What 2 Take? 3 yr old and 2 mo old
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| Tue, 05-22-2007 - 4:38pm |
Hi -
We are traveling to S. Florida to stay at a friends condo early Oct and while in the area are planning on doing a couple of days at Disney. We will have a 3 year old and a 2 month old at that point. While this isn't our full blown "take the kids to Disney so they'll remember it forever" trip we still want to have a good time and think the 3 year old will love it.
I have been to Disney zillions of times but never with kids so I imagine it will be a different experience. I need some suggestions on what to take/not take, strollers, hotels (want to stay on property), what parks to visit, any ideas, etc etc. Should we bring our own stroller and carseat carrier for the baby - I don't use those Baby Bjorn things.
I am not so much worried about the 3 year old but more how will we handle a 2 month old.
Are we nuts??? Thanks for your help!!!

This is out of my league right now (my youngest is 9!) but I can give you a little info if you don't mind, just to get off my mind the question I just posted!! :)
You said you don't use a baby carrier, but I want to encourage you to consider some variation of it for your 2 month old while on the trip. Unless you plan to leave her with another adult and not take her on any rides, the best place for babies during many of the rides your 3yo will enjoy, is as close to you as possible. :)
As for the stroller, the main hassle of bringing your own is getting them on and off buses, etc, although if you're driving, that's not an issue. Also having seen the rental strollers on the parks I would think a baby as young as yours should be kept in their own carseat/stroller for many reasons: comfort, familiarity, hygiene...! I know I'm not very helpful but just, food for thought...
Finally I would say the main thing to "bring" with you is lots of flexibility and patience and a willingness to follow your 3 year old's pace in order to avoid crankyness and irritation. The 2 month old will be alright as long as you keep her basic needs satisfied - for this, I have no personal experience with the Baby Centers at each park but hear they are a godsend. Also I've heard many people swear by the cooler, calmer attractions (Hall of Presidents at Liberty Square in the MK in particular, because it's I think about 20 minutes long!) as excellent napping/nursing places :)
Best of luck to you!
I don't think you'll find anyone here who will think you're nuts :) I haven't traveled with an infant but I know some of our board members
Val, Co-CL Disney Vacations
We took our kids when they were 3 yo and 4 months old. It is quite a difference with little ones... We drove (even though we live 16 hours away, LOL!) so that we could bring the strollers, formula, diapers, etc. We had a fully packed car! It actually was nice having the car there... We'd drive to the parks instead of taking the buses, and once, dd had a meltdown and we were able to hop right into the car and drive back to our resort. I could not have imagined taking the bus with her crying like that!
We brought 3 strollers... We had one side-by-side double stroller that we used mainly in the parks. We also took a very lightweight stroller for our 3 yo and one of those baby trend strollers that you just pop the infant carrier into. We liked using that one in the evenings, as we would just park the stroller and carry her into restaurants in her carrier--Great when she was sleeping.
I wasn't thrilled with using the Baby Bjorn carrier in the heat, but it was a lifesaver a few times. When it was raining, she was frightened by the rain cover on her stroller, so I put her in the carrier and pulled a rain poncho over the two of us, tearing it a little so that her head popped through. She also seemed to like it in the carrier when we were in lines or riding on the rides.
We learned early on that we had to stop every 1 1/2-2 hours at the baby care centers. We went during the summer, so she really needed a break from the sun, heat and crowds. We'd wipe her down, change her, and give her a bottle. Our 3 yo seemed to enjoy the break, too. He'd have a drink and watch the TV in the air conditioning. The baby care centers are LIFESAVERS! Be sure to find them and use them! Also be sure that both of your kids stay hydrated and check with your pediatrician about sunscreen on the baby. Also, pack some snacks for your 3 yo. Munching on dry cereal or pretzels kept our ds busy in lines or riding in the stroller.
Not sure what your budget is, but I would recommend staying at a monorail resort or the Yacht/Beach Club. The monorail makes it easy to get to the MK and Epcot....We stayed at the Yacht Club and walked to Epcot and even MGM, although that was a bit of a long walk!
We had a great time--even with the baby! She really enjoyed looking around and the characters paid a ton of attention to her (much to the delight of my 3 yo who was never ignored!).
Good luck and happy planning!
Claudia