Hi there, Matt, and welcome to planDisney, where my fellow Panelist pals and I are here and always happy to help answer questions about your next Walt Disney World Resort vacation! With just a few months until your arrival, you must be getting so excited!
I'm so glad that you'll be visiting when your little one is celebrating her birthday! We recently celebrated my daughter's birthday at Walt Disney World Resort, and I can't tell you how sweet it was to see Cast Members wish her a happy birthday everywhere she went! She proudly wore her "Happy Birthday" button throughout our entire vacation, and now I'm pretty sure she thinks she has an official birth-week, rather than a birth-day (we are going along with it)!
If your daughter is anything like mine, she will appreciate having her own dedicated space to sleep! My daughter is also fairly petite, and comfortably slept in a
Pack n' Play during our most recent vacation. Did you know that you can request this when you check-in to
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa? Alternatively, you can request bed rails for her big-girl-bed to make it feel more secure. I reached out to a helpful Cast Member who let me know that all alternative bedding is subject to availability, and they'll be happy to try to accommodate any request you have for your little one.
Here are a few other tips I have for visiting the Most Magical Place on Earth with a little one:
- Take advantage of Baby Care Centers - there's one at each of the four Disney Theme Parks, and they offer a clean, quiet, air-conditioned place to relax, change, and feed your little one. They're the only place that sells child-specific medication, and they also sell other essentials for little ones like diapers, wipes, and more!
- Bring or rent a stroller - a Disney day includes a lot of walking!
- Take time to rest - I like to spend a day in the middle of my vacation at my resort hotel to enjoy the pool and other amenities.
- Head to the parks for Early Theme Park Entry to beat the crowds and the heat, and save indoor attractions for when it's warmest in the afternoon
- Book an Advance Dining Reservation for each day you'll be at a Disney Theme Park, to ensure you have time to relax and recharge - your little one might enjoy a Character Dining opportunity!
- Pack your sense of humor, patience, and curiosity! Seeing Walt Disney World Resort through the eyes of your little one will be an experience you'll remember forever.
Matt, I hope you have a lovely time during your vacation, and I hope the birthday celebration is a wonderful one! Please stop back by planDisney with any other vacation planning questions you have as you prepare!
TTFN! Ta ta for now!
Jennifer