Need advice..would you take an infant to Disney?

[Dorisk3]

I know I'm going to sound harsh here, but I'm going to say it. There is no way you should take a 2 month old to Disney and particularly since it is your first child. We all love Disney here, so believe me, I understand your desire to go , particularly with free dining. But since this is your first child I will tell you flat out, you might not be lucky and have a kid that sleeps in a carseat. Do you want to sit in Le Cellier propping up a two month old. If you breastfeed, you're going to need to be pretty confident about nursing in public, and breastfed babies nurse alot particularly at that yound age. Also, from what I know, although by all means ask a pediatrician- I don't think younger babies can sweat alot so your also talking about a heat/dehydration situation. I'm not really germphobic, and you're not going in cold and flu season, that part wouldn't get to me too much. Babies are a ton of work, and even after two months you are still going to be getting used to being a mom. I'd hold out for next year same time- by then you'll be a pro and your baby will be a year old and could actually enjoy a few rides and characters! All the best to you no matter what you decide!

 

[Crazy4Disney72]

I don't think I would take a 2 month old to WDW that time of year....I've been to WDW in September in '01,'03, and '05 and I'll be there again this year and it's always been very hot and humid. I did take my now 8yr old DS to WDW when he was 3½ months old, but it was in November when the weather is more favorable. He was also not my first child, and we were going with my parents, siblings, and their kids, so there were plenty of adults to help out. He was still not sleeping through the night, so it was a tiring trip for me. I don't know that I would have been up for it with a 2 month old and a first baby at that, when everything seems more overwhelming. I know free dining is hard to pass up, that's why DH and I are going back for a long weekend in September!

 

[minkydog]

I didn't adjust well...AT ALL... to motherhood the first time around. I read all the books about complications, sleepless nights,etc, but really I believed deep down I would sail into motherhood. What a shock!!!!!!

If I had a vacation planned with my beautiful and much-loved puking, screaming, collicky, sleepless son, I would have had to have cancelled it. A vacation with him would have sent me even further into postpartum anxiety and depression.

That said, my daughter, born 2 years later was a breeze, and a trip would have been fine...a lot of work packing, etc, but fine.

I'm not trying to scare you. Parenthood is a natural condition...but it involves life changes you just can't even imagine until it happens. If it were me, I'd allow your new little family to ease into it as much as possible. Disney will be there forever. Those first months of getting to know each other only happen once.

You described my parenting experience completely. I couldn't have been more surprised at my reaction. I totally agree with your assessment.

 

[photobob]

I've seen people with very young infants at WDW during my trips and most everytime I do I say to myself "what were they thinking?" That kind of heat can't be good for an infant and most moms or dads I've seen carrying the infants didn't look like they were having much fun either. I love to go to Disney, but I say wait awhile. My $.02......

 

[GC&S]

When my baby was 2 months old, I could barely leave the house. It never crossed my mind to take her to Disney. Babies are a lot of work and they don't always act the way you think they will. Some very smart people told me that infants basically sleep and eat. Mine did neither. I can't imagine myself walking around Disney just from my own exhaustion. I really can't understand why people take very young infants to Disney. The person earlier who said they are taking their 6 week old grandchild - why?? Babies have limited immune systems and being around that many people just exposes them to all kinds of stuff that would never affect us. Someone said earlier that Disney will always be there - and I agree.

 

[4theloveofdisney]

We have taken all three of our children at many different ages. The youngest was around 3 months. As long as your child is healthy and your pediatrician gives the okay, I wouldn't normally hesitate. Babies are usually very easy at this stage. However, I say this with one big BUT: August and September are extremely hot months and that is when the free dining period falls. Babies can't sweat like we can and their body temps can rise easily and they can become overheated. I would not think that any pediatrician would give you his blessing to take such a little one during such a hot and humid time, but I could be wrong. If I am, I just wouldn't personally do this.

If you are talking about taking the baby at another time, the only other thing that might make me hesitate is if there is any health risk or if the child has colic. My son and also my first born, cried from 8:00pm through almost midnight almost every night of his new life for several months. I can't imagine subjecting a baby with colic to more stimulants nor can I imagine subjecting your hotel neighbors to that as well. There is really nothing you can do when they are like this. We tried and read everything. Unless things have drastically changed today (my son is now 8), this could still be a concern. At any rate, there is no way to determine this until he/she arrives.

I wouldn't hesistate to plan something as long as your baby is happy and healthy but just not in August or September. Perhaps babies first Thanksgiving or Christmastime at Disney? Just my .02. HTH!

