Disney with an infant. I know it's not uncommon just need some advice/tip from people with experience.

[MaC410]

Hey all, my wife and I have some expiring Southwest travel funds from a 2020 cancelled Disney trip that we need to use by September. Since that cancelled trip we have joyfully had our first child in October of 2021. We are finding ourselves having a really hard decision on what to do with these travel funds since we have tried several time to get the expiration date extended and Southwest will not budge. We are huge Disney World fans. Our type of "relaxing" vacation is a trip to Disney World and we basically have a paid for vacation to Disney World with the travel funds and tickets from our cancelled trip.

We do have grandparents telling us to take a trip as just the two of us and they will watch our son for a few days. However, even though he wouldn't remember anything that just feels wrong going to Disney World without him now that he is here. So that leaves us with a tough decision. It's at least tough for us because depending on when we would go our son would only be like 7 to 11 months old and we don't know if bringing him on a trip like that would be good for him. We think he would be fine on a plane for a couple of hours but we are mostly worried about going to an incredibly hot Florida in the summer with such a young kid.

So when it comes down to it I think I'm just looking for some advice/tips and stories from people who have brought a child under 1 to Disney World. I know nobody can and should tell me what we should do but I'd love to hear about experiences people have had. Having more info about anything would help us make our decision.

How did your young one do in the summer Florida heat? What did a typical day look like for you? How many days did you stay and did you think you could have stayed longer or should have stayed less days? How did you handle bottle feedings throughout the day? Any information would help! Thank you!

 

[sponica]

I've never been with a child that young, but I know people who have (my friend brought both her boys around 9 months, if I'm doing my math correctly). I think it really comes down to where kids are developmentally as to how much people enjoy the trip....which is hard to predict with a 5 month old. It's also a factor of what people are willing to give up, do you want to rider swap EVERY ride the baby can't go on, or do you treat it like a "we'll be back again" scenario.

I had an August 2020 baby and we toyed with a 2021 trip so I'll apply my decision making calculus to your scenario.

If you can schedule the trip as late as possible in the window the funds are good, I would do that. Then your son would be 11 months old, which is much different than 7 months old. By 11 months old, some kids are ready to transition to the more structured schedule of a 1 year old when it comes to eating/drinking and don't need as many bottle feedings. (both my kids had a mouth full of chompers by then).

If you are using formula, I'd just have either the premixed stuff OR the individual packets of formula delivered. By that age, they can drink water, so make sure he stays well hydrated (and if mom is still breastfeeding/pumping/etc, she needs to stay hydrated as well).

Pack diaper cream.

Schedule lunchtime ADRs to get yourself out of the worst part of the heat. (this is good advice even if you go without your son).

 

[Anna131517]

I’ve taken a child as young as 6 months old to WDW but never during the summer. We usually go in Jan or Feb. Do you have to go over the summer? Kids can get overheated easily. For me, worrying about that would be too stressful to enjoy the trip. I usually use a baby carrier while waiting in line with babies but you can’t do that in the heat - it just makes them hotter.

 

[stephk1981]

We started going when DD was 5 months old. Carriers were out because she got so incredibly hot , sweaty miserable etc. So stroller was better with a fan attached....but she would want put within an hour. We could only do early morning then back in the evening to walk into Epcot for maybe an hour....the heat of midday even in a stroller was too much for her. It was best for us to stick to her nap schedule at the resort, it made her much happier and less cranky. We also gave her bottles of water every now and then in addition to her bottles. We had very little actual park time.
The absolute hardest part about every trip with her, especially the first was the lack of sleep. We had a 1 bedroom villa. We tried putting her in a separate room, with the noise machine, blankets from home, rented a crib.....didn't work, tried the room with us, didn't work. She was up all night every night of the trip ( as in 20plus times up each night.) She is just not a great sleeper in an unfamiliar environment. It made the trip unenjoyable. I was exhausted, we were all cranky and irritated. We also have a DS who was 9 at the time....had it just been DD we would have waited until she was 18 months. Just our experience, good luck!

