Infant at WDW

[jkjjhuddle]

We will be traveling with 12 month old and a 4 (almost 5) year old. I am really concerned about the baby. How can we properly plan. I am staying away from scheduling too much because I do not want to plan to do something and have the baby too tire and it become unbareable for all involved. We want to enjoy this trip. It is my first trip as well as the kids. My husband was last there several years ago. (15+) I need all the advice I can get.

Is there a stroller that help keep young children cooler than the typical ones you see????

 

[GEM]

We're taking our little guy next week, and he just turned one yesterday! We've just planned for lots of down time relaxing at the resort, etc. We're lucky in that he is usually very laid back and easy going and is quite happy to nap in his stroller and just ride around taking everything in. We've been many times before (pre-baby) and will be back, so we don't feel we have to see and do it all. We are staying at the Beach Club and plan to spend lots of time in the pool! We bought a clip-on battery powered fan for his stroller from the One Step Ahead Website. We've also got lots of big sun hats and baby sunscreen for him. He's still nursing a lot, so I don't have to worry too much about keeping him hydrated, and I don't have to worry about bottles or anything - which makes it nice. I'm sure you'll have a great time!

 

[dizcrazy]

We took DD last Feb when she was 5 months old. I think you will have an incredible time - don't worry!

What we did:
1) brought our own stroller. The ones you rent look uncomfortable and are not meant for babies.
2) Clip-on fan (see GEM's advice above)
3) Knew where all of the baby stations were (usually near park entrance)
4) Remember suntan lotion and sun hats!
5) We ordered a stroller cover so, on this upcoming trip, baby can sleep without the bright sun waking her up.
6) Go to a Dollar Store and get rain ponchos and stroller covers in case it rains!!!

Good luck!

 

[Amirah95]

I read a lot about carrying infants and toddlers around the parks or taking them on vacation overall and I just want to know is it really possible to do all you want on vacation and how much of a burden is it?

My DH and I are planning to get pregnant at the start of next year and we also plan on going to Orlando every year until both our children are out the house or old enough to travel on their own

. Also, being pregnant on vacation would also be a problem...what do you guys think?

 

[moinab]

We have been to WDW 5 times already this year with our 3 yo(almost 4!) DS and 15 month old DD. We can't get enough! We have so much fun, every time.

The key is to know your baby's limits, and work within them. DD has been a very high-need (fussy) baby from birth, but she does much better when held, so I usually carry her in a sling. Now that she's getting older, she's a lot better about riding in the stroller.

I see that you are in NC, and are going this month, so I wouldn't worry too much about the heat. Everything is air conditioned, so it's not often that you have to be out in the heat for an extended period of time (we always avoid long lines by using fastpass and touring strategies, or we'll just skip it.)

I would recommend a stroller with a canopy, though. We drape the sling over the canopy and snack tray when DD is napping in the stroller. Usually, though, DD sleeps in the sling, so we just keep going while she naps. You can go on most rides and attractions while carrying a sleeping baby in a sling/front carrier.

Actually, it's our 3 year old who slows us down, not the baby. We have to go back to the hotel in the afternoon so he can rest.

 

[swilshire]

Tanya,

You can take babies almost anywhere when they're little. We've successfully raised four, who are now ages 5 to 18. It's when they get to be toddlers that your travel gets resticted somewhat.

The oldest used a Kanga-roc-aroo. Each child has had an updated version of the same. You strap them in and off you go. As long as you stop to feed and change them as needed, they will pretty well do what they do anywhere .... sleep, play, watch the world go by.

The backpacks and snugglies are also a good option, but ours were all too large to do that comfortably. We always used the stroller. The new ones where the seat can go from stroller to car seat base without removing the child are wonderful. I wish they had been invented sooner.

Sheila

 

[Rapunsel]

Traveling with a kid is only as difficult as you want it to be. My 2.5 year old DS has over 30,000 frequent flyer miles.. Just go at their pace and make sure to be silly and funny when you are exhausted and just have fun. I am having more fun being a mom than I did being a kid..

Start them out as being portable and they will stay that way. My son thinks that walking around the block is a walking road trip. Since he walked about a mile with us yeaterday he thinks that he can walk to Colorado with us in June.

Rapunsel

 

[bartleby1]

You may find that the baby doesn't slow you down that much at all. We always found that when our kids were tired and in their stroller, they slept. I would NOT use one of the rental strollers for a young one though. They don't seem very comfortable.

