taking a 3 month old

[disneydad1000]

just found out that my wife is pregnant with our 2nd child my question is ,since we already booked with free dining in aug again,can anyone give me some advice, whether we're crazy even thinking about bringing a 3 month to disney....my wife thinks that we can do it ,but im kinda hesitant about it.Plus my 4yr old daughter cant wait to go back.Just very confused any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[nvrenoughdisney]

We took my youngest son in December when he was three months old (and then again in March when he was six months). I actually found it pretty easy with a really young baby. Although we did have a stroller, I carried him almost exclusively in a Sleepy Wrap. This way he was sheltered from the noise, people, etc., not to mention the cold as it was freezing in December! I will add that I traveled with a group (my husband, our 3 kids, my mother, my friend and her two kids) so we always had someone who would sit out with him while the others went on rides. We also stayed in a two-bedroom at Old Key West so we had access to a full kitchen and laundry, which was helpful for washing bottles and cleaning. When they are that young they aren't really moving around much, which makes it much easier. I would do it again without hesitation!

 

[Owl's Friend]

Go! We took ds at 4 mo old. He was really easy to deal with. He ate, he slept, he pooped. Same stuff he would have done at home. Disney has some really nice rooms for breastfeeding or bottle feeding. They are cool, quiet and have rocking chairs. Surprisingly babies that young can go on quite a few rides here. Ds did Winnie the pooh, Snow White, Peter pan, some movie ride, and saw all the shows.

 

[WIDisneyFan]

We have three kids (6,4, and 2) and took each of them for a week long stay when they were 3 months old. I can say without hesitation that the 4 year old will be far far more work that the 3 month old

My advice would be to know where the baby care centers are and to take advantage of them.

Have a great trip!

 

[AZMermaid]

My only hesitation would be the small chance (10%) the baby has colic. My son had it. He screamed every night from 5-10 PM. Not a little fussy, screaming like his arms were being ripped off and there was NOTHING we could do about it. He also fussed most of the day and hardly napped. I think we would have been kicked out of a hotel room. But, there is no way to know that until the baby is a month old or so. You would have enough time to cancel the trip if that happened. Hopefully you won't go through that, but my experience with my son has forever changed the way I think about the "easiness" of babies that age.

 

[dbennett3899]

just found out that my wife is pregnant with our 2nd child my question is ,since we already booked with free dining in aug again,can anyone give me some advice, whether we're crazy even thinking about bringing a 3 month to disney....my wife thinks that we can do it ,but im kinda hesitant about it.Plus my 4yr old daughter cant wait to go back.Just very confused any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!

We took our then 3 month old and was 100% fine. I would'nt be afraid at all. in fact the adults had more temper prombles then the kid(s).

 

[bpesch]

You couldn't pay me to take a 3 month old!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I think you are crazy. But I also think that most of the people on this Board, myself included, are crazy.

 

[kylieh]

I wouldn't plan on it - but I believe most answers will reflect on the experiences we had when we had a 3 month old.

EG - For me, no way in the world could I have taken DD to Disneyworld, or even the local zoo for that matter! My colleague at work took his 3 month old on a holiday to the snow fields. Completely different kids, and you don't know until they're born.

As a compromise, don't tell DD4 that you're planning on going, wait until bubs is born, and you have up to 45 days to cancel the accom without penalty. You'll know if your wife and new bubs could do the holiday., cancel if it's not a good idea.

 

[disgrl]

We took our son when he was 3 months and really ended up regretting it. He was totally overwhelmed with the noise levels, it was hard to keep him comfortable, he was either sweating or too cold.

Lots of folks on these boards will post that they took very young babies and had no problems at all. But that was not our experience.

Good Luck.

 

[Art 1]

I would leave a 3 month old at home.

 

[GrammyJudy]

It will be fine...we took our 4 mo old grandson and he was no problem. Didn't even need to take him back to the resort as he slept in his own stroller. My DD has a snugli for some rides and lines. We werea bigger group: DD, DSil, 2 older boys, my husband & I. It is all in your attitude. The baby will not remeber but you will so make the trip about your 4 year old daughter and have fun.

 

[maxiesmom]

My youngest niece wasn't quite 3 months old for her first trip to WDW. Honestly, a child that age is much easier to deal with than a 4yr old. The 3 month old won't ask for every toy they see, won't complain that they don't want to go potty, and then ask to go 2 minutes later. A 3 month old is almost lump that just needs to eat and have its bottom cleaned. And be kept out of too much sun.

