Baby Bricker’s Bucket List for Disney
We’re already starting to plan ahead for Megatron by building her bucket list for Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and beyond. Making some conservative assumptions about quality of life in the future, she should have roughly 347 years to accomplish all of this (part with her mind uploaded to a robot, naturally).
Given that, we’re going to narrow the scope just a little bit and treat this more like a combined bucket list + 2024 New Year’s Resolutions + Disney rite-of-passage checklist. In other words, these are our goals for Baby Bricker in 2024 and probably beyond, rather than a traditional bucket list. That wouldn’t really make sense for an infant, given the origin of the term.
In the spirit of our past bucket lists for Disney, we’re going to include goals ranging from easily accomplishable to relatively unattainable. Part of that’s because we’ve learned to aim high and try to make our dreams a reality. It’s pretty wild to look back at our first Disney Bucket List from 2012. At that time, we had only ever visited Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
Internationational travel felt out of reach; the kind of thing reserved for only fancy businesspeople and the McCallister family. So our “Very Ambitious” and “Relatively Unattainable” categories contained doing Tokyo Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and opening day at Shanghai Disneyland.
One year later, we had knocked out all of the operational international parks. A few years after that, we were on hand for Shanghai Disneyland’s opening day. Sarah is very assiduous and I’m super stubborn (two words that essentially mean the same thing, but with different connotations). Over the years, we’ve found that if we set goals for ourselves that are within our control, we typically do what’s necessary to accomplish them.
It’s with that same dogged determination that we’re making this list, which could end up getting us into “trouble” because Megatron may have other goals in mind…or something like that. (More accurately, we may not have realistic expectations for traveling with an infant.) We could find that the practical realities of a baby may butt up against our cabin fever and desire to get back out on the road after a very light travel year.
Before we get going, it should go without saying–but we’ll say it anyway–that we have been incredibly fortunate in our experiences at the Disney Parks. We are well aware of the fact that for most Americans, a vacation to Walt Disney World or Disneyland is a once-in-a-lifetime experience–itself a bucket list item. There’s truly no need to pile more on top of that, as the trip alone is truly magical–and something the vast majority of people will never experience, period.
We don’t want to diminish that, and do want to acknowledge that we’re incredibly grateful for the experiences we’ve had. We’ve been able to see and do so much in the last decade, and now get to visit and revisit places anew with our baby. Nobody’s life is perfect, but we truly feel like the luckiest and most blessed people–and would feel that way even if we were locked at home all year with Megatron!
Hopefully our dreams listed in this post don’t come across as entitled Disney fans unappreciative of what we already have. We are well aware that we’re very fortunate for all we’ve been able to do; it’s a privilege that we do not take lightly. We hope this post is taken in the ‘for fun‘ manner that’s intended.
Anyway, on with our Baby Bricker Disney Bucket List slash Infant Travel Goals slash New Year’s Resolutions for 2024 and Beyond…
Baby’s First Ride – We really wanted Megatron’s first ride to be “it’s a small world” holiday as she’s absolutely enamored with the lights on the exterior, and watching those has become our #1 thing to do at Disney these days. (I’m not complaining!) Part of that is because we’re trying to err on the side of caution by avoiding prolonged indoor activities for Megatron’s first ~6 months and during the peak of respiratory illnesses season, which means no rides or restaurants.
After seeing her react to those lights on the exterior of “it’s a small world” holiday, we’ve been trying to think of a way to do the attraction while mitigating risk. We could be the first people of the day and have a boat to ourselves by showing up at rope drop or go at the very end of the night. Thus far, neither of those things have happened–and realistically, probably won’t.
As such, we’re still unsure of what her first ride will be. The regular version of “it’s a small world” is the leading candidate, and feels like a good symbolic choice for a child. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is also up there. Regardless of what her first ride is, there’s only one pick for first show (and first UNESCO World Heritage Site): Country Bear Jamboree.
Baby’s First Hotel Stay – We’re hotel people, so this is a big one for us. In addition to that, sleeping outside the familiarity of our bedroom for the first time feels like both a major milestone and a terrifying prospect–like tightrope walking without a harness. (Okay, slight hyperbole!)
Because her first stay wouldn’t be exciting enough on its own, we’ve also opted to add to the intrigue by booking the smallest hotel room possible. Literally. We’re doing the Duo Studio at the Villas at Disneyland Hotel. (For those unfamiliar with it, this is comparable to the tiny Tower Studio at Disney’s Riviera Resort.)
