Tips for Traveling with a Tot and Large Group (from someone who lived to tell about it)

As you might know from some previous mom a la mode posts, our Disney Dream vacation involved a large, extended family and a toddler on land and at sea.  We traveled on buses, trams, monorails, planes, a cruise ship, cars and vans and thankfully handled it like champs.  This is entirely thanks to the generous contributions from blog readers, friends, family and my social network.  Before I share my lessons learned from roads and waters much traveled, I first want to congratulate Sheri A. from New Jersey who won a Disney souvenir for her thoughtful tips.  Thanks, again, Sheri!!

Traveling with Tot in Tow:
Success came with this delicate balance of keeping things familiar when things were getting a little tough, yet surprising him when we needed to divert his attention. So for example, pacifier and blankie – were the key players in the “familiar” territory.  Several of each: 3 pacifiers and 2 blankies.  We weren’t concerned with regression – we wanted our son happy and comfortable.  (Heck, we were off our diets for 10 days, so why should he need to be deprived?)

Here are some tips that worked for us in the form of the 5 S’s:

1. Stroller
2. Snacks
3. Surprises
4. Sleep
5. Sanitize

Stroller
My friend, Michelle K. recommended that we bring our full size stroller – Our Baby Jogger City Mini.  She was so right!  It can easily fold up flat with one hand, sleeps comfortably and has all-terrain wheels, making beach access in the Bahamas a cinch.

Snacks
Sheri A.’s awesome advice was to put various snacks in separate little bags to avoid spillage, etc.  Snacks were also vital when dinner didn’t come out as fast as Roc would have liked it to, and also made our plane ride a breeze.

Surprises
Sheri also recommended bringing stickers for Roc to “decorate” anyplace he wanted to on the plane.  And thanks to the great birthday gift of Marissa A., we had the perfect Cars sticker book that kept him entertained (and Row 24, Seats D-F completely adorned in Disney flair.)

Several folks advised us to wrap up little toys from home and bring a toy that he’s never seen before to keep him busy on the plane.  This also worked like a charm.

Sleep
Jim H. said that keeping to a semi-regular nap schedule would be instrumental to keeping things calm and carrying on. He was so right. Thanks to having our normal stroller, Roc didn’t need to retreat back to the hotel room or stateroom to catch an afternoon nap. He also, miraculously, slept on the plane during takeoff and landing.

Sanitize
Sheri A. also suggested Clorox-wiping the tray tables and surrounding areas of the plane, which I did like a madwoman. I also had an assortment of organic cleaning products in travel size form, from hand sanitizers, all purpose wipes and lots and lots of baby wipes for messiness throughout the trip.

Lessons Learned/General Tips:
Looking back, there were a few things I wish I could have taken advantage of or should have brought with me:

Waterproof camera – would have been nice for all of our time splashing around Castaway Cay (and would’ve saved us $20 for the professional photo we bought from the Cruise photographer!)

On-site Laundry – several relatives in our party took advantage of the laundry rooms down the hall from our staterooms on the cruise or the laundry service at the hotel. That means they went home with perhaps the best souvenir ever — a suitcase full of clean clothes.  It also meant packing less, and lighter luggage!  But my brother learned the hard way that you cannot pack a travel iron on a cruise ship – it’s a fire hazard, apparently, and resulted in his luggage being held from him for several hours!

Take n Toss Cups were a Lifesaver – those plastic cups you buy in the baby aisle of the grocery store were fantastic.  Brought a whole sleeve of them.  As Roc tossed them all over the plane, we promptly disposed of them and obtain new ones for his next feeding.

A Note About Disney Vacations:
A Disney Land & Sea Vacation is an exceptional experience and you feel like you are on a never-ending adventure.  We spoke to some other families who were on similarly structured vacations while on our trip and many bookended: 1 Day at WDW,5night cruise, 2 days at WDW, while others followed their cruise with a few days in the park. We, however, will plan to abide by our formula if we ever do this again in a few years:  2 days at the park followed by 5 night cruise. After the cruise, you are beat and the thought of taking on the theme parks for a few days after was frankly, daunting.

Use the Disney Transfers. You pay a little bit more, but it’s worth it. They have transportation logistics mastered.  No wait, no hassle and they didn’t lose our luggage!

Be wary of Character Dining Experiences for children 2 and under.  My son spent the morning of his 2^nd birthday in terrified hysterics as Donald, Mickey and the Gang tip-toed around him at the popular Chef Mickey’s character breakfast.  As a mama in the mode, I had a feeling that we should not book more than one character dining experience while at Disney World, and I am SO glad I trusted my gut!

Despite what you may hear from travel agents, it IS ok to play dining by ear (no pun intended) if your heart is not set on a specific time or a specific place to dine.  For example — we couldn’t get into the Whispering Canyon Café dinner one night, but instead ate at Grand Floridian’s Cinderella buffet at 1900 Park Fare. You should, however, still have your hotel concierge book the reservation for you day-of or day-before (you don’t necessarily need to book months in advance.)

Speaking of travel agents – a shout out to Papa’s Travel Store for helping us organize our trip and our large group logistics.  It’s always a good idea to work with a trusted travel agent when booking a maiden trip with a large group, in my humble opinion.

Lastly, mom a la mode’s parting thoughts on traveling (and staying sane!) with a large group:

Let everyone do their own thing.  Plan to meet up for a communal meal or experience once a day.

Make up T-shirts.  Especially on embarking day – easier to keep track of everyone while you are still getting your sea legs.  Also makes a great photo!  My friend, Ben at Bark Tees did our shirts.

Remember that one person’s idea of a vacation may be different from yours.  You might be thinking “Bahamas Beach” while your aunt is thinking “BINGO on Deck.”  Go forth and enjoy as you see fit – you’re on vacation!

oxox

-mom a la mode

{The opinions expressed in this post are soley mine and I was not compensated in any way.}