Disney Babies:Let's compile our best tips for the under 1 set!!!

[macrosswife]

We took DS when he was 9 months old. There are a lot of great tips that have already been mentioned, but here are a few more, especially pertaining to the "staying at the hotel" part of your trip.

DS was on formula and baby food when we travelled, and we found the following things invaluable:
-Disposable bowls with lids as well as disposable spoons (both First Years brand), which, combined with Bibsters, made for easy clean up after meals during the trip.
-Palmolive Dishwipes: these were great for cleaning out the bottles in the room at the end of the day!
-I loved our over-the-door shoe holder for space-saving contianment of all the various and sundry things you have to take while travelling with a little one! It was all right there, and in plain sight!!
-I second the previous mom who mentioned the all-in-one zip-lock bag for meals. We also did this for diaper changes! (Diaper, small package of wipes, and disposable changing pad for times when we weren't near a baby center.)
-We brought a sound machine from home, which was great for two reasons: (a) DS was already used to falling asleep with it and (b) DH and I could stay up and talk or watch TV without fear that we would wake DS up.
-We used a pack & play provided by the Grand Floridian, but chose to bring our own sheet from home. Not only was my germophobic self calmed, but I also knew the bed "smelled" like home. (One gentle reminder, though...do be sure that if you plan on using a Pack & Play at Disney that your little one has plenty of "practice" sleeping in one at home!)
-I also second the recommendation to use A Baby's Best Friend. We rented a rocking chair from them because it was (and still is) and important part of our going-to-bed routine, and didn't regret it for a moment! It also came in handy when DS got sick 12 hours into our vacation and just wanted to be held while he slept. Which leads me to...
-Pack basic first aid supplies such as Tylenol and Motrin, a decongestant, Mylicon drops, some sort of teething relief, and any other medicines you use on a semi-regular basis, as well as a thermometer. About 12 hours after we left for Disney, DS spiked a high fever. I was (relatively) calm, knowing I had everything on hand that I would at home to attend to him. I have never regretted over-packing when it came to that first aid kit!!

The most important thing is to trust your judgment about meal times and nap times and bedtimes, as well as making sure that the others you are travelling with know that you will be the one "calling the shots" on the trip based on what you know to be the best thing for you and your little one at that moment.

~Kimber

 

[Meredith'sMom]

Bumping for MaxsMom!!!

 

[lissawynn]

I can't believe how helpful all of these tips have been. I'm so happy someone posted this link for me!

 

[Eeyore18]

Yes, great advice!! We are leaving in 5 days with my 9 month old dd and 7 year old ds..and very excited! We are bringing our stroller, not having a carseat on the plane (not too sure about that) and lots of stuff from home- so we don't run out!

 

[Gramma Jackie]

DO NOT take a baby on "the Great Movie Ride", I can't believe we thought it would be ok............duh! Jackie

 

[bjakmom]

We went in Jan with 5 1/2 mos old DGrD - we took our own reclining stroller and also used the Baby Bjorn for getting on/off the rides - we also took a great little fleece blanket that fits over the BB and is elasticized around the edges - it was awesome on the cool nights. Also could not have done without the plastic rain cover for the stroller - not only did it keep the stroller dry during a quick shower that hit while we were inside, but several of our nights were windy and she was just as snug as a bug inside the cover!

The baby care centers are awesome - and saved our b***s the morning DD forgot to bring along a bottle - we were able to buy one there and not return all the way to our resort once we realized ours was missing ! We found it easiest to ask for a cup of hot water when we needed to warm her bottle - a few minutes in the hot! H2O and we were set!

Since you shouldn't use DEET products on infants, we tied several dryer sheets to the stroller to repel the mosquitoes (you can also wipe them on babies clothes for extra protection).

I certainly won't 'flame' anyone for not putting their infant in an approved car seat in their own seat on the plane, because I travelled many times holding my older girls - then I was in an 'emergency landing' situation when DS was 5 mos old and found out that you are FORCED to place all lap children on the floor between your legs while you assume crash position - never again !! If I had known that in advance I would have found a way to afford to secure my baby safely when flying !!

 

[all4fun]

Bump

 

[goofylady]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am a new mom and this thread is super! We are leaving in 5 days with our DS who is 14 weeks old. The advice from this thread is wonderful! It is nice to see others have done this and survived! My husband has me so worried, but all of you have calmed my fears. I don;t have any advice to give, but I will when we get back!

 

[lynetteSC]

my best advice is visit the baby centers ... it was amazing how great they are! they have everything you need and also provided us a respite from a nasty lightening storm once. they are roomy enough to let the whole family freshen up and relax a few minutes. enjoy your trip!

 

[michygoomy]

This is a good thread and worthy of a bump.

As far as rides go, I wouldn't take a baby into any of the 3D movies. They are loud and most have some kind of explosion in them. It was very loud and scared the daylights out of my son when he was 7 mo and 2 yo. They can't wear the glasses so the 3D stuff is not the issue - it's the noise.

