We know that a lot of parents want their kids to experience the magic of Disney World, sometimes as soon as possible!

Some parents choose to bring their baby to Disney right after they’re born (hey, they get free admission til age three, right?) Newborns need a BUNCH of stuff on a daily basis, and even more when you bring them to Disney World, so we’re here to help you figure out what to bring. Let’s take a look at everything you’ll need for your newborn in Disney World!

Packing List:

For the heat:

It is HOT in Disney World many days out of the year, and since newborns have a hard time regulating their own body temperatures, there’s a few items you want to make sure you have while going around the parks!

• A sun shade or weather cover
  • For your stroller, to keep your baby in the shade
• Sunscreen (sunscreen powder works REALLY well for delicate babies with no need to slather them in greasy Coppertone each day!)
• UV protection clothing
• A hat or visor 
  • Got to keep their face out of the sun! 
• A clip-on fan for your stroller
  •  These will help cool your newborn down in that hot Florida sun. This was the BIGGEST recommendation we’d make if you plan to take a small child to Disney World.
  • Also bring Batteries for the clip on fans! You don’t want your fan to die on a warm day.

For the bathroom:

• Diapers
  • Bring the GOOD ones you usually use, this is not the time to try a new brand in case they don’t work out! (FYI the Baby Care Centers at Disney World stock Huggies brand.)
  • Bring MORE than you think you’ll need!
  • You can also ship diapers (and other supplies) to the hotel so you don’t have to travel with it, but these days we highly recommend using a grocery delivery service like Instacart or Amazon to deliver the diapers to your hotel!
  • However, still bring enough diapers to last at least two days in case something goes wrong with the delivery!
  • Don’t forget swim diapers if you plan to take your new bundle of joy in the pool with you!
• Baby wipes you use regularly
  • Pack extra. LOTS extra. Trust us, you’ll use em.
• A changing pad
  • If you’re OK with just putting baby on the changing tables in the restrooms, go for it. If you prefer something padded or cleaner, bring a foldable changing pad of your own to lay down.
•  Creams, lotions, or soaps you use regularly 
  • We don’t want your baby to have a reaction to a soap or lotion it’s not used to!
  • Even if your baby doesn’t often need diaper cream, we recommend keeping a tube of your preferred brand handy. Heat+moist conditions=rashes. Be prepared to help baby’s tender areas.

For feeding:

• Formula (if you use it)
  • Formula singles may be easier to travel around the parks with
  • Depending on the brand you use, you can also have pre-mixed bottles of formula delivered to your hotel. These are more expensive, but they can be super useful since they’re so convenient!
• Bottles
  • Also bring bottle cleaning supplies
  • Some supplies we’ve found useful include a camp sink to put into the bathroom sinks, baby dishwashing soap, a bottle brush, and a drying rack.
• Other nursing supplies
  • If you’re a mom who pumps, you’re need to bring a portable breast pump, pumping supplies and bottles, and cleaning supplies. (We preferred a manual pump over a bulky electric one for use on the go)
  • Breastfeeding covers. (Disney is typically a billion degrees and humid, so we preferred thin muslin blankets for this)

For wearing:

• Extra clothing 
  • Bring more than you think you’ll need, you never know what could go wrong!
  • Storage bags for dirty clothes/whatever else you may need to store can also come in handy
•  Your own laundry detergent
  • If you need to wash clothes, that way you know your newborn won’t have a reaction to a new detergent. (FYI, your baby wash you’re packing to wash baby doubles as a great mild detergent on the go!)
  • It could also make sense to book accommodations with laundry facilities in your room if possible, it will make things MUCH easier if you need to do a load of wash! Many Disney Vacation Club rooms typically offer an in-room washer/dryer. All standard Disney hotels offer laundry room options, if needed.
•  Blankets
  • Light blankets like muslin blankets are useful to help babies regulate their body temps and keep sun off.
  • Blankets can also be used for breastfeeding, as mentioned above.

For medical needs (better safe than sorry!):

• Thermometer
  • Just in case you need to make sure your baby is feeling healthy! Babies can get sick on the drop of a hat, so be prepared.
• Medicine
  • Any over the counter medicine you usually use
  • Kid-friendly medicine (and dosing syringes too! Most pharmacies will give you a few for free if you ask!)
  • Any medications your baby is taking

For transporting:

• Stroller
  • Bring your own stroller or rent a good one from a company around Disney World. In this instance, we don’t recommend Disney World’s strollers that you can rent. Those strollers are better for bigger kids, not newborns that need more support.
• Baby carriers / front carriers or wraps
  • A stroller baby loves at home might not work at Disney, so have a backup method for carrying your newborn around! Keep in mind, body carriers can get you (and baby) incredibly hot in the heat, so be mindful of that.
• Stroller identifier 
  • Don’t let your stroller get lost in the sea of strollers when you park it somewhere!
  • You can use tags or even battery-powered small string lights to attach to your stroller to make it easy to spot, because a lot of strollers look alike.
• Extra stroller caddies
  • Great for holding everyone’s drink cups and extra storage! (We MISS this convenience once our kids outgrew stroller age!)
• Stroller rain cover
  • It rains regularly in Disney World, so you’ll want to be able to keep your baby dry!
•  All-purpose stroller backpack
  • This is no time for clunky diaper bags! Bonus, when baby gets bigger, these still make fantastic park bags for a family!
• Over the door/hanging organizer
  • Great way to keep stuff sorted in your hotel room
  • You don’t want to be rummaging around in a suitcase when you need something quickly 
  • There is a lot of stuff you’ll need, so it’s better to keep it organized

For keeping baby happy:

• Pacifier (if your baby takes one)
  • A clip or attachment so your baby doesn’t drop the pacifier
  • But even with the clip, bring EXTRA pacifiers, because they WILL inevitably fall on the ground!

• Bubbles
  • Great distractions for babies and will possibly stop their tears in a pinch! (Keep in mind newborns will likely just sleep, eat, sleep, repeat. Plus, their eyesight is just starting to develop once born, but bubbles are fun if you want a distraction.)
  • Plus, they’re bubbles, who doesn’t love bubbles?

Another thing you should know about is that baby care centers are available in all 4 Disney theme parks and are complimentary! They have private nursing rooms with rocking chairs, changing room with tables and a women’s restroom, a feeding area with highchairs, a kitchen with a microwave and sink, a main room with a television, table and seating, and on-site shop offering basic baby needs in case you forgot something!

You can see their locations on either My Disney Experience, the Disney website, or a good ol fashioned paper map! But you can always ask a Cast Member for help finding them!

Basically what we’re saying is pack ANYTHING you use at home that you think you MIGHT need while on vacation. It’s better to be safe than sorry! This isn’t the trip you’re getting by with packing light. Also, make sure you pack your expectations. A trip with a newborn will NEVER go exactly how you plan for it to, so remain flexible — it will make things so much more enjoyable! Expect lots of pauses for baby naps, feeding, changing, etc. And you *might* want to consider bringing a grandparent or two along to help or maybe allow you to get some alone time! This is your vacation, too!

That is our ultimate packing list if you’re traveling to Disney World with a newborn! Think this is crazy? It gets challenging in a totally different way with many different must-pack items for a toddler! Come to think of it, maybe we should do one on pre-teens, teens, and even your 20-something grown kids too. We hope this helps alleviate some stress while you’re planning your vacation AND while you’re on your vacation! As always, stay tuned to DFB for all the Disney tips and tricks!

Click here to read the lessons we learned the hard way when taking a baby to Disney World!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

Do you have any other suggestions for our list? Let us know in the comments! 

The post The Ultimate Packing List for Newborns in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.