Taking 4 month old baby

[Ellie23]

Hello all!

New here!

Just wanted some advice. We've been to Florida many times, each time going to all parks. We're from the UK.

This time we're going as a big family, aunts uncles etc in September next year. All different ages so some wont come on certain rides so could potentially have baby.

If all goes to plan with fertility treatments etc, me and my partner could be taking a 4 or 5 month baby with us.

Can anyone give me some advice on this? Is it easy? Hard?

Any restrictions that we should bare in mind? I.e rides that would be hard to do a baby swap on and any family rides that babies of that cannot go on (and if you have knowledge on universal parks as well that would be great)

Did your baby struggle?

We've always gone in and around june and july. Is the weather much different in September? Cooler?

We'll be staying in a Villa and have a car as transport.
Ive seen many people recommend renting a stroller from a company outside disney etc.

Just looking for tips.

We're trying our best to plan this so its as easy as possible.

TIA

 

[larryz]

September can be cooler, but don't count on it. November thru February are the more reliably cooler months, but it is Florida, so you can have relatively high temperatures during the traditional winter months.

Babies don't regulate their temperatures well, so you have to clothe them with that in mind.

"Ease" depends on the size of your diaper bag. You have to carry multiple outfits, several diapers, any special fluids or foods, with you into the parks.

And then there's the baby to worry about...

 

[Worldlover71]

My first trip to Disneyland was at two weeks old. Obviously I don't remember it, but I have great pictures and bragging rights!

September is during hurricane season so be prepared for possible storms and a lot of rain.

Most babies that young sleep a good part of the day so it will probably be easier for you than with a child that is a little older.

It is usually better to rent a stroller from an outside company or to bring your own. Disney only rents at each park so you cannot take it to your resort. However, with a baby that young, carrying it from your room to the park and back might not be that big of an issue.

 

[JIMINYCR]

The Disney parks have wonderful baby centers. Before going you can locate them on the maps. They provide great areas that are air conditioned, with changing areas and rocking chairs, prep areas, and they have assorted baby supplies on hand if needed. Bring with you to the parks: cooling cloths, baby wipes, lots of extra diapers, formula, sunscreen. Be aware of park areas where loud noises, events may startle the baby. Resorts have wonderful kiddie pools that will allow you to sit the child in the pool with you to offer cooling time. Some slow moving attractions can accommodate you and your baby but there is rider swap policy if you need to use it. The restaurants have baby high chairs and seats but make sure the baby is secured well and the seat is well placed so it wont tip over. Ive seen that quite a few times happen.
The biggest help is to try to keep the baby on his/her regular routine as much as possible. Too many parents try to vacation at Disney as if its their normal trip and forget the babies well being. You will have other opportunities to late night Disney party in the future.

 

[belledream]

We went with a one year old, which is very different than four months, but generally speaking...

September still feels like summer to me. We brought a stroller fan that we ran constantly and it really helped!

We went on pretty much every ride that didn't have a height requirement, including ones with drops like Pirates and Frozen. We swapped a couple of times - very easy system. We only sat for one show, but I think a 4 mo would handle that better than a 1 yo. Stayed for fireworks on two nights, but went back to the resort early for all the other nights. Rest was the key for setting up a great next day.

There's much less for a baby to do at Universal, in my opinion. But since you have such a big group, you could still do things while others watch the baby.

There will be a lot of downtime/feeding/naptime... I'd rent a decent stroller from outside Disney and plan to park it in the shade or hang out in AC'ed places very often.

Hope all goes well!

 

[KaliSplash]

We made a trip back in 1988 with a 4-month-old boy. His older brother was almost 3. Far and away the worst Disney trip we've ever taken. The 3-year-old was right at the stage where dark rides bothered him because of the dark. The 4-month old was so sensitive to the light that he couldn't do anything outside. So I took the 3-year-old and we did outside stuff, my wife took the baby and only did inside stuff. We met for meals and to go for naps/bedtime. I don't want to discourage you, but this is unlikely to be your best trip because of the logistics of handling the baby. That said, you're going in a large group, so many of them could have a good time. You can certainly get some pleasure from such a trip, but I strongly advise you to lower your expectations for your trip. (sorry to be a downer, but our effort didn't go well). Good luck!

 

[PhantomTeaMistress999]

Every year I've gone in September recently it's been hotter than some summer months. It's brutal, and it's also hurricane season.

