1st visit with an infant - any tips?

NickMaio

NickMaio

Well-Known Member
Hi Everyone

We are stoked to be bringing our little guy to WDW this summer, early July. He will be 10 months when we are there. We had hopes to go to 1 or 2 water parks and 1 theme park. Just wondering if any of you would be willing to share your pearls of wisdom concerning WDW visits with a little person.
We were thinking of Epcot or Kingdom for park visits. He is our first, thus our first trip with a babe.

Also we are flying to Orlando - 3 hour flight - any tips with air travel would also be great.

Huge thanks
NM
 
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Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
WDW with an infant is actually pretty easy. The challenge comes when they get older.

All you really need to do is bring a comfortable stroller for them to nap in and of course take time out for said naps.

A baby carrier like the one shown below is a big plus as they leave your hands free which makes getting on and off attractions much easier.

baby-slings.jpg
 
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MotherofaPrincessLover

MotherofaPrincessLover

Well-Known Member
I'd suggest MK. The baby can go on a lot of the rides with you. 10 months old is still a pretty easy age for traveling. I'd suggest trying to do the flight around a nap time so the baby will sleep on the plane. Make sure you use rider swap if you plan on doing any of the rides with height requirements.
 
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DarthVader

DarthVader

Sith Lord
Keep in mind, that Florida is hot, really really hot in july and heat affects babies differently then kids/adults so keep that in mind. I'm probably stating the obvious, but when you may find yourself in long lines, with little air moving, and crushing heat.

Another point, is take it slow, he's not going care about pirates of the caribbean or the haunted mansion, so focus on more laid back activities that he'll enjoy.
 
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DisneyDreamer08

DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
My daughter had just turned one on our last trip. It was in September and was incredibly hot and humid every day. 90+ degrees, sun up to sun down. We were there for a week so a little bit of a different experience. Our kids did not handle the heat well. They were tired and cranky and despite our best efforts, had some bad days because of it. I agree with the others- definitely a comfy stroller with a clip on fan. Stop for breaks a lot, especially inside in the comforts of the AC. Also be sure to give your baby a break from the stroller/carrier/being held. My daughter was still in the crawling/scooting phase (not walking yet) and many times, we just had to find a place to put her down. She was sick of being contained and just wanted to move around.
I too would recommend Magic Kingdom. My daughters favorites were things like Small World, Haunted Mansion and Tiki Room. Lots of things to see :)
 
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JIMINYCR

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
Yes heat will be a big issue. Be sure to bring an ointment for possible heat rash. There are some cooling towels or vests for infants that can be purchased to help ward off the heat. Besides childrens sunscreen, pack a thermometer, some of your liquid childrens benadryl and childrens tylenol so its handy.
 
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DisAl

DisAl

Well-Known Member
Pay special attention to keeping him hydrated; at that age they can't tell you they are thirsty. It can happen quickly even if you think you are paying attention. It happened to us with our then 7 year old daughter and we thought she was drinking plenty, but it turned out she wasn't and we ended up at the MK first aid station.
A tip for your stroller - put some flagging tape or something on the stroller handles to make it easy to spot yours among the hundreds of others. It WILL get moved around as the cast members "consolidate" the stroller parking areas.
 
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JD80

JD80

Well-Known Member
I have three kids, 5 yo, 3 yo and a 7 week old. First time I brought kids my 3 yo was 8 months.

Try to bring a cheap stroller you're comfortable to have him in that also seats 2 kids or has a big area for bags. You'll need something with cargo space to drop your diaper bag etc.

Someone also suggested a baby carrier in a picture above. That's key for sure.

I don't know what your dining plans are, but planning a sit down meal during your parks lunch time is going to be a life saver. I'd suggest Magic Kingdom, and a brief trip to Chef Mickey's out side the park is a life saver for a 1-2 hour break.

As for flights? Pack well and bring milk. The cram everything into 1 large luggage, 1 carry on and a stroller.
 
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H

hanwill

Well-Known Member
That age can get dehydrated very quickly, just plan on having him drink a lot of fluids and stay inside the air conditioning as much as possible. Have fun, and bring extra clothes into the park- you never know when you might need it...
 
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B

BoardwalkGigi

Active Member
I have taken babies as young as 9 months to Disney and we had an absolute blast. That said, I would never take a baby or a small child to Disney in the summer. It is impossible to keep them protected properly from the sun unless you only go out very early and very late. The heat is inescapable unless you stay inside. We just got back from Disney a few days ago. It was February when we arrived and March when we left. The temperatures reached the mid 80s almost every day. I'm a Disney vacation veteran and took this trip without children, and I still had challenges with not overheating or getting too much sun. July in Florida is a whole other thing. I encourage you to think carefully about the timing of your trip and if you must go in July, please do some serious strategizing beforehand in the interest of your little one's health and comfort.
I usually avoid being preachy but I want to smack the parent of every sunburned, overheated infant and toddler I see in the parks. Please don't add yourself to their ranks.
 
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DisneyDaver

DisneyDaver

Well-Known Member
BoarderPhreak said:
Just to echo @Master Yoda - "infants are easy." They sleep a lot.
Click to expand...

Results may vary ... my infants (a current 4 month old son and a daughter now 2.5) don't/didn't nap very much! We are taking the kids for their first WDW trip in November. My daughter never was able to nap in stroller ... we are hoping our son follows a different path and will take stroller naps.
 
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slappy magoo

slappy magoo

Well-Known Member
What everyone is saying about the heat times 10.

It's been a while since I hit the water parks but from my hazy recollection, Blizzard beach has much less shade than Typhoon Lagoon because of the landscaping. TL has trees that provide more cover. If things have changed (it really has been a long while) someone please correct me.

Having said (written) that...I'd think hitting the theme parks might be better than hitting the water parks because unless you're strictly visiting the baby-friendly water areas, you'll have to take turns or do rider switching if that's available on water slides and the like. Whereas going to MK and Epcot affords lots more opportunities to all stay together.
 
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BoarderPhreak

BoarderPhreak

Well-Known Member
DisneyDaver said:
Results may vary ... my infants (a current 4 month old son and a daughter now 2.5) don't/didn't nap very much! We are taking the kids for their first WDW trip in November. My daughter never was able to nap in stroller ... we are hoping our son follows a different path and will take stroller naps.
Click to expand...
Fair enough! Definitely a YMMV thing. I guess we were lucky... When it came to sleep, our DD was a rock star. Even slept late until early 2s. Go figure, now she's a morning person... Hello, rope drop! :p
 
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DisneyDreamer08

DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
My youngest is 2 1/2 and still doesn't sleep through the night :eek: On our Disney trip she had just turned one. She thought the week we were in Disney would be a fabulous time to sprout her top two front teeth. She was awake screaming in the middle of the night every night. I didn't want her to wake my husband and 5 year old so I would take her outside. I walked around All Star Sports in the middle of the night more than I ever want to again in my life. One night the screaming was so bad, we actually took her to urgent care fearing she had an ear infection (hard to arrange with no rental car). Thankfully, it was just teething. Surprisingly, she was pretty chill during the day. But the nights were horrible.
 
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