Taking baby to WDW

[disneymom727]

I am sure this has been asked many times before but when I search nothing is coming up so I will ask again. We are looking for tips on taking a baby to WDW. We will be arriving on my daughter's first b-day. We're staying for a week at POR. It will be our 6 yr.old son, my husband and myself. So far our baby is super easy going (Praying for that to last). Any tips or suggestions will be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

You'll be fine. Just go at the kid's pace and don't be commando. Kids are easy and fun at WDW! Don't sweat the small stuff and just enjoy how happy they are. You will have a great time. I speak from experience. We have 4 children and our oldest is 5. They have been many times and it has always been great. Have a great trip!

Oh- and don't overpack. You really don't need as much as you think- especially when you are in the parks.

 

[Jenvenza]

We will also be going when my daughter is 13 months old. I have read up on it a lot, and they pretty much say all the same thing. Go at a slower pace, dont try to see everything, because it wont happen, go back to your room in the afternoon for a nap, and just have fun!

I am a big planner, so this has been harder for me not to plan as much.

 

[estherhead]

Honestly, the baby just kicks back in their stroller & chills. We've taken several babies/toddlers & it is always great. This past year we went in September & we bought this: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4910778

It was very helpful. This past Sept we went with a 6 month old, a 5 yr old & a 6 yr old. We packed a few diapers, a pack a wipes, an extra outfit, a thin blanket (for nursing & diaper changes), a bottle of antibacterial stuff, ponchos, a baby carrier (Ergo is a good name for a toddler, you can wear it on your back) and the stroller fan & stroller. That was it.

A few days we even stayed ALL day from 7 am to post-fireworks (9 or 10 pm) and had no meltdowns. We just went at our own place, ate at indoor sit down places, and had some sleep in days.

My trip report below shows my packing list & photos of all we did & where we ate, etc. You might find it helpful.

Here's the baby just chillin':



We are in the shade (I'm laying on "luggage") outside Expedition Everest waiting for Daddy & the big girls to get off. THen Daddy laid on the fake luggage while I took the girls back on EE with the baby swap. Everyone was happy. Daddy & I both had a turn laying the shade. The baby was chillin' & people watching. THe girls got to ride EE twice in a row with no wait (we had gotten Fast Passes & then a baby swap.)

Here's our eldest from a WDW trip 7 years ago taking a snooze while we ate lunch.


And here is my middle girl (6 years ago) in a baby carrier obviously not suffering too much. I believe we were waiting to go on Dumbo? Maybe?


Please ask me any specific questions you might have. I disagree that the older a kid is the better Disney is. I LOVED taking my babies. It is always my favorite stage. You really get to kick back & suck in all the WDW atmosphere. You will find your 6 year old wants to race about & is only ride-focused. But because of the baby you will be able to say, "No, let's take it slow," which is the best way.

We also found this past trip that there were times when dh & I split up & one took the baby & one took the big girls so they could race around being ride-focused. It was a lot of fun to race about with the big girls, but I certainly enjoyed sitting in the shade eating my Dole Whip while the baby chilled.

 

[Jenvenza]

Where did you get the stroller fan? I have never seen those, but that is perfect! We will be taking our 13 month old DD, and our 8 month old nephew, and that would work out great!

 

[estherhead]

Where did you get the stroller fan? I have never seen those, but that is perfect! We will be taking our 13 month old DD, and our 8 month old nephew, and that would work out great!

It's the wal-mart link above in my post. I got it delivered to my store (free shipping) and it worked out absolutely perfectly. With the shade down & the fan going it was rather chilly in her little stroller. Many a sweaty adult stopped me & asked if they could have a ride!

 

[Jenvenza]

Perfect! Thanks so much!

 

[Liljam]

We're going in 10 days and my son will be 3 months old for this trip!

I made an extensive list of things I need to pack and have begun doing so already. I purchased a cheap (cheaper than the beloved Maclaren but exactly like it) umbrella stroller which has a rain shield, I got the Ray Shade as well. I purchased the Jeep carrier which is exactly like the Baby Bjorn except there's a $100 price difference! Ryder loves using it, it's comfy on my back and easy to use! I did a ton of research on the rides we can take him on, checked out Baby Center locations on the maps, and so on. All Ears has a great write on on how to do WDW with babies! If the search feature was working properly, you'd find several useful threads too. I got a ton of info from fellow parents here! And lastly, yes, plan on slowing down a little bit! BTW, there are places like the buildings in in FW in EPCOT that strollers are not welcome. You'll want to definitely have a carrier that day!

And good luck!

 

[blessedby3]

IMO taking a baby is so easy. I would take a baby over a preschooler throwing fits any day
We traveled with our 4 kids (17, 12, 9 and 3 1/2 mos) this past Jan. The baby was so easy and we went all day long for 10 days and she just went with the flow. Rode in the stroller or baby sling and enjoyed many rides and shows. Take advantage of the baby care centers if you are near them. They are very nice and a relaxing place to take a break.

 

[GottaLuvMickey]

We're planning on doing the same thing for our daughters first birthday next year! I want to take her to Cinderella's Royal Table for her birthday so bad! I guess right now I should just focus on 'baking' her and bringing her into the world, huh?!

 

[disneymom727]

Thanks so much for your help. What & where are the baby care centers? I am not familiar with those. I should have said that we did take my son when he was about 14 mos. old for the first time but it was just a day trip but I didn't know about the centers then. Thanks for the tip about the fan too. I need to get one now so she'll be used to it when we go. She's a very curious baby and will surely try to reach inside the fan Maybe if I get her used to it by Sept. she won't be as interested. Thanks again everyone.

 

[estherhead]

Thanks for the tip about the fan too. I need to get one now so she'll be used to it when we go. She's a very curious baby and will surely try to reach inside the fan Maybe if I get her used to it by Sept. she won't be as interested. Thanks again everyone.

I was worried about that too with the fingers in the fan. It isn't dangerous at all. It is foam blades & not going that fast. At 6 months she could barely get her fingers in the slots & now she can't really. So don't worry, no cut off baby fingers with this fan.

The baby centers are on the maps. They are just a quiet place to nurse & change the baby with super friendly staff. My favorite is next to Crystal Palace at MK. It's funny to walk in & see all the changing tables. THey sell diapers, wipes, & diaper rash ointment as well as other things & the prices aren't bad so if you run out or have an emergency baby need, definately check them out.

 

[mrs.explorer1977]

We took DS in January when he was about 7.5 months and we're back next month for a long weekend.

It was pretty easy -- a lot easier than I thought it would be. We went at his pace. Some days, we skipped going back to the resort for a nap, some days we were at the parks bright and early and a couple days, we didn't even make it out of the hotel until after lunch!

We bought the Mickey clip on fan from the Baby Center in AK -- same idea as the one from Walmart, just "Disney-fied". I think it was about $15 and now we have it to use all the time.

The baby centers are good. The one at DS was my least favourite, but the AK and MK ones are really great. We bought wipes at the Epcot one (we had a "poo-tastrophe" the day before at DS and forgot to restock. Because of that, my biggest advice is to ALWAYS bring a change of clothes to the parks. The ONE day I didn't was the day of the "poo-tastrophe" and it was VERY hard to find something to wear at DS that day...

You'll have fun! And, so exciting for a first birthday!