Planning the perfect day at Epcot...with an infant

[DisneyDaze36]

We will be travelling to WDW in mid August. Here is who is going. Me, my wife, our 5 yr old twin boys, our infant son (will be 3 months at time of visit) and our Moms. We will be staying at Beach Club Villas for the entire visit.
We think our moms will take the twins to the parks a lot so my wife and I will be looking to plan days with us and the new little guy.

What would be your perfect day at Epcot with an infant. Please provide as much detail as you can so we can plan accordingly.

Thanks to all who respond.

 

[marynvince]

It's likely that the baby will do a lot of sleeping. I'd stay away from the middle of the day heat. Epcot is a great park to walk around and just hang out, and for that you really don't need a plan. It is my favorite park becasue as far as parks go, it is the most relaxing.

 

[paults]

it can get pretty hot in August so try to plan around the mid day heat.

 

[DisneyWalker44]

"The perfect is the enemy of the good."

I wouldn't plan. Relax, wander and see where the day takes you.

 

[Crystal_27]

Given that your little one will probably be sleeping a lot, I think that you should take that opportunity to really wander around the World Showcase - - browse the shops, snack/drink around the World, watch the shows...just really take your time and enjoy the World Showcase (like so many of us don't get to do with younger children because they want the excitement of the rides). That said, when we went in September it was hotter than the surface of the sun, so please make sure that you are adequately hydrated and sunscreened in the August heat. It's very taxing and you'll be surprised how much the sun saps your energy. Happy planning!!

 

[SaratogaShan]

I have a little experience here!

I took a trip to WDW mid August when my son was 5 months old and still nursing. Everyone had a great time, but we prepared for the heat!

My recommendations:

1. Bring the proper equipment. As far as strollers go, I would bring one that has a multiple position reclining back with a 5 point harness. Lean it back and strap your little one in. Avoid the "car seat" carrier attachment as it traps too much body heat. Baby would sweat to death.

Get a sun shade extender for the stroller. It velcros on to the stroller canopy and blocks out more sunlight. It is also longer than a regular canopy, so it keeps baby's feet in the shade without having to constantly reposition the stroller.

Buy a clip on fan to attach to the stroller...don't forget the extra batteries.
Bring mister fans for yourself and share with baby.

Make good use of the baby care centers located in each park for feedings/cooldowns. The one at EPCOT is located in the ODESSY center near the World Showcase. This is a great place to nurse (if you are breastfeeding)

2. Speaking of feeding, whether you are nursing or bottlefeeding, this is definately the time to give baby extra water. Keep yourself hydrated too.

3. Strategy: Get there at opening when it is not so hot, and ride what you can (use baby swap if necessary). You can do Living with the Land, Nemo, Spaceship earth and Imagination with your little one! Pull fastpasses along the way to use later in the day. When it gets too hot, either take a break at the pool, or head to world showcase. You can stay cool in the gift shops and watching the film attractions at each pavilion.

Most of all,

HAVE FUN!

 

[Mich Mouse]

You've gotten some excellent advice here.

We travel every August to WDW and I must also warm you about the heat....It is 95 everyday(or more) and humid!
Infants cannot regulate their body temperatures as well as an adult.... They cool down or heat up much faster and are able to tolerate only a limited range of environmental temperatures. The smaller the infant, the greater the risk.

I am not writing this to scare you, we brought our infant in the summer and he was fine..Just be mindful of babys temperature. We actually had one of our best trips ever with our newborn. It was slow paced and relaxing....No rushing about or waiting in longthy lines. Ahhhhhhhh. Peaceful. A whole different experience.

Another suggestion is to order all your supplies from Garden Grocer. It was so much easier to have the diapers, wipes, etc delivered right to the resort. Believe me you will be carrying enough on the plane.

Have a wonderful trip!!!!

 

[hakepb]

If you can take your infant down to the Soarin' line, you might be able to get some rider swap passes so the older boys can go 2x (once with you, once with DW) you can also take the infant on the boat ride

I'd attempt to see if the infant would enjoy the fiber optic lights in the "sidewalk" after dark (near spaceship Earth)

There's of course the character visiting area if you can time that around an awake period..

 

[ryan840]

Whatever you do plan on it taking three times longer than you think it will and you'll be fine. We took our 2.5yr old and 9 week old sons a couple years ago and had a wonderful trip, but boy did we move sloooow! Between feeding the baby (even while walking it slowed us down considerably), changing diapers (not to mention the diaper explosions!) and keeping the baby cool it really was slow going. He was an absolute doll for us though and we all had so much fun.

 

[nytimez]

It's a great park to stroll while the baby sleeps -- I've done it myself. But one thing to bear in mind is that there are large areas with not a lot of shade, especially the spaces between Future World and the World Showcase.

 

[kruegeme]

There are some places in the world showcase that are nice and cool to rest and let the little one sleep. Here are some that DW and I found when we took our 1 year old.

China, just out of the theater to the right is a bench. One person can sit with the sleeping child while the other strolls thru the shop, then switch.

Canada, just as you leave the theater. Can get a little crazy here.

France, in the shop between the theater and pastry shop. You can get a snack and enjoy the cool temps.

 

[Disney Doll]

Sunscreen and lots of it.
Hydration and lots of it.
Look for shade.
The extended sunshade for the stroller sounds good.
I'd stay away from the heat of the day...or at least spend mostof the heat of the day in shady spots...there are a number of shady spots in the WS...not so many in FW I'm afraid.