I get asked all the time if it is worth it taking small children to Disney World. My answer is always the same - YES YES YES!!!
We took our (now 4 year old) to Disney World when he was a mere 9 months old and here are the 5 tips I have for families bringing a small child to the parks.
1) Utilize your baby gear!! We brought a stroller, pack n play, and baby carrier with us to our resort. Pack n plays and strollers are both available to rent when staying at Disney hotels. (PRO TIP: These will need to be reserved in advance - travel agents like myself can help with this!) We are big fans of baby carriers which made it easy to stand in lines - our little guy is a great napper and slept in the stroller when he was tired - another option is to take your child back to the resort for naps.
2) Rider swap!! If a child doesn't meet the height requirements or the ride is too intense or scary, NO PROBLEM!! One adult can wait with the non-riding child(ren) outside of the ride exit and when the other adult returns they (and another rider) can ride the attraction without waiting in the line. More on this in detail in another blog!
3) If everyone is riding rides, take baby to meet characters. I know they will have no idea who most of the characters are, but they will love it. The characters are so sweet with the littlest guests and it makes for some adorable photo ops.
4) Use the Baby Care Centers!! Picture this: Your older children (or husband) want to rope drop Test Track so you rush to the park only to arrive at EPCOT realizing you left the diaper bag in the hotel room....This actually happened to me. What would appear to be a disaster is actually not as big a crisis when you are at a Disney Park - every park has a Baby Care Center.
Baby Care Centers are clean, air conditioned spaces for families to take care of kiddos. There are toddler size toilets, warm water for bottles, changing tables, and nursing areas. There are also items for sale including clothing, diapers, medicine, sunscreen, and more!
Magic Kingdom: Located between Casey's Corner and the Crystal Palace restaurant.
EPCOT: In Future World, to the right of the World Showcase Entrance
Hollywood Studios: When you walk in the gates, it is to the right hand side.
Animal Kingdom: To the left on Discovery Island, if you are headed to Africa.
5) RIDE THE RIDES!! Surprisingly there are a LOT of rides that do not have height requirements at Disney World. Our little one loved Every. Single. One. His favorites in each park were: Haunted Mansion (Magic Kingdom), Frozen Ever After (EPCOT), tie between Na'vi River Journey and Kilimanjaro Safari (Animal Kingdom), and Toy Story Mania! (Hollywood Studios).
There is never a bad time to take a child to experience Disney World - being able to see them experience the magic at such a young age is something that every parent will cherish. If you have any questions or would like to visit more about booking a trip to Disney World with your small child, feel free to reach out to me at taylor.flowers@marvelousmousetravels.com.
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