An Amazing Journey: Ch. 25 -- Disney Cruising About This Page:

[Jennifer Marx]

Alexander's First Disney Trip - Part #1/2<br>
(Or, The Joys of Traveling With a Four-Month-Old)<p>

Would you be surprised to learn that by the age of four months, Alexander had become a world traveler? Not only did he visit Canada over Thanksgiving weekend, but in early December he flew south to Florida, cruised the Bahamas and then visited "The World" (Walt Disney World). He experienced his first airplane ride, his first Disney cruise, and his first Disney World visit. That may seem like a lot for a young baby, but we'd planned this trip before Alexander was conceived -- besides, we hope to bring Alexander on all our travels so we figured it's never too early to start! This trip was our annual visit to Walt Disney World and the Disney cruise for the big MouseFest gathering. In fact, it was during MouseFest 2003 that we discovered we were expecting Alexander. For those not familiar with MouseFest, it is an annual international gathering of Disney fans that we coordinate and host with our pals from AllEarsNet.com.

Before the trip, I had plenty of concerns about traveling with such a young baby. Would he be okay on the airplane? How would I nurse? How would I keep him safe and healthy? And how would I manage to help coordinate the many MouseFest activities with a four-month-old in tow? So I did a bunch of research and advanced preparation to ensure everyone's health and happiness on our trip. For example, I revisited Dave's excellent article on Child Safety Seats (in our Nov. 26, 2003 newsletter -- http://www.passporter.com/news/news112603.htm ) and we bought an airline ticket for Alexander to ensure he could sit in his car seat while on the plane. To help me nurse Alexander while traveling, I purchased several nursing blouses from Motherwear for discreet public nursing. We also came up with what I think is an ingenious solution for "Pop and Go Supplementing" using ready-to-feed bottles of infant formula and Lact-Aid supplementers (if you're interested, feel free to e-mail me for the details). This meant we didn't have to worry about keeping our supplemental formula cold while we were touring the parks or whatever. And as far as keeping Alexander safe, the pediatrician's office suggested long sleeve, lightweight outfits to keep Alexander's skin protected in the sun. We also got him several good hats. To allow me time and freedom to manage MouseFest activities, we brought along my sister-in-law and PassPorter office assistant Nikki Larner as a caregiver for both Alexander and for Allie, who was also joining us on this trip.

ALEXANDER'S AIRPLANE RIDE

Alexander's first airplane ride went smoother than I could have imagined -- the only hitch was going through security. To get through airport security, we had to take Alexander out of his car seat, remove the car seat from the stroller, and fold up the stroller -- and this was all in addition to removing our coats, shoes, and anything else that might set off the alarm. I could feel the dirty looks we were getting from the travelers in line behind us during this production. Oh, and did I mention that I did all this without Dave, as he was still parking the car? Thankfully Nikki was with us -- I don't know how I would have juggled all our stuff, a baby, and Allie without help. Things went fine once were in the terminal.

And how did Alexander do on the plane? Well, we've all heard the poor babies crying during take-off and landing -- their ears are more sensitive to the changes in air pressure, which can cause pain. I'd received a lot of advice regarding air travel, particularly to make sure he was nursing or drinking from a bottle during take-off and landing. So when we got onboard, we strapped Alexander's car seat in and I nursed him until we began to taxi. Then we placed him back in his car seat and gave him a small bottle of formula. He drank it and we heard nary a whimper from him during take-off. In fact, he fell asleep soon afterwards and slept until we'd landed and were walking through the Orlando terminal! He didn't stir during landing at all, when even my ears were bothering me! He finally awoke when we reached the car rental desk, which leads me to our next adventure -- discreet public nursing.


Alexander's first plane ride!

NURSING IN PUBLIC

Yes, Alexander has nursed in public before, but never so often as on this trip. Amazingly enough, it went pretty well. While Dave waited in an unending line to get our rental car, I nursed Alexander in a chair in the terminal -- and I don't think anyone had any idea what I was doing. I achieved this by placing Alexander in his baby sling so that it covered his head and my chest. The sling also supported him so I didn't get a sore arm or back. That sling would become my best friend on this trip. Not only did it help with nursing wherever I might be, but it also gave me a way to carry Alexander when he wanted to be held closely and didn't -- or couldn't -- be in his stroller. For those interested, I recommend the Maya Wrap sling at http://www.mayawrap.com .