I had to laugh when I read this---because my DD fell asleep in my arms at 11 mo. during Muppet 3D....LOL....I was surprised.

 

[blizzard]

I haven't read through all of the responses yet, but this thread is a great idea.

We brought our son to Disney when he was just under 3 months old. We were staying at Old Key West in a 2 bedroom. I'll cover what we did for him, and what worked well.

Transportation:
Car Seat - We brought his car seat from home and used it on the plane and in a rental car. This worked well since we were familiar with the installation and he often slept in his seat when on the plane or in the car.

Stroller - We brought his stroller from home and gate checked it for the airplane. We have a fairly large stroller, and next time I think I may bring a smaller one. It was nice to have the storage area underneath, but took up a lot of space even when folded.

Lines - We had a baby bjorn for carrying the baby, but hardly used it. Often while we were touring, the baby was sleeping in the stroller, so we left him in it, and switched off riders or someone sat out. For the number of times we used it, we could have left it at home.

Baby Needs:
Sleeping - At OKW, there is a pack n play in every unit, so the baby slept in that. We brought his sheet from home, so that he would be used to it. (Disney provides a cute sheet which we used for covering a padded bench to use as a change table) With the luxury of a 2 bedroom, we were able to put the baby to sleep in the bedroom while we were doing other things in the living room.

Diapers - We brought enough diapers for the day of arrival and bought diapers while we were there. This worked ok. Diapers take up a lot of space, but they were rather expensive in Orlando compared to my looking for diaper deals at home. If you have space, bring your own (gives room for souveniers on the way home) Also if you aren't planning on grocery shopping, diapers will be even more expensive at the resorts.

Feeding - At 3 months, our baby was exclusively breast feeding, so this made it very easy. I made it to the baby care center at MK a couple of times, but didn't make it to the other ones. Usually we would just find an out of the way bench where we were. This worked well. The baby care centers are great though for changing diapers and heating food or formula if required. Because our baby was so young, changing diapers in the normal washrooms involved bringing the stroller in, which can be a chore (the change tables were always at the opposite end from the door) Note that strollers need to be left outside the Baby Care Centres so travelling light is a good idea.

Disney/Orlando
Shopping - we went to Belz Factory outlet to do some shopping and got some great deals at the Disney Outlets. Many items for the baby on sale. Also there is an Osh Kosh outlet there, where we spent far too much money but bought some cute stuff!

Parks - We brought the baby with us everywhere, but you have to be prepared for him to be a drag on the system. We travelled much more slowly than we used to, and had to make unscheduled stops often. We had 4 adults, so it wasn't too bad for one person to sit out on rides, but if there were only 2 of us, it wouldn't be nearly as much fun for someone to sit out. As I mentioned above, he was sleeping a lot of the time, so he sat out rides that he could have gone on.


We are DVC members, so travel to WDW about once per year. For this reason, we didn't mind bringing the baby with us. If your trip is a once in a lifetime, don't go when the baby is this young. For us, we have many more trips to go with our son. It won't be his last trip, but it will always be his first so we have lots of pictures to remember it. (I guess that's another tip - take lots and lots of pictures!)

Carol

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

these tips are great!

No matter where we go i carry a can of lysol with me in the stroller and diaper bag. I ALWAYS spray the changing tables before and after i change my daughter. You never know what has been on them even though i DO use a changing pad too, it's just in case she touches it and also as a courtesy to whoever is next. IT is also GREAt for smelly garbage cans and stinky bathrooms!!

I also always throw my daughters diaper away in a ziplock bag (even if it's just a went one) it keeps the stench at bay.

 

[TexasGirl]

We recently went over the 4th of July to WDW followed by Disney Cruise Line with a 4 month old. Cast was myself, DH, DD (5) and DS 4 months. The baby was great. He was actually easier then the 5 year old. He couldn't crawl, walk or talk back. We just had to be very aware and cautious of heat and sun. I used the baby center a lot at the park and the cabin a lot on the cruise.

I brought my travel system from home and althought bulky he was comfy and it worked out well.

We flew Southwest Airlines and he did great. They let us board first since we had an infant and since they have open seating instead of assigned seats we were able to sit down at the front.

I would def do it again.

 

[shaylahc]

I certainly won't 'flame' anyone for not putting their infant in an approved car seat in their own seat on the plane, because I travelled many times holding my older girls - then I was in an 'emergency landing' situation when DS was 5 mos old and found out that you are FORCED to place all lap children on the floor between your legs while you assume crash position - never again !! If I had known that in advance I would have found a way to afford to secure my baby safely when flying !!

That's horrible! No one really stops to think about that when flying with the under 2 set. I know some airlines offer half price seats to babies and toddlers to encourage people to buy them a seat....that is what I have done for the most part in the past. Only once did I fly without a car seat and a baby on my lap and the person in front of me reclined their seat back and the baby was practically pinned to my chest the whole ride. Never again.

