infant hight chairs

[glass slipper girl]

Oops! Please excuse the type-o in the title! That should be HIGH chairs not hight chairs. What can I say, it was 2:45 am and DS was wide awake wanting to hang out with me despite the fact that I wanted to be sleeping!

This is probably a silly question but I am hoping someone knows...

We will be travelling with a 4 month old baby. I wish we could wait till he was a little older but with DHs work, it's now or not till next year and our older kids were already sorely disappointed when I cancelled our last trip because I was going to be 8 months pregnant and didn't want to deal with that. The trip was booked before we knew our little party crasher was on the way! My biggest concern with the logistics of taking him is how to handle table service dining. I know some places have those infant high chairs that have the little seat attached to them so baby can recline but some places just have the regular high chairs. He will be too little to sit up in those. I know at most places we can just bring the stroller into restaurants but I'd prefer not to do that when we can avoid it since we are bringing a not so compact stroller for him. I feel like it's worth the slight inconvenience of a bulky one to make sure he is happy knowing that we have one where we can reverse the seat so he can face us and that he can recline fully to sleep. He hated the smaller stroller we have for when he is a little bigger. I've selected our resorts and planned our itinerary to where we only have to fold the stroller on 2 days and we will take cabs those 2 days (once for the AK and once to go to the MK from the BC on our departure day) so we won't be on the busses with a bulky stroller. That solves the transportation inconvenience but not the dining issue of getting it into small spaces. It is smaller than those big travel system strollers but not by a lot.

I was just wondering if anyone recalls any places that they know for sure do or do not have those infant seats? I am pretty sure I remember seeing one at Crystal Palace but I never thought I would be travelling with an infant again so I didn't pay attention to that sort of stuff.

 

[ApolloSaturnV]

If you can't find what you need, check out A Baby's Best Friend. Mine was an infant the first time, and it was great having all the things we needed waiting for us at the hotel. They were a lifesaver (or TRIPsaver) for us, and we use them every time we are in Orlando. They have so much stuff!

www.abbf.com

 

[mumto2]

We have a Baby Bjorn, and it was great! Overall, it was probably the best investment I made when I found out DS was on the way, but for Disney, it was perfect!

We used it in the parks (had a reclining umbrella stroller as well, but ended up using the carrier more) - it was great for the rides (small world, Pooh, etc), especially if they were a bit noisy. At restaurants, it was a bit bulky, but not any worse than eating while pregnant

Off the top of my head, I can't remember where we used the infant high chair, but I do remember keepin DS in the carrier at 'Ohana and WCC. Since you'll be using a taxi, I'm assuming you'll have a carseat - several of the restaurants have special slings to use the seat for the baby. If you won't have a carseat, I'm not sure the taxi service will take you, so be sure to double check your options ahead of time.

Going to WDW with a baby is a piece of cake, really. It's much more challenging now DS is mobile! Enjoy your trip!

 

[all4fun]

Maybe a Bumbo seat would work? Might be too bulky to tote around the parks, but thought I would mention it:

http://www.bumbobabyseat.com/

hth.

 

[glass slipper girl]

We will not be bringing his car seat to the parks. We will have it with us for the flights as he will have his own seat for those and for the towncar transfers to and from the resort but we won't be lugging it through the parks. For one thing, he isn't fond of it and for another it isn't recommended to keep them in it for things other than the car. We prefer to use a stroller or carrier when he isn't in the car. I'm not thrilled with the idea of taking a taxi without one but if we take a bus he won't be in one either. When we were at BWI last May we took taxis often b/c my mother was with us in an ECV. We always requested a van taxi and a few times they had baby seats in the back. We planned to request one of those if possible. From what I read on Florida car seat laws "vehicles for hire" were exempt from car seat laws. If it is an issue we will just take the bus. It still means only taking a bus on 2 days (so 4 bus rides) during our trip. I could actually eliminate 1 b/c it's BC to MK so we could technically walk through Epcot and take the monorail but a bus would be faster. The other is GF to AK. I was just looking to avoid dealing with a bulky stroller on the bus. I'd rather deal with that on the bus than deal with DSs car seat in the parks though! I don't do the "travel system" thing as I feel like he should be out of the car seat when it's not being used in the car. Restaurants at home are the exception for us but we don't eat out with him often now anyway.

We do have a Bumbo seat (he got it from Santa ) and I had thought about that but it is bulky but it won't matter as he doesn't have the head control to sit in it for long periods of time yet. Our triip is in 2.5 weeks and he will be a little shy of 4 months at that time so I don't expect that to change enough for us to use it regularly at meals just yet. I LOVE it though! We use it for a few minutes each day during our play time to help him build up that strength.

I will be bringing either a mei-tei or a pouch carrier and that was my fall back option. I prefer not to eat with him in it if I can avoid it. I'm always afraid I'm going to drop hot food on his head! I'm a cofee drinker so the hot coffee is always my biggest worry. He is baby #3 and I never spilled on any of them but I always worry about it!

I know most places will let us bring the stroller in for him if they don't have the infant high chairs, I just worry about places like LeCellier where it's tight spaces and our stroller is on the bigger size. It's no monster super-assault stroller sort of thing and it is a little smaller than a travel system stroller, it's just not an umbrella stroller. He HATES our umbrella stroller and it doesn't recline flat so he slumps to the slide in it. If he was happy in it, I'd bring that one but we feel like it's worth the inconvenience of the big stroller even if we hae to take it on the busses those 2 days for him to be happy and comfy. He does OK in the carriers but not for long periods.

