Tips for Disney with a 1 year old--no wet blankets please!

[harleyquinn]

K I know this has been asked a million times, and I was able to find a few threads on the topic (using google--the dis search engine won't do anything for me). The threads weren't super helpful though..

We are planning to take our little bun in the oven to WDW next August, she will be about a year old. I'm looking for every tip you can think of to help DH and I, who are VERY experienced with WDW in August with just the 2 of us, but have no clue what it will be like with a baby.

My plan is to take her to a bunch of local places in the months before the trip (the zoo, Cedar Point, etc.) to get an idea of how she(we) handles things, including strollers vs. babywearing and the heat.

We'll probably drive down. because DH hates to fly--it's about 17 hours, and we'll definitely stop overnight. (I REALLY would rather fly, but I don't know if I can convince DH).

So please tell me all about your trips with little ones!!

ETA: This isn't a thread to debate whether taking a LO is evil.

 

[mouse_ears]

We are taking our little ones for the first time this September. My youngest just turned one in June, so I will let you know how it went! Look for my trip review in October ) I highly suggest flying, it is cruel to take a one year old in a 17 hour car ride in a car seat! Completely miserable for the little bundle! Tell DH to take the sacrifice for his little babe.

 

[harleyquinn]

We are taking our little ones for the first time this September. My youngest just turned one in June, so I will let you know how it went! Look for my trip review in October ) I highly suggest flying, it is cruel to take a one year old in a 17 hour car ride in a car seat! Completely miserable for the little bundle! Tell DH to take the sacrifice for his little babe.

I like that argument!! I think he really thinks it'll be easier to drive! We've flown down for all of our 7 trips except one. The last time though he had a head cold, and he had a REALLY hard time--felt like his head would explode...he says he doesn't want to put her through that.

 

[Carmell226]

We took DD when she was 13 months old. My biggest piece of advice would be to try as hard as you can to stick to her schedule. Our DD goes to bed at 7:30pm and we really tried to keep her on that (although a few nights it was a little later). We had a bunch of dinner dining reservations that we ended up not going to because by that time of night she was too fussy, so I would not count on dinner reservations, I would suggest lunch if you have a particular place you want to sit down and eat at.
The hardest thing by far for us was keeping her entertained at table service places, we are going in January I am only planning a few TS meals and they are going to be buffets, it is much less stressful that way.

 

[bellarosemarie]

We have taken our DS at six months and when he was 1 and a half years old.
You will love the baby stations, there is at least one at every park. Their a great place to go to feed the little one, change him/her and just cool down.
They do sell some baby products, but their a little expensive. The only thing we ever really bought there was little containers of juice because theey were always nice and cold.
Our son loved character breakfasts/dinners, he was still really young enough not to be scared of them yet, maybe we were just lucky. Plus he can just pick off your plate.
I would absolutely bring your own stroller. A one year old will not like the disney rentals, they are just for older kids really, and he'll want to sleep in something he is formilar with anyways.
I don't know if you'll want to do this since your driving, but we shipped things down to disney before hand. Everything from diapers to formula was waiting for us when we arrives.
Your vacation will be totally different this time around, just remember to go with the flow, take a break, and relax. There will be so many more family trips to run around like a nut in the future to enjoy.
We are going w/ our DS this Oct, he'll be 2 1/2, we can't wait!
Enjoy your trip and have fun!

 

[tigerdragon]

We just returned a couple weeks ago and my DD is 14 months old. I second bringing your own stroller. I couldn't imagine using a WDW stroller with a child that age. For meals, make sure your little one eats before they get tired. We waited a little too long to have lunch a couple times and my DD wouldn't hardly eat. We wound up bringing food with us so that she could eat when she was hungry and we could wait to eat lunch a little later if we wanted and DD could snack while we ate.

We drove too. Our drive was just like yours, 17 hours with a stop overnight. It got a little rough at times but overall DD handled it well. We have a DVD player in the car which kept her entertained for a little while. We also had plenty of snacks for her and some of her favorite toys.

Good luck! I will say a trip to WDW with a child that young really makes for a different trip but I'm so happy we did go. We're already planning another trip for March before DD even turns 2. And yes, we'll be driving.

