travelling with 6 month old....tips please!

[lawgirl]

We are travelling with my 6 month old son in December. This is our first time travelling with a baby.

For all you veteran parents out there, what are your best tips for travelling with an infant? We are definitely bringing an umbrella stoller.

Thanks for your help!

[iheartdisney]

You've already said you were bringing your own stroller - and I agree. At that age, something comfortable for them to snooze in is a must! I'd also bring a bright towel or scarf to tie onto the handle for easy identification when you come out of an attraction.

Also, don't know if you're nursing still but the Baby Care centers in every park are wonderful. Quiet areas for nursing, places to change your child that is a bit more comfortable than the restrooms, supplies in case you forgot anything and quiet areas to get your child out of the heat/noise/chaos if you need it. I would scope out every one once you enter the park so you know where to go when the time arises.

Have a wonderful time! And good for you, introducing your child to the wonderful world of Disney as soon as possible!

[diz_girl]

The main rule is to keep to their schedule. You need to keep to the baby's schedule for feedings and naps as best you can.

I've never traveled with a 6 month old (we had vacations as 2 months and 13 months), so I can't say for exactly a 6 month old. However, 6 month olds are pretty easy to manage in comparison to other ages. You have their routines down, you don't have to worry about tantrums, mealtimes are easy as compared to a toddler, they don't have a will of their own yet and most aren't mobile yet. Plus, they can keep themselves entertained for a little while with their fingers, toes and anything else that they can stick in their mouth.

A friend of mine actually had a cross-country vacation with their 6-month old and as long as they stuck to the baby's schedule, everything worked out OK. Obviously, it wasn't easy (as it was a cross-country trip), but she was glad they did it and had a nice time.

Ditto on the Baby Centers. My particular favorite is at AK.

[faline]

I've never traveled to Disney with a child that age but those who have highly recommend using the Baby Care Centers in each of the parks!

[JenniferS.]

I would bring a more comfortable stroller than an umbrella stroller imo, something that you can lean back because I'm sure your baby will be taking a lot of naps in it.

Not sure if you thought of this, but you can mail a box to your resort w/ all his items you will need...diapers, wipes, food, bottles, formula...

I've never traveled w/ an infant so i'm not sure what else. I think it will be a very memorable trip for you to see Disney through his eyes. Have a good time.

[eandrsmom]

I have traveled pregnant and with babies. I would tell you to make sure that they are hydrated and out of the hot, Florida sun. The Baby Care Centers in each park are great. Also, we used Garden Grocer to deliver diapers, wipes,baby food, and bottled water to our room. We were flying, and didn't want to pack too much.
You will be surprised as to how many attractions you can take the baby on. My kids did almost everything at MK when they were that age. (Except anything with height restrictions.) You will be able to "baby swap" on any attraction with a height restriction, so you won't have to stand in line twice.
I think you'll have a great time. I've always thought that a six month old is much easier to travel to WDW with than a 2 year old.

[wdw_bound]

I can't say enough good things about the Baby Bjorn carrier. With my DD, I bought a cheap carrier and ditched it after just a few attempts. When DS came along, I splurged on the Baby Bjorn and loved it! At WDW, it was great because I could be "hands free" with him, and still feel secure on the rides. In the Bjorn, he was comfy, and when he was sleepy, I'd change his position to face me so he could snooze. I had a stroller with me, but didn't use it much. As a PP mentioned, an umbrella stroller at this age may not work as well for you.

We also had a cloth quilted thingy (have no idea what it was called) that fit in highchairs and shopping carts to keep baby a little more protected fron those surfaces. At that age, you'll want to take something as well to make those institutional highchairs fit a little more snugly, if you are able to use them at all.

I also brought a bigger than usual blanket to lay down on the floor of the room to give him floor time each day.

Kiddos at this age are very portable ;) Have a great trip!:mickey:

[dixielandings]

[QUOTE=iheartdisney;2101022]
Also, don't know if you're nursing still but the Baby Care centers in every park are wonderful. Quiet areas for nursing, places to change your child that is a bit more comfortable than the restrooms, supplies in case you forgot anything and quiet areas to get your child out of the heat/noise/chaos if you need it. I would scope out every one once you enter the park so you know where to go when the time arises.
QUOTE]

DITTO! They are the best. We had our DD at WDW at 2 months and DL at 6 months. We had a great time both times. Just pace yourselves and be prepared to care for your baby's needs.

A weather note - we were at WDW last December (when baby was 2 months) and it was pretty chilly at night. Be sure to have something to cover with and keep her/him nice and tucked into the stroller away from the night air. There's so much to enjoy after dark at Christmastime at WDW! So dress appropriately and have a good time!

[lawgirl]

Wow! Thanks for all the helpful tips! Will definitely be checking out the Baby Centers...I wish every place we went to had a Baby Center! Also, will be bringing the Baby Bjorn. I love that thing, and so does our baby. It will be perfect for WDW.

I appreciate all the tips!

[AgentP]

We brought our DD when she was 6 months. We decided to stay at the Polynesian so we'd be on the monorail. This was a great choice, there was no need to take her out of the stroller if she was sleeping before or after the parks, we just wheeled her right on! I agree with bringing a stroller that reclines instead of an umbrella stroller. I'm not sure if you are flying down, but if you are, make sure you have the baby drink a bottle during take off and landing to help pop her ears. Also, don't forget the infant Tylenol and Motrin just in case! I hope you have a fantastic trip with your baby :mickey:

[DisneyWFan]

I know everyone keeps saying to skip the umbrella stroller for comfort but I had a stroller that was kinda in the middle & it worked beautifully (combi)It was on the smaller side & folded easily like an umbrella stroller but it had cushioning so it was more comfy than the average umbrella stroller. Between that & the baby bjorn we did fine. Actually we did so well on our trip with that carriage that it has gone to Disney 2 more times with our friends too.

