Disneyland with a Baby

Disneyland can strike fear into the hearts of parents with babies.

What will happen to their schedule?

How much food should I bring each day?

Are they going to be able to get any sleep?

Are they going to be scared of the characters?

What about the long lines?

What will the weather be like - will one sweatshirt be enough or too much?

Will they be scared of the fireworks? Parades? Shows? 
What rides can they go on?
What rides will they actually enjoy? 

We spent 3 days in the parks (March 12-14) with the T family (thanks Mom and Dad!). 

With J being 10 months old, I was concerns.

Especially because he is so wiggly and independent.

But, we survived.

Not only did we survive, we all had an awesome time!
Disneyland with a baby is not only do-able, it's totally a blast!

And here's what we learned.

The child care rooms at Disneyland and California Adventure are awesome!
At Disneyland, the Child Care Center is located at the end Main Street right next to the First Aid Center.  At California Adventure, the Child Care Center is located on the Pacific Wharf right next to the Bakery Tour.  The centers are staffed with the kindest cast members!  Not only that, but they are a quiet, clean place to change diapers, feed your kid (there are high chairs and a private room for nursing or pumping), or take a break.  And, if you happened to forget anything, these centers are well stocked - diapers, wipes, baby powder, baby lotion, baby food, formula, bottles, pacifiers, everything.  Sure, they're a little pricier than what you'd bay at Target, but not outrageous.  And super helpful.  We used the center at California Adventure more often, but both are great. 

There are so many rides without height requirements!
In Disneyland, there are no height requirements for: Casey Jr., Dumbo, the Carousel, Tarzan's Tree House, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Pooh Bear's Adventure, the Monorail, Disneyland Railroad, Buzz Lightyear, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Astro Orbiter, Peter Pan, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Rodger Rabbit, Small World, and the Teacups.
In California Adventure, there are no height requirements for: Little Mermaid, Golden Zephyr, the Ferris Wheel, Monsters Inc.,  the Animation Studio, Toy Story Mania, Flik's Flyers, Heimlich's Chew Chew Train, King Triton's Carousel, and Francis' Ladybug Boogie.
There are also tons of shows - Muppet's 3D, It's Tough to Be A Bug, Aladdin, Billy Hill and the Hillbilly's, etc.

J loved: Small World, Casey Jr., Dumbo, the Carousel, Jungle Cruise, the Monorail, Buzz Lightyear, Peter Pan, the Ferris Wheel, Monsters Inc., Turtle Talk with Crush, Flik's Flyers, Heimlich's Chew Chew Train, Billy Hill and the Hillbilly's and the Teacups.
J did not enjoy: the Haunted Mansion, Pooh Bear's Adventure, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Little Mermaid, Muppet's 3D, or Rodger Rabbit (loud, dark, spinning cars in the dark, etc.)
We didn't try: Pirates of the Caribbean, Astro Orbiter, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Golden Zephyr, It's Tough to Be A Bug, Aladdin, or Francis' Ladybug Boogie.

A jogging stroller works better than a non-jogging stroller.
With the curbs in both parks, it's so much easier to use a jogging stroller than a non-jogging one.  Our jogger has more storage underneath as well, which was super helpful.

Take advantage of the stroller passes!
Disneyland and California Adventure have this awesome system set up for parents whose kids are too small to ride the rides.  The stroller pass allows 2 people to go through the Fast Pass line and ride the ride quickly so the family can all experience the ride and not have to wait in long lines twice.  When you go to get in line, ask the cast member for a stroller pass.  They will give you a card to give to the cast member at the front of the line.  The cast member at the front of the line will give you a stroller pass for whoever is watching the kid in the stroller to use.  The stroller pass rocks!

Bring something to cover your stroller to help your little sleep at the parks.
We found a beach towel worked best to wrap around the stroller while J slept.  J didn't get too hot because the towel breathed well.

Bring something that lights up for night times at the park.
Glow sticks from the dollar store work well.  Disney also sells various spinning and light-up toys.  We bought one at the park and J loved it - it really helped at night time when it got dark.

Bring lots of baby wipes and hand sanitizer.
I'm not a germaphobe.  Really truly, I'm not one of those moms who stresses about my kid getting into dirt or whatever.  But Disneyland and California Adventure are on a totally different level.  And my kid loves to touch everything.

Have layers and extra clothes on hand.
It is cool in the morning and at night, but during the day it warmed up quite a bit.  Layers helped J stay comfortable and happy regardless of the weather - we did a onesie underneath a t-shirt and jeans and then a zip up hoodie.  While we were there, the mornings and evenings were in the 50's and the afternoons were in the 80's.  We also needed a change of clothes one of the three days.

Hydrate!
Seems kind of like a no brainer, but your kid's eating and sleeping schedule is going to be all messed up while you're in the parks, so keep extra formula and bottles on hand (especially if it's warm!).  And your baby will need more fluids if your outside in the heat all day.  We gave J bottles frequently - juice, water, formula.  He didn't always drink it all, but we figured a little bit of fluids quite often was better than a few ounces every few hours.

 
Don't worry about taking it slow.
Disney with a baby is a much slower experience than with older kids or just adults.  Let your kid dictate your speed.  Pay attention to when they need a break from stimulation.  Pay attention to how they react to certain rides.  Don't be afraid to sit and people watch for a while or ride the monorail back and forth.  Don't worry about spending 2 hours in the Animation Studio to let your kid crawl around and watch the big televisions.  Sure, you might not get to ride California Screamin' 8 times, and maybe you'll have to ride Small World 5 times, but you will have a happy baby, which makes everyone happy. 

Enjoy the experience.
It's not about the thrill of the rides or the stuff.  Your baby doesn't care about the souvenirs or toys.
It's more about seeing the excitement in your baby's eyes as they enjoy meeting a character or ride a fun ride or watch a fun show.  Your baby might not remember the experience, but you'll remember the laughter and the fun of seeing your baby so happy.