WDW with a 6 month old? HELP!

[New York Minnie]

We are already planning our next trip to Disney for February 2005 during President's week. We are currently a family of four (me, my husband, and two daughters ages 7 and 10), but by August we will be a family of five!!! We are expecting a baby in August and will then have a 6 month old with us at Disney in February (god willing!). I have a few questions that I would love some help with:

* Which vacation resort do you think would be best for a family with a 6 month old while also accomodating the rest of the family? Do you think the Boardwalk or Beach Club would be best since it's close to restaurants and the pool, etc?

* Has anyone taken a 6 month old to a Theme Park? I never have and was wondering what someone's else's experience has been in this situation? Should I just avoid it altogether? Help!

* Any suggestions for being in Disney with a baby?

Thanks in advance for any help or advice in this matter!

 

[Pa@okw95]

President's Week is a very busy week at WDW. My first thing would be to say why not use your points to stay at a mono-rail resort. If you do not want to do that then BWV is a short walk to MGM and Epcot, you don't need trasportation, so you just put the little one in a stroller and off you go. President's Week can be warm or cold so swimming is an on again off again thing at best, I am refering to sitting by the pool, not actually swimming, pools are heated. I took a 2 year old to WDW a couple of times, but never a 6 month old. I would pick a resort that will be comfortable for the mother of the 6 month old, she may be a little limited in what she can do at the parks and may just want to sit around the resort with the new little one.

 

[teo403]

We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge when my youngest was 6 months old. It was a great resort to stay at and the older two (at that time they were 6 and 4) slept in bunk beds. It was a little less $ than the resorts on the monorail, but still very easy to get to the magic kindgom (just a short boat ride). We loved it.

She was also very easy at the parks since she was still little enough to nap in her carriage. Good luck.

 

[Granny]

We never had a baby at WDW, but here are some thoughts.

Since your other children are older, you will not want the baby's nap schedule to dictate your entire vacation plans. Therefore, I'd suggest BWV or BCV as the destination of choice.

When your baby is napping, Mom or Dad can stay at the villa while the other parent goes to a nearby park for a couple of hours. At least that way, the other two children won't feel like they're being cut off from the fun while baby sleeps.

For the same reason, I'd probably pick BCV in your case. Playing at SAB while the baby sleeps could never be construed as restrictive vacationing for a 7 and 10 year old!!

BWV has an excellent pool and slide as well for a second choice. Plus it has Community Hall which is a great diversion for children that age.

VWL, OKW and SSR are too remote from the parks, in my opinion, to be the best options.


Also, you might want to check out this link for helpful hints on bringing little ones to WDW. http://allearsnet.com/pl/infant.htm


Good luck...and congratulations on your upcoming "add-on"!!

 

[Beca]

I'm not so helpful with what resort to stay at (we've only stayed off-property with a baby), but don't stress about the Theme Park area...WDW is wonderful, (I can't imagine how nice it would be to be near by!!) We took my DD when she was 10 month-old (a little older, but still very much a baby), and she loved it!!! The nursing/changing facilities are WONDERFUL!!, and they are a great place to relax in the middle of the day if your other family members do not want to go "home". All parks have facilities with private rooms where you can nurse your baby...and, if you do not nurse them, you can sit in the rocking chair and rock them (and, take a little nap yourself ). I would do this while the rest of my party was waiting for the parade to start (they would get a spot near the changing/nursing facilities). Between the time that my family was "saving" a good parade spot, and actually watching the parade, my DD and I would get a really nice nap in!!! Of course, we didn't do this everytime as I wanted her to see some parades, but since most go on twice a day, we would just opt for the later (usually less crowded one).

I really hesitate to tell you this, because what happened to my DD was a fluke, but she did end up in an Orlando hospital (well, actually two hospitals). This was Nov. 2002, and it was all over the news about the "Norwalk" virus being on Disney's cruise ships. Well, we figured we weren't going on Disney's cruise ships, so we thought we were fine. I did not stop to think about all of the people who do a 3-day cruise, and then go into WDW. Well, on day 4 of our 7-day vacation, my DD began throwing up. I took her to a minor emergency center, and they refused to treat her, and told me to take her straight to the hospital. It was SOO crowded, that they were treating people with IV's in the lobby!!! We stayed there all night, and the Dr's finally got her a bed in a pediatric hospital 30 miles away. Since they were "sister" hospitals, she could be admitted into one and "transferred" into the other, but we were told NOT to release her from "hospital #1" and take her to the ped. hosp, because her bed would be gone by the time we arrived (locals were getting sick from this virus, too). So, she got transferred in an ambulance (another freaky occurrence!!). Anyway, I got the virus, as did my DH, and when we returned home, my Mom came to visit (and make sure my DD was okay), and Mom got the virus!! It was VERY contagious, and very virulent!!!

