First time to Disneyland with a 12 month old

[WDWDancer]

Hi all we are Disneyworld veterans but this year will be making the trip out west to introduce our daughter to the in laws. They live by Disneyland so the plan is just to meet everyone there.

Right now I am thinking we will just go into Disneyland; based on her current nap schedule I'm thinking we head into the park when it opens then back to the hotel for naps chill time then head back for the parade and maybe fireworks.

Any tips? Must do with a baby?

 

[laughinplace199]

Your post brings back such memories. My DD is 15 now, but we brought her to DL just after her first birthday.

I think your plan is a good one, as long as you're staying somewhere convenient for getting to and from the park for a mid day break. When we went 14 years ago, we were off site and not that close, so we chose to do commando park days and DD just slept in the stroller when she needed/wanted to. We recently got back from a DL trip (kids are now 15, 13, and 7) and stayed at GC. That was a great location for a mid-day break, which the big kids didn't need but the 7 yr old did!

 

[EWDonald]

I would not take a 12 month old to DL. I'm a WDW vet and it just amazes me the number of seemingly sane adults that take a baby to Disney and try to say that the trip is for the child. The child will not remember one thing about the trip. All that's going to happen is the child gets worn out and irritable and the adults do as well.
Taking a child under the age of 2, and more likely 3, is a trip for mom and dad and not for the child.
That's just me, but that's my story and I'm sticking too it!

 

[laughinplace199]

I would not take a 12 month old to DL. I'm a WDW vet and it just amazes me the number of seemingly sane adults that take a baby to Disney and try to say that the trip is for the child. The child will not remember one thing about the trip. All that's going to happen is the child gets worn out and irritable and the adults do as well.
Taking a child under the age of 2, and more likely 3, is a trip for mom and dad and not for the child.
That's just me, but that's my story and I'm sticking too it!

So what's wrong with the trip being for mom & dad? I don't recall the OP saying that the trip was for the baby, just that they were taking the baby to meet family and they happen to live near DL, so they're going to meet there and have some fun. Just because you wouldn't find it fun to do parks with a baby doesn't mean others have the same opinion.

By your logic of keeping kids home until they're 3, my poor DD wouldn't have had a vacation until she was 10 if we waited until the youngest was 3 to take a trip. That may work for you and that's fantastic, but not everyone thinks the same way you do.

 

[EWDonald]

That may work for you and that's fantastic, but not everyone thinks the same way you do.

And not everyone thinks like you do either. That's why people need to make their own decisions. Unfortunately, a large segment of our population seems to be unable to think for themselves these days. That's why we're in the mess we're in, but that's another story for another time and forum.

I hope they all have a great time!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Do you know about the baby care centers? Here's the website from Disney with info on what is available for you in the parks and where it is all located. I've never used them so I have no idea if they are helpful. https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/baby-center-lost-children/

 

[WDWDancer]

Thanks everyone!! The family situation is a strange and complicated one so if we can have some Disney magic after flying across country I'm all for it! LOL

I will definitely check out the baby centers we have used them in DW with my niece and nephew. We are looking at staying at DLR or GC. We get in Mon and are planning to just relax at the hotel walk around the downtown Disney area, Tues walk into the park see the castle, maybe characters, and a ride or two then back to the hotel to chill.

 

[Imdboss]

Thanks everyone!! The family situation is a strange and complicated one so if we can have some Disney magic after flying across country I'm all for it! LOL

I will definitely check out the baby centers we have used them in DW with my niece and nephew. We are looking at staying at DLR or GC. We get in Mon and are planning to just relax at the hotel walk around the downtown Disney area, Tues walk into the park see the castle, maybe characters, and a ride or two then back to the hotel to chill.

We took DS when he was 5 months old and DD was 4. We spent 7 days there since we knew that having a baby along would slow us down with feedings, diaper changes, etc. We had a GREAT time. If you can stay at GCH I would choose that over DLH just because the location is better. Also don't forget to take advantage of the child swap pass if there are rides you want to do but can't take the baby on.

