Has anyone traveled with a baby under 1?

[starryskies]

Hi all,

We have reservations for a Grand Gathering that we are very excited about.

My DH and I have enjoyed driving down to Disney in the past when it was just the two of us, but we have a new addition in our family, our daughter. She will be 7 months old at the time of travel in August.

We can either fly or drive, but if we fly, we would not rent a car.

We love the drive down but are a bit concerned about our daughter. It is approximately 17-18 hours down from where we live. We are trying to make the best decision for her.

My concerns about flying are that we wouldn't be able to bring everything we need for her without getting charged a steep amount for everything we would need to check. If we decided to purchase her goods there, we would need to hire a service with a grocery stop instead of taking ME, costing even more. Then I would be constantly worried about having everything, etc. and her safety on buses, plus waiting for buses in the August heat.

If we were to drive, we would be able to stop halfway if needed to stay overnight somewhere. We would be able to take and pack everything she could possibly need, including her own pack n play, etc. Driving is fun for us, and the rest of our Grand Gathering crew would be caravaning with us. I just want to be sure I'm not making a poor decision by doing something that is too hard on her.

Some info about my daughter, she sleeps for 12 hours through the night (wakes up once just to feed/ change) and is a dream baby in general. She is extremely easy going and loves being in the car. She routinely drives an hour plus to different locations and simply sleeps or plays quietly with car seat toys the entire time. I was thinking we could leave at 8 pm and she would sleep through 11 or 12 hours of the ride, and then only be awake for a few hours before her afternoon nap. I would sit in the back with her.

Which decision would you make? Driving seems so much easier for us and less stressful on me as a mom, but I don't want to prioritize money or my comfort over my daughter's. Any advice?

 

[2DisPrincesses]

Sounds to me like she would be fine with the drive- unfortunately, you won't know for sure unless you try it. We are trying the drive with our DDs(1 and 4) in June for the first time(from MI too). Our plan is the same as yours- leave a little before bedtime and hopefully they will sleep!

You sound more comfortable with driving and keeping a 1 year-old happy on as airplane is hit-or-miss anyway. Our DD(1) did fine on our return flight in November, but the flight down was exhausting for us all. She didn't cry, but was a wiggle worm to say the least.

Good Luck!

 

[2binak]

How does your DD do on longer car trips (more than an hour)? I'd hesitate to drive so far with a baby who has not traveled long distances in the car since I wouldn't know how he/she would react and I'd hate to get 1/2 way there and think "I wish we had flown". Also, you should take a baby out of their carseat every hour or two so you'll have to factor in frequent stops if you do drive down. For me, getting on a plane and getting to our destination sooner is much more relaxing than driving. I swear, our 6 hour car trips to visit family seem much longer than our 6 hour plane trips to FL.

We've flown with our DD to WDW twice. The first time, we didn't have a rental car so we ordered all of our baby supplies through wegoshop.com. They delievered them to our resort room within an hour of us checking in. We used the resort's pack 'n play and requested a portable crib (larger than a pack 'n play, but smaller than a full-sized crib you would have at home) since DD wasn't sleeping well in the pnp. It all worked really well.

We did wish we had a rental car on our first trip becaue we had some very long waits for buses at our resort. On our 2nd trip, we had a rental car and it was much nicer to come and go as we pleased. We also stopped at a local Target to get baby supplies & some food.

Hope this information helps with your decision.

 

[buzznina]

Driving sounds better, but I do not know about the not stopping part, 18 hours being strapped into a car seat is a bit much, even for a great baby. Riding in the car for an hour or two is a lot different then 17-18, especially if you are not stopping for a decent amount of time (an hour)for breaks. This was a hard thing for my DH to get use to when we had our 1st DD, when we drove on trips he only wanted to stop for gas, potty and drive thru and they all had to be done at the same stop Also; do not be surprised if she fuses about getting back into the carseat, if you are planning on driving to the parks. I do not want to sound negative but give you an idea of what could happen, so if you not want to spend more time on the road then I would look into flying. You mentioned that other family is driving, will they have room for all of you once your there, so you could drive with them to the parks? And maybe they could take some of the more essential baby stuff for you and you could fly. Just an idea.

 

[Jdougherty]

I've done both with DD. We fly frequently and take driving trips also.

At ages 4m/9m/11m/22m I have flown with her where she was a lap child and pretty much slept aslong as she had just had a bottle/sippy and her nuk (pacifier) one of those trips was to Disney at 9m. We live in Colorado so driving is out. I did have to order most of her stuff from garden grocer luckly she had just switched herself to table food. She was in a pack n play at CB ( which they provided).

