Hello. We are taking our first trip to DLR next month. Can anyone explain which rides are safe for an 8 month old? I see there's no height restriction listed on many rides (I thought POTC had dips?), but are they safe? Wouldn't sealtbelts/bars prevent a baby from being held on calm rides like Peter Pan, Mr. Toad?? Also, does anyone have any recommendations on how to efficiently handle rides that don't have a baby swap? We'd both like to be able to ride with our 7 year old w/o having to wait in line twice. Thank you!

Most without height requirements I found safe. We took our then 6MO son on most including

Pirates
HM
Pooh
all fantasy land
jungle cruise
buzz lightyear astro blasters

.....gosh, most if not all without height restrictions.

did not do Rodger Rabbit and tea cups, did not seem appropriate.


Edited to add: oh yeah we found a baby bjourn carrier priceless for the rides and should satify your concerns regarding holding on to baby....

I agree, a carrier would make it a lot simpler and almost all of the rides in DL would be adequate.

To avoid:
Autopia-it REALLY smells like exhaust but otherwise very mellow and safe as long as an adult is "driving"
Big Thunder Mountain
Gadget's Go-Coaster
Indiana Jones
Mad Tea Party-maybe! if they are in a carrier AND you don't spin the wheel, I would say go for it!
Matterhorn
Mr. Toad-a little jerky
RR Cartoon Spin
Space Mtn.
Splash Mtn.
Star Tours

Things I think would be great for an 8 month old at DCA:
Animation building-nice and cool, carpeted for little crawlers (go hang outside of Turtle Talk during a show and enjoy the space)
King Triton's Carousel
Monster's Inc.
Sun Wheel-outer gondola

Have a great time!

A question along those same lines:

I have discussed the merits of a carrier on this board, and have gotten a lot of good input of the pros and cons of the sling vs. carrier, baby bjorn vs. snugli, etc. We tried some of them out at BabiesRUS and I don't know if we are going to take anything at all. This could be the one time that we use it, and I am quite broad-shouldered and -chested. None of them seemed to fit well, and I am not sure.

My daughter will be 9 months when we go. She does fine in her stroller for a while, and between myself, my wife, and my parents, we will have plenty of hands to hold her. Of course, we will take plenty of breaks, and probably venture back to the hotel room every day for a while.

Anyway, are we crazy to not go down with some type of carrier? We're flying down, but the ride is only about an hour and change (Salt Lake to Long Beach). She's active, but when we hold her, she is alright. Besides, she loves to look around, and I think she'll really eat it up!

Sorry about the semi-hijack of the thread; I am curious as to your thoughts about what rides we can attempt!

To avoid:
Autopia-it REALLY smells like exhaust but otherwise very mellow and safe as long as an adult is "driving"
Big Thunder Mountain
Gadget's Go-Coaster
Indiana Jones
Mad Tea Party-maybe! if they are in a carrier AND you don't spin the wheel, I would say go for it!
Matterhorn
Mr. Toad-a little jerky
RR Cartoon Spin
Space Mtn.
Splash Mtn.
Star ToursExcept for Tea Cups, Mr. Toad, and Cartoon Spin, an 8 mos old would not be allowed on these rides. The autopia has a 12 mos age limit for passengers, and the rest have height requirements. You may also want to watch our for Honey, I Shrunk the audience, and the Muppet show. While my kids did not have problems with them, the sound is very loud and can scare some younger ones.

Anyway, are we crazy to not go down with some type of carrier? We're flying down, but the ride is only about an hour and change (Salt Lake to Long Beach). She's active, but when we hold her, she is alright. Besides, she loves to look around, and I think she'll really eat it up!



You can always rent a stroller if you have to. We didn't have a carrier, we brought a stroller from home. But really we didn't use it much. It got in the way alot. The only time it was useful was nap time.

Anyway, are we crazy to not go down with some type of carrier? We're flying down, but the ride is only about an hour and change (Salt Lake to Long Beach). She's active, but when we hold her, she is alright. Besides, she loves to look around, and I think she'll really eat it up!


Actually DLR is the only place we have used our baby bjourn. It sure makes for a convenient and safe way to get in and out of the attractions. We are going this weekend and our baby is now 11 MO and weighs in at 28 pounds. We plan to use it again. I just cannot imagine carrying him in my arms for more than a couple of minutes.

Actually DLR is the only place we have used our baby bjourn. It sure makes for a convenient and safe way to get in and out of the attractions. We are going this weekend and our baby is now 11 MO and weighs in at 28 pounds. We plan to use it again. I just cannot imagine carrying him in my arms for more than a couple of minutes.

I remember seeing weight restrictions on all of the carriers, and unless I'm wrong, I didn't think that they went to 28 lbs. Am I wrong, or is that a guideline only? I think that was a reason why we didn't buy one in the first place. Lexie is about 19 lbs. now, so she'll likely be 20+ by the end of April. We are taking our nice stroller as well, but I'm concerned about carrying her all day long in my arms.

I remember seeing weight restrictions on all of the carriers, and unless I'm wrong, I didn't think that they went to 28 lbs. Am I wrong, or is that a guideline only? I think that was a reason why we didn't buy one in the first place. Lexie is about 19 lbs. now, so she'll likely be 20+ by the end of April. We are taking our nice stroller as well, but I'm concerned about carrying her all day long in my arms.
The active bjourn recommended weight is 26lbs and the "regular" bjourn recommended weight limit is 22lbs.

