We believe the Happiest Place on Earth is for all ages! But going to Disneyland with a baby, toddlers, or even grandparents requires some planning. With the help of our friends at Get Away Today, we want to share tips for going to Disneyland with a baby.
Going to Disneyland with a Baby
As long as you take the time to prepare, going to Disneyland with a baby can be a magical experience! Imagine the looks of wonder on their faces when they see Disney Characters and parades, or get a taste of something new for the first time. Here’s what you should consider when bringing your baby to Disneyland.
Stroller Rentals at Disneyland
There are many reasons to rent a stroller at Disneyland rather than bringing your own. If you’re driving to Disneyland, you don’t necessarily want your stroller taking up valuable room in your vehicle. If you plan to wear your baby while flying, hauling a stroller through the airport can be an inconvenience. You can rent single strollers at Disneyland for $15 per day, or double strollers for $35 per day.
When you go through security and head to Disneyland Park, you’ll find the stroller rental services outside the main entrance to the Park, next to the Kennel. Throughout the Parks, you’ll see designated stroller parking areas; be sure to only leave your stroller in marked “parking” lots. Otherwise your stroller will be moved by a Cast Member to the appropriate area and you’ll probably give yourself a scare looking for it.
Disneyland Lockers
When bringing a baby to Disneyland, you’ll probably want a place to stash extra supplies. If you have diapers, a breast pump or even extra snacks for everyone, you can store them in lockers at Disneyland. Both Parks offer locker rentals, and they come in varying sizes. For as little at $7 per day, you can rent a locker just off Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland, or off Buena Vista Street in Disney California Adventure. There are also lockers in Downtown Disney near the main entrances to either Park. If you’re doing a non-Park day with the family, the Downtown Disney lockers can be helpful.
Disneyland Baby Care Centers
Going to Disneyland with a baby might mean taking extra breaks throughout the day. While people-watching can be a blast, sometimes you just need a quiet, air-conditioned place to feed your baby, change a diaper or just sit down. The Disneyland Baby Care Centers offer all that and more to families at Disneyland. Each Baby Care Center is the only place in the Resort where music isn’t piped in, so there are less distractions. You can also purchase baby essentials such as diapers, formula, food and pacifiers in the Baby Care Centers. They’re equipped with high chairs, changing stations, bottle warmers, a nursing room with chairs and even toddler-sized toilets.
Baby Care Center at Disneyland Park
The Baby Care Center at Disneyland Park is located at the end of Main Street, U.S.A. near the First Aid center.
Baby Care Center at Disney California Adventure Park
The Baby Care Center at Disney California Adventure Park is located next to Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop in Pacific Wharf.
Baby Friendly Rides at the Disneyland Resort
Let’s get to the fun stuff! There are lots of baby friendly rides at the Disneyland Resort, so if you’re going to Disneyland with a baby, no one has to miss out. Rides with no height requirements allow adults to hold babies on their laps or even wear them in a carrier.
Baby Friendly Rides at Disneyland Park
- Alice in Wonderland
- Astro Orbitors
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- Casey Jr. Circus Train
- Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes
- Disneyland Monorail
- Disneyland Railroad
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
- “it’s a small world”
- Jungle Cruise
- Mad Tea Party
- Main Street Vehicles
- The Many Adventure of Winnie the Pooh
- Mark Twain Riverboat
- Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pinoochio’s Daring Journey
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
- Sailing Ship Columbia
- Storybook Land Canal Boats
The following are closed for refurbishment as of 2020, but have no minimum height requirement
- Haunted Mansion
- King Arthur Carrousel
- Snow White’s Scary Adventures
Baby Friendly Rides at Disney California Adventure Park
- Golden Zephyr
- Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind
- The Little Mermaid - Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
- Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
- Pixar Pal-A-Round
- Toy Story Midway Mania!
The following are closed for refurbishment as of 2020, but have no minimum height requirement
- Jessie’s Critter Carousel
- Red Car Trolley
Your Disneyland Resort admission also includes access to entertainment and attractions in the Parks, so you can bring your baby with you to enjoy the following:
- The Disney Gallery
- The Disneyland Story Presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
- Main Street Cinema
- Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island
- Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
- Star Wars Launch Bay
- Tarzan’s Treehouse
- Toontown Character Houses
- Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
- The Bakery Tour
- Frozen - Live at the Hyperion
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Sorcerer’s Workshop
- Turtle Talk with Crush
- Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar
Rider Switch at Disneyland
So, what about rides that do have a minimum height requirement? Thankfully, Rider Switch is your solution for enjoying those rides even when visiting Disneyland with a baby!
