Tips for Disney with a 14 month old baby

[jwildflower1981]

My daughter will be 14 months when we go to Disney the week after Thanksgiving 09. I have a few questions...
What rides will she be able to go on, if any? Can I have diapers shipped directly to the hotel?
Should I bring her big comfy stroller or buy a small umbrella stroller? How does that work on the airplane?
Will I need her carseat (flying) for DME?
I'm sure I'll have many more as we get further into planning, but thats all I have for now.:mickey:
Thanks!

[Madame Leona]

We had our diapers delivered by garden grocer but I'm guessing you can just use UPS and ship them to yourself at the resort. You don't and can't use a car seat on DME. I would bring your own stroller. Most airlines don't have a fee for you to gate check your stroller. Just wheel it up to the gate and they will give you a tag for it and throw it under the plane when you are boarding. I would double check with your airline though since the fees and rules seem to be changing daily. I hope that helps.

[TinyDancer]

I don't have a child myself, but watching people try to fold up those all-terrain hummer strollers, I'd say bring an umbrella one!!! Or at least one that opens and closes with one hand. But remember you'll have to take it on all the Disney transportation you use and that could be a real hassle with a huge one. So that's my suggestion. :)

[Beast_fanatic]

As far as rides, she'll be able to go on anything that doesn't have a height requirement (which is a lot).

[Disney Doll]

What rides will she be able to go on, if any?
We took my son for his first trip in Oct at 12 months and we are going back in a couple of weeks at 15 months. There are lots of things little ones can ride. Anything without a height requirement is fair game. There's probably more for toddlers at MK, but my son had lots of fun at each park.

Can I have diapers shipped directly to the hotel?
Yep. We did that. I just mailed a package to myself at the resort about week in advance. Although, since we fly SW, I'm thinking I will just pack diapers in our luggage this trip since we are allowed 2 pieces of luggage per ticketed passenger. That way I don't have to pay to ship a package.

Should I bring her big comfy stroller or buy a small umbrella stroller?
I think umbrella strollers are so much easier to use at WDW. Not only are they much easier to fit on buses, but they are just so much easier to maneuver in crowds. We have a Chicco C5 which was perfect at Disney. It's an umbrella, but it still has a lot of the features you probably have on your bigger stroller like reclining seat, rain guard, storage basket, cup holder, etc.

How does that work on the airplane?
You can ask at the counter for a gate check tag for your stroller. Wheel your stroller right up to the plane and then leave it at the end of the ramp just before you board. A baggage person will stow it underneath and then have it ready for you on the ramp when you get to your destination.

Will I need her carseat (flying) for DME?
Nope.

Just ask if you have more questions. Have fun planning!

[dolphinmickey9170]

What rides will she be able to go on, if any? As long as there is no height requirement, your little one can go on any attraction.

Can I have diapers shipped directly to the hotel? We used Garden Grocer for all our grocery items, diapers included. There is a $40 minimum and a $12 delivery fee. Worth every penny if you ask me.

Should I bring her big comfy stroller or buy a small umbrella stroller? I would suggest bringing their comfy stroller. Have you ever really watched a child in an umrella stroller? They tend to be "folded" in half, not very supportive, cannot lay out. We have used the comfy stroller everytime and our DGD has been very happy.

How does that work on the airplane? You gate check your stroller right at the gate you are getting on. They will put a tag on it and when you get off the plane, you just wait outside the door of the plane while they unload your stroller.

Will I need her carseat (flying) for DME? Most airlines allow infants under two to fly for free. We did not use a carseat. We used a harness that buckled through our seatbelt and she sat in my lap.

I would suggest a dose of benadryl and motrin about 45 minutes before boarding the plane. The combination will relax, if not help your little one to sleep, and it will also help with any pain they would feel from the cabin pressure. This worked very well for our DGD.

Have a safe trip. Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

[peemagg]

We traveled a year ago with two 13 month old babies. One thing that we brought that was a lot of help when it came to lines and on buses was a pack to carry them in. It made it feel safer to us to know on the buses that they were connected to us and could not fly out of our arms on sudden stops or turns. It also freed up our hands to allow for carrying other things and folding up strollers. We bought one of those hip ones that are good for up to 35 lbs.

We also brought a stroller that I considered to not be a umbrella, but also not a full size stroller. We actually had a total of 3 Combi strollers with us since their older sister was only 2.5. I think the heaviest of the 3 strollers was around 11 lbs and they all folded up pretty small and easily. They also had features like being able to recline to allow the kids to sleep in more comfortably, which they did. We never had to go back to the hotel in the middle of the day for naps because they just slept in their strollers.

If you are going to buy a new stroller, then I suggest getting one that has some of the features of a larger stroller, but folds and weighs about the same as a umbrella stroller. If you just buy your typical $20 umbrella from Walmart or where ever you will probably be cussing yourself out since neither you or the child is comfortable. Umbrella strollers are often short and adults are often hunched over trying to push them. Real tough on a back.

[BedknobsandBroomsticks]

I would not take a real cheap umbrella stroller to WDW. My son felt very unsafe in it with all those people around him. If you have a McClaren that is a different story. We, however, took our double full size stroller for many years. My DH was always in charge of fold up and carry on the bus so I just handled the kids. We liked it because it had full storage underneath, which believe me you will need. It also didn't tip backwards if you hung bags on it, which, let's not fib... we all do. We had cup holders, junior won't want to hold his own cup all day, then where do you put it. If need be our older daughter could even ride for a while which was impossible in the umbrella stroller because she's to tall. Full reclining of back for when he was tired, very few umbrellas recline all the way. Better wheels for rough terrain and long distances. Again, it's just my two cents, others may disagree but we loved taking our regular full size stroller. Just food for thought. We went with ages 10mos., 3 and 6 and up from there. Here's an extra tip from many years of kid travel. Go to the store and by velcro in the sewing department. You can cut to suit length and make straps for the stroller. You can then hang alot of stuff on the big stroller, they work great and it's cheap too. Have fun planning.:mickey:

[jwildflower1981]

Thank you all so much for all your replys. If you have any more ideas or tips about anything at all , please keep them coming. I'm new to this whole motherhood thing, so so anything will help! :mickey: