We are FLYING to DISNEY WORLD (with a BABY)

Flying to Disney World, at Christmas, Baby in tow. . . Are we crazy?

You might think we've lost our minds wanting to take our 10-month-old to Disney World, especially at Christmas, but it's our favorite family tradition! There is something even more magical at the Disney Parks during the holiday season that you must see to believe! 

As a disclaimer, I am not dubbing myself the pro-Disney mom, as this will be our first trip with our child. Still, I will anoint myself as an "SME" (subject matter expert) of general Disney going (as I have been almost 30 times - more on that in another post) and of airplane travel with a baby. My son, Rory, and I have flown together 15 times in his short ten months! Just the two of us, starting at one-month-old! I know that likely also sounds crazy, but my family lives in New Orleans, and my husband and I live in Kansas City!

Alex in front of Cinderella's Castle in Magic Kingdom

So, let's get to why you are here! I want to start by saying that the goal is not to make this a stress-free experience because I will not lie to you. This entire experience has loads of stress wound into it, so our goal is to reduce that stress with proper expectations and preparation measures. 

Okay, let's get to steppin' (See what I did there? Since we will be hitting close to 10 miles a day at Disney) - Links directly to product pages are underlined and "Clickable"!

1. Plan: I will be sharing a separate post on how we plan our yearly trips to avoid high costs and peak times for park crowds, but let's generalize it for now and say that you should try to plan well in advance. This includes your flights and flight times. Orlando is a relatively large airport, so there are usually many direct/non-stop flights. My number one flight advice is either book the non-stop flight or give yourself about an hour for a layover. There may have been a time you could run gate to gate to hit a 20-minute layover, but that time is undoubtedly gone if you are traveling with a baby or toddler. It would help if you had the hour because it will likely take a few minutes for the gate attendants to bring up your gate-checked stroller/car seat before you can exit the sky bridge. You will probably need a diaper change, bottle, or to re-situate the baby. It is also inevitable that you will likely need something. 

Extra Pro-Tip: If you are traveling alone, use the restroom before and after the flight; don't even attempt the tiny bathroom on the plane with your baby in your arms or wearing a baby carrier.

2. Pack smart: When Rory and I fly together, I keep it simple (as simple as you can with baby gear). 

• Matching Luggage Tags! - I tagged all my items (Diaper bag, stroller, travel bag) with matching tags that stood out so I could easily identify my things.

• Diaper Bag - I have a "special" diaper bag that I use when we fly because it actually can fit my work laptop and reMarkable tablet, too (my corporate/day job does not allow for me to be completely unplugged. . . ever. . . so I always have to have that with me, also more on the reMarkable tablet in a later post). After my work gear is added, I start to fill the bag with Rory's necessary "stuff":

• Two extra outfits - Keep in mind that unexpected blowouts or canceled/delayed flights happen more often than you would think. 

• Double the diapers you would normally take on a day out. 

• Double the formula you think your baby should need during your anticipated travel time - I prefer to get a silicone reusable bag, pour a bunch of formula in it, and throw the scoop in the bag. This seems to fit better in the diaper bag vs. the can of formula that tends to be on the larger/bulkier side.

• Mini container of bottle soap and mini bottle brush - you don't have room to put all of your bottles for the day in your one diaper bag/carry, so it's so clean at the airport in between uses. 

• Pacifiers, clips, teether toys - you need a few things to keep your baby entertained.

• The rest of your diaper bag essentials (changing mat, medicine, snot bulbs, shoes, socks, creams, etc.)

• Belt Bag/Fanny Pack ($9 Option)- The airline will allow you two personal items/carry-ons, so I use my small belt bag in addition to the diaper bag. This is useful as it sits across your chest and can be worn with the baby carrier on, too! 

• Money/Cards 

• Phone 

• (Charged) Power bank (This one has built in cords!)+ phone charger 

• Your travel documents

• Your little ones' travel documents (even if they are under 2, you will have to go to the check-in desk to get a physical boarding ticket for the child)

• Copy of baby's birth certificate - anyone in the airline system can ask for this, so always carry it with you when traveling. 

