Baby Bricker’s First Trip to Disney World: Planning & Pre-Report
It’s crazy how some things in life can come full circle. The last time I wrote a pre-trip report for Walt Disney World, this blog was not yet even a twinkle in our eyes. Such a ‘post’ would’ve come via Flickr and forums, to satiate our own excitement and solicit feedback on Advance Dining Reservations and our daily itineraries for the parks.
Fast-forward over 15 years, and we’re back at it. Like those, this pre-trip report is mostly a matter of having an outlet for our excitement and way to count down the days. I cannot express the emotions we’re feeling for Megatron’s first visit to Walt Disney World. It’s the most or second-most excited I’ve been for a Walt Disney World vacation, right up there with our honeymoon or November 2007 trip.
I had been anxiously-awaiting that Christmas 2007 trip for several months, as it’s when I planned on proposing to Sarah. I was a ball of nerves, knowing that–for better or worse–that trip was going to change the trajectory of my life. (Spoiler: it turned out to be for better!) While I don’t have the same nagging fear of rejection–even if there is a lot riding on Megatron’s first Figment meet & greet–it is a similar flurry of feelings. But mostly just unbridled enthusiasm and excitement, as we open the next chapter of our family vacations to Walt Disney World!
We haven’t really shared any family updates since Christmas, save for a few offhand mentions in other posts, but we’ve been having a fantastic time visiting Disneyland in the last couple of months. After an incredible first visit for Christmas, Megatron’s next half-dozen or so days at Disneyland were fairly uneventful. Before we got inside either park, she was always asleep. We have a lot of pictures with characters pretending to sleep or doing the “shhh” signal. The only two times she was awake, she’s making (for lack of better term) a WTF face at the characters.
Then came the visit that was like a revelation. Not only did Megatron meet a character while wide awake, but she had her mind blown (figuratively) by the experience. She also debuted a new feature that we’ve come to call “Dolphin Mode.” (Her best mode.) During Dolphin Mode, her eyes get really wide and filled with happiness as she flaps around her arms and legs. She makes a high-pitched chirping noise and tries to, I guess, echolocate the character. It is literally the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen, and watching the videos we have of her doing this can instantly fill me with joy no matter my mood. If they were VHS tapes, I would’ve worn them out by now.
It feels like we’re only just starting to scratch the surface of watching her grow and change with Disney, and we couldn’t possibly be more excited. We are very much looking forward to taking her “home” to Walt Disney World, and experiencing those parks for the first time through her eyes.
And while it wouldn’t sting quite as much as a rejected proposal, there’s a lot riding on that first Figment meet & greet. Some adorable echolocation action would probably break me, whereas a WTF face would not. (I guess we need her to meet Figment before she rides Journey into Imagination in its current state. So far she only knows the character and ride through the excellent Figment Little Golden Book, which is read to her at least once per day.)
Anyway, on with the pre-trip report and planning for Megatron’s first trip to Walt Disney World…
I’ll start with where we started, which was choosing dates. We deliberated long and hard over when to make Megatron’s first trip to Walt Disney World, and ended up changing our travel dates a couple of times. In a perfect world, we would’ve gone in January or February, during one of the ‘valleys’ between holiday long weekends and sporting events. But we’ve been trying to err on the side of caution and mitigating risk by avoiding prolonged indoor activities during the peak of respiratory illnesses season. So that was never really a serious contender. Next year, though!
Instead, our preliminary plan was to target the sweet spot before Spring Break kicked into high gear. The very first week of March would’ve been ideal, but that just seemed too early as we were still in the midst of midnight feedings and witching hour. Then came a brief window where we felt like we were on top of the world, Parenting Pros who could travel anywhere. At this point, mid-March looked like a good option.
Right as we began firming up plans, something called “sleep regression” started. I had heard tall tales of this in the ‘How to Be Parents’ books we read, and perhaps underestimated it. When you’re feeling like Ishmael after slaying Moby Dick (a weird way to word “getting a few weeks of near-normal sleep,” but that was our white whale), you maybe develop a bit of overconfidence? Suffice to say, sleep regression is a thing and it very much spooked us. No longer Parenting Pros, we instead felt like we needed to pick up Parenting for Dummies.
