Taking An Infant To WDW

[scanne]

DH and I are strongly considering an 'impromptu' trip to WDW in October and we want to bring our baby who will be almost 3 months old. I have no qualms about bringing him...but I don't want to bring our stroller. It was a little $$$ and I don't want to leave it sitting outside of an attraction. So my question concerns transporting the baby from airport to shuttle to hotel to theme park. Can I feasably do all this with my Baby Bjorn carrier? I will bring the baby in his carseat, but that is too heavy to carry around an airport, resort and theme park. I was just thinking of putting the baby in the carrier whenever we are walking a fairly long distance. Does this sound like a good idea?? DH and I can also split the carrying time of baby.

So, what do you all think???

Thanks so much!!!!!!!!

 

[akasleepingbeauty]

While we loved using our Baby Bjorn I would think that full-time/exclusive use of it would prove difficult for you and the baby. My dd just couldn't take hours and hours in the BB before her legs would get tired of dangling and she would want some freedom to move around (she was never much for swaddling or too much confinement). I also found that my back couldn't take too many hours with the BB although it is very comfortable (especially compared to so many of the other carriers out there). You will also want to consider what you will do with your baby in restaurants as you will have nowhere to put the baby once you sit down other than to hold the baby which may or may not be a problem for you.

I too have pretty nice strollers which I was concerned about being stolen/damaged etc. So, on our last trip I bought a "cheapie" Graco stroller (still paid about $70 but nowhere near the price of my others) which we now call our "Disney" stroller. It is nice enough (reclines, cup holders, etc.) that our dd was quite comfortable in it but not so nice as to cost a fortune. We plan on using this stroller for our future trips to WDW also so next time it will be "free." We also use this stroller for zoo outings etc. - anywhere that I don't want to risk taking my better strollers so we will definitely get our money's worth out of it.

If it were me, I would not want to be at WDW for even one full day without a stroller but how it will work for you will probably depend on you and your child.

 

[Desnik]

I have to agree with the above post. When we took our DD for her first trip she was a bit older, 9 months. I can't imagine, for me, being in WDW with out a stroller. Actually I brought both the carrier and stroller. The carrier was great for waiting in lines and in shows and on rides. The stroller was so great for restaurants, strolling around the resort, getting to/from resort to park. Also I would think the baby would like to sleep comfortably lying down and have a break from the carrier. I also had an expensive stroller and didn't want to take it so I bought a less expensive one for our trip. To be honest with you I've had about 4-5 different strollers for my DD, some were better for certain things!
Also take into consideration the heat and sun. The baby might be "cooler" and more comfy in a shaded stroller, you can also get one of those fan attachments for a nice breeze. Even though your going in Oct., it can get hot!
Here is an example of the one I had purchased for 2 of our poast trips and now my sis uses it for her 1yr. old DD and we both loved it. http://store.babycenter.com/product/gear/strollers/standard/4207
Good luck and congrats on your new bundle of joy!!!

 

[BelleNJ]

Scanne,
I had to reply to your post because I feel the same exact way you do and we have so much in common. I just had a baby on 7/12 and I am dying to visit DW. Also, I live in Washington Township about 15 minutes from Voorhees. I hope you do get to go in October. We already have our first trip planned for January and are fortunate to have grandparents going with us along with some family members who are cast members. I just had to reply to your post! Good luck and I hope the Baby Bjorn works out. I know my daughter loves hers!

 

[The Disney Bunch]

Wow - all these New Jersey moms with new babies!!

I have to agree with the other posters - Definitely take a stroller - My girls were just about 10 months old when we went and a friend took her 4 month old and the stroller makes all the difference. You and your dh will get tired holding the baby and if you get a stroller that reclines the baby can sleep better during the day rather than being jostled arm to arm. The added bonus if you can throw stuff in the basket underneath!! I bought Graco strollers where my infant carriers locked into it and it was worth having it in the airport alone - my girls each had their own seats with their infant carriers and it was great not to have to juggle them and carry all the carryon stuff.

Same reasoning for having a stroller while you are eating- do you really want to be holding a baby and eating? It will be easier to have him in a stroller where he can sleep or eat or just look around.

This is just my opinion but I think in the long run you would have a more enjoyable trip with a stroller. Good luck! And enjoy your trip!!

 

[campingcorgi]

I'd take the stroller, too. I have taken a Maclaren and an Emmaljunga and never had any problem. Some people have reported locking a back wheel with a bike lock--it can still be moved by a CM but is not usable by someone else. Check out that option on your stroller.

 

[pam2girls]

Ditto on taking a stroller. You need it. Did you think about all the diapers, etc. that you need to bring too. A stroller is a great place to pack all the baby necessities. I agree about buying a cheaper stroller though. I priced on recently for my sister at Walmart for only $49.99 it was a Graco that reclined. You won't be sorry you took one along.

We took our dd at 3 mos, 8 mos, and will be going again at 1 yr old. Have fun!! baby will sleep most of the time.

