Disney With a 1 Year Old (and should we get park hoppers?)!

[taylorfamily816]

My DH and I are traveling to Disney World at the end of August/first of September (10 days - yay!). Our son will have just turned 1 a few weeks before our trip. We took him last January when he was 5.5 months and had annual passes at the time. We didn't use our Park Hopper option at all because we were usually leaving parks by 3-4 and calling it a night. This time we're staying at Wilderness Lodge and my husband and I are wondering if we may actually use the park hopper option more what with Magic Kingdom being a 5 minute boat ride away. We thought maybe if we had a good morning at, say, Epcot, went back for an afternoon nap (I'll also be 8 months pregnant on this trip so there will be lots of naps!) and then headed to MK for dinner and possibly even fireworks we would use them. Well, we usually buy annual passes, but when we found out I was pregnant we moved our trip from the normal September window to earlier and don't have a need to buy an AP this year. SO, my biggest question is should we spring for Park Hoppers? It's so much more money and if we use it it's totally worth it, but if we don't I would have hated to spent the money there when we could have used it on dining or other fun things! So what are your suggestions? Did you park hop with your toddlers - particularly your tiny tots?

Also any other tips for Disney with a 1 year old would be great! And even pregnant Disney tips! I went at 6 months pregnant with our first born and it was great, but 8 months is a whole new adventure! Thanks, guys!!!

 

[beckyj3266]

Last July we took our DD2 and DD4 (ages 1 & 3 at that time) for a week. Staying at Fort Wilderness, we were a quick boat ride from Magic Kingdom. We definately utilized our park hopper passes! There isn't a lot at DHS for toddlers, so after lunch & nap, we would would visit MK. AK would close around dinner time, so that gave us another opportunity to hop. You are going at 8 months pregnant? There are plenty of hands on opportunities for your son to enjoy where you can just sit back & watch if you need to (boneyard, kidcot stops, etc.). The baby centers are a nice place to get out of the sun for a while, too. We will be going again in January, & we already have our hopping planned! Feel free to PM me if you'd like some more ideas. Have a great time & congratulations!

 

[wilkeliza]

I think the best advice at 8 months pregnant and with a 1 year old is to take a relaxed pace and have fun. Take lots of pictures. Your 1 year old won't remember the trip but it will be great to show him later how much fun he had. Stay cool, hydrated, and just have fun.

I hope this doesn't happen but it might be worth it to possibly pack something in case your new one decides he wants to get in on the Disney magic. I would say at 8 months it would be better to be prepared with a few necessities for labor then to get there and the worst happen. Also your husband might want to check for the emergency numbers and store them in his phone just in case. I know you can always call 911 but having a hospital number is always a good idea. I think when you are at 8 months it is better to be prepared then to be lost in the event your bundle of joy joins the world early.

Another word of advice I was told by a pregnant woman was know the location of bathrooms. You would think you would find them all over but you don't want to be in that have to go mode and can't find one.

 

[bgraham34]

In March we took our then 5 month old and park hopped without an issue. We are also going in Dec and he will be 14 months and still plan to park hop. I know this time we will most likely move at a slower pace since the last he slept most of the time in the stroller.

 

[bmarkelon]

Usually I recommend the park hopper but in your case I'd almost say it could be a better idea to skip it. This would promote taking it slower which you are definitely going to want to do at 8 months pregnant in that heat. Plus you have so many days that you can definitely get away with picking one park per day.
From my experience with Disney with toddlers we honestly have never been big park hoppers taking it easy with the little ones and not pushing them. We tend to follow the same routine you mentioned, hitting a park early and being done by 2 for some pool time.
Congratulations, best of luck to you and have a magical trip! :sohappy:

 

[mickeysshoes]

When I first read the title i was like...yes we love park hopping but once I read your post I quickly changed my mind. I would skip the hoppers and just take it easy...being 8 months along I would not want to see you over do trying to get your monies worth. It will still be very HOT and you should take it easy. You need to make sure to keep cool and drink lots of water. Good luck and congrats and new bundle of joy!!!

 

[DizneyPryncess]

I went to Disney this Spring at 4 months pregnant and skipped the park hoppers. With the heat I was so tired, and I was taking so many breaks & calling it a night early sometimes. I don't think I could possibly have utilized a hopper. But you have done Disney pregnant before, and further along than me, so if you were okay with it than it may be worth it for you.

If I'd had a 1 year old on top of being pregnant, I think I would have even needed more breaks. So if it were me, I'd save the extra cash to spend on other fun things. But you know your body, and you know your 1 year old. If you think you & your child are both troopers & can handle a hopper, than go for it.

 

[fosse76]

I would advise a wait-and-see method. You can always add it to your ticket media when and if you decide to park hop. This way if you don't park hop you aren't out the extra money.

