Tell me about traveling with 1 year olds please!

[mickeymom629]

I am planning a trip with my adult kids. Two couples have babies that will be just about 13 months old at the time we go. I have read that 1 year olds are fairly easy, but we will still have two pack and plays and 2 strollers to deal with. I guess we just hold them on the busses to/from the parks.

It's been so long since I've traveled with little ones. My DD (who probably won't be coming with us this trip) was 2 the first time we went and I thought that was a little difficult - she was very upset that the waiter at the Prime Time Cafe kept coming back to our table and talking/reprimanding and I finally had to ask him to stop coming to the table Are 1 year olds any better? Can you take them on rides like Pirates, Haunted Mansion?

 

[caliope]

We took our DS at age 16 months. It was an extended family trip, off site, and we had a car so I can't comment on buses. Our preferred strategy was to let the rest of our family (my parents, my sister/BIL/their kids) make their own plans and we joined them when DS was happy, alert, not hungry, and not tired. As soon as he got drowsy or cranky, we planned a break, whether back at the condo or in a quieter part of the parks. Flexibility and going with DS's flow made all the difference and helped us all have a great five day trip. We had a pack and play and a stroller and a car seat, so we definitely didn't travel light! But we used everything we brought and were glad we had those items. For rides, we stuck to Tea Cups, IASW, Dumbo, Nemo, etc., but probably could've done more. This trip was in 2013 pre-FP+ so avoiding long lines with a restless toddler was a priority for us. We also took advantage of the baby care centers in each park. With planning, it was quite manageable and relatively easy to travel with a child that age. Enjoy your trip!

 

[DISfam2401]

We took a trip in January, when my daughter was 9 months. We had no car, so did Disney transport for the whole trip. Just held her on Magical Express and the buses to/ from the parks. She slept in a pack and play (where she normally doesn't sleep as well, but was so exhausted we had no problems.) The stroller was a pain because you have to fold it up to go on the buses and if she was sleeping that meant risking waking her.

We tried to not alter our plans too much and took her on Pirates of the caribbean, Haunted Mansion (which she loved!), etc. The rides with height restrictions allow you to do a child swap. You all go up to the fastpass entrance and tell them you want to do a child swap. They send the first party in then give you a fastpass to return any time so the rest of the party can ride.

Basically, pack lots of snacks and build in some time for them to just run around. Even though my daughter wasn't walking, she wasn't used to being cooped up so long and needed time to crawl around. A lot of it depends on the kid, and some you have to play by ear. Good luck!

 

[TheHamm]

Disney hotels will give you two pack and plays at no charge, and you can rent a stroller so you do not need to bring it all with you if that is a concern. If they are lap infants on the plane and you are staying at disney you do not need (nor can you use) car seats, lessening your burden. Disney transport within the parks and the magic express do not allow the use of car seats, you will need to carry the kiddos. We take tiny twins, and do fine but when the ratio is 1 adult:1 kid disney transport is challenging but doable! The bus (& the parking tram) requires emptying the bottom of a stroller, folding the stroller, and getting everything onto the bus. The monorail and large boats allow you to keep the kid and stuff in tact which is much more convenient. If you plan to stick together at all times, you could rent a double stroller so only one person is stuck emptying the stroller basket, folding it, and hefting it onto the bus, or if one adult doesn't ride space mountain and sticks with the babes- one adult can rarely deal with two strollers. I would also suggest a baby carrier regardless of what stroller configuration you pick. Tis tends to chill out cranky kids who do not want to be in a stroller and alleviates the challenge of having to get a sleeping kid out of the stroller. I love using the carrier, but still dig on the stroller because I cannot tote a kid and a diaper bag, and it is HOT. I would also suggest familiarizing yourselves with the baby care centers- rooms with rocking chairs, baby essentials, and nap space in AIR CONDITIONING. And my hot tip is that while there always seemed to be a line for the changing tables in the women's bathroom, the men's room was always faster.

 

[danielocha30]

It will just take longer to do everything, but with a little organization is not that bad, instead of a diperbag use a backpack it will be easier to grab it from the stroller storage for bus rides, bring a special blanket or sheet for the playpen kids will get to smell something familiar and be more willing to sleep on it, and by all means don't go on summer is really hot and humid, add two toddlers and is a recipe for disaster.

 

[jvz82]

Are the 1 year olds walking or crawling? That makes a difference. When I brought my son at almost 12 months old, he wasn't quite walking (he started walking literally a few days later) and I didn't want him crawling around on the ground at Disney so that was hard because he couldn't really be mobile. Some of the parks have play areas so look into where those are. There's a toddler friendly play area down by Splash Mountain where the kids could play while adults rode rides. Tom Sawyer island is also nice for little ones to run.

Bringing strollers on the bus can be a pain, but you manage.

They can go on rides like Haunted Mansion and Pirates. There are lots of things 1 year olds can do! It's great.

Bring lots of snacks. Even at restaurants, it's nice to bring small "meals" for toddlers so they can eat while you are waiting for your food. My toddlers never waited well for food at restaurants!

Personally, I have loved bringing my toddlers to Disney. They are so full of joy! Our last trip my youngest son was almost 2 and he did amazing. They do slow you down at times and you have to adjust your schedule a bit for them, but I love that Disney is so accommodating and you can still have an awesome trip with little ones.

 

[mickeymom629]

Are the 1 year olds walking or crawling? That makes a difference.

We don't know yet They aren't even sitting up! Thanks for all your good points/tips!

 

[MNDisneyMommy]

We did a big family trip when my son was exactly 13 months. He LOVED small world, enchanted tiki room, and anything with dancers or music. He also loved the mission space area playground. He also surprised us by staying awake for, and LOVING, the nighttime parade. One of my favorite memories of that trip was his wide-eyed amazement at the floats that night. He was too young to freak out at rides, so he went on pirates, peter pan, etc. with the rest of the family with no problem. His older sister (who was just shy of 4 at the time) was the one who would balk at trying things. He was pretty happy to just cling to Mom and go with the flow. Pacifiers & snacks got us through most of the shows.

We didn't use a carrier, but he is a big boy and was walking pretty well by then. Every day we followed a general schedule of morning touring, sit down lunch, break at the hotel in afternoon and then a bit of activity before bedtime. He napped & slept in a Disney pack and play (although a couple times he took a snooze on Mom or in the stroller). He is a great sleeper, plus he was super tired so that helped him sleep well.

We did a ton of logistics planning to make sure things went OK, since traveling when they are that young is no joke. We were totally exhausted (and that was with 6 other adults to help!) but the memories are priceless.