Disney with a 9 month old?

[Skwinkles]

We're planning a January trip with our then 9 month old daughter. Dh and I have been many times but this will be the first with baby. We will also have my inlaws with us part of the time, but alone with a day or 2. Can anyone whose done this give me any practical advice? What were your days like? What kind of stroller did you bring? Did baby sleep in the stroller at the parks or did you go back to the hotel? Was baby afraid of the rides or of the characters?

Any tips would be appreciated!

 

[Tinkerbell2002]

This past May we took younger ds at 8 months old. We brought a double Maclaren side by side stroller since I have an older ds too. The stroller reclined and ds napped in the stroller. We took midday breaks to swim but in January it may be too chilly to be in the pool for you. In fact, he refused to sleep in the playpen at the hotel so he slept in the stroller at night too. DS loved the characters. He didn't mind the rides or shows. He liked seeing all the different sights.

Before the trip, I went back and forth about bringing a stroller or renting a stroller. We were staying onsite and I wasn't sure if I wanted to bother with a double stroller on the bus. I am so glad I brought my own stroller. DS would not sleep in the playpen (I even brought our own sheets) and I couldn't let him cry it out so I would put him in the stroller and take him for a walk around the resort at night and he would fall asleep in the stroller. Every night I just left him in the stroller. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't bring my own stoller. Overall it was a great experience and that age was pretty easy to travel with. Have a great trip.

 

[LilGMom]

We started taking our oldest when he was ten months old and our first trip with him was probably one of our best. Having him forced us to slow down and enjoy more of the hidden gems in the parks. We didn't use a stroller in the parks but instead used a backpack carrier and it was wonderful!!! It had a kickstand on it so that when we took it off for a show or a meal it doubled as a seat for him. We found out where the baby care centers were as soon as entering a park in case we needed them. We packed double the amount of supplies that we thought we'd needs for "just in case" accidents, followed his clues and didn't push it by trying to get too much done in any given day. Luckily our ds would catnap in the carrier and he slept in the pack-n-play in the resort. We were staying on property so we'd put ds in the stroller and have a nice quiet walk around the resort for all of us to wind down and he'd usually fall asleep. The first night we did have to put him in the car to drive him around because he was unfamiliar with his surroundings but luckily he got over that the next night.

Good luck and enjoy the experience!!

 

[tanyaandallie]

I took my ds at 7 mos. It was really easy!! We took a single stroller for my ds and my dd to share. My dd was 2.5 and used the stroller mostly, I carried ds in my mei tai. I think taking a baby carrier for an infant is the best idea. You can leave your baby in there while on rides. It's so easy and keeps your hands free. We didn't have any problems with my ds being scared. Your baby can ride all the rides without height restrictions which is really most rides.

 

[kmcford]

We jsut went with our daughter who was 9 months old. We had an absolutly wonderful time! She did fantastic. Here are my thign sI learned:

1. Bring some kind of carrier. We brought our Baby Bjorn and oh man was that a life saver. You ahve to park the strollers outside every ride and restaraunt and if you ahve to wait in line it can break your back.

2. Bring one of the stroller shield things for if it rains. We didn't have one and let me tell you a poncho just doesn't do the trick. We happened to go when we had rain for 8 of the 10 days we were there.

3. bring a lot of extra pairs of socks. If your babe is anything like ours she loves to take off her socks. Without fail I would look at her and she would be missing a sock. I think she had a fun game of throwing her socks as we walked along.

4. bring lots of snacks. Also I would try and save a bottle for anytime we were going to watch a show. She always liked to take that time to experiment with her vocal cords if not.

5. Also turn the baby so they are facing backwards in any of the 3-D movies. Disney loves to shoot you with water and that was the only thing the whole trip that made our baby scream bloody murder.

Good luck and have a great time. Listening to my baby squeal with delight everytime we saw a character was woth the whole trip. She grabbed a hold of Piglet and would not let go because she was so excited.