As the quality of the writing here over the last few months probably demonstrates, I’m sleep deprived and not completely coherent. (Or maybe it’s always been that way.) Whatever I am, double or triple that for Sarah. I honestly do not know how she gets through the day. The idea of having to navigate Walt Disney World as zombies, potentially talking to people and who knows what else–all while not having the home court advantage and fighting a 3-hour time change–was just a lot.
Not that we’re complaining. It’s been a wild ride so far, but an amazing one. We’ve never been so happy to be so tired. Each day, her personality starts to crystalize a little more. She reminds me of Sarah when giving me a “sympathy smile” in response to a hilarious joke I tell her. She furrows her brow when we introduce her to a new not-good food. Conversely, her face lit up when we gave her avocado for the first time last night. We got so excited when she rolled over for the first time that she got excited in response. She feeds off our energy, we feed off hers–tired or not.
All a long-winded way of saying that we delayed Megatron’s first trip to Walt Disney World by over a month. We’re now going in the second half of April, hopefully after Spring Break season fully finishes. Aside from sleep, these dates were also more desirable from the perspective of pricing on pretty much everything (airfare, hotels, etc). So that certainly made the decision easier.
We considered waiting until even later in shoulder season, pushing off until May 2024 in the (unlikely) hope of previews for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Dates we considered then also would’ve had even lower prices–not as much as going from mid-March to mid-to-late April, but still better. Another big point in favor of May was that when we started making reservations, sleep regression was still in high-gear, so going sooner felt like a major leap of faith. Nothing like a slight sense of dread before a trip!
The case against May was weather. We’ve developed divergent views on this, as I suspect Sarah has been away from Florida for so long that she’s begun to forget–or mentally block out–how hot and humid it gets. Meanwhile, I’m practically scarred from the triple-digit ‘feels like’ temperatures of last summer and early fall.
There’s also the fact that we’ve become avid babywearers. That works wonderfully where we live and at Disneyland; it’s been cold or at least comfortable since Megatron’s arrival. Walt Disney World seems like it’s going to be a whole different babywearing ballgame. Even April is playing with fire when it comes to WDW weather; May is juggling incendiary grenades.
Speaking of weather, it’s one reason we’ve opted to rent a stroller rather than bring our own or rely solely on babywearing. While we do it all the time at Disneyland and at home, opting only to babywear at Walt Disney World seems like walking a tightrope without a safety net. It’s presumably going to be hotter and is also a longer timeframe. It’s one thing to babywear for 4-5 hours once per week at Disneyland, another entirely to double that amount of time for a full week.
As for renting a stroller, this honestly wasn’t even on our radar until Sarah talked to some of her friends. Many of them rent strollers, as opposed to taking their own, due to the rain and other factors. Obviously, rain covers exist. So we could just use that. But I’ve funkified enough pairs of shoes in the Florida monsoons to know that doesn’t always work out as planned. Not to compare our stroller to one of my nasty shoes, but I’d prefer to keep our stroller nice for as long as possible–especially since we have other trips on the horizon.
Another thing we (over)thought long and hard about was flight scenarios. Specifically, 3 vs. 2 seats and whether to do nonstop flights. These deliberations alone could be a full post–and probably will at some point, since we have every “type” of flight combo booked for future trips.
After originally only booking 2 seats in bulkhead on nonstop routes, we spooked ourselves into buying a third. Neither of us love this, but it’s a long flight and we have a lot of fear of the unknown. Plus, the post-spring break airfare was a lot more manageable–to the point that 3 seats in late April cost less than 2 in mid-March. (As of right now, several rows around us are empty…it’s going to be a bit bittersweet if they stay that way and we could’ve gotten that extra seat for free.)
