At only 14 months old, Baylee has been to Disneyland around 30 times...she has no clue how spoiled she is! I love that I have the ability to be a "Disney Mom" and take her so often, but it doesn't come without it's challenges for sure. That being said, here are some of my tips for all the Mamas brave enough to tackle the California Disney Parks with a baby. :)
1. Baby Center. Do it. Know it. Love it. There are two locations: one in Disneyland on Main Street, and one in California Adventure behind Ghiradelli. In these little Mommy Havens you will find areas for private breast feeding and pumping, high chairs, microwaves, changing tables with protective paper, tiny potties for potty trainers, and diapers, formula, etc. for sale. Bless you Disney! I can't even tell you how much time I have spend in these wonderfully air conditioned buildings, especially in the early days when I was an exclusive pumper who needed to pump every 2 hours. Once Baylee was on formula, I would visit to warm up her bottle and just have a nice, quiet place to feed her. Oh, and the ladies that work there are the sweetest gals ever.
2. Your Stroller is Everything. I see these awesome moms blasting through the parks with nothing but a backpack and an umbrella stroller, and how I envy them so! I just can't. I'm a typical Girl Scout Mom who has to make sure I have everything with me to be prepared. (Except for a recent trip where I managed to forget sunscreen, Baylee's lunchbox, and only brought 2 diapers...tragedy!) I love our stroller because it has drink holders and a huuuuge undercarriage that I can shove all our stuff in. It also has a nice sunshade and reclines all the way back for nap time...which is a necessity if you're busting out an all day trip. For comfort purposes, I highly suggest finding a stroller thats big, yet maneuverable.
3. Pack That Diaper Bag. When we go to the Parks, this is what I (usually) pack, for baby: a diaper for every hour that we will be there, wipes, 2 changes of clothes, sunscreen, toys that can attach to the stroller straps, snacks, a jacket, and hand sanitizer. For Mom: ponytail holders, lip gloss, a brush, snacks, sunglasses, a jacket, and a portable phone charger.
4. Pack a Small Cooler. Another reason I love Disney so is that they let you bring in small coolers. Disney food is expensive, especially when your brand new eater gets most of her food on the ground instead of in her mouth. I pack a lunchbox size cooler with ice packs and usually bring Baylee some turkey, peas, yogurt, string cheese and applesauce. I also use it to pack a bottle of milk so that I don't have to buy one. If you forget to pack a lunch, or don't have a chance to, most of the restaurants offer a "Toddler Meal" option for under $5.00. It's usually either chicken and rice or macaroni and cheese and also comes with an applesauce and a kids drink.
5. Bring a Towel or Thin Blanket. I have one of those kids who hates the sun in her face, especially when she's sleeping so I always make sure that I have a towel or blanket to throw over the sunshade of her stroller to give her extra shade. It always helps her take a longer nap, and has come in handy during impromptu visits to the puddle park in A Bug's Land!
6. Bring a Wrap or Carrier. Before she got too big, I used to love to wear Baylee around Disneyland. (So did Brian!) It gave her a chance to see all the sights from higher up, and is perfect for those long lines. Also, there were quite a few times when Baylee would knock out in her carrier, so Brian and I would park the stroller and use it as a perfect time to shop on Main Street.
7. Download the Disneyland App. About a month ago Disney launched a new app, and it's super awesome and useful. It gives you all the wait times for rides and restaurants, tells you where you can find your favorite characters, and you can even load your annual pass on to it so you're not having to fumble through your bag trying to find your pass when you go from park to park. This information becomes invaluable with you have a baby with you, and...it's free!
8. Find Our Favorite Places! When your baby is tiny, you can pretty much go anywhere you want and they will be entertained, but now that I have a hyper toddler, we have had to find some places where she can get out of the stroller and blow off some steam! We love the Disney Junior show in California Adventure. She watches the Disney Channel almost every morning, so she recognizes the characters and loves to dance and point to everything. Also, now that she's a walker, I let her run around the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. If you take your little, you have to be careful they don't get trampled by the bigger kids, but Baylee loves it. In Disneyland, we love to go on the Mark Twain Riverboat. On the second level, there is a huge stage area where she can toddle around and be her silly self. We also love the Thunder Mountain Ranch where Baylee can pet her beloved goats "doooogs", and are so sad that it will be closing in January! Make sure you check it out before it's gone forever...we will be having many visits between now and then.
This girl and Disney are already like PB&J...and I wouldn't have it any other way! Let me know if you have any other tips to add or any questions I can answer! :)
Until next time! XoXoXo
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