Is there a too young for WDW?

[sigsegv]

So I was reading another thread about strollers or something and it got me to thinking (It's a miracle!) about this weird idea I had.... You can actually bring kids to Walt Disney World, can't you? Wow....

Anyway... currently, my wife and I don't have any kids (and I can't say anything else about that for another six or so weeks ) but, just as a thought exercise, say that you're planning a trip to WDW in Jan of 2003 and that you've already made room reservations with your DVC points and that you've invited your inlaws to go with you. Now, say -- this is just hypothetical -- that you're going to have a strange little visiter join your family sometime around early November of 2002.

Assuming that this is reality (which, of course, we know it's not), do you think 2 months is just too young to bring with you to WDW? What's the youngest child you've been to WDW with? Any idea what's too young? Any other suggestions? We're not pretending that this is for the (hypothetical) child -- it's completely for us and our parents/inlaws/first-time-grandparents).

--sig

 

[vanryan]

A two month old infant is a great traveler, especially if breastfed. I would worry about the mom however. If the hypothetical visitor arrives via C-section the mom might not be too spunky yet.

 

[The Mom]

I think it might work, mostly because the weather won't be too hot....I would hesitate to bring such a young infant during the summer!

HOWEVER....you might have to go with the understanding that you will have to leave when "baby" has had enough, or when "mom" has.....you won't believe how exhausting a new baby can be. If you're flying, I can almost guarantee an ear infection.

Babies require an incredible amount of stuff, and are absolutely unreasonable, so make sure the trip is really worth the inconvenience you'll be facing. If Grandma & Grandpa are willing and able to help, wonderful. When I traveled with mine, it only added 2 more dependents!

Will you have a separate room just for baby? If not, you might be in for a rough trip!

Also, at this age, a "snugli" type baby carrier is still comfortable. Great for standing in lines! (and discreet feedings )

 

[gepetto]

GO! Have a good time and take your hypothetical child with you. Infants are way easier than toddlers.

November's great...you don't have to worry about the heat.

 

[DisneyPhD]

We used to think about planning our family around our vacations. You can't really do that (not well really). I wouldn't even consider it in the summer, but during a cooler, less busy time it might not be bad. Breast feeding will make it easier. However I think a little bit older could be better (3 to 4 months). DVC points can be changed, or banked.

We drove on vaction with our daughter when she wasd 12 weeks old and it wasn't bad. We had a good time and she looked cute in the pictures but didn't "get much out of it."

We took our daughter when she was 8 1/2 months old. It was a good age and she did enjoy it as did we. We had thought about bringing her at 12 months instead, but opted for ealier. Keeping that in mind, she would have more fun now, but we would be chasing her everywhere now that she is fully mobil!!


BTW, Hypotheically, Congradulations! (if not now, sometime!!!!)

 

[sigsegv]

Originally posted by DisneyPhD
I wouldn't even consider it in the summer, but during a cooler, less busy time it might not be bad.

Heck, my wife and I won't even go near Florida between late May and mid-September. We've almost always planned our WDW vacations around being there between early November and mid-December. I haven't been to WDW in January since '96.

Breast feeding will make it easier.

For the hypothetical baby too? :animwink:

However I think a little bit older could be better (3 to 4 months). DVC points can be changed, or banked.

But then we'd have to wait almost another whole year! And the last time we were at the parks was in November last year.

BTW, Hypotheically, Congradulations! (if not now, sometime!!!!)

Hypothetically, thank you.

--sig

 

[2much2do]

I feel exteremly qualified to answer this question because
#1 I scheduled a trip to WDW when my daughter would have been two months old, and #2 I canceled it

Here is my story:
I figured it would be no sweat to go with a baby (and it really isn't). I figured since I would be breastfeeding, and when they are that little they really are (usually) very flexible and easy to travel with (just change 'em and feed 'em and they're ok!) that going to WDW would great for us. Well, I ended up canceling the trip not because of the baby, but because of me. I did not have a c-section. I had a very lovely peaceful natural birth. The problem is having a baby is a BIG thing. Some women spring right back and by two months have no problems at all. Other may develop any number of complications AFTER the birth (this is not even going into possible complications during the birth, i.e.c-sections) that will require you to stay home. Without going into too many explicit details as there are young impressionsable teens on this board, let's just say I was not ready to go on a trip. If you plan a vacation, you really will have no way of knowing how your baby or wife will feel and if they will be ready for such a big travel as a trip to Disney. Even if the birth goes 100% A OK, she could still not feel up to all the walking, etc. involved. Also, babies wake up a lot at night and she will most likely be sleep deprived (as will you) and park touring will be a lot to do for her.
My advice. Plan it for when baby is more like six months. Mom will most certainly have recuperated by then, both you adn she will be much more used to the baby/parent thing, your wife will have established her feeding, diapering, sleeping, transporting routines and I predict a much happier trip. It takes time to learn to be a parent to a new baby, and whether you sleep together, formula or breastfeed, whether your baby is a clam happy one or a needy one, whether you like to push a stroller or use a sling, these are all things you will need to consider when planning your trip. You can't know that till after you have had some time with the baby. Especially with this being your first. Do not let your wife (or you) kid yourselves into thinking you can just squat in the feild, have your baby and be up working that afternoon. The first two months are always the hardest with the most adjustments by everyone in the family.
Happily, my daughter is now nine months old and we are waaaaaay ready to take that first trrip with her and my four year old son. We'll let you know how it goes, but I took my son when he was a year old and had no problem at all. It isn't really the baby that is the issue IMO, it's the parents.
HTH

