Doing Disney with a baby?

[Seeker615]

We are starting to work out a trip for next September.

It would be myself and husband, my son and his 4 year old and possibly my daughter and her husband. She is due in October of this year so in September the baby will be close to a year old.

I have no worries with the 4 year old. She is a princess fanatic and I can't wait to see her reactions to the castles and princesses! It will be wonderful.

My thoughts are on the 1 year old. I am putting this out to people who have taken babies to Disney. What can they do? Is there rides they can ride? I know there is swappping for bigger attractions so that will help.

Any thoughts and advice will be very much appreciated!

 

[ghtx]

I've been with a 1-year-old, a three month old, and I'm going in two months with another 3-month-old. It is great. There is lots of discussion about this in the Disney for Families forum: http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=23

The toddler/baby can ride any rides without a height limit. You can carry the baby in your lap. There are great baby care stations for nursing or changing. You will have a great trip.

 

[Seeker615]

Also - We are thinking about doing the MNSSHP too. Would a baby enjoy it? Is there a charge for the baby?

We plan on celebrating our 30th anniversary as well as the baby's first birthday while we are there. We really want to go all out!

 

[blessedby3]

Also - We are thinking about doing the MNSSHP too. Would a baby enjoy it? Is there a charge for the baby?

We plan on celebrating our 30th anniversary as well as the baby's first birthday while we are there. We really want to go all out!

No charge for the baby for park tickets
We have taken our 4 kids at all ages. The youngest had her first trip at 3 1/2 mos, then 17 mos, then 2 1/2, then 3 1/2 and she will have just turned 5 when we go this Oct. She has enjoyed the parks at all ages...even 3 mos! She was enthralled with the shows, and she rode all the rides we went on without a height restriction. DH hates the bigger thrill rides so he would sit with her while the rest of us rode the big rides!
Just remember to have your own stroller. The rentals are not intended for a one yr old, and you want the little one to be comfy and to be able to rest/sleep in his/her own familiar space
Make sure to note on all ADR's that you are celebrating the anniversary and birthday!

 

[Seeker615]

Thanks!

I think we will probably do a character breakfast. That would be great for the 4 year old.

 

[blessedby3]

Thanks!

I think we will probably do a character breakfast. That would be great for the 4 year old.

Crystal Palace is a great one for a 4 year old. Pooh and friends...and the food is delicious! You can make an early reservation and get some great pictures on an empty Main Street! Book it as soon as your window opens up! The pre park opening reservations go quick

 

[Angel Ariel]

Just remember to have your own stroller. The rentals are not intended for a one yr old, and you want the little one to be comfy and to be able to rest/sleep in his/her own familiar space

If you don't want to bring your own stroller, check out companies like Orlando Stroller Rentals that rent out the Baby Jogger City Mini. It doesn't cost much to rent them for a week, and I would think way more convenient!

 

[lovemy3girls]

We live an hour from Disney and take our 9 month old to the parks all the time. He goes on most rides with us, loves the characters, and just loves watching all the action and people around him. Take advantage of the Baby Care Centers in each park for times when baby needs a break from the heat or crowds. They are wonderful! Usually the babies love Winnie the Pooh and friends so I suggest a character meal at Crystal Palace.

 

[Seeker615]

Thanks everyone! Keep the suggestions coming!

 

[Seeker615]

Bumping....hoping to get a few more suggestions/ideas!

To the ones who brought babies - did you go back to your hotel on and off with the baby or just stayed the whole day in the parks?

 

[lovemy3girls]

We sometimes take breaks at our hotel, but not because of the baby! And a lot of the time we are there for day trips so we just go all day. Baby care Centers give us breaks. Hall of Presidents, Carousel of Progress, and American Adventure are all great attractions for feeding/nursing/getting baby to sleep.

 

[blessedby3]

Bumping....hoping to get a few more suggestions/ideas!

To the ones who brought babies - did you go back to your hotel on and off with the baby or just stayed the whole day in the parks?

