FIRST TRIP WITH A CHILD! HELP LOL!

[TheDroidYurLookinFor]

Hey everyone! Newbie here to the DIS Boards!

I've been going to WDW since I was 8 (I'm 38 now). My wife and I are avid Disney fans and have gone together every year since we first started dating. Welp...the time has come and our son is here! We're going on our first trip with a child and we have NO Idea what to expect. And to tell the truth it's a LITTLE bit intimidating. Normally my wife and I troop the entire day in parks open to close. We know that's out the window now! We're not really going FOR him. We're going WITH him lol. So basically we're asking you folks...whats your best advice!? Lay it on us.

Here are some trip details that may help you out...OUR SON WILL BE 14 MONTHS OLD.

1) We're going for 2 weeks in November. Is that too long for his first time? We're planning a bunch of break days. We're not doing a park a day.

2) We'll be in Animal Kingdom Jambo House.

3) We're renting a car. We ALWAYS do. We like Disney Transport...we just don't like waiting for it. We'll have his car seat.

4) My wife is not an "adventurous rides" person. That being said...have you had good luck with rider swapping?

5) We do plan on making dining reservations. Tips on times, timing, etc with naps and perceived temper tantrums?

6) Equipment to pack for pools for a 1 year old?

7) Park/hotel/pool scheduling tips?

8) Stroller security?

Please, don't leave anything out! We appreciate all input and hope to make his fist (out of womb) experience magical....even if he wont remember it...while enjoying ourselves and keeping our sanity!

THANKS!

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

1. If you can live in a hotel room for 2 weeks with a 14 month old, it's fine.

2. Nice digs

3. Always helpful with little ones.

4. Never tried it.

5. Work on his schedule. If he needs a nap at 3, in a quiet dark room with a waterfall soundtrack playing in teh background, then get back to the hotel before 3 and bring the soundtrack and player from home! Dine at off times, and do TS meals when baby will be on his best behavior. Be courteous enough that if he melts down during a meal, one of you leaves the restaurant with him to calm him, please.

6. swimsuit, sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, swimshirt.

7. Again, go by his schedule. Rope drop, leave before 3, come back later at night if he's ok with that kind of schedule.

8. Don't leave anything in the stroller you aren't willing to lose (including favorite blankets/loveys). Keep cameras/money/tickets on you. With the grandbabies, we use a backpack instead of a diaper bag...easier to carry. If you are worried about the stroller, you can get a long bicycle lock and chain two of the wheels so they don't roll. The CMs can still move the stroller, but it would look awkward for someone trying to push it out of the park.

 

[china mom]

1) We're going for 2 weeks in November. Is that too long for his first time? We're planning a bunch of break days. We're not doing a park a day.

I have never done more than a week with or without a child so I cant help much with this. But, that said, it really depends on you and your child anyway. If they lose it when off their routine then take that into considerations.

2) We'll be in Animal Kingdom Jambo House.

3) We're renting a car. We ALWAYS do. We like Disney Transport...we just don't like waiting for it. We'll have his car seat.

We always use Disney Transportation and Kyle's first trip at 5 months was all DT. Even the times we have driven instead of flying, the car was left parked and never moved all week. We have no complaints about DT.

4) My wife is not an "adventurous rides" person. That being said...have you had good luck with rider swapping?

We didn't use rider swap (I am not adventurous) until this last year with my 84 year old moth. We had no problem using rider swap when she could not ride.

5) We do plan on making dining reservations. Tips on times, timing, etc with naps and perceived temper tantrums?

I concur with above. Plan meals for BEFORE he gets tired or hungry. Keep in mind that you may have to wait for your table.

6) Equipment to pack for pools for a 1 year old?

They do offer life vests but most likely you will spend your time holding him in your arms anyway. I can't recll any specific pool needs for that age

7) Park/hotel/pool scheduling tips?

8) Stroller security?

Obviously, do not leave valuable on your stroller but diaper bags, cups, jackets etc are all fine. DO NOT LOCK YOUR STROLLER TO ANYHTING. I also suggest that you not lock your stroller wheels. You will be in and out of the stroller 1500 times a day. You will move it constantly. Locking the wheels will annoy the CMs and it will get old for you as well.


We have been to Disney a ridiculous number of times and we had a stroller for probably 14 years. We have had exactly two incidents. once a canvas bag went missing from the top of the stroller - don't know if it was stolen or dropped on the ground. Once our entire stroller went missing but it was later found by Lost and Found. Don't know if someone "borrowed it" or if CMs moved it because we had left it so long. Either way, we got it back.

