Disney with an Infant

[chloelovesdisney]

We took ds at 5mo and had a BLAST, but like Pigletgirl there is no way I would have done it at 2mo due to my nether region taking a while to heal and also because I ended up with mastistis while nursing around 1mo. It took some time following that episode to get my supply back and had to pump a lot, etc.. You can't plan for all that can go on afterward.

The other difference is the baby will have a vastly different experience imo if you wait a little longer. Taking a 2mo is all for the parents but a 6mo will actually enjoy it.

My absolute favorite carrier for all ages is my Baby Hawke Mei Tei, my favorite structured carrier is the Boba.

 

[star72232]

My biggest concern with the ergo (yes, I'm still obsessively researching baby-wearing options...don't worry...I've taken breaks though) is that with the infant insert the baby will get too hot! Anyone used the insert while walking around the parks?

I run our local BW group.

The Ergo with insert will be HOT. The Ergo Sport is the smallest and lightest of the Ergos and it will fit an average sized 2 month old without the insert. Makes it less than ideal for toddlers, but it's a good option for small babies.

A ring sling is a great, cool option, but does place all the weight on one shoulder. I can do that for hours with a small baby, but you might not be able to. A mei tai like a BabyHawk will be quite light and can be used at 2 months in a front carry. I always suggest extra long straps with BH, since their standard length are fairly short. There are lots of other great MT, but BH are really common and there's a good chance you can get one for $50 or less used.

 

[lazer]

I run our local BW group. The Ergo with insert will be HOT.

It will be okay on October, you won't be too hot. I have done it with an Ergo and was comfortable and fine the entire ten day trip. But, that was just my experience. Also, my son has issues in the sun and heat and was ok in the ergo. Obviously it wasn't a 10 hour park day, but he didn't overheat.

 

[SweetMissy]

Taking our little one was easy. He was 4 months old for his 1st trip and it was great! I'm also a baby wearer, so that made things easier, also breastfeeding of course made it easier but doing both at the same time was even better, lol. Saved time from having to stop and feed, lol. I used a beco gemini...I miss wearing him. Good luck planning!

 

[Gracie09]

At that age my dd would only sleep in a moby (while I wore her she slept in her crib other times). I tried different carriers and slings but she was stubborn (still is). I loved the moby. It was light and once you got use to tying it was easy.

 

[AmyBWV99]

4 kids here DVC owners we've taken them as babies as little as 2.5 weeks old. Moby for them before 4-5 months works best. Ergo after I've found easiest. Bjorns are miserable for everyone. Go at a relaxed pace you will all enjoy the trip. Take advantage of the baby centers they are nicer for diaper changes than the stainless trays in the bathrooms. Wear the baby when you're heating up use the stroller get a stroller fan and a SPF shade like the skip hop stroller shade.

4 c sections never had issues with the walking.

 

[MandiC]

I loved my Boba baby carrier, though I think I actually prefered my Moby/wrap carrier until closer to 3 months old. I've had 4 babies and I would much prefer traveling with them before 6 months old than at 1-2 years old. Babies are very portable and like someone else said they sleep when they are tired, especially if you are holding them/they are in a carrier. Breastfeeding will make the trip SO much easier as you won't have to worry about bottles/water/formula there or for your flight. I would bring a stroller with car seat that clips into it. Plus the baby carrier(s).

 

[MatoMany]

I love my Ergo but Im a bit of a rebel, Ive never used an infant insert. It just wasn't really necessary (man Im going to get flamed for saying this!) I just used a rolled up receiving blanket on each side. My kiddos are both as normal as one would expect from children

My oldest when to Disneyland at 2 1/2 weeks old. We didn't do much though, I had a mani/pedi (gift from my Dad) and we did a bit of walking but not much. She went back at 16 mo and went to Disney World around the same time. My 2nd daughter's first trip was at 11 mo. My son went first at 2 mo.. Personally, the younger ones were REALLY hard on me. I have quick deliveries but really hard recoveries so 2 months PP I was still barely walking properly. I forced myself to walk but it hurt and I couldn't move very quickly. I wouldn't have taken my son if it wasn't for the fact that we were moving internationally and my husband was deploying right after so it was our last time together before he left. The trip probably wouldn't have been that bad if it hadn't been for the move before hand (and having to deal with my inlaws )

