First Disney trip with a baby

[tink20]

Any and all advice needed and welcome.
Myself, DH, DS (16) DD, her DH and DGD (will be almost one) We are going in June.

From meal times, touring, breaks, naps, how to keep baby happy...... anything you can think of that would be helpful.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

It's usually helpful to keep little ones on a similar schedule to what they are used to at home, so plan meal times around that and it will probably impact whether you want to rope drop or sleep in a little. Where are you staying and are you relying on Disney transportation or will you have a car? Will the baby sleep in a stroller? If the baby will sleep in a stroller, then you may not have to go back for naps. During this time, one adult could take a break in an air conditioned shop while the rest ride the bigger rides and take turns using rider swap. I would also consider splitting up at times, especially if the baby does need to go back to the hotel for naps. You will have 4 adults, so plenty of people to rotate taking care of the baby while everyone else takes turns riding rides. I would definitely give the 16 yo some freedom to go off alone, or go on bigger rides with one or a couple of you while others are taking the little one on the small rides. I would bring lots of snacks. Have a smaller backpack/crossbody bag that can hold 2-3 diapers and wipes (we have a changing "caddy" that unfolds into a changing pad with pockets for diapers and wipes) plus a few snacks, sippy cup, and maybe a small toy or teething ring. Wherever the baby goes, that goes. You can have another bag that stays under the stroller with more diapers and wipes, extra clothes, more snacks, bottles and formula if still using, etc. If using formula, I strongly recommend bringing pre-filled baby bottles of water and a sectioned formula container with the formula pre-measured. The water will be at room temp, just mix the powder as needed and you're good to go. Bringing a bottle brush to have in the room will definitely make cleaning them at night easier.

As for keeping the baby happy, try to keep her on her schedule as much as possible, make sure she drinks lots of fluids, bring lots of sunscreen, and keep her cool. A baby wide-brimmed hat will help to keep the sun off her face, and you can always use wet paper towels from the restrooms to cool her off if she's getting warm. Babies can overheat so easily, so keep an eye on her with that. There are some stroller fans you can by that won't harm babies fingers. Don't forget the diaper rash cream, as in the heat, it can be a lot more common. Use the toy rings that connect to each other to attach toys to the stroller so they don't all end on the ground and keep an eye out for sippy cups/ bottles, socks, and shoes as those will likely be thrown out of the stroller more times than you can count. If she's teething, make sure to have any tooth remedies she uses (We liked Hyland's all natural teething tablets) and teething toys that didn't need to be frozen. We also carried at that age a couple of peppermints to dissolve in water any time baby had an upset belly as peppermint helps with that. At that age, she's probably just going to be excited looking at all the sights and riding the slow rides. As long as her needs are met, there probably won't need to be a lot of trying to entertain her and keep her happy. There's so much for little ones to look at and be in awe of.

I would also recommend bringing a small receiving blanket. That was probably the most helpful thing when my little ones were babies. If napping in the stroller or carrier, it can be draped to keep the sun out of their eyes, draped over the handbar on rides like HM so baby isn't constantly holding on to a germy surface, tucked over the bars of highchairs so baby isn't touching them, used as a blanket if it does get chilly, clean up drool or spit up, etc.

 

[tink20]

Thank you so much.

 

[mickeymom629]

Great advice was already given by LongLiveRafiki!

I went in October with my 2 just-one-year-old granddaughters. DH, myself, my 4 kids in their 20s, 2 DILs, 1 SIL (my youngest DS is 22 and single). We stayed onsite at AKV and had 2 villas and used the buses. Luckily the weather was cooler, so we didn't have the heat/sun issue. Each park has a mom/baby station where you can feed, diaper, get a bottled water and have quiet time for a bit. One of my DIL's took advantage of this as she was still nursing. If you forget something, I think they provide things like diapers and wipes.

