Is it me?

[WDWorBUST]

It is a lot of money - and I know for myself if we had only one trip planned with parkhoppers or LOS passes it would have made me crazy to go at the pace we went at. But I would not have went in that situation. Unfortunately we are traveling from Oklahoma and just getting to Florida is expensive so we make the best of the trips we have and just plan more. But I go on a budget....we made the mistake of touring the Wilderness Lodge this last trip and my DH fell in love with it so we will stay a future trip there.....with a code of course.

 

[minkydog]

....we made the mistake of touring the Wilderness Lodge this last trip and my DH fell in love with it

Ahhh, the old Wilderness Lodge tour...gets 'em every time. I know--the Poly got me last time and by hook or crook I am GOING to sleep there at least once!

Cathy

 

[Sandyincanada]

I agree with cold is all relative to what you are used to. 39F is fine to us, certainly not hat weather but then again our normal winter weather hits
- 20C to - 40C. More than once the kids have been swimming while people all bundled up in winter clothes would watch them in shock, lol.

Who knows why the baby was crying, babies cry. We wouldn't even go to a nice restaurant when the kids were tiny because we didn't want to disturb others. Alot of parents just don't care. To me, the parent should have taken the baby away from the parade so others could enjoy it without listening to the crying baby. The same in a restaurant. DH and I go out to enjoy a meal with just the 2 of us ( a nice restaurant) and we always seem to have crying babies or kids by us now-a-days. I don't blame the kids at all, they are bored, tired, hungry, etc and most are just not old enough to sit quiet for an hour and wait for supper and nor should they be expected too. Thats what McDonalds is there for,

 

[Muushka]

Thanks all for your input. Not being a parent sure makes it hard to understand this stuff. For sure I did not blame that poor little baby.
I do know babies different cries and this one was just plain pittiful and sad.
Heck, I wanted to take the baby home and comfort it!

 

[Schmeck]

A 15 month old is hardly a newborn - probably crying herself to sleep at that time of night. It won't scar her for life, and why shouldn't kids stay up late on their vacation? Should there be a curfew set for kids at WDW now?

It's part of the Disney experience - you stay up late, you get tired, etc. There will always be cranky kids at WDW, and cranky parents, and cranky adults without kids too!

 

[paigevz]

Well, I tend to think OP probably has a good sense of why baby was crying..............that said, however, many people have posted that ALL the crying/screaming kids they see are tired, hot, hungry or cold and the parents need to take them back to the hotel..........that I disagree with. My kids cry. My 9 year old gets his feelings hurt........likely if you saw him crying it would be because he walked in front of someone and they scolded him, or he missed his turn at a character, or he dropped his ice cream. My 2 year old is a 2 year old. He's liable to melt down over nearly anything.............he doesn't want to be in the stroller, or he doesn't want to hold a hand, or he doesn't want to go in that store, or he does want to go in that store.............on and on ad infinitum. He does his "meltdowns" all the time, even when well rested, well fed, and clothed appropriately for the weather. Going back to the hotel won't help him, and in fact, he'd probably scream more, and then our hotel neighbors would wonder why we couldn't take him out of the hotel so they didn't have to hear him. Some people have expressed the thought that children of this age aren't "old enough" for a trip like this. He would do the same at home................and I see many benefits for him on the trip.......but that could be debated forever....suffice it to say, we think it's good for him to go and he enjoys it, and the rest of us do too!
Again, I do think OP's baby was likely tired or overstimulated, but not all crying kids you see need a nap.

 

[Limmer]

But I don't think that the parents are "doing" anything to their kids simply because it's cold and the child is crying.

That is kind of the point, they were not "doing" anything. I have a 6 month old and I would not just sit there if she was crying. It wouldn't matter if she was crying because she was cold, tired, hungry or just for temper. It would be rude for those sitting around us but more important, if the baby is upset it is my responsibility (and pleasure) to do what is best for her even if it means missing a parade/nice dinner whatever. We used to take her to restaurants as she would just sleep but now she is more active and makes too much noise, throws things etc. so we either get a babysitter or we eat at home. Not the end of the world.

