Best Parks for Infants in the Florida Summer Heat

Travelling with small children under two is always difficult.  Going to Walt Disney world with them is incredibly difficult, but manageable. We have done it a few times and find ourselves doing it all the time now.  Back when we had our first son I thought the idea of going to Disney World with him was a bad idea and a waste of time.  The child would have no memory of the experience and Disney is just for kids.  Well my attitude has changed a lot over the years.  Now we look forward to taking our infant to the parks, but it still isn’t easy. Taken into consideration are the rides available and the spots where you can get out of the hustle and bustle of the crowds or the hot sun. The added bonus is that Disney always takes every detail into consideration, even babies. 

Parks ranked best to worst

1.  Animal Kingdom
 We feel this is the worst. There are few attractions available that an infant can go on, but there are the jungle treks and shows.  The safari is always good, but nervous parents may feel uncomfortable with the bouncing.  The main drawback to the park is the brutal sun during the summer.  There are very few locations to take refuge from the heat. 

2.  Hollywood Studios
There are very few options for infants although there is probably more shade.  There are shows infants can attend, specifically Playhouse Disney (AKA Disney Junior). Most of these shows are hit and miss with an infant. Be wary of loud noises at the Indiana Jones Stunt Specatacular and Fantasmic. Still there are more options to get out of the sun and the park tends to be less crowded. 

3. Magic Kingdom
This park offers the most rides that are suitable for infants. However, it is brutal for finding places to get out of the sun. Plus the crowds make strollers a nightmare. We suggest bringing an umbrella stroller if possible. We recently bought the Summer 3d lite specifically for the parks. It reclines, has a basket underneath and is very light weight. Prior to that we had been using our jogging stroller (terrible stroller for all parks other than Epcot). We also place a scarf in the stroller with cold packs under it to keep the baby cool. If it is 100 degrees outside it is most likely 110 degrees in the stroller. Keeping your baby cool and hydrated are THE MOST important things you can do.  The Hall of Presidents and Mickey's Philharmagic are a perfect place to find some refuge from the heat. If you are able to get over to Tom Sawyer's Island, it is a nice shaded place that feels far away from the hustle and bustle of the park. It really does feel like a hideaway (especially when the park is filled to capacity on a hot summer day).
                                                   
      
4.  Epcot
Epcot is the best. The park has the most open spaces and plenty of areas to get out of the sun.  Definitely the best place to go with infants.  This park has plenty of rides for infants too.

 Future World
What we love most is that there are many long, dark rides perfect for napping! For example, Spaceship Earth and Ellen's Energy Adventure are perfect for this (even if you need to nurse). The Innoventions building also offers a nice cool spot for babies to nap in the stroller and the adults can sit for a few quite moments too.


                                               
World Showcase
If you are lucky enough to have your baby napping while touring around the world take a quick stop in Germany. Find the indoor winery and get yourself a wine flight and a cheese board. There is plenty of room for a stroller and its air conditioned.

Baby Centers
Each park has its own baby center. If you have a child under 3, FIND IT! It is a fabulous place with clean changing tables, sinks to wash bottles, televisions with Disney movies playing and they even sell baby essentials for VERY reasonable prices.

Hope this is helpful!

Katie & Tod
                                                                    

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