The babycare centers are VERY clean, and I'm very comfortable bringing the older one in with the little one. They have a few toys and books and a Disney movie playing inside, as well as a little table to feed toddlers at if they don't use a highchair anymore.

Have a great time.

 

[Baileymouse]

We're bringing our niece, who will be 5 months, this November. Right now she's so portable I don't think it'll be a problem at all. I am getting the stroller from ABBF and I think she'll be fine.

 

[kaseyC]

We just returned recently from a trip to WDW with our 4mo old DD and her two sisters 7yrs and 2 yrs. The baby was great and adapted well. It was the 2yr old who was difficult, it took a couple of days to get her adjusted to the strange bed and get her back into her nap schedule. Whoa, the 2 days she didn't take naps, she was one cranky little sister. The baby was a breeze. One thing we did do was take cabs to our dinners at other resorts, that way we had her car seat with us and she would sleep thru most meals. Most places did not have the infant high chairs. Crystal Palace did.