Infants on Formula and Disney

[MomofLogan&Evan]

Can someone tell me what they did when you visited Disney with your formula fed baby? We will be taking our 3rd child with us in December (who was born Aug 27) and I currently use Alimentum powder formula.

Did you take powder formula to the parks with you and just ask for water?

Did you take powder formula and bring hot water with you?

Did you take powder formula already mixed up and ask for hot water to make it warm?

Did you use liquid formula for the trip instead? And if so did you have to warm it or keep it cold once opened?

Just trying to figure out a plan ahead of time.

Thanks!

 

[bartleby1]

When my kids were young, I had a container that had three compartments so I could premeasure the powder for three bottles and take that to the parks. I think I bought it at babies r us at the time, but I'm sure they sell them all over the place now.

Then, I would just fill their bottles with water, bring those to the park, and mix one up as needed. Honestly, I stopped warming their bottles when they were only 2 or 3 months old and they never seemed to mind. By the time my third was born, I don't know that I warmed her bottles at all, LOL!

I know that disney does have a baby center in each park also. They may have a way to warm bottles their if you really feel it is necessary.

 

[TraciLeigh]

We used Enfamil formula when we took our 8 month old and that brand actually sells 'single serve packets' of formula (each packet makes an 8 oz bottle). They come in boxes of 10 or 12 packets (I think) and they are so easy to transport!

We would take several bottles of water with us to make the bottles. And, when it was bottle time we made sure that we were near one of the baby care centers in case we needed to warm up the bottle in the microwave or bottle warmer (whichever you prefer). If you just take bottles of water with you, they should stay room temp for you.

A few times I did ask for a cup of hot water if we were @ a sit down meal and just stuck the bottle in the water for a few minutes to warm. And of course, running hot water from a sink over the bottle warms it too (we resorted to that a few times in our hotel room when we didn't have a microwave handy).

Good luck!

 

[TraciLeigh]

Oh, I forgot to mention this: when we took our baby we actually ran out of formula (great planning, I know!) and had to buy more at our resort. At that time (2007) the resorts and baby care centers only sold Nestle brand baby formula. We bought it because we needed it, and it was OK...but if you're really particular about using only 1 brand, it's good to know.

 

[2binak]

Here's what we did when DD was 8 months old:

- Filled a 3-section formula dispenser with powdered formula (Avent brand
is great! We found that the lids on some other brands moved around
which made the formula move from one section to another)

- Brought 1 Playtex Nurser, 3 nipples & 3 liners into the park

- Brought 1 16 oz bottle of water and refilled at the Baby Care Centers as
needed

When it came time for a feeding, we poured the water & formula into the Nurser, shook it and fed our DD. When she was done, we risnsed the nipple & liner. We put the nipple in a ziploc marked "dirty" and tossed the liner into the recycle bin.

 

[MScott1851]

Enfamil and Similac both make pre-measured single serving packets. I have samples of Similac with Iron and Enfamil Lipil in my cupboard right now. I'm exclusively breastfeeding, but it's nice to have a backup, right?

I would think that I would rather mix with bottled water at WDW. The tap water there tastes a little 'off' to me, and I wouldn't want to risk upsetting a little tummy, you know?

(ETA: Oops! Just saw you used Alimentum. In that case, I would just get the divided container as the PP said, take a couple of bottles of water that were room temperature and the disposable liners. Heck, if you don't refrigerate the bottled water and it's hot outside, you might even get 'warmed' formula without even trying.)

 

[princessmom29]

We used the OP's brand of formula, and typically if you are using that you have a child that cannot tolerate anything else as iti s twice as expensive as regular formula. I know when we used it there were no single serve pouches for it. I used one of the segmented containers when we traveled, and brought bottles already filled with water. This is how it went to daycare as well. They could just dump a compartment and shake up a bottle. I do recommend that you let the bottle sit for a few min. Aftershaking before you feed b/c otherwise it will have a lot of air bubbles. I learned that the hard way with my DD.

 

[2binak]

I wanted to add that the Baby Care Centers have water coolers (or bubblers) in them so the water you use is bottled, not tap.

It is slightly cooled, which is why we would use the water from the small bottle we brought into the park, then refilled that bottle with the water from the BCC cooler. This gave the BCC water a few hours to warm up to room temp as we walked around the park.

 

[dhardawa]

I took bottled water and powderd formula, mixed it in the park, and just gave it to him without warming.

 

[laughinplace199]

My youngest was on Nutramigen for 2 of our WDW trips. I called Enfamil and ordered the single-serve ready to feed nursette bottles and had them shipped directly to the resort. It was a bit more expensive to do it that way, but he was on ready to feed at home and I didn't want to mess with what worked for him. Also, having the single-serve bottles (6 oz each) was so easy. No need for keeping them cold or warming them up. Just store and feed at room temp.

 

[badblackpug]

We use Good Start formula. We bought the powdered formula for WDW. We just measured the correct amount into the bottles and packed them in the diaper bag. When she was hungry we just added bottled water that we brought along. We didn't refrigerate the water so it was warm enough from sitting in the diaper bag.

