WDW with 17 month old

[Tania]

We are thinking of planning a trip to WDW this September with our 17 month old daughter. I am afraid that it will be too stressful for my husband and I and that we won't enjoy ourselves. Will the baby be able to enjoy any of the attractions at that age? Any thoughts, opinions, experiences would be appreciated!

[meldan98]

We have yet to take our DD who's 3 to WDW, however, she has been to DL 6 times. The first time she was 1. She has had a wonderful time. She She wasn't into the characters up close but loved looking at them from a distance. Pluto actually layed down on the ground and waited for her to feel comfortable to approach him. She then kissed him on the nose. She is very shy and didn't talk to Wendy and Peter when she met them, but she let them hold her hands.

We learned that by going at her pace, she had a wonderful time. Use baby swap to enjoy some of the big rides and if you find a ride that she loves that has fast pass, get one for each of you and then she can go on twice.

[Jen C.]

We took DS, now 6 at 13 months, youngest DD at 6 months, and will be returning in Sept. with youngest DD at 18 months. You will have a wonderful time! My DD already knows Mickey Mouse, and gets excited whenever she sees him. Perhaps try introducing Mickey and some of the other characters by watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the Disney Channel.

There are many attractions that your baby will enjoy and be able to participate in. It's a Small World, Winnie the Poo, Peter Pan (although some would advise against this, we felt confident taking our little ones on), Snow White (although may scare baby, if easily frightened), the 3 D shows if baby willl wear glasses, the stage shows, Buzz Lightyear, and many more! Our little ones loved the parades and fireworks too! Of course be prepared for the high temps and be willing to go at baby's pace. I predict a wonderful, memorable family vacation! (Maybe the little one won't remember, but you'll never forget!)

[Deesdisney]

We took our DD at 10 mo. She really enjoyed it. However she did not like the fireworks displays they were to loud. But of course we thought a head of time and brought a pair of earmuffs. They worked great. They didnt take all the noise out but they did not scare her. But just to watch her face when she saw the characters was priceless.

[vamaggie]

We took DD when she was 18 mos. She rode the rides listed above plus all the Dumbo type rides, and the carousel. She loved the characters and had a great time interacting with them. We did not do the fireworks with her (DH & I traded off so DS could see them) since she was used to being in bed by 8ish. As long as you take things at your child's pace and realize you may not do everything you could do pre-baby you will have a great time. Experience the magic through your little one's eyes and you will have a great time!!!

Oh, and to Intercot!!!

[pshokie]

vamaggie said it best:

realize you may not do everything you could do pre-baby

This is so true. We just took our first trip with our DD (4) and DS (10 mo) in May. While some will differ with this viewpoint, we did not even consider doing any of the baby swap rides. Completely ruled them out before we left home. We know we will return again when the kids are older, so we skipped Space Mounain, Haunted Mansion, etc. We only hit the rides and attractions that we knew the kids would like.

And you know what? The trip was awesome! Yes, we rode IASW 5 times over the course of a week. But it was so worth it. Why? Because the kids loved it and we felt "the magic" through them.

Don't fret, there will be time in the future for the "big rides". And if you go at your DD's pace, you will see things you very well may have missed otherwise.

[mook3y]

The pleasure of watching your child in awe will far outweigh the stress.

Plan on going at a slower pace and enjoy taking your time. Go back to the room for a swim and a nap every day. A rested and refreshed child is a happy child lol.

Also, remember, it is very hot in September. It is very important to keep your child hydrated throughout the day.

[Tink-N-Me]

Oh sure she will enjoy it. We took our DSs at that young of an age. They don't remember the details of those earlier trips, but the photos are fun to go back and look at with them sitting on the curb, eating their . And the babyswap will allow you to be able to enjoy all the rides that you don't want to miss. I was never one for going back to the hotel for naptime. My kids just weren't consistent nappers, so when they got a little cranky, I would find a cooler quieter attraction, like COP and they would usually knock out for a power nap! My DH and other kids would head off, while I just kicked back till the baby was up and ready to go again.

[NJMan66]

I took my youngest daughter to WDW when she was 8 months old and then again each year/half year after. Depending on how your daughter sleeps, the trip will be pleasurable for both you and your husband assuming you follow some simple rules:

Get a hotel room with a balcony so you can sit outside your room while your baby is sleeping at night. Otherwise your night will end with her's.

Get a room that faces a quiet place at the resort you choose.

Bring a stroller that is optimal for your baby to sleep in that also blocks out the sun. Nothing saved us more than having our 8 month old take daily naps in the parks.

Don't expect to stay out late at the parks and set that expectation now. Also develop an understanding that one of you can go out to the hotel bar or pool at night by themselves without hurting the other one's feelings. By switching on and off each night it will add some night time fun and take some stress off of your relationship. Eventhough you love your daughter, you will have more fun if you plan at least one or two alone activities during the trip. Even if that alone time is parked at the pool mid-afternoon. I know that worked out well for my wife and me.

[Tigerlilly]

The only way it will be stessful is if you push her.

Keep her on her schedule. Yes it will cut into your vacation time but it will make your trip alot more enjoyable. Go at her pace. See what she wants to see. If she becomes entranced for 20 minutes with a fountain, make your self comfortable. If she gets spooked, remove her. Just by keeping her interests and needs at the forefront you can have a magical vacation. It will just be a totally different type of vacation that it would be if you were going alone.