The next component was choosing hotels. We debated a lot of options here, with the most consideration given to the Crescent Lake and monorail resorts. We briefly thought about doing a serious ‘TREAT YO SELF’ vacation given all of the savings last year from cancelled trips and me traveling solo to Walt Disney World and almost always booking the cheapest options. (Accordingly, the two resorts I ruled out were All Star Sports and Coronado Springs. I’ve seen enough A.S.S. in the last year for a lifetime.)
We priced out the Garden Cottages at Boardwalk and Club Level at a few resorts…and very quickly ruled all of that out. After developing a taste for the cheaper stuff over the year, that was a bit much of a splurge. Definitely want to do both now that we have a baby, but we’ll wait until the rate charts are even more favorable during the off-season.
Still, we landed on a split stay between a Royal Room at Port Orleans Riverside and the Garden Wing at the Contemporary. Not exactly bargain basement resorts! We’re a bit weary about this after all of the recent reader comments about the challenges of changing resorts with babies, but on the plus side, it gives us a chance to field test our own advice under changed life circumstances.
We’re really looking forward to that, and both resorts. It’s been a while since we’ve stayed at Riverside, so we’re due for a return. Sarah also pointed out it was where we stayed when we got engaged, so it feels like a bit of a full circle experience. (Prices have gone up slightly since then!)
Contemporary was our pick for a number of reasons, the first and foremost being that we wanted breakfast at Chef Mickey’s to be Megatron’s first character dining experience. These firsts are very important to us, and a big part of that is watching her grow up at Walt Disney World. So we can have memories and photos of her as a baby, toddler, preschooler, etc., all in the same place.
Consequently, we want to choose firsts that are meaningful, iconic and (hopefully) enduring. While Chef Mickey’s is not our favorite character meal at Walt Disney World, we actually do enjoy breakfast there (it’s dinner that was on our “never again” list…but we will be doing it again, so scratch that, I guess).
Regardless, we figured Chef Mickey’s is more likely to be around in 20 years than the current incarnations of Cape May Cafe, Topolino’s Terrace Crystal Palace, or (hopefully) 1900 Park Fare. The experience at Chef Mickey’s is just so iconic and memorable that it’s hard to imagine it ever changing. Then again, I would’ve said the same thing about the name “FastPass” a few years ago, yet here we are. So who knows. Maybe the new “wishers” meal at 1900 Park Fare will outlast ’em all.
Speaking of which, 1900 Park Fare was the next character meal we booked. No interesting explanation for this one, it’s very much for the blog. Even as we’re taking Baby Bricker’s first family vacation, we will not forsake our solemn obligation as Disney bloggers. We’ve already sat Megatron down and explained to her that the camera always eats first. To prepare her to take over the family business, her first high chair is actually a trash can. (Not really, but that does feel like a missed opportunity.)
It’s the other ADRs where we’re struggling. We currently have Garden Grill booked for the day of our resort change, but we’d prefer to do breakfast at Crystal Palace. The issue is that we waited too long, later seatings weren’t available, and we’re doubtful about our ability to get out the door for an ADR before 10 am. We’ve also noticed a lot of Walk-Up Waitlist availability for Crystal Palace in the last couple of months; we’re going when it’s even less busy, so we think winging it might be the pragmatic course of action.
Story Book Dining at Artist Point is another option about which we’re on the fence. ADRs at this point are a no-go, and we’re not sure that we’d want them, anyway. But I think we can probably score day-before or even same-day reservations for Artist Point, should Megatron be game for it.
This lack of ADRs and ‘wait and see’ approach is purposeful. One of our goals has been to avoid overplanning, as we don’t want to set expectations at an unrealistic level. We’ve already seen (many times) that the best laid plans often go awry. That’s just true in general, but especially so with a baby. There’s also the reality that we’ve done a grand total of 4 sit-down meals in the Megatron era.
She’s done very well, but all of those meals have also been outdoors with pretty much no one around. (For whatever reason, she loves being outdoors.) How she’ll react to eating indoors in a crowded and chaotic dining room remains to be seen. Point being, we don’t want to make and get excited about a half-dozen ADRs, only to have the first meal be a nuclear meltdown that annihilates the plan.
