How young is too young?

[barbie78]

We're leaving in a month for DW and our DD will be 6 months old. I'm still torn about whether or not to take her. DD2 was 10 months old the first time we took her and I always said I wouldn't take a baby any younger. I don't want to leave my baby, but I have visions of pouring rain and 2 screaming DDs. DH thinks we will all enjoy our week more if DD6m stays with DG. Any words of wisdom for a mom with separation anxiety?
(This is my 1st post!!)

 

[ObsessedwithWDW]

I am going in September my DD will be just about 10months I say BRING EM. BUT I understand having an older child too it MIGHT be better to leave baby behind! Sad I know....but DG's is always fun for them....god knows they are loved there!!! On a side note I have a question for YOU??? HOW did it go with your first at 10 months in Disney? DId you take breaks? What type of stroller did you bring? Tips would be GREAT!!!!

 

[PeachesDoesHair]

I'm going for it and bringing my three year old and 12 month old.

 

[scanne]

My DD's first trip to WDW was when she was 3 months old. My DS was 2 years old. It was a GREAT trip! Taking care of DD was a breeze. I was nursing, so I was able to nurse on some of the dark rides (Carousel of Progress was great for this!) and the baby care centers are a great resource. I think you'll have a great time!!!

 

[barbie78]

I brought my full size stroller (because it fully reclines), and 10 other adults! We went to perform with Magic Music Days and the group was wonderful about helping out with DD! We always went back to the hotel for breaks. One day, (EMH at MK until 1am) we took a late nap, left the hotel at 8pm, and spent the evening/early morning at MK. It was the best part of our trip! I was really surprised at how much she got into some of the rides! Pooh and Small World especially!

 

[ptslp]

We brought dd 6 mos and ds 2 1/2 on our first trip with kids. As long as you are willing to go at their pace, not yours, you will be fine. I actually think a 6 month old would be easier than a 10 month old who would want to be on the move. We took my kids again at 12 mos and 3 and dd 12 mos was on the run (walking since 9 1/2 mos)- it was still a great trip, but the 6 months old one was a bit easier, because she didn't balk at being in the stroller or Baby Bjorn. Personally, I couldn't leave one child home and take another on a "family" trip- just me though. I am not yet ready to leave my kids overnight either though.

Good luck with your planning!

 

[pixiewytch]

Personally I would take up the babysitting offer and enjoy a bit of a break. DH and I went on many WDW trips without DS until he was around 3. I don't regret it either. Granted, we live in Fl so we weren't that far away when we left him with the grandparents. I know that makes a difference. The first time I went on a long distance trip across states my little one was about six months old and I did have a lot of separation anxiety.

Of course you will probably be so busy at Disney that it may help distract you from missing the little one so much. It could also be great bonding time with the rest of the family without being tied to an infant all day.

 

[vince971]

We have taken all 3 of our children to Disney when they were around 9-10 mos. and I have to say I thought they were pretty easy to handle. Walking but still content in the stroller(most of the time), and starting to show interest in the characters. I find that it is more fun with them being a little older now(almost 6, almost 4 and almost 2), they find the rides more enjoyable and I LOVE THAT!! Given the chance to make my decision after the fact I would still take all 3 at that age...........just a dad's point of view.

Also I might add we have gone to the World on weekend trips without the kids. Leaving them the first time was tough, especially on my wife, but we feel we also need to make time for ourselves. Glad we did. Now we try to take 1 weekend a year just for the 2 of us to enjoy some adult time!! Whatever decision you make just try to take the trip at the kids pace (sometimes hard for me) and you will have a great time!

 

[Bev in Chgo]

I think it depends on each family and how their kids.

For me and my husband - we did not take our kids until they were 5 and 9 years old for their first Disney.

We could only go during the summer months - and for those of you who have been during that season, you know how HOT it can be.

With that being said, I can't imagine taking an infant to Disney in all that heat (summer time). Even if a parent took breaks - why would they want to take their little ones in all that heat. Now I am speaking only for those who took their infants in the HOT SUMMER HEAT MONTHS, I just never understood why.

Also when they are too young - you pay all that money for park tickets and you are limited to the rides or you either do a parent swap. you have to carry around pampers, bottles, etc. - for me that is too much to carry around on hot days, I like to travel as light as possible.

I don't remember when you are going, but I am just speaking for the summer months.

I did not want to go until my kids were old enough to ride most or all the rides that they were interested in.

I know it sounds like they missed out when they were young, but we did other family vacation trips. Also Disney will always be there.

Good luck with your choice to take your infant.

Again I am not criticizing anyone who goes with an infant, I am just stating how I feel about going in the summer months with an infant and why I wouldn't take an infant.

 

[DVCisME]

I took my son at 6 months it was October. We had a great time. He slept for some if not most of the rides which will be easy for you with another child . He was easy to take in and out of the stroller because he did not know anything else. I am sure you would have a great tome if you brought your whole family.
It was also really easy for me to feed my son because I had the ready made formula shipped directly to the hotel in disposable bottles with disposable nipples.

 

[littleEinsteins4]

Personally, I couldn't leave one child home and take another on a "family" trip- just me though. I am not yet ready to leave my kids overnight either though.

Good luck with your planning!

I am with you ptslp I could never leave my little one a family trip is a family trip I say take the baby you will have a great time just take it slow and if you DH take 2yr old on a ride an you want to feed the baby you can b/c there are two of you one per child ENJOY

 

[Bird-Mom]

I took my older dd when she was 6 months. It was a breeze. I was nursing and wore her in the sling or baby bjorn the whole time. I could never leave either child behind; that's our choice for our family.