After we'd nursed and retrieved our rental van, it was off to Port Canaveral! We booked one evening at the new Ron Jon Cape Caribe Resort ( http://www.ronjonresort.com ) so we could experience it for our Disney Cruise Guide readers. We were not disappointed. Our one-bedroom suite, which we got for $140/night, was spacious and decorated in lively colors. The suite included a full kitchen, living room with sleeper sofa, washer/dryer, and a bedroom with two double beds. The bathroom was a good size, but it had only a shower and no bath tub. A brief tour of the grounds revealed an extensive resort with many activities and facilities, including a movie theater and a huge indoor playground for kids. We recommend this resort for its excellent accommodations and location (it's now the closest hotel to the Disney cruise terminal by a small margin).


Nikki and Allie at Ron Jon Cape Caribe Resort

CRUISING WITH BABY

The next day we drove our rental van to the Disney Cruise Line terminal early -- in fact, were among the first three families there and we had to wait for the security booth to open and allow us in. Once we got in, Dave dropped us and our luggage off then left to return the van. We made it through security with a lot less hassle this time and took the elevator up to the check-in level to wait for Dave to return. There we met up with my sister Kim and brother-in-law Chad, who were also cruising. We also began to run into a lot of MouseFest folks while we waited. Alas, this period was very chaotic for me, as we were trying to save our place in line but I had to keep leaving the line to talk to people or do MouseFest business. Folks were eager to meet Alexander, but he was asleep during most of this time. Around 11:30am, Alexander woke up hungry and I thought I had time enough to nurse him, so I went to quiet corner of the terminal with my sister. Unfortunately, embarkation began sooner than we expected and the rest of our party ended up boarding while we had to go back to the end of the line. Oh well!

After a quick photo shoot with Allie up in the new teen area, Aloft (pre-arranged with DCL's public relations office), we split up to do our separate jobs. Dave went to Studio Sea to help at the MouseFest check-in desk while I went to Flounder's Reef to secure spots for Alexander. I believe I was the first parent to arrive and I was allowed to choose three times for childcare. I chose two and was told I could call and add a third if I chose. And because I was the first, I was also told there would be no problem getting the times I wanted. Two things of note: only certain blocks of time were available -- a late morning/early afternoon block and an evening block (until midnight). This works fine for Palo, but it may not work well for shore excursions or spa reservations. Also, the toys were all put away during the registration period at Flounder's to avoid little hands spreading germs. While I was there, I asked if I would be able to return to nurse Alexander. They assured me I could and that they would pull one of their rocking chairs into the back room (where the cribs are kept) so I could nurse Alexander in privacy. So far, so good!

Knowing I'd want a little time for myself, I went upstairs to book a Ladies Morning session in the Vista Spa. I'd heard many good things about Ladies Night but it wasn't being offered on my cruise, so I thought I'd give the Ladies Morning a try. It was booked for 8:00 am on the Castaway Cay morning. More on that later.

After grabbing a quick lunch and finding our stateroom, it was already time for the lifejacket brigade (the safety drill). We had no infant lifejacket in our room, so we called Guest Services -- they said they'd deliver one to us, but it wouldn't arrive in time for the drill. It did arrive later that day and I made sure to try it out on Alexander. It wasn't too difficult to put on and he looked really quite adorable. The infant lifejackets are for babies 33 lbs. (15 kg.) and under.


Alexander tries on his lifejacket

Once the drill was over, Alexander decided he was hungry. Alas, it was time for the MouseFest Sailaway Party up on Deck 10. I knew I would not be able to find a suitable place to nurse Alexander up there -- it's much too noisy and chairs are always at a premium. So I opted to stay in the stateroom while everyone else went up to the party. I was a little sad about that, but I was able to go out on our verandah and watch as we pulled out. Thankfully, it was one of the few times I felt I had to miss something on this trip.