Baby’s First Flight – This is another milestone that I’m very ready to cross off the list. Part of this is because I’ve only flown alone for the last 13 months, and I’m getting really sick of it. (I don’t know how business travelers do it.)
The other part is because I really want to see how she handles flying. As discussed below, I’m really nervous about this and have been obsessing over it. I’m not so worried about the first domestic flight–we’ll fly Southwest, so the stakes are low. I just want it to be done with so I can see how it goes and have more clarity.
Baby’s First Haircut – My grandpa was a barber, so when we first daydreamed about having kids, part of their firsts involved him cutting their hair–a family tradition. Sadly, he passed a few years ago so that can’t happen for Megatron.
While that exact tradition can’t live on, the first haircut itself still has immense importance. It’s a chance to recognize a milestone for her, pay tribute to him, and carry on the tradition in a different manner.
Baby’s First Character Meal – When I asked for Sarah’s input on this list, literally half of her suggestions were character dining experiences. Choosing the “right” one for Megatron’s first character meal is very important to Sarah, but she hasn’t yet settled on what that will be. Here are the contenders, all picked by Sarah:
- Topolino’s Terrace Breakfast
- Crystal Palace
- Cape May Cafe
- Goofy’s Kitchen
Topolino’s Terrace is Sarah’s favorite character meal and features Mickey & Minnie in iconic looks. Megatron is already part of Pooh’s Posse, so Crystal Palace is another logical choice. We have a lot of sentimentality towards Cape May Cafe and it’s another great costume spot, so that’s in the running. Goofy’s Kitchen is another iconic (and convenient) one.
Baby’s First Early Entry – “I need to do it to prove the haters wrong!” is a common expression in our household when a great goal comes to mind. It’s said by me to Sarah, who responds with some variation of, “I didn’t say you couldn’t do that, I said it wasn’t a smart idea.” (Perhaps it’s one of those you have to be there type of things.) She is almost always right, of course. I do the thing, and it turns out to have been a dumb idea.
One recent example of this was my excellent idea to have Megatron’s first Magic Kingdom Early Entry be at 7:30 am, with me and her setting out to accomplish both Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Peter Pan’s Flight. There are a few reasons why this is probably is not-so-smart, but there’s one why it’s downright impossible unless she has a nice growth spurt in 2024. Fingers crossed.
Even though that particular plan has been (mostly) ruled out, doing Early Entry with Megatron at all 4 parks is oddly important to me. I want her to have street cred as a serious rope dropper. Yes, I really am an endless fount of bad ideas, with a specialty in unimpressive accomplishments!
First Visit to EPCOT – I swear this isn’t just a list of “firsts,” although those are a lot of the experiences we’re really excited for! EPCOT specifically is really, really important. For as much as I complain about it, that’s coming from a place of love–I want the park to be the best version of itself. (See Why We Can’t Let EPCOT Go.)
More than anything else in my life, EPCOT shaped who I am today. That might sound corny and cliche, but it’s true. As a child, the park sparked my imagination. Figment and Dreamfinder inspired me, fostered my creativity, and so much more. Other pavilions piqued my curiosity about manatees, dinosaurs, and more. I didn’t care much for school, but EPCOT made me excited to learn (okay, it tricked me into learning.)
As adults, World Showcase expanded our horizons. My worldview was embarrassingly Amerocentric well into my 20s. International travel was not something I had done or had much interest in doing–I didn’t have a passport until 2012. World Showcase was a catalyst for this, and it fueled a tremendous amount of personal growth. Suffice to say, EPCOT has changed our lives for the better.
Every parent wants better for their kids, and for us, a big part of this is exposing Megatron to different cultures and customs early. Interacting with Cast Members in World Showcase, introducing her to different cuisines, and doing everything possible to show her how both big and small the world really is.
I highly doubt Future World will do for her what it did for me–or a better job than the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and other real-world spots we plan on visiting–but I’m still very excited for her to meet Figment. And ride the ride, I guess. Living with the Land and the Living Seas pavilion are also high our our list.
4 Parks in 1 Day – Honestly, I’m not 100% sure whether this is something we’ve ever done. If we did it as a challenge or concerted effort, it must’ve been a while ago and wasn’t particularly memorable, as I’ve somehow forgotten. More likely, we did it by accident. Back in the halcyon days of late 2019 when Extra, Extra Magic Hours were a thing, we were going hard and enjoying the low crowds. I think there’s a decent chance it happened then, but inadvertently. (The months leading up to March 2020 are now a bit of a blur!)
