Disney w/ a 9 mos old?!?! (and a 5yo)

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

DD's first trip to Disney was when she was just shy of 3 years old (and therefore free). We went again last year just before she turned 4. She's been asking since that trip when we're going again.

I take these trips in Feb (over my school's midwinter break) with my mom as my DH is in tax season hell. We've been telling DD (started DURING our trip last year, I was 27 weeks pregnant), that it'll be awhile before we go again since her little brother is too young.

I've been avoiding these boards since our trip last year knowing the minute I get on here I'll be jonesing to go again. So here I am....and now I want to go, LOL!

So how is Disney w/ a 9 mos old? DD still naps, so we know how to work that into our schedule. Also she's always used a stroller, so been there done that too.

Would you go? Would the 9 mos old cramp what DD can do too much?

 

[GAMC369]

There's not much a 3.5 year old can do that a baby can't. We are going with a 3.5 y/o and a 5 month old.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

She'll actually be 5. So there is more that she'll be able to do at 5 then she was doing at 3.5

 

[ashleyd725@hotmail.c]

We went in April when my son was 4 and daughter was 8 mos. We all had a ton of fun. There wasn't anything that we couldn't do together.
The DD was actually very happy and easy to take, we going again in two weeks and she is 16 mos now... I'm more worried about now because she is very mobile.
But have fun!
I dont think your son will cramp your daughters fun!

 

[RadioFanatic]

we went when my DS was 7 months. He was great then - in fact, he was much better then than he was this year at 19 months! I think you will be just fine as long as you remember nap times so they don't get overtired.

 

[rotlex]

We did two trips this year with our daughter who is 7, and our son, who at the times was 8 months, then 10 months, respectively. We had a BLAST! Our daughter rides everything, and I was amazed at how much we could actually do with our son at that age. He, and us, enjoyed a TON of stuff together, including just about any ride you can think of, outside of anything with a height requirement of course. MK was of course the most fun, and he enjoyed everything from pirates to the haunted mansion, to Dumbo, to well, you get the idea. We would do it again in a heart beat!

Also, be sure to take advantage of the rider swap stuff for rides the baby can't ride. It worked GREAT for us, and allowed our daughter to ride certain things twice, once with me, once with my wife, without much wait.

Even though he won't remember the trips, we have a LOT of fantastic memories from this past year. (Including 2400+ photo's between both trips, LOL). One of the coolest things though, regarding memories, is It's a Small World. We must have ridden it 10+ times between the two trips, and our son really seemed to enjoy the music. Well, I purchased the 4 Parks 1 World CD on our last trip, which includes the It's a Small World medley. He recognizes it instantly, along with a few other ride songs, every time we play it. I LOVE it!!!!

 

[kbheap]

I am with the others. I say go for it. Our last trip to the world my DD was 4 and DS just made 12 months. DS didn't cramp her style at all. Actually, she got a real kick out of seeing his reaction. She would talk to him about what was happening or going to happen. She would hold his hand before character experiences so HE wouldn't be scared. They both had a ball and totally loved the other one being there. Have fun!

 

[wmharley]

since you go with your mom, you can pitch the little one to her and do a ride with the older one.

Our son loved the rides like Small World and the playground at mickey's toontown.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

What are the rides a 5yo could do but not a baby?

Obviously last year there were things I couldn't do pregnant that my mom did w/ DD. (Goofy's rollercoaster).

 

[clairemolly]

We went last October with our 5 yo and a 10 mo. It was fine. We just let the little one fall asleep on her own in the stroller (she is NOT a nap on command type kid) and did the parent swap with my older daughter when needed. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Have fun!

 

[wmharley]

What are the rides a 5yo could do but not a baby?

Obviously last year there were things I couldn't do pregnant that my mom did w/ DD. (Goofy's rollercoaster).

well, depending on height and such... these are all things I'd do with a 5yo, but NOT a baby (granted, these are based on rides my DD5 is able to get on at 43")

MK:
Goofy Barnstormer
Teacups
Thundermountain
tomorrowland cars
Dumbo/Alladin
Stitch
Buzz'
Splash Mountain

Epcot:
Soaring
TestTrack (i think she's able to ride with me on this, haven't though)


DHS:
TSM
ST
ToT

and I'm not certain so much on rides in AK so I'd not post those..

the rides I WOULD absolutely get on with a 9Mo would be
Small World
PeterPan
Pooh
Carosel
Jungle Cruise

in addition to the shows and such.