Dinner was one of my favorite times. The first evening we were at Parrot Cay so I dressed Alexander in a little tropical shirt with matching shorts. We brought his car seat down to dinner with us so he could sit in it rather than be held in someone's arms (he's still too young for a standard highchair). This worked out well the first night as there were two empty chairs (our tablemates were at Palo), but it was harder on subsequent nights as there wasn't always a good spot to put the car seat. If I were to do this again, I would either inquire in advance about a chair at the table just for Alexander's car seat or I would arrive before my tablemates to ensure I could chose the seat that worked best for the two of us. Thankfully, it was mostly our family at the table and the other two tablemates were acquaintances of ours, so everyone was flexible.


Alexander snoozed in his car seat in Parrot Cay

Alexander slept reasonably well on the cruise. He'd begun sleeping through the night several weeks before the trip. During our travels, he began waking again during the night -- usually it was just once, but sometimes several times per night. He co-sleeps with us and I was a little worried the bed wouldn't be safe enough, but it seemed fine and we had no problems.


Alexander stretches and grins in the comfy bed aboard the ship

I did request a Pack 'N' Play so I could see how it worked in the room. The stateroom host delivered it, moved our coffee table out to the verandah, and set the Pack 'N' Play up for us. Even though we didn't use it, we kept it assembled throughout our cruise to see how much space it took. It was cumbersome at times, but mostly we just walked around it or moved it out of the way (it's light enough). So the Pack 'N' Play is definitely doable.


The Pack 'N' Play in our stateroom


Alexander grins while in the Pack 'N' Play (note the pattern of the sheet)

As you may recall we had a stroller with us. I wasn't sure we should bring it as it is a fairly large Graco stroller with storage capacity. Dave insisted we would find it useful, however. I was particularly concerned about bringing it on the ship -- I mean, where would we store it? It turned out to fit well in the closet once it was folded. We brought it out when we went to Castaway Cay, but otherwise it stayed in the closet. And the stroller was very useful during embarkation and debarkation (when we had to carry Alexander and our carry-ons). I did see other families using their strollers on a more regular basis around the ship. Personally, I preferred to use my sling or a Snugli carrier for going about the ship with the baby. It was much easier to navigate those narrow hallways and Alexander liked it better anyway.

Wondering about the stage shows? I planned not to attend them as I've seen them many times before, though I did go to Hercules after all. I put Alexander in a Snugli carrier and he ended up falling asleep soon after I sat down, and he stayed asleep for the entire show. He really can sleep anywhere.

While Dave did his second annual walking tour of Nassau for MouseFest folks, Alexander and I explored the ship together and hung out in our room. In fact, it was on this day that Alexander sat up by himself by leaning on his hands like a tripod. I snapped a photo of it before he toppled -- he seemed so amazed that he could sit up by himself!


Alexander sits alone for the first time!

On the morning of Castaway Cay day, I left Alexander in Dave's care and went to the spa for my Ladies Morning. This spa session is a massage, facial, and foot rub followed by champagne and chocolate, and time in the Tropical Rainforest shower/steam rooms. The description for it when I signed up promised a morning of indulgence. Unfortunately, that's not what I received. The massage seemed very superficial, I was left on my own in the Tropical Rainforest with no direction on what to do when done, and I was never given the promised refreshments. This was a real bummer. I ended up complaining to Guest Services about this. I received a phone call from the spa manager shortly after making the complaint and he offered to refund a portion of the cost, but I said that was no necessary. In the end, they actually refunded the entire cost.

Castaway Cay itself was a lot of fun. We took Alexander in the stroller, hung out a bit on the beach, and enjoyed lunch at Cookie's. We tried to introduce Alexander to the ocean, but it was frankly too cold and he cried the moment his little toe came in contact with it. The stroller couldn't be pushed in the sand, but we just carried it to our spot on the beach and left it there. Having the stroller was nice as Alexander fell asleep halfway through the afternoon and this gave him a comfy place to sleep.


Alexander is ready to hit the beach!


