What to pack for first trip with a 6 month old?? In August!!

[hskaggs11]

This will be me and my hubby's 6th or so trip to the world, so we consider ourselves pretty savvy when it comes to only packing what we need for the parks, but this will be our first trip with a child, our son who will be 6 months in August. (August, what were we thinking?? )

I know to pack the basics for him (plenty of outfit changes, diapers, wipes, formula, sunscreen, baby hat, etc) but what do you specifically bring for a Disney trip with your infant that first timers might not think of?? A few items I am thinking of is a clip-on fan for our stroller (City Mini GT) and some ear protection incase fireworks scare him, but I know that you awesome people can come up with so many great ideas!!! I want our first trip to be as trouble-free as possible! Thanks all!!

 

[KrazeeK120]

You might consider a baby carrier, for lines in particular. It'll get hot fast if you use it out in the sun, but a lot of the rides are indoors or at least shaded and even a 6 month old can get heavy if you have to hold them for very long.

Burp rags are good for a spitty baby (mine still was at 6 months) or to wipe up spills.

You should also bring toys, particularly things he can chew on as he is likely to be teething at that point.

You mentioned bringing formula...don't forget to bring bottle washing and drying equipment!

I'd advise you to either bring or ship whatever kind of baby food he eats. They have a very limited selection on site.

I'd also practice taking him to restaurants if you haven't yet.

 

[hskaggs11]

You might consider a baby carrier, for lines in particular. It'll get hot fast if you use it out in the sun, but a lot of the rides are indoors or at least shaded and even a 6 month old can get heavy if you have to hold them for very long.

Burp rags are good for a spitty baby (mine still was at 6 months) or to wipe up spills.

You should also bring toys, particularly things he can chew on as he is likely to be teething at that point.

You mentioned bringing formula...don't forget to bring bottle washing and drying equipment!

I'd advise you to either bring or ship whatever kind of baby food he eats. They have a very limited selection on site.

I'd also practice taking him to restaurants if you haven't yet.

Thanks!! We do have quite the collection of burp rags I love the big burpy rags/bibs from Aden&Anais. He is just starting to naw on his hands all the time, so I do think that teething is coming. I bought him a teething egg, hopefully he'll be interested in it soon, lol. I would probably have forgotten my bottle brush and a drying rack, that's a great idea! I don't plan on starting him on any foods until after our trip, but I will bring lots of his formula. It's not a common type from Enfamil, so not too many places have it. He's a pro at going to restaurants, lol. But, he's always been in his car seat, never just in the stroller or in a high-chair, so I will have to practice the closer we get to the trip (he's just now getting good head control, I'm hoping this will improve in 2 months).

We have a Tula, but I'm considering some other brands, as I'm worried it might be too hot for him. Any suggestions on brands that work best in the heat?

 

[KrazeeK120]

Ah I see. My son started on solids at 4 months. He was so hungry, even eating the maximum amount of formula recommended for his age. He's 19 months now...33.25 inches and over 30 lbs. He can quite seriously eat an entire kids meal at many restaurants. No one knows where he came from...my husband and I are both very small people (I'm 5'3, 110 lbs and DH is 5'5, 140 lbs.). Anyway, yeah, he was a pro eater very quickly!

As far as a carrier, the only one we have is the Ergo 360 and I would NOT recommend that one for heat! I haven't used it since he was about a year old because he's so big (and 30 lbs on my back is a struggle for me, I mean that's more than a quarter of my own weight). We actually never got in any lines more than 10 minutes long, so he either walked or we carried him for the short time we needed to. But he could sit next to us on the rides and all that, so I don't think a carrier would have been useful to us. There may be a babywearing thread somewhere though. Sorry I'm not super helpful on that.

 

[hskaggs11]

Ah I see. My son started on solids at 4 months. He was so hungry, even eating the maximum amount of formula recommended for his age. He's 19 months now...33.25 inches and over 30 lbs. He can quite seriously eat an entire kids meal at many restaurants. No one knows where he came from...my husband and I are both very small people (I'm 5'3, 110 lbs and DH is 5'5, 140 lbs.). Anyway, yeah, he was a pro eater very quickly!