In any case, we really want to do it (again?) with Megatron. Not just to prove the haters wrong, but to see if it can be done with an infant and what we can actually accomplish as part of a challenge with baby. As a future fan herself (fingers crossed), I also think this will be cool bragging rights someday with her friends. “Have you ever done the 4-parks, 1-day challenge?” “Pffft, I’ve been doing that since before I turned one!”
Dine at More Character Meals – Probably not a surprise to see this make the list given Sarah’s suggestions revolved around character dining. But actually, that’s not the sole motivation for this entry.
It’s been at least 4 years since we’ve done most Walt Disney World and Disneyland character meals. Even shortly before the closure, we had been waiting to revisit some of them until we had a baby–it just made sense. Then March 2020 happened and…I don’t have to spell out why we didn’t/couldn’t do character meals the next two years.
In any case, one of our big Disney New Year’s Resolutions for the last 2 years has been to start revisiting the character meals. With almost all of these experiences finally back to normal, 2023 was going to be the year when we finally buckled down and did them again as a couple. Once again, we didn’t–but couldn’t be more pleased by the reason why this time! 2024 is finally, for real, going to be our year.
Maximize the Disney Dining Plan – This sort of goes hand-in-hand with the above. The last time Sarah and I did the Disney Dining Plan was March 2020, right when the then-new, now-defunct Disney Dining Plan Plus came out. It was a lot of fun at the time to do a bunch of character meals back-to-back, but now it’s morphed into a memory we associate with COVID. Not so fun.
Doing another round of DDP maximization gives us a chance to paint over that old memory, forces us to be serious about ADRs, and means a lot of character meals again. One stone, multiple birds.
Our Favorite Week as a Family – As intimated above and elsewhere, all of my trips this year have been solo. I used to actually enjoy trips by myself when they were infrequent and a change of pace, but the novelty wore off long ago and I’ve come to loathe it. (No disrespect to the single riders out there–to each their own!)
For two consecutive years, we haven’t been able to do our favorite week of the year at Walt Disney World together. It didn’t seem like a big deal last year–we had a scheduling conflict and it arguably made more sense as we could cover more ground and dates, while we took turns keeping Yossarian the Cat and Walter Dogsney company. Little did we know at the time that it would become a trend lasting until the following Christmas.
Suffice to say, we are beyond ready to attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party as a family. To see Candlelight Processional together (probably from outside the amphitheater, but it still counts). To interact with the Merry Menagerie. To attend Jollywood…eh, maybe we’ll give that one a pass! 😉
Very Merrytime Cruise – We previously did one of the Christmas sailings aboard Disney Cruise Line in late 2019, and I was a bit underwhelmed at the time. (See our Very Merrytime Christmas Cruise Review.) Time has been much kinder to those memories, and I now think I was way too harsh. Funny how that works.
In reviewing all of Sarah’s photos and hearing what she had to say about Halloween on the High Seas last year, it made me eager to give the Very Merrytime cruise a second chance. So, we were going to do precisely that for Christmas 2024.
We’re also just generally more excited for cruising with Megatron. By all accounts, it’s the easy vacation with a small child, and I’m going to have to “learn” how to slow down. If anything, that makes me feel vindicated by my past reluctance to cruising–there are still a ton of itineraries we haven’t done and will get to experience as a family!
Cinderella Castle Dream Lights – The ball is in your court, Disney. Do the right thing, bring back the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights, and win over the hearts and minds of disgruntled fans. And the eyes of our daughter, who is absolutely transfixed by Christmas lights. (I’m honestly not sure if we can ethically take down our Christmas tree at home next week!)
There’s a version of this list that’s entirely Christmas. It’s our favorite time of the year at Walt Disney World and is always on our minds. But nothing else compares with the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights, though. As cheesy as it sounds, there’s something truly optimism-inducing and awe-inspiring about Magic Kingdom’s icon being illuminated in thousands of brilliant lights. I really, really hope we get a chance to spend a chilly late night on Main Street as the crowd clears out, the glow of Cinderella Castle is reflected in the pavement, and the cheery background music sets a festive mood.
Disneyland & Walt Disney World in the Same Day – This is from our original Disney bucket list, and we still somehow haven’t done it. At the time, this was our goal while living in Indiana. We’ve since resided in both California and Florida, but still haven’t managed the feat.
Doing this feels like yet another opportunity to prove the haters wrong (“who is even saying you can’t do that?!” ~Sarah), embracing our inner dorkiness and getting photos of us holding up the day’s issues of the Orlando Sentinel and Los Angeles Times in front of Cinderella Castle and Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Traveling Outside Disney – World Showcase definitely opened my eyes to the world, but I don’t want to diminish what my parents did. My family traveled a lot when I was young, and I’m incredibly thankful to my mom and dad for taking me camping, traveling to National Parks, and visiting so many states–from West Virginia to Washington. That also shaped me.
