Curator’s statement
Some may say that visiting Walt Disney World with a baby isn’t worth it because the chaos doesn’t even make it feel like a vacation and in the end they won’t remember it. And it’s true: visiting Walt Disney World does require a lot of planning—but you don’t have to be the one stressing over doing it all yourself. As a Mom of a toddler (and another on the way) who loves Disney World, I can assure you, there are right ways to do Disney without long park days, cranky kids, and feeling like this was the wrong investment for your annual vacation budget. Here’s how to visit Walt Disney World with a little one so you leave actually feeling the magic.
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Things to do at Disney World
My daughter at 9 months old riding Frozen Ever After in EPCOT.
Baby-friendly rides
At the time of writing this guide, Walt Disney World has 27 rides that have no height restrictions—meaning your baby absolutely can ride them. Here are our family’s favorite rides from each park that our daughter loved—even when she was under 2.
Baby-friendly rides in EPCOT
Frozen Ever After: An immersive boat-on-rail ride playing all of their well-known songs from Frozen. There is one small drop with a splash of water nearing the end of the ride, but otherwise it's pretty mellow. Our daughter went on it when she was 9 months old and has no problem with it.
Gran Fiesta Tour: This is another boat-on-rail ride following Donald Duck as part of The Three Caballeros as they prepare to throw a Fiesta. It is a very mellow ride with no drops or quick movements, has lots of immersive scenes, and music for your littles to dance along to. There also never really seems to be a line for this ride (we rode it three times in a row).
The Seas With Nemo & Friends: This is a dark ride where you ride inside of a shell through different projected scenes following a condensed version of the movie. The darkness in combination with the scene with the sharks can be kind of scary for little ones, but otherwise it's a very calm ride (so calm, our baby fell asleep on it). The ride also ends by leading you inside of the Sea Base—which is a large aquarium.
Baby-friendly rides in Magic Kingdom
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover: This is a rail-ride that takes you on a tour around Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom. The speed is a little quick (so I’d recommend seating your little ones on your lap) however there are no drops or unpredictable movements. You all get a really great view of the park, and if you hop on around the time of the evening fireworks, you may get to enjoy fireworks while on the ride for a unique, less-crowded experience.
Astro Orbitor / Dumbo The Flying Elephant / The Magic Carpets of Aladdin: These are all kind of the same ride, but with different themes. If your little one loves the kind of rides that spin and rise up and down into the air, definitely check out all of them. However, if you’re strapped for time, you can pick one of them based on the theme that is more likely to excite your little one.
It's A Small World: This is a Disney classic boat ride with fun music and engaging scenes. The wait times for this ride are typically low and it's air-conditioned, so it’s a great ride to use to get out of the heat for a bit.
Baby-friendly rides in Hollywood Studios
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway: This is a track-free ride that brings you on a journey to reunite with Goofy after your train card derails from Goofy’s tour. The music is lively, the scenes are engaging, and the storytelling had us all laughing all the way through.
Baby-friendly rides in Animal Kingdom
Navi River Journey: This is a dark boat ride through Pandora. It’s very slow and the scenes are very immersive. This is a great sensory experience for little ones
Kilimanjaro's Safari: If your little ones love animals, this is a really cool safari ride where they’ll actually see real safari animals. Highly recommend going earlier in the morning, when the animals are most active. As the days get warmer, the animals get tired or hide in the shade.
Baby-friendly shows
Disney is an entertainment company, after all, so there should be no surprise by their abundance of shows for your family to enjoy.
Firework shows: Walt Disney World has three iconic firework shows: Happily Ever After (in Magic Kingdom), Luminous The Symphony of Us (in EPCOT), and Fantasmic (in Hollywood Studios). If you want to avoid the crowds altogether for the most popular firework show—Happily Ever After—you can actually enjoy a pre-recorded version back at your resort as part of the entertainment options on your TV. Likewise, you can purchase a Fantasmic dining package, which offers you VIP seating for the Fantasmic show instead of waiting in a long line.
Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire (in Magic Kingdom): Various times throughout the day, Mickey and Friends host a live show in front of the castle. There’s lots of music and dancing, which can be fun to watch for little ones.
