Would I be crazy to take a 10-month old to WDW in September?

[Disneyfriend]

Hi all,

We are contemplating a WDW trip in early September, basically over Labor Day Weekend and the following week (9 nights total). Due to a combo of work and school schedules, that's the best time for us to go.

The good news, of course, is that we'd be eligible for the Free Dining promotion.

The bad news is that it's going to be HOT and HUMID. We last went to WDW five years ago in late August, and had a great time. But it was definitely hot. At the time, we had kids who were 7 and 10. Now those kids will be 12 and 15 - but we've got a 10-month old besides.

Will the baby be miserable in the heat? We live in a warm but not super hot climate.

And if we do go, and can choose between Shades of Green, Animal Kingdom Lodge, the Polynesian, and the Contemporary, which should we choose?

With the dining plan, SoG and AKL are pretty comparable in cost. The Contemporary would be about $500 more, and the Polynesian would be another $500 on top of that.

Any thoughts? Am I nuts to be thinking of taking a 10 month old at that time?

Thanks in advance,

Disneyfriend

 

[luvmesometigger]

No crazier then me...

I am taking a 9 month old in June!

 

[fabumouse]

Hi all,

And if we do go, and can choose between Shades of Green, Animal Kingdom Lodge, the Polynesian, and the Contemporary, which should we choose?

With the dining plan, SoG and AKL are pretty comparable in cost. The Contemporary would be about $500 more, and the Polynesian would be another $500 on top of that.

Any thoughts? Am I nuts to be thinking of taking a 10 month old at that time?

Disneyfriend

This issue of taking babies comes up all the time, and lots of people do it and are very glad they did it, as long as someone is willing to take the baby out of the heat and crowds, even when the rest of the group is still going strong.

With that said, I personally would choose the Polynesian because it's on the monorail and kids *love* it. However, you live in Hawaii, so the Poly may not really be all that interesting for you and your family. The contemporary is very posh, but is loud and just not Disneyish. The sounds from Chef Mickey's echo a lot through the hotel and it can be annoying. From what I've heard, it's difficult to get food at SOG, but I've never stayed there. My choice would be the Poly for ambiance and convenience, but you may prefer the AKL.

I'm taking our baby next October (she'll be 14 months or so then) and we, like those who came before us, will just have to make it work.

Have a great trip!

 

[Pokprincess]

I'd say go for it... we took our son at 10months old in August.. nursing still, and enjoyed it. We kept him in a nice cotton onsie , & cool in stroller. Just don't forget the sun screen !!

 

[nucpharm29]

If you're crazy, then so am I--We'll be taking our DS, who will be 10 months old also, and a 2 (almost 3) year old that same week! I know it will probably be a scorcher, but it's the best time of year for us to go. We stayed at AKL with DD last April and loved it--but if you can stay at a monorail resort that would be awesome in terms of being able to get out of the parks and back to the room easily. Have a great trip! We can't wait!

 

[Disneyfriend]

Thanks for the encouragement thus far!

I guess I would love to hear from people who have actually taken a baby of about this age to WDW in the summer. I remember that the heat/humidity were pretty intense on our last trip, and I'm worried that I'm being selfish by subjecting a baby to the same. Is it too hard on babies this age to be stuck in a stroller (even one with a good canopy) for hours on end in the summer weather there?

Disneyfriend

 

[zookeeper]

We went last Sept. during Free Dining and at that time our youngest was 9 months. It was really hot and humid, which we were expecting, but he did really well. Even though he was in the shade of something almost all the time, I found the heat really zonked him out and he napped a lot in the stroller. This worked in our favour several times as we were allowed to wheel the stroller, with sleeping baby, into 3 or 4 TS restaurants instead of leaving the stroller out of the restaurant which is usually what they make you do. Just make sure you use sunscreen, a hat and keep the baby well-hydrated. Use the baby care centres. They are great for when you or baby need a break from the heat. My favourite ones were the ones at AK and Epcot. We brought him on every ride he was allowed to go on and took turns waiting out rides while he napped in the stroller. It's a great time to go because, even though it's hot, the crowds are lower so you can take your time and still get to do lots!! Go and enjoy!!!!

