Going with an infant

[SomDayMyPrnceWillCom]

This will be my first trip with a baby. My DD was 11 the first time we went to WDW and so I'm just looking for some tips. I am taking a stroller and it has a nice canopy shade and reclines but doesn't lie flat. However, he tends to sleep better upright anyway bc of sinus problems. I was told to also take a baby carrier (the strap in your front/back kind) bc stroller parking at rides is far away from actual boarding. I've never paid much attention to the distance since we didn't have to before, but carrying a 5 month old for a long time could make for a tiring day. If you used a baby carrier, what kind is the best? Was it useful in the parks?

I know about the baby stations so if we need a cool break, we can utilize those. He'll just have started eating baby food so I know to bring all of his baby supplies with us. We're driving so that's not a problem. My daughter is 18 now and it's her graduation trip so I want her to have an awesome vacation as well. He's a good natured baby and loves riding in his stroller and looking at everything, but I know to prepare for anything.

Any other tips or advice that really saved you with an infant? We are going June 5-11 and staying at AoA.

 

[Art 1]

My tip would be to leave a 5 month old at home, or take a nanny along.

Not a popular tip on the dis, I know. But that's what I would do.

 

[eangel12]

Babies are easier to take along than toddlers in my opinion!! I had a few carriers that we loved. We used the Ergo carrier, Baby Bjorn and sling. We liked them all. Just monitor the baby'a temp because June is HOT!! Are you breast feeding or bottle feeding? Make sure baby gets lots of fluids! Baby center is great for breaks and letting baby sleep in stroller in shade is good too.

 

[Miumiu4me]

My tip would be to leave a 5 month old at home, or take a nanny along. Not a popular tip on the dis, I know. But that's what I would do.

I've been taking my 7 month old since she was 3 months. Disney is an easy place to take an easy going baby.


There are huge baby centers at each park where you can take the baby to change/nurse/etc. A lot of the rides are baby friendly.

Just be wary of sunburn; the Florida sun can be rough on baby's skin.5 months may be old enough for sunscreen.

I use the Bjorn for rides. Otherwise, she rides in her stroller or we carry her.

 

[Burnedout]

Assume you will have to operate on his schedule. You may miss some things but in the end the trip will have far less stressful memories. I've taken all line since they were a couple of months old. Every trip has had wonderful special moments.

 

[jm106]

Such an easy age to take along.
I liked my Moby wrap and alternated with Mei Tai. Easy in lines to baby wear, my kids napped in it(in Nemo show, on safari, living with the land.)
I took ziploc with a small pkg wipes, diaper and disposable changing pad rather then big diaper bag.
Soft sided cooler with drinks and food

 

[SomDayMyPrnceWillCom]

I'm bottle feeding and use powder formula so can mix it up fairly easy. He'll be eating some baby food by then also.

Leaving him or getting a nanny isn't an option. Even if I don't get to ride one ride, it's still not worth me leaving him for a week and I want to take my DD for her graduation. I'm fully expecting to have to change plans as we go but my daughter is old enough to ride and go on her own also. With my friends from FL meeting us, she will have company to ride with too.

I'll have to look into which carrier I like best and have it handy when I have to park the stroller for rides that may have long Ques.

Yes, I will be aware of the heat and sun- sunscreen. I live on the Gulf Coast of MS and will have to be aware of it at home just as much.

 

[WeGoDisney04]

We took our son at 9 months and it was one of the easiest trips to the World that we've had. I could not imagine leaving him at home. Now, this year, he is a full blown toddler and that I feel is a whole different can of worms lol. With that said, it rained a lot on that trip so I would suggest bringing a stroller cover

 

[Miumiu4me]

I'm bottle feeding and use powder formula so can mix it up fairly easy. He'll be eating some baby food by then also. Leaving him or getting a nanny isn't an option. Even if I don't get to ride one ride, it's still not worth me leaving him for a week and I want to take my DD for her graduation. I'm fully expecting to have to change plans as we go but my daughter is old enough to ride and go on her own also. With my friends from FL meeting us, she will have company to ride with too. I'll have to look into which carrier I like best and have it handy when I have to park the stroller for rides that may have long Ques. Yes, I will be aware of the heat and sun- sunscreen. I live on the Gulf Coast of MS and will have to be aware of it at home just as much.