Anyway...I truly to NOT want to scare you...things like that just happen sometimes no matter where we are, or what we are doing!! My DD got a virus locally 4 months later, and once again ended up BACK in the hospital!!! My point for telling you this was:

1) Listen to news reports...if there is anything "contagious" on cruise ships or in the Orlando area...think about not going...I never stopped to realize how fast that "junk" spreads via the park!!

2) Get a rental car!!! We learned that with kids we will NEVER go without a rental car again...even if we are staying on property. We would've been in SO much trouble if we had not had one!! I now depend on knowing I can take my family anywhere, at anytime. Besides, with the number of people you are taking, it is really not that much more expensive than a shuttle or town car.

Anyway, I do NOT mean to scare you...I would take a baby again in a heartbeat...and, hopefully will find myself in that situation again very soon !! Their facilities are wonderful...and, that is BEFORE I even talk about how accomodating they are with the "baby swap"!!! If the rest of the world was as "nicely designed" for Mom's as WDW...being a parent would be a breeze!!

Have a WONDERFUL time...and, congrats on your baby!!

Beca

 

[wvalx]

If you can, take a baby sitter with you and leave the 6 month old with her, that's what we are doing next week! We are taking my wife's 18 year odl niece and she's going to watch our 2 year old and 8 month old while we go to the parks. It will allow us to enjoy the parks with the 2 older children.

 

[Kewz1]

My dd was 5 months and my ds 1.5 months on their respective first visits to WDW. It was actually easier then than when they were at the toddler (I don't want to sit in the stroller!!) stage. The childcare areas were very nice and a great place to nurse/feed or change diapers etc.

Obviously you won't be able to take him/her on Slash Mtn -- something to look forward to! -- but there will still be plenty for the two of you to do.


Have a wonderful time and take lots of pics!

Kristen

 

[rocketriter]

Don't worry too much about your 6 month old. As long as she's fed, rested, and in the company of someone who loves her she'll be happy. A stroller and some supplies should carry you through your visits to the park. Don't overpack that diaper bag and make it too heavy; just include things to put into baby, things to handle what comes out of baby, and things to handle a change in the weather.

Really think about comfort of the rest of your party, particularly the primary care-giver (usually but not always Mom). At 6 months many babies are colicky and don't sleep through the night yet. So you want the littlun's crying to disturb the others as little as possible, and you want whoever feeds the littlun to have plenty of other opportunities to catch up on rest.

As for which DVC resort, any will do. If you think your party will grow tired on buses (baby won't care) then stay in VWL, BCV or BWV. Again, base your decision on what will make everyone else happiest and most comfortable.

Have a great time!

 

[Disney Enthusiast]

Don't fret about taking a baby to WDW. I think that is one of the best times to go w/ them. They are not as mobile yet and go w/ the flow. I took my son when he was 8 mos. old, and this year w/ my daughter at 5 mos. old and my son was then 2.5. Both times were wonderful.

We stayed at BWV this time, Grand Floridian last time. I really liked the villas since they had a microwave and refrigerator and a washer and dryer for "dirty" clothes. The GF is fun, but it's a bit trickier when bottle feeding or heating up jars of baby food. I also liked having a separate sleeping area so she could nap while my 2 yr old was running around acting nutty, or if he was sleeping and she was babbling or crying. Worked out great. We'd put her in the stroller and off we went, usually walking to EPCOT and MGM. The walk is beautiful, although some think too long. But it gave us excercise and we so enjoyed the scenery. I could see the walk being a problem if it is rainy, but we just pulled the canopy over her head and kept going. It's still a lovely walk. But you can roll the stroller onto the larger boats if you want to take the boat. You must fold the stroller when getting on the buses.

The baby stations are marvelous like the previous poster mentioned. I didn't use them myself so much, but I "dropped" by a couple to pick up some extras I ran out of such as formula and diapers. The general store at BWV had a nice selection of food for my 2 yr old and the stores in each hotel have baby food and diapers in case you start to run out like I did by the end of your trip. The CM's are soooo helpful and accomodating and everyone we met was willing to lend a hand.

