Taking 1 year old: Many questions!

[Happy Tappy]

Hi guys!

It's been a while since I last came on here but I became a parent in August and haven't really had time to get my Disney fix! Pretty the day he was born I've been pestering my girlfriend to go to Disney!

I wanted to take him in February but my girlfriend said he'd be too young We've finally agreed that we're going to take him for his first birthday late August. As soon as she agreed I booked the flights so that she couldn't change her mind

We go on the 24/8 and come back on the 27/8, due to the flight times we'll get 4 full days in the parks. This really is a budget trip so we'll be staying at the etap in val d europe. It's close enough to be able to return for an afternoon nap each day!

I have a few quick questions and I'd appreciate it if anyone could help!

Strollers
I've read that you can hire strollers for E6,50 a day. But, on the website it says limited availability. Do they often run out? I appreciate it's going to be very busy when we're there. We plan on leaving the park for a couple of hours around lunch time. I'm guessing we have to give the stroller back and pay again when we go back in?

Does anyone know if I'm likely to pick up a cheap stroller from Auchan or the shopping centre? If we're there 4 days and are going in the park twice a day I'm going to be spending E52 on renting one!

I've also noticed that you can't take the strollers in most of the queues. I've noticed lots of abandoned strollers next to the queue entrances. Many of them seem to have handbags in them. Is this safe? Do most of you do this?

Rides
What rides are suitable for a 1 year old? Is he likely to be able to go on Pirates, Peter Pan and rides like that?

Food
I haven't a clue what a 1 year old baby eats! My girlfriend sorts all that sort of stuff out! I'm guessing there's suitable food there, I'm just wondering how much it's likely to cost per meal. We're on a strict budget so I need to account for every euro!

Child habits!
If it was up to me, I'd be in the park from opening until the kick me out! But I accept that we probably can't do that with a child! I know that it will vary greatly from child to child, but what experiences have people had with taking a child who is 12 months old? Do they often sleep in the stroller? Do they seem to have any understanding of what is around them? Do they interact well with the characters?

The Parks!
Unfortunately, I've not been to the parks since 2007 I know that a lot has changed! What new rides are unmissable? Are any of them worth avoiding? I've read that Toy Story Playland will open 'summer 2010', is it a fair presumption that it'll be open before late August?

Any other help or tips would be much appreciated! I'm a DLP veteran but taking a child is completely new to me!

 

[jjcole]

Hi - we took our kids (1, 3 and 5 years) last Feb - my youngest daughter had just turned one year old a few weeks before, I took my own buggy - the sort that folds down very small, she always shared a meal either with myself or my older daughter(3 years) as it really wasn't worth buying a full meal for either of them - I had packed snacks and some of the Hipp baby 'growing up meals' for her and brought some milk in little cartons from the shop at the station although the children didn't seem keen on it

From what I can remember we took her on the following rides Dumbo, carosel, it's a small world and disney cars in the studios - I have to say the thing she enjoyed most was the Animagique show and stitch live. She wasn't too keen on getting really close to the characters but liked to see them from a distance.

Sorry I couldn't answer all of your questions but I ope that helped somewhat

Josie

 

[Happy Tappy]

Thanks Josie

I would take my own pushchair but it's a large travel system type thing and it's not really practical to take abroad, plus flybe would charge me £20 to take it!

If your child could go on IASW, Cars etc... I'd imagine it'd be ok for me to take my child on most of the dark rides (Peter Pan, Snow White etc...).

I really can't wait to get there!

 

[jjcole]

Yes you would be better off buying a small lightweight stroller rather than renting the disney ones I think - you could buy one for less than 52 euros - we did leave ours at the side of most rides whilst in the queue and it never went anywhere

J x

 

[IsobelJackmummy]

Hi, if I were you I would buy a cheap pushchair over here, and pay the £20 to take it with you (you can pick one up in tescos for less than £20). A pushchair can be invaluable when you are hanging around an airport with a little one! You can normally keep it with you until you board the plane, and the cabin crew take it off you then. If there are any delays etc, a one year old may need somewhere to sit where you can strap them in, and children can get very heavy when you need to keep hold of them for a couple of hours!
Have a good holiday!

 

[joolz1910]

Hi there, I took my youngest two when they were both one. You'll all have a great time!


We bought a Maclaren stroller - you really can't beat them. We paid about £70 and it has lasted 3 kids. It lays down almost flat, so they can sleep in it and folds up really small, so easy to transport. It also comes with a net basket and raincover.

I would not put a one year old in one of the park strollers as they are hard plastic and your child couldn't sleep in one. I wouldn't bother going back to the hotel for a nap - I would let your little one sleep in the pushchair. You might need to let him have a crawl about though.

