Gay Days with Baby in Tow?

[MinaFemme]

Hi all, I am new to the DIS boards. My partner and I are thinking of going to WDW for Gay Days 2012 with our baby boy who will be 20 months old at the time. We've never been to Disney during Gay Days, so we are not certain on what to expect, we would love to be there to represent our two-mommy family, but wonder if it will be really crowded and not as baby-friendly. Any advice? Are there many other LGBT families that go as well! Thanks!

 

[DrGaellon]

Hi all, I am new to the DIS boards. My partner and I are thinking of going to WDW for Gay Days 2012 with our baby boy who will be 20 months old at the time. We've never been to Disney during Gay Days, so we are not certain on what to expect, we would love to be there to represent our two-mommy family, but wonder if it will be really crowded and not as baby-friendly. Any advice? Are there many other LGBT families that go as well! Thanks!

There are LOTS of LGBT families, especially in recent years. It is, however, QUITE crowded (not as bad as July, but certainly more than March or April) and can be very uncomfortable weather-wise (hot and humid). Recognize that a 20-month old is not very likely to remember a family vacation as he gets older; if you want to go for you and your partner, that's fine, but if you're doing it for him, you might want to wait another two or three years until he's old enough to actually enjoy it and remember it.

 

[Chuck S]

Outside of the hot weather in June, you shouldn't have any problems. The most crowded park tends to be the Magic Kingdom on GayDay saturday, but it is not too crowded to navigate and really enjoy. Just be sure you make any table service lunch or dinner reservations as soon as the booking window opens.

It is as baby friendly as any other day in the park.

 

[jrtoastyman]

My wife and I just returned from a trip with DD2, and while we didn't go for Gay Days, it happened to coincide with Gay Days, and I didn't think the crowds were all that bad. Granted, we typically avoided the designated park in anticipation of bigger crowds, but we nevertheless found ourselves at that "official" Gay Day park a couple of times during our trip, and even then, the crowds were very manageable. That week would otherwise be relatively slow since a lot of kids are still wrapping up school, so it isn't as if the Gay Day crowds are coming into an already crowded park.

Also, I'm not sure how important it is for you to be at the "official" Gay Day park for the day, but I can tell you that at the other parks, the crowds were really a non-issue. Worst case scenario, you know you can always escape to one of the other parks if the crowds are too large. It really comes down to whether it's more important to you to have shorter wait times, or be a part of Gay Days. We saw plenty of red during our trip regardless of where we were, though, so there were very clearly plenty of attendees that had opted out of the "official" park on some days to take advantage of the smaller crowds at the other parks. With that said, though, with a 20 month old, you're probably going to be focused upon activities other than those that tend to rack up the bigger lines anyway.

I can't honestly tell you if there were a lot of LGBT families in attendance, but there were definitely some.

Regardless of when you go, have fun!

 

[MommaMouse411]

the parks are always family friendly no matter whats going on. There is plenty to do with a 20month old..the weather during this time is hot and humid...so if you can I would stay on site (Disney resort)...also the crowd capacity is always higher during these times (Gay Days or not)...so just plan for plenty of breaks...its doable...plus there are baby centers at each park that you can take breaks in if you don't want to keep heading back to hotel. I've been taking my boys since 6month old..we always had a good time..Well I always had a good time watching their eyes light up...like what in the Disney World is that huge mouse looking at?

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Another DISer and her partner brought their beautiful baby girl last year when she was about 7 mos. old, and she was back this year! She seemed to be having a fabulous time when I saw her Friday night and Saturday morning!

 

[mickeysaver]

We didn't take our great niece to WDW for Gay Days this past year, but we have taken her to MK and EP several times now. The first time, she was 13 and a half months old and we are planning to take her back on Sunday and she will be 18 months old then. We really enjoy our trips with her because it's so much fun seeing the parks through her little eyes. She loves Princess Tiana. Each meeting with her has been so magical. The first meeting with Mickey Mouse was awesome too. She was in awe. She constantly hunts hidden Mickey's in books and around our house. She's a Mickey nut already, which is totally fine at our house. MeMe is what she calls Mickey and MeHe is what she calls Minnie.

The thing to remember about taking a baby at that age is that the visit isn't about the rides, but rather about spending time as a family and enjoying the experience with your little one. This will not be a vacation, because you will still be Mama. You will still be changing diapers and all of that stuff, but honestly, I think it's so worth it. Plan on bringing extra changes of clothes, some favorite snacks, sippy cups with extra fluids, a stroller, a special huggable stroller buddy, some small toys/books, a wet baby washcloth in a ziploc bag (trust me, it can be a lifesaver), and your sense of humor. Be prepared to let your little one walk up to the characters, because we have found that if we hold the baby, she tenses up around the characters, but if we just let her walk up there, she's fine. So far, no rides that are "safe" for her age and height have been problematic. She loves to fall asleep in the Haunted Mansion, so obviously she's not disturbed by it. lol Try to keep the baby on her schedule as much as you can, but realize that nap times usually do get off schedule even with the best of plans. Just take those nap times as a chance to enjoy each other, ride a thrill ride, or maybe even snooze a little too.

Be prepared to have magic happen when you least expect it. The last time we took her to the MK, I was waiting for my partner to come back to me in Fantasyland because she was taking the stroller to the drop off point with the baby who had decided that she wanted to walk for a while, while I finished shopping. The baby loves music and she stopped suddenly in the middle of Fantasyland and wanted to dance. Gabby joined right in with her. She said that she didn't even realize that music was playing, but she enjoyed her dance with the baby with the busy crowds rushing by. It was just one of those moments that you can't plan, but it's magical and priceless. Also, the baby loves to wave and blow kisses. It was so much fun watching her blow kisses and create smiles on faces of other guests all through the park as she did so.

I do agree that if you want to make sure that you have a sit down meal, please do be prepared to make your reservations as soon as your booking window opens. The Plaza Restaurant at the MK is a favorite of ours. The place is small and feels more intimate. We all love the food there too. Other MK favorites include Cosmic Rays, Casey's Corner, and Pecos Bills. Over at EP, we haven't tried any table service with her yet. We will one day, I am sure, but for now, we really enjoy Sunshine Seasons.

If there is any thought in your mind that you might want to get that PhotoPass cd, just go ahead and purchase it a week or so in advance and save the roughly $50. Even as locals, we are finding that it's hard to go and not want to by a PhotoPass cd. There is just too much magic that they capture so perfectly to not buy the cd.

If you and your partner want to go to Gay Days for more than the gatherings at the WDW parks, then leave the little one with family or friends and go do Gay Days in style. You will enjoy it more and there will be no worries about exposing the little one to potentially inappropriate stuff.