Bringing a newborn to Disney World isn’t for the faint of heart, and while I wouldn’t list it under “great ideas”, life doesn’t stop for newborns.

When we found out I was pregnant with my third baby, we already had our big family trip to Disney World booked: my husband and I, our 7 and 3-year-old daughters, my in-laws, and a 7-week-old little boy. 

This was the youngest baby I’ve ever flown or traveled with – let alone a theme park! Was it hard? Incredibly. Did the family have a great time? Yes!

In this blog post I’m going to share the 5 main things I would recommend for anyone bringing their newborn to Disney World beyond the obvious stuff like “bring enough diapers” and “take breaks.”

I’m going to assume you know how to pack a diaper bag – and even though it’s in a different place – it’s not THAT much different than packing your bag for a family gathering, to the park, or another outing. You get me?

Without further adieu.

Choose the Right Time of Year

The time of year really matters when it comes to temperature. We visited the first week of December and we got a mixed bag; the first half of the trip was HOT…in the upper 80s, and the rest of the trip tapered down to a cool and breezy 68-72ish. 

Now that I’ve done Disney with a 2-month old babe, I would prioritize the temperature over crowds, events, cost…everything, if I could. For a few reasons. 

First, babies get overheated quickly and have a hard time cooling themselves down. When they’re thirsty, they need to “eat” (weird to think about, right? But they’re not sipping on a cool bottle of Dasani.)

They’re also too little for sunscreen, which means making sure to keep them covered. I get that this is true for any time of year – but that sun hits differently in the middle of summer vs winter. 

A thing to remember is you’re postpartum too. Depending on how old the baby is, your hormones could still be up and down making you feel a lot hotter than you normally would. You have a lot of extra blood in your body built up from pregnancy, so even if the heat normally doesn’t bother you, it could during your fourth trimester. 

To give you an idea of the temperatures in Disney World, here are the average temperatures in Orlando by month:

Baby wear in Disney World

Baby-wearing can be your best friend for lulling an over-tired baby to sleep, doing your hair and makeup in the morning, wanting to be hands-free for those EPCOT festival booths, or heyyyohhh: a margarita.

I especially loved babywearing on the buses in Disney because I could stand up and use the bounces of the bus to get baby to sleep. 

There are a lot of carriers I can recommend like the Wildbird Aerial, Ergobaby Embrace, or Sollybaby wrap, but really bring whatever you’re the most comfy in. I like to bring 2 different styles so if I get tired of one, I have a backup. 

You can babywear on most “any height” rides in Disney, but they may ask you to take the baby out and hold them in your arms if there’s a tight lap belt. This is because the baby can get a bit squished and they’re worried about them being pinned behind the bar. 

Baby Care Centers are great…kind of

If you’ve been researching taking a newborn to Disney, you’ve probably come across Baby Care Centers. You’ll find 1 of these in each of the four parks that have nicer changing tables, quiet rooms to nurse/pump/feed, and spots for the older kids to relax, too. 

While you should absolutely use these when you can, don’t rely on them. They are usually in the last place you need them and can get busy. EPCOT has the best one in my opinion, but in Animal Kingdom there are only 2 individual private rooms to nurse. That means if they’re taken, you’re going to be waiting. Kind of hard when you have a teeny tiny babe that needs to eat.

Which leads me to my 4th tip…

Do what you gotta do

My biggest struggle on our trip was exclusively nursing – especially at such an early age, you’re still getting that latch down and regulating your supply. Ie: when the babys gotta eat, the babys gotta eat.

I’m a pretty private/timid person by nature (not embarrassed), but getting to a Baby Care Center for a quiet, clean, and cool place to nurse did NOT happen as much as I expected it to.

If you’re in the same boat, remember two things:

• You’re never going to see these people again
• Your baby is your priority, not strangers…and that’s really okay

This applies for when your baby is crying on the bus or on a ride, nursing, pumping, and changing.

By the end of the trip, I had zero cares – but I wish I hadn’t cared from the beginning! I found that people were A LOT more helpful and understanding than I thought they would.

Everywhere I went, moms, dads, and grandparents were swooning over “oh that’s a tiny one!” and offered help.

And I only got one you-know-he-won’t-remember-this comment, which honestly shocked me because I was prepared to hear a hundred. So, jokes on that guy.

Order a one-handed meal

Okay, probably the most random tip on this list, but here we are. When you’re choosing what to eat, opt for something that doesn’t require two hands (sandwiches, burgers, etc.)

Trust me, you – and the other person with you – are going to end up one-handed either holding, rocking, nursing, patting, or rocking/pushing a stroller. 

Some one-handed things to shoot for:

• Anything with a fork! Think pasta and salads. Unless someone is going to cut your steak for you…it’s out. Don’t hate me. 
• Chicken fingers + fries
• Soup
• Pizza
• Not super-messy tacos
• Fruit
• Granola/yogurt
• Sushi 
• Wine 🙂 

Bringing an Infant to Disney World

Yes, it is possible to have a great time (even with an infant in Disney World) — lower the pressure you put on yourself and set reasonable expectations and you’ll be golden!

Further Reading
Everything You Need to Know about Strollers in Disney World

4 Tips for a Laid-back Day in Magic Kingdom with Kids

What to Pack for a Minimalist Toddler Bag