Princess Baby Belle Does WDW {A Fall F&W TR} Update 10.11!

[DisneyCrafter]

Princess Baby Belle Does WDW {A Fall F&W TR}

Who | Me (Rachael), Greg (DH), and Arabelle or "Belle" as we call her (DD-8 months)








When | Saturday, October 24 to Sunday, November 1
Where | Off-site (with family) & Pop Century

Hi there! Rachael here. Greg (DH) and I have been to WDW many times since we were married six years ago. We like to think that we have a decent handle on the place. We know how to maneuver the parks, ride the hot-ticket attractions with little to no wait, and how to work the transportation options. Alas, NOTHING can prepare you for taking a trip with an infant, other than taking a trip with an infant, that is. (At least, I'm assuming so. I'll let you know for sure when we get back.)

Why | It's been 2 years since we've stepped foot on Disney property and 3 years since we've taken an official Disney trip so we are way over due for a trip to our happy place. I know you all will agree that is too much time to not visit your most favorite place on earth. And, come on! What better place to take our daughter on our first family vacation? Her name is Belle for goodness sake!

It's been quite a while since I've spent time on the DIS Boards but I am so glad to be back to surround myself with others who share our love for Disney.

I hope that I can help out other parents on the DIS who are taking (or considering taking) their little one to Disney World. I will give tips, share my packing lists, and tell you all about what your MUST bring/purchase to make your trip as great as possible. Oh yeah, and there will be plenty of Disney days, too; filled with Food & Wine pics, Halloween in WDW, and much more. So sit back, relax, and let me do the driving.

See Ya Real Soon,

Rachael, Greg, and Baby Belle

 

[DisneyCrafter]

Pre-Trip Post:
How to do Disney with an Infant, or How I *THINK* you do Disney with an Infant.

 

[luvpooh]

I'm in! Our trip is overlapping with yours, and it's with our almost three year old son, so any tips would be great if you have then beforehand!

How old is your daughter?

 

[DisneyCrafter]

I'm in! Our trip is overlapping with yours, and it's with our almost three year old son, so any tips would be great if you have then beforehand!

How old is your daughter?

Yay! A reader! Welcome!

Oops! I should include her age in my intro post! She is 8 months and will turn 9 months on our trip!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Joining in - you had me a F&W!

We did a F&W times trip with an 8mo old 6 years ago

Hope you have a great trip!

 

[DisneyCrafter]

Joining in - you had me a F&W!

We did a F&W times trip with an 8mo old 6 years ago

Hope you have a great trip!

Hi! How was your experience with a then 8 month old? Our first hurdle is maneuvering all of our luggage through the airport and a plane ride with an infant!

 

[Disneymoon09]

Joining in!

 

[Bebella]

Following along! Our kids will be a little older when we go (our daughter is 9 months now but will probably be almost 3 by the time we plan to go to WDW) but I'm looking forward to all your tips...we also plan to go during F & W! I love your daughter's name...ours is Clara but we often call her Clarabelle

 

[TinkLoverSam]

We took our 7 week old for two weeks in August... I'm looking forward to seeing how your trip goes.

 

[DisneyCrafter]

Joining in!

Welcome!

Following along! Our kids will be a little older when we go (our daughter is 9 months now but will probably be almost 3 by the time we plan to go to WDW) but I'm looking forward to all your tips...we also plan to go during F & W! I love your daughter's name...ours is Clara but we often call her Clarabelle

I love that nickname! Clarabelle, so adorable! Before we had Belle, we always heard comments from people about taking small children to Disney; "What's the point?", "They're too young." But we don't want to put off going to Disney until Belle is the "perfect" age. I'm not sure that even exists! I'm hoping everything goes smoothly!

We took our 7 week old for two weeks in August... I'm looking forward to seeing how your trip goes.

Wow! 7 weeks! You are a supermom! I think I was still having mini-meltdowns and barely functioning on such little sleep when Belle was 7 weeks!

 

[TinkLoverSam]

No super mom here just a determination to get to my sister's wedding. I'm only on day one of my trip report but I do have one going whenever my now 15 week old lets me do some writing.

 

[JReneeW]

Following! I love hearing about trips with little ones!

