Touring the parks with an 11 month old...Q's

[Timon]

I am trying to plan our days for our October trip. We have a 4 month old baby girl, who will be almost 11 months old when we go. Now, I know that it really depends and differs on your baby, but I would like to know what other people have done with their 10/11 month old at the parks....did you take afternoon breaks and go back to the hotel or did you stay at the parks all day? Did your baby take their naps in their stroller?

We will be taking her full size Graco stroller with us and being a new mom, well I am not sure what to expect? I know you can't tell me what my baby is going to be like on this trip, but I would love to hear about your experiences!

Thanks!

 

[dougsmom98]

My DD went along with whatever we did. She slept in her stroller when she needed to. She went on most of the rides that didn't have any height requirements and went to many shows. Sometimes she would get cranky at shows so I would take her out and we would explore little things and go see some of the characters while we waited for the rest of the crew. Normally we never take breaks but I have never been in October either. If it is really humid when you go, you will probably need a break and it would be good for the baby too. Try to have open ended plans and you should be ok.

 

[Chloesmom]

We went to WDW when my daughter was 10 months old and it was in October also. The weather is cool enough and the park hours are actually short enough that we did not really take breaks but we took our time. We took her to meet all the characters and went on the calmer rides. In fact she said her first words on Its a Small World that trip and took her first steps on the last night of our trip!
We stayed on site but we drove to the parks anyway. Let me tell you that stollers suck ( pardon my french) on the buses. If I had to do it again I would drive myself or stay at a monorail resort.
Other than that I would tell you to bring an extra outfit to the parks ( maybe even 2) and of course lots of diapers and wipes and all that good stuff. Oh.. water in WDW is bad tasting so we used bottled water for her bottles .
Have a great trip!

 

[bzzymom]

DD was about 11 months when we first took her. I rented the WDW strollers for her, and she slept in them. We went in January when the park hours are shorter, so we spent most of the days in the park. She did great. She wasn't afraid of the characters, except for Beast. She loved the parades and fireworks.

 

[Nanu57v]

DD was so much easier at 9 months than at 18 months! Bring your Graco stroller as the WDW strollers are hard plastic, not too comfy. We did NOT break for nap, and DD just napped in her stroller whenever she needed too. We got special seating for Illuminations and she slept through it. My mom waited an hour for good seats for Spectromagic and she slept through it. The stroller WILL be a hassle on the busses, but its definately worth it. When she's older you can go to an umbrella. For rides, there is so much she can go on. DD loved Small World best. You'll have such a great time!!! Watch out for large animals and birds...they spooked DD (like the crows at Caseys'). Have fun!

 

[Timon]

Thanks everyone for your input!
We NEVER use the Disney busses! We always rent a car and drive ourselves!
I like to just go when we want, and not wait for the bus to come! So I guess in that regard, it works better for us!

I would really like to stay most of the day at the park, so hopefully she can just nap in her stroller. The only kind of plans I have are ADR's so we can just wing it. I am excited to take her and yet very nervous at the same time as I don't know what to expect, we are so used to going with just us!

 

[Ariel8676]

Going to WDW with a baby is easy. Even doing the buses with a stroller isn't so bad..its usually just Dh and I and the 3 girls.
Anyway we usually take a break, sometimes we go back to the resort and sometimes we just find a quiet spot and sit and relax for a while.
You could send a case or 2 of water down before hand..saves you money and you have it when you get there.
You could also send down a box with diapers and wipes and other things you may need.
If you have some type of sling (like a peanut shell or hotslings) or back carrier(you can wear on the front as well) like a Mei Tei(babyhawk), Ergo or Beco...those are nice to have for standing on lines or in places where you can't have a stroller..or if the baby needs some snuggling