 

[dopeylover]

Just got back from a trip w/ our 1 yr. old in May. I would skip the park hoppers. My biggest advice to you bringing a 1 year old is to stick to routine as much as possible. Our DD was Ok taking naps in the stroller, but the 1st night we tried to push it as much as we could and stay at the park a little past her bedtime...BIG MISTAKE. 1st of all, it's very disorienting for them to be in a different place, bed, etc., and it took much longer for her to go down b/c of that. So, you're looking at a late bedtime on TOP of not falling asleep (or staying asleep for that matter)...the next day she was not at her best. PLUS being 8 months pregnant?! Bless your heart, you're a better woman than I!! :animwink:

If my opinion means anything, use this vacation as a 'go w/ the flow' Disney trip. I know that that goes against what us WDW lovers usually do, but I am convinced w/ such a young one and being ready to pop yourself it's the way to go. Go back and nap if you need to, eat when you need to, but I am telling you, stick to that bedtime! lol You and hubby can take turns on who stays in the room w/ her and who gets to go to the pool or wherever. That's what we did b/c we had my mother and sister along w/ us as well, and it went great.

Also, I was so surprised how many rides we could take our 1 yr. old on! She went on everything except the rollercoasters and stuff obviously. We did not take her on Pirates though, b/c I thought it would be too loud, but in hindsight it seemed quieter than in the past, and I would have given it a try, b/c she was so game! She even did the Haunted Mansion...At that age they don't know they're supposed to be scared! The one thing we did take her on I wish we hadn't was Toy Story Mania. I had never been on it before, and didn't know how fast it turned and how jerky the ride was, and w/ the 3D and everything I didn't really enjoyed it b/c I was worried about her. BUT she did wear the 3D glasses for Philharmagic and loved it.

Also, I went on Amazon and got a stroller fan for her since it was so hot, and it was a lifesaver, and many other parents stopped us asking where they could get it.

Whatever you do, relax and enjoy your trip!!! Any other questions, let me know.

 

[taylorfamily816]

Thank you!

Thanks so much everyone! You've all been really helpful! I'll be just entering my 8th month when we get there (31-32 weeks) so I don't anticipate going into labor, but knowing about hospitals in the area is smart. I've had two friends have placenta abruptions and you just never know what could happen! I also plan to drink a LOT of water and utilize lots of opportunities to rest. And, fortunately, I got familiar with all the bathroom locations last pregnancy! My worst moment was having to go soooo badly on the boat from DHS to Epcot and waddling/jogging 6 months pregnant through the Swan and Dolphin looking for a bathroom! So embarrassing, but hey, that's pregnancy!!! Lol.

Based on everyone's advice, I think we'll opt out of park hoppers and use the money to buy more table service dining and more things for the little ones. Having so many days there is nice and my DH and I have always been the type to just take it at a slow, relaxing pace which we'll probably need to do an even better job at this round with our DS1 and with me being pregnant! I like the idea of being able to boat back into the MK after nap time no matter where we spent our day, but the reality is we'll probably be at MK most days and there's always the pool in the resort and there's always that chance I'll crash at 9 with the little one!

I also appreciate everyone's tips for Disney with a tiny tot! I definitely want to try to stick to his schedule as much as possible, but what about the time change? We're coming from Oklahoma so FL is one hour ahead of us. Last time he still went to sleep at 8 like at home, but he slept in an hour in the morning (which was amazing). When we went to CA a few months ago, however, he adjusted to Pac time and then had to readjust when we got home. So, I'm just wondering if we should try to stick with our normal times or if we should adjust everything an hour forward? Tips? I also LOVE the fan idea! Thank you! Lastly, does anyone have tips regarding milk and my son's eating? We're planning on buying a gallon of whole milk at the resort to use in the morning and at night, but he always has a sippy cup of milk mid-day too. Did you guys bring those Horizon boxes that can stay warm or did you just buy in the parks? Our son eats "grown up food" pretty much exclusively now. He loves fruit, rice, potatoes, chicken, ground beef... tons of stuff. We have a few buffet reservations (Crystal Palace, the breakfast buffet at our resort, and the one in DHS (can't remember the name)) which I think will work great because I can pick out what he likes to eat and make him a plate, but what about with quick service? Did you guys just cut up chicken nuggets and bits of burger and such for your kids or did you try to pack certain things in your luggage that were more wholesome? All your toddler tips are so appreciated!!!

 

[kellygirl]

We took our one year old twins in May. We placed an order with garden grocer and it was great. That way we had snacks, milk and food for them.
I just always carried something with us to meals that they could eat in case they didnt like anything on the menu. The gerber baby meat sticks were my savior some meals.

Most of the time we were able to get them a chicken breast with some type of vegetable for lunch or dinner. We also did hamburgers sometimes.

I made sure I had lots of snacks to keep them entertained while we were waiting for our food at table service resteraunts

We stayed in a one bedroom villa so I actually was able to do some of their meals in the room.

You can buy milk with your meals - it usually isnt whole milk - but I figure that they are ok with lowfat for a few meals. Those milks that dont have to be refrigerated freak me out a little and I find all the ones I have seen were low fat as well.

Hope you have a great trip!!!!
Kelly