My four-year-old had been begging to meet her favourite princesses in Disney World for a couple of years, so when an opportunity came for our family to visit Disney Parks I couldn’t resist—even though it meant bringing our very young second child along for the ride. At six months, our baby wouldn’t remember visiting the happiest place on Earth, but we wanted to be sure she’d be comfortable strolling around the parks for three days.
Here’s what I learned travelling to Disney World with a baby in tow.
Where to Stay
If it’s in the budget, try and stay at one of the Disney World Resorts. The convenience of being able to hop on one of the park transfers (monorail, boat or bus, depending on the location of your resort), takes the stress out of coming and going. We stayed at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, accessible by boat or monorail, and I was able to head back to the room for a couple of hours of downtime with the baby while my husband and older daughter continued to explore the Magic Kingdom.
What to Bring
A stroller
A stroller is a must. We brought a double so our older daughter could hitch a ride when she was getting tired—or when we wanted to move quickly through the park. There are stroller parking areas throughout the parks and beside all the major attractions.
Food
Disney World allows you to bring in outside food and drinks – that meant I could bring in our own baby food for our little one who was just starting solids.
Just the Basics
Bring as little as you can into the parks. A pared-down diaper bag, refillable water bottle, baby food, hats and sunblock. The strollers cannot be brought into many of the food areas and patios, so make sure your valuables can be easily packed up when you leave your stroller in the parking area.
Nice to Have
A baby carrier for babies who get fussy when stuck in a stroller too long. It’s a long day, so being able to switch it up for your little one might mean the difference of enjoying an extra hour in the park.
Nursing Room and Changing Stations
Baby care centres are located at all four Walt Disney World theme parks and offer private nursing rooms with rocking chairs, feeding areas with highchairs, kitchens with a microwave, oven and sink, plus diaper-changing rooms.
In addition to the baby care centres, there are baby-changing stations in all bathrooms, including men’s and family restrooms.
Attractions
While my six-month-old didn’t ride any of the attractions on this visit, there are plenty of rides and experiences for the younger set to enjoy.
Magic Kingdom:
In Fantasyland: Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid, Princess Fairytale Hall, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, The Barnstormer, Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station. Other options at Magic Kingdom: Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Peter Pan’s Flight, Mad Tea Party, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, “it’s a small worldâ€Â, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, Disney Character Greetings.
Epcot:
The Seas with Nemo and Friends; Turtle Talk with Crush; Journey Into Imagination with Figment; Kidcot Fun Stops; Gran Fiesta tour starring the Three Caballeros; The Circle of Life; Innoventions; Disney Character Greetings.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
Finding Nemo-The Musical; Kilimanjaro Safaris; TriceraTop Spin; Pangani Forest Exploration Trail; Maharajah Jungle Trek; Rafiki’s Planet Watch and Affection Section; Wilderness Explorers interactive experience; Disney Character Greetings.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios:
Beauty and the Beast-Live on Stage; Disney Junior-Live on Stage!; Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show; Toy Story Midway Mania!; Voyage of the Little Mermaid; Muppet*Vision 3D; Disney Character Greetings.
Good to know:
Using the Rider Switch option—available at select Disney theme park attractions—guests are allowed to take turns waiting with kids too young or too small to ride a certain attraction, then ‘switch’ with another adult guest from their party to experience the ride without standing in line twice.
Children under three years of age get free entry into Disney theme parks.
Tagged under: disney,disney world,baby at disney world,infant at disney world
Category: travel