Google stroller thefts in Disney World and you will find that it is not a problem.

 

[Wild about Walt]

Hey everyone! Newbie here to the DIS Boards!

I've been going to WDW since I was 8 (I'm 38 now). My wife and I are avid Disney fans and have gone together every year since we first started dating. Welp...the time has come and our son is here! We're going on our first trip with a child and we have NO Idea what to expect. And to tell the truth it's a LITTLE bit intimidating. Normally my wife and I troop the entire day in parks open to close. We know that's out the window now! We're not really going FOR him. We're going WITH him lol. So basically we're asking you folks...whats your best advice!? Lay it on us.

Here are some trip details that may help you out...OUR SON WILL BE 14 MONTHS OLD.

1) We're going for 2 weeks in November. Is that too long for his first time? We're planning a bunch of break days. We're not doing a park a day.

2) We'll be in Animal Kingdom Jambo House.

3) We're renting a car. We ALWAYS do. We like Disney Transport...we just don't like waiting for it. We'll have his car seat.

4) My wife is not an "adventurous rides" person. That being said...have you had good luck with rider swapping?

5) We do plan on making dining reservations. Tips on times, timing, etc with naps and perceived temper tantrums?

6) Equipment to pack for pools for a 1 year old?

7) Park/hotel/pool scheduling tips?

8) Stroller security?

Please, don't leave anything out! We appreciate all input and hope to make his fist (out of womb) experience magical....even if he wont remember it...while enjoying ourselves and keeping our sanity!

THANKS!

You are never too young...or too old to do Disney!
We do 2 weeks every time we go. I've always wanted to do a fall trip! I drive down when we go so I have my car when we are there. I like the comforts of having a vehicle to get around in.
Ok, so with a little one. The first time we went my youngest son was about 2. You obviously know your sweet ones rituals and routines. Definitely work around that. If they eat at a certain time or have down time at a certain time, go with that. There are plenty of places to sit and take in the scenery in the parks.

Take lots of snacks, and entertainment for line ups. Try not to make too many "plans". Definitely have a plan but be flexible to either drop it or change gears based on the little ones mood that day. Forcing them to go go go can over stimulate them. You want it to be a magical time for everyone. Don't forget to stop and take lots of pictures for their memories too. My kids love going through our old vacation pics and videos.

I'd also suggest having breakfast items in your room to start the day, then head down to the food court/restaurants for breakfast. Saves meltdowns before you even make it to the park.
Take a spray fan or a cloth to cool the little one off if it gets too hot. November should be comfortable though. A large carrabeaner hook to hang off of the stroller to attach bags, spare shoes, or what ever else that doesn't fit under the stroller. A light blanket to drape over the stroller for shade which can double as something to sit on. And attach something identifiable to your stroller. When you enter an attraction the strollers sometimes get move into a stroller parking area by cast members so it won't be in the exact place that you left it. The unique identifier will help you find you property quicker.

I suggest the Crystal Palace for a lunch or dinner reservation at MK. They have Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and Piglet walking around greeting the families and it's a buffet style so everyone can choose what they want to eat. Akershu's in EP has the same idea but with all the princesses. It's a great way of getting photo ops without having to stand in long line ups.

And indulge as much as possible. It's Disney after all, it's what we go there for.

Gosh, I hope that helps a little. Sorry for the long winded advice. I could talk Disney until your ears fall off your head.
Good luck!

 

[Arbuckley]

Wow, I'm so glad you posted this question. My husband and I are doing literally the exact same thing! We are avid Disney veterans and taking our first child for his first trip in the fall. Our son will also be 14 months in September AND we are staying at Jambo House at AKL! Freaky! I had all the same questions you did, so glad to see so much helpful info! Thank you!

My cousin and her husband took their one year old son last summer (in July!) and said it went really well. They actually did the parks all day for three days in a row and just let their son nap in his stroller and took breaks in the air conditioning. I think if you're pressed for time and on a budget, it can still be done. Luckily, we are taking our time more and staying for a week. I wish we could do two weeks like you! I've heard nothing but positive reports from parents taking their children at the same age regardless of how the trip is done. I hate when people say, "but he won't remember it!" Luckiky, we go every two years, so he will be back plus, we don't just vacation for our child! We like it too!

 

[Dashzap]

Go at your little one's pace and be willing to let them enjoy the simple things, like ferry boats, monorails, splash pads.