At Ages 8m and 18m we drove 14hrs to visit Family in St Louis. She did great in the car but needed to get out and "play" for awhile when we got there. We left at 8pm after her bath she slept till about 2 hrs before we arrived. I was able to "pack" 90% of what I needed for her. Even at 11m and beyond DD would "chill" on the plane and in the car with a DVD/movie on. Invest in a good portable DVD player with a long life battery.

my 2 cents is Drive, DD slept better in her own pack n play,with her own sheets and stuff from home. It would have been nice to not be restricted by the items avaible on graden grocier.

This year (we are going in July) I will be flying with DD2.5 and DS9m. Due to the amount of knowledge I've found on the DIS, I am sending a box down with simlac singles, diapers (dd is ALMOST potty trained) and snacks.... so that I only have to order parishables from the store. If you are caravaning down is it possible to get another drive to go with you? That when we drove to St. Louis was SO much better ther frist time than it was with just 2.

Hope this helps let me know if you have more questions just PM me.

 

[DisneyFanDC]

We took our then-8-month-old last September and had a ball with her. We ordered most of her supplies (diapers, wipes, formula, snacks, disposable sippy cups and bibs, etc.) from diapers.com and had them delivered to the resort (free shipping). It worked beautifully! When we checked into the Poly, we just called down to bell services, and they brought our diapers.com box to our room.

 

[loveysbydesign]

We took our 5 month old and flew and it worked out great! He slept on the plane and we had Gardengrocer.com deliver our things to us that we needed. My kids have always hated long car drives/infant car seats and we would have stopped way too frequently!

 

[GrtWtNorth]

That's a long drive! And a long time to be in an akward situation if your child reacts poorly to long drives.

We took our daughter on a several 5 to 12h drives, starting when she was just two weeks old. She was usually fine, but the one time (at 10 months age) she took offense, it was a long and painful experience. She totally freaked out in last 4 hours of a 12-hour driving day. We couldn't figure out what was bothering her. She screamed bloody murder, but was fine whenever we stopped and held her. Put her back in the car seat, she would just wail. Looking back, we suspect she was just sick of being in her car-seat and was very vocal with her frustration. I'd not wish that experience on anyone.

We flew to visit WDW when DD was six months old. We rented the smallest car to get the cheapest rate ($180/wk?). We did this because we didn't know how she would react to the Disney experience and we didn't want to have to count on Disney transportation if we needed to take her to the hotel "right now". We didn't know what to expect, with respect to naps, heat, noise, breastfeeding in a strange place... We didn't know what she might react to. We needed the car for peace of mind -- it sounds like you do too.

Looking back, we have no regrets and will consider renting a car on future WDW trips with children. However we are more likely to rent just for the two or three days we really need a car, rather than for the entire vacation. We did that in Hawaii last fall. It was a bit awkward lugging her car seat on the airport shuttle bus, but it saved us +$200 in parking and rental fees, and gave us flexibility to do our own thing.

 

[daleswife]

We drove down from NC with my DS when he was 3 months old. He was an dream baby. If you think she will be ok, then go ahead and drive down. That way you can make sure you have everything you need.

 

[cassiez76]

my son took his 1st real road trip at 6 months...9 hours in the car (new orleans to knoxville). he did really well. slept alot.

then we went to disney and he was 9/10 months and was pretty much the same and that's about a 10-12 hour drive.

he'll be 18 months this week (where'd the time go!) and we've done 2 trips to baltimore (19 hours). we did stop over night, because i would have been in tears more than him. lol

we did stop a few times for him to stretch his legs...cracker barrels are our favorite spot cause they usually have clean bathrooms for changing. i found fast food places weren't that great because even though he enjoys playgrounds, those types of playgrounds weren't good for him.

since yours is younger, i'd drive. you can go at baby's pace and just enjoy the drive and crazy stops you can make.

and jealous you get to go for a G.G...my in-laws won't make up their mind, so we're not doing one this year.

 

[nlp711]

Hi all,

We have reservations for a Grand Gathering that we are very excited about.

My DH and I have enjoyed driving down to Disney in the past when it was just the two of us, but we have a new addition in our family, our daughter. She will be 7 months old at the time of travel in August.

We can either fly or drive, but if we fly, we would not rent a car.

We love the drive down but are a bit concerned about our daughter. It is approximately 17-18 hours down from where we live. We are trying to make the best decision for her.