We didn't leave any valuables on the pushchair and just took a rucksack for baby items, which we took on the rides with us. We took the girls on Pirates, IASW, Peter Pan, Dumbo etc. There are plenty of suitable rides.

The baby changing areas are great! You can feed your child there in comfort. We took sachets of ready-brek, dried fruit and bought lots of yoghurts. We also took a plastic bowl and spoons with us and fed them from our plates. We did this in all of the restaurants and no-one objected.

You can buy fresh milk from the garage by Santa Fe. You can also buy bits and pieces from the shop just inside the train station which is cheaper than the parks.

I hope you have a great time!

 

[daiseyirl]

The stroller in disney arent suitable for a baby as they dont recline wouldnt advise them for any child under 2 really. I wouldnt buy a cheap stroller either bought on about 2 yrs ago and it was useless!!! ended up throwing it in the bin when we got back from spain. Really wished i just took her maclaren.

If i were you id buy a maclaren as they are the best stroller and you will be using it for the nxt 4yrs for holidays, as they recline aswell the baby can hav asleep ect. while out and about. Im actually going to buy a new twin one for holidays this yr even doe my 2 are 3+4 now as there so much easier to transport than my phil and teds.

 

[Happy Tappy]

Thanks guys!

Looks like I need to do more research into strollers! Having spent so much on his travel system, I'm pretty reluctant to spend much more on a mclaren style stroller. Especially as we'll probably never use it again.

I was hoping it'd be possible to pick something up in Val d Europe. Has anyone shopped there? Am I likely to be to pick up something like this for a similar price?

 

[DLPdaft]

I'm with the others here - buy a cheap umbrella-folding stroller for your holidays, wherever that may be. I bought one that cost about £20 I think, when my daughter was 3 months old. It was money very well spent, as we used it until she was nearly 4 , and it went on all our abroad holidays with us. It didn't matter if it got marked or beat up a bit on its travels, and it saved my Silver Cross and my other from-birth pushchair from getting similar treatment!

I personally would buy it before you go - you can get some great bargains on strollers if you look around, mine wasn't even on a special offer, just a bog standard Babies R Us one.

The only problem with looking for one when you get to Val d'Europe is, what if theres nothing suitable in your price range? You're either going to have to fork out a lot more money than you needed to, or subject your baby son to the DLP pushchairs, which don't recline at all, and which you need to return every time you leave the park. At 1, your child needs a stroller all the time really, especially when you're walking around so much at DLP in the normal course of the day.

 

[Happy Tappy]

Thanks.

I've just read through the terms and conditions on the flybe site and it appears that there is no charge for pushchairs. I presumed that it'd have to be checked in with luggage and that it'd be charged the same.

Now I just need to find a decent stroller for under £30! If anybody spots any good deals, let me know!

 

[IsobelJackmummy]

I thought that may be the case, I have flown with a pushchair many times, and never paid anything extra, tho airlines do try and 'add on' anything they can these days!

Argos have some good deals at the minute. If I were you, I would try and get one that reclines, as your son is likely to want to have a sleep in it. Hope you find a good deal!

 

[Zeebs]

I agree with the others, buy a McLaren, we thought we would only use it for our holidays BUT it is now the only stroller used. We still use our travel system when the kids are small and will again for number three so it gets plenty of use. But that Mclaren is so easy to use, fold, transport and the kids sleep brillantly in it. The rain cover is very helpful also we would just put it on at Disneyland if it looked like rain and would come back to a nice dry stroller. (you can often pick them up second hand on ebay which would do the job)

Plus having one before you leave, means you can wheel the child to the gate a big bonus when you are trying to take carry on, and child and childs stuff. Some of the gates are miles away.

Food: At 1 they should be able to share most of your food. We did take a few toddler jars, fruit pots etc incase they were being fussy, or I was eating rubish I didn't want them to eat.

Sleep: My two were very good at having naps in the stroller so we never left for the day. We would get there early, we were up anyway, and then leave around 7.00 they were good as gold. However, it will just depend how your wee man is when he is that age.

I also never have a problem with them crawling around floors etc. Not a big germaphob so we didn't need to have to go back to the room just for that. I haven't been to DLP yet so all my advice is on WDW and DL California we found plenty of places they could crawl, toddle around. You might even have a walker by then.

Don't pack your entire house, you want need it. You also won't need 15 nappies a day 3 changes of clothes, etc. I think people take a heap of stuff as they don't want to pay park prices should they need it. But for the very odd time we have needed something we didn't have we didn't mind paying park prices, especially given the hassle carrying too much luggage can cost and be.

