First Trip with a baby (7 months)..any advice?

[DisneyFan1003]

My wife and I are DVC members and frequent Disney travelers, so we can tackle a trip for the two of us with our eyes closed. Postponed a trip last year when my wife was put on bedrest and have rescheduled for this June and are taking our beautiful new daughter - she'll be 7 months old when we leave. We're staying at Bay Lake Towers, which will be very convenient with a little one.

We're looking for advice on what to bring, suggestions to help avoid meltdowns, thoughts on what type of stroller to bring, etc...anything you can offer, we'll take! I've always gotten great advice on these forums in the past...thanks in advance!

 

[stitch & lilo]

1. be realistic: take lots of breaks and take advantage of fast pass and baby swap
2. bring food you know she will eat. this is not the time to try new foods. a hungry baby is a sad baby and that makes for sad parents.
3. remember that this trip is for you as much as for your baby, and plan to get on rides that you want or see shows that you enjoy.
4. bring your own stoller, one that can recline so that when she falls asleep she can lay down instead of the car carrier type.
5. plan for her to be either afraid or asleep when the mickey moment happens, that way, if she is awake and smiling you will be pleasantly surprised!
6. plan one character meal. they are VERY loud and stimulating and can be overwhelming for a young baby; however you want those pictures.
7. how do i know this? i've travelled to wdw over 50 times and been there with 9 kids over 10 times ranging from 4months to 15 year old. have a great trip and remeber to take pics of her sleeping through rides and shows, they are fun to show when she gets older!

 

[corey154]

Two things I recommend: using the babycare centers if need be and second when choosing a stroller, remember it's June in Florida so it's quite warm, avoid the strollers with flanel or heavy material on the padding and seating part. Choose a stroller that's light and airy, and that reclines for naps. When my children fall asleep in the stroller, we find a quick service dining area that has a/c, grab a soda and find a corner to sit in and take a rest. Sometimes we take turns sitting with the child while the other one hits a ride. Bring a changing pad for the changing tables or a light blanket, not only are there other kids using them throughout the day, they're quite hard and cold. (I really like the ones in the babycare centers, but it's not always convienent if you're on the other side of the park)

 

[S. Paridon]

Use the baby centers and ATTEMPT to keep her on her nap schedule, although that being said...its almost impossible. Be prepared to, as my wife says, "Abort Misssion" at any time.

 

[DisneyFan1003]

Thanks for the great advice!

How difficult is it keeping little ones out of the sun and comfortable in the heat?

 

[corey154]

Thanks for the great advice!

How difficult is it keeping little ones out of the sun and comfortable in the heat?

It depends on your stoller and the coverage, but it wasn't too hard. Just sunscreen for the moments they are exposed to the sun and dress her lightly, some parents seem to want to cover the baby all up, but I'd say dress her as you would dress. Also Down Town Disney sells fans that clip on the stroller if you think she needs it. I just keep my sons sippy cup filled with cool water or juice and we take advantage of everything that has A/C! The only time I remember really being in the sun was when we were strolling ride to ride. We rode Dumbo early, not only because of the sun, but the lines get longer during the day.

 

[trixie21]

First of all, congrats on your new little blessing!! :sohappy:
I brought my daughter at 8 months are she was just fine. We DID use the baby centres a couple times and others, i found a spot when needed.

I was nursing her so that was not an issue - no bottles to sterilize or worry about heating bottles and we even were able to do this on some of the tamer rides. One of th CM let us ride again on "small world" when he noticed she wasn't done 'dinner' - very sweet.

We didn't bring our huge stroller but purchased a mid-size umbrella stroller with a bit of a 'roof' for the occasion. She was fine and we always moved her in the opposite direction of the sun.

Have fun and let me know if you have any other questions. :wave:

 

[Hakunamatata]

Being as flexible as possible is the best advice. Be ready to cancel a dining ressie because of meltdowns (although at this age, generally a clean diaper or bottle will solve the crisis). We cancelled a ressie at Le Cellier one night because our son was melting down.....and Im one of those people who hates people who dont deal with fussy kids in a crowded resteraunt, so I was not about to be a hypocrit.

Make sure to get the "first haircut at Disney experience" at the barbershop at the magic kingdom. Our son had his first haircut at the barbershop on mainstreet USA and we have haircuts each time we go. Its a neet experience and a huge memory maker.

If you will have your own vehicle, I recomend avoiding Disney Transportation with an infant. You have the stroller to deal with and if the bus is crowded, you may end up standing with an infant. Unfortunately chivalry is almost dead....especially if its Pop Warner or Cheerleading week....

 

[cegrant]

We took our 3 year old and 12 month old last December. They both enjoyed it! For what it's worth....

I agree with many other posters that breaks are essential. We went back to the hotel for swim time every afternoon. Gotta admit, this was the baby's favorite part of the whole darn trip.

Any attraction that doesn't have a listed height requirements allows babies. Our little one enjoyed Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh and Dumbo especially.

Since your baby is 7 months old I'm assuming she'll still be doing breastmilk or formula. If it's formula, I'd recommend getting her used to drinking her formula at room temp before you go. That way you can just take powder and bottles of water, mix them whenever you need them. Gets rid of the whole pesky heating/cooling issue.

