8. Hack baby’s bed space

Depending on your baby’s age, there are a few ways you can improve their sleeping space wherever you are staying.

I developed a dislike for hotel cribs pretty much the day my daughter got out of the NICU—I realized quickly that they’re a better fit for older toddlers than teeny infants. We ended up using our daughter’s stroller bassinet as a sleeping space in that situation (when she was far too small to safely visit a theme park).

We travel often enough now that we ended up purchasing a very compact travel crib. We’ve been very happy with Guava’s Lotus Travel Crib using their bassinet kit (as our little one is still under the weight limit for the full crib) as it folds up to about the size of a tall backpack. We even managed to fit it in the floor space of an Amtrak bedroom. Babybjorn also has a nice lightweight travel crib. If you travel a lot, an ultralight crib might be a worthwhile investment as hotels can run out of cribs if they get busy enough.

For older kids, you have more options such as making a floor nest out of pillows, or making a DIY bedrail using chairs.

On a related note, if you travel with a portable baby monitor, you’ll want to take an important step to make sure it is secure if it uses Wi-Fi. The easiest way to do this is to add a layer of security by using your laptop as a mobile hotspot. This will prevent your baby monitor from being directly on hotel Wi-Fi. If you have access to a VPN, even better.

Oh, and if you’re staying at a Disney resort, don’t forget to take advantage of their bedtime story channel on resort TVs!

9. Pumping in the parks

Pumping is a pain and a half. Unfortunately, it’s an absolute necessity for many moms, myself included. While the Baby Care Centers are an ideal place to pump, you probably don’t want to spend your whole day there… and pumping in a bathroom is not a great alternative.

If you know you’re going to be pumping at a Disney park, you have a few options to make things easier. For one thing, either a wearable or ultra-portable pump can be a huge help (I use a Medela Freestyle Flex a fellow mom gave me when we were in the NICU). Collection cups like those sold by Legendairy Milk or Freemie can convert a portable pump into something more wearable as you tour the parks. Medela actually just released a wearable pump that combines these ideas. Do your research ahead of time as some of these  hands free pumps are easier to clean on the go than others.

If you have a traditional pump or need to put pump cups in place, a good nursing cover can give you more freedom of movement (I use one from Milk Snob, who ironically also has a Disney collection). It’s still ideal to find somewhere quiet to pump so milk doesn’t get spilled in the hustle and bustle, but it at least opens up your options. A pumping bra is probably essential equipment if you’ll be attempting this.

For moms who aren’t pumping a lot, a hand pump might be sufficient. If you decide to hand pump on a dark ride, keep in mind that all the rides have night vision cameras, so a cover is probably still a good idea.

10. Understand Disney’s Baby Perks

In truth, Disney parks are largely marketed towards families with older kids for good reason—it's hit or miss if your baby will enjoy a Disney day or just prefer time at the hotel with you.

Disney does provide some helpful perks for parents: for one thing, babies get free admission, which is great. The parks Baby Care Centers are also excellent, providing quality changing areas, bottle prep stations with filtered water and warmers, microwaves, nursing rooms, and a basic supply shop.

Probably the best perk available for parents is Rider Switch, albeit with some caveats compared to its older form. Rider Switch allows parents to check in with cast members and ask to switch off who watches baby while the other parent rides a ride (do this at the beginning of the queue). The perk is that the second parent doesn’t have to wait in the queue all over again.

The system used to be fairly simple and allowed the switching riders to have buddies with them, but supposedly people abused the system, so Disney has tightened it up to the point it can get a little convoluted these days. On some rides, only one parent can wait in the queue. On others, you can’t take a buddy with you on the second ride. It’s a bit of a mess. Despite this, Rider Switch ultimately is a boon to parents who want to enjoy rides baby can’t go on.

Bringing a baby to Disney parks isn’t always ideal—indeed, in many cases, it’s best to wait until children are older. If you do find yourself with the opportunity to do so, however, there are certainly ways to make the day go smoother for you and your little one.

What are your best hacks for bringing a baby to Disney parks? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook! Thanks for reading!