Yep, that's what I remember seeing. Which is why we didn't purchase one for our near-20 pounder. Of course, if we can use it a little past it's listing, it may be worth it. My inability to buckle it properly is a problem, but it's possible that I didn't have it opened as wide as I could. Has anyone else who is quite broad through the shoulders and chest had a similar problem?

We have this one:

http://www.onestepahead.com/product/86210/114/117.html

Says to 25 pounds.

AND

DW says I am wrong our son is more like 23 pounds right now.....he sure feels heavier than that to me. I am going to weigh him tomorrow morning....

I'll have to check that carrier out. So, if we don't bring a carrier, I guess we'll just use common sense about which rides to take her on. She'll probably love Small World, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, etc.

I remember seeing weight restrictions on all of the carriers, and unless I'm wrong, I didn't think that they went to 28 lbs. Am I wrong, or is that a guideline only? I think that was a reason why we didn't buy one in the first place. Lexie is about 19 lbs. now, so she'll likely be 20+ by the end of April. We are taking our nice stroller as well, but I'm concerned about carrying her all day long in my arms.

have you considered a maya wrap sling? if there's someone that sells them in your area, they'll usually come out to your house and let you try it and show you how to use it. i have one and can use it (if I WANT to) with my 40lb 3 year old.

have you considered a maya wrap sling? if there's someone that sells them in your area, they'll usually come out to your house and let you try it and show you how to use it. i have one and can use it (if I WANT to) with my 40lb 3 year old.

Our biggest concern is the fact that she is SO wiggly, I don't think she'll lay back in it. We can keep her in the stroller to ride, and when we're in line, I don't know if it would work. I may have to try one at Babies-R-Us.

jstylzz - I have the Bjorn Active that I use for DD (11 mo, just shy of 20 lbs) when I take her to DL. I am usually on my own (with respect to taking care of the baby...I go with another mom & 11 mo old!), and I think it is so worth the $$. DD is active (has been walking for a month or so) and the only thing that seems to keep her happy is the Bjorn (she gets tired of the stroller, so I often Bjorn DD and put my backpack in the stroller!) LOL!

The Bjorn is also great for some rides (like Dumbo) that I worry about holding DD snug. Lets her sit closer to the control, but I don't worry about her falling out. :)

Bjorn also makes a larger size in the regular version, if the regular size doesn't fit quite right.

We found a sling-type carrier that rates up to 40 lbs in a catalog, and so we may try that. She'll stay in her stroller for a while, but knowing her, she'll want to be up with everyone a lot of the time, and maybe this is the ticket. We need to make a decision and do it so we have some time to get used to it. Thanks for the info, KG!

Look out for Peter Pan's Flight. At the end of the ride the bar pops up automatically. If baby is sitting on your lap, it may hit the little bugger in the face! It happened to us, it didn't hurt, but it was surprising.

Have a great time! We took our DD when she was 8 months and loved the rides and looking at other babies. She slept like a dream (all that fresh air) but didn't care to eat as much - too much to look at. We used the Bjorn and the big Graco. Have fun!:)

Excellent advise, Dnerd. Thanks! We can't wait. She loves to look at everything, and I expect it will be a bit of a sensory overload for her, in a good way of course!

advice, not advise. Why won't this let me edit? I HATE misspelling words!

I used a bjorn for my 6 month old. She did not like riding in her stroller the whole time. The whole family took turns on caring her in it. She got to look out at everything. And when we went on rides, I was confortable that she would not wiggle out.

We found a sling-type carrier that rates up to 40 lbs in a catalog, and so we may try that.
Dude, even a cheap Nojo sling is rated to 30 lbs! There are a *lot* of different ways to sling carry, I really recommend practicing before you really need to use it. There are links with pictures here- KellyMom.com (http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sling.html#instructions) (hope it's okay to post that link). Basic rule of thumb for slings-- put the rings at your collarbone, and fan out the fabric over your shoulder and back. Trust me, I have big kids (dd is 30 lbs, at 2yo), and I can carry them in a sling comfortably, for hours, but if it's not on right, my back will let me know!

Good luck!

Thanks, MamaD. All of the ones that we saw were rated to 26 lbs, and being the cautious first-time parents that we are, it made us a little leery. We found one that is rated to 40 lbs, and we're going to try it. Thanks for the link; I'm going to bookmark it, so that I can reference to it!

Thanks for that link, MamaD! I own 2 slings and never got the hang of either one. I need to learn, since DC #2 will be making an appearance in Sept. and I will have an 18 month old to chase after. :D

While POTC has drops, they are not dangerous for a baby. In fact, at 8 months old, when our second DS went for his first trip, I remember nursing him on POTC, a nice cool place to rest. If there is no height requirement, they are safe. The only ones with no height requirement that I would NOT take them on would be Tea Cups and RRCS. Both for obvious reasons, but RRCS for a large one, the child HAS to sit on the seat, cannot be on a lap. This was changed quickly after a child fell out of the moving car and was run over by the other car in the 2 car link, and was severely brain damaged from it. Most of the dark rides allow the child to sit on the lap of the parent.
I HIGHLY recommend a Bjorn carrier. If you are concerned about the child not using it for long, get a used one on eBay.

Thanks for that link, MamaD! I own 2 slings and never got the hang of either one.
Congratulations! I *love* my slings, I keep one in the truck just in case. I didn't get the hang of it until my first was 2 1/2, and too heavy for me to carry without a sling, but too young to walk all day. It was invaluable with my second, as a newborn, she'd sleep and nurse in it during long Costco trips.