First trip with infant...Advice?

[poohj80]

Hi all!

It's been awhile since I've been on the DIS Boards or to WDW due to the birth of our first child. Her first trip to WDW will be for a couple of days at the end of October and then a week in early December. The days in October will be for us to get a feel for what it's like to visit with an infant and to teach us to slow down to her pace (plus to go to MNSSHP ) so we will hopefully have a more enjoyable time in Dec.

For you pros who have already experienced WDW with children, can you please offer your best tips for touring WDW with an infant? We know we'll need to slow down to her pace and take advantage of the Baby Centers in the parks (we know where the MK Baby Center is but not the other parks). What are the must haves? What should we not forget to pack?

We are waffling on renting a stroller vs. bringing our own (we're driving). Since we've read the rental strollers don't recline, we thought having our own would be better especially during MNSSHP. Our current umbrella stroller doesn't recline, and our stroller that does recline is too bulky to bring along. We're thinking of investing in an umbrella stroller which reclines specifically for trips since it will fold to a smaller size than our big stroller and we will have recouped the cost vs. renting after just a couple trips. Does this sound like a good idea? If so, can you suggest a good, reclining umbrella stroller with a basket underneath for carrying a few things?

Thanks for any tips you may offer!

PJ

 

[all4fun]

Hi,
Congrats on the new baby! I think a reclining stroller with a good sunshade and basket is a good investment, especially if you'll be using it in the parks a decent amount of time. It doesn't take long at all really to recoup the cost. How much do you want to spend though? I really like this stroller: Chicco Cortina if I were still in the market for one. OneStepAhead has this travel stroller on sale for $40. We currently use a Kidco LS2000 which we bought off of ebay a couple of years ago. It is holding up OK after several Disney trips. Prior to buying that one we used our big clunker, the Jeep Liberty All-Terrain 3-wheeler at WDW and it was really comfy for ds, he napped in it well and I loved the big air-filled tires, but the thing just took too much trunk space with all the luggage so that is why we bought the more compact LS2000 to travel with.

As far as what not to forget ... You didn't say how old your baby will be exactly, but I would definitely bring sunscreen if she's over 6mos, and at least one extra outfit in your baby bag while in the parks... you know the obvious stuff, I'm sure. If you're staying on property then IMO there's no need to overpack because you can always head back to your room for a break. After our first couple of trips I realized I didn't need to bring a whole lot of extra stuff for ds, other than make sure we had enough diapers, but that was me.

I hth!

 

[poohj80]

Thanks for the help!

Our little one will be 7.5 months when we take her. We know these trips will be more for us than her, but we still can't wait to introduce her to our happy place.

We were looking at this Combi Stroller as a possibility but it's hard to tell how good it would be just from the pix online. Our big comfy stroller is also the 3 wheeled Jeep so you understand why we need something smaller.

 

[DisneyVetMom]

We just got back from WDW a couple weeks ago, I was just 3 months pregnant, we had a 9 month old a 7 year old and a 10 year old and it was me and my husband. We had fun. Megan(the 9 month old) did great! She slept during the fireworks at MK!!!! She is a very laid back go with the flow baby so it was easy with her. The one thing I wish I had more of at the park was puffs, the ones they eat that dissolve in their mouth, since her lunch dinner schedule wasn't the same as ours these were a good distraction. I also attached some toys to the stroller that were a big help and since we went in August we attached a fan to the tray on the stroller and that helped keep her cool. We would put some water in the fan to spray on her to help. The other thing I wish I had was a rain shade and a bigger sun shade, some parts of the park you can't get away from the sun and it would shine right in on her. We had a great time, she slept in most of the shows and rides (Pirates she slept through) also bring a baby carrier the front ones, it makes it a lot easier to hold onto the baby while on rides like Pirates. I would definitely bring your own stroller, the lines to get the rental ones were ridiculous and at some parks they trade around the park strollers. It was also invaluable when getting on the ferry to go to the parking lot or at DTD. If I think of anything else I will post it here, or if you have any questions about what we did with her and things just pm me. You will have a great time and this is a good age when they aren't really scared of the characters, Megan smiled a big smile at Pooh bear!