Both of my kids sleep well w/ distractions.... so they normally slept in the stroller at the parks and so there was no need to head back home. I'd sit w/ the baby while she was napping and my DH and DS would go on a few rides. Both of my babies slept the best in the cool restaurants, so you can feed your 7 and 10 yr olds and give the baby a nap at the same time. San Angel Inn is a great place to dine w/ an infant. You can join your family on several of the MK rides such as It's a Small World, Winnie, and Peter Pan. My little ones always enjoyed the attractions. The pool is a wonderful place to go since your older children will love playing, swimming and splashing, and the baby can sleep nicely next to you in the stroller. Bring a clip on fan for the baby to keep him/her cool. The stroller held all of our stuff nicely and became a base for our rain slickers, drinks, diaper bag, etc. I know people bring the little strollers, but the big one which folds worked better for us w/ 2 small children. I could plop them both in there and off we went. I also used the Baby Bjorn on days when I knew we'd be getting on a lot of rides and would have to keep putting the stroller up and down. She slept well in the carrier and I could get on the rides w/ her in it. Worked out great.

We took her carseat w/ us and it worked out great. The airplane allows you to carry it to the entrance of the plane, and then you pick it up after you land. She slept in it in the parks (it snapped onto her stroller), and slept in it at night at the hotel, since we didn't want to do a crib. We could unsnap it if she was sleeping and carry her unawakened into the restaurant to dine. We found it to very useful for us.

So there are some ideas for you. Both times I got nervous beforehand, but w/ a little bit of flexibility, humor, prior planning and ingenuity, we had a very relaxing and enjoyable time. Just try to keep the baby's schedule as close to normal as possible. You don't have to actually go home for naps or feedings though. You can use the baby stations, park benches, restaurants, and the stroller to allow the baby to have his/her naps and feedings on schedule w/o taking the fun away from the older kids. Little ones are so resilient.... they go w/ the flow of the family. Next year is making me nervous.... both my kids will be walking and getting into trouble.

Hope you enjoy your vacation.

 

[DizneeNuts]

I would not hesitate to bring a 6 month old with you. We did this a few years ago. We were also a family of five. Our two older sons were 8 and 9 at the time. Our little guy was great! We used the baby swap alot at the parks and the older kids loved it because they got to ride twice with only one wait in line. We stayed at the Polynesian that trip and it was very convenient to not have to fold up the stroller to board the monorail. We would take breaks midday and the older kids would swim with one parent while the other stayed in the room with the little guy. We also spent some time sitting on the beach at the Poly to watch the Electrical Light parade. We would bring our nightly cocktail with us and the older boys played with their football on the beach until the parade started and one night we stayed out to watch the MK fireworks.

I personally think it is easier to go with a 6 month old than a 2 - 4 year old. We did a character breakfast at the Poly one morning and all the characters were so drawn to our little guy. We have so many pictures from that. He doesn't remember that trip, but it was one of my all time favorites.

Good luck! I hope you go and have a great time.

 

[brentm3]

We are taking our 20 month old DD on her 3rd trip to WDW on May 1.

For the 4 month old trip we stayed in a BCV 1 bedroom. The dishwasher was great for bottles and things...we brought our pacifier/dishwasher cage to keep the pacifiers together in there. It was also very useful having the washer and dryer in the room...80% of our luggage was diapers and wipes...we washed her outfits (and our clothes) and reused.

He carseat was FAA approved, so we bought her a seat on the plane and strapped her in, she slept the whole flight there aside from some altitude discomfort - have a bottle ready for takeoff and descent as the sucking helps regulate their ears.

I could not fathom leaving DD in the hotel while at Disney... one word - Snuggli. My DW and I switched off between the diaper bag and the Snuggli the entire week. DD never got rub marks on her legs, and neither of us had sore shoulders or sore backs. It was December, so wearing the baby for 10+ hours wasn't even hot. When she was awake she faced outward and looked around in amazement, when she was asleep we would turn her in and she could cuddle up.

Regarding Disney transportation, people with SUV-sized strollers were really struggling down the aisles of the busses, bruising knees and elbows the whole way. DD was in the Snuggli and you would have had to remind me that I was wearing her at times.

It was a piece of cake...we had a great time and through Baby Swap, we rode every attraction we desired. Baby rode most rides with us (except for RnRC, ToT, the Mountains, etc...) and did just fine. Know where the baby stations are in each park, have a little prep, and your little one will be stimulated beyond their imagination.

If I had one regret from that trip, it was bringing her in to Universe of Energy...she loved the show, but the big bang was a lot louder than I remembered, and I wish I had covered DD's ears...(she didn't cry, but it was rock-concert loud and I felt bad.)

My favorite memory was from the same attraction...the preshow. When Ellen was popping from screen to screen it was the first time I ever saw my DD track something by moving her whole head...she followed the light and sound around the preshow room.

