Riding Dumbo with Toddler and Squirmy baby

[Caitriona]

First off, has anyone been on Dumbo with a squirmy baby? My baby will have just turned 1, and I think he might be okay since he does sit still & clap his hands with excitement when he's entertained so maybe that will be how he is on Disney rides (*fingers crossed*) But of course it will be me holding him, since he's a Mommy's boy and he prefers to use his dad as a climbing frame and trampoline, so we would both feel more comfortable if he's on my lap when we go on rides

However, my other DS who just turned 3 keeps telling me that he is going on all of the rides with me, and not his Dad, and he's especially looking forward to riding Dumbo with me. He is still very much a baby to me and I wonder if it's do-able with a 12-month old and just-turned 3-year old. The whole idea just scares me!

DD7 also says that she wants to go on all rides with her Dad and with DS3 wanting to ride with me, I just don't think it would be a good idea since I'll have DS1 on my lap. I would prefer for DD7 to be with me, since I feel as though I don't have to worry about her as much i.e. trying to stand up during a ride, and she'd be more a help than a hindrance.


I don't know why it's stressing me out so much. For the rides that we all will go on as a family, I think it seems most logical that DH and I would get one little boy each. There will be plenty of rides that DD7 will get to go on with her dad that I have no desire to go on (Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror) and I know that there will be other rides where the wait times aren't such a big deal so that DS3 & I can go on multiple times together...

I think it's because DS3 talks about how he's going to ride with me and not his dad ALL THE TIME and earlier today he said "PLEASE!!! You're my favorite!"

How do you tell kids that they are going to ride with a certain parent on certain rides or not at all? I never knew that my little girl was such a daddy's girl and that my DS was such a mommy's boy until now. It wouldn't be a problem if DS1 weren't so squirmy and he's kind of a mommy's boy, too!!

I also did think about wearing my baby, but I've not found a comfortable sling etc. I'm very short and I tend to have very tall kids (they're in the 100th %tile for height) DD7 comes up to my eyes.

 

[NorthernGrl]

With my kids, we don't even tell them. We all get in line, and as we get to the front, DH and I communicate over the kids heads with hand gestures and eye rolls, then just stear the kids in the direction they need to go in. With the excitement/ nervousness they don't even realize who they're sitting with until it's all over.

 

[luckyfin]

I would just use it as a teachable moment about taking turns.

 

[katied]

I agree with PPs. But, if you are going to have both little ones on your own, have a baby carrier is a huge help. I've done rides with both my little ones on by own, but when DD was a bit younger (now she's almost 2) I would have her attached to me. I've done the parks some am's when DH wants to sleep in, and this way, I felt OK with 2 little ones on my own (DD was just under 1, DS was 3 1/2). I could easily chase DS if he got lose, and DD was safely strapped to me.

 

[amylynne01]

With my kids, we don't even tell them. We all get in line, and as we get to the front, DH and I communicate over the kids heads with hand gestures and eye rolls, then just stear the kids in the direction they need to go in. With the excitement/ nervousness they don't even realize who they're sitting with until it's all over.

This. I would see how the younger two first separately before attempting a ride with them together. My older DD was just barely 3 when we went last year, and she was great on rides, so I would have no concerns putting my two together.

 

[adventure_woman]

I also did think about wearing my baby, but I've not found a comfortable sling etc. I'm very short and I tend to have very tall kids (they're in the 100th %tile for height) DD7 comes up to my eyes.

What have you tried? I would recommend an Ergo, Beco, Boba. You could try a Mei Tei if you wanted. (My ring sling isn't too comfortable because DD is bigger). Being able to wear my DD at Disney was great - it kept her more contained than she would have been just carrying her.

 

[luvmy2babies]

Another vote for the Ergo for the baby. We went when my son was 10 months and he did great on rides in it. That said my son was used to being worn and I was used to wearing him. I love mine still and my son is 26 months. They can still look around and it is comfortable. I’ll have it on this trip too, mainly for when we go places like to dd’s BBB appointment and I can’t take the stroller inside.

