In honor of August being the month of both National Breastfeeding Month and World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7), I’m sharing my experience breastfeeding my five-month-old at Walt Disney World Resort (WDW).
First, I’d like to acknowledge that my experience is my own—breastfeeding is not easy and can at times be tricky when you’re outside the comfort of your own home. I’m an extrovert who doesn’t pay attention to what other people think when it comes to feeding my kids in public. If they’re hungry I need to find a way to feed them milk or a snack. Finding a space where you and your child feel secure, comfortable, and not judged varies for everyone. Read here for more tips on nursing in public or while traveling.
I’m also a huge theme park nerd and worked at a Six Flags theme park during high school, a theme park similar to Disney World. Thanks to my frequent exposure to theme parks and my personality, I am very comfortable in these spaces. Please keep this in mind as you read my suggestions on how to nurse your infant at Walt Disney World below.
Walt Disney World is located on the stolen lands of the Seminole, Miccosukee, and Mascogo people.
How to Nurse your Infant at Walt Disney World:
1. Pack Nurse-Friendly Items
Kissimmee is hot and humid, so when packing your baby bag, make sure to bring a multi-purpose, lightweight, breathable cover. Not only will this help you feel comfortable or to stay within a park’s dress code while feeding your baby, but it can also serve as a shade for your stroller and a blanket in the evenings or on plane/car rides. I typically use one of the larger, lightweight wraps I picked up on my pre-baby travels.
Check out BBA’s list of recommended nursing-friendly covers, clothes, and other items to help make chestfeeding easier while traveling here.
Also, consider bringing a soft-sided cooler to store bottles of milk if you plan on having someone else feed your baby. Read here for more information on cooler rules.
2. Nurse While you Wait—How to Feed Baby In Line for a Ride
Queues are part of the theme park experience, and while parks have done tons of research to make them as efficient as possible, sometimes you just have no other option than to queue for an hour with the family.
Why not eat while you wait? For older kids you can have smaller snacks and bottled water on hand, but for babies, how do you feed them?
I breastfed my five-month-old in the queues. Breastfeeding in-line for a ride allowed me to spend time in-line with my family even when baby needed to eat.
At the time of our visit to Walt Disney World, my baby was light enough that I was able to carry her and utilize my cover while feeding her standing. If I found a prop that was chair-height, I would take the opportunity to sit.
I didn’t feel like anyone was judging me or staring at my choice to feed my kid, so I was comfortable.
Some caregivers may have bags of milk ready, but some babies would prefer warmed milk, so you need to figure that out too (see tip #4).
3. Nurse on the Ride
Yup. I even nursed my five-month-old while we were on rides such as Frozen Ever After, Gran Fiesta Tour, Journey Into Imagination With Figment, Living with the Land, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, The Seas with Nemo & Friends, and Spaceship Earth. These rides did not have height requirements and allowed infants to ride on their caregiver’s lap. Click here for a full list of rides and their height requirements.
My infant was not latched when I boarded the rides.
Once the ride had begun, I would make sure we were following any proper restraint system before breastfeeding her with my cover.
Nursing in line and on the rides allowed me to feed on-demand, and keep my baby happy and calm. A happy baby = a happy mama!
4. Make use of Disney Baby Care Centers
I want to highlight that Disney has Baby Care Centers at their parks. They’re generally close to the park entrances, so they’re not the most accessible depending on where you are at the park, but they are excellent resources. If you need a clean, quiet place to cool off and take care of your little ones, it’s worth a stop.
Sure, I said you can breastfeed anywhere you feel comfortable, but the Baby Care Center had loungers in a quiet room, phone charging outlets, high chairs, changing room with tables kept meticulously clean after each use, a kitchen with a sink & microwave, and a shop with any baby/toddler necessity you might need: formula, baby food, OTC medication, and diapers.
It’s not just for babies and toddlers—it’s great for any child that needs a break from the overstimulating experience that Disney can be for some.
The only Baby Care Center I visited was at Magic Kingdom and the lead cast member was so great with all the kids. I stopped in right before a thunderstorm began to downpour. After I was done feeding my child, the cast member recommended that I stay inside for the time being to wait out the storm. They were also able to keep the kids in the center entertained with games and offered stickers for prizes. I was impressed and definitely made sure to enter positive feedback for them in the Disney World app.
5. Wear Nursing-Friendly Clothes
Nursing at Disney Parks (or anywhere, for that matter!) is easier to do when you have the right gear on. It is much easier to access your chest in-line for a ride or while riding a ride if you’re wearing nursing-friendly clothing.
I also want to look cute at Disney, so I made sure to wear a nursing-friendly shirt under my Disney-wear.
Read the BBA blog here for our favorite nursing-friendly clothing options.
6. Don't Forget to Take Care of Yourself!
The nursing parent needs to have their needs met in order to support the needs of their little one.
Don’t forget to take care of yourself, too!
Drink a lot of water. Take breaks. If you don’t want to nurse in line, go find somewhere you want to nurse! Feel free to demand what will work for both you and your kiddo.
As much work and effort as it was, we decided to go to WDW as an extended family because my parents wanted to experience the parks with their grandchildren. I wouldn’t mind traveling to another theme park again with an infant as a breastfeeding mom, as long as I had the extra help. Taking a baby under one is not ideal, even with free admission, and breastfeeding can be a challenge but it is doable.
Here’s to more magical memories and Happy National Breastfeeding Month and World Breastfeeding Week!
Adrienne S
Adrienne is your friendly neighborhood Leo, born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s always looking for fun: new food & drink spots, an excuse to dress up, and supporting all sorts of arts (both performing and visual). She’s learning how to introduce her kids to these experiences so they can enjoy these together. Reach out to her on IG: @eydreeehn
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