Should we take baby?! Help!

[Figaro's paws]

HI everyone!

I havent been on here for ages! Last trip was a year ago in Jan '11 when I was pregnant - we now have an 8mth old little boy, plus dd who was 6yrs on Thursday. My problem is that my hubby has the itch......he so badly wants to go back to disney, even though we agreed last time was our last visit for a while and there is no way we would take a baby. Now he is saying he would go anytime and I look like the bad guy because I keep saying no.

Am I right? Surely taking a baby all that way (4hr drive/9hr flight/30min drive plus time difference) is a recepie for disaster?! I was thinking we would wait til he is at least 3yrs as we first took dd when she was 3.5yrs and that was just about do-able. Or am I wrong? Would it be easier with a baby than a toddler?

I am quite a stressy person and I think I would spend all my time worried about baby and not enjoy it, but I wanted to get some opinions from others who are considering or even done if themselves and how it went? Would be so much easier if we were in the states!

Thanks in advance everyone!

 

[Elise79]

DD first went at 9 mths and has been roughly every 6 months since and she is now 3 1/2!

We love it as does she - never had a problem with the travel or time difference. We live 3hrs from LGW so stay the night before the flight out. Coming back we drive straight home and she usually sleeps!

I don't tend to stress about routines ever so that helps as DD will just go with the flow

 

[Figaro's paws]

HI, just realised you are in east anglia as well - do you normally drive to gatwick or get a taxi? we drove one year and left car and when we got home we were both so tired as didnt sleep on flight and it was horrendous! just wondered

 

[Elise79]

We drive down - I don't sleep coming but drive home as i tend to be wide awake however usually crash after lunch

The biggest tip for taking littles one is relax if you do they will

 

[Steve and Sarah]

We first took our son at 12 weeks old to Orlando and has been going roughly every 6 months since and is now 3 1/2 years old. We also have a younger daugher who went for her first visit at 6 months and then 13 months. Got our next trip planned for 9 weeks time, no stopping us.

Yes i agree that the travel can be stressful at times but its only a very small part of the holiday and soon forgotten when you're heading out in the sun on your first day. We've never found the kids suffer with jetlag on the way out, just on the way home (tend to fly Thursday to Thursday so we've got a few days at home before back to work/nursery). Kids seem to adapt and adjust much better than we do!

Our preference has always been to stay in a villa which when travelling with small children is great as you have lots of space, private pool, washing facilities, kitchen for preparing bottles/baby food, etc. If you also get a house that will provide stairgates, highchairs, cot, etc then you can travel a lot lighter.

I have to agree with your husband I'm afraid and say go for it. Good luck!

Best wishes

Sarah

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

We took DD for the 1st time when she was 14 months and found that it all went well.

We managed to get a sky cot (both ways) as she was quite small and she did sleep quite a lot on the plane. The main problem was when security made us take her out of her pram to check it, she just cried!!

The baby care centres are wonderful for a rest in the park. One day we even forgot to take her changing bag to SeaWorld but managed to get everything we needed. Everywhere just seems geared up.

Have you decided yet?

 

[orangetiggs]

We took girls at 23 months and it would have been so much easier if they were younger, they loved it and really grew out there which was great, one came back talking really well etc

Our problem was they wanted to walk and ot be in the buggy but they couldnt walk very long so we ended carrying the everywhere!

The baby rooms are fantastic

I wouldnt hesitate taking a baby out there

 

[Figaro's paws]

wow, all great advice everyone- you all seem to have got on really well. Can I ask how your babies got on in the heat? thanks

 

[Gonz Of Lancashire]

however usually crash after lunch

I'd pull into the sevices around lunch then if I were you.

 

[Gonz Of Lancashire]

We're taking our 11 month old next week along with our 12 and 14 year olds. The holiday is more for the older two, and the little one may or may not get anything out of the trip, but the one thing that you can always remember is that it's the only time they'll get into Disney, Universal and to fly on a plane for free.

 

[Mrs Stonfiesta]

Dd went for the first time at 5.5 months and loved it and it was by far eaiser to take her then that now (going in a week and she is 2 yrs and 4 months! Also another plus is at you wouldnt have to pay for a seat for him now dd slept fine in ba skycot thing at 6 months and at 20 months and didint really notice the time differenc, at that age they are ruled by thier bellys so just add an extra meal and nap and you will gain 5 hours so he wont even notice. As for the heat we went in may last year (20mths) when it was 90s and it was a little too warm but she had a buggy fan, cotton cloths, sunshade on buggy and we stuck to indoor air con ares for the hotest hours and she was fun. I guess if you want to go then you would make it work . Ps dd had a fab time as a baby and we got some amazing photos of her meeting the characters and she was really spoilt!

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

wow, all great advice everyone- you all seem to have got on really well. Can I ask how your babies got on in the heat? thanks

We were there in December so it wasn't humid, but did reach the low 80's some days.

 

[london75]

Another one, both of ours went first around 9 months old and been going every 6-9 months since.

 

[Elise79]

wow, all great advice everyone- you all seem to have got on really well. Can I ask how your babies got on in the heat? thanks

First trip at 9 mths was in March so warm (mid 80s) but not humid then second trip was September so hot and humid and TBH it really didn't bother her - we just made sure to giver her plenty of water

 

[babystar]

Took our little girl at about 8 months, she was great on the flight and adapted so well to the local time, it was great because although she loved the colours and the things that are going on around her she was young enough to just go with the flow.

She is now 5 and looking forward to taking her new baby brother or sister when they are 2 months old!!!

Grab every opportunity to enjoy the magic with your little ones and family!!!

 

[flortlebap]

wow, all great advice everyone- you all seem to have got on really well. Can I ask how your babies got on in the heat? thanks

I took my daughter at 14 months.

Re the heat, I'd really recommend freezing some bottles of water/apple juice and keeping them in a cool bag. Whenever she got hot, I'd let her hold the bottle which cooled her down really quick and gave he an ice cold drink too. She never once got moany about the heat, but with all the air con, a parasol on the pram, and stops for water etc there was no real need to worry really

 

[flortlebap]

Ooh. I also bought her a foam fan with a water spritzer on it from mothercare. It attached to the pram and worked great - again filled with ice water so it was slow to melt!