 

[twinspluscade]

I think that for me that deciding factor would be how easy-going your baby is. Does being off her schedule bother her, or is she a go-with-the-flow type baby? Does she sleep well in unfamiliar places, or will she be up a lot at night in the resort? How is she with loud noises and crowds? Will being in the stroller/sling bother her?
My son would've been fine to take at 6 months--he was (and still is) very laid back; the type of kid where it doesn't faze him where/when he sleeps, never got fussy, etc. My twins on the other hand I never would've taken at that age. They were very "high maintenance" (read:fussy), didn't sleep well, any break of the routine got them upset, and they HATED the stroller--both wanted to be held. It would've been very difficult with them at 6 months.

Kelly

 

[sukhakuli]

All families are different, so you will just have to decide what is right for your family.

Having said that, my dh and I don't go anywhere that we can't take the kids. We took my ds to Disneyworld when he was 3 weeks old for the first time, and by the time he was 3 months old he'd been to Disneyworld and Disneyland. We're kind of a traveling family, so both of our kids have been to most of the US states, tons of National Parks, and we live near Disneyland and Sea World, so they are used to this kind of thing.

As far as the summer heat goes, what do people who live in Florida do? Not have babies? I'm obviously being facetious, but there are ways to keep the little ones cool. For one thing, they lose tons of body heat through their gigantic noggins, so keeping their head wet makes a huge difference. Also, stay out of the parks during the hottest part of the day, and so on. Of course you will have to make allowances when you take small kids to the park, but that doesn't change when they are 12 months, 2 years, or 4 years. But having the memories and pictures from this trip will be something you will enjoy for a long time.

 

[pixiewytch]

I live in Fl and I can tell you that most of us stay inside where the AC is on during the hot summer months.

Seriously though, I have been to WDW several times during the dog days of summer. The heat is downright miserable and I'm a native Floridian. I can't imagine how uncomfortable it is for out of towners not used to the humidity. So if it's that bad for adults not used to it I can only imagine for the little ones.

To each their own of course but I agree that oppressive Florida summer heat can be a recipe for cranky unhappy baby.

 

[laceemouse]

I live in Fl and I can tell you that most of us stay inside where the AC is on during the hot summer months.

Seriously though, I have been to WDW several times during the dog days of summer. The heat is downright miserable and I'm a native Floridian. I can't imagine how uncomfortable it is for out of towners not used to the humidity. So if it's that bad for adults not used to it I can only imagine for the little ones.

To each their own of course but I agree that oppressive Florida summer heat can be a recipe for cranky unhappy baby.

Agree!! We have lived in the deep south most of our lives and we have this thing called A/C!!! All the schools have it and everything!!! The youngest I ever took one of mine was 5 months, it was cool weather, and we lived a short drive away. I can not understand AT ALL how folks can keep little ones snugged up next to them in those slings when it is so miserably hot! I think it would have killed both of us! However, we have never had a grandparent that we could leave ours with, so my DH and I have NEVER been anywhere, not even one night, away from our kids (and our oldest is 15!) I'm not complaining, they are grown and gone so quickly, believe me! Also, if a baby gets too hot they will run a fever. They do not sweat and cool themselves well before a certain age.....

 

[Nanu57v]

We took DD at 8 months in December. She was fine. I'd take a baby as young as 3 months. However, being it December we worried about the cold, not the heat. Depending on when in Sept you go, you'll probably be fine. I can't stand to leave DD overnight, so I couldn't imagine a whole week...but I'm a softee.

 

[disneyfreak74]

DD first got a taste of Mickey when she was 6 months old. It was a great trip!!! She loved to look at everything and was a VERY happy baby!!!!

 

[Bev in Chgo]

thanks "Pixiewytch"

I guess that is exactly what I was trying to say. You pretty much covered it for me. I guess I said it in the "long version"

Again I am not judging anyone - I just couldn't understand why a parent would want to take there babies in all that heat.

There are plenty of other places to make memories.

 

[reginaastralis]

I live in Tampa, so my daughter who's 19 months has been 11 times. We have Florida Resident passes, so we don't go during the summer b/c we can't.

However, the first time I took my daughter, she was five months old. She had a blast! She also cut her first tooth on that trip.

If you do decide to bring your young one, remember plenty of water. Julie drank more water on that trip than I think she's drank her entire life. Lots of sunscreen and breaks are good too.

Ways to cool off .... there is the train ride at MK. Best way to get your little one to sleep to, if they're fighting it. Julie loves to snuggle on the train. If it's getting too miserable, we go into the shops, go back to the RV for a break and swimming.

Be prepared to carry the little one though, Juliette decided that she was NOT going to ride in the stroller on our second day of the trip. She's also a pro at skipping naps, so we rode the train and other slow rides a lot.

Also, most of the rides you can take the babies on. Julie has always LOVED Snow White, it's one of her favorites still. And, three times now she's fallen asleep while waiting in line for Pooh's Grand Adventure.

Oh, and the rain ... Babies R Us sells a rain cover for strollers. We weren't prepared and were at Epcot, so we got a Poncho and put it over the stroller since Julie was napping one day. When she woke up, I just put her in the poncho with me, she laughed during most of the day. Also, most of the time, the rain storms are no more than a few minutes ... you can always just dip inside for a meal or something ... it's doable.

My fellow Floridians are right, we do survive on A/C though. Imagine being pregnant down here during the summer and a lovely hurricane comes through and knocks out your power for a week. Now that was fun. After that week, I can withstand anything Disney can give me!

Amanda