1 year old at WDW

[WendyOkada]

Sorry if this is a repeated question, but I didn't have a chance to look through all the threads...

We are taking our 1 year old daughter to WDW for the first time (her first time, not ours) this September. What advice/suggestions do you have for any trip planning? We will have 11 adults going as well (so lots of babysitting help) but I was just wondering if there are things that you have noticed your kids like/dislike at this age.

We have been there many times before, so no need for suggestions for adults, just I'm looking for age specific ideas.

TIA for your suggestions! :wave:

And congratulations Ducks for taking it to Game 7... Boo :fork: Just wait until next year!

 

[Jessie Johnson]

Lots of people said we were mad to take an 11month old baby to disney world but I think any age is perfect for Disney. She loved the characters and even enjoyed rides like Winnie the Pooh but the best thing we found was we saw a side of Disney we hadn't really seen before like Toon Town Fair that we had only previously glanced at. My main piece of advice would be do the little ones rides etc in the morning so they can nap in the afternoon and you can enjoy the bigger rides without a restless 1yr old.
Have a great time

 

[WendyOkada]

Thanks for the tips!

Thanks so much for the advice! Yeah, we've taken her to Disneyland several times already and although she was basically sleeping through everything in the beginning (like at 1 month old), she's starting to really see and enjoy things now, so I can only imagine that at 13 months (when we go) she'll really be able to enjoy seeing things.

Fun!

 

[jordanyosh]

Still waiting for some more feedback

******

 

[RogueHabit]

My only suggestion is this.

A large juice bottle, fill it with ice them top it up with apple juice (or whatever flavour you daughter likes)

Keep adding ice and juice all day and that will keep her well hydrated.

We worked this out after about our 5th day last year with our 13th month old and it was a godsend.

 

[krzy4dzny]

Take advantage of the Baby Care Centers in each park. I found these to be a hidden treasure that very few people know about or take advanage of. The one at Animal Kingdom is exceptionally nice.

 

[LivefortheMouse]

My first trip to Disney was in 1980 when i was 1. My mom says i had a wonderful time and that i behaved great. Though i dont remember the trip and back then it was only one park which i guess is less over wellming. My mom says i would hang out in diapers after noon so i wouldnt complain about being to hot and that she always had my bottle of water at hand. She said I did great so great that she brought my brother when he was one in 82 he did great to hanging out in his diaper and all. Keep in mind when my brother went it was already 2 parks and my parents are early risers which means we were all up early. Oh yeah and the first time i went i was a walker though i didnt walk the whole park my parents refused to rent a stroller cause we went in a big group so everyone took turns carring me i walked a little very little. At 3 i was walking practacly the whole park.

 

[tommyboy12099]

We went with our 18 month old and we had a blast. There are a few suggestions I could give:
1. Dont expect to do everything you want. If you go with this attitude you will be fine. Although you will have a lot of help.
2. Bring a stroller (I loved the umbrella stroller we purchased)
3. Watch your childs reaction to whats going on. It is so much fun watching their reaction to the characters, fire works etc...
4. Enjoy some time relaxing by the pool. Kids love pools.
5. Bring something to keep them busy in the ride lines (books,little toys)
6. Search this site for other tips. I have found them to be very helpful
7. Search some other sites for Tips for children in Disney. Here are a few to get you going.
http://members.aol.com/poohmom2em/disneytips.html
http://pages.ivillage.com/pamms/disneytips.html
http://www.mv.com/ipusers/magic/disneytips.htm

We will be ther in September as well. Good luck

 

[stephsim]

Hi

Hi,
I know what you mean when people think you are crazy for bring wee ones to WDW. We went in March with our 2 and 3 year old dd's. We are going again in Septemebr b/c we all loved it so much! The hardest part for us was standing in lines. The 3 year old was fine but our 2 year old was different. She was/is not at the age to sit still long. Since your baby is younger you may can hold her and pass her around to other for a change of scenery, unlike ours. So keep that in mind. Bring lots of snacks and juice b/c the heat gets to them. Other than that we didn't have a problem. Relax and have fun!

P.S. I noticed you have stayed in the Boardwalk Villas several times. Are they nice? Good for little ones? We have a reservation at the Yacht Club now....is that good for kids? Thanks.

Steph

 

[WendyOkada]

Thanks everyone!

Originally posted by stephsim
[P.S. I noticed you have stayed in the Boardwalk Villas several times. Are they nice? Good for little ones? We have a reservation at the Yacht Club now....is that good for kids? Thanks.

Thanks everyone for all your tips! I will definitely take you up on a lot of them!