I created touring plans on the website with all the attractions we wanted to see but putting the pace as 'relaxed' and allowing for unexpected delays. It worked very well - I printed them out and had them with us.

In 1983, DH and I took our kids for the first time when they were 2, 4, 6 and I was pregnant with the 4th. Now, my oldest two are the dads We always did the parks from morning to nights but this time we planned for early mornings followed by a flexible/later start the next day. It was the first trip where we actually sat on the grass in parks! In Epcot, we sat over by the coffee stand/Ellen's Universe of Energy (now gone) and in Magic Kingdom, it was across from Crystal Palace in the fenced in area. The girls enjoyed walking/crawling and looking around.

You might be surprised at what startles/scares the little ones. Some like the characters and some are afraid. They both loved the opening show at the Magic Kingdom. We watched Disneyland Fun dvd many times before visiting and, after visiting they still can't get enough now that they saw the characters! We were lucky to stumble across Mickey in Epcot (with no line!) and they were so excited! One granddaughter cried her eyes out as he walked away. We had dinner at the Crystal Palace with Pooh and friends (our only TS meal) and they loved that, though one was a little shy with the characters and one was afraid of Eeyore.

Fireworks were not in the plans for the babies, so they left early. But one DIL had earphones? or something to quiet the noise and they stayed one night and my granddaughter seemed okay...maybe she was asleep before they stated, actually, I can't remember. Otherwise, I advise to leave the park before the booms!

They didn't like the indoor, dark rides as much - only one set of parents took their baby on the Haunted Mansion and both went on Pirates and FEA. They enjoyed Small World (of course!), the Carousel, the Living Seas, Jungle Cruise, People Mover, ... We split up a bit, but went to the parks together. We didn't go to HS this trip. We did MK, AK and E. Festival of the Lion King was a favorite! Sometimes they would sleep through things they probably would have enjoyed. They loved seeing the balloons. We used baby swap once we realized how it works. I'm a ride wimp and I brought a collapsible double stroller, so I would walk with one or both at times while the others enjoyed rides. The parents "wore" their babies if they weren't in my stroller. I brought a bug/sun netting for the stroller and that provided some darkness for napping, too. I also had a vinyl cover for rain but we didn't need that. I recommend a clip-on stroller fan. A nice umbrella stroller that is light but maybe reclines a little, has a little storage space and with a sun visor.
.
We did not go back to the resort for a rest - the girls napped whenever/wherever - I do not recommend trying to plan that out. We got to the park early and stayed until we felt like leaving. Then, the next day we got to the park as early as we could but knowing it could be later and stayed until we felt like it. DH and I stayed later than the parents with the little ones sometimes. We did 2 days at 3 parks, so we had an early and late day for each and covered just about all we wanted.

Have fun!

 

[tink20]

Thank you mickeymom, I truly appreciate all the advice

 

[mickeymom629]

Thank you mickeymom, I truly appreciate all the advice

Sure!

I just thought of another thing last night. One of my GDs was used to sleeping in a pack-n-play and the other was not (though I warned them to start "practicing" nap times in it ). The one who was not used to it had a very difficult time sleeping in the Disney pack-n-play and her parents got no sleep, which wore on them as the week went on. The other GD was used to a pnp and she slept at night as well as she did at home. It would be good if your grandchild is used to the bed that is planned for the trip.

Otherwise, this is probably a pretty easy age to travel with a baby, especially if they are not walking yet. There is so much to look at. Just make sure you don't start out with the loud/"scary" rides. In MK, as soon as the opening show was over, we ran to Aladdin's carpets (one GD cried and the other loved it) and then to Jungle Cruise. This is the opposite direction we usually tour but we had fps booked for the popular attractions.

Speaking of Aladdin's carpet ride and Jungle Cruise, it was a morning right after a rain and the seats were still wet. I had a poncho to sit on, but it would have been good to have a small towel or poncho for all.

