Disneyland with a Baby

Updated August 2023

I love going to Disneyland and California Adventure with my kids, even my babies. I have some tips to help you prepare for your Disneyland trip with a baby, and hopefully it goes smoothly (as smoothly as anything can go with an unpredictable baby, at least). I took my first baby to Disneyland when she was 6 months old, my second baby at 9 months old, and my third to Disneyland at only 8 weeks (I wanted to catch Christmas season at Disneyland because it’s my favorite, and this was my easiest birth/recovery of the three). Definitely follow your gut and comfort level for when would be a good time for your family to go, but it doesn’t have to be super stressful, and having a baby shouldn’t be a reason to not go – Disneyland is very baby-friendly! Here are some tips and tricks to make going to Disneyland with your baby easier:

Keep loose plans:

My number one tip is to keep loose plans and to be flexible. Every baby and every day is different so don’t have too many things on your “must-do” list. Happy baby is a happy mommy so do what baby needs. I knew I wanted a picture of her with Mickey, with Minnie, and with Pooh Bear that first trip to Disneyland, and everything else was just a bonus. We didn’t even ride anything that first trip, and I had a blast showing her around my favorite place in the world. We try to keep expectations low every time we go, with one picture idea, ride to do, or food to try, so nobody goes home disappointed. We go with the flow and use the Disneyland app to keep an eye on wait times, follow baby’s cues for naptimes or time to go home, and when to eat. There are also places to get down and walk around or play. Even people watching is entertaining – there’s so many colors and always things going on for babies to watch.

Babies get into Disneyland for free!

One of the best things about taking a baby to Disneyland (beside the obvious magic) is that babies and toddlers are free until they’re three years old! You don’t have to take any proof with you, but if your child looks close to 3 they will ask you how old they are when you scan your ticket at the entry gate. This also means you do not need to make park reservations for them. An additional perk to this is that you do not have to buy them Genie+ either, if that’s something that your party has chosen to do for your trip. Since they don’t have a ticket, they don’t need Genie+ and can just join you in the Lightning Lane for free! (side note: if you are making dining reservations, you should include babies in those head counts)

Baby Care Centers

There is a baby care center in Disneyland at the end of Main Street by the Little Red Wagon, and one in California Adventure by Ghiradellis in San Fransokyo Square. They each have chairs in private rooms for nursing, outlets for pumping, changing tables, toddler potties, high chairs, a microwave, and even a vending machine full of baby necessities. The cast members are super nice and it is a very calm, quiet, air-conditioned environment (but small, so there is sometimes a line and you have to leave your stroller outside).

Download the Disneyland app

Download the official Disneyland app and you can see wait times for rides, where and when characters are available for pictures, show and parade times, and even mobile order food (this saves so much time waiting in line to order food). There is also a map so you can find your way around, and it holds your ticket barcodes.

Carrier/Stroller:

We take a stroller and baby carrier with us to the parks. My first did not like the baby carrier, so she napped in the stroller (see my post here if you need ideas of quiet places to walk around for naps). Both my boys napped better in the baby carrier when they were little, and it’s helpful in the lines to have them in the carrier so your hands and arms are free. I definitely recommend bringing a stroller, though, so your body gets a rest, and then it can hold all the stuff. You do have to fold the stroller to ride the tram or bus shuttle. Note that wagons are ONLY allowed for medical reasons, and are otherwise turned away at security. Your stroller also has to fit within the 31″ by 52″ dimensions but most single and double strollers fit within those.

What We Packed: 

I’m now pretty minimal when we go: for the baby I take a nursing cover or formula and bottle, snacks, a cute outfit for pictures, an extra outfit, a baby carrier, diapers and wipes, sunscreen/hat, jacket for baby, extra bib, and a sleeper in the car if it’s bedtime by the time we leave. I also wrote a more in-depth post specifically about my Disneyland diaper bag.

Lockers:

There are lockers that you can rent for the day if you feel like you have to much to carry around (for instance, if it’s cold weather and everyone has a jacket). There are different sizes available for different prices, and they are located outside of the entrance to Disneyland Park, inside on Main St., and inside California Adventure on Buena Vista St.

Pictures!

Make sure you get family pictures to remember the special day with, and not just pictures of your baby (normally I have tons of pictures of her but only a few of us as a family). Feel free to ask someone to take a picture of your family, and then offer to take one for them! There are also official Disney photopass photographers around the park. They will take pictures on your phone for you, and also ones on their professional cameras that you can buy (it’s included in Genie+). S0metimes there are lines for these photographers in iconic spots (such as in front of the castle) but in some spots there aren’t. You can find and download your photopass pictures on the Disneyland app.

Resting Places:

There are lots of places to rest at Disneyland, including shows to watch but one of my favorite relaxing air conditioned places is the Art of Animation in California Adventure (no strollers inside though). It plays music and scenes from different movies and has couches to sit on, as well as different attractions inside that building. I have a whole post that covers restful places at Disneyland here.

Get a free “First Visit” Button!

They are available at City Hall/guest services and if you get them in the beginning of your trip then baby can wear it for all the pictures.

If you need help planning your Disneyland trip, I can help! I have created a free spreadsheet in Google Sheets to help my email subscribers maximize their magical trip to Disneyland. Once you become an email subscriber (use the handy box on the right), you will receive an email with a link to my resource library with various Disneyland resources, including my PDF of tips, downloadable Google planning sheets, Disneyland scavenger hunts, and more! For a sneak peek and more info on my planning sheets, click here. You may also be interested in my posts on taking a toddler to Disneyland, packing a diaper bag for Disneyland, or my other Disneyland posts.