Traveling with an Infant: Disney Do's
So this may not be the most helpful tips for Disney goers with an infant, because we only went for one day...and we went to Epcot, which isn't the typical choice with an infant. We chose Epcot for a few reasons:
1. My sister-in-law had never been
2. It was bound to be less crowded (spring break!)
3. We figured there would be less hassle with stroller parking, etc.
We were very pleased with our choice. I think if Gunnar had been a few months older (and able to be in an easy umbrella stroller), and if I had brought an easier diaper bag (like a backpack or something) we might have gone for the Magic Kingdom, but because we knew Gunnar would probably be most comfortable in the stroller (covered from the sun), Epcot was the ideal choice. The stroller was able to go with us almost everywhere (except rides and the aquarium) and the crowds were minimal.
Here's what we did at Epcot:
1. Purchased infant sized Mickey Ears and had them embroidered with Gunnar's name!
2. Took Gunnar on the Finding Nemo ride, saw the manatees and watched Turtle Talk with Crush at the Seas exhibit.
3. Made 4:45pm reservations to eat with the princesses for dinner in World Showcase: Norway at Akerhus.
4. Toured the World Showcase:
*Norway--enjoyed lefse, took picture with giant troll and took G on Maelstrom (dark boat ride with small drop...aunt Kerry was more scared than Gunnar!).
*China--toured gardens trying to find which animal was Gunnar's year (Tiger! too cool)
*Germany--Kerry enjoyed a pretzel and some wine, Gunnar got stickers from a nice German girl
*Italy--not much to do...
*America--NAP RIDE!! The American Adventure: This is what John and I affectionately call the animatronic show/movie...it's a 40 minute history lesson guided by Mark Twain and Benjamin Franklin...and I always seem to enjoy taking a nap through it! It was a little harder with an infant, but Gunnar nursed and did fall asleep for most of the 40 minutes! Great place to breast feed!
*Japan--bought some incense and Lucky Owls for Gunnar's nursery (his room is all owls!)
*Morocco--Took lots of pictures of G and Kerry sitting on the magic carpet!
*France--Did a little shopping, Gunnar met the white kitty from the Aristocats
*United Kingdom--we met Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh and Tiger too!!!
* Canada---skipped it (not as stroller friendly)
* Mexico--boat ride!! Gunnar LOVED this ride!! I also bought Gunnar a maraca!
5. Dinner with the Princesses...comes with a 3 course meal and an 8x10 and two 4x6 prints of your party with Belle (oh yes! Cheese-tastic!) Gunnar truly loved meeting princesses Aurora, Snow White, Cinderella, Belle and Ariel...especially if they had high pitch voices!! And they all thought he was an adorable prince!
6. We were pooped and done by 7:00pm. We saw everything we wanted to and were able to get back in time for Gunnar's bedtime!
Tips:
*There is a baby care center (we never went, but I hear they're great and it's a great place to nurse and change your baby).
*Bring a baby carrier (ie: baby bjorn, ergo, wrap, etc.) for areas where you can't have a stroller.
*It would probably be easier to have a backpack diaper bag
*Bring large brim hat for baby...it's always sunny!
*Don't forget sunscreen for you and baby
*Bring a light weight blanket to provide shade for baby.
1. My sister-in-law had never been
2. It was bound to be less crowded (spring break!)
3. We figured there would be less hassle with stroller parking, etc.
We were very pleased with our choice. I think if Gunnar had been a few months older (and able to be in an easy umbrella stroller), and if I had brought an easier diaper bag (like a backpack or something) we might have gone for the Magic Kingdom, but because we knew Gunnar would probably be most comfortable in the stroller (covered from the sun), Epcot was the ideal choice. The stroller was able to go with us almost everywhere (except rides and the aquarium) and the crowds were minimal.
Here's what we did at Epcot:
1. Purchased infant sized Mickey Ears and had them embroidered with Gunnar's name!
2. Took Gunnar on the Finding Nemo ride, saw the manatees and watched Turtle Talk with Crush at the Seas exhibit.3. Made 4:45pm reservations to eat with the princesses for dinner in World Showcase: Norway at Akerhus.
4. Toured the World Showcase:
*Norway--enjoyed lefse, took picture with giant troll and took G on Maelstrom (dark boat ride with small drop...aunt Kerry was more scared than Gunnar!).
*Germany--Kerry enjoyed a pretzel and some wine, Gunnar got stickers from a nice German girl
*Italy--not much to do...
*America--NAP RIDE!! The American Adventure: This is what John and I affectionately call the animatronic show/movie...it's a 40 minute history lesson guided by Mark Twain and Benjamin Franklin...and I always seem to enjoy taking a nap through it! It was a little harder with an infant, but Gunnar nursed and did fall asleep for most of the 40 minutes! Great place to breast feed!
*Morocco--Took lots of pictures of G and Kerry sitting on the magic carpet!
*France--Did a little shopping, Gunnar met the white kitty from the Aristocats
*United Kingdom--we met Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh and Tiger too!!!* Canada---skipped it (not as stroller friendly)
* Mexico--boat ride!! Gunnar LOVED this ride!! I also bought Gunnar a maraca!
5. Dinner with the Princesses...comes with a 3 course meal and an 8x10 and two 4x6 prints of your party with Belle (oh yes! Cheese-tastic!) Gunnar truly loved meeting princesses Aurora, Snow White, Cinderella, Belle and Ariel...especially if they had high pitch voices!! And they all thought he was an adorable prince!
6. We were pooped and done by 7:00pm. We saw everything we wanted to and were able to get back in time for Gunnar's bedtime!
Tips:
*There is a baby care center (we never went, but I hear they're great and it's a great place to nurse and change your baby).
*Bring a baby carrier (ie: baby bjorn, ergo, wrap, etc.) for areas where you can't have a stroller.
*It would probably be easier to have a backpack diaper bag
*Bring large brim hat for baby...it's always sunny!
*Don't forget sunscreen for you and baby
*Bring a light weight blanket to provide shade for baby.
Glad you enjoyed it! I LOVE Epcot and I love the food at the Norwegian world!
ReplyDeleteLooks like great fun! Never went to Disney until I was 50, and we LOVE Epcot. Perhaps when Gunner is all growed up, he can go on the Epcot Beer Run. That's our fav thing to do...have a beer at every country...ending with Norway, of course. ...or you could begin AND end with Norway and the fireworks!
ReplyDeleteOne more Disney tip (for the future, or your other readers). When baby is in a regular stroller, I highly recommend bringing a lightweight blanket and CLOTHESPINS! We did this for Miriam on our 3-day Disney trek. This way she could be totally covered from sun and light when she was napping. The clothespins worked wonders in keeping the blanket where you wanted it and it wouldn't blow off or be knocked off in a crowd. She had a nice little dark sleeping pod on wheels! Napped better at Disney than she did at home...!
ReplyDeleteYou did great in covering the important stuff at Epcot! Getting Norwegian food in Florida is a special treat. We've done the maelstrom ride a couple times, adding a bit of water to our lives!
ReplyDeleteWhat a kid Gunnar is!
No i don't think I will bring my infant there. Anyway, Disney is really fun and wanna spend Holiday fun in Disney
ReplyDelete