I'm going to cross my fingers that most places will have an infant high chair but if they don't, we'll survive! We can bring in the stroller or put him in a carrier. Worse comes to worse we have to go with the old standby of I hold him while DH eats fast then we trade. Not optimal but you do what you've got to do!

 

[Not so Dumbo]

I know that Chef Mickey's has an infant highchair. My DD used it while we were there in December.

 

[kmk160]

Our dd was just about that age when we took her in August.
The last post is correct, Chef Mickeys does have an infant seat but of all the places we ate, that was the only place that had it.
What we ended up doing, was lugging the stroller in and that was the only way she was comfy!
And at Hoop De Doo, we took the infant seat in and put it in an upside down high chair. Did that simply b/c the show is long and you CAN NOT take a stroller in there...they dont allow it.
Best of luck and fun on your trip!

 

[tjmw2727]

I have seen them in a few restaurants but unfortunately I can't remember which ones. I do know most of the restaurants will let you bring in a stroller for an infant, you increase your chances of this if you book meals at off times. Maybe you can call the restaurants have booked to see which ones have the infant seats so you can be prepared?

Don't worry about the stroller on the bus - its not that bad, for us the key was to use a backpack as a diaper bag and have everything packed before the bus arrives. Baby goes in the front carrier, backpack on dh's back, the stroller gets folded and off we go.

TJ

 

[Nanu57v]

I don't remember seeing an infant high chair anywhere...DD was almost 9 months when we went, so we used a regular high chair. If I were in your situation, I would use a travel system stroller with the car seat so the baby has a play to "sit" at restaurants. I'm curious where you heard they weren't supposed to be in them except for the car...our dr. told us to let DD sleep in hers when she was a newborn, just to make sure it was at the proper angle.

 

[Jaymie]

In Dec 2004 Whispering Canyon & Chef Mickeys had them. Crystal Palace didn't. I can't remember any others off hand.

Our DS was 5 months old at the time and we out our camera bag, wrapped in a solf blanket behind him in the regular high chairs. But I only put him in the high chair while I ate. I held him while we ordered & waited. But he did have really good neck/head control.

 

[glass slipper girl]

I'm curious where you heard they weren't supposed to be in them except for the car

There are new studies that show being in the car seat like that can cause their oxygen levels to be low. The way their heads can sort of tip forward I guess causes the airway to be restricted. You can see an article about it
here.

For me personally, I don't do the travel system thing for a few reasons....for one DS HATES the car seat. he has GERD and our GI physician told us from the get go not to put him in the car seat, or bouncy seat or anything, for at least 30 minutes after eating b/c their belly gets scrunched and puts pressure on their tummy which can aggravate the reflux. He said quite often pediatricians recommend it with reflux babies (as ours had) but that was his #1 recommendation. DS did spit up more in the seat. None of my kids ever looked really comfortable in an infant seat. They seemed much more comfy in a stroller suitable for an infant. It's just a personal preference for me. I bought a stroller with a bassinet for DS to use as an alternative to the travel system option (the stroller could be used that way but I only use that option if I will be in somewhere for 5 minutes or less, longer than that I take him out of the car seat). I can't imagine having him in the car seat all day while we are at the parks. Just my personal preference...not like I chase down moms using travel systems to tell them they are pushing a death trap or something.

Our DS was 5 months old at the time and we out our camera bag, wrapped in a solf blanket behind him in the regular high chairs. But I only put him in the high chair while I ate. I held him while we ordered & waited. But he did have really good neck/head control.

That is a good idea! I may try it. Our little guy does pretty good with support higher on his back like our camera bag would be but with the Bumbo seat he can do it for 5 minutes or so before he seems too wobbly. He really WANTS to sit up so I bet he would like that.

We'll work it out somehow I'm sure! We'll have the stroller and the front pack or pouch and it's not like Moms aren't used to eating with babies in our laps when we have to, right?

 

[tomshortridge]

use the stroller! We have taken many trips with our kids and always use the stroller in lieu of a high chair. Even in our Marriott condo, the young ones eat dinner in the stroller next to the table since we dont have a high chair. Works great and easy to clean up.

One solution for the space in restaurant is to request a larger table than you need. If you are a party of 5, ask for a table for 6. And/or tell them you need to use the stroller... they usually help. You wont get the best seat in the house, with the best view, but it will work!

 

[monorailsilver]

How about these:

http://www.onestepahead.com/product/85205/31/117.html

http://www.onestepahead.com/product/85205/426761/117.html

The first one looks less bulky but I don't know if a 4 month old would do well in it (I didn't read the specs on it) & the other one, I am not sure on either but it is bigger & with 3 kids I'd want to take something smaller, OK nothing at all.

 

[meghan74]

We took our 4 month old in December and used an infant high chair at Crystal Palace, Garden Grill, and Chef Mickeys. They did not have them at Liberty Tree Tavern, but there was plenty of room for us to keep her in her stroller.

 

[justhat]

We went in November and December and used the infant high chair in the same places meghan74 mentioned and also 1900 Park Fare. They were a godsend as all other meals were spent holding my heavy 3 (4) month old. We didn't take his carseat to the parks and he does not like the stroller we brought on those trips so holding him was the only choice.

With our daughter in June 2004 we got one at Tony's Town Square as well. But one word of warning: Our daughter HATED the infant carseat too. I mean she screamed hysterically from the second she was put in it till we took her out when we arrived at our destination, including 4+ hour drives to/from my mom's house. So when she was 3 months old in WDW in 2004 the infant high chairs were useless to us. They were very similar to the infant carseat and she hated them just as much. We had to hold her or eat with her in the Bjorn.