You'll be fine. It's surprising how many rides are baby friendly. Our baby has done the safari, Toy Story, Maelstorm - she's always in her carrier though since those rides are jerky and I'm paranoid.

 

[ten822]

I brought both of my kids when they were around 9 months old. I used the bjorn carrier. They went on almost every ride except the roller coaster type, and usually in the carrier on the ride. Babies that young (esp. 5 months) don't really get scared yet so we never had a problem with rides. We were never the type to go back to hotel for naps. My kids always slept in stroller and we would take a break or get a snack while they slept. We drove from NJ, so we packed the car with playpen, pool toys, you name it! Baby centers are amazing! I actually miss having to use them (lol)! They are air conditioned, clean, have full sized changing tables, highchairs, sell baby supplies, etc.. Great invention.
My suggestion is have the 18 yr old watch the baby one night so you can enjoy a nice adult dinner!
Have fun!

 

[lazer]

I'd suggest an ergo carrier. Check to see if any local baby boutiques sell them, most let you try them on in store and see now they fit. My husband was comfy with it too and my son loves it (at 5 months and 15 months). It's has a great "hood" for kids too.

Sounds like you're pretty aware of how hot it is ... My son lived in his hat and we applied sunscreen often.

5 months was an easy trip with my son, have fun and let him nap in the stroller in some shade.

 

[Infamousmare]

Oh, gosh, I went with my 4-month-old 2 years ago and had a BALL! (I also had a 5- and 7-year old, as well).

I was a nursing mama and she wasn't eating any sort of baby food yet, so I nursed all over the park. And no, I'm not one of the take-your-shirt-off-and-show-the-world-your-goods type people. I swear by the ring slings and still own my Over the Shoulder Baby Holder that's now no longer in production. It was super easy to either lay her down to sleep or hold her upright - and it was fabulous for discreetly nursing her. Also, it doubled as an extra stroller shade.

I diapered her both in the stroller and in the restrooms, just depended on where we were and what the bathroom lines were like. Again, she was teeny so this really didn't matter much.

I was able to take her very easily onto the kiddie rides, like Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, Small Word, and even Buzz Lightyear's Space Spin. I just held her in my lap and all was well.

On my stroller (I brought a Chicco Liteway) I had a Protect-a-Bub shade, which was clutch for keeping the sun off of her. Those shades are available on Amazon and fit most strollers. I have used that thing since my oldest was a baby and it is wonderful!

One of the best things I did was to pare down the diaper bag. I packed 3 large ziplocs with an outfit in each one. This way, if she spit up for had a diaper blowout, I could get my clean outfit out of the bag and put the dirty one in. I also had another large Ziploc with diapers, wipes and cream. When I needed to change her, it was all in one place.

She wasn't drinking from a bottle, but the next year (when she was just over a year old), she was. I found it much easier to buy cold water in the park than to carry water around with me. If your little one drinks from a bottle, buy the water there. It gets warm in the stroller FAST (unless you bring a cooler) and nobody likes tepid water.

Have a GREAT time! Traveling to WDW with a baby really isn't that tough if you just do a little extra planning.

 

[ferd]

The canopy on your stroller may not be enough with the hot Florida Sun. You may look into purchasing a 'Shady Baby' (basically a parasol/umbrella) which attaches to your stroller and can be repositioned in a host of ways to block the sun as it (and you) move around and change directions. You can also purchase one of those water misting fans and battery operated fans to help your little one stay cool. They also make something called a 'Chilly Pad' (walmart sells them) and you just get them wet and they stay nice and cool and are great to cool off little limbs and cheeks in the intense heat.

Dress your little one cooly and constantly apply sunscreen. Keep them hydrated. Make sure your stroller is a good one for collapsing easily, manuerving through massive crowds and for your little one to rest well in. Also mark it well so you can spot it in a sea of 1,000 strollers.

 

[lazer]

Yes, chilly pads are great (we use the frogg togg brand) for putting under their legs in the stroller, or over the back!

 

[Mamato3Princes]

We took our DD for the first time last month. The first trip was for 4 days and the 2nd one was for 5 days. She was 7 months at the time. We brought our stroller and our Ergo and Tula carriers. We only put her in the stroller maybe once or twice. I mainly wore her in the carrier. We will never do it any other way! It made things so easy. We left the stroller at the hotel, so we didn't have to worry about parking the stroller. My DH wore a backpack that had all of our stuff in it. It made the trip so much simpler.

