WDW with 3mo?

[hardingk]

I figured I would post this here as well since we are DVC members.

Please tell me if you think I am crazy!! DH & I are expecting baby #1 any day now. We are going to Florida in November before I come back to work as our parents & my grandparents live 45 mins north of WDW. Originally I was planning to fly down with my parents and spend 10 days in Florida. DH needs to be at work the beginning of the week so he is thinking about flying down on Wednesday afternoon. Then I thought, why not go to WDW for a few days. We are DVC members and have extra points in our current UY so it got me thinking. Instead of making the trek to and from the airport, we can pick up DH at MCO and then head over to WDW. I already called and got a reservation for a 2bdrm at OKW. We are going in December, so we can just purchase our AP's a month earlier. DH really needs a vacation, and I figured it would be a nice little short trip (besides the time we will spend at my parents). If my parents come with us (they have AP's) we will have extra hands to help out. I know that everything will be based on baby's schedule, but do you think I am crazy for even considering this?

 

[Anthony1971]

We took our son when he was 5 MO, 15 MO and now whne he is 26 MO and in Feb on a cruise.

5M may be a little easier for the simple fact that you and your husband may be tired and the baby may (most likely) still be getting up a few times a night...
If your Parents or his can come it would be a big help...
Other than that it is a great time.. the baby will not complian about anything

 

[hardingk]

We took our son when he was 5 MO, 15 MO and now whne he is 26 MO and in Feb on a cruise.

5M may be a little easier for the simple fact that you and your husband may be tired and the baby may (most likely) still be getting up a few times a night...
If your Parents or his can come it would be a big help...
Other than that it is a great time.. the baby will not complian about anything

Yeah, that is what we figured - if my parents can't go for some reason, his parents would love go.

 

[Jennyvelaz]

Not at all! Cherish the time that you can bring him or her anywhere, in a diaper ( no bathroom trips other than your own), breastfeeding or bottle will travel well. You should see the baby centers WDW! I wish they'd have parent centers! Plus a 2br is more than you need! I know for my DH just hearing the CM say "Welcome Home" meets his vacation needs! Be positive about taking a trip as parents and enjoying the family in a new way. What a better way to celebrate! Congrats!

 

[DISNEYMOMx5]

Good for you!!! Too many first-time parents get too glued in on schedules, etc. Since the weather won't be scorching hot & you are willing to be flexible with the needs of a new one, you should be fine!!! Our very first trip many years ago was with a 6 yr old, 4 yr old, 2 yr old & a 4 month old!! Yep, we're as crazy as they come, but we had the BEST time, & the one that was the 4 month old is now almost 13 & is our biggest Disney fan!

Family time is the best time, & if your little one is used to being on the go, that's a good thing!

Blessings to you & your new one!!!

 

[moredisneyplease]

I am one of those parents who do live by the kiddos' nap schedule but that never, ever stops me from taking my little ones (3years and 8mo) to Disneyland or WDW. Just make sure you're prepared to take some quiet time at the various parks and at the resort! I recommend a comfy stroller nad sling/bjorn carrier. Also, abbf.com is a wonderful website for us mommies who travel to WDW w/ kiddos. You can get all the things you need for a baby. Good luck!

 

[photobob]

Sounds like you'll have plenty of hands, I usually vote no when they are that young, but it sounds like you should be able to handle it. It shouldn't be too hot at the that time of year and just plan on shorter visits to the park and be very mindful of the baby's schedule..

 

[cogero]

have fun. We were there in JUly with an 8month old.

We are going back in April with a 16 month old. enjoy the memories

 

[marbella_chris]

we go 3 weeks today with our 5 month old.

we are really excited, and thats taking a 9 hour flight with virgin atlantic from the UK.

we bought a baby bjorn synergy and a maclaren techno xt, just to make sure we will be as prepared as we can be...

hope it goes well for you!!!

 

[edk35]

My middle son went on his first Disney trip at the YOUNG AGE OF 10 WEEKS. He did great and WE were shocked at all the very young babies we saw that trip. We stayed at CR in the main bldg. and my parents were there with us. Our dd was 3 at the time. It was the 2nd week of Dec. His next trip was at the age of 16 months. Our oldest was not quite 2 for her first trip and our youngest son was 3 almost 4. ENJOY....YOU WILL ALL BE FINE.

 

[Juliet25]

No, not crazy at all. I have a 5YO and a 5 month old. I find it much easier to get around with kids before they can walk or crawl. At 3mos, your little one will be napping alot. As long as you're not going commando, I think you'll have fun just wandering the parks (particularly EPCOT) with the babe in a stroller or sling.

Have fun!

 

[edk35]

No, not crazy at all. I have a 5YO and a 5 month old. I find it much easier to get around with kids before they can walk or crawl. At 3mos, your little one will be napping alot. As long as you're not going commando, I think you'll have fun just wandering the parks (particularly EPCOT) with the babe in a stroller or sling.

Have fun!

Way back when....when we went with our 10 week old..we had him in one of those front baby carriers strapped to your chest....it was easy, he loved it and all was right with the world.

 

[dallasdisneymommy]

We took a trip when my third baby was 3 months old -- it was fine! The older two were 4 and 6 and we had lots of activity, our baby just hung out in the sling, stroller, or Baby Bjorn. He was an easy baby, just ate and slept and took it all in. As long as YOU are relaxed about it, the baby will be relaxed about it. Have fun!