Which leads to another point. We’d like to do an actual trip report for Baby Bricker’s first visit to Walt Disney World, but that may not happen or may occur in condensed ‘highlights’ form. As we’ve mentioned a few times before (and probably will again since not everyone reads every post and this is understandably an area of confusion), we want to be conscientious about her privacy and judicious about what we share. That’s why we’re calling her Megatron (not her real name, sadly) or posting full-on photos of her face.
That means not writing anything that Megatron would be mortified to read later in life. I remember being embarrassed when my mom told certain stories about when I was a baby…and that was just to close friends, not immortalized on the internet. We keep reading horror stories about ‘social media kids’ growing up and hating their parents. We obviously don’t want to do that, or anything even approaching it. We love her so, so much and are terrified of doing anything that could jeopardize our relationship with her later in life.
It’s also easy to see how it happens. You take an adorable video of your daughter in Dolphin Mode when meeting Goofy, and there’s a pull to share that with the world! But then I think back to those horror stories–and I also believe that there’s going to be a “correction” when it comes to privacy, and young people valuing it more in the future. Everyone has to determine what’s the right level of sharing their family’s lives (we aren’t judging anyone else), but the line we’ve drawn is privacy and embarrassment.
Then there’s also a tension if I write a trip report, but leave out major chunks of the day or play loose with things to stay on the right side of those lines. We pride ourselves in not pulling punches with the good, bad and ugly of Walt Disney World–so I don’t want to present a ‘carefully curated’ trip that omits the bad/ugly and pretends we’re perfect. We don’t want to misrepresent our lives that way, as it’s no one’s reality.
Given all of that, it might be better to take what we learn from this (and other) trips and, rather than writing about it in narrative form, to distill it into tips & tricks and recommendations of that nature. Just kind of thinking aloud, and giving a bit of context into our thought process.
Obviously, this doesn’t cover the entirety of Baby Bricker’s first trip to Walt Disney World. There actually is still a lot we haven’t determined, both so we can savor spontaneity–not everything should be scripted–and because we’re still unsure of some things.
Speaking of scripted, that brings us to the final point of this post, which is to flip the script and solicit reader feedback. Usually we share our planning advice with you, but this time, we want you to share your expertise and experience with us. Not necessarily for first ride or park or that type of thing. I don’t want to pretend this is up for a ‘vote’ when that really isn’t the case. (C’mon, does anyone really believe that EPCOT and Journey into Imagination aren’t going to win out for first park/attraction? Especially with Country Bear Jamboree currently closed?!?!)
Truthfully, I don’t know what type of advice we’re hoping to receive. What I do know is that there’s a lot that we don’t even know that we don’t know about visiting Walt Disney World with kids. The amount of random knowledge gaps we’ve already discovered at Disneyland have been surprising, and it’s usually the case that you can multiply by five for the complexities of Walt Disney World. The advice to rent a stroller due to weather, for example, was something that never crossed my mind. Another occurred when readers told us about the delay in receiving a pack ‘n’ play when doing split stays.
Suffice to say, we’re incredibly excited (and a tad bit anxious, if we’re being honest) about Megatron’s first trip to Walt Disney World. This feels like our first trip all over again, which is a ‘magic’ that I never thought we’d be able to recapture. We know it’s not all going to go according to plan, which is why we’re incorporating going off-script into the plan itself. No matter what happens or doesn’t, we’re overjoyed at the experience we’re about to have…and hope to share parts of it with you!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Any random recommendations for Baby Bricker’s first trip to Walt Disney World? Thoughts on choices for character meals or anything else? Anything else you’re interested in reading about with regard to Megatron, babies in the parks, etc? Anecdotes of your own about first visits to the Disney parks? Any other questions? Hearing your feedback is always appreciated, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
My page keeps refreshing and clearing my comment field before I can post, so I’m going to scrap it and say this:
I’m so excited for you guys, in an appropriate internet stranger and not-at-all creepy way, lol! You’re already well taken care of by the advice posted here, and the decisions you’ve made so far are spot on in my experience- so much of it is subjective and based on personal preference (and subsequently adjusted as needed, based on experience).
