Two wks at WDW with a 4 mo or 16 mo?

[Jperiod]

My DH thinks I'm absolutely crazy to be thinking about this, but our timeshare requires advanced planning!

If you were gonna spend the first 2 weeks of December at WDW, would you rather take a 4 month old baby or a 16 month old baby? Which would be easier (staying on-site in a 2 bedroom villa)?

Mind you, I'm not even PG yet! But this is something that has to be decided soon so I can book as soon as the dates open up! We took DS to DLR for 3 days when he was 9 mo and it was really hard. And you couldn't pay me to take him at 4 months. But of course, he was/is a high needs baby. I have wishful thinking that my second baby will be one of those that sleeps anywhere and I can just strap them into the sling and nurse on the go. Maybe I am crazy?!

 

[snubie]

My DH thinks I'm absolutely crazy to be thinking about this, but our timeshare requires advanced planning!

If you were gonna spend the first 2 weeks of December at WDW, would you rather take a 4 month old baby or a 16 month old baby? Which would be easier (staying on-site in a 2 bedroom villa)?

Mind you, I'm not even PG yet! But this is something that has to be decided soon so I can book as soon as the dates open up! We took DS to DLR for 3 days when he was 9 mo and it was really hard. And you couldn't pay me to take him at 4 months. But of course, he was/is a high needs baby. I have wishful thinking that my second baby will be one of those that sleeps anywhere and I can just strap them into the sling and nurse on the go. Maybe I am crazy?!

I have no advice re: when to go but I too am hoping for an "easy" second baby. The first one was rather fussy and I could not imagine taking her to WDW when she was 4 months or even 16 months. We first took her when she was 27 months and that was a great trip.

 

[katierae81]

I have gone when my oldest DS was 14m and then when my youngest DS was 4m. I would definately go with the 4mo. It seemed to be easier on us as he slept most of the time and I was still nursing. When we went with our oldest at 14m, it was stressful. Although, it was fun to see his reactions to characters. Good luck in your decision!

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

We went when DD was not quite 6 mo. and the when she was 20 mo... to tell you the truth I think the nearly 6 mo. was easier!

She rode around in the Bjorn and slept when she wanted. When she was 20 mo. she wanted to run around more, but at the "wrong" times and fought naps if we went to the hotel, so we gave up and let he take mini naps in the stroller or the Ergo carrier.

That said, she had a blast both times and we timed the "big kid" rides for DS around her stroller naps. She has also become a bigger Disney addict than me!

Basically, you cannot predict how the kids will be and will just need to adjust and go with the flow of them. For the 20 mo. trip we made a list of 5 (yes, only 5) things we wanted to ride/see and made character meal ADR's, but other than that we just did what we could and considered it a bonus on top of the 5, but did not feel like we missed out.

 

[Willow25]

I vote for 4 month old. We took our daughter at that age and it was pretty easy. She slept alot and did not want to run away. I flew with the same daughter from Australia to the states when she was 16 months old and it was tough. She was just so active at that age and did not understand the concept of staying close to mommy. But every child is different.

 

[kpgriswold]

4 months! They still sleep for big chunks of the day and they can't get out of the stroller.

 

[Juliet25]

4 months, no doubt. I just got back from a WDW "vacation" with my 18 month old. Never again!

I took her when she was 11 mos. and it was way easier. I wouldn't hesitate to take an infant. A toddler is another story...

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

We never took any of our kids as young as 4 months, the youngest we took was 9 months, but we must have been very lucky, we have been going every other year for the last 12 years and that often included todlers, and never a trip did we regret. Sure, you have strolers and diaper bags, and for newly potty trained kids there are the emergency potty runs, but ever stage and age has such a special reaction to Disney they are all wonderful memories. I say go for it when you are ready, and your baby will just increase the fun!

 

[MiniGirl]

I would rather bring a 4 mo old -- hands down. I had one "easy" baby and one that, well...., wasn't. Even my more difficult child though was easier at 4 mo than my easy one was at 16 mo.

 

[Colinsmom]

4mo is definitely easier to travel with, but if you aren't yet pregnant, I'd plan to travel with a 16mo. Otherwise, your baby could be a newborn, or you could be 9 months pregnant at that planned vacation time. You can't assume that you'll get pregnant exactly the month planned (even if it happened before) so I wouldn't assume that you'd have a baby that age for that trip unless you were already pregnant.

 

[happymommy]

By 6 months, I'd taken my son to Kauai, the Big Island of Hawaii, to Missouri (we lived on Oahu), hiking the volcanoes, Thanksgiving for a week on Maui at the Ritz, and a few weekends in Waikiki at a hotel.

He was NOT an easy baby - didn't sleep well or nap well, but fine out. He'd end up sleeping between us sometimes. But, it's still easy to pop a 6 month old in the backpack for a hike than chase a toddler.

But, if I had my way, I'd go when the baby is 4 months old AND 16 months old.

You're not pregnant yet? I think you're getting way ahead of yourself.

 

[Syrreal]

We've gone a few times with our DS with the 1st time being when he was just shy of 3 mos (he hit 3 mos there). That may have been the easiest time. He wasn't walking and slept a lot and we just kept him in his stroller or in the Bjorn.
We took him on many of the rides too (all the ones he could go on) and his faves were HM, Buzz, and Imagination. My fave with him has always been Pirates since it never fails that he falls asleep in line for it. LOL

At 12mos, he was running around all over the place and gave a poor CM a heart attack. She said hi to him and kept walking to her work location. He chased her down and smacked himself against the door while chasing her (she had gone into a back room). The poor lady thought she had hit him by mistake and he's throwing a fit because he liked her (he's always had a thing for the cougars) and wanted her attention.