 

[clandoc5803]

be sure to locate the baby center ahead of time. If you get to the park and realize that you forgot something, it's nice to be able to get there quickly. Also, these are great (cool and quiet) places to let your little one relax.

 

[JamieH]

I don't have the experience yet, but we're going in Sept when my DD will be about 11 months old. What I plan to do is rent a double stroller (I have an almost 4 year old) and I'm also bringing a couple of things to wear her ... probably my pouch sling and a mai tai or similar. She's already 25 pounds so it will be hard (and hot) to carry her consistently and I need the stroller for my DS anyway, so I figured I'd do a double.

All of my ADR's with the exception of 1 are for lunch buffets and most of them have characters. Right now she's pretty good in restaurants as long as she's being fed (she's 8 mths old) so I figure with buffets, we can get in and get her food right away and she'll be entertained by the characters.

I'm hoping she'll learn to sleep in the stroller by then or be tired enough to sleep because right now, she doesn't. She will nap while I'm wearing her, so that's an option as well.

It will be a lot easier to make plans once it gets a little closer and you are familier with her temperament and personality! Oh, and we are also driving ... its about a 10 hour drive and ideally, I'd like to leave around 6-7 pm, drive through until about midnight, stop for the night, then make the rest of the trip in the morning. She isn't too great in the car unless she's sleeping, so its going to be rough! I think I'd much rather drive than fly, though, b/c I can't imagine having to control her on a plane! She's quite loud and fiesty and does not like to sit still! Again, that's something you may want to decide once she's born and a bit older!

 

[xanphylus]

My DS will be turning one at WDW this Sept. (Actually have resi for Crystal Palace for the time he was born as well! ) We are driving too- only our drive is only going to be about 8 hours, but he will make up for that time difference by yelling. He hates being in his car seat!! That will make a long trip if he is not in the mood that day. Other than that- our trip should be great. He will hopefully sleep in his stroller.... And at least when we got to our dining ADRs he can sit in a high chair on his own at 1 year! But def bring your own stroller- they are more comfy in them rather than the hard plastic ones at WDW.

 

[WDW1st-timers]

We took our daughter for her first trip to Disney when she just turned 1. We had a great time. Lots of pics and inneraction with the cast members and characters. She loved the attention. It's a memory that I will never forget.

People thought that we were nut taking a baby to Disney first off and then they thought that I was really off my rocker when we drove 23 hours to get there and not fly. I'm glad that i did it because Kendyll was great. She now has 2 trips to Disney under her belt and she is going again in Nov 29th to December 13th for free dining.

There are so many things that are geared for kids that age that most over look. There is the character meet and greets. We went to take Kendyll for her first haircut in MK and she was given a pair of pink minnie ears that says 1st haircut on them. She went on rides, she loved the fireworks, she loved to shop with mommy. The list goes on.

Personally the main things are:-
Don't forget to pack wipes, diapers, food, change of clothes.

Bring your own stroller, something comfortable because 90% of the time the child will be in it. It's also best to buy something that can recline. Children at that age take naps and want to lay down. You can still do lots of stuff when the baby is sleeping.

Keep the baby hydrated with lots and lots of fluids. They can never drink too much in Aug.

Also pack Tylenol or Advil and baby origel (teeth) My daughter was running a fever and we called an inroom doctor to find out what was wrong and it was from her teething.

#1 thing to not forget is to relax when you or the child need to. Take time to smell the roses.

I have tons of tips but gosh this would be a whole thread to me.

 

[nanc765]

Be aware that the 1 year old's schedule will somewhat dictate your own. DD went when she was almost 2, and she has never napped in a stroller, so we made sure to go back and take a nap in the afternoon. Watch out for the heat and keep hydrated and cool. When you take a stroller (if staying on property) the lightweight ones are easier to get on and off disney transportation (buses). Don't be afraid to split up (one of you stay in the room during naptime and one go out). Finally, have fun seeing Disney through her eyes.

 

[Hoosier Mom]

Our trip report is below....our son was 18 months old at the time. It was a September trip and it was HOT! That was our main problem. We used the heck out of our spray mister fan.