 

[Mom2T&G]

We went when my middle ds was 9mo and it was so easy! He slept in the stroller off and on the whole time, although we did go back to our hotel for our older ds to nap. At that age, he loved everything - he loved the rides and characters. We are going in 2wks and our youngest is 5mo. I'm hoping it will be just as easy. The only thing I'm doing different this time is bring my mei tai carrier.

Kelly

 

[peyjax]

We took our 10 month old in September. Having the curtain in the vanity area really helped out. We put him there and were able to shut the curtain and keep the lights low while he slept and we let our three year old play and we watched tv. If you are using the bus transportation, make sure you have a stroller that folds up easily. We took a maclaren double that folded up smaller than some of the strollers others brought for one child. It was obvious they were having a hard time. Our son loved the characters and they say at that age they usually do so take lots of pics! Have fun!

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

You've gotten some good advice here, I justed wanted to say don't worry too much. We took DD when she was 9 mos and I think it was the easiest trip with her ever. She wasn't afraid of the characters. We did the Crystal Palace meal and I think to her Pooh and friends seemed like big toys.

She was great about sleeping in her stroller so didn't get too tired. Just keep your DD cool, out of the direct sun and have lots to drink around. We took baby sunscreen too, don't want a baby with sunburn!

One one thing that I remember scaring my DS was the loudness of the fireworks shows, but he was about 3.

 

[TJA]

We're planning a January trip with our then 9 month old daughter. Dh and I have been many times but this will be the first with baby. We will also have my inlaws with us part of the time, but alone with a day or 2. Can anyone whose done this give me any practical advice? What were your days like? What kind of stroller did you bring? Did baby sleep in the stroller at the parks or did you go back to the hotel? Was baby afraid of the rides or of the characters?

Any tips would be appreciated!

We took our twins to Disney when they were 7 months old, then again at 13 months old, so I can comment from experience....good advice given above by others and I agree with the consensus that it is easy (for the most part) with babies in Disney. As long as you don't have to rush around chasing older kids, then you can take each day at the baby's pace. Our typical day began whenever the babies wanted to get going to a park. Our last during-the-night feeding was normally around 5:00ish and the babies would doze back off, so we would go back to sleep too. Then after next feeding, around 8:00ish, we'd shower and head to breakfast and a park. Our days were never the same.....a lot depended on when the babies dozed off. I can give some strong words of advice of things that worked very well for us:

1) Bring a very comfortable stroller from home, one that has a strong canopy and reclining comfy seat. You want the baby to be comfortable and happy in the stroller, so this was a very important detail for us.

2) Bring a baby carrier and store under your stroller each day/night. We liked Baby Bjorn when babies were under 20#. Then we used an Ergo when heavier than 20#. This will come in handy for standing in lines and going on rides and walking from ride to ride.

3) Our babies slept in the stroller on and off each day -- they cat napped. That is why we feel strongly about taking a comfortable stroller from home that the babies feel safe and happy in. We also took their favorite blankets and stuffed animals.

4) We did not go back to our resort for naps until the babies got older, maybe when they were around the 2ish age.

5) The babies were not afraid of characters or rides as babies. Around age 2 they became scared of everything. It lasted until slightly over age 3.

 

[rk5798]

This is all fantastic advise. My one thing I want to warn you of is if your baby is anything like ours, they may startle at some things on rides and shows. We are going in about a month and this will be our 3 year old DD's 3rd time(and she has been great every time) and the 1st time with our DS who will be 8 months. Our 8 month old startles very easily at loud sudden noises or lights so you might want to be aware of rides that might have those features. It is only something that I am aware of because I know his personality and only you really know your own baby. One ride that I can think of is at Epcot, Journey into Imagination has a part in the "scent" room that I know may freak my poor boy. I still haven't decided what to do about some basic rides like that because I also want to be able to enjoy it with our 3 yr. old. We may just wait and see what his mood is at the time. Overall, he is a very happy baby who loves to smile and laugh, but he is a little sensitive.