When we went last year, our son was 13 months and the only problem we had was that at the end of a long day at the parks, we would all get back to the hotel and be ready to crash, but our 13 month old was ready to go! He spent most of his day riding in the stroller or being carried while waiting in lines. He slept when he was tired, so he was well rested when we were all exhausted!
Go and have fun! You'll be surprised how much you will all enjoy yourselves no matter what the ages are!

 

[justhat]

My daughter will be 12 weeks old on our trip, which is now 2 weeks away! We're bringing her stroller since it's fully reclinable, and also her Baby Bjorn. We are packing sunscreen, lots of sun hats (some with the little neck flap in the back), sunglasses from her dr (little cheap paper ones that I don't care about losing isnce they were free), lots of onesies and other small, light outfits, and several thin receiving blankets to drape over the stroller to block the sun where the canopy can't reach and cover the Bjorn (as suggested to me by another DISer) so that her arms and legs stay out of the direct sun.

I really want a sling too, but haven't gotten around to getting one yet and now am skeptical about getting one since we're so close to the trip. I'm just afraid I won't know how to use it and she won't like it yet. She too is a rather high-maintenence baby and does not do well at all when she's not being held. As long as I'm holding her, she's happy all day long. The problem I have, though, is that while she generally loves the Bjorn while I'm walking around (doesn't particularly care for it when I sit), she seems to get annoyed in that position after being in it too long. (Too long meaning, she usually goes in it around 10:30am, goes to sleep, comes out to eat and play around 12, then goes back in around 1:15, out again around 2:30, back in about 3:30, sleeps, but then around 4ish she's had enough of the Bjorn and yells till she's out, and then is happy again if I hold her. This is not everyday, just when we're out or if I have a lot of work to get done.) Has anyone had this trouble and if so did your baby like the position in the sling better? Also, has anyone brought a sling and a Bjorn and switched on and off? She'll go in her stroller to sleep so while we're in the parks she won't have to be in the Bjorn all day, but she doesn't really care for being in the stroller once she wakes up. I also plan to go back to the room at some point each day to take a break from the heat, so she'll be out of the carrier then too, but while she is out in the parks with me I'd like to keep her as comfortable as possible so any tips would help!

 

[moinab]

justhat-

I really, really, really suggest you buy a sling today! Really!

You can order one from http://mayawrap.com, or go here http://mayawrap.com/s_distributors.php to find a local distributor. Or you could contact your local La Leche League for a local source for slings.

A sling is easier to use than a Baby Bjorn. It may seem confusing when you first take it out of the package, but if you watch the instructional video/dvd, it's very easy. You can be an expert in less than an hour.

I used a Baby Bjorn with DS, and loved it. I resisted getting a sling when my very high-maintenance DD was born, even though all of my friends were insisting I get one. I finally bought one when she was 5 months old, because I was concerned the Bjorn would be too hot for our Bahamas cruise in July. I have been kicking myself ever since for not buying one sooner. At first, I used both the sling and the Bjorn, switching off, but I used the Bjorn less and less as time went on. Now, it has been sitting unused for months.

I think the biggest disadvantage of the Bjorn is that the baby has to be upright, which isn't good for an infant for extended periods of time. With the sling, the baby can be in several positions. She can lay down to sleep or nurse, or she can sit up, facing in or out. Now that my DD is 15 months old, she rides on my hip, but I can also wear her on my back when I am cooking.

When we go to WDW, I try to keep DD in the sling rather than the stroller for naps, because you can't take the stroller onto rides and attractions, and you can't take it into any of the pavilions in Epcot.

As far as your baby not liking the sling, the only times I have heard of that happening was when the mom wasn't using it properly because she hadn't watched the instructional video. This is what happened to me, because a friend let me borrow one of her slings after DD was born. I tried it without learning how to use it properly, and DD and I both hated it. When I finally got my own and watched the dvd, I realized I had been wearing it wrong, and that was why DD was so uncomfortable.

Sorry to ramble on so much about this, but I truly believe that you and your DD would greatly benefit from a sling. They are a godsend for fussy babies.

Please let me know if I can be of any help.

Maureen

 

[jkjjhuddle]

Thanks for all the wonderful information. My DS will stay in his stroller if I can keep it cool enough. He hates to be hot. The fabric in the stroller tends to make him sweaty and that makes him fussy. It is the same way with his carseat and has been since he was born. We have a Chillow ( a pillow filled with water that stays cool) to put in the stroller to cut down the heat and we will buy a fan to attach to the stroller. We are looking forward to a wonderful trip. It will be my first trip as well as my 2 DS.

 

[Amirah95]

I love those wraps...good idea! I don't like to leave my DD with anyone for too long so most likely after our 2nd child is born we'll be taking him/her with us on vacation.