My concerns about flying are that we wouldn't be able to bring everything we need for her without getting charged a steep amount for everything we would need to check. If we decided to purchase her goods there, we would need to hire a service with a grocery stop instead of taking ME, costing even more. Then I would be constantly worried about having everything, etc. and her safety on buses, plus waiting for buses in the August heat.

If we were to drive, we would be able to stop halfway if needed to stay overnight somewhere. We would be able to take and pack everything she could possibly need, including her own pack n play, etc. Driving is fun for us, and the rest of our Grand Gathering crew would be caravaning with us. I just want to be sure I'm not making a poor decision by doing something that is too hard on her.

Some info about my daughter, she sleeps for 12 hours through the night (wakes up once just to feed/ change) and is a dream baby in general. She is extremely easy going and loves being in the car. She routinely drives an hour plus to different locations and simply sleeps or plays quietly with car seat toys the entire time. I was thinking we could leave at 8 pm and she would sleep through 11 or 12 hours of the ride, and then only be awake for a few hours before her afternoon nap. I would sit in the back with her.

Which decision would you make? Driving seems so much easier for us and less stressful on me as a mom, but I don't want to prioritize money or my comfort over my daughter's. Any advice?

Flying was quick and easy for us.

 

[mamapajama]

Hi all,

We have reservations for a Grand Gathering that we are very excited about.

My DH and I have enjoyed driving down to Disney in the past when it was just the two of us, but we have a new addition in our family, our daughter. She will be 7 months old at the time of travel in August.

We can either fly or drive, but if we fly, we would not rent a car.

We love the drive down but are a bit concerned about our daughter. It is approximately 17-18 hours down from where we live. We are trying to make the best decision for her.

My concerns about flying are that we wouldn't be able to bring everything we need for her without getting charged a steep amount for everything we would need to check. If we decided to purchase her goods there, we would need to hire a service with a grocery stop instead of taking ME, costing even more. Then I would be constantly worried about having everything, etc. and her safety on buses, plus waiting for buses in the August heat.

If we were to drive, we would be able to stop halfway if needed to stay overnight somewhere. We would be able to take and pack everything she could possibly need, including her own pack n play, etc. Driving is fun for us, and the rest of our Grand Gathering crew would be caravaning with us. I just want to be sure I'm not making a poor decision by doing something that is too hard on her.

Some info about my daughter, she sleeps for 12 hours through the night (wakes up once just to feed/ change) and is a dream baby in general. She is extremely easy going and loves being in the car. She routinely drives an hour plus to different locations and simply sleeps or plays quietly with car seat toys the entire time. I was thinking we could leave at 8 pm and she would sleep through 11 or 12 hours of the ride, and then only be awake for a few hours before her afternoon nap. I would sit in the back with her.

Which decision would you make? Driving seems so much easier for us and less stressful on me as a mom, but I don't want to prioritize money or my comfort over my daughter's. Any advice?

I wanted to pipe in here as one who had visited WDW with a baby under one (in utero, lol...does that count? 7 weeks old, 12 months old, 18 months old and upwards!) and one has had both flown and driven the 2000 mile RT drive. We flew last summer with Zoey (then 12 months) & the year before when she was only 7 weeks. Flying is a royal pain with babies. I needed a seat for her to hang out in there and ended up shipping it down because while I could have taken on SW with no charge, 1 more box was 1 too many to carry! Last year's flight was a pain in the butt, especially flying down. She did not want to stay in her seat and tortured everyone on the plane (my worst nightmare-and everyone else's). This year we are driving. We just got a SUV with 3rd row seating and the price to fly with all things factored in is about $1500. We drove down when my oldest was about 18 months and she did absolutely fine. Zoey is good in the car because she knows she can't get out and walk around (unlike on a plane!). However, we won't know until we know. We are borrowing a DVD player that attaches to the back of the headrest. She does love her Yo Gabba Gabba! And we areplanning on stopping for the night in SC (or maybe GA if we can make it). We are purchasing a soft sided rooftop carrier. My mileage may suffer abit but we are 2 adults, 2 teens and a 2 year old in the car and loading it up inside with stuff wil definitely make for a much less comfy trip for all, especially my oldest.
As far as a car on property goes, we never drive to the parks. Ever. I have no concerns about safety on the buses and in many parks, you would have to take some sort of tram or the monorail to your car anyway. Then you get in & it is hot as the surface of the sun. It's just much easier on the bus-get on, get off. The only time we ever use a car (if we even have one) is to go to the Boardwalk or another resort to eat.

