To take the baby or not???

[DisneyPhD]

We have taken our baby grandchildren and did have a good time. However, there are some real tradeoffs. We could not just sit and relax - we were always 'on duty' with the little ones. It is NO FUN to bring an infant out to dinner - we really enjoy Epcot and fine dining.

If I had the choice, I would leave the baby with Grandmother. Hey, I'm Grandmother, and I want to go too!
Sandie

3rd choice, bring grandma to wacth the baby. With me that doesn't always work the way it should. My baby wants to be with me. We have brought my teenage niece with us a few times and it does help, but my kids do tend to cling to me when they are in a mood. Also I have been so many times that when ever we bring someone else (MIL, niece, SIL) I end up letting them go do things for themselves since they haven't been as often as me. However they have wacthed the kids at least on night so we get a nice dinner and that is good. My neice is also great at playing with and cacthing after the younger kids.

I can't imagine going with out my baby, but I think if I had 2 older kids I might feel differently. (something special for the older kids.) But in my case it wouldn't really be fair because they got to go as babies, why shouldn't the baby get to.

 

[sandieb]

"3rd choice, bring grandma to watch the baby."

Actually, that is what we are going to do. In the past we often take just the grandkids. From now on, Mom and Dad are coming too. We will be glad to help, but this way it is a shared duty. Don't misunderstand - my grown-up kids love WDW too, however, their work is such as they can't go as often as we do. Sandie

 

[mlg32]

Thanks so much for all of your input, I haven't been back to check the thread due to holidays and my extremely fussy 3 mth old! It sounds like almost all of you have positive things to say and I do agree I am worried about missing her so much that the trip would lose some of its enjoyment. On the other hand I have 2 older DD's. I guess I am just so tired right now the thought of some alone time on vaca is just so tempting. Thanks again for your replies!!(By the way I breastfeed but also use the bottle so I can get time away and the baby just spent a weekend with Grandma and she did awesome!)

 

[DisneyPhD]

Thanks so much for all of your input, I haven't been back to check the thread due to holidays and my extremely fussy 3 mth old! It sounds like almost all of you have positive things to say and I do agree I am worried about missing her so much that the trip would lose some of its enjoyment. On the other hand I have 2 older DD's. I guess I am just so tired right now the thought of some alone time on vaca is just so tempting. Thanks again for your replies!!(By the way I breastfeed but also use the bottle so I can get time away and the baby just spent a weekend with Grandma and she did awesome!)

If the baby is only 3 months now I would wait and see how things are going and how you are feeling closer to the trip. You might really need some time away, or not be able to tear yourself away from the baby then. Wait and see. I guess it also depends on what kind of 9 month up she ends up being.

Congrats on number 3 by the way!

 

[travelitis]

Not to disagree, but I just wanted to point out that probably the people who didn't take their babies were equally as happy with their choice as these folks who did take them. The question is: What do you want? If you really want to take your baby, then adapting your trip to suit her will be easy. If you'd like to leave the baby with grandma, then the baby is going to seem like more work once you're there. Go with your gut, because there is no right nor wrong answer.

 

[rt2dz]

I have not read any of the posts so that I wouldn't be influenced in any way by them. Here is my thoughts.

I have taken my kids as infants to Disney when 7 months and 15 months. They have gone on other vacations at 2 weeks, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, and 18 months. The difficult traveling ages are about 14 months to 3 years. Toddlers just are much harder. My point is infants travel easy. We haven't had a hard time taking them. There is no extra work than at home. With my middle child, who is exteremly high maintance, it is actually much easier-- especially at WDW (7 months).

I wouldn't leave my children on vacation (personally) because it isn't a family vacation without the entire family. Plus, I'd miss them way too much when the other kiddos are there. And since it doesn't slow us down at all (especially at WDW) or stop us from doing anything, I can't figure out what is to be gained by leaving our child at home. It doesn't even cost us any money to take the baby with us! However, just so you know that this unbiased, we will taken trips without ANY kids and I've taken my oldest just him and I to WDW.

 

[tinkerjo]

hello,
We took our youngest ds at 8 months old. It was our first family trip to disney(I had been 3 times as a kid) He was so content to sit in the stroller, and really enjoyed the calmer rides and sit down shows. The best place though, in every park is a place where you can go feed your baby( I breastfed exclusively) rocking chairs, dimly lit rooms the works. You could also buy baby food, formula, diapers etc. It was a lifesaver.

 

[mlg32]

DisneyPHD---You are right I should probably wait and see how she is at 9mths, the last month has just been very trying and the thought of more of the same(no sleep) on our vacation was depressing----But the last couple of days she has been much happier so maybe we are moving out of the fussy phase))

Travelitis---I was hoping to hear from someone that didn't take their baby to Disney and their experiences too---

 

[DisneyPhD]

mlg32, my 2nd child was (is sometimes) a poor sleeper. Both times (7 months and 9 months) she was not sleeping all night. Infact her longest 1st strech of sleeping was her 1st day at WDW. 6 hours. Wow it was amazing for me. It wasn't easy having her not sleeping all night, but it was the same as at home (at little better actually). She had so much fun and was so busy she really was much better while at WDW. I walked form BCV to the land with her in the baby bjion and I must of got a 100 smiles. She was just looking at every person she saw and laughing. She had the oppiste of stanger anxiety at that time. When she woke at night she nursed and went back to sleep. (most nights.) One night she woke at 4:00 am and would not go back to sleep. She was just fine playing and we couldn't let her cry it out (she could do that for hours if we tried) so DH and stayed up and let her play for a while. Even then we were so geeked with being at WDW that we did good during the day.


I hope she is "turning a page!." This next trip will be her 1st one when sleeping through the night is normal. I am looking forward to that. She is a light sleeper and we will all be in the same room.