Megatron is beyond lucky to have your thoughtfulness on her side! I can’t wait to hear whatever you’re willing to share, however you choose to present it. Reading your excitement takes me back to how I felt while planning my own first family trip over a decade ago(!), so thank you for that!
I just wanted to say you guys are so cute! I am very happy for you, and we can’t wait to hear all about your trip.
As a mom of Twins I had to have a seat for one of the kids. Two infants are not allowed on laps in the same row. If you have a seat for an infant on the plane you will need to bring your car seat. If you bring your car seat might as well bring the stroller that it attaches too. If you do that get a Stroller bag. The stroller bag will be gate checked and so much extra stuff can be stuffed into it. Think stuffies, blankets, coats, extra diapers, more wipes. Basically everything you stuff at the bottom of your stroller.
My daughter was first and is now 36!
And we still take them every trip.
OK, now for actual baby advice, I would tell any parent to a new baby to make sure they know about Fever All. Basically it’s Tylenol suppositories for babies. Because most of us know most babies won’t eat the Tylenol that comes from those darn little injectors, our kids constantly spit it out and then you were left wondering did they actually get the full dose or half of it? It also works way faster-within 20 minutes-than giving them Tylenol to bring down a fever. It is over-the-counter. Also, if your pediatrician will prescribe it, SSD cream (silver sulfadiazine cream) is amazing at stopping any diaper rash in its tracks and can also be used on adults to prevent/stop chafing! Enjoy every moment!
Regarding the “growing up at Disney” photo, for 33 years we’ve taken our kids photo on the wall facing Cinderellas Castle by the wishing well. Started with my son 23 years ago, and this past year my granddaughter’s first!!
We call it their “on the wall photo.”
We hoped that spot would be there for awhile.
Can’t wait to see the actual trip report to find out how her first trip goes! My suggestions include:
1. Buying a personalized ornament with “Megatron’s first visit” at the Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe.
2. Start a tradition for a family photo – we always take a picture on the People Mover. We also take a photo at the Contemporary by the giant metal Mickey in the courtyard out back. It’s been fun to see how our kids have grown over the years. Although, it is hard to give you advice on where to take a picture!
3. Buy Megatron her first Mickey ears and have her name embroidered on them at Fantasy Faire in Fantasyland.
4. I agree with lots of the advice already provided – she will set the pace, don’t over plan, stroller for sure, and It’s A Small World ride always put my kids to sleep.
Enjoy!
So thrilled to actually help you out, since you’ve been instrumental in our planning. I would definitely rent a stroller, we’ve always used Orlando Stroller Rentals: there’s never an issue and they’re very helpful in answering questions about types of strollers to fit your needs. Put the raincover on everytime you park and especially go into restaurants. We had a lovely meal inCRT and watched the lashing, out of nowhere 1pm downpour and revelled in our luck at beating it. When we returned to our stroller, it was sunny and the stroller was beyond soaked with an inch of water in the underside. It took two days to dry. Fortunately Disney replaced our ruined bubble wand.
Enjoy WDW!
Getting a Disney balloons has always been our favorite stroller hack. You would think way more people would use this but most don’t. And all the years that we’ve tied one of these beautiful bright balloons to our stroller I always feared we would come off of a ride and it be taken and it never has. The best was the one year we went during Christmas and they had light up flashing balloons. Talk about making it easy to find your stroller at night! We always would buy one at the beginning of our trip and use it every day of our trip. We also rely on dollar store leis to wrap around either end of the handle bar of the stroller, particularly in the hot pink variety. These came in especially handy when visiting Animal Kingdom because they don’t permit balloons. Using a balloon you do tend to get hit in the face most of the day, but with older kids we tend to park it more and use it less as transportation and more as a storage hub. So we park it in the vicinity of the rides we’re riding and then come back for it like 45 minutes later when the kids want drinks or snacks or when we’re ready to move onto a new area .