 

[johnvree]

No. I wouldn't do it for three reasons:

(1) It may be very tough on you and your wife. First, your wife may not be up to walking around the parks by that point. She may still be recovering from the delievery and may not be sleeping very regularly during the first few months. Second, you both may be stressed out. The first kid is stressful. As new parents we were never really sure what to expect or what to do. We stressed about the smallest issues. Being away from home will likely make that more stressful. Third, it may not be that fun. Sure, most new borns sleep a lot, but not all do. My son was a terrible sleeper from day 1. What happens if your baby decides to sleep all day and stay up all night?

(2) It could be tough on your baby. Florida is hot and humid that time of year and no place for a new born. Most Floridians stay indoors July through September, even the adults.

(3) Think of other guests. OK, I know this isn't going to be popular. Yes, WDW is for kids and guests should expect kids crying during attractions and in restaurants and at night in the room next to you. But an infant crying all night, which they tend to do, is going to affect the people in the room next to you. We had the unpleasant experience at the AKL of staying next to a couple with a very young baby. The baby cried all night, each night we were there. We woke up exhausted each morning (not my kids, they somehow slept through it). As a result, we wore out quickly each day. One day we actually went back to the room in the afternoon to take a nap to make up for the sleep we were missing. Guess who was also trying to nap that day - our neighbors. I truly felt bad for these parents and of course never complained. But I'd be lying if I didn't resent the parents a little for bringing a kid that young.

Just my thoughts. I hope I didn't offend anyone.

 

[srdipert]

I used to say I would never take a baby to Disney but we just returned last week after going with our 3 month old and it was great. We were there last april and bought season passes with the intentions of going back this year and we came home with a little suprise souvineir.

The only problem I see is that this is your first and it is really hard to gauge what it is going to be like. A lot of first time babies are born late possibly up to two weeks late that could mean the baby might even be less than 2 months. If you wife were to have to have c-section or even a rough delivery she may still be really sore.

That being said if you decide to go get a baby carrier. We have a baby bjorn and love it. A lot of small babies like to be close to mom so they don't do great in a stroller. We really didn't use ours that much when were there.

 

[HappyLawyer]

well, i would not take an infant to disney, but what is best for me may not be best for the next person, we all like to ride together and do things, and with an infant we cannot do that. Now my best friend is the opposite, she will take an infant and will not ride, she wants too but she has the baby, so just follow your heart and do what you feel is best.
good luck

 

[GinaGrumpyDwarf]

what is interesting to me is that the OP hasnt yet talked about his decision...
With that being said...heres my .02 cents....

I have a new baby..she's 4 months old now....my second child....

OMG...i would have died taking her to disney. Like previous posters said... the routine just isnt there yet, and with being a first time parent...

I was a little leary of taking our 4 month old who will be 10 months at time of travel. Maddie is getting a routine down slightly, and i'm hoping that it will be better in sept/oct.

 

[Biscuitsmom31]

I always took my kids everywhere with me, even when they were very little. I thought people were ridiculous to worry so much. I had a friend who wouldn't leave the house with her baby until it was 3 months old. I couldn't believe how over the top she was...UNTIL after taking my 2 week old baby out to eat at a nice mexican place, he came down with RSV. That is the only place we went, so he must have gotten it there. My family jokingly calls me the "handwashing nazi" so it wasn't from poor hygiene (sp?). There are certain things that are in the air that you can't protect a baby from. RSV is just a cold for most people but for infants under 3 months, it can be deadly. Yes, I carted around my other 3 kids with no problems but...the horror of seeing my fourth child hooked up to tubes was truly devastating. I also felt very guilty for taking him out so young. Disney World is full of sick kids. Wait until your baby's immune system is ready to handle it...

 

[annie1995]

I would not take a baby under 6-8 months old myself. I think they need that much time to build immunity up, get in a semi regular sleeping pattern, etc. And by that time, they are becoming so much fun. We will be going back when our son is 14 months old, so that should be interesting. He will either love the place, or be scared half to death of it. We'll see I guess.

 

[bjakmom]

We took DGrD when she was 5 1/2 mos old - but that was in mid-Jan. I would not take a baby any younger than that in the hot months (June thru Oct). We used our baby bjorn for her a lot that trip - she loved being in it while waiting in line and just walking around the parks - but it would be too uncomfortable to have a baby up against you in the heat. Last June (first week) we were on the boat with a totally frazzled young mom with a 2 month old - it was sooooo hot and she was telling us that she had spent most of her park time sitting in the baby centers because the baby was so cranky in the heat. We were also there the first week in October and it was still HOT! (90s) and very humid. Remember that new moms can also be very tired, out of sync, and hormonal for the first few months - I agree that a trip in Nov or Dec would be more fun for all - congrats on the little one, by the way!

 

[Twinprincesses]

Personally no.

 

[lillygator]

absolutely....as a native - any baby I have will be out in the sun - although protected....first DD went at 18 months...and second DD went at 4 weeks...was an angel..

