Bringing a newborn to the parks...has anyone done this?

[MissyPrissy]

Hi all...
My husband and I have a trip planned for August to take the kiddos to Disneyworld...well, it seems that there may be a very new addition to the family by that time.(not sure yet, it's a bit early but all signs point to yes!) Perhaps a month old when August rolls around. (This would be my first baby and the first new sibling to arrive in the blended family...I am SO freaking out!!! )

I do NOT want to cancel this trip "because of the baby". Both kids have expressed a desire for me to "please have a sister soon" (well my step daughter says that...step son wants another puppy) Anyhow...I'm concerned that they would be very upset at missing the trip b/c of the new baby.

Would I be nuts to take an infant that small to Disneyworld? Would I be annoying other resort guests with a baby who probably won't be anywhere near sleeping through the night by then? I just don't know what to expect, how I'll feel physically, will I be able to handle the parks? Is it just insane to subject a baby to the August humidity? Geez, even as I type this I'm thinking it just won't work. My husband will need an extra set of hands with two kids. They'll be 8 and 5 by then...maybe not...they're bigger, not toddlers...hmmmm...you can't take babies on rides can you?! (which was my husband's suggestion...yes dear, lets take the baby on Splash Mountain! )*sigh*

okay ready set go...tips, advice, personal stories...anything would help!!!

 

[MissyPrissy]

I just read a very simaler thread below mine. I didn't mean to repost an already asked question.

It seems that taking a baby that young to Disney would be insanity and I didn't even think of the plane. Exposing such a young immune system to a germy plane would not be smart.

as my step daughter would say..."RATS"...

I'm still not even sure if I am...maybe I'm not. Guess we'll see before long huh? rats rats rats

thanks all

 

[4 mickey]

Hi
Gosh ! an happy news ( pregnancy) but wdw august , humidity , plane ,who knows hope not but one can never know ( c section ) in that case ( had one myself ) maybe not in the best of shape and the germs questions is really to take in consideration .
Maybe a few months later ? would that be possible ??
In any case the desision is yours to make but for myself I would'nt do it .

 

[kimpossible]

My youngest DS turned 4mths old at WDW. He was very portable, slept in the stroller when he wanted and even joined me on a few rides...small world, etc. This is definitely do-able. Maybe just post pone the trip for a month or two. Early Nov. is wonderful in Orlando.

Good luck and Congrats!

 

[PrincessTigerLily]

Have not personally done it, but we were there in late September and saw (and talked to) moms with an 8 week old and 2 week old. It was high nineties a few of those days, but there were people doing it.

 

[Mommy22Cs]

Not Disney, but we did take our dd to Busch Gardens (in Williamsburg, Va) when she was around 5-6 weeks old. She did fine- slept a lot. We're taking her to WDW when she'll be around 8 months old. You can ride a lot of Disney rides with an infant- anything that doesn't have a height restriction. We went the first time with the kids when my younger ds was 15 months and he rode on a ton of rides and sat through a bunch of shows, too!

 

[theresak]

We went with our 7 month old before, and are going next month with a four month old. It was no problem before and it won't be a problem this time. We won't be taking him on any rides that could be jarring, of course - but that's what grandparents are for!

 

[missymagic]

The youngest I ever took mine to disney was 3 months old. Took her seat on plane slept the entire trip Took stroller but carried her in baby bjourn most off the day. It was great because I could use it on rides and feel secure holding her. I always go in Dec so the weather is cooler. The heat could be a factor in August. Infants dehydrate faster especially if they are not on a good feeding schedule by them.

You will most likely only be getting one room and this could cause problems for sleeping. If the baby is still waking every 4 hrs at this point for feeding. You will not be very rested along with the rest of your family unless they are all heavy sleepers and sleep thru anything. Just something to consider. When sleep deprived everyone gets CRABBY faster.

 

[zurgswife]

I took an almost 3 month old 9 yrs ago for her first trip. I think it was great. She slept 90% of the time. I made sure I kept her hydrated and under the shade of the stroller....

If you are up to it then I say go for it. I was very active days after my kids births so a trip to disney for me wouldn't be out of the question.

 

[dsnymomof4]

First of all - congratulations (maybe!) I have to agree with other posters that August is way too hot and humid for such a small baby. But, don't "cancel" your trip - just postpone for 2-3 months. December is a wonderful time to be at the world and the weather will be much more comfortable. If you do have to "postpone", don't tell the kids its because of the baby, though. They might still be a little resentful. I would give them another reason and get them excited about the time when you will go! Good luck to you!

 

[HooKooDooKu]

Our 2nd was born on July, and there is NWIH we could have ever taken him to Disney at that young age.

While there are things you can do to midigate issues such as exposing him to the public and flying (that would be a long car ride).

But there isn't any way to avoid the demands of a new born shy of hiring a nanny and leaving him at home (yea right).

