first trip with 7 month old....need advice!!

[happy-go-lucky]

Hi there everyone,

Well, we had our Disney trip all planned for the first week of May with our children (ages 7 months, 4, 7, and 8) and had finally chalked up the fact that were taking our first Disney trip with a 7 month old with us so we would have to plan accordingly with feedings, going back for naps, strollers & car seats on the plane, her first plane ride, etc....

However, my mother-in-law just called me and has offered to keep my daughter for the week that we're at Disney so we can have time with the older ones. (She lives right around the corner from us so it's convenient to drop her off!) Anyway, I would like some advice from all of you Disney go-ers who have taken their kids at all ages. I know she would totally be fine at Disney but if you could leave your infant behind (and know she is very well taken care of) would you???? I know she's not going to "miss" anything being so young and the thought of not having a time frame for anything is sort of inviting, as well as being able to go with the other kids and do more. However, I will miss her terribly as I'm a stay at home mom and she's with me every day! Would Disney clearly be easier and more enjoyable without an infant? What would you do???

Thank you to all who reply!!!

 

[justhat]

I have taken my daughter at 6 and 9 months and I think that would be a great age to bring your daughter. I know it will slow you down a bit, but I imagine a 4yo would do that too. They're really portable at that age and she probably won't be too mobile yet so she'll be happy to just relax in the stroller. Though she won't miss not going, she will enjoy being there cause I know my daughter loved characters and 'kiddie' rides at that age.

One big advantage to bringing the baby is that you can do baby swap on the rides that she is too short to ride that your older kids might like. The reason I say it's an advantage is that they let you bring 2 or 3 other people back on the ride with you, so your husband can ride once with the older kids then as soon as they get off you can take them back on so they get to ride the 'big rides' twice in a row, which I'm sure they'd love and I would think that would compensate for any slowing down you'd have the rest of the day.

We've gone away without our daughter once, and I'm a SAHM too, but I honestly have to admit I didn't miss her much while we were gone (though it was only 2 days and not to WDW but Nashville) but when I got home and saw her sleeping in her bed is when I realized I missed her. So I think if you leave her home, she'll be fine and you'll be okay too, but then when you get home you might think "I wish she had come with us."

 

[mama4]

I'm a SAHM as well with a 2 yo and 3 1/2 yo.Also have a 14 yo and expecting in July. I think you should take your daughter because if you are worried about missing her now, you will REALLY miss her at WDW. It may even keep you from having as good of a time - I know it would me. Plus, if hubby is pretty helpful with the kids, you can kind of hang back with the baby while they are running from ride to ride. Although I love the rides, I also enjoy relaxing, walking around in shops and just taking it all in and she'll be the perfect age to do that with you.

 

[mommystieg]

We took DD#3 last June when she was 7 months old and I would do it again in a heartbeat!! It slowed us down but not much. We did not go back to the room for a nap--when she was sleepy, we would find a show or attraction that was cool and dark so she could nap. She also slept in her stroller. She was nursing at the time so I would feed her while DH took the other girls to ride a few rides. I know that I would have been miserable without her there.

 

[Disneyrsh]

Hi there everyone,

Well, we had our Disney trip all planned for the first week of May with our children (ages 7 months, 4, 7, and 8) and had finally chalked up the fact that were taking our first Disney trip with a 7 month old with us so we would have to plan accordingly with feedings, going back for naps, strollers & car seats on the plane, her first plane ride, etc....

However, my mother-in-law just called me and has offered to keep my daughter for the week that we're at Disney so we can have time with the older ones. (She lives right around the corner from us so it's convenient to drop her off!) Anyway, I would like some advice from all of you Disney go-ers who have taken their kids at all ages. I know she would totally be fine at Disney but if you could leave your infant behind (and know she is very well taken care of) would you???? I know she's not going to "miss" anything being so young and the thought of not having a time frame for anything is sort of inviting, as well as being able to go with the other kids and do more. However, I will miss her terribly as I'm a stay at home mom and she's with me every day! Would Disney clearly be easier and more enjoyable without an infant? What would you do???

Thank you to all who reply!!!

Oh, wow, what an interesting question! For me (from now on I'm prefacing all my advice this way!), if you've left her with your MIL before for extended periods of time and been fine with it, then you'll probably be fine.

I wouldn't make this trip the first time you try and be without your baby, though!

If you miss her, it's really going to put a dent in your enjoyment of Disney and color your memories. The only other thing I'd say is that if you take lots of pictures, she's going to wonder at some point why she's not in the ones from that particular trip!

I would see if you could get the MIL to come down with you-then you have on-site babysitting sometimes, and sometimes she gets to go into the parks! It's a win-win!

 

[rt2dz]

Everybody is soooo different on this type of thing. What might be right for someone, would be very wrong for someone else. All I can say is that we took DS#2 at 7 months, didn't find it any type of interuption to the trip, but even easier than when the kids are older. Also, I would never leave a child home on a trip (even with very loving grandparents) when (and this is the important part) I am taking all the other siblings. I would go on trips without the kids or I would take a trip with one child at a time as something special, but otherwise, to me (and others feel differently and that is perfectly fine) it would be like saying they're second class citzens in our family. I would also miss a baby way too terribly.