To use Rider Switch, bring your entire party to the Cast Member manning the queue. If Rider Switch is available for the ride, your group will be divided into two parties: one that will ride first, and one that will ride second. All tickets will be scanned and you’ll be shown the designated waiting area for the party that’s riding second. While the second party stays behind with anyone too short to ride, the first party experiences the ride. After, anyone tall enough to ride can go again with the second party while someone again stays behind with the baby. Typically, the waiting party gets to access the ride via the FastPass line, allowing for a shorter wait time to ride.
Character Encounters at Disneyland with a Baby
One of the best ways to meet Disneyland Characters when traveling with a baby is to schedule Character Dining. Since kids ages two and under don’t require theme park tickets and they can eat free at all restaurants, Character Dining is a great way to save time and money at Disneyland. You can reserve Character Dining 60 days prior to your vacation, so you can try scheduling around baby’s nap time. Having the Characters come to you is such a convenient way to meet them and get photos taken with your baby.
If you’d like to meet Disney Characters throughout the Parks, refer to the Disneyland app to see where they’re located and at what time. It shows real-time updates on Characters, and you can ask the Cast Member escort if the Character is taking photos.
Places to Feed a Baby at Disneyland
We already mentioned that there are highchairs in the Baby Care Centers, but you’re welcome to feed your baby anywhere in the Resort. If you’d like a discreet place to nurse you can head to the lower, covered dining area of Hungry Bear Restaurant, the shaded area by Luigi’s Rollickin Roadsters or Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. You could also consider nursing on longer, darker rides such as Pirates of the Caribbean or “it’s a small world.” Additionally, you can make advance reservations at select restaurants and enjoy some privacy during mealtime at a table or booth.
If you’d like to people-watch while feeding your baby, try the benches on Main Street, U.S.A. or Buena Vista Street. Many are under trees to provide shade, and you’ll have no end of entertainment whether or not there’s a parade. Tomorrowland’s Galactic Grill, Frontierland’s River Belle Terrace and California Adventure Park’s Plaza de la Familia or Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta are all great restaurants with outdoor seating so you can feed your baby and still be part of the magic.
Going to Disneyland with a Baby
You’ll want to maximize your time at the Disneyland Resort when traveling with a baby, so purchase your tickets from Get Away Today ahead of time. You’ll not only save on your tickets and hotel, but you’ll avoid long lines at the Disneyland ticket booth. When you purchase tickets from Get Away Today, you can take the electronic vouchers straight to the Park entrances and scan them to receive physical, paper tickets.
Additionally, all 3-Day and longer Disneyland tickets from Get Away Today include one Magic Morning, so you can enjoy Disneyland Park for an extra hour on select days. This is a way to get a jump start on the day and experience some of the Disneyland rides before the general public is let in. When you book with Get Away Today, let them know Friday Apparel sent you, and save an additional $10 with code FridayApparel. Find all vacations at www.getawaytoday.com or call 855-GET-AWAY.
We know Disneyland is temporarily closed due to COVID-19, but it won't be closed forever. That's why booking with Get Away Today is so great! You can get built-in flexibility when you book with their Peace of Mind plan, which allows free cancellation and changes up to 72 hours prior to check-in. They also offer Layaway Plans for just $175 down, and final payment isn't due until seven days prior to travel.
BONUS!
As a special bonus for you, here are the must have products to take you with you when going to Disneyland with a baby, from Dani (owner & creator of Friday Apparel). You'll see several of these items in the pictures of this post. Take it from a mom who's been to Disneyland many times with a baby, these are items you'll want to have with you. Definitely save this list!
- Mickey Mouse Portable Fan
- Star Wars Nursing Cover
- WildBird Baby Sling
- Sun Bum Baby Sunscreen Stick
- Travel Hand Sanitizer with Aloe
- Gathre Leather Changing Pad
- Pacifier Clip
- Cute Disney Shirt!
We may not be able to pack the diaper bag and take our babies to Disneyland right now, but after this coronavirus pandemic is over, we'll all be ready to go on rides and eat churros. Save this post to Pinterest HERE, and give you and your baby something to look forward to when all this craziness is over!
