Advice re: taking 6 week old to Disney

[scrapper]

I am unsure whether to take my newborn to Disney in October. We also have a 9 & 4 yr old. Has anyone taken a young baby before? What are your thoughts? I feel it won't be too bad b/c he sleeps most of the time. I look forward to hearing your responses.
thanx

 

[CarolMN]

This may not be what you want to hear, but I would not take a newborn to Disney World. IMHO, a newborn is way too young to be exposed to so many people and germs. I also wonder if you (the Mom) have had enough time to completely recover and regain your stamina from the birth. I think you should ask your family doctor about both of these issues.

Have you really thought about the amount of "stuff" you will have to take along to properly care for the baby? What about the weather? Will you be able to keep your baby out of the sun? Suncreen is NOT safe for newborns. Again, ask your doctor.

Under the cirmcumstances, I can't help but wonder how much your other children will be able to enjoy the trip. My advice, FWIW, is to wait until the baby is older and less vulnerble.

Best wishes.

 

[dzneprincess]

My DS was 8 weeks old when we went in November of 1999. and while it broke my heart to leave him behind, I know in my heart of hearts it was the right decision. I shudder just thinking about everything needed to care for a newborn at home, let alone a theme park. If at all possible, I would highly recommend leaving behind until at least 2 years of age. We have taken all our kids when they turn 2. My DS's 1st trip is in a few weeks!! He is very excited. And trust me, even an 2 it can be rough. BUt, we have been many times, so we allow ourselves to dawdle

 

[mommyof2girls]

My daughter's first trip to Disney was when she was just under three months old. I would do it again in a heartbeat. We took along our own stroller with a top on it for protection of the sun. There are sunscreens safe for infants (check on what brand your pediatrician recommends). I made sure she wore a hat the entire time. During that trip (1994), it was hot in November and she wore mostly onesies. I was nursing her and there were lots of places to stop and feed her and everyone was really nice and helpful. I suppose if you were using bottles, it might be a little more of a hassle if you had to warm them up. So the adults could go on the rides, we used baby swap. It was very easy...and, like I said, I would do it again in a minute.

 

[scrapper]

Thanks for all responses.
mommyof2girls, It was great to hear about your positive expereince with your dd.
Any other thoughts?

 

[mommyof2girls]

On that trip when my dd was three months old...we were sitting with her in the back of Toontown (where the train is, sort of at the end...not much back there). We were sitting on a bench and taking a break for awhile. My dd was awake but not crying and I was holding her to give her a break from the stroller. There's a building back there (I can't remember what it is) and some characters came out the back door. There was no one else around and Smee came over. Of course, the characters don't talk but Smee motioned for me to get up and he (though I think it really was a woman) sat down and motioned for me to give him my dd. He held my daughter for, honestly, like 20 minutes and rocked her back to sleep. Amazing!!! She, of course, has no memory of this but it's a memory I won't soon forget!

 

[erikthewise]

Be aware that there are very few attractions you can take a stroller into, even to wait in line. Don't count on doing a lot of attractions. And since you undoubtedly would be bringing your own stroller, you may not feel comfortable leaving it outside those attractions you can do with a baby on your lap. You may find yourself just strolling around in the theme parks.

 

[mommyof2girls]

We've brought our own stroller to every trip to Disney and we leave them unattended all the time - outside rides, restaurants, etc. - and never had a problem. I even used to leave the diaper bag and jackets and things and never had anything taken. One time, a stroller was moved about 10 feet away by a cast member but, other than that, no one touched it. One suggestion, however - tie a bright ribbon or something around the handle so you can easily identify it if there are others just like it.

 

[Dolizza]

We took our just 12 week old. It was great. I BREAST FED everywhere. She went on every ride except those with a warning. We had a great time. I'm so glad I took her. PLEASE don't hesitate to take your baby. If you have any questions PLEASE E-mail me.
DOLIZZA@AOL.COM

 

[robinb]

I took my DD to WDW for the first time when she was 4 moths old and we had a great time. We also had some wonderful character interactions ... they really love babies. If you were a first-time mother, I would worry about you taking a baby so young. However, you already have 2 kids, so you are aware of what takes to keep a newborn happy and healthy. If you don't have a sling or snugli already, you should buy one. They are a lifesaver for standing in lines and going on rides with a baby.

I think that if you don't bring the baby you will really miss her. I ran into one woman who began to cry when she saw my DD saying that her DD was the same age. She left the baby with her grandparents because some genius scheduled an "adults only" trip to WDW.

Here is a photo of my nephew with Donald at Chef Mickey's at 6 weeks old:

 

[BevS97]

I;ve posted on your other thread (On the resorts boards)
I say go for it - with a little planning you should be fine - my dd just slept and ate at 6 weeks, it couldn't have been easier.

if you are bottle feeding, then I have the best tip.

put the boiled/cooled water into sterilised bottles, BUT don't add the powder - I think in the States I bought pre-measured sachets of powder, or over here (In the UK) I have a little tupperware container that holds 3 feeds worth of powder - I just measure the correct amount into the container.

When we are out and about there is no need to refridgerate and you don't have to worry about the milk going off (this always concerned me) and when you baby wants a feed you just tip the powder into the bottle and shake - since the water's not ice-cold my dd was always quite happy to take the bottle just like that - no need to try and warm it in a jug of boiling water (always takes forever, and seems pretty dangerous).

We liked this procedure that we used it all the time, even at home, at night I would take 3 bottles and 3 tubs of formula upstairs and then when she woke I would be able to feed her very quickly.

Bev

 

[tinaluis]

We took our oldest (who is now 5) when she was just about 8 weeks and we had a WONDERFUL time. I had no problems breastfeeding or bottlefeeding (I did both). I second RobinB's recommendation for a Snuggli carrier. It was a lifesaver for the waits in line and babyswap worked great. We have a trip planned in November and our youngest will be about 12 weeks. I can't wait. If there was anything negative about the first trip with an infant, I wouldn't have scheduled one with our new daughter. It really depends on you and your parenting style -- we take our daughters everywhere with us (even to the office fortunately) -- so the minor inconveniences of lugging diapers, stroller, carrier, formula, etc. are just that, minor. Besides, we'd be doing it at home too, so why not enjoy WDW while doing it? Enjoy!

 

[kecall]

We took our DD when she was 11 weeks old! It was a wonderful trip!

The key to the success of a trip with a small baby is to accept that you won't be able to run around like you can with older kids....You will have to take lots of breaks and be flexible, but if you are all willing to do that, then you will have a blast! I spent quite a bit of time in the BabyCare Centers (which are all wonderful -- except the one at MGM was dinky!) while my DH & older DD would go hit some more rides. I didn't mind because it gave me some bonding time with my baby and it gave my DH and other DD time to bond too.

Plan your trip so that you are not rushing around (like don't make reses. for breakfast at 7:30 a.m.!!!) and you will enjoy yourself......