By Mark Verone
We have always been fans of Disney, and now we love it even more through the eyes of our son, Andrew. Our first Disney vacation with an infant was when Andrew was just 8 months old. Anyone who says you have to wait until your kids are older to truly enjoy Disney have not experienced the joy of an infant taking in the sights, colors and sounds of the happiest place on earth. Andrew loved every minute of Disney. He loved it so much that we caught him laughing in his sleep after the first day…we can only imagine what he was dreaming about.
My goal with this posting is to ease any hesitation or fears about taking a Disney vacation with an infant. While you won’t be able to indulge the “thrill” rides, there are plenty action-packed, family-friendly attractions to keep an infant or toddler engaged. Disney is all about family fun for all ages, and it fully lived up to our expectations. We were pleasantly surprised by the numbers of newborns, infants and toddlers throughout the parks. (See, we are not the only crazy new parents out there.) Besides, just think of all the AMAZING photos you will have for years to come. My wife and I both have family pictures from visits to Disney World as youngsters, and they are priceless memories.
Favorites
Andrew loved the Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion®, It’s a Small World, Peter Pan’s Flight, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, Monster, Inc. Laugh Floor, and countless interactive movie attractions within the Disney Parks. Andrew loves animals and Dinosaurs and was totally engaged in the Kilimanjaro Safaris®, the Cretaceous Trail and It’s Tough to be a Bug® at Animal Kingdom. I like Epcot and was happy that Andrew got a kick out of The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, Turtle Talk with Crush, and Journey into Imagination with Figment.
We also had fun with some classics like the Jungle Cruise, Country Bear Jamboree, The Enchanted Tiki Room – Under New Management, the Tomorrowland® Transit Authority People Mover. We discovered his favorite ride is Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland®. And if you think an 8-month-old won’t remember…think again. When went back at 14 months on this recent trip, he was pointing at the Buzz ride from a distance and was even able to control the joystick to spin the car around — until we caught him trying to eat the joystick.
Another memorable photo opportunity is a Disney character breakfast, lunch or dinner. We planned in advance for our first trip and did the Winnie The Pooh and Friends character breakfast at the Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom, along with the Alice and Wonderland, Mary Poppins and Pooh breakfast at 1900 Park Fare in the Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. One character dinner that was quite memorable was the Dreams Come True Dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table inside Cinderella’s castle. The meal was excellent, there is a photo opportunity with Cinderella, and there was a little show featuring the Fairy Godmother. On this recent last-minute trip we were not able to get advance reservations for character dining but learned a little insider tip: Since Disney does not require advance deposits or a credit card to hold most dining reservations, we found out that a lot of people book but never show up. We were able to get into the 1900 Park Fare character breakfast faster than trying to dine in the hotel restaurant. Sometimes not being prepared works to your advantage.
Tips
Traveling with a baby always presents some challenges, and a theme park is no exception. At 8 months we were still on a mostly liquid diet of baby formula. With formula, you need a plan of attack when it comes to refrigeration in the hot, humid Florida weather. We carried a small soft case travel cooler. It’s collapsible and lightweight, and all we needed to do was fill it with ice at the hotel. Our cooler also fits conveniently in the pouch under our stroller. It got easier on this last trip now that Andrew is drinking whole milk. The nice thing about Disney is you can bring in your own food, and you can find milk, juice and kid-friendly food options all over the park. Speaking of strollers…most people dread the idea of bringing their stroller on an airplane or to a theme park. While Disney does offer a great stroller rental service, we prefer our own ride. We did notice on this trip that Disney upgraded their strollers to newer beige models with a mesh carry-all.
To stay on property or not to stay on property, that is a good question. I’ve done both in my lifetime, and I am convinced that staying on Disney property is the most convenient way to go. You don’t have to fight with traffic or risk the park being closed for capacity during peak times. We have been at Disney during New Years and 4th of July, and they closed Magic Kingdom to the outside world when the park reached maximum guest capacity. The only exception was for resort guests who are allowed in regardless of capacity constraints. The Disney resort properties offer a variety of price levels and amenities. In the last few years we have come to like the monorail hotels near Magic Kingdom and Epcot, including Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Disney's Contemporary Resort and Disney's Polynesian Resort. The hotels can be higher priced but are extremely convenient when traveling with a stroller versus using the Disney transport bus system. We also like Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, the Disney World Swan and Disney World Dolphin, which are convenient walking distances from Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Our son naps on the go, but for some families nap time is strict, and staying closer to the parks allows you to take a break and get back to the parks quickly. This is especially important for Extra Magic hours when certain parks open earlier or stay open later for resort guests.
Get the Park Hopper Passes: Kids under 2 are free, and with a little one it’s good to move around and check out several parks. We like Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom in the morning, Epcot for lunch and Hollywood Studios at the end of the day.
We had such a memorable experience on this Disney vacation, we're already planning to go back to Disney World to celebrate Andrew's second birthday.
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Before his son was born, Mark Verone and his wife made a pact to keeping traveling even with a newborn in tow. They got a passport for the baby a week after he was born and took 29 flights in his first year alone.
If you're planning a Florida vacation with your kids, chances are, your trip will include a stop at one of the state's theme parks. And whether it's a full-blown Disney vacation or just a family vacation that includes a side trip to Universal Orlando or Busch Gardens, you'll definitely want to hit the high points.
