Does this schedule seem reasonable with a near 1 year old?

[Jetku]

My wife and I are huge wdw fans and are excited to bring our daughter for the first time this August. She will be 1 on September 3rd and our trip is dated for August 20-26th with the first day as travel only.

It will be HOT. We plan to take breaks in the afternoon at the resort (Poly for the monorail) and have light plans most evenings.

Based on this schedule, does anything seem concerning? My parents decided to join us on this trip, so one night they will watch the baby so I can take my wife to V&As for her 30th birthday. I know my daughter won't be able to ride 7DMT or Space Mountain, but my wife was pregnant last trip and missed out so I want her to get her fix (and first ride on 7DMT)

 

[TinkLoverSam]

My biggest recommendation is that if you both want to ride the big rides with a height requirement is to each FP different ones and then use rider swap. I did it for my family this summer, that way we always had fp for at least 4 rides! It was great

 

[BlueFairy]

We did a trip with our 10 month old in 2006.

3 days for MK and 2 for Epcot look great. Spreading it out and being on the monorail line will make those days enjoyable.

You might have issues getting back to Epcot if you take your break too late and kiddo is wiped out. I would do the Biergarten lunch and not make firm plans at Epcot for that evening. Our DD loved the Biergarten show, btw.

Taking a break from AK and going back to AK for Sunset Safari might be hard. If you need a break that gets you out of the park you could always ride the bus 5 min to AKL and tour the main lodge in the AC, grab a cocktail and sit in the lobby for awhile. Hop back to AKL for your FP and then head to Poly. I think this will be a challenging day with buses. Just give yourself enough time to do whatever it is you have your heart set on.

Don't underestimate the power of getting out of the parks. My DD would not nap in such an unfamiliar place to save her life. She took short catnaps in a carrier. But she was trying to walk, so we had to get to places where she could have lots of freedom to wiggle and not be strapped into the stroller all day. Breaks were great for that.

And in case you haven't planned to already, be prepared to try to hit the parks at the best time of day for your kid. I have early risers. Rope drop is a breeze and a lifesaver with kids who are up and about with the sun. That will help with dealing with the heat too.

Another tip - get a grocery delivery. Garden Grocer or something similar to have familiar foods from home in your bag for most meals. I think we had trouble getting DD to eat much of anything at the QS places that trip.

 

[Jetku]

We did a trip with our 10 month old in 2006.

3 days for MK and 2 for Epcot look great. Spreading it out and being on the monorail line will make those days enjoyable.

You might have issues getting back to Epcot if you take your break too late and kiddo is wiped out. I would do the Biergarten lunch and not make firm plans at Epcot for that evening. Our DD loved the Biergarten show, btw.

Taking a break from AK and going back to AK for Sunset Safari might be hard. If you need a break that gets you out of the park you could always ride the bus 5 min to AKL and tour the main lodge in the AC, grab a cocktail and sit in the lobby for awhile. Hop back to AKL for your FP and then head to Poly. I think this will be a challenging day with buses. Just give yourself enough time to do whatever it is you have your heart set on.

Don't underestimate the power of getting out of the parks. My DD would not nap in such an unfamiliar place to save her life. She took short catnaps in a carrier. But she was trying to walk, so we had to get to places where she could have lots of freedom to wiggle and not be strapped into the stroller all day. Breaks were great for that.

And in case you haven't planned to already, be prepared to try to hit the parks at the best time of day for your kid. I have early risers. Rope drop is a breeze and a lifesaver with kids who are up and about with the sun. That will help with dealing with the heat too.

Another tip - get a grocery delivery. Garden Grocer or something similar to have familiar foods from home in your bag for most meals. I think we had trouble getting DD to eat much of anything at the QS places that trip.

Thank you for all the tips!

We need the breaks for Grandmom as much as the baby - Grandmom has low heat tolerance. We plan to go to the resort to rest each day after lunch and have little firm evening plans (will play it by ear with how the baby does).

The AK day will be our toughest. We will probably leave right after Tusker House and Grandmom and Pop Pop can stay for the show. It will be our one attempt at a "late night" to see Jungle Book in the evening, but we'll see how it goes.

Our daughter is starting to walk (13 small steps is the current record!) so we'll need to figure out how to let her stretch and run around. Any suggestions for such a little one to run around in MK or EP?

Garden Grocer is a good tip - we are looking at them and Amazon Prime Now for 2hr resort delivery. We are flying southwest so me and DW each get 2 bags. Will probably have one dedicated to water, baby food and snacks!

Any thoughts on splash zones for a 12 mo old?

 

[Baklava]

Our daughter is starting to walk (13 small steps is the current record!) so we'll need to figure out how to let her stretch and run around. Any suggestions for such a little one to run around in MK or EP?

The super cute queue playground at Dumbo.

 

[KaptainK]

The super cute queue playground at Dumbo.

Also a little playground under the railroad near splash Mntn

In Epcot, if you get to the world showcase right when it opens, it's not too crowded and you could let her walk there. The hedge maze in the UK is another favorite of my kids. Upstairs in the seas hasn't been to crowded when we've been there too, plus AC!

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

My biggest recommendation is that if you both want to ride the big rides with a height requirement is to each FP different ones and then use rider swap. I did it for my family this summer, that way we always had fp for at least 4 rides! It was great

You can't always get rider swaps from the fast pass line. So if it's important to both of you, don't go through with this plan. It usually works, but we have been denied before.

Any thoughts on splash zones for a 12 mo old?

I don't recommend the splash zone for a 12 monther at all. There are just too many bigger kids and it can be hard. Maybe epcot would work well, but the Casey Jr. one I would be worried to death she would get knocked over. I second the baby playground inside the Dumbo tent.

 

[TinkLoverSam]

You can't always get rider swaps from the fast pass line. So if it's important to both of you, don't go through with this plan. It usually works, but we have been denied before.

Weird. I did this on ever big ride at WDW multiple times on a two week trip and were never questioned let alone denied and this includes 7DMT multiple times

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

And going along with the splash zones, I don't recommend the playgrounds (boneyard and if they open back up honey!) until children are around 3 unless they are bigger boys who can really handle themselves well. They are honestly geared more towards elementary age.

 

[tinkerbella16]

Following along! Your plans are similar to ours for our Sept trip. We'll have an 18 month old with us for the first time. We plan on taking afternoon breaks each day (we normally do this anyway without any kids), and we are going when it's really hot too, so breaks each day are crucial. We plan on mornings at the park, resort in the afternoon to nap/swim/rest, and then head back out in the evening when it is a little less hot with the sun not out. We chose Beach Club for proximity to Epcot and DHS.

Enjoy your trip with your little one!