 

[tlmdisney]

Our first trip was with dd 4 and dd 11 months. I guess we followed our childrens ques as far as how long to stay at the park. Also for naps with out having to leave the park show like the hall of president in magic kingdom are great! Also making use of the play areas, it gets boring for the little ones to have to stay in the stroller all day. Have a great trip and congrats on your baby!

 

[justwinnie]

Congrats on the baby!

I would definitely recommend bringing a stroller rather than renting one for your baby-- the rental ones are more suitable for older kids (one and up) and your little one probably isn't sitting up that well yet. The strollers from MK, AK, and Epcot are low to the ground, not padded, and not very shock absorbing. MGM ones that are more like jogging-strollers.

The travel stroller from One Step Ahead that all4fun posted is made by Combi-- my cousin has it. I own a Combi Savvy Soho and bought it specifically for a trip to WDW-- I was going with DD alone. It's a great stroller for travelling. Easy to fold, light, compact. It reclines nicely, though not a full recline. More importantly, it has a great shade. However the basket is on the small side and everything has to be removed in order to fold it. http://www.combistrollers.com/

Another plus-- It's also a bit lower priced than other umbrella strollers. I have the Peg Perego Pliko and I use the Combi more.

One thing to note about Combi's- they may feel wobbly, but they're sturdy. They have an independent wheel suspension system.

Disney Baby Care centers:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/common/guestServicesDetail?id=GuestServicesBabyCareDetailPage

They have baby food and other baby essentials available for sale in case you forget anything. Not too overpriced either. If it's a bit too hot out, the baby centers are a great way to cool off and get some quiet.

Good luck! Have fun!

 

[poohj80]

Thanks so much to all!

We've never gone around Halloween so I don't know how hot it will be and if we'll need the fans or misters like you would during the summer, but the larger sun shade is probabaly a good idea in FL any time. I also want to get one of the stroller rain covers for the afternoon thunderstorms.

One question I forgot to ask...how does baby swap work? DH and I are hoping not to miss all the good rides, especially since we haven't ridden Everest yet since it opened when I was pregnant.

Ok, I thought of another question. I don't know if this will be a problem in a month and a half, but currently DD is a supported sitter so doesn't do well in restaurant high chairs yet (still using infant carrier). Do WDW restauarant high chairs have straps/seatbelts?

 

[Love the Mouse]

Congrats.

Our first trip with our daughter to WDW was when she was 6 months old. We did bring the big stoller the first time...not recommended. After that trip we invested in a reclining stoller that we found at Babies R US. It reclines, has a sun shade, basket underneath, and a rain cover. For me as well, I am tall and this stoller fit me better than the typical umbrella stoller. It seems to be longer in the arms.

I also found at Babies R Us, little hooks to put on the stoller. The are plastic and in the shape of an "S". These were fantastic for holding all of those bags that you seem to accumulate in Disney and still leave room for other stuff under the stroller.

We also brought the infant backpack. She loved being in that and it was so much easier than having to carry her when she didn't want to be in the stoller. Now she is 2 and I wish she could fit in the backpack.

As far as bottles, I bought disposable ones at Babies R US. Avent puts them out. You just have to bring your own nipples and rings. But I found that it was just easier to toss the bottles at the end of the trip. I was still breast feeding at the time too, but the bottles gave me another option.

I actually found that it was a much easier trip with her as a 6 month old than now as a 2 year old. We leave in 1 week and I am looking forward to it...sort of. We went in May when she was almost 2 and I swore that I would not do it again. I must have some brain cells missing to do it again. LOL

Good luck

Michaela

Fort Wilderness 1986, Fort Wilderness 1988 Treehouse Villas 1991, Off Property 1998, Off Property 2000, OKW 2001 2x, Disney Cruise 2002, Off Property 2003, VWL 2004 Christmas Party, Vero 2005 2x, OKW 2005, BW 2006, BW coming up 2006 Halloween Party

 

[katerkat]

Get the Combi!! I tested a bunch of umbrella strollers for our upcoming trip and finally bought a Combi Cosmo DX off eBay last week. (And now I'm jealous - I wanted the Merlot but couldn't find it!!) It reclines pretty deep and is very padded. And folds up small and easily. The basket is small and you can't get into it when the seat is reclined, though.