And REMY?????? I want to meet him!!!! Can you meet him at Disney World or is it just Disneyland? Was this an after hours event? Because that is so cool!!!
I am a very, very long time lurker but have never commented! We took our daughter from Arizona to Hawaii at nine months old; her first flight was a trial flight from Arizona to Santa Barbara at five months old. We have since flown with her across the country and again to Hawaii at 21 months old. I would really recommended thinking about bringing your own travel stroller, so that you have it. You can gate check the stroller and then baby wear on to the plane. It will be very, very helpful in the airport. You can always have another stroller delivered to your hotel (Babyquip is amazing) if you are worried about beating yours up, but having a handy travel stroller on travel days is very, very helpful. Plus, our daughter was used to that one, which I think made her much more comfortable (get a travel stroller that reclines). We flew nonstop, I think it is the best way to go (just rip the bandaid off to get there). We just had her as a lap child, and it worked out really, really well.
I should also add that Babyquip is great for all baby rentals. We rented a swing, toys, and jumparoo when our daughter was 9 months. The rentals can just be left at the front desk of the resort, and the resort can deliver them to your room.
If you don’t have enough stroller rental places to check out, two wheelchair rental companies (ScooterBug and Buena Vista Rentals) both have some stroller rental capability. I don’t have the stroller comparison experience to know if the goods are good, but a lot of people prefer their services for delivering wheelchairs, so … maybe?
I don’t think you need much advice, you seem to what you are doing, you have already visited Disneyland, and are flexible enough to be ready for anything! I will say I really enjoyed my B.O.B stroller rental from Kingdom Strollers, it was nice and smooth and shady and had lots of room for all the bags. My daughter wasn’t even using strollers at home anymore and it was just so nice for everyone to stroll along enjoying the scenery. We did have a rental car at that point so I can’t speak to how it would be on public transportation, but it was super useful with the long walks through the parking lots. I remember a particularly peaceful stroller nap aboard the ferry to MK at dusk 🙂
HAVE SO MUCH FUN!! Can’t wait to read the post trip report!
I do have a very old travel with babies/toddlers post on my blog – but again I’m pretty sure as world travelers you already know this 🙂 ! https://www.ournaturalheritage.org/travel-planning-checklist-and-how-to-pack-for-family-vacations-with-a-toddler/
and a packing list : https://www.ournaturalheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/ONH_Family_Travel_Planner.pdf
First, have an amazing time and make lots of memories. Even the cringeworthy memories are still memories and 10 years from now they will bring a smile to your face. My biggest advice is that you don’t give up on your YMMV comments because all kids are different. Some kiddos love a loud restaurant and parents love that no one can hear them if they get fussy or even if they are having fun and being loud. Some kids don’t do well in that kind of environment at all. So, you can give your tips and tricks on your experience and still remind your readers that their mileage may vary. The same goes for you and your family as you take advice from other parents.
I am a grandparent and my husband and I brought our daughter and her twin, 8 month old boys to Disney World. People told us that we were crazy but we are Disney lovers and we couldn’t wait to share Disney with these 2 new members of our family. The trip was wonderful! It was so exciting watching their faces as they took in everything that was around them. To me, one of the best pieces of advice that has been shared is to take a break in the afternoon and return to your room. It not only gives the baby a chance to rest in a quiet and calm environment but it gives you a time to rest also. I would also advise using the Childcare Centers. It’s nice having somewhere clean and comfortable to take a break. One thing that I did not see anyone suggest was requesting a microwave for your room. We were in a deluxe resort so I don’t know if this is possible at other resorts. The microwave came in handy to warm up baby bottles, food and to sterilize baby items. There are microwave sterilizing bags that you can order on Amazon.
The most important thing to remember is to relax and to not stress out. Don’t over plan because with a baby things can change quickly. Be ready for melt downs, both yours and the baby’s, but don’t let them ruin your trip. Just do what works best for you and your baby and you will enjoy Disney.
