Just back...tips and advice!!! (Baby, heat, and crowds)

[kmk160]

Hello all. Just returned from a week long trip, which was nothing short of amazing with DH, DS who is 3, and DD who is 4 months.
Let me start with the baby advice. This is not the first time we traveled in late August to Disney so we know it is HOT at this time of the year. We never have traveled with such a young infant though. Before leaving a purchased a stroller fan from One Step Ahead which was GREAT!! It blew just enough air to keep her cool without blowing her away!
I also bought a stroller shade from Baby's R Us which extended beyond the stroller canopy to give her just enough shade.
Plan for breaks. We took one each day at about Noon and went back into the parks in early evening. One day we thought it might be nice to do DTD in the afternoon. Big mistake...way too hot.

The baby stations throughout each park are SO nice.
They have diapers, formula, wipes, food...you name it, they have it!

The crowds weren't too bad. Some attractions were far worse than others. Pirates, Mount Everest, and Soarin' were among the longest waits. Up to an hour and a half. Use fastpass when you can...its such a timesaver!

We took our 3 year old son to Bippiti Boppiti Boutique. They have a boys package called Cool Dude. They painted a huge Mickey on the back of his head and paint and confetti throughout his hair...he loved it and so did every person who say him. For a 3 year old, he felt like king of the world and it was worth the $10 easily!!!!

I have been to Disney 30 + times and each time I go back I get taken back by the magic of it all. I received much criticsm about taking a 5 month old to Disney but nothing is more magical than seeing her smile at Mickey and experience the magic! I get teared up each time I walk into the MK and now that I have two young kids, its even more special.

To all of you...enjoy your trips.

 

[iluvmickeytown]

It sounds like you had a great time. But no pictures

 

[bbump]

We will be leaving in 2 days and are going with another family (their 1st trip) who has a 6yo, 2.5 year old and 8month baby.
It's great to hear that you had a great time, we are looking forward to seeing the magic of Disney through their eyes.
Even if the baby does not remember the trip, the family will always have the wonderful memories and priceless pics!
There are so many cool things for babies to look at in the "World"

Thanks again!!!

 

[mshawsc]

We are headed there next month with our 4 mo. daughter. I have a question - did you use a travel-system type stroller? (with the car seat on top)

 

[KTMB]

We're going 9/1-9/6 and we're in the same situation. DD is 2.5 and DS is 4 months. We bought 2 Britax Esprit lightweight umbrella-type strollers, and will use connectors some of the time. We'll be stopping by BRU on the way to the airport (2.5 hours away) to get an extended sunshade and cup holders to clip onto the stroller. We're not taking the travel system or the infant seat. I hope we don't regret that. I've heard that most restaurants will allow the stroller in with an infant who can't sit unassisted yet.

I was also worried about the heat. We already have the OSA stroller fans & the mister fans from the Disney Store. We also plan on taking breaks each day after lunch. We're also hoping that the crowds will be lighter since most schools will be back in session.

Any other tips? Thanks so much!

 

[kmk160]

I can't tell you enough how much I thanked myself for buying that stroller fan for her! I bought a lightweight stroller from Target before leaving. The brand is Safety First and it is the Altura stroller.
At first I thought she was too young to sit facing outwards and how would I know if there was something she needed. That too turned out to be a good purchase. She enjoyed looking out and it reclined far enough to keep her comfortable and it also came with an infant head support which was great for her too.

As far as the restaraunts go, it depends on who you get as a host. The host at the Living Seas allowed us to take her in with the stroller b/c I did not take the carseat and there would have been no where for her to sit other than in my lap. This was also true at Hollywood and Vine in MGM. The cm at the Land where Soarin' is located, would not allow the stroller in.
At Chef Mickey's they had high chairs for infants which was great but it was the only place I saw them all week. We had the carseat with us for the Hoop de Doo and just layed it on top of a regular high chair. We brought the carseat from home b/c we had a rental car. Since we were staying right at Fort Wilderness in a cabin, taking the carseat to Hoop de Doo was easy. Wouldnt have wanted to lug it into parks though!

 

[Dicecatt]

I will appologize on behalf of anyone giving you grief about travelling with your baby, what gives them the right to decide how old your child is before you can travel? I just have to hope someday I'm as good as them and can sit in judgement of others. I'm really sorry you had to deal with that, and I am thrilled that you had such a magical time! The moments you describe, watching your children's faces, that is what I live for on the trips I plan...that is my greatest joy, seeing the pure happiness on their faces. It is one of life's greatest experiences!

My little one is 15 months. I am a little nervous as she just entered a little honery stage...my twins were 3 when I first took them, and only cried once, when we were leaving Disneyland at the end of the day! The baby will love it, but I am worried about crankiness, or the high pitched shrill shriek she has been letting out at restaurants (not crying, just one really loud yell, she actually startles herself!). I planned lots of breaks and such. I also bought a lightweight stroller from Target, I wonder if it is the same one? Did you get a stroller cover for rain? I haven't, but I'm wondering if I should. I figured that she'll be more comfortable in her own stroller, and the travel system we already have is way too heavy for us to haul around all over Disney.

 

[blitzkrieg048]

leaving in 3 hours can't wait!!!!!!

 

[ilovepooh]

Glad you had a great trip! Thanks for the tips!!