A whole bunch of questions about disney with an infant- help! :)

[csp1984]

I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about Disney as I have gone 20+ times, but I've never gone with a child and it's also been a few years since my last visit.

I have a little girl who will be 3.5 months old when we have to go to a family obligation in Orlando. She is our only child. Is it crazy that I am flying in a day early so we can go to Disney??? I would not normally plan a trip with such a small baby but I feel like since we are already there, paying for plane tickets etc it would be stupid not to go.

Here are some other questions:

1. Now that I am a new SAHM, we are on a big budget! It looks like there is a great deal at the Dolphin for $129/night for our dates. I've never stayed at the Dolphin (or Swan) before - thoughts? I was thinking about either booking this or the Hilton Orlando, which I stayed at a few years ago and was really nice- had a fantastic pool area. Both are about the same price.

2. Is it worth even taking her to a park? If so, which park? My husband thinks she is going to be hot and fussy the whole time and it will be a total waste of money, and that we should just stick to activities we can do outside the parks (character breakfast in hotel, boardwalk, pool, etc). I'm going back and forth on whether I agree with him or not.

3. I saw a few websites that mentioned something about how if you have a sleeping baby in a stroller, you get to go in the handicapped entrance and skip the lines on rides. This can't be true, right? Anyone have firsthand knowledge of this?

4. I read that you have to leave strollers out in front of rides if baby is not sleeping. I KNOW my husband will throw a fit about whether it will get stolen or not (I think that's what 10 years of living in NYC does to you ). How safe is this, really?

5. Do you think it's worth flying in the night before so we can get one FULL day in, or if we arrive at MCO at 10 am, is that enough?

6. Would you pay extra for a park hopper pass? Normally I would but I just don't know how she'll hold up...

Thank you!!

 

[rachael95]

I'd be interested in what people advise for little ones too. I've not ever taken our son - hoping to take him next year when he's about 18 months.

As for a couple of your questions, we stayed at the Dolphin one year several years ago and it was wonderful. I would definitely stay there for $129/night. I really loved the decor they had in the lobby.

Personally, I think a 3.5 month old isn't going to really be "in" to anything, so I'd say, take this time to do something you two would enjoy having pictures of her doing. Character breakfast or something like that sounds like a lot of fun. I think if I were in your situation, I'd actually do Epcot or Hollywood studios and just do stuff I enjoyed rather than trying to do the kid stuff things for her. She'd be too little to really get it anyway. Let this be a trip for you to enjoy food and such.

 

[kohlby]

1. We've stayed at the Dolphin several times and love it. The transportation is super easy and it's a nice place.

2. What park do YOU want to go to? She'll enjoy any of them at that age.

3. Never heard of that.

4. We've never had an issue and have taken our stroller 4 times and done all 7 parks - including non-Disney ones. We've loaned out stroller to friends for Disney as well - and no issues at all.

5. What can you handle? I prefer to arrive well-rested. I prefer for my children to arrive well-rested as well.

6. For just one day? No. I love having hoppers, even with very young kids. But would not use one with just one day.

A tip - Take a sling or some other sort of baby carrier. It makes it so very easy! I've done trips with babies at ages 2 months, 7 months, and 11 months and all three times, the baby was in the sling pretty much all the time. (The 3 year old of the moment was in the stroller, but the sling was easy). Just make sure it's a lighter weight carrier if you're going in the heat. When my daughter was 2 months old, we went Memorial Day weekend and it was hot. I was sweating, right through the sling which was a sheet-like material. And my daughter was perfectly comfy! I just made sure to nurse her often and hydration wasn't an issue for her. (I had to consume a lot of water for myself though!)

 

[treemi01]

Here are some other questions:

1. Now that I am a new SAHM, we are on a big budget! It looks like there is a great deal at the Dolphin for $129/night for our dates. I've never stayed at the Dolphin (or Swan) before - thoughts? I was thinking about either booking this or the Hilton Orlando, which I stayed at a few years ago and was really nice- had a fantastic pool area. Both are about the same price.

2. Is it worth even taking her to a park? If so, which park? My husband thinks she is going to be hot and fussy the whole time and it will be a total waste of money, and that we should just stick to activities we can do outside the parks (character breakfast in hotel, boardwalk, pool, etc). I'm going back and forth on whether I agree with him or not.

3. I saw a few websites that mentioned something about how if you have a sleeping baby in a stroller, you get to go in the handicapped entrance and skip the lines on rides. This can't be true, right? Anyone have firsthand knowledge of this?