Russ went to DL in September last year and they're exactly 1 year apart in age. He loved almost everything in Fantasyland. And Pirates. But especially It's A Small World. The baby swap system was pretty easy. And he was at a stage where he napped very easily in his stroller, so one adult just stayed with the stroller when he was asleep. Every ride has a different swapping system, so ask the CM in front.

I can't remember what we did in restuarants - I know at Blue Bayou (table service) they let us bring in the stroller because he was asleep.

 

[poohj80]

Get the Combi!! I tested a bunch of umbrella strollers for our upcoming trip and finally bought a Combi Cosmo DX off eBay last week. (And now I'm jealous - I wanted the Merlot but couldn't find it!!)

Thanks so much for your recommendation, I just ordered it. Since it was on closeout I was afraid to wait much longer. We did look at the Combi DX at BRU and liked what we saw and we couldn't see much difference between the EX and DX. I also ordered the rain cover and got free shipping so I am now one step closer for being prepared to tackle the World with our little one.

I really do appreciate all the help and thanks for the tip on taking the carrier with us. DH had mentioned that too but I wasn't sure if she'd get too warm.

 

[yesallmine]

You are going to see the park through new eyes!!! We took our daughter (born Mar 25) at Thanksgiving and she did fantastic. We NEVER returned to the hotel to nap and she was perfect --not completely on schedule but no one was!! We took our larger stroller to the park though I brought both because it gave her a more comfortable place for sleeping and better sun coverage.Also the basket was large enough for the whole day worth of stuff. December will be slow enough that you shouldnt have a problem with it on the bus or monarail (we stayed at POR). We had no problem with ours --not as easy as being hands free but thats just not life with baby!! Take lots of receiving blankets. We used them for sun shade--germ barriers-- extra padding in seats --you name it. She will be better at sitting alone by the time you go. You will be amazed--most start to sit alone around six monthes. The extra blankets will help. have a great time.

 

[cinnamon-sugah]

We took DS when he was 11 months old. He loved it. The one tip I would give is that if you use a particular brand of diaper bring it with you. They only sell one brand on property. I think it was huggies but I'm not sure.

 

[WDWBetsy]

PJ,

Thanks for posting this question. DH and I will be taking our daughter in late January 2007 for her first trip - she'll be about 7 months. We're planning on taking it easy and just enjoying ourselves - no rushing around for us this time.

Hope you have a wonderful time.

 

[poohj80]

I'll definitely come back and post how we all do after our Oct trip in hopes of helping others like us out!

 

[justwinnie]

Hi Again...

If you're going to bring your infant carrier, I'd suggest looking into whether or not you'd be able to snap it into your new Combi stroller-- they have some sort of attatchment clips available on their website.

Or, maybe you can go for the Snap N Go stroller frame:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00008XL2W?v=glance
It's not currently available from Amazon, but you can find it at BRU and lots of other stores. I loved using the Snap N Go when my daughter was still in the infant carrier.

One other thing you might consider is a high-chair cover.
http://www.cleanshopper.com/

I actually have the CleanShopper (grocery cart cover) and I'm able to use it in restaurant highchairs. There will be extra fabric, but it doesn't seem to be a big deal. DD is now 3 and I still use it on the grocery carts (she doesn't do high chairs anymore). Anyway, this brand is a bit less expensive than others I've seen in stores. If you have Marshall's near you, I've seen it there for $20ish. I love it and I just drop it in the washing machine weekly. I was especially thankful for it when DD started teething and would try to bite the shopping cart handle. GROSS-- I had seen lots of kids doing it, so that motivated me to buy it.

