WDW w/a baby...am I nuts?!?

[PixieDust5383]

My mother, husband and I are planning a trip to WDW in October and are bringing our son who will be 16 months at that time. We'll be using my mom's timeshare @ the Old Key West resort. I've got a few questions if anyone can answer them:
#1 Does WDW offer the "baby swap" option like DL does? and if so, can one person ride twice (i.e. if I go w/hubby and mom waits w/baby, can I ride again w/mom while hubby takes baby?)
#2 Regarding the bus system: how do they handle babies? Do we need a car seat or can he ride on my lap?
#3 He loves kiddie carnival rides. Will hebe allowed to ride w/us on things like the teacups? How about something like the Haunted Mansion or Spaceship Earth?
#4 Are the WDW strollers pretty good or would we be better off bringing our own?
#5 Any recomendations of things to do/not do w/a baby??
I've been to WDW 5 years ago w/my mom and hubby and I've been to DL 3 times (we live in AZ), but this'll be the 1st vacation w/the baby. Thanks so much for any advice and sorry for the looong post!

 

[Freyja]

Our youngest DD will only be 17 months when we go to WDW. They do have a "baby - swatch" programme. So you can be sure to get on all the rides you want without having to wait in line twice.

I have been told that there are alot of rides that have no age restrictions. I´m not sure which ones, but I guess you won´t have trouble finding something that the baby thinks is fun to do.

I´ve heard that the strollers aren´t taht fantastic so I´ll be bringing my own.

Regarding the buses, I´m not sure how that works.

I´ve sent 2 e-mails to WDW through their website and they have answered fairly quickly. Maybe, you can just send them an e-mail regarding any other questions that come to mind. That is, if you don´t find the answers to them here on the board, which I find unlikely though

Have fun

Freyja
Leaving for WDW in 50 days

 

[prplcrzy]

No, you're not nuts for taking a baby to Disney!

My ds just turned 2 and he has been to Disney 3 times already, with his 4th trip in October.

Yes, they have baby swap so you can take advantage of that for rides that have a height requirement. All other rides the baby can go on with you, like Haunted Mansion and Spaceship Earth (not sure about tea cups, may be too much for him).

I have always brought my stroller from home because he would be more comfortable in it and is used to sleeping in it. Plus, the Disney strollers don't recline, and I know the AK version is hard, not the jogging style.

I haven't taken the bus system, but from what I've seen, you keep them in your lap.

Touring with a baby is alot of fun, esp. at his age if he recognizes the characters. There are alot of rides and shows he can do, but you don't want to overdue it. Take his cues and go from there.

We've stayed at OKW before and it has a great play area with sand, it's also more out of the way so it's quieter than other resorts.

Our next trip is 10/3 - 10/13, maybe we'll see you there! I see Freyja will be arriving the same day as us!

Have fun & enjoy your preparing!

 

[stacy6552]

Our youngest went at 11mos and 19 mos. You'll be fine.

He can ride anything without a height requirement. They dont make you ride alone for kidswitch, but we usually take our older son twice and weve never tried to have an adult ride twice. Send the pair first then try to ride again with the other adult after swapping and see what happens. That way if they wont let an adult go again, someone hasnt missed the ride.

Bring your own stroller. Rentals can get expensive on a long trip and they arent very comfortable for a tot wholl probably konk out and sleep his way around alot of the parks.

Lap riding is fine on the busses. There arent any belts to strap a carseat into anyway. No lap riding on the plane though!

Get yourself some table toppers so you dont have to worry about finger eating on tables that might not have been whipped down (if there is such a thing at wdw). Also get yourself a carrier for the places you have to stand with the baby and cant take your stroller, like ride lines and shows.

Beware the charactures. alot of kids are scared of them at this age.

