Eating in the World with an infant?

[afinnteach]

Hi everyone!
We leave next Friday (Nov 18th) for our Thanksgiving trip to the World! This is our first trip to Disney as parents and I need some advice.

I've been reading all sorts of posts and getting all kinds of good ideas - so thanks!

Here's my dilemna. I've read several times that Disney doesn't allow strollers into restaurants, but they may make an exception for a sleeping infant. We'll be travelling with our 4 month old, and while she is strong, she is not strong enough to sit in a low back high chair by herself. So my question is this - what tips do you all have for handling a 4 month old at a restaurant that won't allow the stroller in?

Also, along the same line, we're going to the Hoop de Doo review one evening and I thought I'd just bring her car seat carrier thingy with us, do you think they will allow that in?

Good heavens, I've never eaten with her at a restaurant without that little carrier thing and I can't imagine having to hold her through an entire meal! She doesn't really like to be held especially when she's tired or hungry, this might throw a real wrench into the festivities!

Thanks for your help,
Amy

 

[megan4777]

Well, we were asked several times if our children were in a stroller so we could wheel them in. Unfortunately, we had a double stroller and most places can't accomodate them. You should be absolutely fine because you only have a single stroller.

Oh, I would like to add that your child is the TOTAL opposite of mine. My daughter absolutely loves to be held and got mad being put down. Ughhh.
We were actually seated at many bench seating areas (if that makes sense) so we could put DD#2 down and enjoy our meal.
Have fun and eat lots!!!

 

[lillygator]

I've seen strollers in most all of the restaurants. We even saw a stroller in the castle on 10/30 for breakfast....I was suprised that it fit in the elevator!!

We took DD at a month old and we kept her in the carseat carrier in most restaurants. It worked fine.

 

[#1 Pocahontas]

We took our daughter when she was 8 months old. When we would go to eat she was usually asleep in her stroller. Every restaurant we ate at allowed us to wheel her in. They just put us at a table where it wouldn't be in the way, or removed extra chairs so that the stroller could wheel up right beside the table.

I found the cast members very willing to accommodate us, and very understanding. I'm sure you won't have any problems

 

[BevS97]

When we travelled with a 3 month old she was allowed in to every restaurant with her stroller with the exception of the Garden Grill, and they may have allowed it there, but they don't allow strollers into the Land at all so we didn't think to ask.
In a very few restaurants they have high chairs that look like carseats, I know for sure we had one at the Crystal Palace, but everywhere else was very accomodating about the stroller whether the baby was awake or asleep. We even took it into the dinner show at the Poly and she slept through that.

We also used the car seat carrier a few times, I can attach mine to the stroller so it's quite easy to bring into the parks, but I don't like her to sit in it all day for 2 weeks, so we didn't use it very often, but it was useful on days when we knew we were eating somewhere that a stroller might be ackward.

I would also strongly recommend you take a sling or carrier of some kind, as there are places where you can't take the stroller, the pavilions in Epcot is one, and not into lines either. No matter how light your baby, they seem to get heavy very quickly in a line!
Bev

 

[afinnteach]

Thank you for the tips! It sounds like most of the time we'll be able to eat peacefully, which is good to know! I am packing her snugli, which now that she is old enough to face outward she loves! We've had her at musical rehearsals for the last 2 weeks and since we're doing Aladdin Jr. with our 5th-8th graders, she is really getting a full workup to the vacation! (Loud sound system, people dressed funny and singing/dancing - the whole nine yards!) I'm curious to see if she reacts to any music that might be playing near the magic carpets, since she's been listening to the songs for over a month now!

I reread my post and realize that I made her sound like she doesn't like affection, that isn't true at all. She just prefers to lay on her mat or her boppy and be watched and adored by everyone in her presence. If you don't pay attention, then you get in trouble!

I really am looking forward to taking her for her first Disney trip! What fun being a parent is!

Thanks again,
Amy

 

[akamom]

I was also worried about this. My dd is 5 months old and we're leaving in 20 days.

 

[crazywig]

i highly recommend a pouch style sling. on our jan '05 trip dd was 4 months and i used it extensively. she was able to sleep in it, even while i was eating! goes without saying it's a lifesaver in ride queues!

best investment i ever made. she is 14m and i still use it to hip carry her.

i have one of these www.hotslings.com but any brand will do.

 

[Emmaline Lola]

I live locally in Orlando, and have been bringing my now 10 1/2 month old dd to WDW since she was 2 months old! I have brought her stroller with me to EVERY single restaurant, with the exception of the Land pavilion. They don't allow strollers there. (For those of you that remember, I was told to get a GAC for the stroller by a CM, and when I posted here questioning if this had happened to anyone else--it was DRAMA!!--FYI: DO NOT get a GAC card for your stroller, I was misinformed by a CM)

Anyway, you will need to carry your baby into the Land pavillion, I would imagine bring her in her "pumpkin seat" would be fine. I don't remember how old your baby is, but I have a Playtex Hip Hammock that I use to carry her around, when I can't take a stroller, or she won't sit in the stroller! I would think any carrier would be very helpful to bring, just make sure your baby is accustomed to it before your trip!

Don't stress about bringing your baby--they are welcomed everywhere! Make use of the baby care centers in each park, when you and your baby need a little quiet time!

Remember to use sunscreen if your baby is over 6 months (on the bottoms of feet too!)or if under 6 months, make sure you use a special shade to keep the sun off of baby! Even now in November, that sun is STRONG!

Have a great vacation!

el

 

[WDW_MegaFan]

We took our 5-month-old daughter to Disney last March and didn't have any problems taking her stroller into the restaurants that we visited.

Similar to your situation, she was not yet able to hold herself up in a highchair. The ones that I thought we would have problems with were the Brown Derby in MGM and the Coral Reef in EPCOT, but both were fine with the stroller.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[KristiKelly]

We were @ WDW the last week of Sept. with our kids, DS8, DD5, & DD3 mo. We took the stroller into most restaurants, incl. Cinderella's Royal Table. Usually they would remove a chair and we would roll the stroller right up to the table. We did end up holding her for a few meals. Some places have 1/2 booth type tables (one side of the table has booth bench and the other has chairs). Sometimes, I would just let DD lie on the seat to stretch her legs. Of course she was only 3 mo. at the time and was not rolling over. Most restaurants are very accomodating, they even made room in Beaches N'Cream for our stroller and it's TINY in there. Have a great trip!!!

PS - your baby will LOVE It's a Small World, ours did.