For DD's 16 month old trip, no real lessons learned. We had a compact stroller and had no problems with Disney transportation. (DD was too heavy to wear at this age.) We never really decided if we preferred our personal stroller to renting a park stroller...it was a toss-up. Once again the kitchen in the hotel was a huge asset. Compact stroller is a must for Disney transportation if you decide against renting.

Big hit for the 16 month old trip - Typhoon Lagoon. We never do water parks, now I will never go without hitting them. DD was riding the kiddie raft over and over, clamoring back to the start as soon as we pulled her out of the catch basin.

This trip we're getting a little brave...we're at 21 months and we're trying a studio and a few PS events, including a 9:30pm Hoop-Dee-Doo. Hopefully DD "gets" it...she loves clapping and stomping, anyway. She loves "paying" for things at stores, so with an extremely watchful eye we are going to introduce her to pin trading. (Of course she will have to give them to mom and dad for safe keeping when she is done with a trade...being nasty little choking hazards.)

I wish you the best of luck and hope you meet the great success we had with DD at Disney. I can't imagine anything more fulfilling than a week of Disney with my family...I'm afraid I may start booking another trip while I'm down there.

brentm3

 

[DisneyPhD]

We also took our DD to WDW 4 times before she turned 3. Her 1st trip was when she was 9 months old (early Dec 2001, before we joined DVC) We stayed at Poly and that was nice. No problems at all (well not really, she had been on antiboics for an ear infection and ended up with an allergic reaction to thim. We took her to Centra Care and they took good care of us. The rest of the trip was fine.) It was a blast really. As long as you follow normal "rules" of travling with a baby (takes the babies needs into account, take breaks, be fexlilbe etc...) you should be fine.


Our next trip is planned March 2005 and we plan also have a 6 month old with us then (due date is Aug 9, 2004!) We hope to stay at BCV, we love that place (own at VWL). Close walking to Epcot and a boat to MGM. SAB can't be beat, even the 6 month old can enjoy it when being held or sitting on a parents lap.

I will say that breast feeding made the trip much easier, your food is always fresh and right with you. I think we might wait to start any ceral or food until after the trip to make life easier.


Good luck, lets hope we can both hang in there until Aug (that seems a long way away right now. We leave for VB for our early summer vacation this year, but don't plan on doing WDW (maybe DTD, on day, but that is is.)

 

[DVCDawn]

Originally posted by brentm3


I could not fathom leaving DD in the hotel while at Disney... one word - Snuggli.

brentm3

I couldn't agree more! My 22-month old DD was only 3 months old on her first trip and 9 months old on her second. I had a Baby Bjorn and found it most helpful when we wanted to go on an attraction. (She got too heavy to walk around all day with her strapped in -- we switched her to a stroller for longer walks). She liked the change and really seemed to enjoy all the sounds and lights on the attractions -- especially Peter Pan.

In addition to what everyone else has said, I would be sure to pack a plastic rain cover for the stroller. (I bought mine at Babies R Us.) Anytime we thought it might rain while we were in an attraction, we'd put it on the stroller so that it wasn't wet when we got out.

Also, be sure to bring your own crib or Pack n Play sheets. The Pack N Plays in the rooms do not have sheets and the crib sheets that Disney provides are not fitted -- simply flat sheets tucked under the crib mattress.

 

[mom2alix]

I have to second that having the kitchen facilities and w/d were a real help when travelling with a little one. We did HH with a 6 mo old and had a wonderful trip thanks to the great facilities in the villas.

At WDW, I like VWL because the darker decor in the villas seemed to make nap time easier for us. By pulling the curtains, I was able to darken the room enough to let her sleep comfortably and the resort is just extremely peaceful. The other perk is that it's so easy to catch the boat to MK or the Contemporary (Chef Mickey's and the monorail!). That should make it easy to have one parent take the other kids out and about during nap time.

If you have a baby who cooperates, you may also find that naps can be taken in the carriage while the rest of the family keeps moving. Good luck and hope you have a great trip!

 

[tigger2esq]

We took our DD (then 7 months old) in January without any problems! We stayed at BWV which was VERY convenient not having to load up the stroller or baby backpack onto a bus and just walking to EPCOT or MGM was nice. Also it was really nice to be able to take her out for a stroll in the evening on the Boardwalk. As for theme parks, she loved checking everything out in the baby backpack. and when she was ready to nap--she just crashed whenever and whereever she was (Mickeys Philharmagic seemed to be a nice spot for her!! LOL!) We did make time to scheudle some downtime to accommodate her naps and feeding schedule but it worked out fine (and yes the baby changing stations in the parks are WONDERFUL!)

