Tips for being alone in parks with infant and for hotel travel with her too

[BlueFairy]

Hi,
I need any and all advice. We will checkin to Dolphin at the end of president's week (2/24) for 1 week. DH has a convention everyday from 9-5 so we won't see him for most park touring. I will have DD (10 mos.) and be alone with her most of the time she's awake. We've never travelled with her before. Please give me your tips for getting some real vacation time out of this with her.
We need tips on sharing a hotel room with her for naps and early bedtime. Also park touring advice for me with a stroller, backpack and baby. Also tips on packing for an infant with diapers, baby food and formula. And how to deal with preparing bottles in the hotel room. And how about evenings in the parks (parades, fireworks?) with a little one if Dad comes along? My questions are endless. I know all you experts can help.
I don't plan to do any commando touring. Just want to view the parks from her angle and at her pace. We'll save the do-it-all strategy for when she's older and Daddy can help.
THANKS!!!!

 

[AngieWin]

We need tips on sharing a hotel room with her for naps and early bedtime.

If she is used to a pack n play, go ahead and request a crib. If not, request 2 bed rails. The pack n play for us only served as a way to keep things away from ds1

Also park touring advice for me with a stroller, backpack and baby.

Go ahead and put everything in the stroller, but pack it so you can easily disassemble and carry everything for getting on shuttles. The backpack as diaper bag worked great for us. Take an extra outfit for BOTH of you (at least a shirt for you). With an infant, you never know where the "leaking" is going to end up.

Also tips on packing for an infant with diapers, baby food and formula.

Cant help with formula. The diapers we packed in a suitcase (keeping 5-6 in a diaper bag) and then the extra room on the way home was used for souveniors, etc. I would take baby food in plastic containers. Glass isn't welcome in some areas and could be a hazard in the diaper bag if it gets dropped.

And how to deal with preparing bottles in the hotel room.

We didn't deal with the bottles, but when in the parks, I would take 2-3 sippy cups for DS, already prepared with juice.

And how about evenings in the parks (parades, fireworks?) with a little one if Dad comes along?

My kids slept through fireworks and didn't seem to have a problem with the sounds. If your daughter is fearful of sounds you might want to watch them from inside a store, restaurant, etc.

 

[MandM521]

I can't offer much help in the way of how to handle the park, etc as this will be the first time for us w/ our 2 1/2 yo.

I can, hopefully, offer some help w/ the formula and food. Do you mix powder w/ water, and is the water just at room temp? If so, you may want to use the containers w/ 3 compartments where you can pre-measure the powder and then just have the water already measured in bottles. That way, all you have to do is dump in the powder.

As for food/diapers...I am going to bring just what I need for a day (in case we get stuck in the airport), and then get everything at a supermarket down there. From what I've read, gift shops may also sell diapers as well. Hope this helped.

 

[RangerPooh]

Our DD 10 months is now a seasoned travelor. When we were traveling with her when she was younger we brought an additional suitcase that held an infant travel sleeper, her diapers, and clothes. Now that she's older and we don't need the sleeper we're bringing our pack and play. I am debating shipping via UPS a big bag of diapers (the 76 count) and two cans of formula (I'd rather be prepared than have to pay high prices). As for baby food. I'll stash those in the suitcase or ship it down too. I'm debting if I should save a few of the stage 2 food plastic containers so that I can fill them with other foods like Lasagna that comes in jars. I would then baggie them.

We took DD to WDW at 2 weeks so we know our drill for WDW. For cleaning bottles I would turn the water on as hot as it could get and scrub them with a bottle brush and dish soap. I also used bottle liners that I could easily replace. Somehting that I found to work well were the Similac and Emfamile individual serving sticks that could just be stcuk in a diaper bag.

 

[mcgrawfan]

We used a great diaper bag we found from One Step Ahead. It is not too big and will velcro to your stroller handle bars. I put a small wallet in it for myself so I didn't have to carry a purse. It can easily be carried on the rides. The parks all have Baby Centers in them where you can purchase baby related items like diapers, formula, wipes, ect. We had our DD on milk before we went so no formula, and she only took 1 bottle of milk before bed. We used take-n-toss sippies during the day.

 

[idreamofdisney24/7]

We traveled 2 years ago when my daughter was 3 months old. I was worried about the formula feeding. To make things easier.. I did a few things. I had the 3 compartment formula holder. Whenever we needed a quick bottle, we would just have the bottle filled with the water (bottled water) and all I had to do was fill the bottled water with the already measured formula..or even use the little tube packets that are already measured.. If you have a rental, you can travel to Walgreens (the same street that Chevy's, Jungle Jim's, etc.. are on) and buy the already prepared glass bottles (I know they have it in Enfamil).. They are very easy and just throw a few in your diaper bottle. They are kinda expensive but well worth the convenience.

 

[gabbysmom04]

I took my DD to WDW without my DH she was 1 at the time. I would suggest a lightweight stroller that can easily be folded to get on and off buses. Also I would look for a backpack style bag for your baby supplies. I always leave our diaper bag home and use a backpack. I like to use the cans of ready made formula and bottles with the disposable bags. I like to prepack zip lock bags with her food and bibs for the day. The bibsters are great that way you are not lugging around dirty bibs. I found out the hard way that DD did not like being out of her own bed. I would bring your own pack and play if you can. you will have a great time with her WDW is a great place for babies. My dd 1.5 has been there three times and loves it.