• A baby carrier - when Rory was really small, I liked the Baby Bjorn Mini carrier, and as he got older/bigger, we decided on the Ergo Baby Omni 360 carrier. Both have served us well! 

• The Doona - From my experience as someone who has traveled on 15 flights by myself caring for my baby, this piece of baby gear is hands down my number one pick 

• Have a light blanket over the baby. 

• Have a little fan attached to the doona handlebars for the baby. 

• Have your baby shusher hooked onto your Doona.

• A cup holder on the Doona is a must; if you are like me, you likely have already asked yourself how you will drink a cup of coffee! (My favorite was the SkipHop brand universal cupholder, but I cannot find it!)

• Doona Travel Bag (This is what the Doona folds up into so that it can safely be gate-checked)

• Doona Essentials Bag - One hooks on like a backpack (where I carry the stuff I won't need while on the plane) to the back of the Doona, and the other hooks onto the side notches of the handlebars and acts as a diaper/stroller caddy for you (I would like to note that both of these accessory bags must be removed before closing the Doona. When I pack the Doona into the travel bag, I always throw these two items inside the Doona where the baby usually sits and zip up the travel bag so that it is all protected while under the plane.) 

• GP Pockit All City - I am bringing along this one since my husband will be able to carry it for us, but truth be told, I bet I could figure it out on my own as well. The Doona and the GP Pockit both have backpack travel bags you can put them in to be gate-checked. The perks of the GB Pockit All City are that it is extremely lightweight, and actually, you do not have to gate-check it because when it's folded up, it fits in the overhead compartment! 

3. Check in early: Arrive at the airport early and check in your luggage and stroller to avoid any last-minute stress. Heed the warning from a last-minute airport arrival lover. I have TSA and Clear and still aim for a 2-hour ahead of flight arrival time to the airport when traveling with Rory. Why? Because TSA and Clear are not going to speed up the bag checking and boarding pass process. As I mentioned before, when traveling with a little one, you have to physically speak to the check-in attendant to get their boarding pass. This is also a point at which someone may ask to see your baby's birth certificate. Once that is done and you make your way to security, I would suggest putting the baby into the baby carrier. My first mistake was thinking they would let me push him through in the Doona, but I was very wrong. You have to send your stroller through the security scanner, and you have to hold your baby to go through the detectors. Hence, wear the baby so that you are hands-free. At this point, I take the Doona backpack travel bag and put my Doona accessories inside of it (Stroller Caddy and Doona "BackPack") and let those go through, followed by the folded-up Doona, diaper bag, and belt bag. Then, I walk through with the baby in the baby carrier. This part may sound daunting, but believe me when I say just give yourself time and grace, and you will handle it with ease. Not to go all "mom-ish" on you, but baby's sense anxiety and fear from their caregiver, so the more calm and relaxed you can be during this process, the easier your whole trip will go for baby! 

4. Gate Check and try to Board early: When you get to your gate, go straight to the counter and get your stroller and car seat a gate check tag. This will allow you to drop it off at the plane's entrance to be put under the plane. When you de-board the flight, you will wait in that same spot for the attendants to bring your items back up for you.

Secondly, take advantage of early boarding if your airline offers it so that you can get settled and comfortable before the rest of the passengers board. I prefer an aisle seat in case we need a quick route to a bathroom. When boarding, Rory is always in his carrier, so I can go hands-free to grab boarding passes and hold Doona's travel bag to drop at the gate check area. 

5. Feed your baby during takeoff and landing: A pacifier can work, too, but I always try to time his feeds on takeoff and landing to put him to sleep, honestly. 

Phew, are you as exhausted as I am after reading that? Fear not; it's wordy, but I wanted to give you all the tips I have learned from actual trial and error. If you have any questions, please feel free to chat with me! Rory and I know "you got this"

XO Alex & Rory