4. I read that you have to leave strollers out in front of rides if baby is not sleeping. I KNOW my husband will throw a fit about whether it will get stolen or not (I think that's what 10 years of living in NYC does to you ). How safe is this, really?

5. Do you think it's worth flying in the night before so we can get one FULL day in, or if we arrive at MCO at 10 am, is that enough?

6. Would you pay extra for a park hopper pass? Normally I would but I just don't know how she'll hold up...

Thank you!!

As to your original question, no, I don't think you are crazy at all for wanting to go. I would also go. I have 3 kids (ages 5, 3, and 7 months) and the older two went as infants and the youngest is going in a few weeks. They are easy to travel with at that age, you are big Disney fans, and you will have a great time!

1. I have never stayed at the Dolphin (or Swan), but for that rate I don't think you can go wrong.

2. I would definitely take her to a park (but that's just me). She's not going to remember it or anything, but you will have a great time taking her. I think any park would be good. What do you want to see her doing? What family memories to you want to have of "her first trip?" Do you want pictures of her in front of the castle? Are these things not important to you since you know you will be back? I would probably do MK, but that's because I would want to remember my kids first trip to DW as including MK. However, if that's not as important to you, then do what you would enjoy doing. Is there something special (F&W for example) that you and DH want to do? If so, then do it. Your DD can meet Mickey at any park, so you can always do that for her first visit. As far as hot and fussy, I wouldn't worry too much. Yes, it's hot and you have to keep the sun off of her, but other than that she will be easy to travel with. Take breaks in the a/c, visit the baby care centers, etc. and she should be fine. By that age she will be more alert and will probably enjoy looking around at the wonderful sights.

3. No, you will not be able to skip lines more than likely. Usually, they will make you leave the stroller outside whether the baby is sleeping or not, so you might have to use a sling/carrier or plan based on her sleep schedule. Although, my SIL once was allowed to bring her stroller into Philharmagic with a sleeping baby because the CM was really nice and saw her trying to decide what to do. It must not have been too crowded. I've also experienced CMs allowing me to bring a stroller into a restaurant with a little baby, but usually they want them parked outside. It's possible, but not likely. However, you will be able to do parent/rider swap for rides with height restrictions. Go to the CM at the beginning of the line and say you'd like to do a rider swap. One of you will wait in the regular line and the other will wait with the baby. When that person is done riding, the other parent will get to go in (usually through the FP line) with little to no wait.

4. The strollers are safe. We have done this many, many times on many, many trips. We even leave a diaper bag in the stroller (no valuables) and have NEVER had a problem. CMs regularly "patrol" the strollers so they really aren't unattended. Just be prepared that the CMs will move your stroller most of the time, so it won't usually be in the exact spot that you left it. It's not gone, though, just look closer to the "front" of the "stroller lot."

5. I would fly in the night before and go to the park early. That way if it's too hot, etc. you can always take a midday break from the heat. In my experience traveling with kids, they always do better in the beginning of the day. If you get to MCO at 10:00, it will be the hottest/most crowded time of the day when you arrive in the park. Besides, the baby might not do as well if she's also flown cross country, had her schedule disturbed, etc. that same day.

6. No, I would not do a park hopper for just one day unless I had something very specific that I wanted to do at another park. But, I probably wouldn't do a park hopper on a one day pass even if I was traveling without a baby and it sounds like you probably would. If I wanted to see the castle, meet Mickey, ride Peter Pan and pirates and then head over to F&W at Epcot while the baby naps in the stroller, then I might just do a park hopper.

Have fun! It takes a little planning, but I'm not kidding when I say it's easier to travel with the littlest ones than it is at any other age. I also find it very enjoyable. You will all have a great time.

 

[StevePWales]

We stayed at the Swan recently, and found it a great hotel in a very good location.
My children are much older than yours, but we still enjoyed being able to easily get to Epcot or Hollywood Studios without needing to use the car or bus - I don't think this would be an option at the Hilton.
You could always walk with the stroller to Epcot or HS if the weather was not too hot.

 

[disbnlbilly]

We took each of our kids when they were about 4 months old, they are 3 and 5 now. We had a great time, got lots of rider switches. The only time our stroller got taken was when this poor guy thought it was his. He had the same exact one. He came right back and we all chuckled especially since the stroller was a hand me down and ridiculously old. I say go and have fun, you will have the memory and that will be priceless.