 

[Aimeedyan]

I live here, and we went frequently before DS even joined our family, so once he was born he just came along when we wanted to come. His first visit was at 3 weeks old. He was also a unicorn baby that slept through the night almost immediately, easily slept in hotels, great traveler, and loooooved being out and about watching the world.

We went on an extended family trip and my sister/brother in law left my 5 month old nephew at home with his parents and just took their 5 year old. He didn't believe in sleep, had colic, a terrible traveler, and hard to keep happy. They knew it would have been miserable for them all and it was the right choice for them. He's delightful now

Every baby is different!

On hot days, we use 2 fans on the stroller, prioritize air conditioning, hit the pool before the afternoon storm, and take lots of breaks. Before he became a toddler, we ate LOTS of table service restaurants and that helped a ton! We did baby led weaning so I didn't have to worry about any food other than bottles. We struggle in restaurants right now and I miss those breaks.

The baby carrier got stored away in the summer. It was TOO HOT for us both to be attached. I see lots of people carrying their babies in the parks all summer and we just couldn't do it. He was sweaty, I was sweaty, it was unpleasant.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Hey all, my wife and I have some expiring Southwest travel funds from a 2020 cancelled Disney trip that we need to use by September. Since that cancelled trip we have joyfully had our first child in October of 2021. We are finding ourselves having a really hard decision on what to do with these travel funds since we have tried several time to get the expiration date extended and Southwest will not budge. We are huge Disney World fans. Our type of "relaxing" vacation is a trip to Disney World and we basically have a paid for vacation to Disney World with the travel funds and tickets from our cancelled trip.

We do have grandparents telling us to take a trip as just the two of us and they will watch our son for a few days. However, even though he wouldn't remember anything that just feels wrong going to Disney World without him now that he is here. So that leaves us with a tough decision. It's at least tough for us because depending on when we would go our son would only be like 7 to 11 months old and we don't know if bringing him on a trip like that would be good for him. We think he would be fine on a plane for a couple of hours but we are mostly worried about going to an incredibly hot Florida in the summer with such a young kid.

So when it comes down to it I think I'm just looking for some advice/tips and stories from people who have brought a child under 1 to Disney World. I know nobody can and should tell me what we should do but I'd love to hear about experiences people have had. Having more info about anything would help us make our decision.

How did your young one do in the summer Florida heat? What did a typical day look like for you? How many days did you stay and did you think you could have stayed longer or should have stayed less days? How did you handle bottle feedings throughout the day? Any information would help! Thank you!

had a 4 month old in parks one August. could only go in summer thanks to birth mom of another grandchild. Little one did well but she was used to traveling with big sister to whatever sister was doing. lots of AC breaks and no carrier as it was too hot for both mom and baby. at least your will be old enough for highchairs where our little was too small. bottle feedings bring formula in powder form. mix in bottle with bottled water as needed. bring about 4 bottles on trip. pack a bottle brush and small dish soap and if room small folding drying rack. clean bottles each night in sink and dry on counter. if formula is not premeasured put number of scoops need in each bottle and add water when needed. if eating baby food warming is going to be harder than bottles as the can warm in parks other than baby care centers if possible there. so if possible have baby used to eating room temp and heated before trip. all of the things I can think of now

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

My daughter's first trip, she was 12 weeks old...just did 1 day at the MK, a character breakfast, and Disney Springs and resort time, plus rode the monorail and went to the rundisney kids races for my son, then a few wks shy of 3 years old. His first trip was when he was 11 months old. But both those trips were in January. My son loved the Dumbo playground, which is indoors, along with the Seas aquarium at Epcot. There's some other fun areas at the end of rides like Spaceship Earth and Mission Space at Epcot (that you don't have to ride the ride to play in the area). They are mostly screen-based games though. We only did 2 park days for his first trip- MK and Epcot. There is so much to see and do outside the parks. The kids still get excited about just riding the monorail, boat, or Skyliner, seeing the horses at Ft. Wilderness, and playing on resort playgrounds. We did I think all feedings at that age in the Baby Care Centers (and a lot of diaper changes there, too).