We want to do the same for Megatron. America is an amazing and beautiful place, and there are wonderful people, cultures, and sites within our 50 states–every single one of which has something incredible to offer. It worries us that so many young people and the terminally online don’t recognize this, so we want to do everything in our power to show our daughter that America is one of the greatest places in the world. To have her see that we’re more alike than we are different, and to instill in her a sense of inveterate optimism early-on.
Disney in the Snow – This has made every single incarnation of our Disney Bucket Lists or New Year’s Resolutions–it’s our white whale. I grew up in the snow belt of Michigan, and was exposed to the “Lake Effect Snow Machine” throughout my childhood. That started a lifelong love of snow, and there are few things I find to be more beautiful than a fresh layer of powder blanketing the trees. Of course, California and Florida are out when it comes to significant snow accumulation.
Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland are different stories, and it seems to snow about once per year (give or take) in each. A couple of years ago, we spent much of the winter in Japan, but had no such luck with snow. We’ll either have to do that again (which seems unlikely) or get lucky with timing a trip. Cold weather without snow is no fun, so the latter is a pretty big gamble.
Baby’s First International Flight – I am terrified for this. I’ve lost count of how many articles I’ve read about flying internationally with a baby. The success stories. The horror stories. (If anyone would like to share their experiences–good or bad–in the comments, I’d love to read them!) I’m preoccupied about this to the point that I’m having dreams about it.
We’ve talked to friends about flying internationally with a baby, and almost all of them have allayed our fears and sometimes-enthusiastically recommended traveling as close to the 6-month mark as possible. They’ve described this as the “sweet spot” before the baby is really mobile and active, but after they start sleeping more and are less fussy.
Rationally, this makes complete sense and is very much our plan. But right now we’re in the eye of the storm, so to speak, and it’s hard to envision a time when the dreaded witching hour isn’t a thing. We’ve gotten pretty good at soothing, but that requires moving around (often outdoors!) with the baby carrier, which won’t always be possible on a plane.
We also are incredibly cognizant and apprehensive of being “those people” who are a burden, in the way, annoying, etc. (I think maybe this is a Midwestern thing?) Again, rationally we know that everyone was a baby and people need to get places regardless of age. It’s just a fact of life. And we ourselves have never been annoyed by crying babies on planes, so there’s no hypocrisy guilt…but there’s still a very big mental barrier.
But we’re going to do it, and I already know it’s going to be the most satisfying feeling ever once that plane lands (hopefully not for an unplanned stop to kick us off!). I’ll be kissing the ground and high-kicking the air once we cross this off Baby’s Bucket List!
Opening Day at Fantasy Springs – That first international flight is how we get to Japan for the opening of Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea, which we’ve been anxiously awaiting since watching its construction from our hotel room at Christmas 2019. Every day during that visit while walking in front of the site access point to the monorail station, Sarah would say ‘ohayou gozaimasu‘ to the construction worker on guard, who would enthusiastically (shockingly so!) say the same in response to her.
It’s no secret that we love Japan and Tokyo Disney Resort and would want to take Megatron regardless. But this in particular feels like a full circle opportunity, closing one chapter and starting another. It’s difficult to fully articulate, but the point is that this is meaningful for both the substance of the thing (we’re really excited for Fantasy Springs!) and the symbolism of it.
Even if we’re somehow not even able to get into the new land or do a single attraction, opening day is still something we very much want to be there to experience. That may not make sense, but it’s nevertheless the #1 entry on our Baby Bricker Bucket List in terms of importance.
It’s been fun crossing items off of our Disney bucket list over the course of the last decade-plus, and helped keep the parks fresh for us even after numerous visits. There’s always something we haven’t done, whether it’s a new seasonal event, restaurant, etc., to help keep things fresh. With Baby Bricker yet to experience so many firsts, it feels like we’re starting over from square one with a blank slate and fresh list. We absolutely cannot wait.
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Your Thoughts
What do you think of our Baby Bricker Disney Bucket List slash Infant Travel Goals slash New Year’s Resolutions for 2024 and Beyond? Any other meaningful milestones you can think of for an infant or toddler at Disney that we should add to the list? Do you agree or disagree with our picks? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
We’ve been flying since my oldest was 3 months and my youngest was 7 months we went all the way to Hawaii from Buffalo! We recently flew home with another (not ours) crying baby on an Orlando flight. And I said to my hubby “I can’t remember did we ever have a flight with one of our kids screaming? ” and neither of us could think of any?? (My oldest was on 4 flights his first year (well 8 round trip). So either it never happened (unlikely) or not enough that we remembered it. I actually think airplanes make the best white noise for sleeping babies.