I hope this is of some help to you. If you have any more questions just let us know.

Kirsten

Mum to 2 boys 2 and 3 and 1 baby on the way.

 

[Happy Tappy]

I thought that may be the case, I have flown with a pushchair many times, and never paid anything extra, tho airlines do try and 'add on' anything they can these days!

Argos have some good deals at the minute. If I were you, I would try and get one that reclines, as your son is likely to want to have a sleep in it. Hope you find a good deal!

Thanks for the advice. I've never bought one of these things so I'm pretty clueless! Would something like this do?

It says it has a recline position.

 

[Happy Tappy]

I agree with the others, buy a McLaren, we thought we would only use it for our holidays BUT it is now the only stroller used. We still use our travel system when the kids are small and will again for number three so it gets plenty of use. But that Mclaren is so easy to use, fold, transport and the kids sleep brillantly in it. The rain cover is very helpful also we would just put it on at Disneyland if it looked like rain and would come back to a nice dry stroller. (you can often pick them up second hand on ebay which would do the job)

Plus having one before you leave, means you can wheel the child to the gate a big bonus when you are trying to take carry on, and child and childs stuff. Some of the gates are miles away.

Food: At 1 they should be able to share most of your food. We did take a few toddler jars, fruit pots etc incase they were being fussy, or I was eating rubish I didn't want them to eat.

Sleep: My two were very good at having naps in the stroller so we never left for the day. We would get there early, we were up anyway, and then leave around 7.00 they were good as gold. However, it will just depend how your wee man is when he is that age.

I also never have a problem with them crawling around floors etc. Not a big germaphob so we didn't need to have to go back to the room just for that. I haven't been to DLP yet so all my advice is on WDW and DL California we found plenty of places they could crawl, toddle around. You might even have a walker by then.

Don't pack your entire house, you want need it. You also won't need 15 nappies a day 3 changes of clothes, etc. I think people take a heap of stuff as they don't want to pay park prices should they need it. But for the very odd time we have needed something we didn't have we didn't mind paying park prices, especially given the hassle carrying too much luggage can cost and be.

I hope this is of some help to you. If you have any more questions just let us know.

Kirsten

Mum to 2 boys 2 and 3 and 1 baby on the way.

Thanks! So I'm guessing it's ok to take baby food in? They always search our bags when we go in so I presumed they had a no 'outside' food policy.

 

[Zeebs]

No we never had any issues with taking baby food in, I tried not to take anything that needed to be kept cool though or heated up, just for the ease of it all.

forgot to add before, 1 of my kids loved the characters at that age couldn't get enough of them. the other screamed the place down if one came anywhere near him.

So schedule a character dinner/lunch towards the end of your trip and visit a character stop in the parks, that they don't go nuts then do you character dinner, if they do, cancel too expensive to have to keep waving the characters away cause bubs is scared to pieces.

Kirsten

 

[IsobelJackmummy]

Thanks for the advice. I've never bought one of these things so I'm pretty clueless! Would something like this do?

It says it has a recline position.

That should be fine, I have something similair that we just use to take away with us. I notice that it also comes with a raincover - something definately worth having!

 

[Happy Tappy]

Thanks again guys. Everyone has been a massive help

 

[joolz1910]

I wouldn't buy a really cheap umbrella fold stroller. They tend to be quite heavy. I remember looking at the ones in Mothercare and thinking that they were cumbersome. Trust me, you will use a Maclaren far more than your travel system. Have you considered buying one off Ebay? You might pick one up for £20. Have you got a friend who would lend you theirs for the few days you were there?

 

[Happy Tappy]

I wouldn't buy a really cheap umbrella fold stroller. They tend to be quite heavy. I remember looking at the ones in Mothercare and thinking that they were cumbersome. Trust me, you will use a Maclaren far more than your travel system. Have you considered buying one off Ebay? You might pick one up for £20. Have you got a friend who would lend you theirs for the few days you were there?

One of my friends did have one (they sold it on ebay), to be honest I'm not a massive fan of that type of pushchair. I appreciate how they'd come in handy but I can't see us using anything other than the travel system. I don't like to buy things second hand (I know it makes me sound like a snob!) but I'd rather buy a lesser model new than get something that's been used.

I would take the travel system but I'm scared that it'd get damaged in with the cargo!

 

[joolz1910]

I bought everything new for my first baby too, so I know where you're coming from. Have you considered a Quinny? The stroller has excellent reviews and my friend has one and swears by it. You will definitely need a pushchair at the airport, so whatever you do, I would buy before you go. I would not risk your travel system in the cargo hold either!