 

[Bebella]

I love that nickname! Clarabelle, so adorable! Before we had Belle, we always heard comments from people about taking small children to Disney; "What's the point?", "They're too young." But we don't want to put off going to Disney until Belle is the "perfect" age. I'm not sure that even exists! I'm hoping everything goes smoothly!

I know what you mean! My husband tends to be in that camp (he's never been to WDW) but I've been able to talk him into taking the kids to DL when we visit San Diego next May...so the kids will be 17 months and almost 3 ...my son is obsessed with Cars and Planes so I can't wait until he sees Cars Land!

 

[TinkLoverSam]

I know what you mean! My husband tends to be in that camp (he's never been to WDW) but I've been able to talk him into taking the kids to DL when we visit San Diego next May...so the kids will be 17 months and almost 3 ...my son is obsessed with Cars and Planes so I can't wait until he sees Cars Land!

He wil LOVE CarsLand! It's amazing!

 

[DisneyCrafter]

Following! I love hearing about trips with little ones!

I'm so happy to have you following along!

I know what you mean! My husband tends to be in that camp (he's never been to WDW) but I've been able to talk him into taking the kids to DL when we visit San Diego next May...so the kids will be 17 months and almost 3 ...my son is obsessed with Cars and Planes so I can't wait until he sees Cars Land!

I bet your son will FLIP when he sees Cars Land! Hopefully that trip will make your husband see that going to Disney with little ones isn't all that bad! And hopefully some of my experiences will help you plan!

 

[DisneyCrafter]

How to do Disney with an Infant (or How I *THINK* you do Disney with an Infant) ​

Bring (or rent) A GOOD stroller! You'll want a stroller that fully reclines because it's more comfortable for them to sleep on the go. You'll also want something that has a nice sun canopy. Buy a rain shield for the stroller, too. Try to get something that's easy to fold, since you'll have to collapse it for the bus rides. Something lightweight with a nice-sized basket underneath is a plus. I was fortunate enough to find a used Bumbleride stroller on a Facebook for-sale group for $50. We splurged on an Uppababy Cruz for home but there was no way I was going to bring that on the airplane! I believe you can rent a stroller for the duration of your trip (delivered and picked up from your resort even) from Magic Kingdom Strollers. You DO NOT want to use the strollers at the parks. They are hard plastic and uncomfortable and can only be used at the parks! Have cup holders and/or a nice parent console on the stroller to hold things like sunglasses, water, pacifiers, etc.

Bring a Baby Carrier! We own an Ergo and we love it. It is going to make waiting in lines SO MUCH MORE enjoyable. After all, Belle already weighs 20lbs!

Pick up or Send Formula/Baby Food/Diapers/Etc. Order needed items (like formula, nursery water, baby food, diapers, and wipes) and have them sent to your resort or, if you're renting a car like us, pick them up when you land. That way you don't have to pack so many things in your suitcase. Only what you need to get you through on your travel day (and maybe a bit extra, just in case, if you're like me).

Carry a well-stocked "Park Bag!" Our park bag pre-Belle consisted of a Vera Bradley Hipster filled with: hand sanitizer, chapstick, coin purse, a small wallet with cash, credit/debit cards, IDs, insurance cards, and park tickets, wet wipes, lotion, eye drops, a small hairbrush, a Tide to-go pen, and a cell phone. (What can I say, I like to be prepared!) What is our park bag going to look like now that we have a baby in tow? Well, I still plan on bringing the hipster with everything above but we're also bringing a backpack. I want to keep everything to my hipster and one backpack. Because we have to collapse the stroller for the bus and carry that, plus the baby and the bags, we need as few bags as possible. In said backpack, will be:
~Diaper Changing "Station." I have a really neat compact bag that has compartments for diapers and wipes and such that also folds out into a diaper changing mat for changing Belle's diaper in a public restroom.
~Extra clothes. (for Belle of course) I recommend layers. We're going in late October, it can be 80 during the day and in the 60s at night. Be prepared.
~A silicone bib. (I was going to do the disposable ones but I think in the long run getting a silicone bib that we can just wipe off after each meal will be more beneficial and cost effective.)
~Blankets. I'm going to bring a lightweight Aden & Anais one in case we need extra sun protection and I'm also bringing a heavier stroller blanket to use for the evenings.
~Small Toys/Loveys. Will keep the baby entertained while you eat. I recommend bringing things that your baby is familiar with. We'll definitely bring Belle's pacifier. As far as toys, our little girl loves cloth books, her Sophie giraffe, and Fisher Price Little People.
~Bottles, Snacks, and Baby Food. We bottle feed so we'll be bringing plenty of formula with us every day. I have made all of Belle's purees but there's really no good way of transporting that so we'll be buying pouches.
~Disposable placemats. You can stick these on the table for your baby (if age-appropriate) can enjoy some of your meal with you. Or also so she doesn't lick/put her mouth on the table. Because gross.
~Sunscreen. Bring lots of sunscreen for baby's sensitive skin!
~Ziploc bags for wet/dirty clothes.
~Sound Canceling Headphones for Belle. I'm hoping these will work not only for fireworks but also for when she needs to rest but can't because there is too much going on around her. We'll see.

