Welcome to planDisney, Megan!
I'm thrilled to hear that you'll be visiting Disney World this coming March! I'm even more excited to hear that you'll be staying at one of my favorite hotels! I honestly LOVE Pop Century! I love the theming, I love the access to the Skyliner, I love the family-centered fun vibes, and I especially love the memories that I have made there with my family and friends. Right now, as a featured offering at
Everything POP Shopping & Dining, they have Street Corn Fries that are delicious. If they're still available when you visit, get and order and enjoy them for me!
I have breastfed and pumped for my 2 sons and have a lot of experience with breastmilk -- a.k.a. liquid gold. That stuff is sacred -- and anyone saying not to cry over spilled milk has obviously not been a lactating mom -- let's make sure you're good to go! Your room at Pop Century is most likely going to have a beverage cooler in it, and not a mini fridge. These beverage coolers only get down to about 41 degrees Fahrenheit on a good day, and breastmilk needs to stay at 39-40 degrees Fahrenheit for it to last up to about 4 days. While this temperature of the beverage cooler might work for a very short period of time if you're comfortable with that, I am afraid that for longer-term storage it would not be safe for your little one. Never fear, Megan, I have some suggestions for you that have worked for me in the past to make sure the beverage coolers didn't spoil my milk!
-First, request a mini fridge for your hotel room. These are typically available at the Disney hotels on a first-come, first-served basis, so I recommend
calling them and requesting this as soon as you can. When you arrive, check with the
Front Desk to make sure that you do have one confirmed for your room.
-If that doesn't work, bring some resealable plastic bags, load them with ice from the hotel's ice machine, and surround your breastmilk bag or bottle with ice inside the beverage cooler. Make sure you change out the ice often to keep temperatures low.
-You can also ask the Front Desk if they have a large refrigerator with room available for Guest's use. This is hit-or-miss but would be worth a shot.
-While you're at the theme parks, if you need to keep breastmilk cold on the go, get a complimentary cup of ice from any Quick Service dining location. Put that ice in a resealable bag and put it next to your breastmilk in the thermal portion of your diaper bag.
Please familiarize yourself with the location of the
Baby Care Centers at all of the theme parks, Megan. These rooms offer an oasis from the hustle and bustle of the theme parks. With nursing rooms, plenty of changing tables, bottle warmers and microwaves, filtered water, and baby necessities for sale, these Centers are a must-use for families with little ones!
If you have additional questions before your trip, we would love to hear from you again at planDisney. We're just a dream away!
Allyn