Share your experiences--trip with 11-month old

[Disney Panda]

DH, DS and I are booked for POFQ for 12/15-12/19. Would you share the positive and negative experiences you had traveling with one this age? Any tips would be great as well.

 

[Rapunsel]

Bring your own stroller.....
lots of snacks, cups for drinks, not may toys as you will find great stuff there. Comfortable clothes. Meaing since you will be doing diaper chnages often make sure the clothes are easy. I prefer sweat pants or pull on pants for my son at that age as he did not want to lay still to have all the snaps done up. He is still like that. So we wore 2 piece outfits.

Also go with an open mind. It can be srressful, but if you have a wonderful spouse it can be easier. Some people suggest going back to the room for a nap.. I found that it was more of a hassle to go back and return than to find a bence to sit on and watch the world go by while me DS slet. Or even go into all the shops while they are asleep so that you can look at all the neat stuff..

Some others suggest seperate rooms or getting a suite.. I found that DS at 1 had more energy than the rest of us and he fell asleep last and woke up first..

Most of all take lots of pictures and have a great time.

 

[ahutton]

We've done a couple trips with our girls around that age. That time of year is wonderful for taking little ones. My girls did not like characters at that age, DD was 3 before she thought they were okay. It took our 2 year old almost our entire vacation before she would shake Goofy's hand, and she asked to see him every day. She would just freak as we got close. So see how he does, if he loves them then take a ton of pictures. If not, hopefully he'll grow to love them.

If you find he is having a tough time in the stroller then take a break in the Baby Care Centers. They have play rooms, with age appropriate toys where they can have some individual play time. We didn't need to do it but once or twice, but it is really nice.

When the weather was bad my younger DD loved being in a Snugli carrier better than her stroller with a rain cover. I just put on the Snugli, and then carried an umbrella over our heads. She loved the view and was more dry and warm than she would have been in her stroller.

Dress in layers that time of year. It will got from cool in the morning, to warm at lunch, hot in the afternoon to cold at night. We usually put on a onsie with pull on pants and then had a jacket and a blanket and would shed and add back as we needed to.

 

[lovesdumbo]

In Jan my kids were 4 1/2, turned 3 there and 2 weeks shy of 1-the baby was the easiest. I had asked my pediatrician if I could switch baby to milk before the trip and she said yes. If you're using formula I would suggest powdered since you don't have to keep it cool. For table food I would highly reccomend these placemats:
Table Topper

We did return the room for naps for the older kids but the baby slept in the stroller fine. She would use the room break to get some floor time as she wasn't walking yet. I agree with ahutton that you could probably do that at the Baby Centers.

The Baby Centers are great and do sell baby food if you run out(costs about 2x grocery store prices but if you need it....). They have HUGE changing tables and are a great quiet break from the parks. My DD had a tough time eating in the parks as she was too busy seeing everything going on around her. I didn't try the Baby Centers since I had the other 2 but this might be an option for you. If your DS is squirmy at diaper changes you may want to consider Pampers Easy Ups that now come in size 1-2T. I brought a few for tough places like the plane where it was easier to change baby standing up. And Huggies now makes great disposable changing pads-much bigger than anything that comes with the diaper bag. They'd cover the entire changing station in the regular restrooms. I aslo used them on the bed in the room.

My baby was a bit leary of the characters but she LOVED Tigger at CP. And ate well there too. She was much warmer to the characters in the parks after that meal.

December is a magical time to go. Take it slow and enjoy!

 

[ErinInCT]

I am curious as to how those with older kids & the baby handled evening activities.
My dd (who will be 2 weeks shy of her 1st b-day when we go) goes to bed btwn 6:30pm and 7pm (maybe that will change in 2 months???). I really want dd4 to be able to see Fantasmic & Wishes (both will be at 8pm when we visit) but I don't know if I should bring the baby too. I'm sure the loud noises of fireworks will keep her up. I am also trying to figure out what time to plan dinner. 6pm seems too late!! My sister is coming to help out & right now I am just planning for her to bring the baby back & put her to bed while the rest of us attend the evening activities.
Let me know how your kids fared!!

 

[frannn]

She had a better time than we expected! She loved the characters & the food, and napped on a bunch of the rides. Any time we went back to the room was for us, because she was ok napping in the medium sized reclining stroller we brought. She ate a lot at the character meals & had a great time at MNSSHP. The only meltdown she had was at Epcot. It was hot, and she was hungry. Other than that one time, she had a wonderful experience, which we caught on video and film. A great part of the vacation was her having free admission at the theme parks, MHSSHP, and free meals at the character buffets! We switched her from formula to milk the month before we left, and bought Parmalat at Publix and milk at the food court for her. She ate and enjoyed most table foods we ate, along with her baby food. She kept removing her hat, though, so I would be sure that your stroller has a good sized canopy. If not, you can get the Rayshade from Babies R Us for 14.99. I would bring my own stroller, so you have it for when you are dining or if you leave WDW property. Have a great trip!