First time in Disney with an infant

[jasmith34]

We will be taking our 3 month old to Disney World in September. The trip will include 8 adults. I would love to hear any tips you guys have on taking an infant to Disney. I am planning on nursing but do not plan on using the baby care centers unless convenient. My husband is mostly concerned with how to keep her cool and comfortable in the September heat.

 

[minnie mum]

Keeping her cool and hydrated would be my concern, too. While a lot of mothers might prefer to wear a 3 month old, she might be cooler in a stroller with a good sunshade and an attached fan. If you will be waiting while the rest of your party is on a ride, maybe wait somewhere airconditioned, like a gift shop.

And since you will be nursing her, don't forget to keep yourself hydrated! Drink, drink, drink!

 

[GBBTomorrow]

I took my 12 year-old to Disneyland at 3 months, and honestly it might be the easiest Disney trip we've ever had! Be sure not to let anybody scare you: it's really no big deal. I would, though, recommend the baby care centers. They are clean, quiet, well-stocked, and a great respite for you and your little one. I took a break there at least once each day, both on the trip with the 3 month-old and on trips with older babies.

Drink a lot of water, take frequent breaks (as much for you as for baby), and seek shade. The most important thing: stare happily as your baby's eyes get wide in astonishment at all the colors and stimulating sights. People always say, "they won't remember it," but I don't think it matters if they remember it. It matters if the EXPERIENCE it. After all, we don't lock them in a closet until they are old enough to remember stuff. Take great pleasure in those wide-eyed moments!

 

[ayz75]

Agree with above poster! We took ours at 5m (and later again at 2Y) soooo much easier at 5m, lol. We brought an ergo and used it almost exclusively for all the rides, and also brought a good stroller (somewhat umbrella but designed for 3m+ as the seat can get pretty flat)

I purposely bought rompers that were short sleeves but long pants so her legs were covered from the sun and I only had to apply sunscreen on her arm (preferred not to put too much since she was so young). I also exclusively nursed pretty much everywhere with my nursing cover. Have fun and just take it easy!

ETA: almost all the rides she could go on she was fine (so young she didn't care if it was dark) except for the great movie ride, what a disaster, because of the gun shots. She cried and screamed the whole time.. So do be careful if the ride is noisy

 

[abner1776]

We love going in late Sept but just be prepared for not only the heat but the humidity. It's the humidity that takes the energy right out of you. The one thing that is always missing most at the parks is SHADE so anytime you can go inside with AC it will be well worth it.

 

[KateP85]

We're locals so my son went to the parks a lot as an infant, and endured the Florida heat pretty well.

The baby care centers are fantastic, and for more than just nursing. They're usually quiet with few people in there, they're air conditioned, they have clean places to change a diaper. I would use them every single time we went to the parks.

Make sure you stay hydrated, drink way more water than you think would be necessary to keep your milk supply up. I was amazed at how being just a little dehydrated really took a toll on my milk.

I always got too hot wearing my son in the parks during the summer, he and I were both happier with him in a stroller where he could lay flat and kick his legs. We have a sun umbrella and a portable fan that clips to the side of the stroller, and he never seemed to get too hot.

Be prepared to be flexible! Your daughter might completely change her schedule/sleep patterns/feeding patterns, and its easier to roll with it than trying to force her to stay on a schedule, you can do that when you get home. Take plenty of breaks and have fun!

 

[brinkley07]

We purposely booked TS restaurants to get everyone out of the heat and get a nice relaxing break. It was a nice break each day and I enjoyed always having a comfortable place to sit. The humidity is tough in September, and usually tired everyone out. Have a great time!

 

[starryagain]

Is this your first baby? If so just be prepared that things in general can take a lot longer with a baby, depending on their mood. At 3 months they may or may not be on a predictable schedule regarding needing to eat, sleeping, and diaper changes. Your trip also might coincide with a sleep regression, growth spurt, or some other strange baby related thing. You just have to roll with it more with a baby.

I have a 4 month old and a 3.5 year old. We took the 3.5 year old in September when she was 2 years old and she did great. I would definitely bring a stroller with a fan and if possible plan on mid-day breaks either at the hotel or at a TS restaurant. I wear my babies a lot but not in September in Orlando.

We are taking our baby at 6 months old (in May) and we are just keeping expectations really low. Luckily she has a much more laid back personality than her sister was but still we are counting on our table service reservations (which are minimal) as our only MUST DO's and everything else will be an added bonus.

 

[Raenstoirm]

We took our twins in June at 13 weeks. It was just my husband and I and the babies. It was a great trip. We had good comfy strollers with large shades that lay flat (baby jogger zip) and comfy carriers (i preferred the ktan at that age). We found the trip rather easy. My pediatrician suggested we give them a little watered down apple juice to make sure they didn't dehydrate and we gave them a good soapy bath each night to wash off the sun lotion. Because they had no real set sleep schedule we stayed out till after 1am some nights and they happily slept in carriers while we rode rides and did the normal park stuff we did before children. Make sure to carry stroller rain covers and light blankets plus the normal baby stuff. The characters loved playing with babies that young and the restaurants were fine with us bringing in strollers since we had brought strollers with a pretty tiny footprint that didn't bother other patrons. We found nights to be the best times because you didn't have to worry about sun protection and it was cooler.
We took the twins again at 10 months and that was much harder. They were eating real food (and insisting on feeding themselves) and wanted to get down to crawl around. We are heading back in April when they are 14 months, so I am interested to see what new challenges this trip brings.

 

[JWigs]

Not sure which carrier you have but we switched ours out to the Lillebaby as it's made of mesh and so it breathes so much better in any humidity or heat.

Also, totally agree that the baby centers are a blessing! They are AC'ed and have real tables (aka beds) to change the kiddos and the nursing room is nice and quiet.

Baby will probably sleep alot but that's ok too. It's about the whole experience!

 

[PrincessV]

Keeping her cool and hydrated would be my concern, too. While a lot of mothers might prefer to wear a 3 month old, she might be cooler in a stroller with a good sunshade and an attached fan. If you will be waiting while the rest of your party is on a ride, maybe wait somewhere airconditioned, like a gift shop.

This! FL resident here and took my son to WDW for the first time in early Sept. at 4 months old... he was happy in the shaded stroller with a fan going. We made a point of getting into AC often. Talk to your pediatrician - I bottle fed and my ped recommended adding an ounce or two of plain water throughout the day in addition to formula. We only made it a few hours before calling it a day because we were all so hot, but frankly the baby held up the best of all of us, lol!

 

[disnut8]

Realize that ALL Disney bathrooms are equipped with baby changing stations. ALL of them. So if any of those eight adults are males, they can join in the fun.