The Ultimate Guide to Bringing Your Baby to Disney World

Attractions

Did you know there are over 30 attractions that infants can enjoy just at Magic Kingdom?  That’s not even counting the shows, character meet & greets, or nighttime spectaculars.  Unlike other theme parks that have “kid’s zones”, Disney provides family-friendly attractions throughout all the parks.

If a ride doesn’t have a height restriction, you can take your infant on-board.  You will need to either wear them in a carrier or secure them in your arms (for safety you can’t hold them against your shoulder on a moving ride).  Our son loved attractions such as Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid, Frozen Ever After, and Dumbo.  I was surprised to find that even at three months old he reacted to the colors and music.

A few things to watch out for when choosing attractions: unexpected drops, loud noises, and water effects.  Rides such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Frozen Ever After have small, unexpected drops in the dark – sit towards the middle of the boat and wear Baby in a carrier so you don’t need to worry about losing hold of him/her.  Attractions such as It’s Tough to Be a Bug and Fantasmic! can be frightening to small children and do have sudden, loud noises – skip these or use hearing protection.  A few benign attractions such as Mickey’s PhilharMagic have temporary 3D water effects that can startle a baby – cover them with a blanket to shield them.

If you want to experience more thrilling attractions during your trip, make use of Disney’s Rider Switch service.  Rider Switch is available at most major attractions.  It allows one party to ride while the other stays with a child who cannot/will not ride, and then switch off.  All you do is ask the Cast Member at the start of the queue for a Rider Switch pass (sometimes you’ll have to show the party who will not be riding).  Party 1 waits in either the stand-by line or FastPass line (depending on whether or not you have a FastPass) while Party 2 waits with the child.  When Party 1 returns they hand the Rider Switch pass to Party 2 (up to 3 people can use the pass).  Party 2 then uses the pass to go straight to the FastPass line.

Notes on Rider Switch:

• Rider Switch passes are paper, not scanned with your MagicBand.
• People from Party 1 can ride again with a person from Party 2 (up to 3 can use the pass).
• Many people have success only reserving FastPasses for Party 1 (thus extending their FastPass limits).  However, occasionally a Cast Member will check that all members of the group have a FastPass before offering the Rider Switch pass.
• If only one person will be riding, it can be faster to skip Rider Switch and use the Single Rider line on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Test Track, and Expedition Everest.
• The waiting party (those not riding) will not be allowed to enter the queue with you – use this time to ride another attraction or grab a snack.

Strollers cannot be brought into any queue line or attraction.  Stroller Parking is available near most attraction areas and is marked with signs.  For shows and stage attractions (i.e. Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, The Hall of Presidents, Festival of the Lion King, MuppetVision 3D) you can typically bring an infant seat in with you (sit near the end of the row for a place to put it down).

Notes on strollers:

• Cast Members may need to move your stroller around the lot while you are away – be sure to label it so you’ll find it faster.
• Don’t leave open food in your stroller – birds and squirrels love popcorn!
• Certain pavilions in Epcot (such as The Land) do not allow strollers inside.

Dining –>