water parks and babies

[iwannago!!]

Hi.. I posted this on the family board too.. hopefully someone can help me...thanks!

We (me, DH, DD8, DF8, 6mo baby) are going to be at the world July 20-29th.. and are certain to hit the water parks at least twice while we are there(BB and TL both)

I have been to BB and done the lazy river... any idea's on how to do this with a 6mo baby? I have the Aqua School baby boat ( the one in the OneStepAhead book) = will they let me bring that to the water park for the baby? If not, how do I hold on to her.. babies are slippery when wet! LOL!!!

anyone with experience at the water parks with babies??

 

[nativetxn]

I have no experiene with babies and water parks. I'm just going to bump this back to the top of the list for you

 

[bunny]

I have a three month old baby and I was thinking about going to WDW this summer but my husband thinks the baby will do terrible with the heat and humidity. On top of that, my doctor told me he is too small for sunscreen. He is strawberry blond and very pale. When I read your post, I was wondering how do you keep your baby protected from the sun? I am afraid to even take mine swimming. My other son was a fall baby so I didn't worry about it. I would love to hear others' suggestions also. Thanks for posting this question.

 

[laceemouse]

Hi! We went to TL last summer and although I had read that outside flotation devices are NOT allowed we saw lots of people with them. I do not have babies any more but my youngest (4 at the time) does not swim well. She wanted to bring her floatie vest thing but I did not. She did okay though. TL has LOTS of shade, but I would still worry about the summer sun and heat. Lots of people on these boards take infants to WDW, but sunscreen is not safe under 6 months of age. Their little bodies suck up some of the chemicals. Also be aware that infants do not sweet well enough to cool themselves off. An overheated baby can quickly run a fever. This happened to our youngest when she was 7 months old, even though we had her in the shade the whole time!!! We went to Disney many times with our 4 at ALL ages, but when we had babies we went at cooler times. I would be scared of "slippery baby syndrome" too!!! If you go, just be careful!!

 

[jimmybop]

The rules that the lifeguards are told to enforce is that you can bring your own flotation device ONLY if it can be straped securely to your child (like a life vest with buckles). Things that the childs legs just go through or just slip on loosely are not allowed. the only exception to this rule are waterwings (or arm floties).

On the Cross Country creek in BB (aka the lazy river) parents normaly hold them in their lap while floating along. Or if they are a little older, they grab a child's tube (it is a smaller tube with a sealed bottom) and put them in there, and then just hold onto the tube next to theirs with your hands or feet.

 

[iwannago!!]

Jimmybob.. thanks for that information! Good to know. I am thinking that I still might 'try' to get the baby boat in. I can't imagine trying to hold onto that slippery wet baby on an adult raft!! What are my chances of having a nice lifeguard let me float the baby in her boat?
here it is..
http://www.onestepahead.com/jump.js...PRODUCT&iMainCat=117&iSubCat=44&iProductID=74

I guess that I could plop her on the small sealed bottom raft and just walk with her.... would rather have her boat though

I was thinking that I could use one of the kids rafts (smaller) for myself to lay across (belly down kinda way) and then hold onto baby in her boat in front of me? This way I can get off quick if I need to. This would let us stay with the current (I think). Those baby boats are very stable. I used one for my other dd (now 8) when she was the same size and she was great in it.

Sunscreen.. well, she will be 6 mo when we go to WDW (5 mo now)and we use the Waterbabies with zinc. I talked to the baby's doc about it.. she said to use the sunscreen on her now (and we did at the zoo yesterday). I asked her about the old rule about babies and sunscreen.. .she says that is the OLD rule - new rule is to put it on the baby when in the sun. .. but do ask pediatrician for advice...

Other things I do with babies in the pool... well, a tee shirt over the bathing suit, lots of sunscreen, a hat, a robe when not in the water.. and lots of shade!!
Water.. more water.. and lots of that gerber electrolite stuff!!
and lots of rest daily out of the sun.

:rolleyes