 

[kitsch4]

We took our son when he was 9 mos. The one thing I would highly recommend is getting an extra canopy for the stroller, since the ones on the strollers are not very big. We ordered one online called the Junior Sunshade by Protect-A-Bub. It really kept the sun off of him. Also, he just took naps in the stroller while we were in the parks, so I would recommend a stroller with a reclining seat. He didn't mind looking at the characters as long as they didn't get too close.

 

[Dannielle_1]

I took my son when he was nine months old and we had no problems. A few things we did:

1 - We made sure to let our son get down on the ground and crawl around and push the stroller. We'd find out of the way places for him to "roam." We wanted to make sure he wasn't confined to his stroller all day. We also let him play in some of the water play areas if it wasn't busy with lots of big kids. We were there in Sept, so it was still hot. Not sure what the temp is in Jan.

2 - We have a Mac Triumph and he was very comfortable in that. Napped off and on throughout the day. We didn't return to the room. Another great place for babies to nap is the WedWay People Mover/Tommorrowland Transit Authority (most times you can just stay on and go around and around). We spent a lot a time on this ride over the course of our vacation - but it was one of our favorites pre-kids, so that fact we had an excuse to stay on and do loops was great for us!

3 - I prepacked food for each day in separate ziploc bags. So for each day I had two snack size zip bags of premeasured dry cereal and two containers of baby food in a Ziplock bag. My son was eating one container & cereal per meal. I'd get a bowl or cup where ever we were eating and juice to mix with the cereal. In the morning before heading out I'd just grab one of the bags, throw in a spoon & bib and go. If you want you could pack a disposable baby spoon in each of those as well. I was nursing, so I don't have any formula suggestions if you are using formula. I had no problems nursing, there are lots of other threads on this topic.

4 - We were on the dining plan when we went and there were several sit down meals where my son had had enough by dessert so to speak, so one of us would take him out to roam and the other would get dessert to go and "pay the bill." Most places were very accomadating. Also, we would try to order apps and meals at the same time to move things along.

5 - Our son had no problems being scared of anything. He enjoyed just looking around and checking things out. We did avoid doing too many shows just because he was not into just sitting, just too squirmy and shows just don't keep a 9 months' interest. We did a few, some he was fine others he was going back and forth between everyone in our travel party.

6 - Our son was not a "carrier" baby. Hated them after 4 months. So we just carried him in lines and on rides. He'd just sit on our laps while riding. The main ride I was a little leary of is the Safari because it is so bumpy. I just made sure to sit in the center and held on tight. He was fine.

7 - In the security lines, we'd have nothing (but for son) in the stroller and one person would take son & stroller through the non-bag line and then the other would take the bags through the check. And we tried to pack light in the parks. I took two bags. A "diaper bag" that fit in the basket of the stroller. This had a change of clothes, my ziplock bag of food, spoon & bib, a sippy cup (for water and occasional juice), a receiving blanket (to cover up stoller while baby was napping), one cloth diaper - for potential clean ups, and extra diaper & wipes. My baggalini carried normal park stuff (camera, etc) plus 3 diapers, wipes, and changing pad. At meals I'd restock diapers if necessary from the diaper bag. I usually had one toy linked to the stroller for the day and that was all. My son was really not into playing with it anyway. To much to see.

Hope some of the suggestions help. Have a great time!!!

Oh - and take a hat!!!

 

[Dannielle_1]

I thought I'd share a few pics of my boy exploring Disney World.

Pooh's Playground Water Squirts

First ride on the Carousal

Meeting Eyeore at Pooh's Playgound (during Little Ones Extra Magic Hour)

Meeting Mr. Incredible at the Animation Studio


We wanted to make sure our son could explore and enjoy Disney World as much as a 9 month old possibly could!

 

[jfap]

I'm curious about what rides you would be able to take a 9 mo. old on in the Magic Kingdom?

 

[Dannielle_1]

I'm curious about what rides you would be able to take a 9 mo. old on in the Magic Kingdom?