I think her absolute favorite was having lunch in the Germany pavillion at EPCOT. She LOVED dancing to the Oompah band and clapping and singing along with the show!!!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

I would not hesitate to take a 6 month old in the parks. The idea about the Snuggli and stroller is a good one. I think WHERE you stay is more dependant on which parks you spend the most time in. If you are going to be at EPCOT and MGM STUDIOS most of the time, then I would go for either BWV or BCV for easy access to nap time. If you plan to spend most of your time at Magic Kingdom, then VWL is a better choice, since you are a quick boat ride away. Actually, ANY of the on site resorts are fine for your stay. SSR and OKW, while they are far from the parks, have great transportation, so that is not a real issue either.

 

[ErinC]

We have done 2 trips with infants. One at 4 months and the other( different child) at 8 months. Both trips were in Dec. I think Feb. will be a good time. The snuggli carrier is the best advice I could give. For some reason DD 8 months, hated her stroller, and I ended up carrying her everywhere. I don't know if it was the closeness to me or what but she slept constantly in that carrier. I toted Cheerios (quiet 0's as we called them) and if she fussed during a show I feed her some cheerios! The carrier is almost easier anyway, that way your not putting them in and out of the stroller every 100 ft. to hop out and ride a ride. The child care centers are great! Probably not an issue for everyone, but DD4months hated the water and would not drink her formula when mixed with WDW water, so I ended up using bottled water to mix her formula with. Just something to keep in mind if your bottle feeding. Last trip we stayed in a 2 bedroom at VWL, we had my SIL and my parents. Having 3 kids I had to have help since DH had some meetings to attend. It was wonderful having them with us, and to this day my now 14 month old still loves my mother more than any other relative, and I think its because my mom spent so much time with her on that trip. So maybe , if taking some family is possible, it might not be a bad idea. We never left the kids, everything we did was a family event, I promised my mom that I wasn't inviting her along to babysit, but it sure was nice having them there to help. I think you would be best in choosing VWL, BCV, or BWV, so that your older kids won't feel stranded if you need to spend some time in the room. We really didn't because park hours were short, but the baby slept so much in the carrier that it really wasn't neccessary to take a mid day break. So also slept every night, all night long in the pak n play! We had a great trip! Hope you have a great one too, and that all goes well with the pregnancy!

 

[New York Minnie]

I want to thank all of you who responded to my questions regarding having a 6 month old at Disney next year. You all made it sound great and gave me some great suggestions such as the snuggli, places to stay, rest areas at disney parks, fitted sheets on the pack and play, etc.

I am really looking forward to going since we weren't able to go this year. I want to try to make the trip extra special for my older kids so that they feel special, too.

Thanks once again and I hope I can return the favor to you all.

So long,
New York Minnie

 

[Lesley]

Well, you may not need any more reassurance but here it is.....6mo is a great age for WDW!

We took our second baby when she was that age and she had a great time. I carried her in a sling most of the time, much more comfortable than a snugli with a bigger baby and better for baby's spine,(mayawrap...can be found at diaperbabies.com) and she slept a lot. We didn't have to take breaks for her to nap until she was older...a year and a half or so, and even then I could take her into the baby care center to settle her down and she'd sleep in the stroller while we did things with our older child. When she was awake, at 6mo, she loved looking at everything and especially loved the characters. It was soooo easy....really it just gets harder until they reach 7 or 8yo!

Going soon with our new baby...it should be fun!

Best wishes for a wonderful pregnancy and birth!

 

[Patricia721]

We traveled with our then 6 month old grandson last Dec. We stayed in a 1 bedroom at BWV - having a washer & dryer was great! We also boiled water for his formula - he didn't seem to have any problems adjusting to the WDW water that way.

Two suggestion that I'm not sure were mentioned - a pak n play is provided but you can request a full size crib from Housekeeping. I know there's a limited number - I understand that you can request them as part of your room request. It worked out so much better because our little one didn't like the pak n play. To warm his bottles, we'd ask counter service for a tall cup of hot water and used that to warm his bottle. Worked great!

From our experience, taking a 6 month old to Disney was very easy..we brought a comfortable stroller, when he got sleepy, we just leaned him back and he slept through most everything - including the Christmas processional & Wishes!

You can also do a "baby handoff" when you're going through the rides. Just bring baby along, someone sits out with the baby and when your family member or friend is through, you give them the baby and you go right on without a wait. We had 4 adults in our party and they always let at least one of us go on the ride again with Mom so she wouldn't have to ride it alone.

Have a wonderful time with baby!