Alexander recoils in horror as his toe touches the cold water!

My first experience at Flounder's Reef was this evening. We were hosting a '70s Disco Party at WaveBands at 10:00 pm for our MouseFest friends, and Alexander (and other kids) aren't allowed there after 9:00 pm. I brought a change of clothes, diapers, wipes, and a bottle of formula just in case he got hungry (we'd only be gone two hours, so he should be fine). Check-in was quick and easy. We were given a pager and sent on our way. We had a blast at WaveBands (Dave, Chad, and fellow MouseFest friend Matt were drafted to become The Village People and perform "YMCA"). At midnight we came back to Flounder's to find Alexander sitting in a bouncer, watching TV, and having a grand old time.


Alexander enjoyed Flounder's Reef

I used Flounder's Reef again the following night for our Palo evening, and this time I returned to nurse Alexander halfway through. True to their word, a member of the staff pulled a rocking chair into the back room. It was dim and quiet back there, and I had plenty of privacy. Halfway through our nursing session I noticed that a couple of the cribs in the room were occupied by sleeping babies! Through a gap in the door I could observe the crew members in action. They appeared to do a wonderful job of entertaining and caring for the kids. I also watched them cleaning toys and surfaces, which I thought was an excellent idea. When I finished, I returned Alexander to their arms and returned to my seat at Palo where my chocolate souffle was just being served (ahh!). When we picked Alexander up at he end of the night, we found him draped across the lap of a crew member, giggling away. He's such a little charmer.

All in all, the cruise was a success for Alexander (and us). He took it all in stride and seemed to have a great time. He looked adorable in his little outfits and smiled at friends and strangers alike, when he was awake. I thought cruising with Alexander was really quite easy, and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

(The second part of this trip report -- our time at Walt Disney World -- will follow in another chapter soon.)

[mommybear38]

Alex is adorable!!! it sounds like he had lots of fun on the cruise. I can't wait to hear how the rest of mousefest went for you all. My family and I wish so much we where there again this year.

Chellen
mommybear38

[wdwlovers]

Fantastic photos Jen!!! Thanks so much for the TR on Mousefest and how you and the family handled things with a baby. Looking forward to more!!!

[Jennifer2003]

The picture of his surprised little face is PRICELESS!!! What a cutie!

[chezp]

It sounds like you guys had a wonderful time and Alexander is just adorable in those photos. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

[JoanW]

And I think he so much like Dave! So glad this worked out for your all. Maybe next year I can do Mousefest!

[disneyknut]

wonderful installment.. love the photos.. Kudos to you & Dave!!! Alexander looks like such a happy happy baby...

[ripkensnana]

It was so much fun meeting Alexander and the rest of his family! I don't think I ever heard him cry, on sea or on land!! And guys, he's even cuter in person than in his pictures!!!

[Shell_of_the_South]

Wow, what an adventure! The picture of Alexander sitting up looks just like his mom!!

Wow, he's getting so big! Thanks for sharing this, it's really helpful!

[lablady]

Alexander is the CUTEST little guy! It sounds like you had a wonderful time...I'm sooo jealous. We'll be cruisin next year so I will live vicariously through everyone on this site until then!

[ilovelilo]

I'm so glad to hear you all had a great time on your cruise! And I loved the pictures--Alexander is so adorable! Looking forward to reading about the WDW part of your trip!

[statelady01]

What a doll and great tips on traveling with baby!

[disneygrl]

Alexander is sooo cute. The picture of hime sitting up for the first time is GREAT!!!

Thank you so much for this post-- I've been waiting to hear how you made out cruising with the baby. I'll be sailing on April 9th and my baby will be 4 months old, too. I got some great ideas from your report, especially bringing the carseat to the dining rooms. Do all dining rooms have chairs with arms? Did you feel your carseat was secure in the dining room chair?

I too am disappointed about the hours offered by Flounders. I was looking at some recent Navigators on another site and noticed that they do not have mid-afternoon hours on many days, particularly the "at-sea" days. I was originally thinking on sending the baby there to keep him out of the mid-day sun! Oh well!

Mary