 

[Nanajo1]

We've gone with one 5mo then with a 5mo and 3 mo then with two 6 mo. It was fine. OKW is great because the separate laundry room is great to set up the P+P for a quiet area forthe baby.
Have a great time

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

Agreed! My oldest was 5 months on her first trip east to WDW, and the 2nd was 10 months. Thank goodness you have the extra hands. I did find it much easier only having one of them at the younger age. We were by ourselves for our first trip to WDW after we had the second. It wasn't bad, but still hard as they were both under 3.

We have learned that we should just plan on a hangout type of trip while they are little. Have absolutely no expectations when you are there. Don't plan on doing anything purposeful (ie commando-style touring), except your ADRs. That way, you can enjoy taking photos of the baby in all sorts of settings and just really enjoying the family time.

That being said, don't completely let the baby rule your time. What do I mean by this? Be flexible in how you parent - don't assume you must do things routinely and by the book at all times.
1) Put all things you need to grab - like bottles and diapers - in a convenient, easy access part of your stroller. That says it all - don't unpack everything when you need something.
2) Grab and go became my motto. You want to be able to move you and your items in the least possible amount of time when getting on and off transportation like the buses. If you spend all of your time getting situated, you will miss the relaxing part of the trip.
3)Don't overpack the stroller. Don't take 20 bazillion things. 1 diaper bag max. If you have a saddlebag or one of those quickie SkipHop changing pad totes (has room for 2 or 3 diapers and a travel pack of wipes), feel free to add it on to the list. That counts as a grab and go item that you can restock from your stash. 2 blankets max - 1 small swaddle to cover the baby and 1 bigger one to throw over the stroller during naps. You can always buy more diapers and wipes and binkies and whatever you need at Baby Care. Take 1 extra outfit, two if you have a puker (like my #2). You can always buy another outfit in the shops.
4) Maximize your time - nurse/bottle feed when convenient for you. Snacks are good. The baby may not completely realize it's hungry, but will when you whip out it's food source! It's okay to take a baby bottle into attractions. It will stave off crankiness that comes from long waits in line.
5) The sling is your ticket to piece and quiet. That soothing motion from rocking while you are shuffling through the queue is solid gold!
6) Be organized just enough, so others can use your down time to their benefit. That seems simple, but it's not. People are polite and will offer to wait with you. This can be a time waster that can eventually lead to resentment from fellow travellers - "What, stopping again?". Let others in your party go on ahead to attractions, meals, etc., if they want to. They can get you a rider switch and you or another can finish caring for the baby in leisure - knowing that the switch pass will be waiting for you when you get done. There really is no rush to doing the switch immediately when the rest of your party returns, either. Take your time!

We learned these valuable lessons from going with another couple who have a daughter the same age as our oldest. Their parenting style was vastly different from ours. For the first year of their child's life, they would only change a diaper at baby care and that meant hauling all the way across the park and then back, instead of using the available tables in all the bathrooms. Where I would nurse our daughter on long rides like IASW or during stage shows, they would have to stop after the ride and then bottle feed and then start up again. With her solid appetite, we were stopping for this every half hour. That often meant watching them completely unpacking and repacking the SUV of a stroller they had. The difference in our styles really opened my eyes as how I viewed my experience at the parks and made me conscious of how I organize myself when we visit. The 4 of us adults all laugh and we can openly tease them about it now that they have their second child! They still have some of the old habits, but they learned a lot about felxibility along the way!

At least you won't have to worry about what was our biggest challenge - the time zone change from CA to FL! We couldn't get them down before 2:30am on the first night there, after travelling all day. (We missed our red-eye the night before, because I got work-related stress illness 6 hours before the flight. Making that flight would have eliminated the issue, I think - we're trying the red-eye again in January.) Needless to say - they went to bed late and slept in. We never seemed to make it out of our room until 10am or so. Thank God for the Albertsons grocery off Orange Grove and the 1BR kitchens!

 

[wdw1972]

If you're going when the baby's 4 months, why would you wonder if you're crazy to take him at 3 months?? I don't see the difference.

Infants are portable and very easy to deal with for the most part. The exception would be if you get one of those high-maintenance, colicky, miserable babies - but you won't know until he's born. My son would haven fine at that age, but my cousin's 2nd daughter would have been a nightmare!

 

[hardingk]

Thanks for all the tips!

I like how everyone has decided baby is a he!

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

Thanks for all the tips!

I like how everyone has decided baby is a he!

Isn't it amazing how using we've all had the masculine pronoun drilled into our heads by the educational system! I hate having to type "he/she" or "the baby" all the time and thus end up defaulting to "he" (sad, when you consider I have 2 girls).

But, it is the more PC alternative - most people really look at you a lot funnier when you refer to the baby as "It".

Is it a girl? If so, welcome to the "Mommy, Princess!" Club.

 

[hardingk]

Is it a girl? If so, welcome to the "Mommy, Princess!" Club.

we don't know...waiting for it to arrive to find out! When we took the hospital tour, we were the only couple not to know what we were having!

 

[hardingk]

About the baby centers, can anyone go in them? Will DH be allowed to go in and change a diaper if needed?