Also thankfully we live in a world of widespread noise cancelling headphone use so most other passengers are prepared.
My second point was about hotel rooms! Yes stay and often! Pack n Plays, whatever. You want an adaptable baby who will sleep anywhere, anytime. Not one that requires complete silence, a precise 71 degrees and complete darkness. Turn on the light in your hotel room, make a little noise. Talk to your spouse, watch TV on low. Your babe is going to be on the move so make it easy on all of you.
Also I can confirm all modes of Disney transportation, trains, buses, monorail, boats are GREAT for calming a cranky baby who will soon be asleep. Nothing better then a trip around Magic Kingdom with a sleeping baby.
Get out there and good luck!
Hi Tom,
Great article, as always.
1) IASW is surely the best “first ride”.. not just because infants/toddlers seem to really connect with the entertainment aspects… But because it is a slower, less jarring ride. Really can’t get any gentler than IASW. Conversely, I do NOT recommend Pooh for super little kids… Was surprised and felt bad when it ended up scaring my kids. We have not been back on it since.
2) At the risk of being Captain Obvious, if Megatron will have her own seat/ticket (which I recommend) be sure to create a frequent flyer account in her name. They are free, and most have some version of “never expire” miles… Hundreds of thousands of miles is a great gift to give your kid when they turn 18. My kid had gold status by the time he was 1 year old. Would be happy to discuss lots of hard-learned lessons via email for taking kids on international flights.
I’m sure you will have a wonderful time traveling with Megatron!
I traveled a lot with my oldest in her first year, including a long international trip at about 6 months of age (which was a good age, but still quite difficult). I’d like to add my 2 cents as well on long-distance flying with kids.
First off, you might think that your 6-month old crying is so loud and will annoy everyone. Probably not. When my husband and I look at a 6-month old crying these days, we think they’re adorable. Kids get louder as their lungs get bigger. I think toddlers are the age to watch out for, but by then, you have more entertainment/negotiation options.
Secondly, we had one trip with flight delays and then more flight delays. We ended up getting home about 12 hours after we’d originally anticipated, and we were down to our very last diaper. We were really worried. Pack more than you think you’ll need of everything.
Thirdly, I also had a baby who had difficulties with the “witching hour.” In the first few months, I had to switch to walking infinity loops instead of a circle because I was developing hip and leg pain on one side. It took that kid a long time to learn to be a good sleeper. My kid would resist sleep the entire flight, and then fall asleep during the final descent. We were always the last ones off the plane trying to extend the nap as long as possible. I’m sure that kid also had your philosophy of “proving the haters wrong” in that trying to get them to nap in the car seat was seen as a challenge to resist. I’m not sure if it ever worked while we were traveling. However, we were always happy to have a safe place to put our kid down for a bit, even if they wouldn’t sleep. The saying in our house is “you can never have too many baby jails!”
Finally, we found traveling with infants as lap children was fine up until around 12-18 months. The bassinet on international flights is good. We did a 4-hour flight with my oldest at around 15 months, and decided that we would get an extra seat from then on, even though we had to pay extra. It is also a huge hassle when booking because the airline websites are not set up to sell you a ticket for a child under 2, so you have to call.
Good luck, I’m sure you’ll make lots of wonderful memories!! I still have so many great memories of those early travels with my kids!
Ditto this:
“We ended up getting home about 12 hours after we’d originally anticipated, and we were down to our very last diaper. We were really worried. Pack more than you think you’ll need of everything.”
You only *think* you have enough.. until you don’t. Particularly for longer trips, pack way, way more diapers, changes of clothes, food/snacks than you think you would ever need. Had the exact same “last diaper” experience – and that was lucky because we had brought way *more* than we thought we would ever need.
You’ll have some good flights, you’ll have some bad flights… and then the only thing you’ll remember after is how cool the trip was! Sure, you’ll have all the baby stuff with you on the plane, but the most important thing for the flight is snacks and water for the adults! And don’t plan on sleeping. Then you won’t be disappointed when you get to enjoy every. single. moment. of that long-haul flight. It’s worth it – Have the best time!
