WDW w/a new baby?

[HGD24]

DH and I are expecting our first baby in late April/early May 2007! Our last trip to WDW was in Dec. 2005 and I'm wondering if we should make plans to go next Fall? Will we want to be at WDW with a 4 or 5 month old baby? I know we'll be up for a vaca of some sort by then, but I don't want to put too much stress on us or the baby. I know we wouldn't ride all of the rides and see all of the shows, but I just think it would be nice to get away for a long weekend. Has anyone here vacationed with a new little one? How did it go? We'd be traveling from Maine. Thanks...

 

[hrsmom]

Our son's first trip was when he was 3 months old . It really wasn't too bad. Each park has a baby care center which was wonderful for when he or I needed a break. It was also great for nursing him. I used my Baby Bjorn almost the whole time because he wanted to be carried, it worked out very well.

We drove from SC to FL and it was fine.

Congratulations on your pregnancy and good luck!!!

 

[MILLZ]

My dw and I did not go to disney with our newborn but when he was 3mths old we went to tn and the trip was fine. We also when he was only 6 mths old drove to denver co from ohio that is 22hrs if ur wondering and both trips went fine. He was perfect i mean there were moments but all in all we woul;dnt do it any different. One thing i will add to this is I honestly believe that it has helped us now by taking him then. He is now 3 yrs old and i have never seen alittle one travel so well he is awesome when it comes to trips. So i say go for it and it may help in the long run. Since then we have been to the outer banks 3 times disney twice also countless other small trips and we live in ohio.


Hope this helps but im really glad we made him a part of OUR lifestyle as apposed to running our lives around him

 

[surfer_ed]

We are planning to do Vero and 2 days at Beach Club with a 2 month old.

We took our DD at 10 mo and it was fine. She had a blast at Pooh's playground. This time she will be 2 years so that will be more fun.

We are thinking 2 months will be Ok since he/she will sleep allot. At 6 months, teething can be an issues so I am not sure.

Of course, we could be nuts.

 

[MommaX03]

I did our first family WDW trip when my littlest just turned one. He technically could have started regular whole milk, but he was not reacting well to it. A friend had a great suggestion to bring the single-serve formulas with me for traveling. I had stockpiled a bunch of coupons, so it took the edge off the expense. I just dropped one packet in his bottle, added water, and we were off. It was easy to carry, store and use. I was very worried about dehydration because we went in September, and it was really, really hot. The baby kept kicking back those bottles, so he was fine. The powdered formulas are also available in bigger canisters that help on the pocketbook.

As far as rides, there are lots of rides that little ones can easily go on such as Its a Small World, Carousel of Progress, etc. Stay in the AC as much as possible.

From what I recall, I think that pediatricians recommend starting sunscreen at age 6 months. I would try to go to FL when it is a bit cooler than September, and make sure that the baby has a hat and sunscreen. In all likelihood, the hat will be tossed aside, but the sunscreen is a must in the FL sun. I saw way too many people with blistering burns on my last WDW trip in August to September. Ouch!

I found that doing WDW with little ones is doable, just do not expect to see every single thing the first time. I suspect that you will be back to WDW again and again.

Have a happy and healthy pregnancy and enjoy the little one when he or she arrives!

 

[MinnieGi]

I think bringing a 4 to 5 month old to WDW would be great fun for the new family!! We took DS when he was 5 months old and it was a great trip. By 5 months infants have calmed down from their newborn days and so have the parents!! They also are not on the move yet. But they may be sitting up which is great fun in the room for baby to play. DH carried DS in our Baby Bjorn front pack for most of the trip. He loved it and it made it so easy for rides!! I pushed our stroller with DD and our diaper bag. DS loved looking at everything at WDW and the baby centers in each park made it easy to feed DS.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and new baby!

 

[jakenjess]

Hello fellow Mainer, and Congratulations!

We've never been to WDW with an infant, but I would think it's one of the easier vacation destinations to travel with children of any age. It will be a wonderful getaway for you. Enjoy!

 

[HGD24]

Thank you all for your replies and good wishes! DH and I have been to WDW 6 times but always by ourselves, so this will definitely be a change of lifestyle for us but we are so excited to finally have a little one to share the Disney magic with and we can't wait to start taking family trips! We own at DVC, so I'm sure that having a large, comfy room to come back to will be very helpful if the parks do get to be too much on us.

Thanks again for your replies...you're experiences are definitely giving me hope that we'll be able to work something out for next Fall...