[Joannelet]

We brought our Chicco stroller with us when our son was 7 months old. THe baby centers are WONDERFUL!! I cannot express that enough. If you forget anything or need anything it is right there. The cleanliness is what really won me over :) SOOOO CLEAN!!! :)
We would go there whenever we felt he was getting too overwhelmed...he calmed down and relaxed. We would hit the bathrooms, change him, give him something to eat etc. I could have spent all day in there! LOL
THis age is the EASIEST in my eyes. People thought I was crazy bringing an infant but I have to tell you now that he is a toddler I want to wait another year before we go. At that age (the infant stage) they just go wherever you go! :)
We were also there in December when he turned a year..my advice (and I regretted not having this) was a plastic cover to go over the stroller in case it rained. When we took him out to go on rides we tried putting ponchos over the stroller to keep it dry but since many times the strollers are moved etc by cast members the ponchos would fall off or move by the wind and his seat would be soaked....:( So bring a cover if you can for the stroller. It would have been so helpful while he was in it as well as out of it.
Enjoy making Disney memories with your baby!

[Ropachs]

Lots of prayer ;)

[Sam&Alex&Josh'sMOM]

I second the stroller cover... a REAL one, And if you are going into a show that you will be in for a while... even if it is sunny out,,, just put it over the stroller! So many times we would come out to a wet stroller after a quick rainfall during a show!

Baby bjornes are GREAT!

I found it easier to bring ny daughter at 8 months than it was a year later!

Reclinable stroller is a must!

Have fun!!!

[diz_girl]

When we traveled to WDW, we brought our Maclaren Triumph. It is an umbrella stroller, but is better than most because:
- it folds easily and compactly (we stored it under the vanity in our room at WL and could take it on the escalator at the CR).
- it reclines slightly for naps
- has a footrest so kids' legs aren't dangling
- comes with a canopy for shade
- comes with a small basket for stowing stuff (but not a diaper bag)
- is taller than most so you aren't hunching over when pushing or and aren't kicking the wheels
- comes with a rain hood
-has a built in shoulder strap for ease of carrying
-is easily maneuverable, so you can turn it with one hand.
-the seat is fabric, not mesh, so their bottom doesn't get cold.

One compaint is that it doesn't come with a cupholder. This hasn't been a problem with us. Also, if you hang too much off the handles and take the baby out, it will tip over. It might even tip over with the baby in it if you overload the handles, but that would be the case with any unbrella stroller.

Unless your baby is tiny, a six-month old isn't too small for this stroller. We never had a big stroller system and our son outgrew his infant seat by 6 months (he was really big his first year.)

I don't know if you're aware, but you must collapse all strollers before you bring them onto the buses. So if you will be using the buses, you might want an umbrella stroller and pack lightly. We used a backpack diaper bag and that worked well for us. However, if you will be driving to the parks, you won't have to worry about this problem.

[Disney Doll]

We've taken a few baby trips now.

1. Carrier is great. Great for the parks, great for the airport, etc.
2. Reclining stroller. We have an older Chicco C5, similar to the new Chicco Liteway. It is technically an umbrella, but with a lot of the features you find on bigger strollers. I cannot say enough good things about this stroller.
3. Stroller accessories. We use a kiddopotomus shade extension. It can pull down to block sun from almost any angle. We also got lots of questions about our clip fan for the stroller (maybe not an issue in Dec). Also, a rain cover is a must! It seems like you can't go to FL without finding rain. We also like the stroller travel bag so it stays nice and clean in the cargo area of the plane and so if anything detaches it is still contained.
4. Sun protection- hats, sunblock, shade, etc.
5. Grocery delivery or shipping a box of baby food/diapers/wipes. We've done both with good results.
6. Similar to the floor blanket tip we brought a beach towel to the parks (stowed under stroller) that way when we would stop for a snack or when we would be waiting for a parade we could let our little guy get out of the stroller and still have a nice place to stretch out.
7. A diaper bag that attaches to your stroller is great. Everything is at your fingers instead of buried in a hard to access under seat storage basket. You can even buy bag straps for your stroller if your bag doesn't have them.

[ANG]

We took DS at 5 months and plan to take him again this year at 18 months:mickey:

PPs have great tips. You may find a backpack makes for a better diaper bag.

[nfrustaci]

hubby and i traveled with our little one too. he was 1 yr old and we used the carrier on the plane. he slept the entire flight there and home. the flight attendants and the passangers thanked us for having a wonderful baby and the attendants couldn't say enough good things about us traveling with our baby in the carrier. we did bring the large stroller and we were thankful for that. we also brought a towel from the hotel to the parks for him incase he got cold. u can also pack a soft cooler with hs items in it. that was a great thing for us because our son had feeding issues and was still on formula then with milk inbetween. he was also eating yogurt so a cooler was a must. the larger stroller gave him enough room and there is a larger basket on the bottom for all the essential items u need. u will be surprised how much u actually need. a change of clothes, blanket, light jacket. diapers, wipes, food and the list goes on. its like u are packing for an overnight trip just to go to the park. any way we had a great time. and so did our son. so in conclusion i think that u should reconsider the umbrella stroller and go with the larger one. have a great trip. we will be there in nov with our now 2 year old son. we are still taking the larger stroller not the umbrella stroller.