Disney with a 4 month old baby - opinions please...

[brockash]

Thanks! Can you send a ling to these slings please? I don't think we have them in the UK and I'm keen to know a bit more about them.Thanks again for all the info!

Here's a pic I found online.

 

[FredtheDuck]

We haven't done Disney with our DD yet (she'll be about 18 months when we go later this year), but we've traveled extensively with her. Had the opportunity to do WDW come up when she was younger, we definitely would have gone... she was easier to travel with at six months than she is now, for sure.
A few tips: Make sure you try whatever travel crib you're thinking of using. My DD HATED PnPs (unfortunately for me) and wouldn't sleep in them. Cried and cried. We eventually bought a Bjorn travel crib and it has to go everywhere with us when we travel (since most hotels, including DIS, use PnPs). So... just try out the PnP before you go to make sure DC is ok in it.
I didn't ALWAYS sterilize everything between uses... Good wash in hot soapy water was just fine for us. I travel (still) with an OXO Tot On-the-Go portable drying rack and bottle brush, and a small thing of dish soap. Washed stuff (well) in the bathroom sink and left it to dry on the vanity or desk, always worked out just fine. Those Medela sani bags are also fabulous.
I agree with others that say don't worry too much about clothes-they're so small at that age that you should be able to pack plenty for them. We brought zip-top freezer bags to store the gross ones until we got home (would rinse stuff in the sink and let air dry if we needed to damage control before bagging).
Travel at that age can be easy if your kid is exclusively breast fed and nurses well. I tended to alternate between pumping and nursing, based on my schedule. I always kept at least two completely sets of pump parts, that way if one was dirty and I hadn't had a chance to wash yet, I still had another set I could use. If you're going the pump route, invest in a GOOD storage bag and ice. I had to throw away milk that I thought might be borderline on temp control more than once.
My kid would never have put up with being in a carrier/sling all day at that age. She got too hot and too squirmy. But, each kid is different. Make sure you're both used to it (for LONG periods of wearing, too).
Don't forget the child care facilities in the parks.

 

[FredtheDuck]

Thanks for the advice and tips! Our room won't have a microwave so I assume cold water sterilising will be our only option. I would ideally like to breast feed but can't assume that I will be able to or that she will be happy with that option As for clothes, my main issue is letting the dirty ones build up and then them smelling of baby sick etc.. I guess they're not all going to get that dirty but you never know right!

Does your room have a coffee maker? If I stayed in a place where I couldn't get hot enough water to wash, I'd use the coffee maker to make super hot water that I could add to a plugged up sink.

 

[act1980]

For meals - we used a Boba carrier, and if she was awake, we would take turns holding her in our laps while we ate. otherwise, one of us would put her in the carrier and stand up and rock until she fell asleep, and then sit down and eat. We'd alrternate nights whose turn it was to have the sleeping baby. It was actually really easy, because we could stay out later since she had already gone to sleep "for the night" and we even took DD1 to fireworks! DD2 slept through Wishes and Star Wars fireworks with Baby Banz headhpones (ear protection). I actually highly suggest getting those, too, as they will muffle sounds while baby is sleeping.

Most rides except Toy Story Midway Mania required us to take the baby out of the carrier. But really there's nothing that goes so fast or so hard that it would really matter to have her in the carrier anyway.

I know it sounds overwhelming right now, but by the time your baby is 4mo old you'll either be a breast feeding pro or you'll be a bottle feeding pro, either way, it won't be too hard to manage. Really!

Thanks for the tips on the headphones, and the encouraging words

 

[act1980]

We haven't done Disney with our DD yet (she'll be about 18 months when we go later this year), but we've traveled extensively with her. Had the opportunity to do WDW come up when she was younger, we definitely would haven't gone... she was easier to travel wiht at six months than she is now, for sure.
A few tips: Make sure you try whatever travel crib you're thinking of using. My DD HATED PnPs (unfortunately for me) and wouldn't sleep in them. Cried and cried. We eventually bought a Bjorn travel crib and it has to go everywhere with us when we travel (since most hotels, including DIS, use PnPs). So... just try out the PnP before you go to make sure DC is ok in it.
I didn't ALWAYS sterilize everything between uses... Good wash in hot soapy water was just fine for us. I travel (still) with an OXO Tot On-the-Go portable drying rack and bottle brush, and a small thing of dish soap. Washed stuff (well) in the bathroom sink and left it to dry on the vanity or desk, always worked out just fine. Those Medela sani bags are also fabulous.
I agree with others that say don't worry too much about clothes-they're so small at that age that you should be able to pack plenty for them. We brought zip-top freezer bags to store the gross ones until we got home (would rinse stuff in the sink and let air dry if we needed to damage control before bagging).
Travel at that age can be easy if your kid is exclusively breast fed and nurses well. I tended to alternate between pumping and nursing, based on my schedule. I always kept at least two completely sets of pump parts, that way if one was dirty and I hadn't had a chance to wash yet, I still had another set I could use. If you're going the pump route, invest in a GOOD storage bag and ice. I had to throw away milk that I thought might be borderline on temp control more than once.
My kid would never have put up with being in a carrier/sling all day at that age. She got too hot and too squirmy. But, each kid is different. Make sure you're both used to it (for LONG periods of wearing, too).
Don't forget the child care facilities in the parks.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[jeff_h]