 

[bumbershoot]

Ergo.

I'm short and have a tall kid, too. I can empathize! Though I'm taller or DS is shorter, because DS is "only" at my shoulder tip.


Remember, there will be seatbelts.

Also, at 7 your daughter CAN ride alone. So if she objects (and you're OK with not insisting every single time) to riding with a younger sib, she can go alone while the adults take a little one each.

 

[chinchiller]

If you're short and looking to wear your baby and haven't tried a Boba, I would highly suggest a Boba over an Ergo. Ergos are very, very popular, but a common, recurring complaint about them (including from me) is that they aren't made well for short users while Bobas are made specifically with short people in mind. I'm 5'0 and have a Boba and it fits me beautifully. They're also made to adjust to wearers over 6'0 as well so my husband can wear our daughter (if he ever decides to try) with only minimal strap adjustments.

The Beco is also favorable among short users, but I didn't purchase that one because of the strap system in place. It just appeared to be way more complicated and, all things being equal between it and the Boba, I decided to go with the more straightforward of the two.

Here's a good chart for popular soft-structured carrier comparisons: http://www.theportablebaby.com/carrierfeatures.html

 

[NotUrsula]

I second the idea of some kind of sling or carrier, for safety reasons. It is very difficult on many of the rides for a short person to climb in to the ride car whilst holding an infant, and if you also are helping up a toddler that goes double. The boat rides, especially, require a BIG step down, so having a hand free to help yourself on the railing helps quite a lot.

 

[2goofykiddos]

Yup carrier is a must. My son went at 8 weeks in the Beco and 15 months in the Ergo. I just put him in the front on the rides so he was strapped to me. I did not do this on Peter Pan and he freaked out and tried to jump off the ride
Scared me to death!
I plan to bring the Ergo again this time just in case, but it was really invaluable last trip.

 

[MnMomW3Boys]

I have done the rides with a toddler and an infant before, once they are on the ride trust me the 1 year old will be so entertained he will forget to squirm. The breeze and all the sights will keep him occupied. I would just situate 1 year old on your lap and wrap your arm around him and then drape your other arm around your 3 year old and that way you will feel he is secure too. And who knows he may change his mind on who he wants to ride with when you get there....we are a family of 5 and we switch it up all the time on who rides with who. Sometimes the kids get to choose and sometimes its just how it works out! Have an amazing trip!

 

[RadioFanatic]

I don't know about two kids at once, but I'll tell you a story about one 9 month old baby. When ds was 9 months, dh and I took him to disney. DH had to take DS on dumbo bc I just can't do circle rides When he got off, DH was white as a ghost. He said DS almost fell off the side bc he was having so much fun he was moving all over the place!

so I would definitely be concerned with two kids. one at a time is enough!

 

[Caitriona]

Thanks everyone for your great and helpful advice!!

I don't know remember which carriers I've tried with my kids, but I've not liked any of them - a lot of it due to being short and large chested, so it was hard for me to find something comfortable. Most recently I tried the Baby K'tan for the trip, but I returned it, because the small was too tight and the medium was too loose. I know that I would love a moby or mai tai, but I don't want to deal with all of the fabric, if I just want to use it for rides.

So I just bought a very simple carrier that I can quickly put on when I need it (not at the very last minute, of course - I'll be considerate of others ) I. I know it's not the greatest, but I will feel safer on rides with it.Baby Carrier And maybe I can stop having nightmares about DS1 trying to jump off my lap during Dumbo, It's a Small World and Peter Pan etc

And I also love the idea of just not telling the kids and just having DH & I lead them each with one of us. I know now though that when the time comes they might be so excited to ride that they won't even notice. It's not something that I even thought much about until DS3 started to talk about it. He's obsessed with watching the planning videos and has since been obsessed with telling me that he wants to ride all of the rides with me... but he also thinks he's going on Splash Mountain thanks to the DVD (He's only 39.5" with his shoes on, so that is a whole different issue I'm trying to deal with - I'm just going to have to find something else for him to do to help him forget about it)