Experience w/ 1 year olds @ WDW??? HELP.

[Minnie*bell]

Hey everyone I'm about to be a new mommy. This will be our 1rst baby, [its's a boy!] Well, I just want to get the real scoop on bringing a 1 year old to Disney World. I have been told it's so hard, he will not remember, blah, blah,blah. I'm thinking, I know hes not gonna remember but while he is there he'll love it. It'll be cute to see his little face when he meets Mickey & rides small world. But really, IDK, is it just pointless? I just remember taking my niece when she was a baby & she loved it. Plus we, adults had fun seeing her giggling & having a great time! What does everyone think?? Any experience w/ a 1 year old @ WDW? Is it very difficult as a mom or still fun?? It would be me, the baby & my husband & up to 14 extra people. [all 12 & up] All of the family hopes to be there to see this little guy's 1rst trip [who, by the way is still in my belly] to the happiest place on earth. = ) What do ya think? Thanx everyone.

 

[Motherofboys]

Just took my little princess to MK in March, she was 20 months old. Best time seeing her in the park We can't wait to take her back soon!

It is so wonderful to watch little ones experiencing the magic of Disney. I could care less if she remembers it. She still talks about "Dinny World" and "Mick Mouse".

We love seeing the little ones experience the magic, they have a great time, we get good pictures....it's a win-win.

Good luck with your first child!!

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Congrats on your first baby!

I have mixed feelings on a 1 year old. I took my niece to DL when she was 13 months and yes...the pictures are priceless. She didn't care for the characters so there is no cute "with Mickey" pics. They are really iffy at 1 whether they can tolerate a meet and greet with characters. Some kids do great- others not so much. But we had fun with her.

That being said, when my own DD was 1, we left her at home. I wasn't bothered about her not remembering it. I was concerned about having her on the plane and behaving for 3 plus hours. I just had visions of her wanting to run up and down the aisles and not sit put. Plus I selfishly wanted a break and to enjoy the parks. (Stopping for feedings and do diapers was not relaxing for me) At 2, I was even MORE concerned about it. So again she stayed home. Right before she turned 3 we took her and the trip was AMAZING! She was great on the plane, had no meltdowns, LIT UP around the characters, and really believed in the magic. Plus she was potty-trained

 

[Mrs. Charming]

Congrats on the little guy!! I'm expecting a little guy too. We took DD 3x in her life, she's only 2.5 (well, almost 3) now. It's much easier than you'd expect. Honestly taking my mother and MIL were more frustrating! A lot is going to depend on your little man's personality and habits. This, you're not going to figure out for a little bit. Some babies thrive on routine, and have very strict nap, feeding, and bedtimes. You'll just need a little bit more of a structured plan, and plan on "hotel breaks." If he's flexible (DD is) he'll just kinda go with the flow, eat when he gets hungry (you'll probably know his cues by then) sleep in the stroller, and you'll just have to stop at intervals for diaper changes. It looks like you should have some additional help with you, which could be a great thing.

Rides should be easy-peasy. Most of the rides are "all ages" with the exception of mainly the roller coasters. There are many lists floating around of the ones you can't bring him on. We had the stroller with us, and then a sling for waiting in lines, and then when we were about to board, we'd take her out and board.

Hope you have an easy birth, have fun planning, and take lots of pics when you go.

 

[ms_missy66]

Congrats! Here's to a healthy and happy remainder of your pregnancy and birth!

We took both of our girls at 13 months and had a blast! Here are a few of the highlights.

1. There is so much to see and toddlers find it all very interesting!
2. They sleep in the stroller, so you're able to stay out a bit late if you'd like.
3. Rides like It's a Small World delighted so much!

My advice is to pack food you know your little one will eat and follow your baby's lead. If he seems afraid of characters, avoid them. If he absolutely squeals over the carousel, ride it 8234 times. If he is super cranky and just won't settle down, go back to the room and relax a bit. When you go with a toddler, don't expect to see and do everything. You'll have a much better time if you just enjoy the things he does and agree to partake in the rest on a later trip. Last, no, he won't remember it. Take some video, though, and he'll love watching it for years to come!

My girls are 7 and 5. In June we'll be going on their 7th and 6th trips, respectively. We've done Disney at all stages and I've got no regrets. I bet you won't either.

Happy gestating!

