how to handle infant while on lines?

[ella822]

I will be going to Disney in May with my kids -DD will be 3 1/2 and DS will be 10 months at the time. I am a little concerned because DS is already very heavy and doesn't sit still. He is in constant motion. I didn't have any problems when my DD was 9 months because we kept her in the bjorn carrier while on line and during the rides. DD was much lighter and loved just being held.
Has anyone had a similar problem?

 

[KariC]

I have a 20 lb 7 month old, who seems big compared to my twins. We just went, and i used a babyhawk carrier. Way way way more comfortable than our bjorns....for both of us. He loves it, and gets excited when he sees that carrier now! He rode with me more than in the stroller that week.

 

[irene_dsc]

I have a 20 lb 7 month old, who seems big compared to my twins. We just went, and i used a babyhawk carrier. Way way way more comfortable than our bjorns....for both of us. He loves it, and gets excited when he sees that carrier now! He rode with me more than in the stroller that week.

I suspect you'll want a combination of a better carrier (like a Babyhawk, Kozy, Beco, etc), as well as a lot of closely supervised downtime while in lines. Fortunately, lines tend to move relatively slowly - but not too, too slowly, so he can cruise or crawl along with you, I would think.

What you will want is a carrier that is good for quick ups & downs, tbh. Some people report a lot of good luck with Ergos for that (tho the company has some questionable business practices that make it hard for me to wholeheartedly recommend them). Another option is a ring sling or pouch in a hip carry, tho that's not as supportive, and that age group doesn't always cooperate well with hip carries. You may even want 2 different carriers to experiment with, and to spread out which muscles get worn.

 

[GoinToDisney]

I say join TourGuideMike.com and learn how to avoid long lines. The only long lines we stood in during our last 2 TGM trips were by choice for certain characters when we had nothing better to do. Also, I love my Ergo, but I am not sure what the story is with their business practices. I could not carry my heavy little girl in the bjorn after about 3 or 4 months. I have back and neck problems, but the Ergo is great. Also, I would say that your family could leave a bit of walking room between you and the next family and hold his hands and let him walk around. Really, your ultimate best strategy is to avoid the long 40+ minutes lines. It really is possible and TGM will tell you how to do it.

 

[Camno's Mama]

I brought a very active 15 month old last year, and being in line was a handful! Definitely make use of Fastpass whenever you can! Or walk around with the little guy in a baby carrier and let him relax or fall asleep before you get in a long line. I tried using the carrier when he was excited and wanted to be down, and it didn't go so well.

In general, though, letting him down won't be so bad. People understand that babies need downtime, and usually they're pretty entertained by them. Maybe use bubbles or something. Good luck.

 

[Metsoskil]

Have a good touring plan, and stay out of lines longer than 15 min.

DS was 18mo during our trip in August, and we never waited in line more than 15 min between having a touring plan, arriving before rope drop, and using fastpasses. We'd tour from rope drop to about 11, then return to the parks around 5. The mornings were planned commando style, and the evenings were left open other than dinner ADRs.

 

[laughinplace199]

I was wondering the same thing. On our last trip, my youngest DS was 9 mos, but not mobile yet, so he was content to be carried/held. On our next trip, he will be 18 mos. I was thinking of trying to use the Baby Bjorn for some of the time, but I'm not sure he'll cooperate. We used it on New Year's Eve at an outdoor concert and he was fine with it, even fell asleep in it for a while. Could a Baby Bjorn or other type of carrier work for you?

My older DS was 15 mos on his first trip and I think we just held him. I can't really remember. My "mommy brain" doesn't work very well after three kids!

 

[ella822]

Thanks for the info! I will check out the carriers some of you mentioned and hope for the best!