The other good thing about it is the strap. If you find the grocery cart of high chair has broken straps (as they usually do) you can still use the one on the Clean shopper-- Just thread it through the cart or high-chair.

Oh, their denim fabric is on sale for $19.99... great deal! Nice and neutral!

Have a good time. As another poster said, it's easier when they're this young than when they're 2 or 3. DD has been 5 or 6 times, starting when she was 16 months old. Sooo much easier then! I'm actually dreading our upcoming trip (9/27 - 10/3) because of her recent behavior. At least she's now potty trained, so no more diapers!

 

[pigget74]

We went this past May and my little man was barely 8 mths. Make sure you pack enough diapers and wipes--they only sell certain kinds at the shops or babycare center. The same goes with formula and baby food. He is on the powder formula so that worked great for the parks. One thing I would have done different (might be because we went end of May) is to take the individual servings of juice. We did this because he ran out of juice one day and the little jug of juice when we diluted it made 2 bottles. Did not have to worry about it spilling in bag. Bibsters were great as we used these and tossed them after every meal. Make sure you bring enough spoons. I didn't like the toss'm spoons sold in the stores. We clipped toys to his stroller and he was set. We also took his carrier for when we had to wait in lines or if he just needed a break from the stroller. He is a very laid back kid. Can't wait togo back in November and March. I am sure these trips are going to be different. As far as snacks ---Dollar General sells Mickey shaped graham crackers and they are pretty small. He ate these and also the gerber snacks that disolve in the mouth. He tried french fires for the first time and that helped usget through dinner several times. Have a great trip.

 

[poohj80]

If you're going to bring your infant carrier, I'd suggest looking into whether or not you'd be able to snap it into your new Combi stroller-- they have some sort of attatchment clips available on their website.

Sorry if I confused anyone - we'll bring the Baby Bjorn but not the full seat infant carrier into the parks, that's much more than we'll want to deal with.

DH is concerned about taking DD on the darker rides like Pirates or Haunted Mansion for fear she'll be scared. I'm thinking she's too young to be afraid of the dark. What has your experience been?

I hadn't thought about what to do if DD is asleep when we enter a restaurant - I guess wait for a booth so we can lay her down if strollers are allowed.

 

[all4fun]

Sorry if I confused anyone - we'll bring the Baby Bjorn but not the full seat infant carrier into the parks, that's much more than we'll want to deal with.

DH is concerned about taking DD on the darker rides like Pirates or Haunted Mansion for fear she'll be scared. I'm thinking she's too young to be afraid of the dark. What has your experience been?

I hadn't thought about what to do if DD is asleep when we enter a restaurant - I guess wait for a booth so we can lay her down if strollers are allowed.

We went the first time when ds was 13 mos (but 10mos developmentally since he was also a preemie). We took him on all the rides that he was allowed on. He wasn't bothered by Pirates or HM at all...as a matter of fact, HM became known as the "nap ride" when we wanted him to go down for a nap, we'd head on over there. The Doom Buggies always rocked him to sleep. Now getting him off the ride w/out waking him was the challenge, lol. Attractions that did bother him were the 4-D type shows like Mickey's Philharmagic. I don't think it was the darkness that bothered him though, it was the very loud noise and the other special effects like wind blowing through the theater that set him off. If you try those you might want to sit near the exit doors so you can make an early exit if your baby starts to fuss (should you choose to view the attraction). We got stuck in the middle of the theater and found it extremely difficult to leave once our child started screaming his head off. Big mistake on our part!

As far as what to do if your child is sleeping when you want to sit down at a TS restaurant...they will allow your stroller in if your baby is sleeping. We had this happen more than once and it was so nice to be able to eat somewhere besides a CS restuarant and not have to wake our ds when our table was ready.

hth!

 

[katerkat]

Russ wasn't scared in the least of the dark rides at six months old. We took him on everything we could and he was fascinated by it all.

 

[pigget74]

Little man was not afraid on HM and PC was closed while we were there. He did everything that we could do with him and i ditto for the loud rides sit were you can get out if needed. Have a great trip.