Disney Vet Returns with a Baby! Your TIPS?

[Wonders10]

Hi everyone!

I've taken a rather long hiatus from the DIS, but I'd like to spend some more time here especially since I'll be visiting with my daughter in March!

She will be just shy of 8 months...what are your tips for traveling to Disney with a baby? I'm already prepared to take her cues for breaks and things but any tips are appreciated!

Thank you!

 

[hamm1207]

I'm interested to learn some helpful tips as well! We're heading to WDW with our daughter (3 months old) at the end of the month. We've been to WDW 50+ times, but this is our first time with a baby.

 

[Corey127]

Get a good baby carrier! A stroller is great but you'll want to wear the baby in lines

 

[Mainemama]

My 2nd trip was with an 8 month old. I second the carrier. I did not use it often (my baby was really heavy), but it was a lifesaver in lines. Pack lots of snacks. Make sure your stroller is both comfortable for your baby and easy to fold. We ended up buying a new stroller after our trip, because we found the one we rented so much easier to travel with than the one we owned. Stay on the monorail if you can. Travellng with this age was actually easier in a lot of ways than older! Have fun!

 

[keepswimming76]

I went on a trip to Disney World when my daughter was six months old. It was a great trip and I enjoyed being able to bring her with us on so many rides. It's much easier to travel with a child who is not walking yet! She was rather easy going and hung out in the stroller very happily.

My main recommendations are in regards to the stroller. Attach some toys to keep baby occupied. And get a stroller fan.
Even if it's not too hot out it's helpful for air circulation. And make sure you have a blanket that can cover the stroller for naps, and something to cover in case of rain.

Also, as previous poster mentioned, a baby carrier is very useful.

I hope it's a wonderful trip!

 

[ayz75]

We took my daughter when she was 5 months, we had a lot of fun (the parents, I mean ) There are actually a lot of rides you can go on with a baby! I used a carrier so that she was more secured during the ride, and also because she was napping half of the time anyway (in the carrier). Overall I found it very easy to travel with a baby.. she was a good napper too (when we brought her again at 2 years old, it was harder to get her to nap because she was so excited, so we'd actually leave the parks so she wasn't distracted by the rides to get her to sleep). We're going again in October and my older one will be 3.5 while her little sis will be 6 months!

 

[MickeyWaffles]

We went for my DD's first birthday. Here are some suggestions!

-If your baby is a good stroller napper, I highly recommend doing that unless you are staying at a monorail resort (assuming you will spend lots of time at MK). We stayed at Kidani, and for us, it would have been hard to go back to the villa for naps. Our DD naps when she's tired, not really super scheduled, so it worked for us to just take in-park breaks. The thought of lugging all our stuff back and forth was exhausting to me All depends on what you think is feasible for your schedule and routine! Finding a bench and letting her nap in the stroller worked wonders for us. That's also when I got my shopping/browsing time
in

-Take it slow. You'll be amazed at the things they take in and fixate on. We sat and watched ducks for 15 minutes one day After countless trips to WDW, this was our first with our own child. It was fun to feel like we were seeing everything for the first time through her eyes.

-Our DD LOVED the TTA. She loved the wind in her face. We rode it over and over and over.

-Festival of Fantasy parade: there's soooo much to look at. Our DD was enthralled.

-Get disposable diaper changing pads. Was so nice to not feel like I was lugging around something germy all day after being on bathroom changing stations!

-Pack lightly. We brought a change of clothes, a few diapers, wipes, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, sun hat, changing pads, small snacks and the bottles we'd need for the day. We also attached some
small toys to the stroller for her.

-As others said, use a carrier, especially in lines.

I know our DD was a bit older, but I think these things would still apply to an 8 month old. Have fun!!

 

[shinysparklybubbles]

Take lots of wipes. I ran out and it was like $3 for 16 or something ridiculous like that

 

[msmama]

in

-Take it slow. You'll be amazed at the things they take in and fixate on. We sat and watched ducks for 15 minutes one day After countless trips to WDW, this was our first with our own child. It was fun to feel like we were seeing everything for the first time through her eyes.

I've often said that Disney has the most entertaining ducks (to small children) in the world!! We've definitely spent more time watching ducks at WDW than anywhere else (including the duck pond near our house)!! The ones by Crystal Palace seem to be especially enthralling.

My sons first trip was 10 months. Like others have said, a good carrier is great - I was partial to a mei tei but I was a regular baby wearer all the time. I nursed so he'd nurse and/or fall asleep on most rides, so he really didn't have much of a big nap as a bunch of little cat naps, but it was okay and worked for us/him. He was already walking and I'm not much of a germaphobe so I tried to let him get down an explore as much as possible. World showcase has a lot of little hidden nooks and crannies that were good for that, and out of the flow of traffic.