Suggestions:
Make sure to drink plenty, plenty of water. Especially if you are nursing. Remember that your body is still healing.
Don't overdo it. If you feel like you need to stop STOP before you overtire yourself.
I honestly have never used a stroller for a child under a year old. Ive always worn the baby. If I was just taking a 2mo Id probably leave the stroller at home and take turns wearing the baby.
You don't need to bring the world into the parks with you. I see people with these HUGE diaper bags and wonder why . I have 4 children, including one in diapers. I bring a small bag with some diapers, wipes and a clean outfit. Thats it. No reason to bring everything and its cousin with you.
This one some probably won't agree with but get an autograph book and take her around to see the characters. I have a book for my daughter with pictures of her at 2 1/2 weeks with all sorts of characters. Its so cute to look back on it and at 7 she is really interested to look at the book and have me tell her stories of when she was a baby. No she didn't care about it as an infant but its great for her now.
Make use of the baby centers.. They are great even for just stepping in and cooling off a bit if you get overheated or tired. One of my SILs bottlefed her child and would go in to feed him his bottle and give him a chance to cool off before carrying on with their day. Since I nursed I made use of the nursing rooms to cool off and drink some cold water. Straw cups aren't allowed (so nothing like a soda from the CS places) but water bottles are.
Clear it with your OB before you go, especially if you have any sort of issues with delivery.
A tip a friend shared, don't do your baby's vaccinations the day before you go on vacation. Crabby babies are never good to take on a trip.
Make sure you look up a number of a ped/urgent care clinic that takes your insurance before you get to Orlando. Sounds bad but if you do end up needing to take your child to see a doctor its good to know where to go ahead of time. Likelihood is you won't need this information but its always good to have on hand.
These are some of the tips. Mostly if you want to go make sure you put yourself and your baby first. Don't overdo it. If you husband wants to continue on don't push yourself just tell him you will met up with him later and go rest.

 

[daisygirl902]

Thanks so much everyone, so helpful!

 

[4xmom]

We have taken all four of ours as infants. Character interactions with a baby are a must. You will love them, but as they grow, they will love them too. And you never know when you may have rare character pictures later on. I have pictures of our first at 5 months with Cruella and Capt Hook "fighting" over him.

 

[triana00]

We just got back yesterday with our four month old. It was perfect (we went with our 3.5 yo DD). Baby was easy. I wore him in our Kinderpack (million times more awesome than our Ergo) and we had an awesome week. He rode tons of rides and met lots of characters with his big sister and even got a kiss from Snow White!

We stopped at the the baby care center at the MK on our last night. Meh, I definitely wouldnt go out if my way for it

Use the rider swap for rides with a height requirement!!

 

[laughinplace199]

Knowing what I know now, I would wait. When DD was that age, I wasn't ready to take on something like Disney. Just know your trip will totally revolve around the baby and be ready to change plans at a moments notice. My DD also HATED the carrier (tried out a few and she hated them all, fyi) so we would of been stuck with a car seat.

Any chance you could wait a few more months?

I agree. We brought our youngest at 5 months, but I don't think I could have done it at 2 months. He was 10 days late and an emergency C-section. There's no way I would have felt up to doing WDW that soon. You just don't know how you're going to feel until the birth actually happens.

Also, flu season can begin as early as October, so that might be a concern.

OP, can you get travel insurance or refundable plane tickets so that you could postpone your trip if you need to? That way, if everything goes smoothly, on time, and you're feeling good, you could go as planned but if not, you could change your dates.

 

[Miumiu4me]

We took our daughter when she was 3 months old. But 1)we are local 2) we have annual passes 3) it was a day trip. We've taken her back almost weekly since she she does fine. But until she could wear sunscreen we went later in the day. The sun is awful.

Bringing a stroller into the parks for a kid that age is a pain in the butt (you have to fold it up to get on the buses). This is hardest at Magic Kingdom , which is always a nightmare to get into. If you're staying at a monorail resort that makes things easier.

There are a lot of things you're allowed to take the baby on - some of which I wouldn't though (Toy Story Mania and the safari come to mind).

 

[AmyBWV99]

I agree I would take a small baby on TSM or safari they are too whippey. I didn't take my really tiny guys on PoTC or Norway boat rides either due to the drops.

 

[Miumiu4me]

I agree I would take a small baby on TSM or safari they are too whippey. I didn't take my really tiny guys on PoTC or Norway boat rides either due to the drops.

I haven't taken my daughter on either, but we might try Maelstorm when she starts walking.

I did take her on the safari last month but I kept her in her carrier, strapped to me - and we didn't sit on the end. At two months the baby won't have good enough head control for the safari.

 

[cruisingtwins]

My favorite carrier for little babies is the beco gemini with the sides snapped in and the baby in froggie legs position. I find the ergo way too hot with or without the insert.

 

[triana00]

We did TSMM and the safari with him in the kinder pack. He slept through both

POTC-- he nursed the whole time, every time we rode

 

[JillyBean1899]

No babies here, but I did see that you asked about the flight itself, and remembered a story I saw a few months ago that is something you might like.

A family was flying with their very young twins, and knew they'd probably cry during the flight. They made up some bags before the flight that had disposable ear plugs, hard candy/gum, and a note "from" the babies explaining "this is our first trip, we will try to be good but if not, please understand!" It was really cute, and they said it was well received by the people seated around them on the plane. It doesn't guarantee that your baby will be cry-free the whole flight, but at least the people around you know that you're trying.

Other than that, I'd definitely suggest travel insurance (if it would cover that) and/or refundable tickets just in case. Take your time, don't stress yourself, drink plenty of water and rest when needed. And above all, have fun!