Princess shows (in Hollywood Studios): If you have a little princess-obsessed toddler on your hands, Hollywood Studios has three princess-themed shows: The Little Mermaid: A Musical Adventure, For The First Time In Forever: A Frozen Sing-A-Long, and Beauty and the Beast: Live On Stage.
Character meets
No matter the age, character meets can be so magical and these moments truly are memorable for the whole family.
Mickey can be met at all of the theme parks, each dressed in a different themed attire.
If you have a princess-obsessed toddler, EPCOT is the best park to visit because this park has the most princesses to meet out of all of the parks.
If your little one loves Pixar characters, Hollywood Studios is the best park to visit—with characters from Toy Story, The Incredibles, Olaf from Frozen, and Joy from Inside Out.
Characters can also be met in a less-chaotic environment without long lines, through Character Dining Experiences. Different character dining experiences will include different characters to meet based on the theme of the restaurant or dining experience.
Places to eat & drink at Disney World
My daughter at 9 months old enjoying her first Mickey Waffle at Tusker House.
Character dining
As I mentioned in the “things to do” section, character dining is an amazing way to enjoy a meal while meeting some of your little ones’ favorite characters in a line-free environment. The characters rotate between tables, are very engaging with guests, and give you the opportunity to take as many photos as you’d like. If your goal is mostly to meet the characters, I’d recommend making a reservation at breakfast so that dining is less expensive for the same character experience. Nevertheless, the food has always been great. At most character dining experiences that have "all you care to enjoy" or buffet menus, children under three eat free!
Here are some of our family’s favorite character dining experiences.
Tusker House in Animal Kingdom: This is an "all you care to enjoy" restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At breakfast, there is a combination of breakfast classics and African-inspired dishes. This restaurant is geared towards more adventurous palettes, but has a “kids section” if you have a picky eater. The characters at this restaurant are Mickey, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy.
Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom: If your little one loves Pooh and Friends from the Hundred Acre Woods, this is the character dining for your family. This ‘all you care to enjoy’ restaurant serves American favorites—so it should be easy to find something everyone in your family will enjoy, whether you have a reservation for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in EPCOT: If you have a little one who loves Disney princesses, this is a must-visit restaurant. They serve a combination of Norwegian and American foods that are served family-style right at your table. The lineup for which princesses are available at this dining experience varies, but when we visited there were Belle, Aurora, Cinderella, Ariel, and Snow White.
Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studios: This is a buffet-style restaurant serving American favorites. Minnie and Friends (Mickey, Pluto, and Goofy) host seasonally themed dining experiences here for lunch and dinner.
Quick bites around the world
EPCOT offers a large variety of foods from different countries in The World Showcase. Often there are quarterly festivals happening in EPCOT which give specialty menus to each country, however, even during non-festival times, there is a large range of foods to sample. It’s a really fun experience to go from country to country in The World Showcase, pick out an item from the booth, and rate your favorite country cuisine as a family.
This is also a really time-effective way to keep your bellies full between rides without having to pause, sit down, and eat a full meal.
Quick service restaurants
Quick service restaurants are spots where they serve food but don’t have traditional seated dining. Mobile order your quick service meals in the My Disney Experience app to avoid waiting in long lines to order. These were our family’s favorites from each park.
Regle Eagle Smokehouse in EPCOT: This is all-American BBQ with burgers, pulled pork, smoked meats, fries, baked beans, mac and cheese, and corn bread. The food had huge portions (making it easy to share with a little one under 2-years-old who may not need a meal for themselves) and was delicious!
Casey’s Corner in Magic Kingdom: Casey’s Corner is known for their specialty hot dogs, mini corn-dogs, and fries. This is an easy option if your family wants a quick bite or have picky eaters.
Woody’s Lunchbox in Hollywood Studios: Serving up sandwiches, tomato soup, and their infamous Totcho Bowl, Woody’s Lunchbox is a popular lunch spot that you absolutely have to mobile order for or else you’ll be standing in the Florida heat for a long time to order and receive your food. The food is worth it though.
Satu’li Canteen in Animal Kingdom: Known for their specialty bowls bursting with flavor, it is a fan favorite—especially if you’re looking for something different from your traditional theme park food.
