Leaving one kid at home for a Disney trip

[SDFgirl]

Would you ever/have you ever left a baby at home, with relatives, to take your older kid to Disney?

 

[meandtheguys2]

I wouldn't. I like babies at WDW. It was by far the easiest place to vacation with infants. My opinion only!!!! Not a judgement on you or your choices!

 

[SDFgirl]

I wouldn't. I like babies at WDW. It was by far the easiest place to vacation with infants. My opinion only!!!! Not a judgement on you or your choices!

Thanks! It's not a choice of mine at all - I wish I had the option of going to Disney right now!

I was just thinking to the next few years...I have baby #1 on the way and want to take them to Disney when they're 2 or 3...but by that time baby #2 will (if all goes according to plan) be here or on the way. Never thought of doing Disney with a baby.

What makes it easy?

 

[poohandwendy]

I haven't, it just never occurred to me cause they are FREE and if it's a family vacation, I want the family there. I found with my youngest that babies LOVE WDW. It's so interactive and colorful. They may not get the same things the older kids get out of it, but mine enjoyed it.

Not sure I would want to go with a newborn, but only because it's so far from home, I might not be comfortable doing that. Then again, I wouldn't be comfortable leaving a newborn at home while on vacation either.

It's a personal decision, no right or wrong answers.

 

[meandtheguys2]

We went with all thre when they were between 6 weeks and 6 months. They were easily transported, still nursing (but my sister just used powedered formula in the parks, which was also easy) and the Kid centers were a place to set the older one/s in front of a TV for 20 minutes, feed them a snack, change a dipe, and nurse in a peaceful surrounding. They weren't wanting to walk or crawl, and could be stuck in the sling for lines, etc. The older kids liked riding twice, sometimes, due to the baby swap, also.

Now, life is easier, but I miss that time...can you tell?!

 

[mrsltg]

Yup. I am doing it in May. I am taking older dd while dh stays home with baby dd. When baby is somewhere near the age older dd is I will do the same for her.

I have taken baby to WDW twice now. Once at 7 mos and once at 14 mos. They were both great trips but there was a lot of splitting up. I would take older dd to the pool while the baby napped or dh would take older dd on a ride while baby and I strolled. Like I said, it was nice, but not exactly as much fun for older dd who just wanted to do something with both parents every now and again. This November we are taking my parents with us. The girls will be nearly 7 and 2.5. We'll be able to do some of the bigger rides with dd while my parents have the baby.

 

[siouxi31]

We left my daughter at home when she was 1 and took our 5 year old son. While we missed her greatly, we felt at that time it was a good decision.

 

[lscarb]

We took my DD alone when our twins were 9 months. She deserved this Alone vacation she was turing 3 and had been so good with 2 new babies in the house all year. It was her and Daddy's first trip to Disney. We have been on 8 since with everyone.

Lisa

 

[java]

I wouldn't. We have 4 children and they all come everytime. Works for us.

 

[JoyG]

DH and I went to Disneyland alone and left all the kids home!

To be fair, it was a business trip for DH and I tagged along. We took one day off to do Disneyland.

But the kids were a bit miffed when they saw the pictures.

I wouldn't take some of my kids and leave the rest though. We went to WDW when the youngest was 2 and he was free. There was no reason to leave him home and he had a good time at that age too.

 

[sunlver]

I guess it depends on your family.
For us, no never. I could not imagine leaving any of my kids and going on vacation without them

We took my youngest to Disney when she was 10 months old. That was the first time we took a baby. I have 3 kids, and before that the youngest age we took there was 2. Having a baby there is no big deal.
We are going this June, and now the baby will be almost 3 when we go.. I think she will enjoy it more

 

[MushyMushy]

I'm the opposite. I'd take the baby, no problem. It's the teenager I leave behind.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

we have not
ds 7 went for the 1st time when he was 4
ds 3 went for the 1st time when he was almost 2
it was fun and i didnt want my 7 year old to miss out wdw because we had a baby

 

[KristiKelly]

I wouldn't. We took DD (#3) when she was 3 months old. She was sooo... easy. She rode everything without a height restriction, slept in the Baby Bjorn or stroller most of the time.

We went last Sept. when she was 15 months. It was much easier than we thought it was going to be. She loved the characters, esp. the Pooh characters.

However, I was worried about this when I was preg. with #2, so we took DS when he was 2-1/2 and I was 28 weeks pregnant. That was pretty easy.

