Baby On Board
The summer is in full swing here in New England. We spent yesterday pool hopping, picking fresh vegetables from my brother’s luscious garden, and gorging ourselves on seafood. Our summer days: full of friends and time at the local Pond feels like it is just getting started. Our Summer Trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth has (unfortunately) come and gone. It was hot, it was humid. We only got caught in the rain briefly twice over the course of our 8 day, 7 night adventure and we had an absolutely amazing time.
For those of you tuning in for the first time, I have a 5 (almost 6!) year old and a 7 (and a half) year old. My best friend Lindsay joined us on this trip with her 7 month old. I started taking my daughters to visit The Mouse when the youngest was two and a half. This was the first time I traveled with a baby. I know many of you might be considering a trip with someone under the age of one, so thought I’d share some of what I learned.
If you are staying on property, you can make a Room Request for a pack and play or portable crib. When you arrive at your Walt Disney World Resort, pick up the phone in the room to let them know you have arrived and they will bring it (and extra crib sheets) to the room for you. Room Requests can be made several ways, such as in your My Disney Experience App, via the Chat feature, or your Travel Advisor can call in the request for you too.
During Cool Kids’ Summer, we were also able to get a Diaper Genie and baby bath tub sent to our suite at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, free of charge. A bottle sterilizer was also available, but we didn’t utilize it. I really hope they keep these exciting new offerings available going forward, but no word on that yet.
If you don’t want to bring all the accoutrements for your baby there are also third party services that rent cribs, highchairs, strollers, baby bathtubs, toys, etc. Too many to name here, but definitely something I’m always happy to review with a client if it is appropriate for their family’s stay.
With our home away from home set up for the baby, it was time to hit the Parks. Baby Care Centers are located in each major park. It’s a place where you can nurse out of the heat, rinse bottles, prepare formula, change your little one, or purchase items you may have forgotten. When I couldn’t find Aloe at First Aid, it was for sale in the Baby Care Center at Magic Kingdom.
✨ Of note, you can’t bring your stroller inside the Baby Care Centers. If you are a single parent with a baby who can’t sit independently, this does make activities that require both hands (such as washing your own) a challenge. These facilities also have TVs with Disney programming for older children, but there is limited seating in general. Don’t rely on these spaces to bring your whole family to take a break. They prioritize parents feeding or resting with Mickey’s littlest fans.
More than likely, you are utilizing a stroller if you have an infant in your travel party. Single Strollers must be folded on buses, but can be deployed on the Skyliner, the Monorail, and usually on Disney Boat Transportation as well (space permitting.) All strollers have to be folded on buses. Side by side Double Strollers require folding on the Skyliner, tandem strollers may stay deployed. If you are transferring between Walt Disney World Resorts, we discovered that they would transfer our stroller. However, it may not be available to you at the new location until 4, 5 or even 6pm.
Speaking of strollers, there are definitely some items required to keep an infant comfortable on a long Park Day that may or may not apply to your older kiddos. A stroller fan in the Florida heat is an absolute MUST. That sunshade is great to protect them from the sun’s rays, but it can get very warm beneath the canopy. Obviously, sunscreen (if appropriate for their age) and/or protective clothing are equally important. Our sweet boy got lots of compliments on his sunglasses, but it was definitely more challenging to keep him in his adorable sun hat.
Extra clothes, extra diapers, extra wipes, extra bottles/water/formula (if applicable) are all good ideas to have on hand. You never know when the next blow out will occur, or if the time will get away from you and you find yourself still in the Parks during baby’s next meal time. Having a carrier is also helpful, even if you have a stroller. Some rides (Peter Pan’s Flight) may feel more secure if your kiddo is a wiggler, and if you are traveling solo with the baby and have to fold your stroller you can still have your hands free.
Temper expectations. My “nephew” is about the chillest baby I have ever encountered. He has a cheerful temperament and is pretty flexible. Even still, there were times he had just fallen asleep in his stroller when we were about to hit a ride or show. We had to decide if we’d do it later, skip it, or a grown up would sit out. He was a wonderful stroller napper, so we didn’t leave the park in the afternoon. However, come the evening, he did need to leave the Park about an hour or two before his bigger cousins.