My daughter is 2 and loved the Princesses but did not care for the furry characters except for Minnie Mouse. We were there during Flower and Garden and she was totally taken with seeing her favorite characters as topiaries. We spent a good deal of time just looking at them instead of walking between attractions. I did not get to do any roller coasters at all. We did all the shows (I had never sat through a show before). You will see a totally different side of the parks.

Have fun! She won't remember a thing but it will be a trip full of memories for yall!!

[Lizzie]

We will be there with our 17 month old twin girls in September. Our plan right now is to get up for early hours in the morning since they are awake, and head back to the hotel for a nap after an early lunch. Than head back after nap and swimming during the nights. We took them when they were 7 months last year. And they took naps in their stroller or the baby bjorn. This year it will be intresting to see if they will nap in their stroller. They loved the fireworks last time will see how they do this time.

And since we were there last year and are going to DL with family in December we plan on taking it mellow and seeing just our favorites and whatever they want to do. And things they have in DL that are the same will probably skip since 5 days in DL is much longer in my mind than 5 days in DW.

[BD]

If you are doing for you and your husband to have fun, by all means go. Doing a baby swap for some of the rides shouldn't be a problem.

IMHO, I wouldn't go to the expense thinking it was for the baby's sake to go. You would probably get the same reaction from an infant/toddler with stuffed animals and a swivel chair. besides they won't remember anything.

Have a good time.
BD

[milhouse]

We took our 18 mo son in May with his two older siblings. Everyone had a blast. We took him on IASW, Pirates, Pooh, Buzz, Peter Pan, The Safari. He loved every parade even though he liked the characters to keep their distance. He sat through most of the shows, he preferred the ones with a little leg room where he could get down and walk around. Bring a medium sized stroller. One that folds up pretty small but still has enough room for a snooze in the shade.

Having a mobile little one is a lot more work for the parents but can still be loads of fun. Do some baby swaps so Mom and Dad get to ride some big rides as well.

[meldan98]

My DD was also very inconsistent with naps, so we just found a quiet spot and let her snooze, once she was out, we were free to rome.

My DD also somehow managed to fall asleep on Pirates. There was a bit of a line and cudddle up to my husband and by the time we hit the first drop, she was out. She slept through both drops and the entire ride.

Who knows...some kids can sleep through anything.

[Mickey91]

We took our 15 month old DS. He loved the characters and they loved him. We have great pictures at LTT. He really enjoyed IASW and all the Fantasyland attractions. Actually, except for the mountains, which he couldn't ride, he loved it. We were pretty tired after getting him in and out of the stroller, but it was worth every minute! I think you will have a wonderful time with many, many memories to share with him when he gets older.

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

We have also taken our three kids when they were little. All three went at least once before their 2nd birthday.

You already got your best advice, follow your child's cues and just go with the flow. We never have a plan of any kind, just a general idea of what we want to do. Like someone else said, if they want to spend 30 minutes just playing in the fountains we do it.

We also never leave the parks for a break during the day. Our kids napped in their stroller or they would take a quick nap during a show or long attraction. I know that does not work for all families, it works well for us. You will figure out what works for you.

There is NOTHING like seeing WDW through your child's eyes!!

[MNMS]

Definitely go!! You'll have a wonderful time as long as you keep expectations low and listen to you daughter (e.g., rest, naps, likes and dislikes, etc.). We've gone with our 3 1/2 yr old and 8 month old and every year since (they are now 6 1/2 and 4).

Our youngest asolutely loved the characters (animals only; no princesses) at that age. She would squeal with delight when they approaced and cry (only briefly) when they left.

Again it is about expectations. If you're going and are going to be disappointed because you won't be able to go on the rides you like then you will be stressed. If you're going to see their enjoyment and get enjoyment out of their enjoyment -- there's nothing better.

The fact that she won't remember it is irrelevant (unless you won't be able to go back for a very long time) -- I am a believer that experiences make us who we are throughout our lives (even if we don't always remember them).

[kathiep]

Definately go!!

You can barely begin to imagine how the amount of pure joy you will experience wathcing your daughter experience this for the first time. You'll see things in a way you never did before.

Just remember to take things slowly and enjoy even the little things. When my DS was little, his favorite park was simply riding the train around MK several times.

Don't forget that you can use baby swap to enjoy attractions that your daughter won't be able to go on.

[MickeyandTink]

We are going in September for a week with DD for an early 7th birthday present and leaving DS (who will have just turned 2) with his grandmother. We have been promising DD we would take her when she was seven for the last few years.

While I think DS would have fun, we decided not to take him because we wanted it to be her special trip and not have to miss out on things because of her baby brother's schedule. Also, DW and I have never been to WDW together and haven't been to DL in almost 15 years, so we wanted to make sure we get the most out of it, too.

In sum, whether you should take your DD or not probably depends on a few things.

One, how often do you go? It's a lot easier to forego doing "adult" type rides and attractions if you go once or twice a year like many of the previous posters.

Two, what are you wanting to do? If you enjoy just walking around the park, riding a few rides, and generally absorbing the "magic", it's easier to do with a child than if you are there just to ride as many thrill rides as possible. Also, going out to PI and late romantic dinners are pretty much out of the question with little ones.

Three, how long are you going for? 3 or 4 days may be great, but a week or ten days with a small child may be just too much for all of you.

Just my

[cardshopgirl]

I believe that you are never too young to visit Disney World! We took my niece at 6 months and we are taking my daughter this Christmas for her first birthday. Will it be tiring? Yes, probably. Just don't over do it. I think the joy on her face will out weigh any stress or tiredness you may feel. Have a wonderful time!!!