 

[mjmcca]

I never attempted to go to the theme parks on the buses. I could never figure out how to get all of the stuff and me and the baby on by myself. I drove and walked to the front entrance. When i went with the 2 kids by myself my oldest was 19 months and the baby was only 2 months. All I did was drive and walk to the entrance. I asked the CM if I could park on the end of a row and they usually obliged once I told them why.


This should not pose too much a problem for you since for Epcot and MGM all you need to do is wheel her on the boats. You do not have to fold the stroller to get on the ferries. You could also walk to these parks since you are so close to them if you wanted to.



You may take glass baby food jars into the parks. This is the only glass allowed into the parks. They have take and toss spoons now . I would prolly use those so you don't get too upset if you loose one. I used a spoon holder which i think was really for a day care situation but worked really well for me since i was a very mobile mom. I used powered formula and bottled water. They have compartment containers to hold the formula and i used baby water. If i had no baby water i asked one of the CS places for a bottle of room temp water. My kids were used to drinking room temp formula so heating it was not an issue. I also nursed my DD a few times since she was only 2 months. When i went to eat I would put my kids in the high chair ( when they were old enough) and use table topers so they woudl not touch the dirty table. You can get that at Babies r us


All of the parks have baby care center which are really nice for feeding her changing her or just taking a rest if you want one and aren't ready to leave the park yet. They are generally near the first aid station and easily found on the park map.

This is a sample of one of the types of containers you can use to hold powered formula.

Table topper.

 

[BlueFairy]

Thanks! Great ideas.
To followup - DD prefers warm formula right now since she is still weaning. Trying to get her to eat it at room temp. Which food vendors have hot water - the counter service? Also, is there a problem with the tap water? Our Dr. says tap water is ok at home.
As for strollers - I was planning to bring my Graco style travel system stroller in the park since I will need it at the airport to carry her carseat. Is this too inconvenient for the buses? I know I will have to fold it, but I just can't see the umbrella stroller having all the features I need and I don't want to take 2 strollers on the plane.
Also, love the links to pictures. I need to get both of those things.
We will stop at Publix with our town car service - do they carry Enfamil products and Huggies diapers, or should I bring my own?

 

[wrldpossibility]

Thanks! Great ideas.
To followup - DD prefers warm formula right now since she is still weaning. Trying to get her to eat it at room temp. Which food vendors have hot water - the counter service? Also, is there a problem with the tap water? Our Dr. says tap water is ok at home.
As for strollers - I was planning to bring my Graco style travel system stroller in the park since I will need it at the airport to carry her carseat. Is this too inconvenient for the buses? I know I will have to fold it, but I just can't see the umbrella stroller having all the features I need and I don't want to take 2 strollers on the plane.
Also, love the links to pictures. I need to get both of those things.
We will stop at Publix with our town car service - do they carry Enfamil products and Huggies diapers, or should I bring my own?

I can't comment on the Publix, since we've yet to take our WDW trip, but I've traveled with infants everywhere else under the sun!

I have the same Graco stroller you mentioned, and after an experience trying to get it on a San Francisco trolley and an airport shuttle, I would NOT take that one for the buses and parks. If you need it for the airport, gate check it and check another lightweight stroller. The Graco one is too heavy and awkward to fold alone when you're holding the baby, IMO, and I'm not a wimp! I'd invest in a McClaren (sp) if you can, or we have a Chicco stroller that's one of the lightest on the market, folds up easily, but still has a basket below, reclines, and has a canopy. So I'd get something else to tour.

We used tap water for formula (I think FL water is ok, too, just tastes bad, but baby won't notice with formula). I just enter parks with water already in the bottles, and just dump the premeasured formula in when needed.

Pack as light as you can for the parks. I'd use a backpack for everything (not a backpack and a diaper bag). Pack snacks, bottles, formula, diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, water for you, your wallet/papers, sunscreen, and that's about it. Then when you have to fold the stroller you have the backpack on, and only have to hold DD.

You'll have a great time!

 

[lovesdumbo]

Since you're staying at the Dolphin I would simply avoid the busses all together. You can walk to both Epcot and MGM from the Dolphin and you can walk through Epcot to the monorail (where you don't have to fold the stroller) to get to the Magic Kingdom (you'd need a hopper pass to do this). Sure they aren't the most efficient means of travel but walking around Disney is very nice and it would save me a lot of stress. Save AK for when your DH can go with you or for another trip.

I think you'll find your Graco stroller easier in the long run and your DD will be more comfortable. I have a MacLaren stroller and love it but I don't think you need it for this trip.

I took my DD to Disney when she was 11 months old along with my DS(who turned 3 on that trip) and DD(4 1/2) and she was the easiest one to care for on that trip. One problem we had with her was that on the first few days she was so overwhelmed by all that was going around her that she didn't eat real well and got very constipated. After that I made certain that she ate her fruit/veggies first and by then she was more relaxed and eating better anyways. I also found that she napped much more at Disney in her stroller than she ever did at home. This disrupted her sleep patterns and she didn't sleep as well at night. My DD wasn't walking at 11 months and had much less "floor" time at Disney. We would return to the hotel for the other kids to nap and since she had napped in the stroller that was when she got her floor time.

The baby care centers are great! And those Table Toppers are a must have. I found them at Target and BabiesRUs.

 

[mjmcca]

The water in Fla has a high sulfur content so I personally would not use it to mix formula. It isn't enough to be dangerous but it tastes funny and gives some people an upset stomach.Publix has all brands of formula and diapers. Huggies are available in the parks too but they are expensive and not all sizes are available. The baby centers sell formula if you forget but they only have Carnation since the centers are sponsered by Nestle. If you feed her at the baby care centers they have facilities to warm bottles there.