We don't usually use bottled water at home, just tap, but we were worried that "different" or "off tasting" water may not go over so well.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

Did you take powder formula to the parks with you and just ask for water? We used a 3 chamber formula dispenser and carried in our own water in the diaper bag (but you can ask for tap water at the CS places and it's FREE! We would refill the chambers on our mid-day break.

Did you take powder formula and bring hot water with you?
I'm lame... my kids dealt with room-temp water!

I'm sure you can ask CMs for hot water, but you never know if they have kids of their own, therefore not understanding the temperature necessity.

I think once you get down there you'll see that it's going to be easier to execute than what you planned for.

 

[bookmama]

we took my nephew when he was 3 months the last time we went. We had it shipped to the hotel in powerder form and we just mixed it with water from different water fountains and water bottles. To warm it we just put it in the sun for a little bit while we were walking.

 

[Cinderellabride]

Since you are using Allimentum I imagine your baby has reflux or some other digestive difficulty, so I would keep the bottles as close as possible to the way you make them at home. If you use ready to feed at home I would recommend using ready to feed at WDW. I would probably get the single serve ones and either put a nipple right on them or if (like us, although we did get away with using different ones on our trip with my first ds, we'll see how we do in december with my second) you use specific bottles that help with the issues too then pour it into that. If you use powder then I would get the dividers pps have mention. I don't warm the bottles, and stopped doing so with my first ds as soon as I found out you don't have to it's really what the baby prefers. Both mine would/will drink them straight out of the fridge. I'm sure you know that if you have opened ready to feed or prepared powder it needs to be refridgerated after 1-2 hours depending I believe on the brand and prep type. Ours is 2 hours, but we use the generic enfamil now. Fortunately, after trying the allimentum with our first ds it did not work (I say fortunately because as you know it's really expensive and smells really bad), so we ended up doing basic formula with oatmeal in it per the specialist, and that worked and is working for our second as well. But I digress...my point is you will need a way to keep it cold if you go the route of ready to feed and not the individual ones, and I would not recommend preparing powder until you are about to feed it or else you will need to keep that cold too. I also would not let it stay out as long as the instructions allow because you will be in the florida sun. If you do warm the bottles I recommend going to the baby care centers, or asking at a TS or CS place for a cup of hot water to put the bottle in for a few minutes. I'm sure you know that you should never microwave a bottle because you could get hot spots and burn the baby even if you shake it really well. I'm sure if you use powder and mix will room temp bottled water that would be fine. You know your child best though. My biggest recommendation would be try to keep it as close as possible to what you do at home, and if you are going to change something, try it at home for a week or two first to make sure your baby will tolerate it. Nothing worse than a baby with a tummy ache or who refuses the bottle while on vacation, esp if you don't have what they are used to with you. Also as a pp said on our last trip which was 08 they only had Good Start available anywhere on property because Nestle is a sponsor of Disney, so make sure you have more than you think you will need (the baby may drink more or less at a time due to changes in schedule and temperature, and may drink more in a day, or you could end up wasting some for lots of reasons) or be able to go off property to get more if need be.

Wow sorry that was so long. Hopefully there is something helpful in there. Have a great time on your trip!

 

[brymolmom]

We brought a formula-divided container with 4 'servings' (plenty for while at parks plus 1 - 2 extra 'just in case') and we brought pre-filled water in our bottles (used bottled water in WDW, but filled it before we went to the park and put bottles in diaper bag). Then when hungry, we just tipped a serving of formula into top of bottle and shook and that was it. From hunger cry to eating in about 30 seconds.

The best advice anyone ever gave me when I had a child was to always give room temperature water. That way you never have to worry about warming it up wherever you are. Maybe try to get your baby used to room temp by the time of your trip - SO MUCH EASIER.

 

[waltskids]

For both DS when he was a baby and DD's 2 most recent trips, we brought the Enfamil travel packets into the parks. We also use the Playtex nurser bottles and just bring extra liners and nipples instead of lugging all of the bottles into the parks. We used bottled water, as we do at home since we have well water. We travel alot so it's room temperature water at home and when we are away since not all places have access to warm bottles. Both of our children drank room temperature formula from day one. Since your little one is on a specific formula, make sure you bring extra or have it shipped to your resort. We have used Garden Grocer before and they had our formula available. Have a great trip!
BTW, yes Disney only sells Nestle brand formula at the Baby Care centers.

 

[MomofLogan&Evan]

Thanks everyone for the information. Since he's on Alimentum, I will bring plenty of the formula with us - especially since garden grocer doesn't sell it. I already have the 3 divider thingy and I use that when I'm out and about now (though I'm not out often since he's only 5 weeks old).

I guess now I just have to get him used to room temperature formula. It's hard though - he gives me dirty looks and spits it out at me But I'll keep trying!

 

[2binak]

I already have the 3 divider thingy and I use that when I'm out and about now (though I'm not out often since he's only 5 weeks old).

Around the 6 week mark, DH and I came out of our new parent fog and realized that we could fill the divided dispenser each evening and keep it and 3 bottles of pre-measured water on DD's dresser and just pour the formula from the dispenser into the bottles of water. Before that we were measuring the scoops of formula at each feeding and usually making a mess since we were half asleep!