Are you planning a family vacation to the happiest place on Earth? Disneyland should be your go-to destination!

From parades and character meet-and-greets to thrilling rides, there’s something for everybody.

But if you have an infant in tow, it can be tricky navigating which attractions are best suited for that age group. Luckily, we’ve got you covered –From Dumbo The Flying Elephant to King Triton’s Carousel, your infant will be enchanted by all the larger-than-life Disney characters and exciting attractions on offer.

Here is a list of some of the absolutely perfect Disney rides for babies and toddlers!

Book your next magical family adventure through our friends at Get Away Today! They are truly the Disney experts and can make planning your trip a breeze for both Disneyland and Disney World. You can browse their website or call 1-855-GET-AWAY. Make sure you tell them Magical Family Travel Guide sent you or use the code MFTG for $10 off a Southern California

The Best Rides at Disneyland For Infants

Disneyland is such a magical place for young children – even for babies! While they may not understand all the characters and rides they are seeing, it’s a very stimulating experience that they often are mesmerized by.

Many wonder if it’s even worth taking an infant to Disneyland – and we believe with the right planning and expectations, the answer is YES!

While all of the rides at Disneyland are great, there are some that are better suited for infants than others. You should always use your best judgment when it comes to taking your baby on any ride.

But to help you make the decision the following rides do not have height limits and should be fine to ride with infants or toddlers. We have noted some of the louder rides so you can make proper arrangements for those. Always use your best judgment though- you know your child best and what they can handle!

Disneyland Rides for Infants

• Tiki Room
• Winnie the Pooh
• Mad Tea Party (can be loud)
• Tarzan’s Treehouse (walk through only)
• Sleeping Beauty Castle (walk through only)
• Tiki Room
• Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride (can be loud)
• it’s a small world
• Mark Twain Riverboat
• Tom Sawyer Island
• King Arthur Carrousel
• Peter Pan’s Flight (can be loud)
• Pirates of the Caribbean (can be loud and has a drop)
• Haunted Mansion
• Alice in Wonderland
• Casey Jr. Circus Train
• Dumbo
• Pinocchio (can be loud)
• Snow White’s Enchanted Wish (can be loud)
• Storybook Land Canal Boats
• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (can be loud – you will want a baby carrier for this one
• Disneyland Monorail
• Finding Nemo Submarine

Rides for infants at California Adventure

• Monsters Inc.
• Sorcerer’s Workshop
• Turtle Talk with Crush
• Toy Story Mania (we have taken our infant on this, but be aware that you are jerked around a bit. Can be loud)
• Jessie’s Critter Carousel
• Pixar Pal-a-Round (we would opt for a non-moving cart)
• Golden Zephyr
• The Little Mermaid
• Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind
• Web Slingers

Our Favorite Ride for Infants

it’s a small world is perfect for infants because it is slow-moving and has gentle music. We absolutely LOVE this one for all ages, including infants. Our older infants are always so mesmerized Another great ride for infants is Dumbo the Flying Elephant because it goes up high enough to give them a birds eye view of the park without going too fast or too high.

Other tips:

Noise Cancelling Ear Muffs

You may want to consider packing noise-cancellation ear muffs for your baby to wear on some of the rides that may be loud. These can also be really helpful for the fireworks shows. You can find several options on Amazon here.

Baby Carrier

Also, strollers are great but using a baby carrier makes it a lot easier to get around and on and off rides. Some rides require you to take your baby out, but most of the time, you can just let them hang out in the carrier! Check out some of the best baby carriers for Disneyland for our favorite options!

Take breaks

Babies can get worn out easily, even if they aren’t participating as much in the rides and activities. It’s important to stop and rest and also to let them wiggle around and get some energy out.

Stay close by

I’m a big believer in taking a midday break/nap at the hotel, which can be inconvenient if you are staying really far away. I highly recommend staying in a hotel that’s super close to the park. Here is a great article that discusses the best hotels that are ACTUALLY within a reasonable walking distance of the parks. You won’t regret staying at one!

Take Advantage of Rider Switch

Rider switch is an amazing option where you can get a pass (which is now digitally loaded) for rides that aren’t suitable for infants. It allows you (or another member of your party) to wait outside the ride and then go straight to the front of the line after the rest of your party gets off. Usually, they will allow you to take 1-4 others with you!

Keep baby hydrated

Whether you are breast or bottle feeding, or your baby is older and can drink milk – keep them hydrated, especially during the warmer months of the year. It’s very easy to get dehydrated at Disneyland, especially for a small little body. Pack a few bottles of water, formula or milk, and make sure your baby is drinking throughout the day.

Monitor temperature

You also want to make sure your baby doesn’t get too hot or too cold. Dressing them in layers is a great way to go, as you never know when there might be a sudden drop or increase in temperature. Babies can overheat quickly!

Be careful about germs

Disneyland is a pretty germy place. While your baby might not be touching surfaces, you will be, so be careful to practice good hand hygiene. There are so many bad viruses out there, and you don’t want your baby to bring one home!

Do you have any other suggestions for great Disneyland rides for infants? Let us know in the comments below!

More Posts You Might Enjoy:

• 6+ BEST Toddler Shoes for Disney World and Disneyland Vacations
• The Best Disneyland Rides For Pregnant Women + Tips for Success
• The Best Legoland Rides for Toddlers in Florida and California
• 20+ Airplane Snacks for Toddlers + Expert Tips for Success
• The Best Rides for Toddlers at Disney World + Disneyland

The post The Best Disneyland Rides For Infants appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.

Top 10 Tips for Vacationing with a Baby

[thrive_leads id=’30798′]

1) Baby Equipment Rental

We always bring everything with us — pack-and-play, stroller, car seat, etc. However, I have heard that there are companies that rent out baby equipment for a minimal fee. You’ll have to do some Googling beforehand, and I would definitely set up the rental before you get there…but if you are trying to minimize the amount of luggage you bring, this is a great idea.  Here are a few sites that have locations across the United States:

Baby-Equipment-Rental
Baby’s Away

And  if you are staying at a hotel, call ahead and see if they have pack-and-plays or cribs that are available for renting. They are usually in limited supply, so definitely try and reserve one beforehand. Babies and young children may have issues re-adjusting to a new place, so bring along their favorite blankets and stuffed animals to help ease the process.

2) Be mindful of the weather

Before you go out on a nice, long walk, or plan to stay the whole day outside…check the weather. Babies are a very heat-sensitive, and they shouldn’t be in direct sunlight and heat for long periods of time. They can easily dehydrate and overheat.

Don’t try and push the limits — it is not worth it one bit. Make sure to bring sunscreen that is specifically made for babies (we LOVE the Babyganics brand), sun protection hats, and even sunglasses. We found the cutest sunglasses at Target that came with an elastic band. Along with the sunhat, Jack was protected from the blazing sun in South Carolina.

The same thing goes for cold weather — don’t take your baby out in it unprepared. Be sure to bring along coats and hats and extra blankets. Just like babies can overheat easily, they also can get very cold easily as well.

Make sure you lather that sunscreen on liberally and often. We missed a spot on Oliver’s arm, and it was a horrible burn. I felt so bad.

3) Pack light

If you are flying, this is especially important. Those bag limits show no mercy. One thing that we’ve found to be particularly helpful is to just buy diapers when we get to our destination. Diapers can take a surprising amount of space, and we have recently started just buying diapers there, rather than lugging around our big supply. Obviously, bring enough for the car or plane trip, but otherwise — wait until you get there!

And just bring the necessities. It might be tempting to bring all of your baby’s cutest outfits (because, you definitely want everyone to think they are super adorable, right?) but simplicity is easiest, especially if you will be on the go a lot.

I think Petunia Pickle Bottom backpacks are awesome for traveling! I also highly recommend getting the Peke*Buo diaper bag/changing pad. It. Is. Life. Changing.

4) Appropriate clothing

Although weather can change quickly, before you leave, try and check the projected forecast, and pack accordingly. It would really be unfortunate to show up somewhere that is typically warm, only to find out they were having a very late winter, and all you have are shorts and flip flops!

Or you could be visiting a place that is having an unseasonably warm winter, and you’ll be burning up the whole time. If it’s one of those place that the weather can change at the flip of a switch, bring outfits that can easily be layered up or down — such as onesies and a couple of jackets.

Make sure you check the weather on your phone regularly – it can change pretty quickly, so even if you checked the forecast a week before, it may not be the same.

5) Don’t Over-schedule

Before you had a baby, you might have been able to jump from one place to another on vacation and not blink an eye. It’s not so easy with a child on board, so just plan a few activities a day that are moderately spaced apart.

You can always have some ideas in the back of your head, just in case you do end up having extra time, but I think it is better to under-schedule and get to add a few fun activities, rather than be disappointed when you don’t get to do everything you planned.

Babies may need to take a nap, or you might just get more exhausted than you used to! Vacations are a time to relax. Take advantage of the chance to just go with the flow of things.

We took our Ergo Baby carrier to Disneyland with us, and Oliver slept so well in it. He hates sleeping in his stroller or car seat, and we were able to avoid messing up his naps!

6) Be Flexible

This goes hand-in-hand with not over-scheduling. You want to be flexible, and willing to change plans at the last moment. If you are traveling with others who may not have babies or small children, let them know ahead of time that you may not be able to participate in every single activity. If possible, bring along extra transportation so if you do have to leave, others don’t get frustrated or upset because everyone has to.

At the same time, don’t expect everyone to plan every second around you. Try and think ahead about your baby’s schedule – don’t say you’ll go do something right before the baby needs a nap. Bring diapers and wipes with you. Make or buy a nursing cover!

7) Choose appropriate activities

Think about what you can feasibly do before you go on a vacation. We took Oliver with us to Disneyland, and while it was awesome, it did make it a little more difficult! Fortunately, we had a lot of people with us which made it easier. But if it’s just you, your spouse, and baby, Disney might not be the best option..

Keep this in mind as you plan all your activities. You don’t want to have to sit on a bench while everyone else has lots of fun! Some fun ideas are visiting local zoos, aquariums, or children’s museums. I see Groupons all the time for these places.

8) Transportation

If you are going to have your own car, that would be ideal. However, if you will be without a car, be sure to figure out what options there are for transportation, and what the public transit is like. If you will be relying on public transportation, find out what forms of payment are taken. Some take cards, others don’t. Or they may have to be one of those cards that can just be “waved” over the machine. It’s always a good idea to have some spare cash though.

And try and figure out the best way to transport your baby places. If the baby is old enough, bringing an umbrella stroller will lighten your load a little bit, though I always like having the extra basket space our travel system allows, just to hold our bags, blankets, water bottles,  and jackets. I also really liked “wearing” Jack when we went on vacation last summer. So if you have a good baby carrier, consider bringing that, especially if you are planning to go on a hike.

9) Keep the schedule (and plan around naps)

Even though you are on vacation, unless you want your baby to be on a crazy schedule when you get home, try your best to keep them on their regular schedule. If you are going to a different time zone, try and keep them on their regular home time, if possible. I’m a nap and schedule nazi, and I know that it can probably be frustrating if you are vacationing with others…but remember, you’re the one that will have to deal with a baby on a messed up schedule otherwise, so do what is best for you.

10) Be familiar with the area

If you are going somewhere that you aren’t totally familiar with, be sure to look at maps and websites about the place before you go. It’s just nice to be able to have some kind of idea of where restaurants, bathrooms, and bus stops are at. Forrest and I both have phones with GPS systems, that will tell you the best routes for walking, riding buses, biking, or driving, and I’m sure most smart phones do. But if you don’t have something like that, maps don’t usually let people down.

We have a lot of experience traveling with babies (now that we have our second son, especially!) Be sure to check out these other guides to traveling with infants that might be helpful for your specific situation!

tips for flying with a baby

Road tripping with a baby (and don’t comment on his car seat buckle – the door was open, and it hadn’t been adjusted yet 😉

The post 10 Tips For Vacationing With a Baby appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.