We ate each meal early. He did fine in the table service restaurants. We ordered desserts as soon as our entrees were delivered to speed up the mealtime a bit. The servers were glad to do that.

If money had been no option, I wish we could have stayed at a monorail resort. When our CBR bus would come, we were stressed trying to grab our son, the bag, and collapse the stroller quickly so we wouldn't keep anyone waiting.

Have fun!

 

[ScrapperBelle]

We took our 1 year old granddaughter last May. We had 4 adults, our 15 y/o son, and her...so there were lots of hands to help out. I'm sure it would have been much more stressful without as many adults.

We rented strollers in the parks. Staying at a moderate, we didn't like the idea of wrestling a stroller on and off the buses. She was no problem to hold and carry until we got the stroller rented. She was very comfortable in it. We had a small folding umbrella stroller for around the hotel and Downtown Disney.

Staying on her schedule helped a great deal. She is a night owl, so she did fine to stay in the parks for parades and fireworks. Mornings, however, were our worst time. She wouldn't eat much breakfast and then she would be hungry around 9:30-10 am, so we would have to find her something to eat and then she wouldn't eat when we had lunch...but she did much better at dinner time.

We never let her sleep in the parks. As soon as she looked like she needed to nap, we headed back to the hotel. She rested much better back in the room.

We allowed plenty of "down time". We spent lots of time at the resort and just "hanging out" (playgrounds, feeding ducks, etc.) both in the parks at at the resort.

Overall, we enjoyed it immensely. I would definitely do it again. The only things I would do differently would have been to let her sleep everyday until 8-9am, then have a nice breakfast planned somewhere, a few hours in a park, back to the hotel (we could have lunch there), and back to the parks later in the day, have a nice dinner, and catch the parades/fireworks. The few days we were on this schedule just seemed to work so much better! I think the key is to stay on their schedule and get plenty of rest. When you do those things, everything else just falls into place. I would definitely make breakfast and dinner reservations at a TS location everyday. That seemed to make a huge difference in DGD's day.

 

[momma2kiddos]

We went this year and my son was 5 months old at the time. Let me tell you.......characters love babies! He got alot of attention from the characters and CMs! I second bringing your own stroller that reclines cuz they will get sleepy. My little one slept alot and I'm so glad we had his stroller and was comfy! I stayed at a moderate too and really didn't care about lugging my big ole stroller on the bus. Wasn't the first time they seen it and definitely wouldn't be the last! LOL I had my 11 y/o DD with me so she was some help. Just make sure to pack plenty of drinks and pampers going into the park and you'll do fine.

Have fun!

 

[harleyquinn]

We took DD when she was 13 months old. My biggest piece of advice would be to try as hard as you can to stick to her schedule. Our DD goes to bed at 7:30pm and we really tried to keep her on that (although a few nights it was a little later). We had a bunch of dinner dining reservations that we ended up not going to because by that time of night she was too fussy, so I would not count on dinner reservations, I would suggest lunch if you have a particular place you want to sit down and eat at.
The hardest thing by far for us was keeping her entertained at table service places, we are going in January I am only planning a few TS meals and they are going to be buffets, it is much less stressful that way.

ADRs are one of my biggest worries and of course, as others have said, it'll be much easier to jodge things when she's actually here!! But I worry about actually having any availability once I know her well enough to make the decisions! I might just have to make a whole bunch of ADRs and adjust them next summer.

We have taken our DS at six months and when he was 1 and a half years old.
You will love the baby stations, there is at least one at every park. Their a great place to go to feed the little one, change him/her and just cool down.
They do sell some baby products, but their a little expensive. The only thing we ever really bought there was little containers of juice because theey were always nice and cold.
Our son loved character breakfasts/dinners, he was still really young enough not to be scared of them yet, maybe we were just lucky. Plus he can just pick off your plate.
I would absolutely bring your own stroller. A one year old will not like the disney rentals, they are just for older kids really, and he'll want to sleep in something he is formilar with anyways.
I don't know if you'll want to do this since your driving, but we shipped things down to disney before hand. Everything from diapers to formula was waiting for us when we arrives.
Your vacation will be totally different this time around, just remember to go with the flow, take a break, and relax. There will be so many more family trips to run around like a nut in the future to enjoy.
We are going w/ our DS this Oct, he'll be 2 1/2, we can't wait!
Enjoy your trip and have fun!