 

[sters]

The kids just sit on the bus, no carseats. My 18-month old thought this was tres cool! The bus was one of the biggest attraction! There are also some kind of playground area in each theme park. At MK, there's something at Tootnown and also a small playground on Toms Sawyer Island. the Island is nice with it's paths, tunnels (if darkness is not an issue) and suspension bridges... At AK, there's the boneyard... At Epcot, they have a playground at Norway, and also some splash fountain things in Futureworld. At MGM, there's the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground. So, in addition to a few rides and shows, there are areas to burn off some energy. NO, you are NOT crazy!

 

[WDWLinda]

Our son was 15 mo. his first trip and we all had a great time! His first encounter with the characters was at Chef Mickey's breakfast and they were great. Each character came up to him very slowly to see how he would react, and each one he grabbed for a big hug! We were so surprised. I have a great pic w/ Mickey sitting at the table, with his hands folded in front of him and my son grabbing his nose. So I'd suggest a character breakfast, later in the morning so its not so rushed, as his first introduction.

Take your own stroller - more comfortable and you can use it outside of the parks and take it right up to the gate at the airport.

We rented a car so it was good for quick exits. Use the baby centers in each park - they're great. Go back to the hotel for naps and swims in the afternoons.

Our only mistake was taking him on POTC. He cried the whole way. So beware of dark or loud rides.

Have a great time!!!

 

[HappyMommy2]

Everyone's given you great info but I just wanted to agree that WDW with a baby that age can be wonderful! Our 17-month-old had, I think, the best time of his life! He was all smiles the whole week. I had never seen his eyes light up like they did every time we went on a ride. The only time he really cried was when he rubbed sunblock in his eyes one morning. We took it relatively easy (rest/pool time in the afternoons) and he never got too overtired.

We took DS on just about every ride that didn't have a height requirement. He loved all of them, but his favorites seemed to be Buzz Lightyear, Dumbo, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Safari at AK. The only ride he seemed at all nervous on was Spaceship Earth; for some reason he didn't enjoy that one quite as much. Maybe because the narration is super-loud, plus the leaning-back part is disconcerting.

I will say that we didn't do many shows, as DS 17 months (and his 3-year-old brother) don't sit well for long, especially after waiting so long for a show to begin. We did do Playhouse Disney--lots of fun! DH and I traded off for Who Wants to be a Millionaire--there is a place to meet Mickey just down the "street" from there so while one of us was in Millionaire the other took the kids to see Mickey and played in the Coke bottle fountain nearby.
I would have liked to have seen more shows--maybe next time.

We took our own stroller and I was glad to have it in the airport as well as inside and outside the parks. Also, DS was able to take naps in it because it's nice and cushy; not sure if he would have slept so well in the plastic or canvas they have at the parks. BTW, at WDW he was content in his stroller MUCH, MUCH longer than he ever is in the stroller when we're back home.

Watch this board and you will get SO much great information on traveling with babies/kids. I think part of the great success of our trip was due to the wonderful tips I got from this board.

Have fun!

 

[Nette]

A word of warning on the character interactions. Your little one may HATE them. After all, I would hope that instinct would still tell them that something GIANT and FURRY is dangerous!

Our DD's first trip was at 10mo and she absolutely HATED the animal characters... (poor Eeyore was even sadder when he left our table)... When we go back in Sept (she'll be 14 mo) we're going to try the princesses over the furry characters... at least they look like people... and she is usually very outgoing.

 

[Yzma and Kronk]

You also need to know that you must collapse your stroller and carry your son when boarding the bus. Since you'll be with DM and DH you shouldn't have a problem carrying DS, and other stuff.
The only problem I found with this is when the bus is crowded.
The monorail and most boats will let you wheel the stroller right on.

 

[Trinity721]

DH and I brought our DD to DisneyWorld just this past May when she was 10months old, and we had an absolutely wonderful time.

Yes, WDW does the babyswap. It depends on some rides how they do it, but from my experience one stays back and the other person goes into the fast pass line. And then you swap, of course.

We brought our own stroller, a good mid-sized one that reclines which was very handy so DD could sleep. We also had a Baby Bjorn carrier so we could take her around easily where strollers weren't allowed.

