Advice & Tips for Visiting Disneyland Paris with a Baby

Back in March, we were lucky enough to enjoy a magical trip to Disneyland Paris. Over the 5 days we enjoyed rides and shows, met countless characters, and made so many special memories with our three little ones aged 4, 2 and 8 weeks.

So many people thought we were absolutely crazy to visit with such young children - especially a newborn baby. But we didn't find it difficult at all really; and we actually found the baby the easiest one to travel with!

So I thought I'd put together a post of tips and advice that we found and used during our trip, to hopefully help others thinking of taking a baby to Disneyland Paris.

Booking

The first question I have been asked, is how do you book a baby on your trip? We decided to book through a travel agent (Tui) for this reason, as we actually booked while I was still pregnant. All we did was give them the due date and they wrote 'tbc' in the name section. And then once Lilah was born, we popped into the store and got them to change the name (and the date if you need to). Easy!

What to Pack 

There aren't any supermarkets or chemists in the Disney resort, but I believe you can catch a train to some from the Disney Village. I would suggest just making sure you've got all the supplies you need first though - and back ups just in case!

Lilah is formula fed, so we took the small ready made cartons for the journeys (we went by Eurostar), plus a few extra. I'm glad we took the extra as our train ended up being delayed on the way home! For bottles during the trip, we just took a tub of powder, a powder dispenser point (these are widely available at places such as Asda and Boots), and a thermos flask for the water. We then hired a kettle from our Disney hotel for free - you just need to ask at the concierge when you arrive.

For sterilising we took a Milton steriliser bucket and sterilising tablets. It's that simple! We could wash the bottles up in the bathroom sink (just decant some washing up liquid into a small bottle), and then chuck everything in.

Another item we hired was a travel cot, and this was automatically added to our booking as we had a baby with us. It was very basic though, without a proper mattress or any bedding. We packed our Sleepyhead as we knew Lilah would sleep in this best, and we are soo glad we did. Don't be afraid to move the beds in the room over, to pop the cot next to the bed either - we did this and just pushed them back when we left!

I would 100% recommend taking your own buggy / stroller with you. You can hire them, but only from the parks and you have to pay daily. They definitely aren't baby friendly either, but more just a metal frame and a bit of fabric. I'd suggest taking a baby carrier or sling with you too, as it will save you getting baby in and out of a pram for rides and queues. Do be aware though, that babies cannot stay in the carrier / sling while on the rides. They have to sit on your lap facing outwards.

In the Parks / Attractions

The main question we are asked about visiting Disneyland Paris with a baby, is what rides / attractions can the baby go on? And the answer to that is simple, loads! We visited in March 2018 so a number of things were closed or being refurbished, so we couldn't go on them at all. But Lilah, at 8 weeks old, went on:

Peter Pan's Flight
Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
It's a Small World
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Pirates of the Caribbean
Snow White's Scary Adventure
Ratatouille
Disneyland Railroad
Studio Tram Tour
Aladdin's Flying Carpets
Disney Junior Live on Stage

Plus, the Aladdin walk through, seeing the Dragon under the castle, and the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk through. She also met lots of characters, enjoyed the parades, shows and fireworks with us and then basically slept for the rest of the time!

Queuing for the bigger rides or to meet characters gave us a perfect break to stop and feed her, and there are plenty of bathrooms around with baby change in them. Both parks have baby care centres too. In the Disneyland Park, it is on Main Street USA near the Plaza Gardens Restaurant, and in the Walt Disney Studios Park it is behind Studio Services. These centres have comfortable spots to feed and change baby, bottle warming facilities (although this was just a microwave!), and also have nappies and baby food available for purchase.

Having a baby with us didn't stop Jack and I enjoying the rides either. Disney have a fantastic 'baby switch' service on rides, which we made use of nearly every day. Either Jack and I would queue with the older two and enjoy the ride. Then when you get off just ask an attendant for a baby switch ticket. We'd go find the other adult, switch, and then either use the baby switch ticket at the disabled entrance or exit of the ride to ride again without queueing. It's brilliant and completely free! I'd also make use of fastpasses (they're free too!), as these will make the amount of time queuing shorter as well.

Everyone absolutely loved talking to Lilah during our trip, and the characters especially took a shine to her. It made the whole trip even more magical! And although we know she will never remember it, we are so pleased we decided to be a little crazy and take her to Disneyland as a tiny baby.

If you have any questions do let me know, and have a magical holiday!