Shipping is a great idea if we end up flying! And you and other mentioned the character buffets, which we'll definitely try. Those will be a first for these veterans! lol

We just returned a couple weeks ago and my DD is 14 months old. I second bringing your own stroller. I couldn't imagine using a WDW stroller with a child that age. For meals, make sure your little one eats before they get tired. We waited a little too long to have lunch a couple times and my DD wouldn't hardly eat. We wound up bringing food with us so that she could eat when she was hungry and we could wait to eat lunch a little later if we wanted and DD could snack while we ate.

We drove too. Our drive was just like yours, 17 hours with a stop overnight. It got a little rough at times but overall DD handled it well. We have a DVD player in the car which kept her entertained for a little while. We also had plenty of snacks for her and some of her favorite toys.

Good luck! I will say a trip to WDW with a child that young really makes for a different trip but I'm so happy we did go. We're already planning another trip for March before DD even turns 2. And yes, we'll be driving.

If you can think of anymore tips about driving, please let me know! Did you stay overnight somewhere?

I don't have the experience yet, but we're going in Sept when my DD will be about 11 months old. What I plan to do is rent a double stroller (I have an almost 4 year old) and I'm also bringing a couple of things to wear her ... probably my pouch sling and a mai tai or similar. She's already 25 pounds so it will be hard (and hot) to carry her consistently and I need the stroller for my DS anyway, so I figured I'd do a double.

All of my ADR's with the exception of 1 are for lunch buffets and most of them have characters. Right now she's pretty good in restaurants as long as she's being fed (she's 8 mths old) so I figure with buffets, we can get in and get her food right away and she'll be entertained by the characters.

I'm hoping she'll learn to sleep in the stroller by then or be tired enough to sleep because right now, she doesn't. She will nap while I'm wearing her, so that's an option as well.

It will be a lot easier to make plans once it gets a little closer and you are familier with her temperament and personality! Oh, and we are also driving ... its about a 10 hour drive and ideally, I'd like to leave around 6-7 pm, drive through until about midnight, stop for the night, then make the rest of the trip in the morning. She isn't too great in the car unless she's sleeping, so its going to be rough! I think I'd much rather drive than fly, though, b/c I can't imagine having to control her on a plane! She's quite loud and fiesty and does not like to sit still! Again, that's something you may want to decide once she's born and a bit older!

Thanks!! I'd love a report when you get back!

We took our daughter for her first trip to Disney when she just turned 1. We had a great time. Lots of pics and inneraction with the cast members and characters. She loved the attention. It's a memory that I will never forget.

People thought that we were nut taking a baby to Disney first off and then they thought that I was really off my rocker when we drove 23 hours to get there and not fly. I'm glad that i did it because Kendyll was great. She now has 2 trips to Disney under her belt and she is going again in Nov 29th to December 13th for free dining.

There are so many things that are geared for kids that age that most over look. There is the character meet and greets. We went to take Kendyll for her first haircut in MK and she was given a pair of pink minnie ears that says 1st haircut on them. She went on rides, she loved the fireworks, she loved to shop with mommy. The list goes on.

Personally the main things are:-
Don't forget to pack wipes, diapers, food, change of clothes.

Bring your own stroller, something comfortable because 90% of the time the child will be in it. It's also best to buy something that can recline. Children at that age take naps and want to lay down. You can still do lots of stuff when the baby is sleeping.

Keep the baby hydrated with lots and lots of fluids. They can never drink too much in Aug.

Also pack Tylenol or Advil and baby origel (teeth) My daughter was running a fever and we called an inroom doctor to find out what was wrong and it was from her teething.

#1 thing to not forget is to relax when you or the child need to. Take time to smell the roses.

I have tons of tips but gosh this would be a whole thread to me.