 

[Laurabearz]

What the heck... another vote for taking a stroller.... We bought a couple of cheap COmbi's to take with us and boy are we glad we did.

As good as the Bjorn is.... WDW requires a lot of walking and your back and legs will be feeling it.

Let us know what you decide!

 

[tjmw2727]

I would definately recommend taking a stroller. I used a sling and stroller with my youngest at 6mos and needed both. For times when baby needs to be held or in lines and on attractions the sling/carrier is great. For strolling around the parks/resorts etc a stroller is a must. It gives baby a cool place to sleep stretched out and mom and dad's back a rest. I recommend one that fully reclines, has a sunshade and folds up fairly flat. Previous posters have given grest recommendations and they can be found for $25 and up. I also recommend the clip on umbrella to shade baby's feet and a clip on fan as well if your going during a hot spell.

We would put dd to "bed" in the stroller at night and enjoy the resort as a couple (sort of) while baby slept comfy in the stroller. We could enjoy a drink outside or just take a walk or sit and talk.

Enjoy
TJ

 

[Dcellbattery]

We never considered not taking a stroller when we took our DD (7 weeks) and again at (6 mons). We took the expensive one (car seat stroller attached) It never occurred to us that someone would take it. Take it. Enjoy the MAGIC.

 

[ToyStory Fan]

We are bringing my DS (3) and DD(6m), as well as my niece (2) in a few weeks. We are planning on using the stroller(s) for the toddlers and the Baby Bjorn for my little princess. My guess is that my DS will be on my shoulders alot of the time too, but the carrier for a 3m old is the way to go. Tough part will be that at 3m your baby won't be facing out in the carrier. The stroller is a good idea, because it's difficult for an infant to really sleep comfortably in a carrier, but just make sure the stroller you take with you can recline at least enough to allow the baby to sleep. i.e. most umbrella strollers wouldn't work for that. The Maclaren or a Peg Perego Pliko should work okay.

 

[Twinsplus1]

When we went in August, our baby was 5 months and we took both the snugli and the stroller. The stroller really is great to have in the parks but you do have to carry the baby onto rides but that is not really a problem. The day we went to AK we just used the snugli because the walkways are smaller. That worked well however it definately was warmer and made me more tired.

Eating while the baby is in a stroller is a very valid point also.

 

[4greatboys]

Another stroller vote. We just returned from Disney and we used them alot. No one took or stollers or bothered them. I bought 2 umbrella stollers, 1 for my 2 yr old and 1 for my 5 month old. It was nice having the 2 lightweight strollers and our party could split up if we chose to. They were great having in the airport and getting around our hotel.

 

[Bird-Mom]

I'm going against the majority. We just returned from a wonderful trip with our 6 1/2 month old dd. We did not bring our stroller. I carried her the whole time in the baby bjorn. She is 17 pounds and 27 3/4 inches-a good size baby. She hates her stroller (what a waste of money on our part; it's a pricey zooper stroller) and is much happier looking around at grownup level.

Eating was not a problem. We held her on our laps like we do all the time at home.

My husband carried the diaper backpack...a few diapes, a change of clothes and a trial pack of wipes. It was very light. We are breastfeeders, so if you are a formula feeder, it would only add the light weight of plastic bottles and powder. No problem. We had all our purchases delivered back to the resort.

My only words of caution are make sure you are ready to shoo people away...everyone wanted to touch her because she was accessible!

 

[DisneyPhD]

We had the best stroller for our last trip to WDW our daughter was then 8 1/2 months old. It is by Instep and it converts into a back pack. I think your baby is a little young for it (should be sitting up on own at least 4 to 5 months old.) It saved our trip. Only 10 pounds and folds down as small as an umbrella stroller. She could see well in it and when the parks goto to busy we just put her on my hubby's back and walked right out of the park with our any problems. Our next trip is this March 2003 and we hope it still works for her. We got tons of comments on it (and how cute the baby was,) but I never really worried about people stealing it. (it was the only one like it we saw the whole trip.)

I don't recomend going without a cheap but comfortable stroller, just don't bring one of those big ones since you don't plan on useing it all the time.

Have a great trip.

 

[cinjam]

Another vote for the stroller. We also have a pricey one & I bought a bike lock from Toys R Us & chained the back wheels together. DH thought the chain was silly, but it just made me feel better. Enjoy your trip!

 

[honeymom]

If you don't take a stroller but wind up needing one, Disney does rent special infant strollers. I didn't know this, but while I was renting a stroller for my kids a couple with a baby came and rented one. It took a few minutes for Disney to dig one out. I don't think they keep many of them or get many requests for them. I have no idea what the rental fee is, but you could probably call guest services to get info.

Also, if you are taking a car seat (which I imagine you do need), check out the Right Start store (or the other One Step Ahead). They used to sell an inexpensive device that you put your car seat on that turns it into a stroller. The only disadvantage to it, is that the wheels used to be a little hard to control.