We stayed at the CR so we didn't take the busses, but I would imagine it would be ok to hold your baby in your lap on the bus.

DO take advantage of the baby care centers! They are a great way to get out of the heat and let your baby take a breather from the people and new sights. Also a great way for you to relax. It's air-conditioned and they have baby food and formula or milk in case you forget something.

I hope you have a great time. DH and I can't wait to bring Trinity back to WDW when she's a little older. Some people would never dream of bringing a baby to the parks, but DH and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope you do too!!!

 

[jetsmom]

We went last year when DD was 4 months old (other DD was 2 and DS was 3). This year, I'll be 4 mos pregnant, 2nd DD will be 15 mos., 1st DD will be almost 3, and DS 4. Had NO problems, and all kids enjoyed the entire trip.


#1 Does WDW offer the "baby swap" option like DL does? and if so, can one person ride twice (i.e. if I go w/hubby and mom waits w/baby, can I ride again w/mom while hubby takes baby?)

Yes

#2 Regarding the bus system: how do they handle babies? Do we need a car seat or can he ride on my lap?

Rides on lap

#3 He loves kiddie carnival rides. Will hebe allowed to ride w/us on things like the teacups? How about something like the Haunted Mansion or Spaceship Earth?

I'd say keep away from any ride that may scare him. We did not ride Snow White's Scary Adventure and a few other "kiddie" rides that we thought would scare the kids. With the adult rides, we baby-swaped and fast-passed to take turns going while the other sat with the kids.

#4 Are the WDW strollers pretty good or would we be better off bringing our own?

Bring your own (umbrella stroller preferably). It's more comfy, easier to maneuver, and folds up nicely.

#5 Any recomendations of things to do/not do w/a baby??
I've been to WDW 5 years ago w/my mom and hubby and I've been to DL 3 times (we live in AZ), but this'll be the 1st vacation w/the baby. Thanks so much for any advice and sorry for the looong post!

Other tips:

Don't over-schedule your trip. Leave time for naps, for "cooling off" periods for the baby (too much excitement can cause some kids to get really cranky), etc. Keep it as laid back and easy-going as possible.

 

[momxx5]

We just got back and our youngest was 17mo. She had a great time and we all loved watching her. The surprise was that she actually loved all the characters.

We did dinner at Chef Mickeys and when the characters can to the table she would get so excited and hug them, squeeze Mickey's nose, laugh; but when the character moved to the next table she would lose it and start crying. She wanted the characters to herself. The next character would come and she would get all excited again, laugh, hug, that character would move on and the tears started again. I told my husband that he was going to have to hire a character to walk around with her.LOL

I would definitly bring your own stroller. I bought a small travel lite one, with tray and basket, just for this trip. She would still take naps and this one reclined as most umbrella strollers do not recline. We did take the umbrellla stroller for my 4.5yo - much used!

Have a great time!

 

[Baloo]

WELCOMEto the DIS PixieDust5383, Freyja,WDWLinda and jetsmom

You're not nuts at all!! I took Erich for the first time at 6mths old and we all had a wonderful time.We've been back twice a year and EVERY age with him has been something new,something special.

You've gotten some great advice so far but I have something that happened when Erich was about 16mths.A character,a teddy bear, in the MVMC Parade came up and startled him so badly!! He was afraid of characters,except for the face ones, for about a year and a half after that.: He had liked them before that but this one caught him off guard and the music from the parade and all was just too much for my little boy.

During the dark rides like PoC or HM I talked to him through it ,pointing out fun things to sort of distract him from the scarey stuff.BEWARE of the pop up zombies in the HM attic room and graveyards.Erich and I started screaming back at them which made him giggle.It's a tradition we carry on to this day and he'll be 10 next mth!!

Tough to Be a Bug in AK is the attraction that seems to have the biggest scare factor for little ones.

Y'all have a great trip!