There was so much great stuff in this post! Thank you! I would LOVE any more tips you have-maybe you can PM me? Or just post here--I know there are tons of other families that would benefit!

Be aware that the 1 year old's schedule will somewhat dictate your own. DD went when she was almost 2, and she has never napped in a stroller, so we made sure to go back and take a nap in the afternoon. Watch out for the heat and keep hydrated and cool. When you take a stroller (if staying on property) the lightweight ones are easier to get on and off disney transportation (buses). Don't be afraid to split up (one of you stay in the room during naptime and one go out). Finally, have fun seeing Disney through her eyes.

I feel so special that your first post was in response to me!! Welcome to the dis!! Splitting up will be hard for us, but I think it's a great idea!!

Our trip report is below....our son was 18 months old at the time. It was a September trip and it was HOT! That was our main problem. We used the heck out of our spray mister fan.

We ate each meal early. He did fine in the table service restaurants. We ordered desserts as soon as our entrees were delivered to speed up the mealtime a bit. The servers were glad to do that.

If money had been no option, I wish we could have stayed at a monorail resort. When our CBR bus would come, we were stressed trying to grab our son, the bag, and collapse the stroller quickly so we wouldn't keep anyone waiting.

Have fun!

Can't wait to read the report! We are concerned about the heat, but at least we are VERY familiar with WDW in August. I am VERY sensitive to the heat, but I know it'll be even worse for her.

We took our 1 year old granddaughter last May. We had 4 adults, our 15 y/o son, and her...so there were lots of hands to help out. I'm sure it would have been much more stressful without as many adults.

We rented strollers in the parks. Staying at a moderate, we didn't like the idea of wrestling a stroller on and off the buses. She was no problem to hold and carry until we got the stroller rented. She was very comfortable in it. We had a small folding umbrella stroller for around the hotel and Downtown Disney.

Staying on her schedule helped a great deal. She is a night owl, so she did fine to stay in the parks for parades and fireworks. Mornings, however, were our worst time. She wouldn't eat much breakfast and then she would be hungry around 9:30-10 am, so we would have to find her something to eat and then she wouldn't eat when we had lunch...but she did much better at dinner time.

We never let her sleep in the parks. As soon as she looked like she needed to nap, we headed back to the hotel. She rested much better back in the room.

We allowed plenty of "down time". We spent lots of time at the resort and just "hanging out" (playgrounds, feeding ducks, etc.) both in the parks at at the resort.

Overall, we enjoyed it immensely. I would definitely do it again. The only things I would do differently would have been to let her sleep everyday until 8-9am, then have a nice breakfast planned somewhere, a few hours in a park, back to the hotel (we could have lunch there), and back to the parks later in the day, have a nice dinner, and catch the parades/fireworks. The few days we were on this schedule just seemed to work so much better! I think the key is to stay on their schedule and get plenty of rest. When you do those things, everything else just falls into place. I would definitely make breakfast and dinner reservations at a TS location everyday. That seemed to make a huge difference in DGD's day.

Thanks!! It's amazing the difference the baby's schedule makes! I think I'll definitely be making a ton of ADRS! lol

We went this year and my son was 5 months old at the time. Let me tell you.......characters love babies! He got alot of attention from the characters and CMs! I second bringing your own stroller that reclines cuz they will get sleepy. My little one slept alot and I'm so glad we had his stroller and was comfy! I stayed at a moderate too and really didn't care about lugging my big ole stroller on the bus. Wasn't the first time they seen it and definitely wouldn't be the last! LOL I had my 11 y/o DD with me so she was some help. Just make sure to pack plenty of drinks and pampers going into the park and you'll do fine.

Have fun!

Thanks!!

Keep the tips coming!

Any attractions to avoid? I realize we won't know how sensitive she might be to loud sounds and things and that every kid is different...

 

[divanicki75]

There are also companies that will ship things like diapers, wipes, baby food, formula, etc directly to your hotel for reasonable prices, so they're there when you check in and you don't waste valuable space in your car for them...