For Stephsim, we LOVE the Boardwalk Villas (but the Yacht Club is good too) and we like it because it's close to EPCOT and MGM (so easy travelling back and forth) and also there's stuff to do there after hours (ESPN, Jellyrolls, Atlantic Dance, etc.) so some of the group can go to bed while others can still stay up and play close by. The Yacht/Beach Club has a great pool for kids (Stormalong Bay) but the Boardwalk pool is nice too with a slide. As adults I think we like the Boardwalk mostly because that's the side of the bay with the entertainment. It's just a little further walk from the YC/BC resorts because it's on the other side, but technically they're all in the same area. Also we just like the feel of the boardwalk - sort of an Atlantic City type atmosphere. But that's just a personal thing - all three resorts are quite nice and themed well.

We have also stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and although that's further away from everything, if you plan to frequent the Magic Kingdom, then it's just a ferry ride away and also has bike trails and other outdoorsy things (water sprites, petting zoo I think, etc.) for older kids. As my daughter is only going to be 1, we don't have to worry about her "wanting" to go to the Magic Kingdom just yet.

Hope this helps! And have a blast!

 

[WendyOkada]

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[DisneyPhD]

We took our DD for the 1st time when she was just under 9 months old. It was a few weeks before Christmas and it was great. (what a 1st Christmas for her!) If you can help it, try to go when the crowds are light and the weather isn't as hot as it can get down there. September is a big warm, so make sure to take breaks in the afternoon when it gets hot.


We loved our stoller, it was from Instep and was both a back pack and stroller. It only cost 50$ and it made the trip so much eaiser. It was the only stroller we had with us, and it worked fine.


Have a great time, don't forget the sunscreen and lots of water. You might need to break off from the group and do what the baby needs, so bring walkie talkies so you can find others later.


stephsim, BCV (and YC) is wonderful for young kids. I really loved it, you are close to 2 parks, and SAB (pool) can't be beat. It is hands down the best place for young kids to play in the water, they also have a small playground set too. Our DD loved Beaches and Cream, but had the most fun of the whole trip wadding in the sand bottom pool and digging around with other tolders she just meet. I love the theming of the resort and had no complants about it at all. Eat at Big River Brewary one night at boardwalk. It was really good and reasonably priced.

 

[WendyOkada]

Backpack / stroller

Thanks all for your replies - here's another question - what's the best stroller for a 1 year old that you've found for travelling? We are thinking of getting another one as the one we have was more for accomodating the infant carrier and now we are looking for one that's sturdy but lightweight and easy to travel with for her this September.

Any suggestions? Thanks much!

 

[Jessie Johnson]

The best we found was a Mclaren umbrella style stroller. I don't know if you can buy Mclarens in the states though but an umbrella stroller with a basket underneath is best, holds bags etc under and the umbrella style is easy to fold up carry on and off buses etc. If not that style then one with a tray for the little one and a drinks holder for you would be my next choice.

 

[DisneyPhD]

As stated before we really liked the back pack stoller from Instep, but alas she has now outgrown it, (it apears best for kids age 6 months to 18 months old) we now have a combi travel savey DX. We got it Jan 2003 for our March trip and love it. I had a lot of time on my hands so I really researched and looked into it. I had heard only good things about Malearns from other people, but in the end decided agaisnt it becuase it does not have a bar across it or cup holder for the kid.


What ever you do check out stroller4less.com We got the Combi for 99, when it was 200 every were else. However it took a few weeks to get to us, so be sure to order early.

We finally decided on the combi because it has a very good canapy, ok basket under it, detachable bar across with 2 cup holders (can hold snacks too.) is very light weight, folds down great and has a a carrying strap. It also comes with a pack the holds water, pop and other things for the adults. We also strap a back on the back of it. It also has a 5 point harness, but we rarely use that. (DD is now 2) It reclines and can hold up to 45 pounds, (I have heard rummors of holding kids who weight lots more then that, but as DD is 2 and only 21 pounds, I don't think I need to worry about that any time soon.)


I also considered a Graco Citi lite and a Evenflo light stroller. What ever you do try to find a smaller one then the one that holds the infant car seat, that is too big for the busses. But don't skip out on the oh so important extras that add to your and the kids comfort and don't get just a normal umbrella type.

 

[MR. DISNEY]

When we took our 1 year old we took our everyday stroller and put our name on it. This is alot better for stuff than an umbrella stroller and they dont have a top. I bought a clip on fan and used it when she would take a nap, or just to keep her cool.

Also we went to Babies are us and got a Backpack Diaper bag

 

[Dwarful]

we have never had a problem w/anyone bothering any of our strollers ever, we usually have the backpack attached to the rear of the stroller for easy access, and to avoid having it on our backs, this also leaves the basket underneath available for anything our older daughter might have (resort mug, drinks, etc).