Pretty much everything except:
-Space Mountain
-Big Thunder Mountain
-Splash Mountain
-Goofy's Barnstormer
-Stitch Encounter - not sure of exact name

Not sure about Tommorrow Land Speedway

My son went on Pirates of the Caribbean, Tom Swayer Rafts, Liberty Boat, Haunted Mansion, Small World, Pooh, Peter Pan, the Carousal, Buzz Lightyear, TTA, Train, Swiss Family Treehouse, Jungle Cruise, and there were lots we skipped intentionally including Snow White and the "Spinners" (not our thing, the spinners, Dumbo, Tea Cups, etc.). He also enjoyed exploring the play areas we just had to watch out for the "big kids."

 

[t-beri]

But when you can't take the babe there's always the kidswap. It kinda sucks to go on a ride by yourself, but if you really wanna go on something the option is there. It's kinda cool for us cause they always let our DS9 go on the ride w/ both parents so he rides everything twice

 

[Terapin]

Thanks for all the great advice!

 

[mommylicious]

We took our youngest earlier this year at 3.5 months (the trip was not "about" him but rather our bigger boys however baby did have a great time!). I can tell you a couple of things that I did that made life with baby a little easier. Some things were more "tiny baby" specific but these would apply at any baby age. I plan to do the same things when we go next month with a 14 month old.

1. I second taking a stroller that baby is familiar with and comfortable in even if it is not as compact as other options. If baby is comfy and feels secure, he or she will be happier and happy baby is a good thing. Trying to use an umbrella stroller, especially one with only a partial recline, if baby isn't used to it and you don't know if it will work for naps may be good for convenience but at least IMHO, it's more important to go with something baby will be comfy in. If baby is comfy in the umbrella stroller, go for it! None of mine were untill they were at least 18 months. DS13mo is happy as can be in his full size stroller and loves that I can flip the handle so he can ride facing me when he gets tired and fussy. I bought a reclining umbrella (reclines close to flat but not all the way) and he is not nearly as happy. No flat recline, less "cushy", can't face Mommy and no bumper bar to hang on to while you are riding around. We will bring the full size stroller for him to make sure he is happy.
   
2. I used a stroller saddle bag similar to this one. We attached it to the side of the stroller and made sure to "pull up" to the side of the security table that the saddle bag was on. They never asked us to remove it from the stroller. I used this to store stuff that didn't need to come with me on each ride. Extra baby supplies, change of clothes, snacks, rain shield etc. I then had a camera bag that I put an extra diaper pack (see next note) and little things in. We took that bag with us any time we parked the stroller. The saddle bag let us reduce what we carried around all the time but still kept it very handy.
   
3. I made "diaper packs" for baby. What I did was take a gallon size freezer bag and pack it with everything I would need for one diaper change. In it I put a disposable change pad, a diaper and a ziploc bag with 5 or 6 wipes. That way when it was time to change I just had to grab that bag and take only that into the bathroom. If the diaper was stinky I could put it in one of the ziploc bags before I tossed it. If I didn't need the wipes, I just brought that bag back out with me and packed in a new diaper pack back at the resort. I made sure I had at least 4 diaper packs with us each time we would leave the resort. I did the same thing with a change of clothes, I packed new clothes, a diaper, change pad, an empty bag and lots of wipes in a gallon sized bag. That way I had a bag to put a stinky diaper in if need be and a bag to keep the dirty clothes in.
   
4. I also second bringing a baby carrier. I brought a Mei Tai for DS in February but I just bought a Patapum for this upcoming trip mainly b/c DH refuses to use the Mei Tai (even though the reverse side is just khaki so it's not feminine looking. He won't use one that ties on, even just around our house. He loves our backpack carrier but that won't work well for us with on and off rides a lot. DS is a good stroller napper so I need something more compact. Having the Patapum means I can share baby carrying responsibility which is nice given that he is 27 lbs now!