Take a Break!!! Everyday. I can't say this enough. This is SO important. We have an afternoon planned into every day that we are staying on property. For the two days that we'll be visiting but staying with family we are either leaving after Belle's AM nap or leaving the parks around dinner time. There is NO SENSE in over doing it. You'll be exhausted and so will the baby. Instead, go back to the resort and lay by the pool while your husband plays his Nintendo DS in the room while your baby girl naps. At least that's what I see happening!

Plan activities around your baby's "good times." Belle is most happy in the AM and she's an early riser so we'll be hitting the parks right when they open. We have only one dinner ADR because we know that Belle is usually asleep by 7pm. Belle takes two naps a day and I'm going to try my hardest to make sure one of those naps is in the pack 'n play every day.

Know where to go in each of the parks for quiet time. There are baby centers in each of the parks and I hear they are wonderful. They may also be on the opposite end of the park that you're in so have a backup plan. This is going to be a learning experience for us. I'll report back. I have a few ideas so hopefully they'll work.

Do you have any suggestions? Please share!

 

[TinkLoverSam]

Only thing I suggest is a diaper bag that can hang on your stroller instead of the backpack. I used the SkipHop Forma diaper bag


That way unlike the backpack you don't have to carry it it comes with clips that easily attach it to your stroller. We carried the bag on the busses and then attached the bag to the stroller once we arrived at the parks. Some of the bag check people wanted it off the stroller but some didn't. I found this much easier than one of us having to carry a backpack in the heat. Also those change clutches are the best things ever as you can leave the diaper bag with the stroller and only take the clutch to the washroom with you. Also key point don't forget dad can change diapers too. Every men's room also has a change table unlike in other places.

 

[DisneyCrafter]

Only thing I suggest is a diaper bag that can hang on your stroller instead of the backpack. I used the SkipHop Forma diaper bag
That way unlike the backpack you don't have to carry it it comes with clips that easily attach it to your stroller. We carried the bag on the busses and then attached the bag to the stroller once we arrived at the parks. Some of the bag check people wanted it off the stroller but some didn't. I found this much easier than one of us having to carry a backpack in the heat. Also those change clutches are the best things ever as you can leave the diaper bag with the stroller and only take the clutch to the washroom with you. Also key point don't forget dad can change diapers too. Every men's room also has a change table unlike in other places.

I didn't know that the men's bathrooms had diaper changing stations, too! That is AWESOME!

Diaper clutch! That's what I have and I couldn't think of the name of!

We definitely do NOT plan on carrying the backpack. Our stroller has a storage basket and it's a nice size so we're going to store it under there. There is no way one of us is going to want to carry a backpack with all of that stuff in there! At home we use a diaper bag that clips on our stroller like the one you pictured. Isn't is so convenient?!

 

[TinkLoverSam]

I didn't know that the men's bathrooms had diaper changing stations, too! That is AWESOME!

Diaper clutch! That's what I have and I couldn't think of the name of!

We definitely do NOT plan on carrying the backpack. Our stroller has a storage basket and it's a nice size so we're going to store it under there. There is no way one of us is going to want to carry a backpack with all of that stuff in there! At home we use a diaper bag that clips on our stroller like the one you pictured. Isn't is so convenient?!

Those are the best diaper bags ever. We had the car seat in the stroller so it was almost impossible to get into the the basket on our stroller because he was still so young. I was going to say small but at about 16 lbs at 8 weeks he wasn't small.

 

[donac]

Good luck on trip. We are coming down on the 25th and leaving Nov 1. I do miss that age somewhat. My youngest is 25.