Just found a spot on the shade to park the carriage and he slept happily. At 4 months LO probably won't like going in the water yet so wet just took turns watching him.

Another tip related to this is to watch out for too much sun on the baby, which of course seems like common sense but I guess some people forget or lose track of time or whatever. The "park in the shade" comment above just reminded me.

Seems like every visit we're walking around and seeing all the cute babies in the strollers but see one here or there that has gotten too much sun, and if a passer-by can see some sunburn starting during the day I bet the baby (or parents) surely won't be happy later that evening.

 

[act1980]

Another tip related to this is to watch out for too much sun on the baby, which of course seems like common sense but I guess some people forget or lose track of time or whatever. The "park in the shade" comment above just reminded me.

Seems like every visit we're walking around and seeing all the cute babies in the strollers but see one here or there that has gotten too much sun, and if a passer-by can see some sunburn starting during the day I bet the baby (or parents) surely won't be happy later that evening.

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

What did you do with the baby at dinner if strollers can't be taken in and slings cannot be used due to heat? I assume they just have to sit on your lap if they aren't able to sit up on their own at that point?

Thanks for the tips!

our 4 month old never slept at meal time so no stroller. granted we were a big group and just pasted her around. very very few baby, under sitting up, highchairs found at Disney. but that would be easier than her stage now that she can sit up and reach everything on table. would be hard to move things out of her reach esp with small tables

 

[act1980]

our 4 month old never slept at meal time so no stroller. granted we were a big group and just pasted her around. very very few baby, under sitting up, highchairs found at Disney. but that would be easier than her stage now that she can sit up and reach everything on table. would be hard to move things out of her reach esp with small tables

How did you find staying out late and not keeping to her schedule? Did she do ok? I'm hoping that my LO will adapt but you never know what you're going to get

 

[Betty Rohrer]

How did you find staying out late and not keeping to her schedule? Did she do ok? I'm hoping that my LO will adapt but you never know what you're going to get

in that it was the older that had more trouble than the baby but baby loves being around people. change her, feed her and give her people to look at and you have one happy baby if she is in the middle of it. still that way at 10 months. a second child has to go with the flow more than a first.

 

[act1980]

in that it was the older that had more trouble than the baby but baby loves being around people. change her, feed her and give her people to look at and you have one happy baby if she is in the middle of it. still that way at 10 months. a second child has to go with the flow more than a first.

Ah ok! Great that she's not afraid of all the noise and chaos, I hope ours is like that!

 

[prettyprincess624]

We went last April when our youngest was 4 months old. We also have a 9 and 5 year old so she was pretty used to being on the go.

We stayed at pop century and it was so easy! She loved the ergo carrier and spent most of the time hanging out or sleeping in there. I was able to keep her in it during rides. She was breastfed, which I also would do in the carrier or pretty much anywhere without anyone noticing. We held her while we ate, except for chef Mickey's. We brought a ton of extra clothes and if there were any messes we would just wash in the sink and hang. She also slept in bed with us.

My 5 year old spent more time in the stroller than the baby! One of the easiest trips! Have fun and congrats!

 

[linkelly]

You should totally go! I brought my first at 4 months old in the heat of August 2014. She was so easy except for the spit up, which Disney is great about! I did use my baby jogger stroller (that lies flat and has great shade) and a baby bjorn to walk around. I did stay in a regular hotel room at the Beach Club and found it super easy. I did bring along with me a box of sandwich bags (which I would fill with ice) for the cooler on my stroller and my bottle brush and dish soap that I would wash out in the sink.

Other tips:
Make sure you have a balcony/patio (to escape for nap time/night time) to relax outside --- I did (and still do) bring a cheap video monitor for peace of mind when I'm sitting on balcony and kid is sleeping in room.