My husband and I often recall the magic of watching our toddler pick up and bite into his first kids burger at Hungry Bear on a gorgeous, slow day at Disneyland. We looked at each other with tears in our eyes like “yep, this is the stuff.” We have lots of fun video of him at the Redwood Challenge Trail in California Adventure also. He absolutely LOVED that play area. It’s the little things that stick with you. Enjoy.
P.S. Our boys are 8 & 9 now and we live on the other coast so a yearly Disney World trip has taken the place of our Disneyland annual passes that we used most weekends. Our next one is coming up in February! So excited!!
I first came across your blog about ten years ago when I was looking for travel advice for Disneyland. At the time, I had visited Disneyland but had never been to Florida or Walt Disney World. I continued to read your blog for about ten years and dreamed about the day I could visit Disney World. That vacation finally happened on my 25th wedding anniversary and was the catalyst of many subsequent trips. I am a very inexperienced traveler and have only traveled internationally once. The idea of visiting another country is intriguing but also somewhat daunting. I am wondering what you would recommend as first international Disney vacation? Which international destination was the easiest to navigate? Which destination that you have visited was the least expensive, etc.?
Here ya go Tom. Definitive article on airline bassinets. Did a bit of research. On AA the only ships offering the are the mainline Tripple 7 and 787. Southwest apparently does not offer them but there is a changing table in the forward lav.
https://www.babycantravel.com/airplane-bassinets/
Both my kids were born in Dubai and we now live in Tokyo, but the grandparents are in the USA so of course they have been international travelers from a very young age. My biggest tips are: bottle/ nursing at takeoff and landing. Huge baby headphones and no screen limits on flights. Cheerios in those cups they can stick their fingers in. I’ve had good flights and not so good flights so my number one tip is that eventually the flight will end and you will be at your destination and it will be fine! Also, one day you will wake up with a six year old who is an excellent traveler. Enjoy all the experiences!
The main “villian” of air travel for our boys when they were young was probably their ears popping- it would make them miserable
And was no way to really remedy it for a little one 🙁
I think the first ride should be in her carrier on DL carousel on Jingles !
Like you, we are big fans of both Disney (obviously) and other travel. Approximately 21 years ago we took our sons to Hawaii and Disneyland in one trip. Our youngest was 10 months and our oldest was 4 years. Needless to say, people thought we were crazy! We purchased a seat for our younger instead of trying to hold him on our laps from NJ to Oahu. he was a content happy baby and not prone to inconsolable crying. He, of course had other plans. He’d cry, I’d nurse him to settle him down and as soon as I put him in his carseat he’d awaken and scream until I nursed him again. This went on for the whole flight. I had blisters by the time we landed. The next day we saw his first two teeth had erupted! We traveled with 2 carseats, one stroller and a framed backpack to carry the baby in. We even remembered to bring clothes! It was a trip well worth the effort. We had a great time in Disneyland as well, taking turns on rides with our older son. We never wanted to change our lifestyle more than the obvious because we had children. Instead we decided to include them in our lifestyle. Keep living your lives your way with Megatron joining your adventures. Think of the stories you’ll be able to tell her and the memories you’re making for all of you. Enjoy! Happy New Year!
This is one of the things that scares us about a longer flight. Not the teeth part–we’ll be traveling before that would be an issue–but that she’ll be inconsolable for the full flight except when nursing.
“It was a trip well worth the effort.”
That sentiment, despite the flight story, does make me feel better, though!
“Not the teeth part–we’ll be traveling before that would be an issue” – just putting this out there, Tom, that our now-teenager started teething at 3 and a half months- this was a big shock to us, so just a head’s up; a lot of things that we parents may think won’t be an issue timing-wise turns out to very much be an issue when our kids’ timelines aren’t what we expected when expecting!
Two things Tom: Furst, I can see that many of you fly Southwest. That’s an option I don’t have. My local airport, car wash and nail salon is lucky to have flights at all. We have two, count ’em, two carriers. I can’t fly direct to MCO or SFB on anything unless I take my own ship into ORL so I have no clue what coach on SWA is like. Someone suggested buying the row and putting the car seat in the center. Great idea and much safer than holding your infant daughter in your arms! I would suggest you go for upgraded coach / main cabin extra with more room to make it easier for you all until you figure out your personal logistics. Second thing is, I got my new Nikon mirrorless and am learning to use it, but check out the new RayBan Meta Smart Sunglasses I came across. Hands free pictures and video at 12 MP! Talk about chronicling your adventures and still being able to help out with your daughter while so doing! Mine haven’t come yet so I have no firsthand review for you but I can see I’ll have a business use for them as well as fun applications and they aren’t too expensive for what you (Hopefully) get. We’ll see!