You may be surprised at what he is interested in. We took a preschooler to see the Macy's day parade once in NYC. He spent the entire time staring down at the sidewalk grate at the subway trains going by. He didn't care about the parade when there were trains to look at.

I took my son to WDW when he was 6 months and he thought Chip and Dale were wonderful. Took him to DL at 9 months and he found all the characters terrifying. Took him to DL again at 16 months and he was neutral about the characters.

You may not be going for him, but even with days off in between you may not be able to tour a park the way you want to. Be flexible.

 

[a742246]

My only suggestion is to bring some bright colored ribbon tape and tie it in numerous spots on your stroller so you can spot it more easier.

 

[a742246]

One more thing if you want to escape WDW for a day, Honeymoon Island State park is a fabulous place to go to. It has a beach and nature preserve (walkable) and is located by St Petersburg about 1:45 minutes away.

 

[Taylor F.]

I have a small advice...


First - know this trip will be very, very different than your previous trips. BUT - it will probably be one of the most joyous and fun. Seeing Disney World through a child's eyes is an experience like NO OTHER. I had more fun shuffling my then 2.5yo through Disney than when my hubs and I go. It was truly the most magical Disney has ever been.

Take breaks. Always offer snacks. Naps are good. Strollers are good. There's a ton of stuff a little tot like that can ride. No worries there! Take in more shows/parades. Fireworks are magical for little ones too.

Just have fun. If he's interested in Nick Jr, take advantage. If not, skip it and do something you both can enjoy. It's all good. No rush. No stress.

 

[CanadianMouseDad]

1) We're going for 2 weeks in November. Is that too long for his first time? We're planning a bunch of break days. We're not doing a park a day.

I Think it's only too long if you think it's too long. You know yourselves better than anyone else. Pace yourselves and space your rest days.

2) We'll be in Animal Kingdom Jambo House.

Never stayed here

3) We're renting a car. We ALWAYS do. We like Disney Transport...we just don't like waiting for it. We'll have his car seat.

We've only ever used Disney Transportation at the resorts. We arrive by car and park it for the 10 days we're there. We've travelled with a 14 month old before and didn't mind the transportation.

4) My wife is not an "adventurous rides" person. That being said...have you had good luck with rider swapping?

When used effectively rider swapping makes for the greatest thing ever. That being said we went with my sister in law so we were able to each ride one time alone, get a bunch of rider swaps, use our fastpasses to get another rider swap, and then use our rider swaps. So we'd get 4 rides each or so out of a single fastpass.

5) We do plan on making dining reservations. Tips on times, timing, etc with naps and perceived temper tantrums?

When we're planning our park days we plan fastpasses in the am. and always leave a 3 hour window in the afternoon between reservations and fastpasses so that we can give 45 minutes of transportation time to and from the park, and that gives us about an hour and a half to rest and relax before heading back out to the park.

6) Equipment to pack for pools for a 1 year old?
Bathing suit, floating device. A couple water toys (small)

 

[Melissa<3Disney]

1) We're going for 2 weeks in November. Is that too long for his first time? We're planning a bunch of break days. We're not doing a park a day.

We just took a trip with our newly turned 2 year old. It was only a week, but I think he would have been fine with a little longer. I think it's really dependent on how adaptable your kiddo is.

2) We'll be in Animal Kingdom Jambo House.

Nice! I see you will have a car, so the long transport to some of the parks won't be an issue for you guys. We got lucky with the buses in Jan., but there were a couple of times for dinner reservations that a car would have been great!

3) We're renting a car. We ALWAYS do. We like Disney Transport...we just don't like waiting for it. We'll have his car seat.

This will be great for going to other resorts, if you plan that. This way you aren't having to do the transportation shuffle.

4) My wife is not an "adventurous rides" person. That being said...have you had good luck with rider swapping?

Rider swapping was amazing for us!! They let one of you go and give the other the rider swap pass. It's even better if you can fastpass those attractions. Only one of you needs a fastpass and the other can use the riderswap. There was a time we did a ride swap for 7DMT and my hubby was so comfy sitting with the napping munchkin I got to go twice!

5) We do plan on making dining reservations. Tips on times, timing, etc with naps and perceived temper tantrums?

We tried to do our dinner reservations as close to our dinner time at home as possible so we could do our best to keep to bed times. We didn't schedule too many TS lunches, just quick service. Surprisingly our toddler would always fall asleep in his stroller right before lunchtime, so my husband and I would have a quiet QS lunch, save a plate for the little guy and when he woke up we would pull off at a bench or empty quiet space and let him eat and stretch his legs.