I'll keep adding as I think of things

 

[sponica]

Every kid is different. Some kids are fine stroller napping, others will ONLY nap in the room, so make sure the plan is flexible enough to accommodate what may happen.

Schedule any meals about 15 minutes before their actual meal time (to account for any delays).

 

[2019TripIdeas]

I'd think through her personality and the way she is if she's off schedule. Every baby is so different. How often will she be napping? is she used to only napping in her crib or a dark room? What makes her have a meltdown at home? Will they be doing any major changes around the time that you go? Will she still be on bottles or will they have moved to sippy cups? Does she need bottles warmed (etc).

Our 3 kids (a toddler, preschooler, a baby) are pretty go-with-the-flow (not rigid about naptimes or bed time, can sleep anywhere, don't need lights off to sleep, etc) When we go places with friends, we often find that we need to keep to whatever the most difficult kids schedule is (I don't mean that as a bad thing... just that some kids need really specific things in order to function happily and keep everyone else from having to sit through tantrums) or plan around it.

We did a trip right around that age (11+ months) to Disneyland and it was so easy for him at that age. We said he was simpler than the almost 3 year old But he wasn't really walking and it might've been different if he was. Our son was still on a few bottles a day but he didn't need them warmed so they were just in a bottle bag under the stroller and it was fine. Otherwise people talked up the babycare center so maybe look into that.

 

[BellesLibrarian]

I have taken a baby twice and think they are so much easier than toddlers and preschoolers! The item that helped us most was a baby carrier. They would just nap whenever they needed to nap and we could keep going with what we wanted to do. Will your little one be using bottles? Will they be eating table food or baby food? There is so much to look at and people to interact with, that keeping baby entertained while in line wasn't a big deal. I do like to keep a thing of bubbles and snacks in my bag for times that we need a distraction. I also recommend you start thinking about meals before it's time to eat - before she gets too hungry. Have fun!!

 

[corgi_monster]

Strollers aren't allowed in lines so we relied heavily on our baby carrier. My daughter HATED her Tula but enjoyed the Ergo 360 because she could face forward. I'd suggest getting baby used to spending 30-60 minutes in whatever carrier works best for him/her.

 

[MomOTwins]

We found it helpful to schedule lots of table service meals (if budget allows). Getting out of the heat for a long meal in a relaxed environment (as opposed to the crowds and noise, and difficulty getting high chairs you experience in quick service) helped the little ones rest up and keep up their energy.

My number one piece of advice - get a rain cover for your stroller! Soggy kids = bad time.

 

[tink20]

We found it helpful to schedule lots of table service meals (if budget allows). Getting out of the heat for a long meal in a relaxed environment (as opposed to the crowds and noise, and difficulty getting high chairs you experience in quick service) helped the little ones rest up and keep up their energy.

My number one piece of advice - get a rain cover for your stroller! Soggy kids = bad time.

I did make all our lunches at TS, and all FP before lunch, so after lunch they can go back to the room to nap.

 

[MomOTwins]

I did make all our lunches at TS, and all FP before lunch, so after lunch they can go back to the room to nap.

Good call! One idea, if they will nap in a heir stroller, walk them around until they doze off and then you and dad can take turns on ride while they snooze. If they won’t go to sleep (our twins were inconsistent) DH and I returned to the hotel and took turns chilling in the resort hot tub while the other stayed in the room with the napping baby.

 

[mickeymom629]

I have taken a baby twice and think they are so much easier than toddlers and preschoolers! The item that helped us most was a baby carrier. They would just nap whenever they needed to nap and we could keep going with what we wanted to do. ..... There is so much to look at and people to interact with, that keeping baby entertained while in line wasn't a big deal. I do like to keep a thing of bubbles and snacks in my bag for times that we need a distraction. I also recommend you start thinking about meals before it's time to eat - before she gets too hungry. Have fun!!