Waiting on lines was easier because I wasn't getting arm cramps from holding my DD (she's 20lbs). If she fell asleep, we didn't have to worry about pulling her out of the stroller and waking her up so we could get on a ride or go in to see a show. I just wore her on the ride (the ones she could ride on, of course) or during the show. I breastfeed, so I just nursed her in the carrier and threw the hood over her head for some privacy and just kept going to our destination. It took away a lot of stress and made the trips a breeze.

I will definitely be wearing her for our May trip. I have back issues, too and I had no back pain from wearing her all day. It didn't make me any more tired then I normally am after a day in the parks. I say, definitely take your baby to Disney! Leaving them at home isn't necessary. She was easier then her 3 year old brother was, that's for sure!

 

[KelleyK75]

Most of the time babies are pretty easy in the parks. Just make sure the stroller has a cover to keep the baby out of the sun. You could get a little hat for him too and use sunscreen, but make sure you test out the sunscreen before you go. My nephew breaks out with certain sunscreens and can only use the sensitive ones.

Also most of the stroller parking isn't too far from the rides. The only one that I noticed was a little far was in Fantasyland you parked it way down by Rapunzel's tower, and had to walk up a little for Peter Pan's Flight or It's a Small World. But you can leave the stroller as long as you want, so even if you park it and leave it there for awhile while you go all around a certain area, it will be ok there. Just take a nice piece of fabric or something to tie around your stroller handle so it's easy to spot your stroller in that sea of strollers. We did that this time and it was really nice to have.

Something else nice to have is the disposable placemats. Disney can be a really germy place and babies like to put their hands all over the table. Those work nicely so you don't have to worry about the germs.

 

[mousefan73]

As yourself and others have mentioned the main thing is the heat and sun.
Especially in those baby carriers, it can get hot in them as their core is kept warm. 5 months is also a good age. I wouldn't take a newborn as I wouldnt be fit and the baby less immunity (crowds) , but 5 months is good.

The only other thing I would do and it sounds crazy is bring a blanket for the indoors. I myself get sick from going from hot and humid to chilling cold A/C-


If i had a baby, I'd be swaddling it loosly before getting on any Disney bus ( freeeeeeezing cold ) or indoors.

And I agree, a 5 month is waaaay less stressy than a 2 yr old.

 

[mousefan73]

And if you are in Epcot,, living in the land, is a perfect baby ride, cool, quiet, barely rocking... naptime!!

 

[cseca]

You're going in a hot month I suggest getting a really good sunshade for your stroller (protectabub) has great ones as another pp has posted.
Bring a stroller fan and take lots of breaks.
That is for your sanity more than the baby's

Baby carrier would be useful during :
1. Bus ride
2. Waiting in a long line for rides
Other than that I think stroller would be more convenient.

Also it gets HOT being attached to a baby for a long period of time under the sun.

I've done trips with a 9mo, 1.5yo while prego and a 6mo+2yo. Granted not during summer, but we had fun on all our trips
We learnt a new touring plan every time lol.

Enjoy!

 

[CaryHaven]

This will be my first trip with a baby. My DD was 11 the first time we went to WDW and so I'm just looking for some tips. I am taking a stroller and it has a nice canopy shade and reclines but doesn't lie flat. However, he tends to sleep better upright anyway bc of sinus problems. I was told to also take a baby carrier (the strap in your front/back kind) bc stroller parking at rides is far away from actual boarding. I've never paid much attention to the distance since we didn't have to before, but carrying a 5 month old for a long time could make for a tiring day. If you used a baby carrier, what kind is the best? Was it useful in the parks?

I know about the baby stations so if we need a cool break, we can utilize those. He'll just have started eating baby food so I know to bring all of his baby supplies with us. We're driving so that's not a problem. My daughter is 18 now and it's her graduation trip so I want her to have an awesome vacation as well. He's a good natured baby and loves riding in his stroller and looking at everything, but I know to prepare for anything.

Any other tips or advice that really saved you with an infant? We are going June 5-11 and staying at AoA.

It will be fine. I've done this before, and even though I have several slings, they get hot and heavy. My kids always preferred the strollers. They napped when they wanted and weren't strapped to your body heat. I HIGHLY suggest a battery-operated fan. You can get them on Amazon or they had them at the Orlando Walmart six months ago for about $11. Have a great trip!