 

[pixarmom]

Go to Disney!!! When ours were 5 and 6, they rode Big Thunder Mtn, Space Mtn., Splash Mtn., etc. And now they have a little brother, so we use fastpass with babyswap constantly and they get to ride twice in a row with no wait (once with me, once with my husband.) So for them, it doesn't cramp their fun - it increases their fun!! If your 5-year-old is interested in some of those rides (or any others with babyswap), she will love having a baby brother at Disney! Then, there are all of those slow moving rides that the previous poster mentioned that everyone can enjoy together! Seriously, the older boys love babyswap - when our youngest is old enough to ride more rides, I think they will want to borrow their baby cousin for Disney!

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

Well we found super cheap airfare AND we have a pin code. So we just might!!!

 

[Keri]

well, depending on height and such... these are all things I'd do with a 5yo, but NOT a baby (granted, these are based on rides my DD5 is able to get on at 43")

MK:
Goofy Barnstormer
Teacups
Thundermountain
tomorrowland cars
Dumbo/Alladin
Stitch
Buzz'
Splash Mountain

Epcot:
Soaring
TestTrack (i think she's able to ride with me on this, haven't though)


DHS:
TSM
ST
ToT

and I'm not certain so much on rides in AK so I'd not post those..

the rides I WOULD absolutely get on with a 9yo would be
Small World
PeterPan
Pooh
Carosel
Jungle Cruise

in addition to the shows and such.

I bolded the ones on the "I wouldn't" list I took my DD, then almost 8 mo, on last year. I kept her in the Ergo carrier & she LOVED it all.

My big kids were 4 and 5.5 last year. They aren't super brave kids by any stretch, but the only things they rode that she didn't were the speedway and HM (I took the girls to see Ariel while the boys went to that). My DH did Soarin' by himself (he tried to take DS, who chickened out, and I was supposed to go on after them alone, but instead, I got to take the girls on Livin' with the Land and then all 3 to the Circle of Life movie alone while he rode ) We chose not to do the safari, but if we had done it, I just would have kept Em in the Ergo so she was secure and not getting bounced too much.

Anyway, it was super easy & I think you should totally go!

 

[wmharley]

I bolded the ones on the "I wouldn't" list I took my DD, then almost 8 mo, on last year. I kept her in the Ergo carrier & she LOVED it all.

My big kids were 4 and 5.5 last year. They aren't super brave kids by any stretch, but the only things they rode that she didn't were the speedway and HM (I took the girls to see Ariel while the boys went to that). My DH did Soarin' by himself (he tried to take DS, who chickened out, and I was supposed to go on after them alone, but instead, I got to take the girls on Livin' with the Land and then all 3 to the Circle of Life movie alone while he rode ) We chose not to do the safari, but if we had done it, I just would have kept Em in the Ergo so she was secure and not getting bounced too much.

Anyway, it was super easy & I think you should totally go!

Our son was too big for a carrier, and though we used it, it was for short times. I posted based on holding him in my arms. He's to squirmy to sit still at that age.

Now if yours is in a carrier and isn't a jumping bean, then those are fine, as you pointed out.

 

[kohlby]

We used a sling and a stroller. The stroller was mainly for our 3.5 year old. But baby wouldn't sleep in the sling so the stroller layed flat for that. Slings can carry a baby up to 35lbs - or even more! (I *only* made it to 33 lbs with my first in the sling. My second was skinny so she was 23 lbs when I stopped slinging her).

My kids have been to Disney two times - at 2 months and 9 months for my daughter. And at barely 3 and 3.5 for my older son. 9 months was MUCH easier than 3! 9 months was a great time to go! For our next trip, our third child will be 11 months old. We planned it that way on purpose - we want to go before he gets too difficult! He's about 23lbs now at 9 months so I'll have no problems carrying him in the sling all day. We'll take the reclining stroller as well - figuring the middle child who will be almost 4 can use it if needed and baby can sleep lying down in it if needed.

*We didn't work naps into our schedule. The older child was more challenging and didn't nap so it was easier to go to the park and stay until around dinner time. She did nap less than normal the first couple days but caught up. Putting the sling over the stroller to block out the sights helped. My current baby isn't on any nap schedule at home. (My daughter had been but she adapted at Disney). So I'm not concerned. I keep my kids on their normal bedtimes while on vacation and it works quite well.

 

[Miss LD]

we went with our baby who was 13 months and our son who had just turned 5. It was fantastic.
He really really loved the baby swap/rider switch thing because he got to go on every ride twice.
I also found we slowed our pace becasue we had the baby with us. I don't think that's a bad time. We also went back to the hotel every day for the break/nap. Honestly, DS needed the quiet time (he watched cartoons quietly) as much as the baby did. And so did we.
Go for it!
Also, we started seeing toward the end of the trip how much he was including DD in stuff. When we went to character meals he would introduce his sister. It was pretty sweet.