 

[BevS97]

We took our daughter to Florida when she was 12 weeks old - we stayed offsite in a condo as we didn't own DVC at the time, but with the DVC benefits of a kitchen or kitchenette, then I think you will be all set. I would think about a 1 bedroom for the washing machine as we did find that very useful. (Saying that, we were there for 2 weeks, for a shorter trip the washing may not be such an issue)

My dd spent most of her time in a Baby Bjorn, or a fleece pouch sling - the sling was fabulous for when she wanted to sleep and we could wander round, go on and off rides and never have to bother her (obviously I am talking about small rides like Peter Pan rather than Space Mountain).

We went in December so the heat wasn't an issue, in fact it was quite cold some nights.
I also used the pre-measured sachets of formula - they really do make it very easy to travel with a baby - just carry bottles of water and add the sachet of formula as needed. If your baby needs warm milk then you can carry bottles of warm water in a cool bag and they will stay warm, and since it's water not milk you won't be growing any germs - you can just add the sachet and you have instant warm bottle - much easier than trying to warm a bottle in a jug of boiling water.

Another helpful hint is to take a travel system if you want to eat in any sit-down restaurants. Some restaurants have infant highchairs (like a carseat) but most just have normal highchairs which are not suitable for a baby. If you have a travel system then you can take your carseat in with you and so baby has a seat. One day we decided just to use the basic stroller and ended up eating lunch with our dd on our knees, doable but not really comfy.

 

[fishermouse]

Personally if your going to relax I'd book HH or even VB, not that WDW with an infant is bad I just don't think you will get your money's worth from your tickets. Plus it's very noisy, not my idea of the best place for an infant. The beach seems much better suited they sleep in their basket while you relax on the beach. Fall is still very busy at WDW. Congrats on your addition

 

[BevS97]

Personally if your going to relax I'd book HH or even VB, not that WDW with an infant is bad I just don't think you will get your money's worth from your tickets. Plus it's very noisy, not my idea of the best place for an infant. The beach seems much better suited they sleep in their basket while you relax on the beach. Fall is still very busy at WDW. Congrats on your addition

Actually for a first baby this is not bad advice. We chose to go to WDW as we had a 5 year old as well and trying to entertain a 5 year old at the beach whilst watching a baby didn't appeal to us. We like the on-demand entertainment at WDW for the older child. However, with just a small baby this maybe one of your last opportunties for a lazy beach holiday - we used to enjoy them pre-kids, but our last good beach holiday was when our eldest was 8 months and still happy in her stroller. We tried again when she was a bit older and it just didn't work for us as we like to sleep or read on the beach, and that just doesn't work when you are having to watch a child.

 

[gonzalj1]

We took both our DS and DD to WDW when they were 4-5 months old. Each time was a slightly different experience but great fun nontheless.

My best advice would to be realize that the "commando" style of touring the parks is no longer an option. Slow down, smell the flowers and let the little one determine the schedule. Naps, feedings, diaper changes will all drastically change the plans at a moments notice.

Congrats on the new addition and enjoy the new experiences with the little one.

On another note, my little ones are now 4 and 2 and taking them to WDW is a completely new, wonderful experience. Seeing it all again through a childs eyes makes it magical.

 

[dr&momto2boys]

We went with our five month old last year and had a great time. We took advantage of the baby care centers to nurse in a nice quiet cool place. Our baby liked the gentle rides and dark shows. Just before the trip our son was being very patient when we would eat out. We thought, great that will be nice on our trip and made plenty of ADR's. He hated sitting down to eat while we were there-- it figures! I'm sure it will be fun for you, just be flexible with your plans.

 

[HGD24]

We are not beach vacation type of people, in fact, we live 10 mins from the beaches here in Maine and never go, so we wouldn't consider visiting HH or VB, but they are great suggestions if you are the beach type and looking to relax.

I was recovering from very major back surgery during our Dec. 2005 trip. We didn't go to the parks everyday and when we did, we took our time and let my back determine how much we could or could not do in a day so I'm assuming it will be similar with a baby and that's why we're thinking of going for a long weekend rather than a full week...just enough to get our Disney fix after almost 2 years of being away from "home" and to try it out with our new little one.

 

[poohbear1029]

We just got back from BCV on 10/29 and DS just turned 5 months. We had a blast!! It was a much different vacation...slower paced, less commando, etc, but it worked.