As far as a carrier, the only one we have is the Ergo 360 and I would NOT recommend that one for heat! I haven't used it since he was about a year old because he's so big (and 30 lbs on my back is a struggle for me, I mean that's more than a quarter of my own weight). We actually never got in any lines more than 10 minutes long, so he either walked or we carried him for the short time we needed to. But he could sit next to us on the rides and all that, so I don't think a carrier would have been useful to us. There may be a babywearing thread somewhere though. Sorry I'm not super helpful on that.

My little guy is tiny, still just shy of 13lbs and 23in long at his 4mo checkup. He was a month premature and born at 4lbs, 4oz, so he's still catching up! He eats fortified formula (added calories by reducing the amount of water per scoop when mixing bottles) still, and it keeps him pretty full. It will make the trip easier without any baby food!

 

[KrazeeK120]

My little guy is tiny, still just shy of 13lbs and 23in long at his 4mo checkup. He was a month premature and born at 4lbs, 4oz, so he's still catching up! He eats fortified formula (added calories by reducing the amount of water per scoop when mixing bottles) still, and it keeps him pretty full. It will make the trip easier without any baby food!

Oh wow! I had to be induced 2.5 weeks early because I was having medical issues and my son was 7 lb 5 oz. Sometimes I'm thankful though...tiny little me probably would have been pushing out a 9 lb baby otherwise!!

My sister's son was born 5 weeks premature last June (5 lb 6 oz) and she has been able to breastfeed him (still is). I am jealous, that would have made traveling with a baby way easier (my medical issue was actually a breast tumor that needed to come out). So...formula it was for us. When traveling, I bring a big bowl that I put in the sink, the bottle brush, a travel size liquid detergent, and my dish washing rubber gloves. I also bring the bottle rack. Space may be tight on the counter at a value, but if you're in a mod or deluxe, it should be fine. We stayed at WL last month and I used the same setup to wash my son's sippy cups and had plenty of space.

 

[hskaggs11]

Due to having him so early, and him being in NICU and not able to feed well, my body wasn't able to produce hardly any milk via pumping alone. By the time he was able to consistently feed on his own, I was dry :-( We used donated milk for a while, (my sister was pregnant at the same time as me!) but he really started gaining when we used fortified formula.

We are staying at AKL in a studio, so we will have a little kitchen sink and counter area. Hopefully enough room to setup for bottle washing!

 

[unrequited23]

I would order diapers, wipes, formula, etc from Amazon/Amazon Prime to save space & weight in luggage. Don't forget swim diapers. If there is anything your LO is particular about (type of lovey or pacifier) I would consider bringing an extra. If you don't have links or straps to attach toys to strollers or high chairs I would invest in that now, you are going to be entering the first phase of throwing stuff and laughing. Our boys still sleep with a white noise machine, so we still bring that with us. I would consider bringing meds with you just in case--gas drops and infant Tylenol come to mind since there could be teething and it will be cheaper than buying at your resort.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I had a sunscreen cover for my daughter's stroller. Had vents and other features so it didn't get hot in there for her. Got it at Babies R Us but that was years ago.

 

[jo-jo]

A cooling towel. We were there in May and several days it was in the mid 90's. One day while the baby's parents were on a ride I sat with him in the shade with a cooling towel on him like a blanket with a handheld fan blowing on him as he slept. Before his face was all flushed. After he was nice and cool.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Due to having him so early, and him being in NICU and not able to feed well, my body wasn't able to produce hardly any milk via pumping alone. By the time he was able to consistently feed on his own, I was dry :-( We used donated milk for a while, (my sister was pregnant at the same time as me!) but he really started gaining when we used fortified formula.

We are staying at AKL in a studio, so we will have a little kitchen sink and counter area. Hopefully enough room to setup for bottle washing!

Oh that's such a good idea, to stay someplace with a kitchenette!!

And I hear ya on the pumping. I couldn't use the one side due to the surgery, and I couldn't hardly get anything out of the other side pumping. I had to pump & dump and give my son bottles when I had surgery (he was 5 days old) and he only wanted bottles after that. I shed many tears not being able to produce enough breastmilk for him. But he is healthy and strong now!