I am looking forward to driving because, as you mentioned, babies need a lot of stuff and this way I don't have to worry about any of it and I can take it all with me. It will definitely be an adventure and we may lose a little time making a few more stops but right now it is pretty much a matter of we drive or we stay home since I don't have the $ right now to plunk down $1227 on plane tickets. And for us, the more tickets we have to buy, the better value driving becomes. We always but tickets for the babies. The one exception was when she was a NB because she was small enough that we could hold her. Any older and I have found that everyone is much happier when they have their own seats and they tend to stay put better.

Some people would rather eat naills than drive, lol. But all our road trip have been fun. Let us know what you decide!!

 

[arielmomma]

I both drove to Florida and flew to Florida from Michigan with a baby (the same baby) under 1 and I can tell you that Flying was MUCH better!

Driving involved A LOT of crying (both ways!)! I thought I would go crazy!

Flying wasn't a problem at all. I nursed so there wasn't that much stuff to bring: clothes, diapers, toiletries. I gate checked the stroller for free. For my entire family of 4, we only used 2 bags. Also, nursing on the plane was great. I did it at take off and landing to avoid ear pressure and she fell asleep both times - no troubles!

If its any consolation, we drove again right around her 2nd birthday and the trip was fine. We now always drive.

 

[starryskies]

We took our then-8-month-old last September and had a ball with her. We ordered most of her supplies (diapers, wipes, formula, snacks, disposable sippy cups and bibs, etc.) from diapers.com and had them delivered to the resort (free shipping). It worked beautifully! When we checked into the Poly, we just called down to bell services, and they brought our diapers.com box to our room.

Thanks for the responses, everyone. We have decided to fly. 2 hours of possible misery is so much better than something going wrong on the drive down and it turning into a disaster trip. I will be using the diapers.com service, thanks!

 

[2binak]

I hope you have a great trip!!!! The memories you'll make will last a lifetime!

 

[grandmadebby]

I was glad to read you decided to fly. In 2006 we drove the 1500 miles with 2-1yo, 3-7yo, 1-78yo (more trouble then the kids) and 11 other adults. Usually takes us 2-12 hour travel days from my front door to Disney Arch Not that trip, we had to stay an extra night in the motel (unplanned), both babies slept in the car so did not sleep so well in the motel when the 4 drivers really needed to rest. Took us almost 3-8 hour travel days to get there and the babies sleep habits were messed up for several days.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

We took DD at 6 months and drove down from central Indiana, not much further than you are. She did fine in the car. We stopped just south of Atlanta and then stayed off-site for 1 night when we arrived in Orlando. We checked out off site, checked in to our Disney resort and hit the parks.

That being said...

We love the drive down but are a bit concerned about our daughter. It is approximately 17-18 hours down from where we live.

If we were to drive, we would be able to stop halfway if needed to stay overnight somewhere. We would be able to take and pack everything she could possibly need, including her own pack n play, etc.

You really won't need to take your own pack n play with you. Just bring one of your own sheets to use. It will be comfortable for her and you can be comfortable that she's sleeping on something you cleaned. The only thing you would need it diapers, wipes, formula (if you need it...), a couple cases of water, dish soap, bottles, bottle drying rack (best invention EVER!), and a bottle brush. Plus a baby backpack and a stroller. Pack up some clothes and you are all set.

My concerns about flying are that we wouldn't be able to bring everything we need for her without getting charged a steep amount for everything we would need to check. If we decided to purchase her goods there, we would need to hire a service with a grocery stop instead of taking ME, costing even more. Then I would be constantly worried about having everything, etc. and her safety on buses, plus waiting for buses in the August heat.

You wouldn't have to stop and buy stuff on the way there. You know you can ship a package ahead to your resort right? Or have a package delivered??

Would the rest of your grand gathering be driving or flying?? If they drive, and you fly, why not ask them to pack a good chunk of the bulky items like diapers and food??

The heat is a legitimate concern as far as waiting for the busses. Where do you plan to stay? Having this point is a major pro towards driving BUT flying will get you to Orlando in 3 hours...


Taking DD at 6 months and caring for her was WAY easier than I planned for. My 2.5 yr old DS was more maintenance than she was. We packed light and were just fine. Didn't take anymore than we needed to.

 

[zeltoo]

We faced this decision with our DS who was 11 weeks. Basically, we felt we had much more flexibility by car. It was the first time we drove as a family this far (17-20 hours) and it worked out ok.

We left in the afternoon and drove straight through since DS was hanging in there. He slept like a champ in the car and only had a short time where he was "done". We just stopped and played it by ear. He was even better on the way home. I would guess he was a tired little man.

We were able to take everything we needed. There's no way that flying would have gone that well.