At dinner, I always checked in and asked if we could have a table that could hold the stroller. She was often sleeping during these meals and I didn't want to disrupt her. Every restaurant accommodated this request.

Just relax and enjoy the trip! Disney is a great place for infants and everyone will try to help you!

 

[MichaelWill&Megan'sMom]

A long time ago (our youngest is now almost 10), when we first came with three kids to Disney we had a baby. In fact, our oldest had just turned 5 and we had three kids who wouldn't be able to walk all day or at all there. We opted for a double stroller and a backpack. If you can swig a baby backpack - it is the way to go! Ours had a kick stand, so we could take it off and stand it up on the ground next to us in a line, while eating outside, etc.

 

[act1980]

We went last April when our youngest was 4 months old. We also have a 9 and 5 year old so she was pretty used to being on the go.

We stayed at pop century and it was so easy! She loved the ergo carrier and spent most of the time hanging out or sleeping in there. I was able to keep her in it during rides. She was breastfed, which I also would do in the carrier or pretty much anywhere without anyone noticing. We held her while we ate, except for chef Mickey's. We brought a ton of extra clothes and if there were any messes we would just wash in the sink and hang. She also slept in bed with us.

My 5 year old spent more time in the stroller than the baby! One of the easiest trips! Have fun and congrats!

She sounds like a dream! I'm hoping to breast feed to make life easier for both of us! Did you find that she fed more due to the heat? Good to know about the stroller situation, thanks!

 

[act1980]

You should totally go! I brought my first at 4 months old in the heat of August 2014. She was so easy except for the spit up, which Disney is great about! I did use my baby jogger stroller (that lies flat and has great shade) and a baby bjorn to walk around. I did stay in a regular hotel room at the Beach Club and found it super easy. I did bring along with me a box of sandwich bags (which I would fill with ice) for the cooler on my stroller and my bottle brush and dish soap that I would wash out in the sink.

Other tips:
Make sure you have a balcony/patio (to escape for nap time/night time) to relax outside --- I did (and still do) bring a cheap video monitor for peace of mind when I'm sitting on balcony and kid is sleeping in room.

At dinner, I always checked in and asked if we could have a table that could hold the stroller. She was often sleeping during these meals and I didn't want to disrupt her. Every restaurant accommodated this request.

Just relax and enjoy the trip! Disney is a great place for infants and everyone will try to help you!

Thanks for the encouragement!

We have bought a Baby Jogger too, my sister has one and I just find them brilliant! Thanks for the tips!

 

[DisneyLove2015]

Disney definitely allows baby carriers on rides. We took DD at 3.5 months and she rode almost everything in our Tula baby carrier. Just make sure the lap bar doesn't squish them in the carrier. They can't be OVER the bar.

We went in May '15 whenDD was 3.5 months and had no problems what so ever. Take a small bottle of blue Dawn with you and you can hand wash clothes in the sink/bath as needed and line dry. We used the sink to wash bottles nightly.

With 11 days you can definitely take things slower and enjoy the time.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Ah ok! Great that she's not afraid of all the noise and chaos, I hope ours is like that!

for her the more chaos the happier she is as long as she in the middle of it

 

[act1980]

View attachment 224929 Disney definitely allows baby carriers on rides. We took DD at 3.5 months and she rode almost everything in our Tula baby carrier. Just make sure the lap bar doesn't squish them in the carrier. They can't be OVER the bar.

We went in May '15 whenDD was 3.5 months and had no problems what so ever. Take a small bottle of blue Dawn with you and you can hand wash clothes in the sink/bath as needed and line dry. We used the sink to wash bottles nightly.

With 11 days you can definitely take things slower and enjoy the time.

View attachment 224929 Disney definitely allows baby carriers on rides. We took DD at 3.5 months and she rode almost everything in our Tula baby carrier. Just make sure the lap bar doesn't squish them in the carrier. They can't be OVER the bar.

We went in May '15 whenDD was 3.5 months and had no problems what so ever. Take a small bottle of blue Dawn with you and you can hand wash clothes in the sink/bath as needed and line dry. We used the sink to wash bottles nightly.

With 11 days you can definitely take things slower and enjoy the time.

Great thank you!

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

View attachment 224929 Disney definitely allows baby carriers on rides. We took DD at 3.5 months and she rode almost everything in our Tula baby carrier. Just make sure the lap bar doesn't squish them in the carrier. They can't be OVER the bar.

That might be the issue. DW and I are both very tall. I don't think it was possible for DS not to be over the bar.