 

[Ryansdad0727]

My little guy will be 17 months in December and that will be his first trip. He is really easy going..sleeps through the night since he was 1 month old. Hopefully it will be great and i don't think he will be too shy with the characters.

 

[frtchr]

DD went at 11 months, 16 months, 26 months, and 35 months. Her fifth trip will be next month at 3 years, 4 months. DS went at 6 months and 15 months. He'll be 20 months for next month's trip. Every trip has been so much fun! I mean, I change diapers at home; why not do it and have fun at Disney?

 

[Ioansgirl]

I would say don't worry about the "he won't remember it" part because you will remember it and plus if you take him a few years later you'll get to experience his "firsts" twice since he won't remember the first time. We took our 15 month old last summer and he had a great time. Especially since you are going with a large group who can help with watching him while you get to spend some time on rides. The only time it was a little tricky was, yes on the airplane ride, and waiting for our food to come at TS. I say if you want to do it, go for it. (we are expecting another little boy soon too. We plan on taking him when he's little as well)

 

[RDP]

We took our DD when she was 18 months old for her 1st trip to WDW. We took her again when she was 3 and our DS was 9 months old. We had a fantastic time on both trips. Our flight was 9 hours from the UK and the children coped brilliantly. I wouldn't hesitate taking your DS. Remember you have to take care of your children wherever you are or whatever your doing, so why not be somewhere that's stimulating and entertaining for your baby and also somewhere where you can enjoy yourself too. Also don't underestimate the benefit of taking your family with you especially so you can have a well deserved evening out as a couple.

 

[dumbo_buddy]

DD went at 11 months, 16 months, 26 months, and 35 months. Her fifth trip will be next month at 3 years, 4 months. DS went at 6 months and 15 months. He'll be 20 months for next month's trip. Every trip has been so much fun! I mean, I change diapers at home; why not do it and have fun at Disney?

amen, sister! we were just in disney in january with our little guy who was 7 months old at the time. we're going back in sept when he's 15 months, dec when he's 18 months and jan at 19 months!

the trip we just took was probably going to be our easiest since he wasn't walking or anything but it was so awesome and easy! (my trip report is posted in my siggie)

have a great time and congrats!

 

[sss]

Hi,
We took our twins for the first time at 14 months and had a GREAT time....just honor your child's limits (every baby has their own) and try to keep things like bed time and nap time as consistent as possible. At "that time" of day we would put the girls in their stroller and walk until they fell asleep. They were perfectly happy to nap in their strollers but not all babies are. With all those other people, I assume you will have an extra hand or two which should make things both easier and more fun! At 14 months, w hat our twins enjoyed and what our third enjoyed were completely different and so were the things they could tolerate (my third really loved the real birds and the fairy god mother at CRT made her cry ) but we found that if we stuck to nap and bed times as much as possible, it was a win-win for us all. At that age, they loved anything that involved a moving vehicle such as It's a Small World or the boat ride at the mexican pavilion at EPCOT. Of course I took a bazillion pics and i'm so glad I did! The twins are now almost 8 and love looking at those pictures almost as much as I do!
HTH and good luck.

 

[tloveswdw]

Honestly, all of ours have been at that age and it is wonderful. We travel as a family, (DH, myself, and kids), and I could not imagine leaving them at home. But, we take our kids to museums, and nice restaurants too... it is all apart of being a family, and learning how to behave, and have amazing experiences, (whether they 'remember' Mickey from a trip at 10 months, or not).

There are so many rides and experiences for all ages. I have worn all of them many many rides, and they love it, or sleep through it!

Like a PP said, I have to do diapers, and all that somewhere, why not at the most magical place on earth.

We will have 5 children with us next January... youngest will be happily sleeping and nursing away, and only a few months old LOL

 

[msmama]

We went when my DS was 10 mos old. He had a BLAST!

We went slower than our old commando style but it was okay (especially since we'd been there before so didn't think we were missing anything).

He probably doesn't remember much, but he loves to look at the photos of the trip.

We're going again next month (he just turned 2) for just a few days and we plan to go at his pace completely. If we end up riding Dumbo all day...so be it.

Good luck with your upcoming Little one!

