When to do Disney with a new baby

[May524]

Morning All!
I'm due in March and my mother brought up going to Disney yesterday this December. My new baby will be approximately 9 months at that time. Is this too young to go? Will it be more hassle than fun? We will be traveling with a large group (10+). What age did you bring your baby? Any feedback is appreciated! :thumbsup:

[T--]

Go for it. We took our 5 month old when my oldest was almost 3. My youngest was great; he loved it and was totally into all the sights. Those new experiences expand their brains.

We brought our own stroller, one where the car carrier clips into, and he slept while we walked around and in line. My wife put him in the bjorn for the rides and we brought him into the restaurants in his car carrier.

[Taja]

We just took a 14-week-old infant with us in December! He was terrific--but mom and grandma are responsible for that. I just had some nice cuddle time! :)

In some ways it's a lot of work, in others it isn't. It really depends on the child, how well socialized he/she is and the parents. Our trip involved a lot of preparation and planning--for the baby! Formula, diapers, teething issues and the doctor's blessing that he was good to go!

He was fine during the flights (CA to AZ and AZ to MCO and return connecting flights) and was absolutely fascinated with the sights and sounds at Pop Century--particularly the food court. He and his big sister (age 9) would have been happy hanging out at the resort most of the time! :)

[ThanxForNoticin]

It certainly depends on the baby, but 9-months old is certainly not a problem for enjoying Disney. And if you are in a large group (assuming other members in the group will take some time with the baby), you will all have a great time. Just remember that you'll probably have to move a little slower and adjust the schedule at times to accomodate the baby. But we had our kids there very young, and they had a very good time - they don't remember any of it, though, so get lots of pictures!!

[mickey&missy]

We are going in March and my youngest will be 9 months at the time. I really am not forseeing it being a problem to have a little one along. Just more stuff to take. I think he'll enjoy all the stuff to see.

We are a party of 9, including him. My MIL and FIL are part of the party. I know my MIL will likely sit out most rides with him, she isn't much of a ride person. She mostly enjoys the sights, shows and characters.

[merlinmagic4]

I think it's a lot easier than bringing a young toddler! We brought our youngest when he was one and then when he was 19 months. It was a lot easier with a non-walker who kind of hung out in the stroller or our arms. I'm all for independence so traveling with a curious, walking toddler was a lot more work (but also a lot more fun for him!). You'll have a great time so go for it :mickey:

[NJMan66]

I took my youngest at 8mos old. It was wonderful. All the action at the park made her nap pretty easily in her stoller each day.

Plan on having lots of down time, though. And make sure you or your husband get a room where you can get away (preferably a balcony or another adjoined room) when you put the baby asleep at night. A good night sleep will result and a much happier time. :mickey:

[SAHDad]

We took our oldest when he was about 9 months, and it wasn't a problem. We were in a pretty large group (10? 12? something like that), and the main problems came from other people in our group who were not understanding that, when we said "DS needs to go to sleep now," we meant it, because we knew the signs of impending meltdown and they didn't.

(Funnily enough, one of the people who was least understanding about naptime and the like now has her own child, and has declared that she will be vigorously enforcing it on our next trip. Which is tomorrow! Yikes - I need to get packing.)

[WelshieLover]

We took our youngest when he was 4 months old. We were with a large group of people (that helped). The other posters are right about diapers, equipment etc., but it worked well. I think merlinmagic4 hit it on the head though - a non mobile infant can be easier than a toddler! If your 9 month old is crawling by the time you go it maybe a challenge. You see so many babies who get cranky when they want to get out of their strollers and explore. I think all the sites and sounds will intrigue your baby and keep he/she occupied.

You will know your babies cues. Take time off to have your baby nap, whether that is going bakc to the hotel or comfortably in a stroller. Use the baby centers onsite to nurse, feed, or chaange your baby's diaper. it is nice and quiet in there and usually there are rocking chairs. Your child will not remember the trip, but you will never forget the look in his/her eyes taking in all the excitment! Nothing beats seeing WDW through a child's eyes, no matter their age.

[LuvAllPrincesses]

I also think the biggest thing will be your baby's mobility. We took our DS last year at 5 weeks old and it was no problem (except lugging the 2 piece stroller/seat system...what a pain on buses, resorted to the Baby Bjorn most of the time instead). He is now 14 months old and a trip to Disney would be very tiring for us at this age. Once he could crawl (7 months), he always wanted to crawl, and once he could walk (10 months), he always wants to walk. But if you know in advance that you are going with a 9-month old, you could always do a lot of stroller time from birth until then so the baby is very used to riding in the stroller. Or likewise if you go the sling/Baby Bjorn route.

But I am of the philosophy that no age is a bad age to take a baby to Disney, you just have to be prepared for what your baby may be like there! I don't know of many people who come back after taking a baby and say it was a big mistake and they would never do it again. If someone invited me on a trip to Disney, I'd still take the difficult 14 month old at the drop of a hat, and just know that chasing him would be a huge part of my vacation while the older siblings were doing their thing with Dad, but that I'd have a much more fun time chasing him around Cinderella Castle than chasing him around my kitchen island like I do every day!

[DisneyDog]

We used to live in Florida, and we used to go to WDW every few months. We took DS5 to WDW for the first time when he was about 2 months old. He was never really a problem, but there were a lot of diaper change stops! By his 2nd trip, at about 5 months, he was already interested in what was going on. He loved seeing the lights and hearing the music. By about 8 months he was even easier, and it made the trip a lot of fun. Go for it and enjoy creating lots of memories!

[Mammabruski]

We took my 8 month old DD this past September to WDW and it was awesome! My sister, on the other hand, refused to go with us (my parents were footing the whole tab) because her DS, who was just over a year old, didn't have his MMR shots yet, and was afraid he'd get the mumps on the plane. Has anyone ever heard of a baby getting mumps on a plane? Her husband even went as far as saying we were negligent parents for bringing our DD on a plane and to Disney at that age. Go figure.

[Peterpanflight]

im due in March and we are going the first week in june. Some may say that is too early but i have been going to disney 4 times a year ever since i was 2 mo old! I plan to raise my kids the same way!

[T--]

How young can kids fly?
I think our Dr. barely got comfortable flying our 4 month old, but I could be wrong. Mrs. T-- usually handles that sort of stuff.

[teambricker04]

We were told by one doctor to wait until our baby was three months to fly due to their immune system. Our current pediatrian didn't really mind one way or another. I really think it depends on the baby.

Our oldest was 10 months old when he first went to Disney and our second was 5 month. Really, it just depends on the child, but both kids were great and both came with different sets of issues. DS#1 was mobile and DS#2 spit up ALL THE TIME. Gross.

Do it. Disney is probably the best place on earth to vacation with a baby.

[dteed]

We waited until our youngest was walking, he was mabey 13 months i guess. At 9 months, go for it, I am sure it will be fun.

[dfamasb]

My first trip with kids was in 2005 with my husband and our 9 month old twins. The only downside then was we couldn't ride the rides that weren't "baby friendly" together. The second trip with kids was with my husband, mom, step-dad, 2 year old twins and a 6 month old baby. Having the extra grown-ups helps. It is more work and you have to go slower...mid-day breaks are a must, but my babies all loved it. The sights and sounds are fun even if they don't know what they are looking at!

[Dyanna]

We took DD this past Oct 2007 & at the time she was only 10 months old. When she was not napping in her stroller she was enjoying everything. She loved looking at all the sights & having her pictures taken with the characters. Have some wonderful photos to show her when she gets older:mickey: