Taking your baby to Disney is a rite of passage for many parents, and is certainly an exciting vacation for everyone involved! While it can be intimidating to travel with a baby to Disney parks, it’s totally doable, especially since Disney is so family-friendly!

Our son traveled with us to Walt Disney World from southern California for his first visit when he was about 6 months old. We went again when he was about a year old, and again right before he turned two. In addition to visiting Walt Disney World, he took flights to Utah, Texas, and northern California before he turned 1! Here, I’ll be breaking down some tips along with items we’ve found handy when traveling with our little one!

Flying Pointers & What to Bring

TSA/FAA/Airline Requirements

TSA does not require ID for travelers under the age of 18! However, airlines may check a child’s birth certificate to verify that they are under 2 years old, as passengers under the age of 2 fly free as a lap-sitter. We have been asked many times for our child’s birth certificate. We keep it in an envelope in a secure section of one of our carryon items. Some airlines seem to not care, but it’s probably best to have it on hand just in case.

You have two ticketing options for flying with a child under 2. First, they can fly for free as a lap infant! Check with the individual airline for how to book this – for some you can add this online, for others you need to call customer service. Your second option is to book them a seat. Keep in mind if you do decide to book them their own seat, they must be in an FAA-approved child safety restraint system. Check out the FAA’s website here for further info! Children 2+ must have their own seat, but do not need to be in an FAA-approved child safety restraint system.

What to Bring

First of all, you know your baby best. Adapt this list as necessary! Also, I consider ourselves baby minimalists – we don’t carry a lot of extra “fluff” when we travel. We don’t bring anything of sentimental value, in case it gets lost or damaged. Check out what we typically bring!

Carryon Luggage

• 3 baby outfits: 1 to wear, 2 in case of spit-up/diaper leaks etc. Always bring baby socks even if they don’t wear socks at home. Planes are cold! I typically have baby wear a onesie, a pair of pants, and socks. Don’t forget bibs! Just like adults, layering is key.
• 1 extra shirt for each parent
• 1 or 2 blankets: this depends on how mobile baby is. If baby is crawling, we bring a 2nd blanket, which goes on the floor of the airport so they can get the wiggles out before we board. We make sure this blanket has a different pattern on one side so we know which side has been touching the airport floor. The other blanket is for them to be wrapped in, like a muslin blanket.
• 2-3 toys/books/teethers: again, this depends on how old baby is. If they aren’t into toys yet at home, you probably don’t need much for the plane; perhaps just a teether or high contrast book will do. For an older baby, I bring one tried & true favorite from home plus one or two brand new toys. When our son was old enough for a more exciting toy, we brought his tablet with toddler-friendly games, and we accessed Disney+ on our phones for his favorite movies and shows. There is no limit to screen time on the plane – whatever keeps him quiet and happy.
• Changing pad, diapers & wipes: our rule of thumb is one diaper for each hour of travel, plus a couple extra. We also bring one brand new packet of wipes.
• Sassy bags: these are scented bags to put dirty diapers in (think like doggy bags!). Your fellow passengers will thank you.
• Pacifier: even if baby doesn’t typically take a pacifier, it’s a good idea to have on hand – the sucking motion helps their ears adjust during takeoff! Tip: attach it to baby’s clothes so you don’t lose track of it.
• Feeding supplies: our babies are formula-fed, so our list is different than what you’ll need if nursing. We bring 3-4 bottles, already filled with powder formula. We also bring several small formula containers pre-portioned out with the right amount of scoops per bottle. Liquids and powders are exempt from normal TSA regulations if flying with an infant or toddler, but may be subject to additional screening. More details on the TSA website here! When we fly with our son now that he’s older, we bring all sorts of snacks – grapes, apples, cheerios, puffs, applesauce pouches, a bagel, crackers, etc.
• Travel documents, medication, wallet, phone, car keys – parent stuff!

We pack these items into 2 backpacks & a bottle bag. In one backpack we have travel documents, medications, wallets, phones, keys, diapers, wipes, Sassy bags, changing pad, extra clothes, & 1 blanket. These are the things we don’t anticipate pulling out too much once we’re in the air. In the second backpack, we have feeding supplies, toys/books, & the other blanket. The bottle bag has a clip so we can attach it to either one of the backpacks. We shove a small bib into the bottle bag for easy access.

To be honest, when we fly with our kid(s), we don’t bring entertainment for ourselves beyond a pair of earbuds. As adults, we can tolerate being bored on an airplane for a few hours, and would prefer to save the room in our carry-on bags for baby/toddler items, whose tolerances and needs are different than ours.

Checked Bags

In our checked bags, we bring the following baby items:

• One outfit for each day of stay, plus 3-4 additional outfits: the only time we don’t bring extra outfits is if we are staying in a room that has a washer/dryer.
• Bathing suit, swim diapers
• Sunscreen, hat
• PJs
• Shoes
• Stroller fan
• Rain cover for stroller, unless it is provided by stroller rental company
• Extra diapers & wipes
• Portable sound machine
• Unopened formula container: trust me you do NOT want to bring one that’s already open – picture powdered formula everywhere in your luggage!
• Puree pouches, puffs, snacks: these are for older babies/toddlers.
• Microwave sterilizer bags: we use these in the baby care centers and our hotel room to sterilize bottles.
• Pack n play/crib sheet: Disney provides new, clean sheets for their cribs & pack n plays, but we feel more comfortable bringing our own.

Car Seat? Stroller? Carrier?

If you’re traveling with a car seat or stroller, you have some options when you get to the airport! Car seats and strollers can be checked with the rest of your luggage for no additional fee. Depending on the airline and/or airport, your checked car seat & stroller may end up in the “oversize luggage” area when you pick it up. Double check with airline staff for details.

Your other option is to gate check these items. This will allow you to use your stroller through security and in the terminal before you board. You’d then pick it up right at the gate when you get off the plane. If you have a connecting flight, they can either transfer it for you or you can pick it up after your first flight, and gate check it again for your second. Again, ask airline staff for details.

Typically what we do is check our stroller and/or car seat before security, and use a baby carrier. We like to have our hands as free as possible, and kiddo likes being up high in the carrier. If you choose to babywear on board, baby must come out of the carrier during takeoff and landing.

Do I Need to Bring a Car Seat to Disney?

In my honest opinion, no – but it depends on how you’re traveling.

If you’re renting a car, I’d bring my own. Rental car agencies do have car seats available for an additional fee. However, I’ve never felt fully comfortable with this option – you never know if the car seat has been involved in an accident, or if a previous child got sick in it. Also, during peak times, the rental agencies may run out of car seats. We use the Graco 4Ever convertible car seats at home. They are quite cumbersome to carry, so we have a smaller, more portable car seat that we travel with (and it doubles as grandparents’ car seat when they tote the kiddo around!). You can often find these for around $100 at various in-store or online retailers. Ours came from Costco. We have found it a good investment for our kiddo’s safety and our peace of mind.

If you’re using rideshare or taxi services, I would also bring my own car seat, for the same reasons above. Even if these services do have the option to provide car seats, you never know what shape they’re in or what their history is. In Florida, children up to the age of 5 must be in a car seat/booster seat, even in taxis. Uber does have a car seat option in Orlando, but there are limitations for height/weight when it comes to using their car seats. Check out more details on Uber’s website! There is another service in Orlando called Kidmoto, which includes car seats for children under 2 years old, unlike Uber! Check out more info on Kidmoto here!

If you’re taking bus transportation, car seats are not required.

Do I Need to Bring a Stroller to Disney?

You’ll definitely want a stroller for a Disney vacation! Since we travel frequently, we spent about $100 on an umbrella stroller from Walmart. It’s nicer than typical umbrella strollers, but it’s just our travel stroller – so if it gets thrashed by luggage handlers or beat up by rainstorms in theme parks, it’s totally fine by us. Our everyday stroller is rather pricy and we don’t want to risk it getting damaged, so we stick with our travel stroller when we vacation. Some people are comfortable using their everyday stroller for travel purposes, and that’s totally fine too!

Stroller rentals are available from third party companies, many of whom deliver to Disney resorts. Disney partners with ScooterBug to have strollers and other mobility devices delivered to Bell Services at their resorts. Simply book the stroller or mobility device you want, input your travel details, and pick up your rental at your resort. Other third party companies are also an option, and some, like Kingdom Strollers, have pick up & drop off at the airport. If you choose to go through a third party other than ScooterBug, you’ll need to make arrangements to meet that company in-person for pick-up and drop-off, as Disney no longer stores other companies’ rentals with Bell Services. If you choose to rent from a third party, definitely shop around! There are many companies operating in the Orlando area with competitive pricing and perks, offering a variety of stroller sizes and brands.

Your final option for stroller rental is through Disney. You can rent a single or double stroller each day or there is a length-of-stay option where you pay up front for your entire length of stay, allowing guests to save a bit of money compared with starting a new rental each day. The drawback to renting through Disney is that you can’t take these strollers outside the parks, so when it’s time to go home, your child must walk or be carried. In addition, the strollers are made of a hard plastic material with no option to recline and limited storage space. They are probably best for older toddlers or kids in the 5-7 year old range whose feet get tired but may not need a space for a nap.

One thing to keep in mind, regardless of what stroller you bring, is that they will need to be folded when using bus transportation, as well as some forms of boat transportation. The only exception is if the stroller is used as a mobility device for those with disabilities. All strollers can remain open on the Monorail and Skyliner. On the Skyliner, double strollers that sit side-by-side will need to be folded as they won’t fit through the doors, however. In-line strollers fit through the Skyliner doors just fine!

Cribs, Pack n Plays, & Bed Rails

If you’re staying at a Disney resort, Pack n Plays or cribs are complimentary! DVC rooms typically have a Pack n Play in one of the closets. If it’s not there, just call the Front Desk and they’ll send one up! If you’re not staying in a DVC room, you can call your hotel in advance and request a Pack n Play or crib. I highly recommend doing so, as quantities are limited! If the Pack n Play or crib is not in your room when you arrive, simply call the Front Desk to have one delivered. Both Pack n Plays and cribs come with a clean sheet, so you don’t need to worry about bringing your own!

For older children, bed rails are also available complimentary from Disney resorts. I would call and request these in advance, as quantities are limited.

Third party rentals are also an option for these baby items – there are several companies in the Orlando area that offer cribs, pack n plays, and more!