The funny part about flying WITH a baby in a car seat is that no one believes you when you say you bought the baby's seat. They always assume you are trying to take someone else's seat I had to present my child's ticket I don't know how many times upon boarding to prove I had actually paid for her seat.

 

[DaleSSR]

I recently returned from wdw with my two children. One 4yrs and baby at the time 8 mo. I found that although the buffet dinners are great and you can really get a lot to eat, when you are spoon feeding baby food I felt rushed to eat and never enjoyed my meal. By the time i had an opportunity to get my food everyone else was done eating. I think I will eat at the buffet when he is on table food.
Napping is difficult, definatley schedule time to go back to the room and take a break if it is doable in the schedule. This way everyone can enjoy some evening time together and watch fireworks.
Although only 8 mos old he loved the characters so character meals were great!

Dalessr

 

[gabbysmom04]

I traveled to disney with my dd when she was 3m and 7m and will be back in september when she is 13m. my advice is if you drive bring a large supply of diapers and formula. The baby care stations only sell carnation good start, they do not sell anyother brands they also have a small supply of babyfood (gerber) I believe that the diapers they sell are huggies. We flew our first trip and although it was a hassle I packed a weeks worth of ready made formula and diapers. Our second trip we drove and were able to back enough formula and babyfood for two weeks. we brought our full sized peg perego stroller it reclined all the way and was great for the baby. I would suggest taking your own pack n play sheets we were at POR and when they brought our pack n play they only gave us an adult sheet to use. Thankfully we had brought our own sheets. we brought our dd on all the rides that did not have a height limit and she was fine. The only other advice i can share is the japenese rest. in epcot does not have infant high chairs and will not let you bring your stroller in. most of the other rest, have infant seats or allow you to bring in your own stroller. good luck with your trip!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Onesies are important--save the cute WDW clothes for evenings or at home. They are too hot in the warm months to wear.

 

[wdwlver]

I'm SOOOOO happy to read this thread!!!!!

We're going in October with our daughter who'll be almost 8 months!!!!! With the boys, we've waited until they were at least 14 months, but we're taking the plunge this year!


Great tips, excellent thread!!!

 

[Jen D]

I went with our seven month old and seven year old last September. It was an amazing trip. The baby learned to crawl in our Poly hotel room and cut his first tooth (I felt it on the Haunted Mansion.)

-Nursing is a godsend. A great way to calm a fussy or fidgety baby... we did it on Living with the Land, Festival of the Lion King, all over. The tiny minority of people who are offended by this are greatly outnumbered by the people who are grateful to you for keeping your baby quiet.

--We brought a MacLaren Techno Stroller. Has full recline and baby often napped in stroller. It comes with a rain cover that fits the stroller. We also bought a sun shade that extended the canopy and also the sides-- and had UV protection. I think it was called Protect a Bub. Kept him cool and in complete shade.

-- We brought my sling (I use a Maya Wrap) and a Baby Bjorn--- my husband uses the Bjorn, I use the sling. The Maya Wrap is great because it is very portable, you can stow it in the stroller basket or in a purse. We used it in line and also for short trips-- to restaurants, or a quick jaunt to the park. Great for things like fireworks and parades, you don't have to maneuver a stroller in a crowd.

--We brought baby food and disposable spoons and bibs. The resorts and baby care centers also have baby food. He tried a few things off our plates but not much.

--If you stay at a moderate or deluxe you get a fridge-- can be handy for cooling milk, opened baby food, etc.

--Best baby toy are those fist-sized rubber figures every gift shop has. They also love the wind up walking toys-- buy one and then produce it when at a restaurant waiting for food.

--The kid will often zonk out in the stroller-- which is great but suddenly completely limits what you can do. Deal with it. It is a given that if you have 2 adults and 2 kids-- one a baby and one an older kid-- one parent will spend a lot of time taking the old kid on rides while one parents sits with the stroller. Don't resent it, ,make the most of it. Window shop, people watch, whatever.

-- Don't fear the water parks! I don't know if I'd advise paying full price if you only have a baby, but if a water park option is included in your pass, and it won't really be an extra expense, go for it. Both water parks have a baby/toddler area and there is stuff for even a seven month old-- sitting in shallow puddles playing with the light spray and mist. Ignore the thrill ride aspect of the water park and treat it more like a day at the beach.

That's all I can remember for now!

Oh yeah... don't skimp on diaper packing because the selection at the resort stores is limited (and of course expensive.) We only packed a few to save packing space and planned to buy on our grocery stop on the way in. Publix ended up only having our brand in a larger size, not the size that covers about a week. I bought it but was annoyed because I would end up packing so many for the return trip. Well, Hurricane Jeane stranded us for 48 extra hours. It was a good thing we had those extra diapers or we would have been scrambling.

 

[mom2dea]

just subscribing to the thread . thanks everyone for the tips !

sarah