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A Disney Lifesaver… Disney World’s Baby Care Centers

Wednesday, January 16, 2013 Chip No comments

A Disney Lifesaver... Disney Worlds Baby Care Centers

My wife and I love taking our girls to Walt Disney World when they are young. I know many people want to wait till they get older but I have always lived by the Proverb “Train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old, they will not depart from it.” So we have been taking our girls from 5 months on. One of the lifesavers for us has been the Baby Care Centers.

Baby Care Centers are in all 4 theme parks and each have their own theme inside. They are a perfect place to break away from the park to change and feed your little ones. Not only do they have changing tables, rocking chairs, nursing mom rooms, and restrooms; they have a little mini drug store in there too. You never know when you might need some children’s Tylenol or Motrin.

Here are their locations:

Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom theme park features a Baby Care Center next to The Crystal Palace restaurant on Main Street, U.S.A. There is a lot of traffic going towards the Crystal Palace but the restrooms and baby care center are not to busy. It’s next door to the First Aid Center.

How to avoid a meltdown and enjoy the fireworks and shows with your kids!

Monday, August 6, 2012 heather 2 Comments

John, Grandma, and Grandpa enjoying Fireworks in the Caribbean on our first Disney Cruise

You may not have thought about it before, either because you have never been to Disney World or because you haven’t ever been there with a kid but imagine this: You found the perfect spot for Wishes (the fireworks spectacular over Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom), you and your family arm in arm counting down the minutes until the show begins, the excitement is building, and all of a sudden “Wishes” (cue music) and the fireworks begin *Boom* *Boom*…*wahhhhhhhh* your child begins to wail and cry because of the noise. You try to calm him down, people around you are passing annoyed glances your way, it’s no use, now to pack up your things and climb over everyone to just get away from the noise.

I witnessed first hand how frustrating it can be for parents trying to calm their frightened child, and how disappointed they were that they couldn’t enjoy wishes, or It’s a Bugs Life as a family. Your child could be the most laid back kid on this planet yet a loud noise could be just the thing to set them off.

Pack Like a Pro for your next Disney Cruise

Thursday, July 19, 2012 guest blogging 1 Comment

I distinctly remember my Mother packing for vacations when I was a child. I would sit in silence and awe as she completed the ritual of counting socks and “unmentionables” and it seemed no matter how overflowing the drawer was, leaving for vacation always required more undies and socks.

With a few cruises already under my belt it was my pleasure to torture my mother about packing for her first cruise. While she reverted to her systematic counting I was making a list of the things she’d soon learn she couldn’t live without.

So what’s on my list of random paraphernalia I can’t live without on cruises?

Five Things You Should Pack That You Never Thought Of

Saturday, June 9, 2012 Lisa 5 Comments

If you were to look inside my luggage for our Walt Disney World vacation, you may think I have gone bonkers. Why would a sane person pack empty paper towel rolls on a Disney vacation? Stockings? Surely I don’t plan to wear those, right?

You’re very right, I have a much more useful plan for those. Just wait and be amazed.

Panty Hose or Knee High Stockings. Do you have a little girl who will be treated to Disney’s Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique? Would you like to conserve that bun for the next day? Put some stockings over it and wrap the length around the bun to help protect it through the night. Touch it up with some spritz the next morning!
Empty Paper Towel Roll(s). If you plan to enjoy a session at the Animation Academy at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you may want to keep your artwork. An empty paper towel roll will keep your drawings together and protected from being damaged on the way home.
Gallon Freezer Bags. These can have multiple uses. They’re a great way to protect your expensive digital camera on water rides like Splash Mountain where you can leave it on your neck strap, but need something to make it water proof. A zippered freezer bag can do just that. Also, I love to use them to separate each person clothes. With a larger family, this can conserve space in luggage as well as make rope drop mornings much easier.
Post-it Notes. Some parents may not realize that their toddler could potentially find something very harmless extremely frightening. It’s not an attraction or character, it’s the toilets. All across Walt Disney World, automatic flushing toilets are the norm. Some young children find them frightening. You can prevent the toilet from prematurely flushing, which can happen all too often when little ones are the occupants of the throne, simply place a Post-It Note™ over the sensor. Problem solved and disaster averted!
Bright Colored Fabric Strip or Ribbon. If you plan on using a stroller, whether it’s your personal one or a rented one, then be prepared. There is something I like to call the “Sea of Strollers” at attractions like “Soarin”, “Pirates of the Caribbean”, “Kilimanjaro Safaris”, and “Toy Story Midway Mania”. You may park your stroller in one location, only to return to find it has been moved. I like to use a bright colored ribbon or piece of fabric tied around the handle to easily spot our stroller amongst all the others. It’s great for rentals as well, because it can be easily removed and reused each day.

These are just a few random things that I have found extremely useful in the parks and easy to just toss in the luggage. What are yours? What is the weirdest thing you have ever packed for vacation that has been extremely useful?

Lisa writes here at Chip & Co. as well as her blog Adventures in Mousedom. As a local to Disney World, she offers a different insight into visiting the parks. If you’re super cool like Chip, you should check it out. Okay, even if you’re not super cool like Chip, you should check it out. Trust me. What’s the worst that could happen?

Disney World Quick Tips – Miscellaneous Tips I have learned (chipandco.com)
Learn to Draw a Character at the Animation Academy in Hollywood Studios (meetthemagic.com)

Five Things You Should Pack That You Never Thought Of

Disney World Quick Tips – Baby Care Centers

Saturday, January 14, 2012 Chip 2 Comments

My wife and I love taking our girls to Disney World when they are young. I know many people want to wait till they get older but I have always lived by the Proverb “Train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old, they will not depart from it.” So we have been taking our girls from 5 months on.

One of the lifesavers for us has been the Baby Care Centers. Baby Care Centers are in all 4 theme parks and each have their own theme inside. They are a perfect place to break away from the park to change and feed your little ones. Not only do they have changing tables, rocking chairs, nursing mom rooms, and restrooms they have a little mini drug store in there too. You never know when you might need some childrens Tylenol or Motrin.

Here are the locations:

Epcot
Epcot theme park features a Baby Care Center inside the Future World Odyssey Center. Basically in between Future World and the World Showcase on the Mexico side. Very quiet and peaceful here.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park features a Baby Care Center in the Guest Services Building inside the Main Entrance. This BCC is my least favorite. While its convenient being at Guest Services, the room is the size of a large broom closet. Don’t expect much personal space here. My suggestion would be to get in and get out.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park features a Baby Care Center located behind the Creature Comforts store in the Discovery Island area. From the Tree of life go left and keep going. It’s just before the bridge to Tusker House Area.

Please Note:

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park does not have a dedicated Baby Care Center, but the restrooms do have baby changing stations. Same thing goes for Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park and The Downtown Disney Area.

So if your new or have a new bundle of joy don’t forget to stop by for a quick pit stop. A Happy Baby makes for an enjoyable vacation for everyone!