Based on our recent experience with a newborn, I would have to suggest that no one consider a Disney trip with a newborn until he is least 3 months old.

We're about to take the new born to WDW when he's about 4 months old, so check back in about a month. By then I might be suggesting you wait until they are 21 and just leave them at home (JK, we had a blast taking the then 3yo earlier this year... ok as much of a "blast" as a pregnant woman can have in Disney).

Speaking of which, is there any way you could move the Disney trip to early spring? Again, based on what our lives have been like with a newborn lately, I would say that it's definitely easier doing Disney pregnant (1st or 2nd trimester) than with a new born.

 

[NY Disney fan]

I agree about postponing the trip til the baby is a few months old. I just had a baby 2 weeks ago (my 1st) and I haven't slept in about 2 weeks LOL! If you go to WDW with your newborn, you could possibly be miseable. While your family is out on the rides you could be stuck in the hotel trying to get rest.

 

[Acklander]

We took our ds when he was 5 weeks old (delivered via C-section) and it worked out just fine. We had tossed back and forth on if we should still go on the trip (It had been planned/paid for way in advance due to Millennium celebration - we didn't realize that after over 10 years of fertility work that it would acutally happen) but finally decided to just go for it. They way I figured it was, since I was still out on maternity leave the timing was good, and worst case scenerio was I'd hang out at the hotel with the baby instead of hanging out on my couch with the baby. It was a different kind of trip - Previously we had always done the comando style of touring - up first thing in the morning and staying out until the parks closed - but this trip was very low key.Dh or I carried him in a snugli and we strolled thru the parks instead of racing from ride to ride. I took breaks as needed, drank tons of water and was able to find plenty of "private" spots for nursing. We got an adorable picture of him wearing the bug eyes in "It's tough to be a bug" and bought one of the legacy tiles at Epcot. Whenever we go to Epcot now, he adores stopping by the tile to show everyone a picture of him being held by his big brother when he was a baby. While the trip was more for the rest of the family, it was fascinating to see what things grabbed his limited attention. For the most part he slept, but he enjoyed the fireworks, the lion king show and the water fountains. I think what made the trip such a success was that we're "go with the flow" type people and have no problem with playing it by ear. If you and your family are the type who prefers the vacations planned out to the moment and organized it probably won't work that well, but other than that I'd say go for it.

 

[solgent]

We went when older girls were 4 and baby was 2 months. Had a great time. We carried baby in a sling which we found made it easy to get around.

Our children were all breastfed. Besides many other benefits, this reduced concern about exposure to germs. Your immune system works for the baby.

Congratulations!

 

[lisadisney2003]

One thing is for sure, you will not be the only there with a newborn. Here are some thoughts:
1. They have very nice baby centers at every park
2. Babies under 6 months can not use sunscreen so, you will want to discuss that with your peditrician
3. Would you be happy with the family going off without you if you and/or baby need a break back at your hotel
4. Could you afford to stay at a monorail hotel - the greatest convenience factor

We took our DD for the first time at 6 months and it was great. It was in Sept. and the sun was a real issue but, it was great!!

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

3. Would you be happy with the family going off without you if you and/or baby need a break back at your hotel
4. Could you afford to stay at a monorail hotel - the greatest convenience factor

Congratulations!

Consider renting a DVC villa (1 or 2 bdrm) with points from the DVC Rent/Trade Board. That woud allow you to have a full kitchen, washer/dryer, and would be really comfy.

 

[justhat]

Well I took my daughter at 2 months, 3 months, and 6 months and my son will be going at almost exactly the same ages so my first thought was "Yes, go!" But then I thought about the fact that you'll be going in August and that would honestly make me change my mind. Our trip with our daughter at 3 months was in June and it was unbearably hot. I wore her in a Bjorn the whole time and I was constantly sweaty. It kept her cooler than the stroller somehow though so I did it.

If you're willing to go and spend most of your time in the room during the hottest parts of the day then I'd still go. But if you think you'll want to be in the parks all day then I might reschedule the trip. I'm not one to be super cautious about young babies, but August in Orlando is hot hot and I think being out in the heat all day would be too much for a newborn.

 

[WeLuvWDWx5]

I took my third child to WDW when he was 5 weeks old. My DH qualified for a sales trip there, and even though we have always gone quite often, I certainly didn't want to pass up a trip there that was paid for by someone else . This was the first week of October (4 yrs ago), but it was extremely hot. I had c-sections for all three kids, but both DS and I did just fine. It was a great trip for all of us!

I share this to say that it is definitely doable, however, I will honestly say that I do not think that the trip would have gone as well if this had been my first child rather than my third. My first was still a bit overwhelming at 5 weeks, and I would not have been as laid back.

I agree with the suggestion that if you postpone for 1-2 months, then everyone will probably have a better time. By this time, the baby should also be sleeping better, so that you get enough rest to really have a good time.