Oh wow–I had never even heard of those sunglasses. Very intriguing–good luck with them!
I can tell you from experience that traveling with kids that want to sleep/ play in your arms is fun and easy. International flight often have bassets in the bulk head (ask for one), if Megatron will not sleep, the bathroom with a non-locked door has the lights out and a flight attendant will keep people out for you. Once kids get to the age of crawling all bets are off until they understand why they have to sit. I was once told to keep TV mostly to airplanes. My kids plan out what princess movies they want to watch and look forward to the plane rides. Best travelers ever! Have fun!
We’re definitely planning on booking bulkhead whenever possible for that reason, which alone means a big change for us in booking early as opposed to last-minute.
Thanks for the advice!
Bulkhead seats are a mixed blessing, with or without an infant. You MIGHT be able to get a bulkhead with a bassinet if you book WAY in advance, but I wouldn’t put my child in one for obvious safety reasons. As well, I haven’t seen one in any class on any U.S. flag airline in ages. Given the American propensity for personal injury lawsuits, I don’t know that they’re even available any more. And remember, bulkhead means everything you bring on board has to be stowed in the overhead which can, under certain circumstances, be an in-flight access problem as well as a space problem and just a general logistical pain, especially during landing and takeoff where nothing can be on your lap or on the floor in the ‘tween seat aisle. Were I still traveling with a youngster that age, I’d book a three seat row, put the car seat in the middle, give my wife the aisle seat if she wanted it for mobility, and stow most of my “vital” baby stuff in a “Go Bag” under the seats in front of me. Worked great for us for years. Remember, when in an aircraft, baby or not, you have to comply with federal regulations and you have 100 plus other people who also paid for their seats to consider as well. On longer flights with larger, multi-aisle aircraft there’ll be more space for you to operate in, of course, but most of this still goes.
This was really fun to read! My husband and I are passionate travelers and of course, we wanted to share that with our son too. Before he was 8 months old, we already had our first international trip planned (we are based in Costa Rica, so it was an “easy” trip to Mexico) and shortly after, our first Transatlantic trip. Unfortunately, COVID happened and all that was cancelled T_T. Everything was postponed 2 years and we did lots of local trips instead, which was still great. Since then, my son has been to more than 10 countries before he turned 3. Last September we were able to tick one of the big ones for us, his first trip to Japan! (and Taiwan). We have been to Japan 8 times ourselves and it is our #1 destination in the world. We really wanted to visit again with him (after a 5 year hiatus for obvious reasons) and it was totally different. Viewing all these familiar places through the eyes of your kid is awesome, and it turns out to be a completely new experience. I started planning my son’s (now 4y/o) first Disney trip last October, and it will take place in 2 weeks! I’m really excited about it. Since I started planning the trip, I have been reading your blog pretty much every week and it has be super helpful, thank you! I have read so many of your posts that I feel I know you already LOL! Looking forward to readying about your adventures traveling with your little one and ticking all those items from your bucket list!
“Viewing all these familiar places through the eyes of your kid is awesome, and it turns out to be a completely new experience.”
This is what we’re really excited for. We know so much of Japan like the backs of our hands, but we don’t know it with kids. (Honestly, same goes for Disney–albeit to a lesser extent.)
Thanks!
I wish I could go back to all of those firsts with a newborn. I have a beautiful memory of outward facing babe (8mo) in the Bjorn carrier doing some crazy bouncing/kicking beside Dumbo. A child’s face during fireworks … instant puddle. My oldest remembers a lot, but my youngest doesn’t. Truly, those trips were for mommas heartstrings.
Our first international flight was with “2 under 2” a la maternity leave (pff, I wasn’t getting paid anyway, might as well be unpaid on a beach). We had to take a baby passport photo supporting little head at just a couple weeks old. People were judgy at that beach (sunscreen, toddler running on hot sand). I have *many* horror stories flying SW to WDW (we flew lots and lots when kids were “free”). There was a spell where things kept going wrong and SW would comp us $200 credit each, so we’d book another trip and do it all over again. Plan for blowouts. And endless snacks. One trip was rerouted, so one 2.5 hour flight turned into 3 leg-stops, lost luggage, 8 hours without food and a baby that blew through all the diapers and clothes, so we arrived naked sans car seats, lost in transit. $800 vouchers and straight to Walmart. It worked out. We lost a day out of DVC week. Always gate check the car seat and stroller. Magical Express was amazing with young kids.