Someone mentioned wipes - also make sure you have plenty of diapers during the day (changing tables in both mens and womens bathrooms and mens room rarely had a line) because while they do have them available to purchase at the baby care center, they don't have a wide variety.

I think the Crystal Palace is the best "first" character meal because, to me, there's nothing as cute as seeing a baby with pooh bear and friends!! Though my son actually got a little annoyed when the characters came around when he was eating. They'd try to play with him, but he was way more interested in his food!

Speaking of food - my son was never really big on baby food so he mostly just ate off of our plates. He had his first french fry at WDW. So if you're doing the baby food thing, I have no advice.

There are baby care centers in every park that have nursing rooms (if needed). Personally, it was just easier for me to find a bench (or a ride or show) so I only used them maybe once in each park.

 

[TravelingTotMom]

We took DS for his first trip at 7 1/2 months and had a great time!

I recommend getting a *front-facing* carrier. Most of the more expensive carriers are not front-facing, but you can usually find a front-facing carrier for around $25 at a Ross, TJMaxx, Amazon, etc. While it doesn't offer as much support as the better ones, it was great to have DS facing forward in lines and on the rides w/out having to adjust him. I could just set right on the ride, and he would be positioned right on my lap to see everything (I only used the carrier in lines/rides, and he was in the stroller the rest of the time).

Our highlight was getting DS's first Mickey Ears hat and then going to meet Mickey (see my profile pic). You can get them at the Magic Kingdom at the Chapeau, which is right next to where Mickey meets at Town Hall.

A backpack is much easier than a regular diaper bag at Disney. And take lots of snacks and some extra clothes at that age. We also always take Clorox wipes (for tables) and Johnson & Johnson hand and face wipes (to wipe hands if they touched a ride... just a precaution at that age... or any age).

DS was also teething at that time, so we took some links with teeters attached. I actually separated them into a couple ziplock bags, so if one dropped or got dirty, I would have a clean set ready to go. Same process if they use a pacifier (you don't want to constantly be running around trying to find a bathroom to clean them).

 

[kayemgi]

Things that were most helpful to us:

• Make sure whatever you decide to use as a diaper bag (we use a lightweight backpack) fits under your stroller.
• Disposable placemats with stickies on the back (so baby doesn't pull them off the table), disposable bibs, disposable changing pads. I hated using all the disposable crap, but it was only for a week and I liked being able to just toss the gross stuff after each use.
• Toy leashes to keep sippy cups/bottles/toys attached to the stroller - baby can't toss them out.
• A baby carrier for transportation, lines, and rides was so helpful. Also sometimes baby just didn't want to be in the stroller anymore. I brought a ring sling but next time I'll be bringing the Ergo instead. I didn't want to bring the Ergo because it's so bulky, but I really wished I had it.
• A muslin blanket attached to the stroller sun shield with some chip clips helped keep even more sun off her and helped block out all the distractions when she needed to nap.
• A big stroller name tag and a battery-operated string of mini LED lights was invaluable in helping us find our stroller in the huge stroller parking areas.
• Packing diapers, bibs, changing mats, some snacks, and a change of clothes in gallon ziplock bags for each day was great. We could just pull the old bag out and stick a new bag in each morning, so easy.

 

[Mrs~Incredible]

Congrats! You will have a blast!

The baby centers in each park are awesome. Great for nursing, feeding, changing, and breaks.

I second the baby carrier, stroller, and lots and lots of antibacterial wipes. Sunscreen sticks.

We took our then-10 month old and it was one of our most magical trips ever!

We bought baby ear muffs online for the fireworks, and she still uses them at age 4! I think it was from the baby Banz site.

Have fun!!!

 

[Mrs~Incredible]

Oh- and a spritz fan. You can get them ahead of time much cheaper than in the parks!

 

[Meech Loves Mickey]

Babies love IASW. Lots of stuff to look at.

Take more diapers and wipes than you think you need. And lots of changes of clothes. Even if your baby has never had a blow out in her life, guarantee she will have one on this trip. And lots of extra bags (grocery/walmart/target whatever you use) for dirty diapers and/or clothes. Trust me. We learned this the hard way. Can you say poop-tastrophe?

 

[Meech Loves Mickey]

Also, in addition to IASW as I mentioned above.........take her on every ride that does not have a height restriction. The more you take her on now, the less she will be afraid of when she's older. (just my 2 cents.)

Use baby swap for the others.

 

[nilla]

My #1 tip is ENJOY THIS TRIP. Kids become much more of a problem on WDW trips as they get older!

Also, if you're baby falls asleep by being rocked, ride the Safari in AK. Our daughter also fell asleep in the Haunted Mansion.

I could also tell you the rides my wife thought were best for breastfeeding, but I fear I'll set off a war if I go there

 

[Angel Ariel]

Hi everyone!