 

[ChristusG]

September should not be too bad. I live about 2.5 hours from The World.....June, July, and August are definitely the hottest months. September should be a bit cooler at least. Still hot though. I think your 10 month old will be okay. Bring one of those spray bottles with the fan on it and spray the baby sometimes.....that's what I do LOL!

 

[momamy]

i took my baby to disney at around 8 months in sEptember then again at 18 months and again at 2 years and now again at 3 soon!

we live in fl so we were used to the heat but it was no big deal she slept and loved watching all the people! dh and i made sure to keep her in the shade and we took shopping breaks often plus most of the sit down stuff i like has ac! we usually go back to our hotel to swim or just browse the gift shops and nap during the hotter hours so were refreshed for the fireworks and parade!

Amy

 

[KristiKelly]

We're going in Sept with DD that will be almost 15 mo. and went last year when she was 3 mo. Just be sure to keep her hydrated, maybe an extra bottle or 2 during the day. Also, there are plenty of little shops & shows to go into to get out of the heat. I would probably skip the parades since they're in the heat of the day.

I LOVE Animal Kingdom Lodge but might be a bit small for 5. Contemporary & Poly have the largest rooms of the 4 and a day bed incase the older 2 don't want to sleep in the same bed. If you stay @ Poly, I would upgrade to a lagoon view, we stayed in a garden room there and weren't very happy (had a view of another building). We upgraded to lagoon/castle view & it was awesome. Our 4 y/o DD LOVED it. I have always wanted to stay @ Contemporary and it seems like they've just renovated they're rooms (but I'm not positive about that). Sorry, have no advice on Shades of Green. I would recommend either Poly or Cont. because of the monorail. You would not have to break down your stroller to get baby on & off.

 

[KristiKelly]

We're going in Sept with DD that will be almost 15 mo. and went last year when she was 3 mo. Just be sure to keep her hydrated, maybe an extra bottle or 2 during the day. Also, there are plenty of little shops & shows to go into to get out of the heat. I would probably skip the parades since they're in the heat of the day.

I LOVE Animal Kingdom Lodge but might be a bit small for 5. Contemporary & Poly have the largest rooms of the 4 and a day bed incase the older 2 don't want to sleep in the same bed. If you stay @ Poly, I would upgrade to a lagoon view, we stayed in a garden room there and weren't very happy (had a view of another building). We upgraded to lagoon/castle view & it was awesome. Our 4 y/o DD LOVED it. I have always wanted to stay @ Contemporary and it seems like they've just renovated they're rooms (but I'm not positive about that). Sorry, have no advice on Shades of Green. I would recommend either Poly or Cont. because of the monorail. You would not have to break down your stroller to get baby on & off.

 

[margev]

we took my youngest son in august when he was 11mo. i thought it was perfect timing because although he was walking he was still content to stay in the stroller. as others have said just dress him sparsely and keep him hydrated!! he had a ball and the heat wasn't any harder on him in fact easier because he was being pushed around in the stroller!! have fun!

 

[2sweetangels]

this was a good thread to rean because Im taking my 13 month old in september for the 1st time, well its all of our first time in WDW.

 

[jackdis]

We took our DD6months (April trip) and we are going again in July when she will be 10mos. Definitely get the stroller fan. It was wonderful!

 

[luvmesometigger]

We took our DD6months (April trip) and we are going again in July when she will be 10mos. Definitely get the stroller fan. It was wonderful!

ooohhhh a stroller fan. Gotta look for one of them!!!

 

[mjmcca]

I took my DS now 5 when he was 9 months old in August. I would keep him cool with one of those misters and change him if he seemed too wet or chilled. I also made sure he was fully hydrated. He didn't want as much formula when we were in Florida as he did at home probably too heavy for him so I gave him water and some lemonade ( too sugary for everyday but at WDW I wanted to make sure he had enough fluid in him ) Make sure you have a comfortable stroller because as much as you may want to take him back to the hotel it isn't always feasible. ( if you are takinghte buses would you be able to carry the baby and fold the stroller and hold the diaper bag all at once). The baby centers are great places to go even with a toddler or preschooler. Cool aircondiotned and a nice place to take a break if the baby for a feeding or diaper change.

 

[jackdis]

I ordered mine from One Step Ahead. It's called a pinwheel fan. It was some of the best $$ we spent on the trip!