I think where my sister was lucky was that her son never had to be in the NICU despite being more than 5 weeks early. She got to take him home after 3 days.

I hope you have a great trip...sounds like you're doing a great job getting things in order!

 

[sweetmama17]

I've done Disney with a 6 month old in August! It went well (we had a 2 year old too).

You need both a stroller and a carrier. I only used my carrier for rides as its just too hot to walk around with them like that. I have a Tula and a Lillebaby (the mesh one) and honestly they are all hot. If I was to pick one now Id probably go with the mesh Tula. Defiantly bring a clip on stroller fan as well to keep the air moving.

Florida Pediatricians DO recommend sunscreen for babies here (the obvious first recommendation is to limit sun time), but those little legs hang out of the stroller in the sun so I use it.

Make sure you bring swim diapers (and I recommend using a reusable swim diaper OVER the disposable one to reduce the chance that crap gets in the pool), and a swim hat.
For food, I just brought lots of the food pouches.

Have fun! We even managed MK in a storm one night (VERY LIKELY in August) and it was fine.

 

[hskaggs11]

I would order diapers, wipes, formula, etc from Amazon/Amazon Prime to save space & weight in luggage. Don't forget swim diapers. If there is anything your LO is particular about (type of lovey or pacifier) I would consider bringing an extra. If you don't have links or straps to attach toys to strollers or high chairs I would invest in that now, you are going to be entering the first phase of throwing stuff and laughing. Our boys still sleep with a white noise machine, so we still bring that with us. I would consider bringing meds with you just in case--gas drops and infant Tylenol come to mind since there could be teething and it will be cheaper than buying at your resort.

Great ideas on ordering in Amazon! I was thinking Garden Grocer, but I noticed they didn't have my formula. I assume there's an extra change for delivery to my hotel?? I almost forgot swim diapers! I keep them stocked at our lake place, but I'll add that to the Amazon order. I will certainly bring extra of his WabbaNubs, he loves his, and is so particular to them. I will invest in the toy straps, he's just now getting to the point where he will wave his Wabbanub in the air and sometimes he'll drop it. We have a noise app on the phone to replicate the sound of our air purifier when my hubby and I travel, so we should be good to go there. We always carry gas drops (he uses them every day that little fart machine) so I will be sure to pack extra of it and Tylenol. Thanks!!

A cooling towel. We were there in May and several days it was in the mid 90's. One day while the baby's parents were on a ride I sat with him in the shade with a cooling towel on him like a blanket with a handheld fan blowing on him as he slept. Before his face was all flushed. After he was nice and cool.

I will look for a cooling towel!! I've heard of Frog Togs being well liked in the parks, so I will look for them. I'm also thinking of investing in a cooler strap-on bag for my stroller, and keep some ice packs in there to store the cooling towels in while we are in line, so they can recharge.

I've done Disney with a 6 month old in August! It went well (we had a 2 year old too).

You need both a stroller and a carrier. I only used my carrier for rides as its just too hot to walk around with them like that. I have a Tula and a Lillebaby (the mesh one) and honestly they are all hot. If I was to pick one now Id probably go with the mesh Tula. Defiantly bring a clip on stroller fan as well to keep the air moving.

Florida Pediatricians DO recommend sunscreen for babies here (the obvious first recommendation is to limit sun time), but those little legs hang out of the stroller in the sun so I use it.

Make sure you bring swim diapers (and I recommend using a reusable swim diaper OVER the disposable one to reduce the chance that crap gets in the pool), and a swim hat.
For food, I just brought lots of the food pouches.

Have fun! We even managed MK in a storm one night (VERY LIKELY in August) and it was fine.

I will certainly have both my stroller and carrier, I'm tempted to upgrade our carrier though, Im hoping that the mesh version will at least help a little bit over my black/dark Tula. I know I will be slathering my LO in babyganics sunscreen, he's extremely fair like his momma, so I will be using it 24/7. Good idea about the reusable swim diaper, we do have a tiny one that is not bulky and should fit very nicely over the disposable ones, and still allow for his swim trunks to go on. We also have a long sleeve rashguard for his swim outfits, and a swim hat.

