Grandbaby to take to WDW!!

[smk]

We just recently found out that we are going to be grandparents for the first time!!! We are over the moon happy! Is it crazy that one of the first things I thought about was how soon I could take a grandchild to WDW? I cannot wait! How soon is too soon? We didn't take our kids until they were older (9, 11 and 13) but I am not going to follow that rule with a grandchild, in fact I may not follow any rules with a grandchild! I will be standing in line with the most beautiful baby in the whole wide world waiting to meet every character possible and buying everything and anything the kid wants. Now, I don't have to steal some ones child to ride Dumbo with or look silly being silly at my favorite place. I am very excited to have a precious new love to share WDW with!

 

[jlevis]

Congratulations!!! :sohappy: We're going to be there this August with our first Great Grandchild. We have had our grandchildren there several times and it is wonderful. Enjoy and make memories.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Awwww...great big congrats to you and your family! :sohappy:

Our boys were something like 6 & 7 when we took them the first time. I always said I wanted to wait until they could hike the parks without a stroller. No way was I going to do diaper changing or any of that stuff. As we took our various trips we would see other families with babies or toddlers and quietly observe really special moments....a baby in a high chair smiling with wonder as he discovered Pooh's nose....a little girl on her daddy's shoulders squealing at her first look at the castle....lots of little things like that. It was those moments that both the hubby and I had hearts full of regret for not bringing our boys sooner. I wish we could have seen their discoveries at all those different ages. Some say it's silly because a baby won't remember it anyway. True, but Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, etc. will. I don't remember my first trip because I wasn't even 2 years old yet. The pictures I have from then mean every bit as much as the pictures from my kids' first trip. Looking back, the pics with my grandfather at WDW are utterly priceless. I miss him so much.

Don't reason with time. Life's too short for that. Take that grand-bundle as much as you can and drink in the adventure at every age. Better to go then to not & wish you had.

Congrats again! :sohappy:

 

[smk]

Sweetpea! When you said the picture with your Grandfather was priceless... that is priceless! It is exactly what I want, I want the pictures to be around long after we are not, I want the world for this kid! I will take his/her parents too, if I have to but I want the memories more than anything. I am so excited and we have 7 months to go before we even meet the baby! I am thinking we will go next year, maybe at Christmas time and first birthday or maybe we will wait until the Fantasyland expansion is up and running but we will go every year, it will be our special place!

 

[smk]

Congratulations!!! :sohappy: We're going to be there this August with our first Great Grandchild. We have had our grandchildren there several times and it is wonderful. Enjoy and make memories.

Great Grandchild! That is so great! Have a special trip and take a ton of pictures so the great grandchild will have them to cherish!

 

[macsmom]

I've been telling my son for the longest time that I get his first child when s/he reaches 5 years old. Then, we are on our way! Apparently, he and his current squeeze are getting serious because they are talking kids. Maybe 6/7 years for me down the lane??

How exciting for you and your husband! Enjoy it all no matter when it happens!

danna

 

[unkadug]

Congratulations, I'm sure you will be a wonderful Grandmother. :wave:

 

[stichrules]

We went with our 1st 2 granddaughters when they were 18 months and 12months. We had a ball and so did they, that was in 2010. We went back the next year and the they both are going twice this year. They already went in Feb and we are going in December and are taking our 3rd Granddaughter who will be celebrating her 1st brithday along with Grandpa when we are there. So they are never too young. And both girls still talk about their trips and how much fun they had. And according to them every plane in the sky is going to Disney.

 

[monkeysammich]

My first child went when she was 18 months. We took my second child when he was only 6 weeks old. We are taking my third child when she will be 6 months.

It all depends on what you feel comfortable doing and if the trip will involve the family at large, or if its specifically for the grandchild. If it is just for the grandchild, I'd wait until at least 1 year.

 

[dreamfinder]

We went a few years ago with our nephew when he was 1. I think we got him on a few rides in Fantasyland, and a handful of shows. He turned bright red and wouldn't stop screaming when Goofy tried to say hi at Chef Mickeys. I don't think he will remember much at all. But it was fun.

But it all depends on the child. Some love other people and new experiences and would love to be around different things. And others freak out. Personally if I had to change the diaper every hour, feed every 2, and nap on the 3's, it's still too young. But if they can make it 5 or so hours with no nap, and a few hours without a diaper change, it could work. Just take them to the costume store a few times so they are used to giant fuzzy creatures before you go.

 

[Susan Savia]

I'm so jealous!!! We are still waiting on that first Grandbaby. We took our daughter at 18 months and son was 6 months. Happy memories in those pictures!!! I am very exicited for you!!

 

[TWICKERS]

We have also just found out we are going to be grandparents baby due 3rd November. Can't wait. Planning to go next year but now a great excuse to go again in 2015
have to take into consideration the long flight time from the UK

 

[jlevis]

Great Grandchild! That is so great! Have a special trip and take a ton of pictures so the great grandchild will have them to cherish!

Not to worry, I'm a retired photographer. I have a great picture of two of my grandsons at Crystal Palace with Tigger. The boys were 5 and 3 and the 3 year old has such a look of awe on his face. Anyway, enjoy, time does fly and pretty soon they're all grown up.