 

[Suzy8383]

I wouldn't even take a stroller for one day and that small of a baby. Do you use a sling or wrap now? I would look into some kind of carrier - I highly recommend a soft carrier, like a ring sling or a wrap - they are most comfortable and easy to nurse in. Have your husband wear a backpack with the supplies and you carry babe.

Infants are so easily portable and feedable - you really can't go wrong at that age. They sleep anywhere, eat anywhere. And by 3 months you've figured out the whole parenting thing so you are good to go.

Go and have a great time.

 

[SweetMissy]

For our trip this year our baby was 4 months old and it was such an easy nice time! I thought bringing him would be hard but it wasn't. I'm a baby wearer....makes life much easier, especially on vacation so I would suggest getting some sort of carrier. I personally love my beco gemini, easy to use (as opposed to my moby) and fairly easy to nurse in too. The baby will be free to get in, so it wouldn't cost anymore if you guys go anyway....so why not? Since she's too young and since you don't have any other kids, I would go to a park more for adults....like epcot or hs....UNLESS mk is your thing. Good luck planning and deciding!

 

[jennylyn_b]

She won't be old enough to have a clue what's going on so do what you and your DH want for the day. I have never heard of anyone skipping lines and you have to park the stroller in a designated area before getting in line for the rides, sleeping baby or not.


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[dhardawa]

See photo below.

He was 6 weeks and it was a breeze. I put him in the Baby B'jorn and he did great. So, I'd definitely go to the parks!

 

[hfehr1s]

We took my son to WDW for the first time at 5 months. It was a wonderful trip! We were there for several days, however and we definitely took our time and went at a slow pace. I would definitely go to one of the parks - I don't think it really matters which one as far as the baby is concerned - so I would pick where you and your DH would like to be. I agree that a baby carrier is ideal for little ones but I loved having the stroller as well - if nothing else to help hold our "stuff". We have wonderful pictures and memories of our first trip together and although he may not remember it - we will! Have Fun!!!

 

[susanv]

Have taken two of our kids as babies and would do it again if we had more. Youngest was 8 weeks old the first time she went and son was 7 months on his first trip. Soooooo easy. Found that the older three used the stroller as much if not more than the youngest.

The baby care centers are very good, and Disney makes it very easy to bring infants (car seat holders at restaurants, etc). The kids were scared of the characters at first, but bringing them so young definitely helped them on their second visit (familiarity).

Have NEVER had a problem with strollers or articles missing from strollers. Often our stroller would not be in the same spot when we can off a ride, however it was always still there and laden down with our parcels still - believe it or not.

Would definitely fly in the night before. By the time you collect your luggage, travel to and check into your hotel it is probably another two hours from your arrival time. Much nicer to have a rest before you hit the parks, plus a baby that young can handle more time at the parks than a couple of years older, so you can get a full day in if you start in the morning rather than half way through the day. I personally would not get a park hopper for one day. The transportation system is not as good as it was. The monorail was down from 11:30 am to 6 pm everyday when we were there in March and I hear it is still running on a similar schedule - although I cannot verify that. Just makes it unpleasant to switch parks, about an hour and a half each time we headed to an ADR.

Have fun!

 

[PrincessDaisyDuck]

We took our son at 6 months and we had a wonderful time! It was definately the easiest age to travel with so far.

1. I've never stayed at the Swan, but I've heard it's very nice.

2. I think any park would be fun. Magic Kingdom might have the most colorful rides, but really I think she will just enjoy being out and about and seeing the sights. If you go to a ride-heavy park like Hollywood Studios you can take turns riding using Fastpass or baby swap, or if you go to Magic Kingdom there are actually lots of rides you can take her on. Our DS loved Maelstrom in Epcot which I didn't even know we could take himi on!

3. I haven't heard about using a wheelchair entrance if you have a sleeping baby, and I don't think I've ever seen anyone else do it either. I would lean towards that is probably not true but you could check!

4. I think that stroller stealing is very rare - I think it's more likely if you have a popular stroller that someone else may take by mistake.

5. Personally I'd do the full day but it's totally up to you! Just take it slow and do what seems right for you guys.

6. I probably wouldn't do the park hopper, for us it was such a pain because he napped a lot in the parks! It was just easier for us to stay where we were.

Good luck!!

 

[pikaboo27]

We took DS to DL at 10 weeks and 4 months and both times were a blast. I wore him in our baby ergo and he was happy as a clam. At 4 months, he LOVED all the rides because of the colors, but Winnie the Pooh was definately a fave. The only thing he didn't like was HM, and only because the tour audio was very very loud.