 

[lillygator]

(2) It could be tough on your baby. Florida is hot and humid that time of year and no place for a new born. Most Floridians stay indoors July through September, even the adults.

So so funny....Just so you know....not all of us natives do....we have to work and have fun you know.

ETA: that's to keep away from the tourists

 

[StacyPop]

I have taken a 2 month old to the Not so scary Halloween-plus a few days after. He pretty much slept through most of it, but it was not hard to handle. I brought the Baby Bjorn carrier, and "wore" him on all the rides, so I didnt have to wake him up. If you are going in October, it is plenty cool enough for a baby. Just make sure to bring a hat. We also got a little clip on fan for the stroller in case it got too hot during the day (like a camping tent fan). A clip on umbrella is a good idea too, to block any extra sun from the stroller.

 

[Tricia1972]

Personally I would not choose to take a 2 month old baby to Disney World, for many reasons - most of which have already been discussed here.

*Will your wife require a c-section? No way to know for sure until she delivers and c-sections require at least 6 weeks of healing (assuming there are no complications) This puts your trip just 2 weeks after your wife would be fully healed.
*What will your baby's personality be? I have two children. My first was still up every 2 hours around the clock at 8 weeks and the second had acid reflux and cried all the time until we had his meds regulated. Your baby could have the personality of an angel. You will not know what their personality will be at 8 weeks until they are 8 weeks old and you are at Disney.
*More than likely your wife will be completely exhausted at the time. If your wife is the one who REALLY wants to go then she'll suck it up and have a good time because it is her greatest desire. If it is you who really wants to be there and she is going for you, more than likely she'll end up seeing all of the negatives of it and have a rotten time. As everyone said, traveling with a baby is certainly possible but it is a huge undertaking. Bottles, diapers, changes of clothes, constant feedings, always worrying that your baby is hydrated enough and cool enough. It is daunting.
*This is your first child, and you don't know how much they change your life until they are here. You may still be reeling at the changes in your life and a vacation to you may still be sleeping 8 hours at a stretch. Add hiking around Disney, putting up with the heat and crowds on top of already shortened tempers could be disaster. (As I said if she wants this as much as you do she'll make it work and look for the positives - if this is for you it could harbor resentment)
*Just mentioned, but worth mentioning again is RSV. Our DS had RSV at three months which developed into pneumonia in both lungs. We were lucky enough to stay out of the hospital, but barely. We had to go to the Dr every day and give him round the clock treatments to combat the sickness.
*Not mentioned is Rotavirus. A very nasty virus that can greatly harm children. It is transmitted from feces, but that can be anywhere when people don't wash properly. Most people just have a case of the poo's from it, but babies can end up in the hospital. My oldest DS got it when he was 18 months old. We always sanitized changing tables before using them, but he got it anyways. He ended up in the hospital for 5 days from this when he was 18 months old. Not sure what it could do to a 8 week old.

There are many reasons not to go and only a few reasons TO go. You guys need to decide how much you want to go. If you are both not in complete agreement that you HAVE to go in Sept then I can almost guarantee that one or both of you will have a rotten time. If you are both in agreement that you can't wait a year to go, then I say bring sanitizers, bottles, diapers, battery operated fans, full size strollers, your baby bjorn, big hats, many changes of clothes, blankets for covering the baby in the stroller, your patience. Good Luck and have fun!

 

[alicenwonder99]

We have a trip planned for the end of September which includes my dgd. She will be 6 1/2 months old then. She is 5 1/2 weeks old now and the most colicky baby I've ever seen!!! I am now rethinking our trip, just for the fact that it seems the baby is overly sensitive to stimuli. Yes, she will most likely grow out of it by 6 months, but the heat from September might just be too much for an overly sensitive baby.

I couldn't imagine bringing her to WDW in 2 weeks when she turns 2 months old. OMG!!!

Here's my advice: you should know by 4 weeks if you have a very easy going baby, or a colicky baby. Go to WDW if the baby is easy going. Keep the trip short...like just 3 nights. And plan on getting to the parks at early opening, and leaving after 2 hours. Then stay in the hotel for most of the day. Head back to the parks if it cools down enough in the evenings.

If the baby is colicky, don't even consider it. This is your first baby, you have NO IDEA what a colicky baby can put a family (especially the mom) through.

I had one easy going baby, and 2 colicky babies. The colicky babies are very demanding and WDW is no place for them.

Mary

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

Just thought I would give my 2 cents here as well. Both of my babies were very easy going babies; however, at 2 months, I was still healing from giving birth and walking around the Disney parks would have killed me! Also, nursing was very time consuming. I have to say at 2 months post partum, I was not really up for a lot of things. I really just wanted to be at home cuddling with the baby.