By McKenzie Choate
If you are debating on taking a Disney trip due to having a little one to tend to, or because you are afraid to leave an infant behind if you are breastfeeding, this is the blog for you! I am here to tell you about Disney’s little hidden oases known as their Baby Care Centers. These hideaways are a perfect place to go nurse your baby, rock your little one for a nap, change dirty diapers, pump…really anything you need to do to tend to your little one!
I recently went on my first trip since having a baby, and it was my first time leaving her. For the two days I was in the parks, this was my first time exclusively pumping and I was worried about how it would go. Thankfully, these baby care centers were my saving grace! There is one located in each of the four parks, and are tucked away in a quieter spot in the parks away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds. They are open during normal park hours and are completely free to use, not to mention some of the cleanest places within the parks!
Where are these Baby Care Centers located?
*Each of the Baby Care Centers are located right next to each First Aid center in the Disney parks.
Magic Kingdom: Walk to the end of Main Street USA and turn left towards Casey’s Corner. It will be located between Casey’s Corner and The Crystal Palace.
Hollywood Studios: Take an immediate left as soon as you get through the entrance of the park, you will find this one in the same building as Guest Relations. If you get to the Mickey’s of Hollywood store, you’ve gone too far.
Epcot: Located at the side of the Odyssey building, as you come out of the Mexico Pavilion, take the pathway up to the Odyssey building and you will find it nestled back to the right.
Animal Kingdom: Go to the left of the Tree of Life and you can find it located right past Pizzafari.
What can I find in the Baby Care Centers?
● an open space with tables, chairs, and a TV playing Disney movies. This area can be used for your little one to decompress for a bit and get out of the heat, or for other family members to wait while mama and baby go in the nursing room. This is also a great area for children who might get overstimulated and can come to relax and color or watch a movie for a bit!
● Separate private rooms and spaces for nursing and pumping mothers. These private areas have rocking chairs, lots of outlets for your breast pump and cell phone chargers, side tables, and lower lighting if you need space to rock your child to sleep.
● Feeding area with tables and high chairs
● Kitchen area complete with microwaves, bottle warmers, sinks, and water dispensers for hot or cold water.
● Changing area with several changing tables
● Companion bathrooms complete with smaller sized toilets for your little prince or princess.
● Items for sale including: diapers, Pull-Ups, wipes, baby food, infant snacks, formula, juice, pacifiers, baby lotion, diaper ointment, adult comfort items (deodorant, feminine
hygiene supplies, over the counter medications, sunscreen), basic infant clothing in case of accidents, sippy cups, bottles, Purell, Pedialyte, and children formulations of standard over the counter medications.
● Friendly cast members (typically just one, sometimes two) that are available if you need a helping hand.
● AIR CONDITIONING!
Any differences between the Baby Care Centers?
I will say that the Animal Kingdom center was my favorite, and by far the largest and most spacious out of the four.
Secondly would be Epcot, which was still a great size for any accomodation and still had plenty of space.
Thirdly would be Magic Kingdom, which happened to be the prettiest in my opinion as it looked more like a nursery with a really cute Alice In Wonderland theme!
At the bottom of my list would be Hollywood Studios, it almost seemed as though this was a last thought, because it is found in Guest Relations. When I went, the Guest Relations was VERY BUSY. This made it harder to get in and out of the Baby Care Center, and made it not as quiet of a space. Not to mention that this one was TINY!! Almost as if they just used up the back storage space that they had rather than building somewhere else. I couldn’t really complain though since it is still a private accomodation for mothers and infants, but definitely my least favorite of the four. Note: There is also none of the baby products in this center that you can purchase since there is no room to put them. You will have to go next door to the gift shop and ask for baby supplies for purchase.
TIP FOR PUMPING MOTHERS:
As I mentioned above, this was my first time leaving my 9 month old, so I was having to exclusively pump. I had my pump backpack with me and fully expected to carry it throughout the day in the parks rather than taking my usual Loungefly backpack. When going through security, I was told that the pump bags could be held at First Aid! Keep in mind they unfortunately cannot store breastmilk. Because of this, I either had to give my milk to another mother that could use it, or dump it and then clean my parts in the sinks located in the kitchen areas. I immediately went to First Aid (located right next door to each Baby Care Center, SUPER CONVENIENT!) and asked them about holding my pump bag. They had me fill out a form that I would keep with my bag from day to day and park to park. With this form, I was able to just drop off and pick up my pump any time I needed. Note: If you happen to lose this form or throw it away, no worries!
They will just make you fill out a new one, so it is not a big deal.
Lost Children:
If a child is separated from their parents while in one of Disney’s parks, a cast member will escort the child to the Baby Care Center. Here they’ll be cared for until the parent(s) comes to claim their missing child.
I have also shared some walk through videos below so you can get an idea of what accommodations these Baby Care Centers provide!
Baby Care Centers Walk Through Tiktok
Additional Information:
MCO Airport has a Mamava Suite available for pumping and breastfeeding mothers! It is nice to see these special accommodations available for us new moms!
I hope this has helped you come to the conclusion that with these hidden gems available, it is DEFINITELY doable to go to the Disney parks with little ones! Not only do you get to see the true magic in their eyes, you get the peace of mind knowing you have somewhere to go as a little getaway when needed.
If you have any further questions or would like my help in booking your next trip, please reach out to me on social media McKenzie With Straight Away Travel or via email [email protected] or complete the form below and mention my name.