 

[2much2do]

Hi again,
I noticed your breastfeeding question after I posted and I wanted to add something:
Breastfeeding is the easiest, most adaptable, most transportable, simplest, happiest way of feeding a baby. Not to mention healthiest. Please, please please, become informed about this and encourage your wife to do the same.
Oh, and feel free to e-mail me with any additional questions you or she might have.

 

[gepetto]

My advice would be to take a nice LONG disney vacation. That way you won't feel rushed to see everything in a couple of days.

PS...I was back to running 3 miles/day a couple of weeks after having my 2nd baby. Travelling with a baby's only a huge deal if you make it one. Just adapt to his/her schedule.

 

[Disneynutcase]

One thing you're not considering is lack of sleep for you and your wife. Little babies do not sleep thru the night, and if you have a collicky child, it may even scream in agony for hours both day and night. Not that I'm trying to scare you, but both sleep patterns and collick tend to be much improved at about 6 to 8 months.

If you're seriously planning this trip, make sure everything is cancellable at no cost to you. You might get lucky and get a hypothetical baby who sleeps long hours and who doesn't cry much.

But having two kids of my own, my theory is that Disney parks will always be there. So you skip a year. If that bums you out, think of all the fun you'll be hypothetically having soon enough when that child is bigger and able to grasp what they are experiencing.

We're finally going to WDW with the kids and their two cousins for the first time in eight more days! The eldest child is 8, the youngest is 2.25 yeare old. My youngest daughter turns 4 while we're on vacation and is very jacked to be able to be at MK for her birthday. We've been to Disneyland several times and that's just about every kid's favorite place ever. But with four parks and a bunch of rides and attractions they've never been on, it's gonna be sheer bliss.

Would I drag my kids or my niece and/or nephew on a multi-day WDW trip at early infancy? No. Not even if we do it slow paced. Both of my girls were up every two hours to feed and my eldest would be hard pressed to go back to sleep, making my wife and I come up with a "we'll sleep when we're dead" motto. My nephew spent the first six months of his life howling at the top of his lungs whenever he was awake. Only my niece has been a good sleeper/perfect angel. Of course, now she's two and we're worried about tantrums (because she's kind of suddenly into them). We're hoping the constant refrain of, "look, there's Minnie Mouse!" even when no mouse is present may do the trick for a day or two.

Good luck with parenthood. But hold off a bit on the vacationing if you indeed do have a baby. Trust me, an extra hour of sleep or even, God willing, an actual all-night sleep will be vacation for you. Just remember, they only stay tiny for just a little while.

 

[Maria]

I don´t have kids yet, but I have a beautiful nephew who took all my sister´s and even brother in law´s strenght in the first months!

If I were you, I wouldn´t travel then... I would like to have the strenght to do the parks! Besides, poor baby! let him sleep and grow in the confort of his own home! lol

I would take my vacation before I get pregnant or on the first months of pregnancy (depending how the pregnancy os going, of course), or..... I would definitely take precautions now to not get pregnant soon!! :lol:

 

[Lance]

I definately think their is a too young for WDW. For me, I'd say 2 years and below is too young.

I have a 10 month old niece and she is very good, always smiling, never cries, but I don't think she would make it through WDW.

 

[tinkrbel]

well I am an old grandmother .. we took our granddaughters when they were babies .. and here is the way I look at it .. take it for what its worth to you .. if your gonna worry about all of the above .. then never take your child any where until they are grown .. heck going to the grociery store with a baby is a chore.
our youngest granddaughter was 6 months old when we took her the first time .. and her sister only 2. It was wonderful ..it made wonderful memories for us and the girls. there were times the girls were tired ..so back to the resort we went and let them rest. we also used the in-room sitters while at WDW ..and when they got older we used the day cares like neverland club. A child is work .. sorry but thats the fact of life when you have a child .. and no matter where you go ..they are not always going to be co-operative! What is sad is alot of parents do not have the patients for thier kids. These people are that way everywhere and not just WDW.