We always stay on Walt Disney World property when we travel. I know other families make different choices around accommodations. However, when traveling with nappers or those who need a true midday break out of the Parks I think you should seriously consider staying in the “bubble.” It was easy for Lindsay to depart the parks by herself at the end of the day and she and the baby were back in the room within about 20-30 minutes most days. To be clear though, we had some bus arrival magic and didn’t wait long to hop on. We were also on the Skyliner, which makes those Hollywood Studios and EPCOT days smooth. The recommendation is to allow an hour when using Walt Disney World’s complimentary modes of transportation.
As I just mentioned, our families separated briefly most evenings. During our Park touring we had lots of time together, but we also would break apart for taller height requirement rides or if a stroller nap or feeding time impeded transferring onto a ride vehicle.
We purchased Lighting Lane Multipass at all 4 Parks for everyone who was eligible. Under the age of 3 gets free admission to the Parks and can access Lighting Lanes (if they meet the height requirement) with an adult who has purchased Lighting Lane Multipass. We also bought Lighting Lane Single Passes, mainly for Morgan and I. Having two adults was great, because it allowed my younger daughter and the baby to sit out of rides without impeding Morgan’s ability to hit all the thrills. We didn’t utilize rider swap, because we had purchased Lighting Lane. Morgan would ride again with Maggie’s Magic Band and the grown up who sat out the first time would go or give their band to the other adult for their second ride.
If you don’t have Lighting Lanes or all your big kids want to ride, you can set up Rider Switch. Your whole group has to be present to do this. At the entrance of the ride you tell the Cast Member you’d like to set up Rider Switch. You then split into two groups. The first group enters the line while the second group (a max of 2 people) waits with whomever can’t ride. When the first group is done riding, the adult who waited can go through the Lightning Lane with ONE other member of their party.
✨ Of note, Morgan is 7 now. On rides where Maggie and Morgan wanted to ride with me (first time on Big Thunder Mountain Railway!) we could do that even though Lindsay stayed off with her son. At the age of 7, kids can ride solo or separate from an adult. Under 7, certain rides can still be ridden with one adult, namely those where your child is still in the same car. The Cast Members won’t seat a single rider next to them until they are 7+ though. Rides that don’t allow a grown up to be seated beside or in the same ride vehicle as those aged 6 and under may require some logistical planning (i.e. rider swap.) When we rode Soarin’ Across America I was with my girls and a friend of Morgan’s. The three kids sat together and I sat at the end next to Maggie. Several Cast Members asked Morgan’s friend his age before take off. He is 7, so our seating arrangement was fine in that situation. Had he been 6, I would have had to sit between him and Maggie.
Every trip we’ve taken over the years has been a little different. While always magical, there are new elements to be enjoyed as well as nostalgic ones to return to. I think the biggest difference in this trip was our pacing. The heat was just as much a factor as traveling with a baby.
We did midday dining to get out of the heat, which always takes more time than a Quick Service meal break. We also didn’t all do all the things. For example, Lindsay went to Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room while I rode Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and I took Maggie and the baby to see the Country Bear Jamboree while Lindsay and Morgan rode Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. We have the extreme privilege of having traveled to Walt Disney World several times a year. We were ok with missing a show or a ride here and there. We followed the kids’ lead regarding where they wanted to go and what they wanted to do.
Traveling with my nephew was next level. He was absolutely the perfect age for Character interactions and the shows were engaging for him. He was fascinated by the talking animal heads on the wall at Country Bear Jamboree. Watching him watch that is now a Core Memory for me. The girls were so excited to ride with him and introduce him to some of their favorite things at Walt Disney World. In the mornings, they loved waking up to and playing with their little “cousin.” It was precious and memorable for all.
Being flexible made the whole experience enjoyable. I always tell clients and friends traveling to Walt Disney World that they can not do it all. Doing it all would not be pleasurable. Knowing the kids’ priorities helped us schedule the day in a way that managed, and met, their expectations. If you are thinking about traveling with a baby, or kids across the age spectrum and have any questions at all please reach out. I am always, always, always happy to talk Disney. No matter where you are in the planning stage, I’m here to bounce ideas off of and offer experiential advice.
Happy Planning!
Jody
jody.c@utmtravel.com