I'm glad to hear that you've done a trip with a baby our son's age and said it went great!! So many of my friends/family think we are crazy for attempting a trip this young. But I know it's more for us than it is for him, lol.

 

[juxtapose]

I haven't read all the responses but I would pack

Carrier
Swim diapers
Fan(s) for stroller
Floppy hat with chin strap
Light blanket (like Aden and anais) for blocking sun in the stroller
Toy straps, 6 months is when mine started to throw things for fun

Traveling with a non crawling/walking baby is much easier than an early walking toddler imo!

 

[katyjeka]

I haven't read all the responses but I would pack

Carrier
Swim diapers
Fan(s) for stroller
Floppy hat with chin strap
Light blanket (like Aden and anais) for blocking sun in the stroller
Toy straps, 6 months is when mine started to throw things for fun

Traveling with a non crawling/walking baby is much easier than an early walking toddler imo!

We had a floppy hat for our oldest and had quite a few characters sign it. I've packed it away with her baby stuff as it was adorable. We also took a ton of onesies so that I could change her out of damp sweaty clothes more often. I really wanted to dress her up but my practical husband said no way as a comfy baby equals a happy baby. Have a great trip.

 

[hskaggs11]

We had a floppy hat for our oldest and had quite a few characters sign it. I've packed it away with her baby stuff as it was adorable. We also took a ton of onesies so that I could change her out of damp sweaty clothes more often. I really wanted to dress her up but my practical husband said no way as a comfy baby equals a happy baby. Have a great trip.

OMG, this is a great idea!!!! I have a plain white floppy hat that I planned on having him wear with everything. Did you bring special pens for them to sign with?? {off to google fabric pen sharpies}

Also, good idea on changing them often. I am working on making several onesies with the character mickey heads (the images where they take the iconic parts of characters and put them on a mickey head silhouette) iron-on with his name, and having him wear a matching one for each character we plan on meeting. So I kinda had several outfit changes already built-in, lol.

 

[2disneyboys]

its been eons (or it feels like it) since I traveled with a tiny one - however - we live in the south so even just being at home doing stuff is hot & humid... I always went for cool outfits for my boys, but made sure I had a swaddling blanket or something in case we went into somewhere chilly. I changed their clothes at least once or twice just to keep them fresh feeling. Also a sunshade or lightweight blanket to put over the stroller to keep the sun off them when they were resting.
I've had clothing signed by characters before (use fabric pens, not sharpies), and this "tip" won't really help you for this trip, but my most FAVORITE Disney Souvenir is one I made...
Using Photopass (I think it's Memory Maker now) and pictures we took, I made a photo book for each of my kids (their own book) with a collection of pictures - each page would be a particular character (so the Mickey page would have 3-5 pictures of that child with Mickey from various trips over the years) and then once I had that book, we started taking that as the autograph book... I love it, the Characters & handlers always made a big deal about seeing them (my son & the character) over the years... we actually got a lot of magical moments out of those books. Any character we didn't have a picture with, we had some blank pages we had them sign and just "inserted pictures" (taped them in) after the trip. I used Shutterfly to make the book and love it... Just a thought to keep in mind for your (I'm sure) many future trips...
Have FUN

 

[katyjeka]

OMG, this is a great idea!!!! I have a plain white floppy hat that I planned on having him wear with everything. Did you bring special pens for them to sign with?? {off to google fabric pen sharpies}

Also, good idea on changing them often. I am working on making several onesies with the character mickey heads (the images where they take the iconic parts of characters and put them on a mickey head silhouette) iron-on with his name, and having him wear a matching one for each character we plan on meeting. So I kinda had several outfit changes already built-in, lol.

I use a sharpie and it doesn't bleed to much, fabric pens would be great. It was fun watching the characters "fight" over the best spot to sign, be warned the hat fills up quickly. To this day our girls(all 4)take a baseball hat to have autographed. Its great because they can wear them and I don't have to dig through a bag to find a book, etc.. Have fun with you little one. Disney is so magical when traveling with a child.