Congratulations on the birth of your son! I'm sure you will have many lovely Disney trips to look forward to!
I know I'm late.
Raised 3 going to Disney.
DS1 since 1 years old.
DS2 since 3 years old.
DD since 4 mos old.
First off, in diapers is WAY easier than newly trained (been there done both).
And I know with first kids you think you have to carry the whole nursery ... you don't.
Even if he is trained and all, you'll still need a stroller, and it can carry your gear.
I get that waiting solves the potty, the construction etc but .....
unless it is a once in a lifetime trip it doesn't matter the stage you are at.
I would plan two styles of trips ....
Trip one the Grandparents want to take you on.
Four adults to helping with one child is heaven at WDW.
Plenty to carry, tag team and assist in all ways.
Adults ride E tickets while adults watch and then switch.
Younger they are better they sleep in stroller and your hours to enjoy parks longer.
Grands will love it, you will love the extra hands and wee one will have fun plus great photos later.
Trip two will be the three of you, solidly potty trained, less burdened.
Time to up some rides and meals.
Also trip to do day breaks, naps, swimming and chilling.
Old enough for great conversation, exclamation, meeting characters etc.
I've been going since it opened at all ages for me and my kids.
Every trip is different and I just don't believe in waiting until a "perfect" time because there is none.
Since it sounds like you will be regulars .............. why wait?
NOTE:
I would never take an infant in summer,
too difficult to keep hydrated and covered.
My 4 mo old trip was Oct.
^^^ THIS. (more on this below)
I wouldn't want to live by that rule because we might be living by it for multiple children.
As of right now I choose to not go while pregnant or before the baby is a year old. My OBGYN is still very concerned about Zika and after the measles outbreak at Disneyland I want him to have his MMR vaccine before we go.
I don't really see the need to wait based on diaper changes. You will have to pack more, but even that depends on the child. Some babies spit up all of the time, some have frequent blowouts, some need formula, etc. Those issues create a heavier diaper bag, but some babies don't have any of those issues and you can pack pretty light. On the go diaper changes are not pleasant experiences (my son has started gator rolling), but you'll probably be pretty experienced with them by the time you would go. Like some others have said, potty training in Disney sounds a lot harder than changing diapers.
As far as the him remembering point...I'm an adult who likes Disney World. I don't understand why I have to wait until my child can remember it. It's like if someone told me they can't go to Hawaii until their child can remember it. When people have a financial reason, I understand waiting. When they're only going for their kids, I understand waiting. Not going when the adults would enjoy it simply because the baby won't remember is lost on me.
Congratulations on your son! I hope you enjoy your trip whenever you decide to go.
We just returned and did not see a single mosquito. Giant dispensers of insect repellent (free) were readily available everywhere, too. Obviously it is a personal risk assessment, but WDW seemed far more mosquito-free than many other places.
To weigh in on packing/going to the parks: we used a clear plastic stadium bag and a skip hop diaper clutch, when our YDD was tiny, she blew out frequently - so we always packed 1 extra outfit in the plastic bag. One "bonus" to taking a very young one <6 months is that if they are EBF, there is no need for bottles, formula, or snacks. I found traveling with a little infant much easier than the toddler stages!
Congratulations on the birth of your son! Fun and challenging times ahead of you for sure. I'd like to weigh in on Disney for young, young children. Yes, they won't remember it, but they will enjoy it. So they won't remember the first time they meet Mickey, but you will, and you'll have the photos to remind you how happy he was at that moment. One day, he'll see the photos, and although it won't trigger his memory of the moment, he'll recognize how happy he was.
Unless of course, you have the child who freaks out when he sees a character.
^^^ THIS, too.
To back up a little - my daughters are now 6 and 21 months. My mom just up and booked a timeshare vacation in Orlando in June 2013, when my ODD was 21 months, even though we told her that ODD was too young and wouldn't remember any of it. My mom had already been diagnosed with a particular dementia, but she was then a vibrant and active 70, and showing no real signs of her dementia (the dx happened because she was showing some signs that we thought were mini-strokes). I think she decided she wanted to enjoy WDW with her first (and at the time, only) granddaughter when *she* (my mom) could still enjoy it. ODD enjoyed it so much, even though we knew she wasn't going to remember it. My sister and her partner came along too, so we had 6 adults and 1 toddler, and it was so nice for the adults to take adult time and switch off with ODD. Everyone was young and mostly healthy and able to enjoy it. We were able to have the same group together in February 2016, plus 2 new babies, and although my mom needed considerable help getting around and eating in restaurants, she still really enjoyed being with all 3 grandkids at Disney.
We ended up going again in 2014 (right before ODD turned 3), 2015 (I had a conference in Orlando, and I was 9 weeks pregnant with YDD), and then twice in 2016 (I was on maternity leave, and one of the trips DH had a conference). We just got back from a 2-week trip. Each trip has had its challenges and its magical moments, and with ODD each trip has gotten more and more magical. I am a big fan of the 3-year birthday trip (or 2.9 yo trip), because you save so much relative to taking them at 3.1, and they are able to enjoy the same things. Character meals are relatively cheaper and they get into the parks for free. For our 2 trips, in 2016, YDD was 3 months and then 4.5 months old, and she was super easy and portable. We went to many fireworks shows where she just slept in the boba carrier with her baby headphones on, and I was able to enjoy dinner a lot more than I did this time, with a wiggly and independent toddler. Although this most recent trip, she was able to tell us which rides she enjoyed (pretty much all of them, but especially Dumbo and Navi River), and she liked meeting characters from about 3 feet away.
The trips in 2016, when YDD was an infant, were in late February and mid-April. The weather was glorious - 60s-70s in February/March, and 70s to low 80s in April. I would not have taken an infant in the summer months, because I think it's too hot. But October-April would be perfect.