As to going right after having a baby .. does anyone remember the story of the "in flight" baby? A few years ago someone gave birth on the way to WDW?

thats something else all together ..the mommy being able to endure it. Either way ..you need a trip that give you time to relax and prolly an off-season / cooler temp which would be Jan

you put in the grandparents would be going ..well being a grandparent .. heck we make dern good babysitters ..even at WDW ..the years my daughter went with us to were easier then the years we only took the girls.

I would take a trip to WDW with a baby before I would take a trip to WDW with a teen, if you wanna talk about moody, whiny, cant be pleased and combative!

 

[Dwarful]

Oh no, I am not saying you have to keep your kids in a bubble or anything like that. But is it really worth the risk? And besides photos the child wont remember anything from the trip anyway. Our first daughter...which is the one that was sick, was at Disneyland in Ca. when she was 9mths, and then to Disneyworld at 18months. I would have to say it was alot more fun for her at 18mths..she loved the characters, but i know some kids are afraid of them. The important thing for any parent to remember is when traveling with young children...all Scheduels go out the window so if you aren't the kind of person that can fly by the seat of your pants then you should probably hold off. But no one can make that decision for you but you.

 

[njchris65]

I do think when the child is under a certain age (My opinion is under 5), they won't retain much of the memory. So the memories you create will be mostly for yourselves. Not a bad thing, just being realistic.

A 6 month old won't remember ANYTHING or even know where it is. It's still learning about the environment and about him/herself.

 

[sigsegv]

Originally posted by 2much2do
Hi again,
I noticed your breastfeeding question after I posted and I wanted to add something:
Breastfeeding is the easiest, most adaptable, most transportable, simplest, happiest way of feeding a baby. Not to mention healthiest. Please, please please, become informed about this and encourage your wife to do the same.
Oh, and feel free to e-mail me with any additional questions you or she might have.

Doh! I was just being a bit cheeky. FWIW, that's what we would plan on doing (if this were more than a hypothetical exercise).

--sig

 

[sigsegv]

Originally posted by gepetto
My advice would be to take a nice LONG disney vacation. That way you won't feel rushed to see everything in a couple of days.

Luckily, we get to WDW fairly frequently, so we don't feel rushed to do a million things. We figure, if we don't get to see some place on this trip, we'll see it on our next trip.

--sig

 

[Sansaarai]

Originally posted by njchris65
I do think when the child is under a certain age (My opinion is under 5), they won't retain much of the memory. So the memories you create will be mostly for yourselves. Not a bad thing, just being realistic.

A 6 month old won't remember ANYTHING or even know where it is. It's still learning about the environment and about him/herself.

I totally agree with you. I mentioned the same thing on another topic and was almost stoned. Taking a child that is not even a year old is a big mistake. You will basicly treating your baby like cargo. Wait a few years. When they turn 3 or 4 then go have a great time!

 

[sigsegv]

Originally posted by njchris65
I do think when the child is under a certain age (My opinion is under 5), they won't retain much of the memory. So the memories you create will be mostly for yourselves. Not a bad thing, just being realistic.

A 6 month old won't remember ANYTHING or even know where it is. It's still learning about the environment and about him/herself.

Oh, we would have no expectation that this hypothetical baby would remember any of this. I'm told by others who took their very young kids to WDW (and Disneyland) that their babies did respond well to the bright colors and the sounds, but as for remembering any of it, we aren't expecting any of that. One of our doctors (a WDW fan herself) even said that going to WDW with a 2-month old should be no problem health-wise (if indeed we were pregnant, which, of course, we're not).

This trip is mostly for us and my inlaws (who, hypothetically, would be first-time grandparents).

--sig

 

[sigsegv]

Originally posted by Sansaarai

I totally agree with you. I mentioned the same thing on another topic and was almost stoned. Taking a child that is not even a year old is a big mistake. You will basicly treating your baby like cargo. Wait a few years. When they turn 3 or 4 then go have a great time!

What about the parents though? Aren't the parents allowed to have a vacation? I would understand avoiding a place if it were bad for the child or if you were expecting the child to get something out of it, but if you go into it mostly just for your own enjoyment and the child isn't hurt or bothered by it, why not?

I don't want to sound argumentative, but why is it a big mistake? Yeah, the baby would be more like noisy, sometimes-stinky, very precious cargo then, but that would apply to anywhere you went at that ago, wouldn't it? If we're considerate to those around us (for example, if the baby gets really loud at a restaurant, then we should work out some way to get the baby out of the restaurant), why not go?

I'll readily admit that I am not a parent and I don't know about these things. I want to learn (in case we have a child some day... way down the line). I'd especially like to hear from people who did take their very young child/childern and what they learned from the whole trip (if anything).

--sig