The Ultimate Guide to Bringing Your Baby to Disney World

Dining

Walt Disney World offers fantastic dining, but enjoying a “nice” meal with an infant can be tough.  Try to time meals (especially table service ones) during Baby’s naps.  If you’re using Rider Switch for an attraction, this is also a great time for the waiting party to grab a snack or meal at a counter service location.  Plan sit down dinners after Baby’s bedtime (let them nap in the stroller) or give them a feeding just before you eat (a full tummy kept our son calm during every meal we went to). Keep toys handy for distractions (souvenir glow cubs work well for this too).

High chairs are available at nearly all dining locations.  You can also find booster seats.  At counter service spots they are first come-first served, but there are usually an abundance.  Make sure to include your child in the total count when making Advanced Dining Reservation(s).  When you check-in for your meal, the host(ess) will ask if you need a high chair/booster seat.  If your baby is too young for a high chair, you can bring your stroller in with you to most restaurants.  This worked out best for us because it our son was most comfortable in his own seat and could sleep easily.  It did occasionally mean waiting a few extra moments for a table arrangement that could fit the stroller.  There were also a few times we took his infant seat out and put it in a booth with us.

One great thing about Disney World is that even the best restaurants are kid-friendly.  This means you don’t have to feel awkward about bringing small children along, especially to meals in the parks. We have enjoyed meals at Boma, Hollywood Brown Derby, Le Cellier, and Skipper’s Canteen.  In fact, the only restaurant where young children are not allowed is Victoria & Albert’s.  We found that Cast Members were very patient with us when we needed to take a moment to calm a fussy baby, as were other guests who had been through that phase before.

Character meals are great for the whole family.  We ate at Cinderella’s Royal Table and have several adorable photos of our son with the princesses.  I think they loved interacting with him too!  I have heard a few stories of little ones being apprehensive of characters such as Mickey or Goofy, so if this is a concern I’d test it out with a meet & greet or plan a meal with “face characters” instead.  In our case, our son loved Mickey!

One last note if you’re using the Disney Dining Plan: children under 3 are not eligible for the dining plan and don’t get credits to use.  You have a few options if you want to order food for your little one: pay out of pocket for a kid’s meal, share food from your plate, or dine at a buffet.  Buffets offer great value as they are all-you-can-eat and allow you to provide a separate plate for a toddler.  In addition, many character meals are buffets!

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