 

[DISNEYFAMILYOFFOUR]

We were at MVMCP on 12/14 and it was extremely cold. By 8:30 p.m. my DD6 and DS5 asked to go back to the hotel. Both had on a heavy shirtshirt with a hood and a jacket so I was prepared for the cold. We went back to the hotel as they asked. It was not a hard decision for us.

 

[Mymatisse]

Well, I tend to think OP probably has a good sense of why baby was crying..............that said, however, many people have posted that ALL the crying/screaming kids they see are tired, hot, hungry or cold and the parents need to take them back to the hotel..........that I disagree with. My kids cry. My 9 year old gets his feelings hurt........likely if you saw him crying it would be because he walked in front of someone and they scolded him, or he missed his turn at a character, or he dropped his ice cream. My 2 year old is a 2 year old. He's liable to melt down over nearly anything.............he doesn't want to be in the stroller, or he doesn't want to hold a hand, or he doesn't want to go in that store, or he does want to go in that store.............on and on ad infinitum. He does his "meltdowns" all the time, even when well rested, well fed, and clothed appropriately for the weather. Going back to the hotel won't help him, and in fact, he'd probably scream more, and then our hotel neighbors would wonder why we couldn't take him out of the hotel so they didn't have to hear him. Some people have expressed the thought that children of this age aren't "old enough" for a trip like this. He would do the same at home................and I see many benefits for him on the trip.......but that could be debated forever....suffice it to say, we think it's good for him to go and he enjoys it, and the rest of us do too!
Again, I do think OP's baby was likely tired or overstimulated, but not all crying kids you see need a nap.

I really don't think that anyones' comments were meant to be generalized and applied to each and every crying child at WDW. Comon sense will tell you that children cry for many reasons. I think people were just expressing concern at the fact that if the weather conditions are inclement enough to be bothersome to an adult then surely a baby would probably have an issue and it is that child's parents repsonsibility to make sure that their child is protected. Some parents fail to carry out that responsibility. Mind you, I did not say every parent, I said some.

 

[laceemouse]

One thing no one has brought up is this...a LOT of people think it NEVER gets cold in Florida. I was raised in south Louisiana, went to college in Tallahassee, Fl., and lived in Jacksonville for many years. Fall and Spring can be cool, and winter nights downright COLD. Most folks think they can go to Florida, anywhere in Florida at any time of year, and never needs coats, hats, scarves, ect....My feeling is that Disney will always be there, why take misserable kids and push them to the limit to "get you money's worth!" Hot or cold, just wait until they can really enjoy it. We have taken babies, but we went in Fall and went at their pace. That late night stuff is for older kids IMO. I feel sorry for that baby

 

[PatriciaH]

Who knows why the baby was crying, babies cry. We wouldn't even go to a nice restaurant when the kids were tiny because we didn't want to disturb others. Alot of parents just don't care. To me, the parent should have taken the baby away from the parade so others could enjoy it without listening to the crying baby. The same in a restaurant. DH and I go out to enjoy a meal with just the 2 of us ( a nice restaurant) and we always seem to have crying babies or kids by us now-a-days. I don't blame the kids at all, they are bored, tired, hungry, etc and most are just not old enough to sit quiet for an hour and wait for supper and nor should they be expected too. Thats what McDonalds is there for,

ITA and thank you for being a caring parent.

Last week we saw a father screaming at his daughter (maybe 8) leaving Splash Mountain. "You are RUINING this vaction for all of us. You hear me RUINING IT!!!" She was crying and sobbing "I'm sorry daddy.." Too scared to go on SM. I was disgusted with him.

 

[sters]

I appreciate everyone's comments. However, it was 10:45 at night and the parade had not even come towards us yet. Plus, it was 39 degrees, max, and winds upward of 15 MPH. I really wonder about priorities here.
Perhaps someone who was there on the 14th would make me feel better about what parents are thinking about. Thanks all.

