We went to Disney World two weeks ago with our whole family. We hadn’t been to Disney World this Benjamin was 3 years old. He didn’t remember anything other than the “big white golf ball.” I wanted this trip to be epic for them. I wanted this trip to be the “one” that they remember and talk about for years to come. We don’t do Disney World every year, so it was important for me to really make sure we make this Disney World vacation count. But Disney World with a Baby? Could we do it? (YES!)

Disney World with a Baby

My sons are the PERFECT ages for Disney World right now – William is 9, Alex is 8, Ben is 7 and Henry is 6. They want to go on all the rides and they’re finally tall enough to go on just about everything (I think Henry was too short for the Rockin’ Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios, but that was it!). They also don’t require naps, which makes it a whole different ballgame for us. When we went 4 years ago, naptime was something we needed to build into our day at the Parks. If someone didn’t nap, let’s just put it this way… the vacation after 6PM was downhill with tired boys.

Our Victoria was with us on our Disney Trip, too. She just turned 1, so it was a little more difficult to manage, but it was TOTALLY doable. Disney World makes it seamless to travel with a baby. I was so nervous that it was going to be too tough and too chaotic to manage, but it wasn’t. Of course, there were some baby moments that needed to be managed, but all-in-all, Disney World made it easy for us. I have to say – heading to Disney World with a Baby wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be!

Disney World with a Baby

Since I was so impressed with Disney World and how baby-friendly they make it, I wanted to share my tips on How to Manage Disney World with a Baby:

1) Baby Care Centers.
I can’t tell you how much these Centers were a saving grace to me and Victoria! They really are a wonderful perk at the Parks for parents with babies. The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios all have one. They are free to use for all guests at the park and they include:
– Private nursing room with rocking chairs
– Changing room with tables and a unisex bathroom
– Feeding area with highchairs
– Kitchen with microwave, oven and sink
– Main room with television, table, chairs and sofa
– On-site shop offering formula, baby food, juice, diapers, wipes, sunscreen, over-the-counter medications and clothing for purchase.
It was 90 degrees every single day while we were there, so when it was feeding time for Victoria, I headed right to the Baby Center. They were always clean, the characters were extremely friendly and everyone and everything was so accommodating. It was wonderful to have the resource to get Victoria out of the heat and really let her enjoy her food and her bottles. I also ran out of formula while we were at Epcot and I was able to buy some right there. And as an extra side note, they were extremely nice to the older siblings. I had Henry with me twice and all of them with me once, and everyone was super sweet. They let the boys watch TV and just relax while I was changing Victoria.

2) Stroller Rentals.
Disney World rents strollers for families, which is a great perk to have. It’s not easy traveling via plane with a stroller, etc… but if you have to, like me, you HAVE to. My recommendation for stroller rentals, if your child is 12-18 months and younger, you definitely want to bring your own. The Disney World stroller rentals are PERFECT for kids that are 18 months and up. Also, if you bring your own – make sure you have a special tie or tag on it that you can spot easily. We brought our gray umbrella stroller – there were also 100 other gray umbrella strollers everywhere – I finally bought a pink ribbon in a shop while we were there so I could identify it easily after each ride/dining place we stopped at.

3) Stroller Add-ons.
Take my advice, bring some stroller add-ons with you. We totally forgot to bring an added awning for our stroller and poor Victoria had a blanket over her for protection the first day. This wonderful woman who worked at Disney World stopped me on the first day and said to me, “Honey, you can easily buy one around here.” And she gave me directions to where to go. It was a lifesaver for Victoria! I wish I could thank that woman 100 times over! Also, this is something my girlfriend Robyn (who we went with) told me… a stroller fan! Find a stroller fan that you can clip on to the top of the stroller. It’s a great way for your baby to stay cool in the hot Florida heat!

4) Disney World Rides for Babies.
Since we were there with the 4 boys, too – I was very happy to see that many rides were baby friendly. That’s a HUGE plus for a family who is traveling with a baby. Just so you have a list in your head, here are rides that are baby friendly and that my own Victoria loved and went on:
It’s a Small World
Dumbo
Walt Disney World Railroad
Arielle – The Little Mermaid
Jungle Cruise
Prince Charming Carousel
Peter Pan
Buzz Lightyear
Aladdin

5) Bring Extra Snacks.
My daughter is now into eating baby food and real food, so it’s a constant “is she going to eat this or is she going to eat this” today? It’s always a back and forth. I brought with me a fabric insulated cooler and I filled it with yogurts, water, milk and baby food. It was a wonderful way to make sure my food was always on me and that it didn’t go bad while we were out in the hot summer sun. I was also able to pop extra drinks for my sons in there, too.

6) Pack EXTRA Baby Essentials.
OK, when we left for Disney World – I had about 20 binkies, 5 baby blankets, 10 bottles, 10 teether toys and 3 packages of diapers. I’m not kidding, I packed a FULL duffle suitcase just for Victoria. Every single day we would lose another binkie at the Park, I don’t know what Victoria would do with them, but they would vanish! One lesson I learned and will pass this along, always bring extras of the absolute stuff your child needs and loves. My daughter loves her specific binkie, so I can’t just bring another one that she won’t like.

As you can see – Disney World with a Baby is doable as can be! YOU can do it!!

Check out my favorite things to do at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!

And check out the Disney Cruises, too! Here’s one for Disney Marvel Cruise!

Don’t forget to check out AAA for some awesome Disney deals!!