 

[lessit]

I would ask your motivation for going to Disney with her in Aug? It is brutally hot and crowded and you mostly see frustrated parents and crying, sweating, exhausted, sunburned, hungry toddlers. You have to carry diapers, special food, deal with the stroller, ride-switch, make trips back to the resort for naps, etc. Almost everyone I talked to thinks 5+ yo is a better age. A toddler won't remember any of it and can't participate in a lot. There may be moments of joy but consider who the vacation is for.

 

[lillykat]

1st off - Congrats!!!!

We went the last few days of Sept beginning of Oct in 08 when DD#1 was 15 months old. We are planning our next trip for DD#2's 1st birthday in May - before DD#1 turns 3 so that both girls are still free.

I would HIGHLY suggest you fly over drive. I could never imagine driving from Long Island to Orlando when my DD was 15 months we were stressing the flight - that was what 2-3 hours I couldn't imagine how stressful a 20 hour or more drive would be. Of course a lot of it depends on your child's temper - my DD is very well behaved but she is high spirited and likes to move around frequently so a long drive would not have been possible. It was hard to keep her in her car seat for 2-3 hours never mind for 20 something.

Tips:

Either rent a car or ship supplies or use something like garden grocer for snacks, milk, breakfast in the room - eating in the room for breakfast allowed us to get out sooner and less time sitting at tables eating.

We did the dining plan - and bought DD meals (she was free at family style and buffets) - it was easy to get milk in the parks by the time we went she was off breast milk and the occasional formula I used to supplement.

Take advantage of the baby care centers - SO much nicer to change DD in those whenever possible. Plus if you forget anything they have supplies.

I brought take and toss silverware and sippys which were easy to throw in my diaper bag and easy to wash or chuck if I needed to. I also brought cheerios with me in a ziplock which was easy to throw on her tray of her stroller if she got fussy - or easy to feed her at the table if her food took a while to get there.

Bring an old diaper bag that you don't care about - and leave it in your stroller - rather than trying to carry it around the parks. We just carried diapers, wipes, diaper cream if needed, and an inexpensive change of clothes for after she ran in the interactive fountains. Since it was an old bag with nothing valuable it didn't matter to us if anything was stolen - but nothing was touched all week.

Decorate your stroller - we got curling ribbon in bright lime green and other colors and decorated the handle of the stroller so that it was easy to spot in the mass of strollers whenever you parked it at rides.

Bring a comfortable stroller - DD actually preferred to nap in hers rather than back in the room - so a comfortable stroller with a good sun cover was a must. Also having a snack tray was helpful - b.c sometimes we couldn't find a high chair at the counter service places so we could just feed her in the stroller. We also brought a high chair cover since some of the HC's left a lot to be desired.

Ask your mousekeepers for a high chair for your room it made snacks and breakfast in the room easier since DD had a high chair to sit in.

 

[harleyquinn]

I would ask your motivation for going to Disney with her in Aug? It is brutally hot and crowded and you mostly see frustrated parents and crying, sweating, exhausted, sunburned, hungry toddlers. You have to carry diapers, special food, deal with the stroller, ride-switch, make trips back to the resort for naps, etc. Almost everyone I talked to thinks 5+ yo is a better age. A toddler won't remember any of it and can't participate in a lot. There may be moments of joy but consider who the vacation is for.

DH is a teacher...for the next 30 years or so we can only go in August.

I don't care at all about what she remembers--the trip is for my memories. I will not stop my life just because I have a child. I honestly don't consider the trip to be for her at all. This isn't a once in a lifetime thing for us, we go every year. Of course if she doesn't handle it well, I'm fully prepared to spend the week by the pool.

You'd be surprised about how many people around here have gone with children this age and said it was their best trip ever. There are a TON of threads/trip reports and such to prove I'm definitely not the only one to do this and that we can have a great time.

 

[momma2kiddos]

Also a MUST: sunscreen! Looking at our pic, you can see we're obviously african american so we've never really had to deal with sunscreen but my sun is so light. I mean he's light bright, damn near white! LOL So needless to say, I was kinda stumped why his legs were red and HOT! It was a friendly CM who told me the little bugger got sunburn and gave me some of that extra H2O solar gel stuff to relieve the pain he had in his fat little legs!

So don't forget the sunscreen!