 

[Poofiesdream]

Congratulations! In October we are going with our Granddaughter. Her first time. It will be two weeks before her third birthday. We are getting her ready by having her watch the Disney channel and reading Disney books so she will know the characters. Its so much fun to buy her all those Disney outfits and of course her Cinderella Dress! Counting down the days! :sohappy:

 

[Mimi]

Omg I am so jealous! lol I've always wanted to be a Grandma but as my daughter is only 14 months old I'll have to wait a few more years! Grandparents have all the fun... and WDW is just the place to have it! Congratulations SMK!! :sohappy:

As for when is too soon that is totally up to you and your family. I personally wouldn't bring a baby that is younger than a year. They will sleep, eat and poo their way through most of the trip and you'll be watching him/her do it. I would have loved to take my DD for a big first birthday trip but her dad is one of those she-won't-remember-it types so that didn't happen. I did convince him that she will be old enough when she is potty trained... we're starting next week. :animwink: Actually, we plan to go in November 2013. She'll be 3 months shy of 3 years old. Oddly enough, that's the exact same age I was on my first trip! I remember quite a bit from that trip so I am hoping she will too!

Have fun!!!

 

[SMS55]

Old enough to enjoy him/herself? I would say about 3. I took one of my kids just before he turned 3 to get him in free and he enjoyed it very much. He rode alo tof rides and enjoyed most of them. He recognized many of the characters although he had to warm up to the first one. Afterwards he was comfortable and took pics with all of them. I took my daughter at 6 months. She was excited although I don't know what she recognizes. I will says she loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Little Einsteins. She lunged at the Einsteins when she saw them. With her it's alot of swaps but not too bad. We kept her on her schedule and she took her naps in the stroller we took. It's what she is used to. She had her bottles and naps like normal and slept well in the pack and play they provide in the room.

 

[smk]

Thanks everyone for all the kind words and advice!

This grandbaby's parents are Disney freaks too so we will all go together, whenever they think they are ready. I realize I don't control everything as much as I want to try! However, DH just told me, after I went shopping and came home with a Pooh blanket and some onesies, (white, cause the parents want to be surprised at birth), that he thinks we should wait until the kid is 5 . I said, in my best grandmother voice, "no way". I told him I want pictures with the baby there, I know a baby will not remember being there but we will. I win this fight, trust me!

 

[EvilQueen-T]

i'm a young grandmother but my first piece of advice is that you wait and see how you do once the baby gets here. it's soooo much different from when you were the parent. the things that came easy to us when we were young parents aren't as easy as we get older...for instance, holding a baby while on your feet for long periods of time is a lot different over 40 than it was in our 20s. i'm a mother of 2 (now 22 and 28) and my granddaughter just turned 8. the first time my daughter and i babysat and decided to do a day of shopping rather than just watch her at home she was about 3 1/2-4 months old. by the end of the day my daughter was bleeding from the stroller and my back was screaming in rebellion all the while i kept thinking i knew i'd done this alone a million times with my own two kids and not quite sure why i was having such a hard time. so for us we took my first and only granddaughter for her 3rd birthday. she doesn't remember going but we had a blast and she was big enough to really enjoy a lot of the parks with that wide eyed wonderment of a 3 year old, be afraid of a few things, and big enough to stand in line part of the time. i've seen parents with young babies and a grandparent or two tagging along at the parks all playing pass the baby but they all seem to look a bit disheveled to be honest. it's a lot of work to take a baby that might sleep more than anything else.

 

[disneygirl76]

We just recently found out that we are going to be grandparents for the first time!!! We are over the moon happy! Is it crazy that one of the first things I thought about was how soon I could take a grandchild to WDW? I cannot wait! How soon is too soon? We didn't take our kids until they were older (9, 11 and 13) but I am not going to follow that rule with a grandchild, in fact I may not follow any rules with a grandchild! I will be standing in line with the most beautiful baby in the whole wide world waiting to meet every character possible and buying everything and anything the kid wants. Now, I don't have to steal some ones child to ride Dumbo with or look silly being silly at my favorite place. I am very excited to have a precious new love to share WDW with!

Congratulations! I personally don't think it will ever be too early! You have the luxury of starting a tradition. Do you take them for their bday every year? Do you go for their first hair cut? Do you just go now to celebrate that you will be a grandma? So many choices! What ever you do, it will so special and wonderful! If I can recommend, make a special autograph book that is more like a memory book. Give one page as an place to autograph and the opposite page for a 5 x 7 photo. And make one for you, so you can get a photograph with your grandchild and the character. And you can make one for her/him with just their picture and the character.

 

[smk]

Congratulations! I personally don't think it will ever be too early! You have the luxury of starting a tradition. Do you take them for their bday every year? Do you go for their first hair cut? Do you just go now to celebrate that you will be a grandma? So many choices! What ever you do, it will so special and wonderful! If I can recommend, make a special autograph book that is more like a memory book. Give one page as an place to autograph and the opposite page for a 5 x 7 photo. And make one for you, so you can get a photograph with your grandchild and the character. And you can make one for her/him with just their picture and the character.

LOVE IT!

We are going in September (already planned), with the baby's parents if our daughter is well and able to travel being 6 months pregnant. The trip will take a different turn for her but she enjoys poolside as much as resort/park hopping. We have all been so many times that we don't run the parks all day and all night anymore anyway. She and I can just take a leisurely stroll and enjoy the journey, the shopping and the eating. We can let the guys ride whatever they want and be fine with that. That way we can have pictures of her there pregnant, I have pictures of myself pregnant with her at WDW and we plan on re-creating as many places as we can photograph....the Circle of Life kinda thing, she is there with me, in my belly and her baby is there with her and me. In fact I was 6 months pregnant with her when we went, eerie...Her due date is just days before her 26th birthday.

The first haircut idea is just plain old awesome. I hope that we can plan that one if she has a boy! I am just so happy that I am going to be a Nona ( Italian for Grandmother, we all use it since we are Italian) and instead of grandpa my husband wants to be called grumpy, his favorite character! He is not Italian, otherwise he would be Nono!

I don't think I would ever take the baby and go without them, I doubt they would even let me! Overnight here at home, no problem, out of state? Probably not! When he/she gets older then I think it would work.