 

[Spunky946]

Our first trip the kids were 4 and 8 months. In a lot of ways that was our easist trip. The baby was the easiest baby. She was happy just being and hanging out in the stroller. We’d just stop to have a bottle or eat. She wasent crawling yet, so she was very happy.

 

[MommyMouse143]

Bring that baby! Unless you really want some mommy & daddy time. Baby will not know and will not feel like he is missing out. However, I think you will get a lot of joy from watching him take in all the sights and sounds! Plus, you may feel a little sad not being with him for those days, and may not be able to focus on enjoying yourselves. If its an option, consider inviting the grandparents along! We love to bring grandparents, it helps to have extra hands.

My son's first trip was at 7 months, and it was magical, then again at 13 months. My Daughter's first trip was at 4 months, and then went again at 11 months. All of these ages and stages were different and wonderful. There are plenty of quiet spots for baby to nap- peoplemover, carousel of progress, spaceship earth are a few of our favorites. We don't return to room for naps, we just find a quiet ride or a show or let baby nap in stroller. You can also utilize the baby care centers that are located in each park. They have rocking chairs, changing tables, backup supplies for purchase, etc...

Just keep in mind it will be a slower trip, you may not complete as much as you would without him, but I think the magic of watching the park through your child's eyes more than makes up for the slower pace. If you still want to do the *big* rides, you can do rider swap.

Agree with some previous posters, I don't like to baby wear in Disney- its too hot. Stroller with fan 100%, plus light muslin cover for shade. You can ask for a cup of ice at any quck service resturant- we do this and then put the ice in the baby's snack tray for them to play with. There are plenty of "Disney Mom/Dad" groups on facebook with lots of travel tips for Disney with Baby. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions/want more advice, I love to travel to Disney with babies.

 

[DLgal]

Go to Disneyland. It's much less "everything" than WDW in the summer. Less crowded. Less hot. Not humid. Less walking. Less riding transportation (in fact, you can just walk everywhere). More magic. Disneyland is better for infants than WDW. I started taking mine there at 2 months old and they grew up going to those parks a couple times every month. So easy, I was able to do it by myself most times.

Southwest flies to SNA. Easiest airport in the world to navigate.

 

[sponica]

Go to Disneyland. It's much less "everything" than WDW in the summer. Less crowded. Less hot. Not humid. Less walking. Less riding transportation (in fact, you can just walk everywhere). More magic. Disneyland is better for infants than WDW. I started taking mine there at 2 months old and they grew up going to those parks a couple times every month. So easy, I was able to do it by myself most times.

Southwest flies to SNA. Easiest airport in the world to navigate.

The problem with Disneyland (for me) is it's 3000 miles and 3 time zones. WDW is 1300 miles and the same time zone.

 

[DLgal]

The problem with Disneyland (for me) is it's 3000 miles and 3 time zones. WDW is 1300 miles and the same time zone.

That just means you'll be up early and ready for rope drop while everyone else is still in bed!

I get it. It's a long trip, but we flew to WDW from CA when our kids were toddlers. It was fine.

 

[Conniequeen]

We took a 3 month old and a 2 year old. Had two strollers. The stroller made into a flat buggy type bed. It was perfect for her. She loved everything! Easiest trip ever. She was a very easy baby, so that helped. We also had grandparents with us. She loved Winnie the Pooh! I say do it!

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

Another idea would be to treat this largely as a resort stay and not really go into the parks that much. Spend a lot of time at the pools. Maybe go out to dinner at Disney Springs or at various hotels. Take the pressure off yourselves and just enjoy being in the magic.

We took both kids at under a year. For DS I wore him most of the time (not summer) we rode kiddie rides like carousel, flying carpets, dumbo, and small world. He has absolutely no memory of it but he also doesn’t remember a time when he didn’t love Disney. I have no regrets

 

[annadreamsofdisneyworld]

I would not go until the child is able to get their 1 year vaccines and can walk. There is no where great for a baby to crawl/sit.