 

[Poohnatic]

I sent my DH with my youngest!

Older son has some special concerns, though. My DH wanted a solo trip, then he decided he would be happier if he had Kevin. So, off they went for four days. Other than that, either I've had a solo trip of the whole family went.

Suzanne

 

[Sammy]

DH and I did it once when 1st DD was 8 months old. We left her with Grammy and went on our belated honeymoon. We had a terrific time, but missed her unbelieveably. We had booked 7 days for the trip, but ended up going home a day early because I couldn't take it anymore! Now that I have 2 teens and a pre-teen, I'd gladly take a 7-day break!

I have a SIL who frequently leaves her youngest with a relative while she and her hubby take the two older kids away. Granted, he's quite "spirited", and she says he's "hard to handle" and they can't have a good time when he's along . That makes me so incredibly sad. So far, they've left him for a trip to Disney, Myrtle Beach, and just this past weekend for a 4-day skiing trip. He's 6 and I wonder if he looks at those "family" photos and wonders, "where was I???"

 

[powellrj]

we have. Our kids are really spread out age wise. Our oldest was 8 when we had #2. The baby stayed with grandma so that we could enjoy some special time with our oldest.

We did the samething when #3 was born. Our oldest DS was 13 and our middle DS was 5 so we just took those 2 and left the baby behind. That was really a hard year for all of us and it was a great trip to reconnect and give the boys some one on one time.

Now when we go we just take the 2 youngest, but that may soon be changing. While our oldest DS doesn't want to travel with us anymore his fiance wants to start going with us!! He travels enough with the army always wanted to spend his leave just visiting people, but now that he is getting out of the army, his fiance wants to start traveling with us!

 

[OKWMom]

My mother left my brother when he was 6 weeks old and took my sister and I. She really couldn’t wait until he was older because my grandmother really wanted to see us enjoy Disney and she had cancer. Mom knew she couldn’t properly care for two young children (6 and 2), a six week old baby, and an ill mother on the same trip. As my grandmother died seven months later, I’m sure my mother has no regrets.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

Back in the days when I thought it was "dumb" to take infants to WDW, we did. I left my son when he was 10 months old with my sister, while DH and I went to WDW. Then, when DS was 3, we left my DD home with my sister when she was 10 months old.

We then took the whole family when my youngest was 8 months old, and he had a BLAST! OMG, if I ever could imagine a baby would know where he was, and be excited, we would of brought the other two at that age. He was so adorable. I would sit them on the bed in the morning, and they would wait their turn for sunblock. As soon as I pulled out the bottle, the baby would SQUEAL with delight! His arms would flap...it was too funny. it was almost like he KNEW the sunblock meant he was going back to the "HAPPY PLACE".

His favorite ride, at 8 months old, was the Tomorrowland Transit Authority.

When people say it is a waste to bring babies, because they won't remember, I say WRONG. Thay may not remember, but I will ALWAYS remember, and just thinking about it puts a smile on my face.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

DH and I did it once when 1st DD was 8 months old. We left her with Grammy and went on our belated honeymoon. We had a terrific time, but missed her unbelieveably. We had booked 7 days for the trip, but ended up going home a day early because I couldn't take it anymore! Now that I have 2 teens and a pre-teen, I'd gladly take a 7-day break!

When we left my oldest, of course he was my only one at the time, I woke up one night to Dh shake me and screaming "HE'S IN MASSCHUSETTS WITH YOUR SISTER." Huh, what? Went back to sleep. Dh asked me the next morning if I was missing baby. Why?, I asked. He told me I was in a panic, ripping the bed apart, yelling, "where's the baby?" He tried to get me to calm down, and when I started to freak, is when he grabbed me and shook me and yelled. I guess I did miss him..LOL

I have a SIL who frequently leaves her youngest with a relative while she and her hubby take the two older kids away. Granted, he's quite "spirited", and she says he's "hard to handle" and they can't have a good time when he's along . That makes me so incredibly sad. So far, they've left him for a trip to Disney, Myrtle Beach, and just this past weekend for a 4-day skiing trip. He's 6 and I wonder if he looks at those "family" photos and wonders, "where was I???"

That has to be one of the saddest things I have ever heard!!! They exclude a 6yo from Disney trips??????? Wow, if this doesn't mess a kid up, I don't know what will.