 

[MatoMany]

Ive done safari and PoTC with a young one, didn't have an issue with it. Haven't been on TSMM but I haven't been on that ride at all so theres a reason

 

[daisygirl902]

Suggestions:
Make sure to drink plenty, plenty of water. Especially if you are nursing. Remember that your body is still healing.
Don't overdo it. If you feel like you need to stop STOP before you overtire yourself.
I honestly have never used a stroller for a child under a year old. Ive always worn the baby. If I was just taking a 2mo Id probably leave the stroller at home and take turns wearing the baby.
You don't need to bring the world into the parks with you. I see people with these HUGE diaper bags and wonder why . I have 4 children, including one in diapers. I bring a small bag with some diapers, wipes and a clean outfit. Thats it. No reason to bring everything and its cousin with you.
This one some probably won't agree with but get an autograph book and take her around to see the characters. I have a book for my daughter with pictures of her at 2 1/2 weeks with all sorts of characters. Its so cute to look back on it and at 7 she is really interested to look at the book and have me tell her stories of when she was a baby. No she didn't care about it as an infant but its great for her now.
Make use of the baby centers.. They are great even for just stepping in and cooling off a bit if you get overheated or tired. One of my SILs bottlefed her child and would go in to feed him his bottle and give him a chance to cool off before carrying on with their day. Since I nursed I made use of the nursing rooms to cool off and drink some cold water. Straw cups aren't allowed (so nothing like a soda from the CS places) but water bottles are.
Clear it with your OB before you go, especially if you have any sort of issues with delivery.
A tip a friend shared, don't do your baby's vaccinations the day before you go on vacation. Crabby babies are never good to take on a trip.
Make sure you look up a number of a ped/urgent care clinic that takes your insurance before you get to Orlando. Sounds bad but if you do end up needing to take your child to see a doctor its good to know where to go ahead of time. Likelihood is you won't need this information but its always good to have on hand.
These are some of the tips. Mostly if you want to go make sure you put yourself and your baby first. Don't overdo it. If you husband wants to continue on don't push yourself just tell him you will met up with him later and go rest.

Thanks so much for this huge list! Really great points here for sure!

We have taken all four of ours as infants. Character interactions with a baby are a must. You will love them, but as they grow, they will love them too. And you never know when you may have rare character pictures later on. I have pictures of our first at 5 months with Cruella and Capt Hook "fighting" over him.

That sounds adorable. Are any of the face characters allowed to hold babies? I assume not due to the risk of them getting spit up on, but wasn't sure...

We just got back yesterday with our four month old. It was perfect (we went with our 3.5 yo DD). Baby was easy. I wore him in our Kinderpack (million times more awesome than our Ergo) and we had an awesome week. He rode tons of rides and met lots of characters with his big sister and even got a kiss from Snow White!

We stopped at the the baby care center at the MK on our last night. Meh, I definitely wouldnt go out if my way for it

Use the rider swap for rides with a height requirement!!

Yeah, I don't think I'd ever seek out the baby centers...not to say I won't make use if I'm around one, but I've changed my sister's children in cramped washrooms before, and do not plan to hide out to feed necessarily...so don't think it'd be a necessity for me. That being said, I'm glad they're there for people who want them!

My favorite carrier for little babies is the beco gemini with the sides snapped in and the baby in froggie legs position. I find the ergo way too hot with or without the insert.

I LOVE the fact that the Beco Gemini comes in a camouflage variety! The only problem is it only ships within the US. I like it so much, I may actually get it shipped to a friend of mine in the US to ship to me!

No babies here, but I did see that you asked about the flight itself, and remembered a story I saw a few months ago that is something you might like.

A family was flying with their very young twins, and knew they'd probably cry during the flight. They made up some bags before the flight that had disposable ear plugs, hard candy/gum, and a note "from" the babies explaining "this is our first trip, we will try to be good but if not, please understand!" It was really cute, and they said it was well received by the people seated around them on the plane. It doesn't guarantee that your baby will be cry-free the whole flight, but at least the people around you know that you're trying.

Other than that, I'd definitely suggest travel insurance (if it would cover that) and/or refundable tickets just in case. Take your time, don't stress yourself, drink plenty of water and rest when needed. And above all, have fun!

I love the idea of the earplugs for other passengers, etc. Such a nice gesture, and at least shows them that you acknowledge it may be a slight pain for them...

Also, we'll definitely get insurance on the flights, we have great medical coverage, and would be prepared to cancel if things couldn't work. That being said, I hope it won't come to that.

I understand that being a first time mom I may seem like I'm being over-confident about it, but I've had multiple surgeries in my life and know that I am a "good healer" and deal pretty well with stressful pain situations, and also have many close family members who I've gone through the process of having children with. One of my sisters is a maternity nurse, and the other has had both difficult deliveries and a c-section. I've helped her out afterwards and had very candid conversations with her about the experience. I'm not going into it naive, but I also wouldn't be planning this trip without having fully thought through the potential complications as well. Not that I don't appreciate the advice, I just wouldn't want anyone to think I hadn't taken it into consideration already! Labour and delivery can obviously be a traumatic experience. But if people can go back to work a few weeks after going through it, I'm just really hoping I can pull off a vacation