If we took breaks, it wasnt for the baby Ours would sleep easily in a sling or stroller so we only took a break if the adults and older kids needed it
For us it really depends on the time of year. If it will be hot, then we will go back and swim and rest midday. If it is Nov-Feb...generally we stay in the park all day. You will be there in a very hot and humid time. I would say you will probably want a break. Make sure your stroller has a great sun canopy. If you go with a rental that a PP suggested (like the Baby Jogger City Mini), it has a terrific sun shade. We own a BJCM and love that feature.

 

[danceintherain]

Bumping....hoping to get a few more suggestions/ideas!

To the ones who brought babies - did you go back to your hotel on and off with the baby or just stayed the whole day in the parks?

I took my son at 3 months and my 11 month old nephew (different trips) and we took breaks for us more than them. They both slept fine in the stroller, and when we went back to the hotel, we were aware that someone needed to be ready to entertain the baby if he wouldn't sleep with the rest of us.
The 3 month old was easier, because he pretty much slept all the time still. The 11 month old fell asleep on the bus, only slept for maybe 30 minutes when we got back to the hotel, then was ready to play.

When we went with my nephew, there were plenty of adults available to watch the baby, so we didn't Rider Swap as much as we just took turns watching the baby. There were enough people who weren't interested in the attractions with height restrictions that it wasn't an issue. My husband and I watched him one day for several hours. We stopped at some characters in the World Showcase, then he passed out in the stroller, so we watched some of the street performers etc, then found a bench while we waited for everyone else.

The biggest obstacle I've found to traveling with infants is what to do with them while they sleep. Even though there's a lot to do with them in general, most people don't like to move a sleeping baby, and you can't take strollers everywhere. I suggest you have a few back up ideas of things to do with the sleeping baby. For example, you can't take strollers into the Land Pavilion at Epcot, but the World Showcase has a lot of outdoor entertainment.

 

[mia998]

September is a good month to go with a baby, warm weather. The parents should have fun. I made the mistake of going in January 2009, when my baby was 10 months old. It was a horrible time and the weather was in the 50s during the day, and then for most of the week it rained. We didn't even bother going to the amusement park because the weather was so lousy. So this was a total waste of a trip for us. We ended up staying in the condo most of the time, going to Down Town Disney to eat and walk around, and going to Walmart. My son caught a bug from somewhere so we had to buy a humidifier for his cough. It was miserable and a waste of money. The airfare was free thanks to mileage and the hotel was cheap for $400, but I could have used that vacation week during the summer from my job.

That's the hard thing about going to Florida. You never know when it will rain. When we went in 2010, September was wonderful for us that week with no rain. When we went in October 2011, it rained hard for 2 days or 3 days of the week. We sat in the pouring miserable rain for 2 hours or something before the Fantasmic show started. For your 4 year old granddaughter, bring a nice plastic rainslicker, pants, and shoes. I got a really good water proof pair of pants from L.L. Bean that kept him dry during the Fantasmic show along with his rain jacket, all underneath a poncho. I never thought it would rain that much in late October, nor did I think it would rain in January of 2009, but I was wrong.

 

[Villains_Rock]

I agree with the temps! We took our DS when he was 9 mos in December and we had him bundled up the whole time. I wasn't that bad because we mostly carried him in the baby Bjorn which is nice and cozy anyways. Have the mommy check with the pediatrician about extra fluids to keep the baby hydrated, however. Also, just wanted to agree that traveling with a baby is great. Almost better than a toddler. We worry much more about DS now that he is older. He could get lost, he needs mid-day breaks, will he be scared on pirates (babies don't get scared at stuff like that). Easy peasy!! Have a great trip!!

 

[linzbear]

I've done the baby thing twice. Get a good carrier, like an Ergo or Beco, because carrying the baby in lines is a giant pain in the butt after awhile! The bjorn/snugli types are ok for short trips but for WDW they will hurt your back horribly.

For my DS1 we went back to the room for naps, he wouldn't fall asleep in the stroller, too much going on. My DS2 I had the Ergo and he would fall asleep in there, so we could even keep going on rides with DS1 when he was sleeping! We did go back to the room for a break anyway because DS1 (2.5y) needed a mid day nap. We're going again and I expect even at 4y DS1 will need a midday nap at WDW even though he rarely takes them these days.