 

[YukonMommy]

I know most of these are "no brainers" but here it goes anyways:

-take a stroller and pack in it
-1 change of clothes in a big Ziploc bag for the 1 year old.
-a jacket for the evening
-an extra sippy cup and soother (if used)
-small snacks for 1 year old
-small blanket (great for shading from sun and naps)
-a few attachable toys
-diapers (1 for every 2 hours and 2 spare)
-a pack of wipes


*We never went back to the hotel, the baby just napped in the stroller, but if you need to get away from your in-laws its a great excuse

*your child can ride a lot of the rides, so take her on what you feel comfortable.

*she might not like the characters (my youngest was terrified of them until he was 3!)

*enjoy yourself!

Have a magical time!

 

[melissajean2000]

I just wanted to add that we have been going about once a year for the past 4 years. Currently my boys are 9, 6, and 2. The year we went when the youngest was 9 months old was a lot of fun. He seemed so into everything going on. I was surprised! He loved everything he was able to ride on. And we also had a stroller for nap times and kept snacks handy, but I think everyone enjoys it. While they may not remember it, I have great pictures for their wedding! lol

 

[anc876]

We've been twice since having kids and took our first when he was 2 1/2. We love Disney and had a blast each time. It's so much fun seeing the magic through the eyes of your kids. We now have two kiddos and will be heading to DL next month with a just turned 1-year-old (well into walking now) and a 4 1/2 year old. When we went a couple years ago with our older son, he refused to nap in his stroller and was meltdown central. We quickly learned that walking back across the street to our hotel for a mid-day break worked wonders. This time, we will have a stroller and baby carriers (babywearing has saved my sanity many times over). Looking forward to our first trip with two kids, but being flexible and playing it by ear depending on how the little one fares.

 

[Ride Junkie]

We've been taking our daughter to Disneyland since she was 6 months old (the trip was for my 40th birthday). The baby care centers are great! They have sections for nursing, diaper changing, and a kitchen area with a sink & microwave. Definitely take advantage of these.

A few other suggestions:

Bring some sort of earplugs for the baby. Mine was asleep in her stroller when the fireworks started, and the noise woke her up and she started crying. I wished I had ear plugs at the time.

Buy one of those Mickey balloons. When DD was a year old, we bought her one & she kept herself amused yanking on that thing all day. Best $7 I ever spent.

Take breaks and have fun!

 

[Crispity]

I know I'm a bit late responding to this, but I just wanted to chime in and say that in my experience, a Disney trip is the BEST vacation to take with a baby. We took DD to WDW when she was 15 months old. We weren't particularly interested in Disney before that, and we only did it because my in-laws offered us free use of their Orlando timeshare. Neither DH nor I had been to WDW since we were kids, and I really wasn't sure how it would go, but it was truly magical. There was so much for her to do and see, Disney is incredibly baby friendly, and she absolutely adored the characters.

The trip was wonderful for us because it was wonderful for her. DH and I traveled extensively in the 9 years before we had DD, and we have taken her on several trips to various locations since she was born (she's two now). That first Disney trip ranks among the top vacations that DH and I have EVER taken (and our previous trips include Europe, Japan, the Caribbean, and Hawaii). We loved it so much that we went back to WDW 7 months later (last May), and we are going on our first Disneyland visit very soon! My goal is to make it back to either WDW or DL one more time before DD turns 3 next summer.

That being said, I don't have DL-specific tips, but I do have tips from our two trips to WDW. My number one tip is not to plan too much in a day, and to remember that you will probably not accomplish nearly as much as you think you will ahead of time (babies slow things down a lot!). I'd advise a relaxed, go with the flow type of attitude, and just allowing the magic to happen. Another tip is to plan a character breakfast on your first day. That way, you'll know immediately whether or not your little one likes the characters, and can plan the rest of the trip accordingly. And, like others have said, definitely use the baby care centers!

Have a wonderful trip!