14 Month Old Infant Schedule?

[tadcd]

We will be in WDW in mid-November - 1 bdrm. BCV - our baby will be 14 months old. This is our first little one and we have no idea what to expect in terms of his schedule (waking/eating/sleeping). I'll need to make ADRs in the Spring and I'm stumped.

Please tell me what "most" kids this age are like to help me make plans...we know that this will be a very low key holiday with lots of time at the resort which is why we splurged on teh 1 BDRM at our favorite location.

Thanks in advance to those experienced parents out there...

(If it helps...his current schedule at 4 months...
He is up at around 7 am, has 30-45 min naps every 2-3 hrs. and is down around 8 pm, up once at around 3:30 am for a bottle. He is very high energy - needs to let off steam in his play yard -think he might tear the thing apart since he's discovered his "power arm." He is eager to be on the move, wouldn't be surprised if he starts crawling soon.)

[peemagg]

I know that when we took our 13 month old twins, they were very easy to take. They were either in their strollers most of the time or in a front pack baby carrier. They loved it. There was so much for them to see, that they would just get exhausted looking and fall asleep in the stroller or pack. We never had to go back to the room to allow them to nap because they napped wherever they were.

If your baby isn't as easy going about change to his routine, then you will probably have to follow what he is like at the time at home. Every baby is different and some take to changes better than others. My best suggestion is to just follow their lead and do what is best for them.

[jonahbear2006]

I think you are thinking about it too much and you have no idea what kind of schedule your baby will have in disney world. What we did with our little guy was plop him in the stroller and that became his new home for the week. He did marvelously! You will be suprised how much they dont mind being toted around disney world bc there are so many things to see and hear. Its not like a full day of shopping or being at a normal park; kids seem to love it here and really make it their home quickly. I would book your ADRS for whenever you want and just take baby along. Be sure to add baby into the ressie so that if you need to, you can bring the stroller in with you. That has helped me out a lot in the past.

[MommaMouse]

I'm glad you made a reservation for a 1 bedroom as we did for our first trip with our13mth old boy. He ended up getting the room with the king size bed and we got the pullout couch because it just didn't work sleeping in the same room without him getting up multiple times.
As far as scheduling goes, you really do have to be flexible because every child is different. Ours was a bit more into walking so he was definitely not content to just stay in the stroller most of the day. he needed to get out and explore his surroundings at his own pace. He did end up taking 2 naps a day. One was typically taken in the stroller and the other back in the room. To me, sleep was essential for helping my boy adjust to this new environment where there was so much to see and do.
We also never did any sit down restaurants because we knew it wasn't going to be worth it having one adult eat while the other tried to wrangle and entertain a very energetic 13mth old boy. We had tried to take him to restaurants before but it was just really frustrating. We ended up ordering groceries to be delivered to our hotel and we ate at counter services for some meals.
I guess what I'm trying to say is just be as flexible as possible. Know that this vacation will be much different as you need to go at your child's pace as opposed to your own agenda otherwise you risk having a horrible vacation. Our trip was awesome because we finally were able to share the disney excitement with our little boy. Best wishes for your trip.

[Janmac]

You've gotten some good tips so far. Especially the being flexible, and definitely take your cues from him.

Hopefully you'll have some idea as to how he does in restaurants before time to make ADRs. We've generally had good results with restaurants but we usually eat at character meal buffets for sit down, when the kids with us have been very young. We brought some favorite small toys to keep kids occupied while in high chairs in restaurants.

Very likely your little guy will be running all over everywhere at home, having learned recently how to walk. And he may not like being restrained from running/exploring as much as he wants to.

However, once at Disney, with all the sensory input streaming in, he may be very content to remain in his stroller. I'd recommend making sure he's used to being in his stroller.

Our grandniece refused to ride in a cheaper umbrella type stroller. Her grandmother sprang for a MacLaren Triumph which was apparently much more comfy. And contrary to the recall reports, we never had any problems with pinched fingers. But my niece always made sure to keep her daughter away from the stroller while she was folding it up.

You may find that your little guy naps in his stroller as he needs to. The increased sensory input may tire him more than he's used to at home. If he's still up early, take advantage of that and plan to be in the park at rope drop. And plan to be at your resort in the afternoon.

One of our little guys was so keyed up his first trip to WDW he didn't nap for 5 days. That fifth day he napped for hours.