We would go to the parks early in the morning (preferably the extra magic hours) and around lunch time (sometime around 12-2) when DS needed a real nap we would head back to BCV. Then I would nurse and put him down for a nap....then one of us would go out...either I would go shopping/exploring (love the outlets)...or DH would go golfing.

Then in the early evening we would go out to the Boardwalk, Epcot or DTD to walk around...although we were always back in the room by 8-9 pm. DS tends to "insist" on his bedtime, LOL! He gets pretty cranky by 8pm, so its our signal to turn in!

We had a great time. We took him on "little" rides...Small World, Jungle Cruise, the new Nemo ride, etc. He HATED the Mickey's PhilHarmagic....not that I thought he would watch it...but I forgot that when the champagne opened the corks popped air at him!

He also loved the pool! He loves kicking around in the water. It was really only hot enough one day for that....it really cooled off quite a bit while we were there and was in the 40's some mornings and high 60's/low 70's....while 70's is okay for me in a heated pool, I though it was cool for him.

Technically, you are not supposed to use sunscreen before 6 mos...my Pediatrician told me that it was because they dont want you to have baby out in hot sun! Well, with some common sense on keeping baby in the shade and covered (hats, sunglasses, etc) a little sunscreen is not a bad thing....just test it on him/her before you leave for vacation. We try to keep him out of the sun, but I worry about incidental sun exposure from reflections off pavement, water, etc. Talk to your pediatrician about what they recommend.

The baby care centers are awesome! The ones at Epcot, AK and MK are the best....MGM is a little small....but they were all great for a quiet place for nursing...by 5 mos they are curious of their surroundings and nursing in public may be too distracting for them.

PM me if you have any other tips as we pretty much took the trip you are planning! HA HA!

Oh, and he LOVED the characters! He giggled at Mickey and Chip & Dale and was IN LOVE with Mary Poppins! (He's a shameless flirt)...we even took him to the Playhouse Disney Breakfast at MGM and he loved JoJo and Goliath and the little Einsteins.

I have to say if it were our "one shot" at a WDW vacation I would not have taken him...but we are DVC members and we'll be back many times, so to us, it was well worth it! Plus I got my Disney fix in since I was took sick to go in Fall 05 when I was pregnant with him!

 

[MATTERHORN]

Yes GO GO GO! They aren't on real food yet, so it's easier and you should go before they want to get down and crawl everywhere and aren't so willing to be held all the time. That is when it gets hard because there are very few places I can let DS crawl since I don't let him down on the floor in public places, it grosses me out~! Have fun!

 

[dsneygirl]

Personally if your going to relax I'd book HH or even VB, not that WDW with an infant is bad I just don't think you will get your money's worth from your tickets. Plus it's very noisy, not my idea of the best place for an infant. The beach seems much better suited they sleep in their basket while you relax on the beach. Fall is still very busy at WDW. Congrats on your addition

I think a lot depends on the temperment of your baby. We took our 3 month old last month and had a blast! The nosier it was the better for him. He slept through the entire Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween party including fireworks no problem. We own DVC and the kitchen and laundry facilities were fantastic! We didn't use our Bjorn because it was too hot but our baby was quite content to be in the stroller and take in all the sights. And he loved the pool

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

Greetings from another fellow Mainer! I think it would be ok. I would definitely talk to your baby's doctor about it as well. As I'm sure you know fall can still be hot so my concerns would be hydration and of course keeping the baby cool and in the shade. I remember my kids would always get uncomfortable in the stroller in hot weather (still do even now) - not much air circulation especially in the portable car seats.

I'd say go for it. As others have mentioned it won't be like previous trips and will have lots of baby stops - feeding/changing diapers. But I think you can have fun as long as you go knowing things are going to be different and it sounds like you do.

Have fun and good luck w/baby!

 

[MommaX03]

Also, little ones under 2 can travel on a plane for free if they are in your lap. Alternatively, some airlines offer a reduced price for a child that age in his or her own seat.
Of course, there is no charge for the park tickets for a little one that age.

 

[Nlbnikki]

We just got back from Disney with DD3 months & DD4 years. We all had a great time and took the baby on any ride without a height requirement. Also make sure to take advantage of the baby swap,you can even combine them with the fastpass too. We drove from Pa ,an 18 hour drive and both girls were great. The baby loved the characters and all of the lights of the rides & shows. We didn't do anything diferently than we would have if we hadn't taken her. Have a great time

Nikki