I would never take a 4 month old to Disney period and definitely not when it's that hot. We took my 18mo old nephew many years ago and that was hard enough.

JMO though.

 

[DisNerd86]

We took our 4.5 month old in October and she was a dream. She napped so well in the stroller, lit up when she met Mickey, and generally made the whole experience more magical for me. We were fortunate to have four adults and the baby, so child swap was easy and grandma didn’t mind taking her back for bedtime while the rest of us stayed out a bit later.
My best advice is to take advantage of the baby care centers and set low expectations for doing a ton of rides. Being willing to go with the flow was key for us, so we didn’t have a lot of dining reservations (didn’t want to get stuck paying cancellation fees because of a baby meltdown). And have good sun protection for your stroller. We ended up buying an apron at F&W to use as a shield because the sun was so brutal walking around Epcot.
Overall, it was a trip I will always remember and I’m so glad we did it. Best of luck to you and your family!

 

[njdkad]

Hi just looked into stroller hire, try looking at wallmart stores in orlando, You can buy a new one for less than 100$,or a good one for less than 200$

 

[bryanfze55]

I’ve taken a 5 month old with me to Disneyland. It was totally fine. She pretty much was in a stroller, or my wife or I carried her in a baby carrier. Slept a lot.

September will likely be pretty hot. There’s no getting around that in Orlando. The good news is most queues and dining are indoors (or at least out of the sun). Prepare to spend a lot of time inside to stay cool.

Our infant did a lot of rides. Most dark rides are fine, and she even did Pirates of the Caribbean which has a small drop.

Really, a 4-month-old will be easier than a 1, 2, or 3 year old.

 

[NelleBelle]

We took our 4-week old to WDW (and his 2.5 yr brother). He was easier than the 2.5 yr old! It was a last minute trip and it we had a great time. We went in August and the weather was hot (and it was "love bug" season )! We used the baby centers, long attractions (hall of presidents, Ellen's Univ. of Energy--sadly no more, American Adventure, etc) to nurse and cool off. There were plenty of rides we could do with the baby and we had my mom along to help with rider swap. We took our own double stroller that allowed the baby to fully recline and we had an extended shade screen that we bought to attach to the stroller than gave more shade to the baby. Restaurants provided an infant high chair seat so I didn't have to hold him the whole meal. It was a great time and we'd do it again. Good luck with the fertility treatments!

 

[crawale]

Hello all!

New here!

Just wanted some advice. We've been to Florida many times, each time going to all parks. We're from the UK.

This time we're going as a big family, aunts uncles etc in September next year. All different ages so some wont come on certain rides so could potentially have baby.

If all goes to plan with fertility treatments etc, me and my partner could be taking a 4 or 5 month baby with us.

Can anyone give me some advice on this? Is it easy? Hard?

Any restrictions that we should bare in mind? I.e rides that would be hard to do a baby swap on and any family rides that babies of that cannot go on (and if you have knowledge on universal parks as well that would be great)

Did your baby struggle?

We've always gone in and around june and july. Is the weather much different in September? Cooler?

We'll be staying in a Villa and have a car as transport.
Ive seen many people recommend renting a stroller from a company outside disney etc.

Just looking for tips.

We're trying our best to plan this so its as easy as possible.

TIA

We live in Florida and September can be brutally hot as well as high hurricane season. Such a young baby would be miserable - maybe a better idea to wait a little. You can rent strollers that are delivered to your hotel and you can return them at the same. They are however extremely heavy having done this for our three year old grandson a few years ago. To fold it and carry it on the bus was hard but better than renting one at the park. Also remember that nowadays there are areas for stroller parking so you will end up carrying the baby to rides - some times a good distance away.

 

[jaklgreen]

As others have said, September in Florida is hot and humid. Not at all what it is like in the North. We waited until our youngest was 18 months old(they are 13 months apart so oldest was 2 1/2) to take them. I wanted them to have their immunization shots, especially for the diseases that can be fatal to infants. That may be over protective but I am old enough to remember people that have died from these diseases. That last thing that I wanted was for my baby to get the measles. Plus we also wanted them to be mobile so that they were able to walk around a bit instead of being in a stroller or a carrier in the heat all day. Plus you don't know what kind of temperament that your baby will have. They could be the best traveler in the world, or they could be one of those that still won't sleep through the night, etc.