 

[salgatt]

I would say to for it with one caveat just remember you're at Disney. If your baby isn't sleeping through the night and you've been at the park all day that could get tedious. We've taken our kids a few times when they were younger too and it isn't much different than going to our local amusement park.

I would strongly suggest the mid day break to take them back for a nap and a break for mommy and daddy too.

 

[Mommamakingmagic]

We took our 4 month old and two year old because our in laws decided to take us on a big family trip and ours are the youngest of the cousins . We went in July the heat was miserable but we made it work . We brought stroller fans , ice packs/ teethers and a cooling mat (Amazon) and cooling towels. we put into the stroller to lay on . The baby stations are an amazing resource to get in some quite air conditioned feedings and rocking chairs . I also brought the sling to wear her in the lines for rides . She actually was able to ride a lot of rides with us and slept on a lot of the indoor rides . She loved it’s a small world If you do the parks . I would not do back to back park days definitely get some resort days in between. And make sure to get some indoor dining reservations for the sole purpose of AC breaks . We stayed the whole day at the parks but another good suggestion is go back to the hotel for a nap / swim/ bite to eat

 

[butterscotchcollins]

We took our 4 month old and two year old because our in laws decided to take us on a big family trip and ours are the youngest of the cousins . We went in July the heat was miserable but we made it work . We brought stroller fans , ice packs/ teethers and a cooling mat (Amazon) and cooling towels. we put into the stroller to lay on . The baby stations are an amazing resource to get in some quite air conditioned feedings and rocking chairs . I also brought the sling to wear her in the lines for rides . She actually was able to ride a lot of rides with us and slept on a lot of the indoor rides . She loved it’s a small world If you do the parks . I would not do back to back park days definitely get some resort days in between. And make sure to get some indoor dining reservations for the sole purpose of AC breaks . We stayed the whole day at the parks but another good suggestion is go back to the hotel for a nap / swim/ bite to eat

Question about the sling, did you find baby overheated, or it was OK? Did you babywear getting in/out of ride vehicles? Looking for tips for our Labor Day Weekend trip w our son who will be 5mos.

 

[Mommamakingmagic]

I definitely took her out of it to get some fresh air if I felt she was in it “too long” just to make sure she wasn’t overheating. The sling was more of a way just to get little breaks if your holding them for a while. I definitely wouldn’t suggest leaving in there too long. Overheating was my biggest fear the whole trip so I was extra careful and we took lots of indoor breaks …for both kids really because it was July in florida . I did wear her onto some rides but it was kind of a game time decision depending on how awake she was , how long the wait was or how easy it is to get on the ride. My husband was always there to help whether it was handing her off to him in the ride or to make sure we got on safely together.

 

[craedaisy12]

My son was born in Oct 2021 also! He was due the week we were supposed to go. But the only thing planned for the trip was my husband’s PTO. Hadn’t done any planning then found out we were pregnant.

We took him in March for a week to visit my brother. We did a day at Epcot so I could enjoy the flower and garden festival. He was 5 months during the trip.

The temps got to around 80 and I was warm. He stayed cool. Only had him in a thin onesie. A fan always on him. Kept him in shade at all times. He always felt cool compared to me haha. He is exclusively breastfeeding so I made sure I stayed hydrated and always watched the time for his feedings and offered it more at the hottest part of day.

He did wonderfully! He discovered how to stick out his tongue that week. It was so fun.

We had blankets rolled up next to him cause he could almost sit up himself. See picture. He used the cooler straps as a foot rest. The thin muslin blanket we would drape over the stroller if he needed more shade but made sure the fan still blew air in. It stayed so cool for him. I was jealous. Also the blankets helped if we ended up in AC and if he was too cold in there.

We are planning our big two week trip for Oct/nov. I feel more prepared for this trip now that we’ve done it.