Be sure to take advantage of the baby center if you do go to a park (I would pick MK or Epcot) and don't worry about the stroller if you do decide to take it. We go with our wicked expensive Bob stroller and it's never been a problem. I would just be sure to decorate it or put something on it to make it identifiable as yours. Ours has a sparkly sign on the back that says "My other stroller is the Millenium Falcon."

The only "sleeping baby" thing I know of is that if you go to one of the restaurants, they usually want you to leave the stroller outside, however, if your child is asleep in it they will usually let you bring the stroller to your table until they wake up.

If it were me, I would fly in the night before, but you said you were on a budget so the extra night of hotel might not be worth it to you.

And no on the park hopper. Pick one park and just do that.

Have a great time and take lots of pictures!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

... And by 3 months you've figured out the whole parenting thing so you are good to go.

OP - The only people who skip lines are celebrities and Make a Wish kids. You absolutely don't get to cut lines if you have a sleeping baby.

 

[LazyDaisy]

I say bring a sling or a wrap too. Then you don't have to worry about pushing a stroller through crowds or leaving them during rides/shows. I would advise against the "dangle" types as they can get uncomfortable for baby. There is lots of research of good wraps or carriers to wear your baby in. 3 months is young enough that they still generally like snuggling with mama (they're not trying to get in and out) and you can wear them on the back or front (although back takes a little practice) and they're not so heavy yet that you're getting a backache. There are some good hot-weather carriers out there too, because chances are that will be a big deal in FL, depending on the season. But you can always cool off at the child-care centers and/or air conditioned rides, stores, etc.

I'd visit whatever park YOU wanted to go to. Never mind the three month old. They're not going to get much out of it... But YOU definitely will.

 

[esquared221]

I have been twice with DD(now 5)- not as young as yours but still young enough to wonder if I was crazy Dont worry- you're not! And you wont be alone. Lots of people go with tiny ones and its really more about DH and yourself having a good time and all the great pics you can look back on after you've been another 20+ times and you can look back with proud mamma tears in your eyes ...but I digress

In response to your questions, I can add that Ive always gone with a stroller, left it in many of the stroller parking spots and have NEVER lost an item. Exercise common sense, take anything very valuable with you and your parked belongings will be safe. Also, traveling with a LO is TIRING. Allow yourself as much time as possible to move at her schedule and a slower pace than you are used to when traveling "sans kids". I'd fly in enough ahead of time to have a whole day for which ever park you choose- we have found that we are totally and completely wiped out after flying with DD and leave the rest of that day for recuperating. Otherwise I know the stress would ruin it for me.

Good luck and take as many pics as possible if you decide to go!

 

[mamato3girls]

1. Never stayed there so can't comment on that.
2. There is no way I would miss the parks. But I agree with others, just do what you and dh want to do. I personally love Epcot but my girls aren't that impressed so if I was going with an infant who didn't care either way I would probably do epcot and maybe MK.
3. Maybe they were talking about rider (child) swap? We did that our last visit but we have 3 kids (5, 3 and our baby was 8 months). DH would go on the ride with 1 kid and then I was able to basically get a fastpass to go on after they were off. But I still had to wait in the fastpass line.
4. I wouldn't worry at all about the stroller. We have gone the last 2 years with pricey strollers (double bob and phil and teds) and have never had an issue. Nothing has been touched in the stroller and we haven't even experienced them being moved to other areas like others mentioned.
5. I would want a full day.
6. We have never done park hoppers. It's too much for my kids to go to more than 1 park in a day.

 

[TxDisFanatic]

My daughters first trip she was 6 weeks old. I would recommend wearing baby, you can do this on most rides and shows so a stroller isn't even needed most of the time. We used a car seat and snap and go stroller when she wasn't carried. When we had to leave the stroller outside, we could still move our sleeping baby to see shows, eat, and meet characters. We have some really sweet pictures of her sleeping, and the characters making gestures for everyone to be quiet.

 

[PrincessSteph]

My DS was 7 weeks old on his first trip and our youngest daughter was 4 months on her first trip. You can do it!

I have never had any issues with our stroller - though we never leave valuables in it. I was able to take my stroller (because the baby was sleeping) into Rainforest Cafe and Cinderella's Royal Table.

The last two trips I have not done hoppers.

I would go to MK for the day.