Help me Disney with 2 infant twins and toddler

[sponica]

Perhaps as an alternative, look to see when Disney on Ice is touring in your area? The show is AMAZING, would give you that Disney vibe, you might even be able to have the tickets be a christmas present and if you can find a sitter for the twins, you'd be able to get some one on one time.

I'd also post on the Disabilities forum to see if anyone with young kids on the spectrum has experiences for that time of year, if you're still in the frame of mind to go.

 

[YesterDark]

I'd suggest wait another year or two, save up money, and stay for twice as long.

I've been to the parks with an 8 month old, in a slow part of October. I can't imagine doing it with 2 AND at Christmas.

 

[YesterDark]

I just read you're driving from PA. I would suggest NOT doing that with 8 month old babies. Holy cow.

If your kids are bottle fed, leave them home with the MIL and take your 5 yo for a quick trip down if you have your heart set on it.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

How is your son going to handle crowds and waits? Because there are going to be crowds and waits EVERYWHERE that week. Security, table service restaurants, counter service restaurants, shops, bathrooms, even the baby centers. Absolutely everywhere. The DAS only helps with one small piece of that, but people don’t understand the reality that is Disney parks at peak times.

I believe ADRs already opened for that week, so your chances of getting the good ADRs is low. Keep checking to see if people dropped their plans.

 

[J'aime Paris]

This year has been a rough one on him with me in the hospital for 6 weeks due to me having pre term labor, the boys in the NICU for 7.5 weeks and then taking them back abd forth to their appointments that my 4yo hasn't had much "him time" it's mainly all been about the babies this past year that it's been hard adjusting for him .

This part of your post struck me OP.
If your twins were preemie and/or ill at birth (referencing the 7.5 weeks in NICU), I'd keep them far far far away from WDW while they are still so young. Any virus, flu or respiratory illness could be so dangerous for them.
I hope you've cleared your plans with your pediatrician.
Best of luck whatever you decide!

 

[JessicaW1234]

Our first trip with our twins we had my parents with us, and we needed the help!
I can still remember the whole trip, it was magical and those memories are absolutely priceless. Our double stroller was the best to have- saves a spot for parades, contained them- The best memory was unexpected - Goofy was roaming the park and spent time with them while we rode BTMRR! They actually remember that to this day. Oh and their reaction when it “snowed” on Main Street? I remember them reaching up to catch the snowflakes. If you are not expecting to see everything, it can be magical even in the chaos.

 

[jenmsmith]

As a mom to a parent with a child on the spectrum and a Disney vet, please heed the advice of many of these posters and tweak your plan. The parks Christmas week will be so very crowded and overwhelming. My son on the spectrum is now an independent 18-year-old heading to college soon and holding down a part-time job. I still wouldn’t drive him 1,000 miles to be in wall-to-wall people, even though he knows the parks like the back of his hand, and especially with 8-month-old twin siblings.

I second the advice of carving out some special time with your son. Perhaps Disney on Ice would work or even a night away in a hotel with a pool relatively nearby.

 

[sequoia 14]

I actually just did a similar week long trip in June. My twins were 4 months old (edited to add: born full-term) and I have two older daughters, ages 2 and 4. It was just my DH and I on the adult end. Our family did not plan on going when the twins were so young, but my husband had 3 weeks of vacation time he had to use and so we figured why not. I grew up in Florida, worked at Disney as a young adult and have visited the parks countless times over my life. I knew all the ins and outs of the parks, only planned mornings to avoid the heat and stay on the babies schedules, did valet parking whenever possible to avoid mass transportation, paid for less packed special events and only did one sit-down character meal with all of us. It was still H-A-R-D. Did we have a good time? Yes, but it was still very difficult during a time when the parks weren't that busy. We mostly focused on character meets and minor attractions.

If you end up going I would plan on splitting off with your son solo as much as you can so he can experience more "big kid" rides and just have all the attention on him for a bit. Expect chaos and do the best you can.

Some things that helped us...

We used a double stroller (for the twins) and a single stroller that the girls rotated using as they got tired. We also
ate breakfast at the hotel and packed our lunches everyday to avoid the chaos of quick ordering with so many kiddos. My husband and I would also switch in the early evenings as to who would take the older girls solo to the parks to give them some individualized touring times. The twins only toured the parks through lunch time. We also didn't take the twins on rides. We wanted to minimize germs plus the effort it takes to get them in and out of a stroller (it was too hot to use carriers).
Just one of us would then go with the older two. My oldest isn't really into roller coasters so that made it possible to go about it that way. I'm breastfeeding, but still packed a few ready made bottles of formula in case they were both hungry at the same time (tandem breastfeeding isn't for me...kudos to those that can do it!).

Best of luck!!!!

 

[izzymommy]

As a NICU nurse may I just add my concern - it is not a wise idea to take preemies this young anywhere near a place such as Disney World. A 7.5 week NICU stay indicates that they were most likely more than 5 weeks early and/or had extra issues that kept them hospitalized. The first two years their immune systems are so fragile and to take them out in the midst of cold/flu season is asking for trouble. Even if you don't plan on letting anyone touch them there are still airborne illnesses to consider. RSV is a terrible illness for weak lungs and despite Synagis vaccination they can still easily end up back in the hospital from what the rest of us would just write off as common cold....

 

[AprilLizbeth]

When our twins (now 4) were about 9 months old and my oldest was 4 went went for long weekend with family to celebrate my MIL being cancer free. It was in February and very cold though not crowded. My twins got sick, one had horrible croup and they were full term. It was a nightmare. Even if they hadnt gotten sick it would still have been a nightmare. They cant enjoy anything there. Yes they get to see things an characters, but its not enough to mke it worth it. They spend the entire trip in a stroller and you have to bring SO MUCH STUFF. Another thing-you cannot bring a double stroller into the baby care centers. If you are alone with the twins and decide to head there for feeding or changing you must carry them both and all of your stuff in and leave the stroller outside. Most bathrooms are also tight to get a double stroller in to change them if you are alone. I would strongle discourage going at this age and particularly at this time of year.

 

[rg35]

As a NICU nurse may I just add my concern - it is not a wise idea to take preemies this young anywhere near a place such as Disney World. A 7.5 week NICU stay indicates that they were most likely more than 5 weeks early and/or had extra issues that kept them hospitalized. The first two years their immune systems are so fragile and to take them out in the midst of cold/flu season is asking for trouble. Even if you don't plan on letting anyone touch them there are still airborne illnesses to consider. RSV is a terrible illness for weak lungs and despite Synagis vaccination they can still easily end up back in the hospital from what the rest of us would just write off as common cold....

I have to second this. I have triplets who were born early and had to spend 4-6 weeks in the NICU (two came home first, then the third). We knew if they got sick we'd have to bring them right back to the NICU as a precaution. They came home in November, right at the height of when cold and flu season is kicking into gear. I think OPs plan for this trip is a bad idea and a risk I certainly wouldn't be willing to take. We were absolutely cautious with ours for the first year in terms of the kind of exposure they got and limiting taking them to crowded places to almost never. Unfortunately though, it sounds like the plan for this trip is set in stone.