I can imagine you’ve visited Disney World countless time before, but here’s hoping this one is unique for you and your family. We’ll be down there with you – I’ll be taking my partner for their first real Disney experience too. Best wishes for a special family-bonding first vacation!
My husband and I are long time Disney adults who had a baby and recently took him on his first trip to Disney World. It was the best, least “productive,” stressful, amazing, favorite trip we’ve ever taken. I was so excited to watch him experience all of these things. He was 14 months old, had no idea what was going on, but he loved it. He didn’t want to nap in the room, so we didn’t try to make him. (He couldn’t risk missing anything, smart kid).
Friends took us to a DVC Moonlight Magic event… we thought we’d make it til 10 at the latest. Kid watched the Epcot fireworks then passed all the way out for two hours. We were able to enjoy our free snacks, ride Guardians, and soak up the atmosphere. We didn’t leave til midnight!
Advice you didn’t ask for or want: We have never rented a car at Disney World until this trip. I will not take him back without renting a car. It gave us so much more control of our schedule vs waiting for resort buses. It also made a trip to Target for snacks/things I forgot really easy (ordered ahead grabbed it on the drive from the airport). Also being able to bring things without carrying them around all day took a lot of pressure off of what to take to the park. If it rained and we needed dry clothes, or got colder than we expected. One of us could run out to the parking lot instead of the hotel.
TAKE A STROLLER! I baby wear as much as I can (it was the only way he’d nap for almost the entire trip), but having the stroller was so worth it. If he wasn’t in the stroller, his and our stuff was.
Have so much fun.
And random internet stranger and long time reader’s unsolicited opinion (the only thing worse than unsolicited advice): I LOVE that you’re keeping Megatron’s privacy at the forefront of your minds.
1. If you have a third seat bring the car seat with you on board the plane, it makes travelling so much easier. All airlines will have the information available about their rules about this.
2. Ask for a standard crib opposed to a pack and play, if you say the magic words they understand.
Tom, I’m curious to know if your opinion on strollers at the Disney parks has changed since having a baby yourself? I know you said that strollers are one of your park pet peeves. There’s a lot of opinions about bringing babies and little ones to the Disney parks, and I wonder if yours has changed since becoming a parent! That could make an interesting post.
Hello Brother,
You are going to have so much fun!
Please rethink the stroller rental from a purely economic perspective. I think they cost something like $13 per day now?
How many rental Days X $13 per day until you *exceed* the cost you paid for your stroller? 10 days for a total of $130 in rental fees? Maybe 20 days for a total of $260?!
I get what you’re saying about wanting to keep the stroller “nice” – but it is for situations EXACTLY like one where you have to rent for $13 per day which is why you bought your own in the first place.
Think about it this way – if you were not at Disney World but just staying at home… How many times would you be willing to pay $13 to rent a stroller for a single day before you just decided to buy your own.
Whatever wear and tear the stroller might incur is way, way less than $13 per day!
Hope this helps!
Almost forgot…
Tie a balloon to your stroller or even Airtag it.
CastMembers love to move your stroller from wherever you parked it to some other spot (for no apparent reason).
You go into It’s a Small World, and then spend 5-10 minutes hunting for your stroller amongst the sea of strollers (probably in the Carousel parking lot).
Have a great trip!
On your flying days, bring more diapers and wipes than you think you’ll need. Also, bring an extra change of clothes for each of you and something waterproof to put clothes in if anyone needs to change. My baby had a major diaper blowout during a layover when I was holding him. It was the type you detect when your abdomen is suddenly warm and wet. We both needed to change. Best to plan for the unexpected, especially when you have some hours of traveling on planes.
I second this!! Pack more clothes for Megatron than you ever think you’ll need (for on the plane) then add some more for good measure. 🙂
Same goes for the parks! On my most recent WDW trip with my 1 year old, she only had a blanket on for the Skyliner ride back to our resort. 2 extra outfits weren’t enough.