Jammy

We are going to Orlando from the UK with a one year old in October. Has anyone got any experience of this? Any recomendations / anything to definitely avoid?

Any advice would be great.

Sherry

Pretty vague statement you made. More details from you would be necessary in order to get more information you may need.

Weather in October will be fine. Still warm and swimming is possible. Less humidity. Nights are a tad cooler. Bring a sweater/sweatshirt/light coat.

You didn't mention Disney but if you are going you will need a stroller. Bring yours or you can rent them in all the parks. The baby will enjoy the sights and sounds. We went with my daughter when she was 1. We did the baby swap on the rides. I rode first, hubby held our daughter and waited, then we switched off so he could get on the ride.

Not sure what your Orlando plan is but if you need Disney help with your baby I can give you more details.

Jammy

Thanks... we have been before (before we had the baby!) and did most of the theme parks then & loved it, so this time we want to go back to the parks, but aren't too worried about getting on all of the rides as many times!!

Are there any rides etc... which she would be able to go on in any of the parks? Anything in the area which we should take her to, that you think she would like? Any restaurants which people have taken young children to which they would reccomend?

Thanks

Sherry

If you are going back to WDW she can do just about all of the rides on your lap. Obviously you don't want to do the rollercoasters, Splash Mountain, Alien Encounter, Tower of Terror, etc.

I had my daughter on my lap during all the shows and she was dancing and clapping. She loved the parades and fireworks too. She was not afraid of the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc. You know your child best so follow her lead. My daughter napped everyday at Blizzard Beach lying in her Dad's arms on the lazy river. There is a great toddler section at that water park also. I imagine Animal Kingdom and Discovery Island with all the animals would be fun with her.

I think all the resteraunts in WDW are family friendly. I would avoid the high end places though. Any character meal is definitely geared towards children so that's not a problem. The Winnie the Pooh & Friends meals at the Crystal Palace in MK is excellent as well as the Garden Grill at Epcot. We have done character meals at both places and find the character/child interaction the best. I think the Rainforest Cafe would be good too. Lots for her to look at.

I suggest checking out www.disboards.com for more detailed information. There is a section specifically about WDW with small ones and another for dining. The site is a treasure trove of information and people are very helpful when responding to any questions. Just go to the main page and click on forums for a list of discussions.

Most important to remember though is to follow your child's lead. You will have a great time. Weather is awesome then and the crowds are very manageable.

Beth2

Most kids don't like the "dark" rides, such as Haunted Mansion and Pirates. When my daughter was a year old she did enjoy "It's a Small World," Cinderella's carousel, and "Peter Pan" (even though that one is dark). I think other good activities are exploring Tom Sawyer's Island and Mickey's (???) Land, and riding around the park on the train. If the Tiki Birds and Country Bears are there, I remember those being a hit. She'll love all the "zoo" areas of Animal Kingdom and the Dino Playland. The Movie Ride might be fun at MGM, but this park may have the least to keep her entertained. If you do go, I bet she'd love the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids playpark. The lands in Epcot will be fun to walk around or see the parade, but I don't think any of the shows would be too exciting for her. However, I bet she'd love to eat at the Living Seas in front of the huge aquarium, and see the vegetable "rock concert" at The Land.
Be sure keep her hydrated if it is warm, and use lots of suncreen and hats even when cloudy. Cheerios (round oat cereal) are great to have in little containers in case you are having trouble getting seated to eat.
I'd do the most active part of the day first thing to avoid the crowds. Take an afternoon break at your pool if time and weather allow. And return for some early evening magic.
Hope you have a great trip!

Rich

I think the Great Movie Ride at MGM would be way too intense for most 1 year-olds. Besides the shooting, snakes, wicked witch, and the vehicle being hijacked by the bad guy, I would think the scene out of "Alien" would scare the daylights out of a one-year old. (Heck, I'm almost 30 and it gives me the creeps).

I think the Winnie the Pooh ride at the Magic Kingdon would be a big hit. Probably the Jungle Cruise, too, and definitely It's a Small World. Maybe Buzz Lightyear and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, too.

At Epcot, probably the Mexico ride, the Land boat ride, and the Living Seas are your best bet. Spaceship Earth is dark but not dark and scary like some others, so if she's getting sleepy, that might be enough to send her off to snoozeland.

Wherever you go -- WDW, Sea World, Universal, whatever -- make sure you take lots of breaks and don't wear her out. If you're going to WDW, I would definitely recommend staying at one of the resorts on the property so you can easily go back to the hotel at lunchtime for a nap and then go back to the park later in the day. If you try to go all day long, exhaustion and crankiness will be the inevitable result...your kid probably won't be happy, either. ;-)

Julie

We visited WDW with a 3 year old and ar 1 year old and they found the character breakfast at Polynesian Hotel lots of fun. We did not stay at a WDW hotel so we spent 8 hours at a time at WDW so the youngest was always under his parasol in his pushchair unless walking and we made sure that he always had plenty to drink. I bought Lunchables for them to eat if hungry before us.