I'm not flaming you, but I can tell you that it's much easier to schlepp an infant than a toddler. Most infants will just go to sleep when they are tired... cry for a bit, then it's snore central. Mine used to just fall asleep around 3pm whenever it was dark... haunted mansion, for example and would have no difficulty with the late hours you describe. Yes, it's past "bedtime" but infants can and do roll with it. When my oldest was a baby, we took him everywhere in that infant carrier or stoller no matter the time. Different story by the time our others came around. By that time, he was used to regular nap times and bedtime. Adjusting the schedule was problematic and usually not worth the aggravation, the crankiness, the tantrums. So, early dinners and early nights it was!!! As for the temperature, I concur with other posters that it all depends on where you're from. I remember taking my 2 month old to Southern California (we're from New Jersey) for CHristmas and my grandmother was SHOCKED that my child was unbundled, when in fact it was the warmest weather this child had experienced! As for hats, not one of my kids would tolerate them or gloves no matter how cold the weather until they were 4.

 

[minijeanie]

imho infants should not be out at night. especially cold nights. I took my children at a very young age to wdw..but I knew their limitations and was back in the room sometimes as early as 6:30 pm. sure we wished we could stay longer,but heck they were exhausted. as soon as one of my children started crying, I knew it was time..and that was it.

it is called sacrifice. and I truly believe not many people want to do that today. so go ahead and beat me up on this one.
I know WDW is an expensive vacation & everyone wants to utilize the time that they have but you have to plan for your children. are they really having fun cranky and tired...not to mention the people around you that have to deal with the screaming.

okay I vented

I for one have never allowed my children to cry for more than 30 seconds before I removed them from the restaurant or attraction. It is just not fair to people around you.

 

[laceemouse]

ITA mini, that is one of the biggest problems these days. Why do kids see movies and t.v. shows that they shouldn't and go to places they shouldn't be??? Because, the parents themselves don't want to miss this stuff. I can't even tell you the last time DH and I saw a movie or t.v. show geared toward adults. We do things together as a family that are appropriate for our youngest child. They grow up quickly, and then we can do what we want. Mom wanted to see the parade, so the baby had to just suffer through it.

 

[eeyore0062]

Unfortunately the problem tends to stem from "we paid all of this money, and you WILL have a good time" mentality. We see it all the time.. kids not dressed properly for the weather (hot or cold), too tired to walk, much less be pleasant, or just plain hungry. The fact that it is a vacation and everyone should be able to enjoy themselves escapes them. They want to get their money's worth and they daggone sure will if it kills them.

 

[Pig Pen]

I'm from Vermont so anything above 40 will feel balmy to me!

In January I plan on bringing everything from hat, gloves, and jacket, to my swimsuit. We went last year during the first week of Feb and experienced only one uncomfortable morning (it was cool, foggy, and damp). We managed to get in one pool day.

As long as it doesn't snow, I will be happy.

 

[psycbert]

I guess I must be cold-blooded! I'm from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and I don't think I'd ever wear a hat or gloves in the southern U.S....
I'll normally put on a pair of gloves when it dips to - 25 C, and maybe a hat around -45 with windchill.

If you are used to the cold, then it's not that uncomfortable...However, that being said, if it's cold enough to cause frostbite, then kids should be bundled. But I'm not sure you can get frostbite in Florida?

Just a thought.

 

[Schmeck]

The OP said the child was 15 months old - not an infant, more like a toddler. And the baby had a 'sad cry' - why would shlepping that child through the park, onto Disney transportation, be better than cuddling the child?

 

[Muushka]

The OP said the child was 15 months old - not an infant, more like a toddler. And the baby had a 'sad cry' - why would shlepping that child through the park, onto Disney transportation, be better than cuddling the child?

Let me think for a minute here. It is 10:45 at night, freezing cold, baby is obviously tired/cold/uncomfortable/not in a good mood/hungry/WHATEVER.
Cuddle or schlep onto Disney transportation (which, by the way, they will eventually have to do to get home, right?). The cuddling was obviously not working. Again, just wonder where parents priorities are. And I also wonder at what age a baby realizes that they are "toughened up (immune to the cold)" like the parents are.

Sorry guys, I just don't see any justification for it. But do what you think is best. We only have to sit there and listen to it.