I totally agree with this! If my kids had tried to keep their babies on a schedule or go back to the resort for a nap, they would have wasted their time. My granddaughters are totally different and they both fell asleep when they got too tired, either in their carrier or in the stroller. One of them fights sleep and she did get cranky and threw a slight fit when she was put in her stroller when she was tired, but she fell asleep almost immediately when we walked around. If her parents had gone to the bus stop, she would surely have fallen asleep on the bus and that would have wasted their time because she would not have slept again at the resort. However, if you are trying to avoid the hot afternoons and plan to take breaks back at the resort for the benefit of the adults, too, then I would do that. I guess my way of thinking is that you should plan your trip the way you would like it to be for the adults but, as with any trip, be flexible. When the little one is a little older, that's when things get trickier and planning for them is more important, imo.

I'm also surprised at the recommendations for TS restaurants with 1-year olds. We had one - character, buffet dinner at Crystal Palace. Personally, I would never waste my time or money to try and sit down and enjoy a meal with babies/toddlers. Our family has always enjoyed eating at whatever counter service restaurants are around when visiting WDW - it's so much more flexible. Someone can always get up and walk around with the little one rather than needing to wait for meals to be served.

 

[Pooh2]

We went with our grandaughter at 6 months old and did two character buffets.
I paid the bill for the meal, the photos I got worth worth the ridiculous price!
She loved the characters and was adorable!

 

[Sparty1833]

Took my 1 year old son and 2 year old daughter and here are the lessons I learned:

-Baby care centers are great if you don't want to go to room.
-Pack 1 or 2 outfits incase there are accidents, and there will be accidents.
-Over estimate how many diapers you will need in the park. Always better to have more than not enough.
-reclining strollers are awesome.
-fireworks may scare your kids
-kids love parades
-dark rides made my son fall asleep which was great
-bring snacks, drinks, formula, bottle/sippy cup for your kids.
-buffets are great way to please a picky eater and the noise level are great.
-remember it's Disney and they are very accommodating to young kids (don't let them run wild or anything, but you wont be the only parents with small children)
-pool time a great way to rest (though the pools aren't heated if you go in winter)
-learn about the ride switch program (me and my wife were able to go on flight of passage while having my brother and parents wait in line ;-)
-don't be afraid to split up the group. The older kids/adults can do something while the younger kids do something else.

 

[disneymomma76]

We have 3 kids. 2 of them started going on WDW trips at the age of 4 months. I agree with everything PPs have said. I will add since you are going in June, get one of those clip on fans before you go. They were lifesavers for us. Kept the baby cool in the stroller and many times put them to sleep.

Use the baby centers for quiet time if they need a break. They have small rooms with rockers and are nice and air conditioned.

The PP who talked about pack n play training is a genius. If they aren't use to sleeping in one or sleeping in a room with others no one will get any sleep.

The best advice I can give is to be flexible. Be ready for anything. I was totally ok if my kids were off their "schedule" and wasn't going to force anything on them. Sleep when tired. Eat when hungry. Play when ready.

Good luck! A baby is definitely easier than a toddler!

 

[Have3Kids&aHusband]

Our daughter was fine when she went at 7 months old. (We always have to go in the summer due to work schedules.) I was more concerned about the heat and her being overheated than her being overtired. (She was an easy baby and slept when she needed no matter where we were even when schedules changed at home.) We constantly squirted her with water and invested in a portable battery operated fan. We also made sure we ate inside for our meals whether counter service or table service. It was good for everyone to be someplace cool. We also never did a park from opening to close. We always went back to the resort in the afternoon and then back out in the evening some nights. We still do that now with our kids for the most part.

 

[katyjeka]

A neighbor lady(almost 90 at the time) gave me one piece of advice when we were planning our first trip with our daughter. Dress them comfortably. She swore a "comfy baby is a happy baby". I skipped all the fancy outfits and stuck to basic cotton onesies. I was able to find some with Disney characters. What a special trip, enjoy.