6) Equipment to pack for pools for a 1 year old?
It was a little too cold on our trip to take our guy to the pool. But we have traveled to places with pools before. Swimsuit with rash guard, flotation device, and swim diapers. We like the reusable, washable ones.

7) Park/hotel/pool scheduling tips?

Half days!! For us this was the live saver. We only had one open to 8pm day, and it was A LOT for our toddler. The best days for us were the ones where we rope dropped, ate lunch at the park, headed back to the resort for nap, (possible swimming), and ADR. Or sleeping in/breakfast ADR,(maybe some pool time), nap and then head out for an evening in the park. We didn't get a chance to see the fireworks, because they were all after kiddo's bedtime, but with two weeks you may be able to tweak naptime a bit so your little one won't be cranky. Also we did park day, morning rest/night park, rest day, rope drop morning/rest evening, rope drop morning/rest evening, full park day in that order. Liked to make sure the little guy had plenty of rest so we wouldn't have meltdowns. They still happened every once in a while, but this planning helped all of us enjoy our vacation instead of being pushed to our max. This is where your two weeks may come in handy.

8) Stroller security?

This was a lot easier than I thought. We just made sure to keep an organized diaperbag backpack and kept the stuff in the stroller to a minimum. They check the bag and the stroller then each parent goes through one a time while the other stands with the kid and stroller. Don't even need to take them out at security. You get the hang of it and your system down after a couple days.

Have fun!! There is nothing better (in my opinion), as a Disney lover, than seeing it through your child's eyes. Out of the double digit times we have been to Disney it was the best trip we ever had!

[/QUOTE]

 

[EilonwyWanderer]

1) We're going for 2 weeks in November. Is that too long for his first time? We're planning a bunch of break days. We're not doing a park a day.

Everything will be fine so long as you stick to his schedule! Head back to take naps during his normal nap time, make sure he's eating when he needs to, etc. I think our daughter was...21 months or so when we brought her for the first time and it was pure Disney magic...unless we scheduled to try to eat at a sit down restaurant in the middle of what was usually nap time. So don't just schedule break days from parks--schedule DAILY breaks from the parks!

2) We'll be in Animal Kingdom Jambo House.

We were at Kidani Village and she LOVED just staying and looking at the animals. LOVED it. She would actually wheel her stroller over to the balcony, climb up, and sit there eating Cheerios in the morning.

3) We're renting a car. We ALWAYS do. We like Disney Transport...we just don't like waiting for it. We'll have his car seat.

Probably a good idea! Buses from AKL to anywhere but AK were...hectic.

4) My wife is not an "adventurous rides" person. That being said...have you had good luck with rider swapping?

We didn't do ride swapping (I was pregnant at the time), but I saw lots of families doing it and it seemed pretty easy.

5) We do plan on making dining reservations. Tips on times, timing, etc with naps and perceived temper tantrums?

DON'T SCHEDULE DURING NAPS. I repeat. DON'T SCHEDULE DURING NAPS. Your whole trip will be a LOT smoother if you just agree that you're on HIS schedule. Babies don't know what vacation really is. They want routine. You can keep the routine and still have fun!

6) Equipment to pack for pools for a 1 year old?

I don't really think you need anything since you'll probably mostly be holding him. Swim hat and a swim shirt with long sleeves will help keep away Florida sunburn.

7) Park/hotel/pool scheduling tips?

Again, stick to his schedule. We would leave pretty early in the morning, then make sure we were back to the hotel either around 11 if we were going to eat lunch there or 11:45 if we had already eaten lunch so that she could sleep from 12-3. Then it was up and back to a park for awhile, then usually back to the hotel by 7. Honestly, it was a really great vacation and we only ever had problems if we kept her out during naptime or bedtime. We did take her out one evening each to see fireworks at MK and Epcot, but we made sure to let her sleep as much as possible those days.

8) Stroller security?

I was a little worried by this, but it was fine. Maybe we got lucky, but the only thing that ever happened was that employees would move the stroller over to make more room while we were on a ride.

 

[MuggleMel]

We've tried naps and no naps. We found that when we tried to leave the park to go back and sleep it was more trouble than it was worth. Packing and driving back and forth took so much time and then they were too excited to sleep anyway. Our second trip we just stayed in the park and they fell asleep when they needed to in the stroller. I would just suggest not having too many park days in a row. That's when we have melt downs.