With a 4yr old along you won't be going at a crazy pace anyway. Take the 3 month old along, and have a great family trip. It will be a piece of cake!

 

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

We took my nephew when he was 7 weeks old. He really wasn't much of a problem. This was also in August. Make sure you keep them hydrated and cool. My sis had a clip on fan for the stroller. That helped a lot. And she took him into the baby care center while the 4 year old and I did more stuff. We'd do kid swap for the rides he couldn't go on. The 4 year old nephew liked this because he got to go on multiple times.

 

[AZMermaid]

Again, a 3 month old is usually easier, not always. I don't want you to think it will be absolutely be puppies and roses and then you have a tough baby. Besides the screaming for 5 hours a day, my son also NEVER slept in his stroller. Ever. He has only done so one time, at 8 months, after pushing him semi-reclined for 2 hours around Disneyland. He slept for 30 minutes. We had tried many times before that and it never happened. He would sleep in the Moby Wrap, but again, not for more than 30 minutes and that sucker is HOT! I wouldn't want to wear it for long if you are going in the summer time. I know based on friend's babies and responses here that he was not the norm, but if you get one of those kids, you may need to drastically rethink your trip. The chances are small, but there is a chance.

If it were me, I would still plan to go, but not tell the older one about the trip or buy plane tickets until the baby is 6 weeks old or so and you get a feel for him or her.

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

We took our twins at 3 months and our other DS was 4 at the time. It wasn't bad at all. The stroller and holding the babies on the bus were the trickiest part. I'd do it again.

 

[MichaelH]

We took our son when he was 8 months old. He was not a problem. I would take a 3 month old, they are easier that a 4 year old in my opinion. Our kids are 10 and 8 and I long for the 8 month old days when we go. They did not ask for every toy under the sun or argue with each other.

I have no idea why my wife and I thought it would be easier when they got older.

 

[RobKristinandLily]

We've done it with and without a 4 year old sibling in tow. I would COMPLETELY do it again, but with a few changes. My suggestions from our experiences:

• If you can afford it, get a suite or adjoining rooms. Bed time is AWFUL with a 4 year old and a baby in the same room. They will keep each other up. THIS IS THE BEST ADVICE FOR TRAVELING WITH A BABY - we regret not doing this.
• Check and see if they have a chair that rocks in the room. If not, we purchased a folding rocker bag chair from Bass Pro that we packed ($30) - LIFESAVER for nursing.
• Get a white noise or sound machine or bring music to play softly at night. No matter where you stay, you'll have a few roudy neighbors and this will drown out the sound. Also, bring a nightlight - for late night feedings.
• Hit the parks early and go back to the room around lunch time for a few hours. The baby and mom can rest, sib & dad can go swim (or nap). Head back out late afternoon. DON'T try to see everything on this trip, it's too stressful.
• Pack heavy for the resort - if you're using the Magical Express, pack a separate bag for baby things and kid snacks (Southwast doesn't charge for bags). Pack everything you know you'll need and things you don't think you'll need. You won't have a car to run to the store to pick something up and the prices at Disney are painful. If you are renting a car - shop at Walmart a few miles away from the property, it's really worth the trip and they have EVERYTHING (Goodings doesn't)
• Pack light for the parks - Use a backpack, not a tradtional diaper bag. Have a change of clothes, a few diapers, small package of wipes, snacks & extra panties for 4 year old, SMALL camera, 2 bottles with formula (even if your wife is breast-feeding, emergencies happen). You'll be juggling a toddler, a baby, a stroller (possibly 2) and a diaper bag - even with 2 adults, getting all these things on the buses is a challenge. Keep it simple and small.
• Don't stress the buses even though it's tough. People understand and if they don't, may God bless them with triplets.
• If you can, each of you take the older one to a park one-on-one for a few hours. It's difficult for the older child to be at Disney with a newborn, they feel the stress and a little neglected (it's natural). That time will make them feel special and you'll have nice Disney bonding time. We did dad in the am, mom in the pm on 2 different days.

There is nothing more special than sharing Disney with your children, no matter the age. HAVE FUN!

 

[krisnchris]

I am in the same exact situation. I am expecting in April and made reservations for Aug. My other DS's will be 5 and 7. We'll be in a studio. Maybe I'll upgrade to a 1 BR @ 7 months. These are helpful tips!

 

[disneydad1000]

Thank You all for all the advice,we have alot to think about ,but hearing all the positve feed back,I think we will be going back this year.