I love Disney and was blessed to go three times through my former job with Young Life. Jed asked me to marry him in front of Cinderella’s Castle in 2008 and we were able to take the Bear with us on our last trip. We are big fans. I’m hoping and planning to go back when the kids are little bigger, but I want you to know it is possible to take a baby and enjoy it. The Bear was 8 months old on our last trip, and still nursing. We did some things right, learned from our mistakes, and had a fabulous time.
Five Tips for Taking Baby to Disney World
1) Don’t try to do too much.
This was our biggest mistake. We had a park hopper pass and tried to do 2 parks in one day. It caused unnecessary stress and it would have been much better to spread the parks out. Take time to relax and don’t skip out on nap and rest time for your little one.
2) Take your baby on some rides and ride swap on others.
It might sound crazy, but we took the Bear on some rides. He LOVED It’s a Small World and the Haunted Mansion. He had no idea the mansion was supposed to be scary and loved all the lights and the gently turning ride. For more intense rides, ride swap is available. One parent rides while the other waits with a cast member and the baby, then the parents switch out.
3) Plan ahead for meals. (for everyone)
This was our other big mistake. We didn’t realize reservations were required months in advance and were laughed at by a haughty hostess at Epcot. The walk up places are still fine, but we will get reservations next time. We did bring baby food with us and planned our routes around when Bear would need to nurse. There are baby care centers at all the parks and they are lovely. I nursed Bear throughout the day in the baby centers and it was such a nice, quiet break for both of us. They have everything you need there and the staff are amazing. One of my favorite things about Disney Parks is how much each cast member seems to love their job. These ladies were no exception.
4) Pack that stroller like you mean it.
Think through everything your baby might need and then double it. Extra clothes all around, extra diapers, a blanket, a rain jacket for everyone, everything you might need. The two best things we brought were a dark rain jacket to cover the stroller for naps and our iPhone with a sound machine app on it. We turned on the white noise, covered the stroller, and the Bear napped three times and nearly slept through the fireworks. I highly recommend bringing a sling or Ergo to carry your babe around in so they can have a change of scenery and get out of the stroller.
5) Know when to fold ’em.
You may have to go back to your resort in the middle of the day for a nap. It is okay. You may not get to see the fireworks every night of your trip. Still okay. Sometimes your baby can be pushed to stay up, nap in the stroller or in the carrier, and go with the flow. Other times they will bend you to their will like a tiny tyrant. Flexibility is the name of the game. Relax and enjoy, but don’t stress out about missing out on the Dumbo ride because your sweet babe was done for the day.
Have you been to Disney World? What would your dream Disney vacation include?
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