It's very good that you got the one bedroom, because when you get back to your "home away from home" your son will be itching to run all over, working off some energy.

We have brought leashes with us when traveling with new walkers who want to run everywhere, and used them, no matter what looks we've gotten. Better a tethered child than a lost one. One of the best leashes was the animal backpack one. Our grandniece was barely aware of the leash and was tickled to have her own backpack.

Jan

[sara114]

Make sure you visit the baby changing area in MK. This area is air conditioned and provides a safe area for the little ones to get out of the stroller and run. I believe they also have changing tables and nursing areas if you need them.

[Momto3littlemice]

Another agreement that every baby is different. I have never had a stroller baby... so wait and see what works for your little guy when the time comes. We baby wear and did great with our little one at 8 months in the ERGO on our back (or front). Better than a stroller because you take it in the line with you and on the ride too! No tired baby legs or tired Mom/Dad holders!

Many kids at 14 months are working on the transition between 2 to 1 naps. AGain, depends on your child when they make this transition and also whether or not his schedule will be important at Disney. Some toddlers are content to go with the flow and grab a nap during the day, others need to be in a bed to get that nap. No way to tell at this point.

I would say to make your ADRs for whenever you want (at kid friendly places) and then cancel as you get closer if you realize this won't work for your son. We have found for our small children that a lunch ADR or a very early ADR (4:30 or 5 pm) are the best times. Once you get to 6 or later you start to lose them in their tiredness and dinner becomes a hassle instead of a treat.

[Disney Doll]

We took our oldest when he was 15 months. I don't remember his exact schedule, but I do remember that we were generally at the parks by 8-9am. We returned to the room after lunch for nap and then were back in the parks by 4-5pm. We usually left for the night 8-9pm. Sometimes he would take shorter 30 minute naps in the stroller especially in the morning. It worked out well. The very best tip is to just be flexible and follow baby's cues. I would plan for early lunch 11-12 and early dinner 5-6.

[LVT]

I am certain he will let you know. Mine were both walking by then. The harness leash devices were good for some exercise when the stroller palled.

[RBrooksC]

My son, the first time we went, was 20 months when we took him. We had plans of when we would get to the parks, when we would leave, come back, etc. When ended up happening was he made his own schedule. He fell asleep well before we were thinking about leaving so he would nap in his stroller. So, we decided against leaving the part mid-day and just let him nap when he wanted. Since we were there in September when the park hours were shorter, we went back to the hotel early, went for a swim and he was in bed by 9 PM.

[megustamex]

He'll probably be on one nap when you go. When my kids were that age, we would do one park in the morning and one in the evening (they napped on a late afternoon schedule). We always planned on being in the park for about 3 hours whether it was morning or night, and then heading back to the hotel. My kids wouldn't nap in the stroller, so we had to go back to the hotel for naps.

As far as restaurants, we found buffets to be really hard because one adult is always up getting food while the other is trying to eat and watch the kid. However you can bolt quickly if things go downhill with a cranky baby. But overall we felt that regular TS restaurants were nicer because we could actually eat together.

Here are a few other things that made our trips easier:

1. Rent a car if possible. Once the meltdown starts to occur, you can get out of the park quickly, on your schedule. No waiting for buses, hoping you get a seat, etc. And generally once the kid is back in his own car seat, all is well.

2. Don't plan on doing a lot of adult-oriented rides unless you like being away from your spouse for extended periods of time. The first time we went with babies, we did rider swap on everything and realized we were having a lot of solo experiences, which wasn't really what we wanted our trip to be about. The next time we just did stuff the kids could go on too (which is a lot!). It was much less hectic and more enjoyable.

3. Bring food into the parks for your baby. It's so much easier to have backup food that you know they'll eat than trying to find something in the park every time.

4. Plan on only doing 3-4 rides or shows per trip into each park, especially if you're only staying for a few hours each time and going back to the hotel for naps. We used to be power Disney-files, running around and trying to fit as much in as possible. It won't be like that with a kid. You'll find that Disney can be an amazingly relaxing vacation vs. one that you might have had before kids! Plus your child will be entertained by everything, giving you and your spouse a break!

Have fun!

[tadcd]

WOW my husband and I are so grateful for all of your thoughtful responses. Intercotees are the best! The advice is fabulous, and I feel much more comfortable with making flexible plans. Thank you very much!

-Teresa