Last time we went, we rented a car. We didn't use it much. I really didn't find hauling a stroller (and this was a huge double stroller) on and off a bus to be a problem. People always gave up a seat to the person holding the baby. I was really very impressed by how child-friendly everyone was. Maybe I just lucked out or maybe it's because we were there during the "off" season. I don't think we got any dirty looks at all.

Have a wonderful time guys!

 

[Nikki M]

We went last May with our 8 month old. It was a great trip. He was actually easier at 8 months than he was when we took him again at 14 months. Definitely use the baby care centers. They have nicer areas to change and feed and are a great place to rest. Try to stick with the schedule as much as possible. One day we just carried him around for the nap instead of going back to the room, and we regretted it. Every other day we stuck with the schedule of naps and he was able to stay out later for EMH and sleep in a little later than normal. We bought a fold up stroller at Target for $30 and we could not have been happier. The umbrella strollers are not enough, but you don't want to bring your nice one from home or rent one of Disneys. The Disney ones are too big for a smaller baby and are plastic and get hot and sticky. The stroller is very helpful in the airport, too. Make sure to bring hats and sunscreen. Also, use the rider switch to enjoy rides you can't ride with the baby.

They have pack and plays you can request in the rooms, but I am a germ-a-phobe, so we requested the bed side rails and packed all the pillows around the bed. He was fine since he wasn't too old yet. Every other trip we have brought our own pack and play.

In regards to supplies, we wanted to pack light, so we rented a car and went to Wal-mart and bought the diapers, formula, water, etc. that we needed. We did not drive to the parks, but it was helpful to have the car to go to DTD and dinner reservations at other resorts. If you don't want to rent a car you can purchase those supplies at the Boardwalk store and Wilderness Lodge, but they are much more exspensive and not as large quantity. They have back ups you can use in the baby care centers, too. You can also call in an order at the Garden Grocier, but they have limited brands.

My final thought is to make sure to pack for rain. When we went last May it was monsoon rain every day night and day. Luckily I had packed several long sleeves and pants and his rain jacket with a hood and a hat. If we had not had that it would have been much more difficult.

Have a great time! It is so fun to take your little one to a place you enjoy. They won't remember it, but you will!

 

[cegrant]

If you do decide not to rent a car, you can still pack light by shipping down a box with diapers, wipes, etc. It will be waiting for you at your hotel when you arrive, and bell services will bring it to your room for you.

 

[Kristamouse]

If you do take your own stroller I recommend taking the rain cover. On a VERY wet EPCOT day we were offered 50.00 for our rain cover! Sure clipping a poncho sounds like it will work but we saw tons of SOAKED kids while ours and our gear/camera/etc were dry. Ours was about 25.00 at Babies R Us and worth it.

 

[DisneyFan1003]

If you do take your own stroller I recommend taking the rain cover. On a VERY wet EPCOT day we were offered 50.00 for our rain cover! Sure clipping a poncho sounds like it will work but we saw tons of SOAKED kids while ours and our gear/camera/etc were dry. Ours was about 25.00 at Babies R Us and worth it.

We wondered about those...good to know! Just ordered a new "travel stroller" this weekend, so we'll make a rain cover the next purchase. I'm gonig to need a separate flight for all the gear!! :ROFLOL:

 

[Uncle Lupe]

A friend/babysitter.

 

[loveofamouse]

Ive taken newborns and infants.

First DO bring a good, sturdy stroller that reclines flat. I hate seeing babies stuck in infant carriers at the parks. They are so miserable.

DON'T skimp on a cheap stroller. You'll regret it. Remember, that stroller is not only holding the baby but anything you purchase or bring and you're pushing it all day. Get good wheels, a sturdy frame, good padding, a good basket, and good pushing height.

Make sure to bring something to cover the sunshade while laying down. Nothing worse than a baby sleeping when you turn around and the setting sun beams in.

Make sure to dress her cool-y. Hot babies are miserable babies(and hot ________ is disgusting)

Personally, I'd rather drive than take the busses. Strollers have to be folded on buses. Nothng like having to wake a cranky baby to hold and fold a stroller and load a bus while holding all of the bags, folded stroller(that suddenly didn't fold right) and a baby. I'd rather go to my vehicle. lol. In fact, this will be the first trip since having kids that we will use the busses and that's cause my son's WC can hold all of the bags lol.

Popsicles are great ways to entertain babies without being a choking hazard. Makes for cute photos, too!

When experiencing a loud show, simply cradle her with a hand on the opposite ear. Your body will provide comfort and close off the other ear. Works when they're sleeping, too.

make sure they get out-of-the-stroller time, too.

 

[polymissy]

Take a good stroller. We used a Combi the last three times we were there. It fully reclines, folds very easily, and has a carry strap, so it can go over your sholder to get on buses. It also is easiest to use a backpack rather than diaper bag, since you won't have to worry about it falling off your shoulder.

I shipped a box of baby supplies from home to Wilderness Lodge when my youngest was 8 months. It was the easiest way to get baby food, formula, and diapers there without wasting space in our luggage, or going over airline weight limits.

Disney makes everything as easy as can be. We were there for 10 days and never needed to step foot in a baby center because all bathrooms have changing facilities.

I also used an Ergo Baby Carrier. It's the best thing I ever bought for baby. It was expensive ($120), but it made carrying her easy. I've had baby bjorns before and they were awful. This one was easy to put on and actually felt more like being pregnant than hauling a 20 pond baby. (NO back pains!!) She took two naps everyday, and most of them were in the carrier!

Have fun!