6 months is really perfect timing. We did (nearly) Christmastime in NYC with a baby strapped in. And I remember another trip flying super preggo with #2 trying to change #1’s diaper in an airplane lavatory and couldn’t even negotiate the drop down table. Knowledge is power, and don’t let any of the discouraging “horror” scenarios scare you from going!
“I wish I could go back to all of those firsts with a newborn. I have a beautiful memory of outward facing babe (8mo) in the Bjorn carrier doing some crazy bouncing/kicking beside Dumbo. A child’s face during fireworks … instant puddle. My oldest remembers a lot, but my youngest doesn’t. Truly, those trips were for mommas heartstrings.”
This, in a nutshell, is why we want to do as much as possible in year one! She obviously won’t remember it, but we certainly will!
Thanks for sharing all of that–especially the determination and it being “worth it” even in light of the negatives.
So fun!
Random, but SWA has AWESOME car seat bags. They were $20ish when we got ours, we’ve used them multiple times, and they’ve held up so well- through many TSA checkpoints and baggage claims. So, we’d highly recommend getting one. : )
Enjoy the journeys and the snuggles! They go by so fast!
We’ll have to check that out–thanks!
This list is probably most achievable during Megatron’s first year. As long as the baby is comfortably “wearable,” you can bring them just about anywhere. (I always say the Ergobaby carrier was the single reason I was able to successfully rear my newborns in NYC.) My favorite discovery flying international with infants was that the center aisle of the first row in coach can accommodate bassinets that attach to the wall of the plane. You have to book early, land those seats and then call the airline to attach the bassinet request to the reservation. My then 8-month old daughter actually slept in that bassinet the entire time between the dinner and breakfast services on a red-eye to Dublin. It was heaven! My kids’ first rides were on Peter Pan’s Flight, but only because that was my first ride, in 1977. Family traditions are important! How exciting that you’re getting the chance to establish yours!!
We don’t live in NYC, obviously, but the baby carriers have already been invaluable here and we’re using them in anticipation of (basically) living temporarily in a big city.
Still haven’t used our stroller. I’m sure that’ll change soon enough, but I’d like to go as long as possible without touching it!
It’s your family—you decide how/when/if. And that’s it! As a mom of 3 who has taken them all over and traveled at all ages, there will always be challenges, at every age, you figure them out as you go.
I will offer some wisdom—you haven’t lived until you’ve changed a poop blowout in an airplane bathroom 2 minutes before take off……. And be prepared for some funky nights of sleep. At any age. Occasionally my kiddos-even as old as 5 or 6 didn’t sleep great in hotel rooms (or pack n plays as babies/toddlers) because it’s just not familiar . Make sure to take into consideration you might not be getting a great nights sleep on any given day!
But mostly just enjoy every second of it. The sleepless vacation nights I’m recalling from a week at with a toddler at Pop Century above were due to my now 15 year old. It was still amazing vacation and time goes quick!
“…you haven’t lived until you’ve changed a poop blowout in an airplane bathroom 2 minutes before take off…”
I dunno, I feel like I have lived and will be perfectly content to never have this experience. 😉
But I take your point–and we’ll plan for the worst, while hoping for the best!
Theres no rule book, our first trip my oldest was four and my youngest was two- we had no idea about the ins and outs of Disney namely ADR’s etc. The boys even both ended up having fevers but we just made the best of it and have been back every year since lol. ( now we consider ourselves Disney pros )
Great list! Our daughter’s doest rise was Haunted Mansion; we should have put some more thought into that one. First International flight wasn’t until age 4, so no advice on that front. It went well at that age, except that she would not sleep or just watch a movie, but wanted to talk about the movie with her very tired dad. 🙂
Love this list! Looking forward to reading about these adventures in the future! I don’t have any international flight advice but I did over prepare for our son’s first flight, to WDW, at about a year old. Three hour flight, so, manageable. Our son is fine with/likes his car seat so using a travel one on the flight was gold- he was contained and happy and on the return flight home, slept almost the whole time! Snacks, snacks and more snacks. Put snacks into a days of the week pill counter or something similar so there are little flaps to open to access each snack. I purchased a travel course from Safe in the Seat (a very helpful Instagram account regarding car seat safety) which I found helpful. A DIY blog called “Studio DIY” has a post about travel with baby/toddler including fun items to put in a “busy bag” for kids to play with. We used our stroller in the airport and gate checked it so he’d be contained and we could put all of our cr*p in the basket of while traversing the airport. New books, toys, etc. that are exciting along with some solid favorites. And snacks. I was the same way- let me get this over with so I know what to expect! Good luck!
Thanks for all of the suggestions!