 

[tjlovespooh]

IMO, 12mo is too soon but right around 18mo is absolutely PRICELESS!!!
Our DS was 17mo for his first trip and DD was 16mo when we first took her - both were beyond adoreable with the characters. The kids adored the characters and you could tell the characters totally loved them right back

Basically, as long as you don't have high expectations (in regards to doing rides/shows/dining) and you're focused more on taking things slow, making sure the baby is well-rested (we took naps each afternoon), and keep a positive outlook then I say a one year old is definitely one of the CUTEST ages to visit WDW! Sure, the child won't remember it at all but you'll never forget Like I said, our experiences were priceless.

 

[WDWorBUST]

We took DD for her first trip at 13 months and had a fabulous time. And although as many said, she doesn't remember it - I DO!! And it was fantastic. If I could only give one tip it would be to take it nice and easy. We got APs (we worked in 3 trips within that 365 days so it made sense) and that was the very best thing we could have done. If Sammi was cranky we left. If she needed a nap....we left and took a nap. We never felt like we were "wasting" money by leaving and really catering to her. Now she was an only at the time and although the trip was for us....it was all about her. I know that if we had just regular tickets I would have been upset that we weren't getting the most for our money. I am pregnant now with #2 and Sammi will be 7 when the baby is born. I'm already trying to figure out how to do his/her first trips with APs.

 

[Minnie*bell]

=)

 

[Minnie*bell]

WOW!! Not one negative comment it's a def. a GO!!! U ALL make me soooo excited to take my little guy! It's ssooo true that we will remember it & I loved the comment that the 2nd time will feel like the 1rst. It's just true. To be 100% honest the last time my husband & I were in WDW was Nov.2009 & being there made us want kids sooner & actually thats where the little guy was made. LOL!! So if the good Lord will bless us to be able to take him many times in his childhood, that is exactly what we will do. Everyone wants the best for there kids & besides my parents ALWAYS took us. ; ) Thanks everyone!!!

 

[cel_disney]

Just adding more to your GO plan! We took DS for his 1st, 2nd, and 3rd birthday, and will be going back in December when he is 4.3 and our DD is 4.5 MONTHS!

1 year was by far the easiest of our trips actually - he still had a few bottles a day and I brought some food for him, but most of the time he ate off our plates like he did at home. He was so easy going - he would nap in his stroller, but we often went back for the afternoon so that we all got a bit of a break from the stimulation and the heat.

One of the biggest perks is that as a new parent who was used to vacations and down time, I really really really needed a vacation at that point. Disney was the perfect place - it had plenty to entertain my child (didnt need to worry about toys etc), was equipped with baby gear (packnplay provided), and god for bid he cried - no one cared or even noticed because most of the guest were parents with children who were immune to the crying baby sound!!! I think if we went to a beach resort, traveling with a toddler would have been much more noticeable and stressful for us, thus less of a vacation!!!

 

[KY*Figment]

Hey everyone I'm about to be a new mommy. This will be our 1rst baby, [its's a boy!] Well, I just want to get the real scoop on bringing a 1 year old to Disney World. I have been told it's so hard, he will not remember, blah, blah,blah. I'm thinking, I know hes not gonna remember but while he is there he'll love it. It'll be cute to see his little face when he meets Mickey & rides small world. But really, IDK, is it just pointless? I just remember taking my niece when she was a baby & she loved it. Plus we, adults had fun seeing her giggling & having a great time! What does everyone think?? Any experience w/ a 1 year old @ WDW? Is it very difficult as a mom or still fun?? It would be me, the baby & my husband & up to 14 extra people. [all 12 & up] All of the family hopes to be there to see this little guy's 1rst trip [who, by the way is still in my belly] to the happiest place on earth. = ) What do ya think? Thanx everyone.

My youngest was 15 months old. She was great!

 

[DCbride]

I think it depends on what type of parents you are .... which is hard to figure out now

But if you need structure, baby has to eat, nap, bath, etc at a specific time, house has to be quiet, you make all of his food- then it might be tough. (We have a friend who I just perfectly described, they brought the entire house to the beach for a week and ended up so stressed out because their routine was messed up.)

But if you are easy going, realize that Disney is about making memories with your family then you should have a great time. It sounds like you will have plenty of help, so someone will be able to take your little one out of a restaurant or for a morning walk, etc if needed.

We took our DD2 to Universal at 5 months, then Disney at 10months, 17months,21 months, and 2 times since she has turned 2. Each trip was priceless and we are so glad we went. Each trip something new happened. I would highly encourage going with your large group...especially if they plan to go with or without you-