ETA- DS was not an "easy" baby. We got shafted in the nap department. But he is usually pretty good on vacations

 

[ppan77]

4 months old!!! They are not mobile and wont care where they nap!! It's a whole nother can of worms with a 16 month old!!

 

[puffkin]

4 months!!!!

We took DS at 3 months. Except for all the baby gear, he was a breeze. Easiest trip yet with him. Went back when he was 19 months. He was everywhere...running, crawling, squirming etc. Plus he didn't want to be in the stroller all the time, didn't stay with us if we put him down and was too heavy to hold. Much more difficult!!!!! DS generally does pretty well at WDW but the 3 mo. trip was by far the easiest with him!

 

[bumbershoot]

I'd go with the 4 month old. Portable milk supply, get the infant insert for the Ergo and bring along one of my mammasmilk slings, the stash of cloth dipes, I'm good to go.

Though even with a 16 month old it was OK for us. We travelled a lot, so even though our disneyland day was just a day at 17 months, we knew how to travel with him. At that age I wore him still on my front (facing me, NOT out, to be ergonomically correct for both of us) in a mei tai..soon after we got the Ergo (so much better than my particular unpadded mei tai). He was still pretty simple to travel with at that point, and had few strong opinions on what rides we went on, LOL.


Hope your baby plans go better than ours have! I put parts of my life on hold, with plans for second baby, for something like 3 years...sigh.

 

[brockash]

My DH thinks I'm absolutely crazy to be thinking about this, but our timeshare requires advanced planning!

If you were gonna spend the first 2 weeks of December at WDW, would you rather take a 4 month old baby or a 16 month old baby? Which would be easier (staying on-site in a 2 bedroom villa)?

Mind you, I'm not even PG yet! But this is something that has to be decided soon so I can book as soon as the dates open up! We took DS to DLR for 3 days when he was 9 mo and it was really hard. And you couldn't pay me to take him at 4 months. But of course, he was/is a high needs baby. I have wishful thinking that my second baby will be one of those that sleeps anywhere and I can just strap them into the sling and nurse on the go. Maybe I am crazy?!

I think it'd be easier with the 4 month old, but more fun with the 16 month old. I took my dd at almost both of those exact ages. The first trip she was just 4 months and it was very easy, because she still slept a lot, and couldn't really move on her own yet or get into things. We took her again at 17 months, and while it was I suppose not as easy- she would get crankier at times, and would want to walk around and stuff, it was a lot more fun. She could actually look around and look at stuff, actually looked like she was having fun on rides (as oppose to just coming along with the rest of us.) I think if you're going for 2 weeks, and staying in a villa, you'll probably have a more flexible schedule and the baby would have more room to run around a little, but it's up to you. One other thing, I'm not sure if you're planning on renting a car or using Disney transportation, but I think I'd be a little uncomfortable using the Disney buses with the 4 month old. We've used them every time we've been (except the time she was 4 months) without a problem, but they can be a little rough and a 4 month old is pretty small.

 

[katied]

I did with a 6 mo, then again at 8 mo, 13 mo, 18 mo, and 20 mo (so not quite the same ages you're looking at, but similiar). 6 mo was the absolute easiest. I generally "wore" DS, and he would snooze when he wanted, nurse when he wanted, etc. He was VERY easy, and the only problem was him not yet sleeping thru the nite so sometimes we got a slower start in the am.

However, DS was much more fun at each sucessive age. I can't wait to see what he thinks next month at 31 mo.

Also, Dsister had a very difficult baby her first time, and at 4 mo, it would have been awful for her. DNiece was much better by 16 mo, so it would have been an easier trip by then.

So - I would vote for 16 mo if you have to chose just 1.

 

[Spoonful of Sugar]

I would go with 16 mo, just in case this next baby is high need too. I have a high need baby and if we had tried to take her anywhere further than the grocery store at 4 months old I would probably have had a nervous break down But now that she's 14 months I would be more likely to take her. She's mellowed out a tiny bit and loves people in costumes (but she still has some of that high need baby in her, so I think I'll wait till she's 2 or 3). I always hear people saying the second baby tends to have an easier temperament though, so there's always hope!

 

[Jperiod]

I'm still laughing at all the supposedly "not easy" babies. They sure sound easier than DS was! He was really particular where and how he napped (all the planets had to be in alignment and I stood on my head and whistled dixie.). And if he couldn't nap, he'd just scream instead. "Happiest Place on Earth," I think not!

I know I'm not PG, but I have much more control over that than getting reservations through my timeshare! It's now or never if I wanna go next year! At least with getting PG, I have a window I can try, then take a break for a little, then try again. That way I don't end up with a newborn there or 8 months PG! Plus I need to start stashing the money away. It's all good.

Praying for an easy sleeper!

 

[WantToGoNow]

I took my ds8 for his first trip at 6 months. It was an extremely easy trip. Dd5 took her first trip at 1 year (1st birthday actually). It was a little more difficult as she was mobile and wanted to be down walking, not being held or in the stroller. I would say that 4 months should be easier than 16 months.