Disney Springs
Disney Springs is Walt Disney World’s shopping, dining, and entertainment district. You do not require a park ticket to visit and there are an array of things to do there, including eat! Here are some delicious options our family loved.
Polite Pig: This is a Michelin-recognized quick-service restaurant serving smoked meats and BBQ. The portions are huge and the flavors are delicious.
Coca Cola Rooftop Beverage Bar: If you have any Coca Cola fans in your family, they have a really unique experience where you can purchase a Cola flight and taste-test different flavors from around the world.
Swirls On The Water: If you've been searching for the iconic Dole Whip, this booth offers Dole Whip flights with delicious rotating flavors.
Blaze Pizza: If you have a picky eater, you can never go wrong with pizza. At Blaze, you can customize your own pizza with various sauces and toppings to make it exactly how your little one likes it.
Need to know
Download the My Disney Experience app on your phone
This is Walt Disney World’s app made specifically to make life easier for guests. On this app, you can make advanced reservations for seated dining, mobile order food from quick-service restaurants, see wait times for rides, see Disney’s on-site transportation schedule, and search the map for specific restaurants, attractions, and important spots (like guest services, Baby Care Centers, or First Aid) so you aren’t wasting time feeling lost.
Choose the right resort for your family
At Walt Disney World, especially when traveling with a baby, your resort room is not just a place to crash for the night. You may be heading back to your resort room mid-park-day for naps or a break, dedicating a whole day for a rest day, or opting for half park days and spending the other half of your day at resort. So, choosing the right resort for your family is essential.
Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin
If your baby is on the younger side, doesn’t care for specific characters or theming yet and this trip is more for the parents (you want a bit of luxury, to enjoy some VIP perks, and stay close to all the action), opt for Walt Disney World Swan & Walt Disney World Dolphin. These resorts are located within walking distance of EPCOT and the Skyliner hub (making it a quick ride over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios).
You can also access EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios through complimentary Friendship Boats. You’ll also still have easy access to Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, both waterparks (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon), and Disney Springs using Disney’s complimentary shuttle bus service. The resort itself isn’t very themed around Disney itself and has a lot of luxury design to it.
Disney’s All-Stars Movies Resort
If you have an older infant or toddler who loves Mickey and Friends, 101 Dalmatians, or Toy Story, consider staying at Disney’s All-Stars Movies Resort. There are five sections with exterior landscaping and decor themed around different Disney and Pixar movies. This is also one of the more affordable resorts on Disney property. There is also an on-site pool themed after Fantasia with Sorcerer Mickey as the pool’s main attraction.
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is a great choice if you have a larger family and require more space, or have an older infant or toddler who loves Cars, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, or Finding Nemo.
Baby Care Centers
Note where all the Baby Care Centers are in each park.
Each theme park (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom) has a baby care center located within them. At the Baby Care Centers, you’ll have an air-conditioned, comfortable space to feed your baby, take a break from the Florida heat, or change a diaper. All Baby Care Centers have a room dedicated to nursing your baby, multiple change tables, a TV playing Disney Classics to entertain older kids, and merchandise (like extra clothing, pouches, bibs, formula, etc.) to purchase.
You can search for where the Baby Care Center is located in each park within the My Disney Experience app.
Take a midday break
Spending long days in the park—especially with the Florida heat—isn’t a recipe for success. Around 1 pm, I recommend heading back to your resort (hint, hint: one of the many reasons I recommend staying within the Disney Bubble as a family!) and taking a midday break. Whether you use this time for naps, to relax in your room, or hang by the pool, your whole family will get a break from the crowds and the heat in the parks. And if you decide to head back to the parks later in the evening, you’ll all feel refreshed and in better spirits.
Strollers
Rent a stroller outside of the parks.
While you can rent a stroller in the parks, they can’t be taken outside of the park gates. This makes it inconvenient to travel with little ones between your resort and the parks. Instead, I recommend renting a stroller from a third-party provider—and a handful will also deliver and pick-up right from your resort for convenience.
I highly recommend a stroller even if your children are a little older and don’t typically use a stroller anymore. The parks are large and there is a lot of walking. Nothing puts a damper on your evening than carrying your 7-year-old back to your resort from the parks at the end of the night because they’re too tired to walk.
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Jennifer Liwanag
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