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Traveling to WDW can be a totally different experience
when you have small ones. Questions like, "What
do you need to bring?", and "Where do you go to
change a diaper or feed your infant?" take priority
over which attractions to see when. Disney has made
it easy on the parents of young children and offers
many options and support.
First of all, let's consider what you need to bring.
With the way security had been upgraded lately,
your bag will be inspected upon entering the parks.
Make sure you don’t pack too much. Some items not
to forget, though, are: sunscreen, hats, disposable
bibs, diapers, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, small
snacks, and sippy cups (the First Years now offers
disposable sippy cups and bowls!) and last (but
not least; >), don’t forget the stroller preferrably
with a visor on it to sheild the harsh Florida sun
from baby.
Make sure to dress your child in light clothing
to keep cool. Remember to re-apply the sunscreen
throughout the day. And always have a bottle of
water to keep your child hydrated. Disney even sells
the spray bottles with the battery operated fan
attached. Tip: Buy one of these spray bottles at
WalMart or Target before your trip, you will save
lots of $$.
Plan your days in increments; don’t try to do too
much at once and overwhelm the child. This is where
staying on-site is a big benefit. Get to the parks
early to try to avoid heavy lines. Leave the park
for a mid-day nap and/or swim to cool down and then
continue on to the evening activities (and don’t
for get that "baby float" Kmart and WalMart sell...
this baby boat will keep baby occupied and afloat
during swim times).
If you want to still ride the “big kid” rides yourself,
Disney offers the Baby Swap program. Just ask the
CM outside of the ride (we used this on Space Mountain
and Rockin Rollercoaster) about the Baby Swap and
they will allow the first adult to go on the ride
and when done, the second adult uses the Baby Swap
feature and goes to the head of the line. Different
rides have different ways of doing this so make
sure you ask!
Disney offers Baby Care Centers in the 4 theme parks.
These facilities offer changing rooms, nursing rooms,
family restrooms, high chairs, and a kitchen for
preparing food and washing bottles etc. as needed.
They are all air conditioned so it’s a nice break
for Mom, Dad, and baby. They even have videos playing
with some toys for the older kids while baby is
taken care of. They also sell “emergency” items
that you might forget such as diapers, formula (they
offer Carnation), baby medication, and any other
necessities that you might need while visiting the
parks. These centers are located:
Magic Kingdom: In between the Crystal Palace
and Casey’s Hot Dogs off of Main Street. When you
enter the park and reach almost the end of Main
Street, the center is located to the left near the
first aid station.
Epcot: The center is located just before
entering the World Showcase on the path between
Test Trak and Mexico
MGM Disney Studios: Just inside the gates
on the left by guest services
Animal Kingdom: On the left side of the Tree
of Life in Safari Village near the Creature Comforts
gift shop.
The most important thing while touring with a young
child is not to do too much. Plan out the “must
dos” in the day and be flexible. Go by your child’s
mood, maybe a pool/rest day would be good to plan
mid-week.
A happy baby at Disney makes for happy parents!
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