Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >> However, if someone really wants to take their baby along with them, I'm here to say you can have a great time if you prepare ahead of time and don't get unrealistic expectations.<< Yep. This is the thing. If you go in with the fast pass mindset, it will be miserable. But if you just want to soak up atmosphere and see your little one in mouse ears on the Storybook Land Canal Boats, it can be wonderful.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan I'd skip the Snow White ride too. I've heard of some parents who have made the mistake of starting with that ride, terrified the kid, and then the kid refuses to ride anything else.<< Exactly. In fact, all of the dark rides are a little loud and overwhelming. Trains, Heimlich's Chew Chew, Carousel, Storybook Land, Casey Jr., Mark Twain. As a toddler, my son's very favorite ride was the parking tram. We rode it again and again one evening. It was silly, but he was delighted, and so was I. The cast members that night thought it was fun and kept saying his name over the intercom. : )
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt ALl of our pictures with him at a young age are of him staring at the characters, never at the camera. i guess he was afraid they might do something unsavory if he took his eyes off of them. hahahaa" I saw this very thing happen on my last trip. The family kept telling the kid to smile for the camera and all he could do was look cautiously at the big rubber head monster standing next to him. It was hilarious and cute. >>Really? With two waterfall drops, skeletons, exploding canons, gunfire, etc?<< "Sounds like pretty much every family gathering at our place." LOL!
Originally Posted By berol Storybook Land's big whale sends some kids into tears. 13 months might be too young for that.
Originally Posted By familyguy Dad's CAN (there are exceptions) be a little clueless to the needs of a baby....no motherly instinct. I would be be hesitant to encourage a single Dad to take that on with a baby of that age. If this is a first child, then this "single Dad" only has 13 months of parenting experience...so yeah...you might be taking on too much, buddy. I appreciate your enthusiasm to introduce your "little guy" to Disneyland...but I'm thinking this one may be a bad idea....
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance "Storybook Land's big whale sends some kids into tears. 13 months might be too young for that." Or it might be too young to scare easily from something like the whale. It's really hard to tell. I'd just go slow and gradually introduce new things.
Originally Posted By ecdc It is so beyond time to retire the Clueless Dad trope. I mean, I guess if some men enjoy being seen as idiotic dolts who can barely manage a diaper, more power to them. But it was never my experience and it's just dumb. Here's a whacky thought: how about if he wants to take his son to Disneyland, he takes his son to Disneyland and everybody else just manages to mind their own business about it?
Originally Posted By ecdc He asked for advice and pros and cons, not bad '90s sitcom tropes about clueless dads who can't possibly handle a day with an infant.
Originally Posted By familyguy Oh cmon. You were clueless with your first child. Don't act like you're not normal. Take your firstborn infant with 13 months of "part time" (due to custody issues) to Disneyland by yourself and I'd love to watch just how clueless you really are. Lol
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Exactly. It's not like we have a supernatural 6th sense that kicks in when we take a baby to Disneyland.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Dad's CAN (there are exceptions) be a little clueless to the needs of a baby....no motherly instinct.>> Man, at 63 I thought I was the OLD MAN here. You sound like my father. Women are not necessarily more comfortable with children than men are. It depends on the person. Ann's son is very good with his three-year old son... even better than his fiance (the boy's mother). It's really been that way since he was born. Is it something I would have wanted to do? No it is not. But since he is asking, I have to assume that he feels very comfortable with the idea. Go and have a great time. Sure, the attraction selection may be a little limited, but I bet you will have a great time. This is just my opinion, but I think a 13-month-old will be a lot easier to deal with at DL than a 2 or 3 year old.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>It's not like we have a supernatural 6th sense that kicks in when we take a baby to Disneyland.<< That's what you think. Not only was I able to divine exactly what my infants wanted while there, I was able, like Jor-El in Superman, to impart years and years worth of Disney factoids trivia to both of them during those early visits. To this day, they absolutely rule at Disney Trivial Pursuit, and only I know the reason why.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>This is just my opinion, but I think a 13-month-old will be a lot easier to deal with at DL than a 2 or 3 year old.<< Winner! Winner! Chicken dinner! I am always saying those Teen Mom shows should show the mothers dealing with a snotty teenager rather than a fussy infant.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>Disney is great about providing changing tables in the men's rooms...<< Although you won't have much of a choice in this situation, the changing tables in the men's rooms are my biggest tip for families visiting with little ones. There's a changing table in every bathroom, and the men's ones rarely get used; from what I've heard, there's often a wait in the women's rooms. >>As a toddler, my son's very favorite ride was the parking tram.<< One of my earliest DL memories is riding the parking lot tram back to the car at the end of the night. I can't remember anything about the day itself, but by golly I sure remember zipping around in the open air vehicle! : )
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "To this day, they absolutely rule at Disney Trivial Pursuit, and only I know the reason why." Well duh. I would assume that your children, of all people, are specially gifted.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>Not only was I able to divine exactly what my infants wanted while there, I was able, like Jor-El in Superman, to impart years and years worth of Disney factoids trivia to both of them during those early visits.<< What? They didn't spend their vacations swimming in the HoJo pool? ; )
Originally Posted By trekkeruss After a few years of taking swimming lessons but sitting on the steps in the corner of the pool, another guest at the Anaheim HoJo's taught me how to swim.