I've taken a rather long hiatus from the DIS, but I'd like to spend some more time here especially since I'll be visiting with my daughter in March!

She will be just shy of 8 months...what are your tips for traveling to Disney with a baby? I'm already prepared to take her cues for breaks and things but any tips are appreciated!

Thank you!

Be prepared for ALL weather - hot and cold! We took our dd at 8 months old in march 2013, and we did not pack well. We looked at the weather and SW the 75 degree days and packed for warmth. We didn't realize that the mornings were more like 50 degrees, plus there was a lot of wind and it made it feel much colder.

Thankfully we had blankets with us to wrap her up in the parks in her stroller to keep her warm (also used a baby carrier..a beco gemini for us..highly recommend this!). Pack layers, though, because it did get warm in the afternoons...so we really needed to pack for a mix of summer and winter! Things like babylegs (leg warmers) were very helpful with this. They even have some babylegs with uv protection.

ETA: a beco gemini will do many different t styles of babywearing..back carry, front carry facing in, front carry facing out, and a hip carry as well. It was very versatile and with a weight limit of 35 lbs, she can still use it now at 3.5 yrs old (and we do on occasion still )

If it is warm, frogg toggs are a great way to keep a baby cool in a carrier or a stroller.

Get a very good hat for the child, and sunglasses too (ones that strap around the head).

If you want to do stroller naps, bring something you can put over/around your stroller to block the baby from seeing out. Our dd was very very curious and she'd keep herself awake to watch everything around her. We used chip clips to clip a light blanket around the front of her city mini, worked like a charm and she fell asleep faster.

You may want to look into renting a stroller. It's much easier to baby wear through the airport and not deal with a stroller there at all. There are offsite companies that rent strollers like city minis, with full reclines and great sunshades..they'll drip off and pick up at your hotel. Very convenient!

Is your baby sitting up on their own yet? If not, be prepared to hold during meal times. Only chef Mickey's, of the restaurants we went to, had a high chair designed for infants (reclined). You may be able to bring a stroller in to some restaurants (CS and ts) depending on crowd levels, but don't be surprised if you can't.

If you can, and if you are flying, buy the baby a seat and put them in their car seat on the flight. We planned our flights around dd's naptime (still do). As an infant, she generally fell asleep not long after take off, drinking her milk. (Have something for baby to suck on during take off and landing).

That's what I can think of off the top of my head that helped us when dd was 8 months. Hope you have a great trip!

 

[disnut8]

Just to note - Disney World has baby changing stations in ALL bathrooms. So males can participate as well

Other things - you are on vacation and while you might want to get great photos, if the baby spits up on her shirt, just wipe it off and keep going. In other words, don't bog yourself down with five different outfit changes so she looks her best. If you want perfect photos, take one extra shirt and put that on her for photos only. Or, take a thin blanket and drape that over her for photos and you can use it later if you think she might be cold.

 

[TJA]

We went to WDW a lot when our twins were babies!! Best of times, that's for sure. What worked for us:

> A comfortable stroller with reclining seat and canopy. Every afternoon, we'd give our babies their pacifiers and favorite stuffed animal, recline the seats, pull up the canopies, and they'd fall asleep almost immediately. All kids are different, of course, but mine were sufficiently tired enough each afternoon that they'd zonk right out.

> Try to stay at a monorail or Epcot resort. We learned the hard way that it's not overly fun to unload and fold the stroller for each and every bus ride.

> Baby carrier for waiting in ride lines and also to keep your baby attached to you while on the ride. We went on a LOT of rides like this, and it was so, so fun! My babies always fell asleep on Spaceship Earth. We had the bjorn carriers when they were really small, then the Ergo carriers as they got bigger.

> Use the Baby Care Centers in the parks. Both parents can go inside and there are changing tables, etc. It's a really nice break from the parks and it was a much more enjoyable experience than restrooms.

> I used to mail a box of supplies down to myself...things like the brand of diapers we wanted, wipes, A&D, formula, etc. You might not need to do this, things were probably exaggerated given that we had 2 babies to pack for.

> When baby falls asleep in the stroller, find a sit-down restaurant that will accommodate a stroller at your table and have an awesome adult meal!!

Out of our many trips to Disney, starting when our twins were 7 months old and then continuing every 6 months or so until this day when they are 12 yrs old -- I will always remember the "baby" trips the most because they were just so special . Enjoy every single minute!

 

[Paigesmom2013]

Don't breastfeed on Pirates of the Caribbean!! (Didn't know there was a dip, lol.) I suggest putting pants on over baby's onesie, even if it's hot. The babies have to sit on the seat and not your lap. Some rides, like Dumbo, get hot. I liked having the infant seat in the stroller because I was too hot to babywear in September. I was pleasantly surprised how many rides a baby can go on, especially at MK.