Large cushioned changing tables, comfy rocking chairs, and nice high chairs. No, I’m not discussing the selection at the local baby superstore. These are some of the amenities available for infants and toddlers at the Baby Care Centers at Walt Disney World theme parks.
All of the restrooms at the World, both men’s and women’s, are equipped with changing tables. Many are stainless steel so they are sturdy and easy to clean. However, sometimes you (or your child) need to take care of diaper duty in a more relaxed environment than a busy park restroom. Head straight for the Baby Care Center. Here you will find large changing tables with huge paper liners, a shelf to set your things, convenient trash receptacles and facilities to wash up.
For those in the process of potty-training, you can help avoid setbacks by using the kid-sized toilets found in the Baby Care Centers. Another plus, these are not auto-flush toilets so you don’t have to worry if your child normally sets off the flush too soon or is frightened by the noise. Regarding the auto-flush sensors, put a few post-its in your bag. You can cover the sensor on the automatic toilets and keep it from flushing until you are ready.
Another room in the Baby Care Centers is reserved for nursing moms. I’ve read reports on other unofficial sites that claim these rooms are for bottle-feeding moms too. But, I’ve also read tearful reports from moms who were refused entry because they weren’t nursing. I didn’t need this area during my visits to the Baby Care Center and Disney doesn’t specifically address it. So, I’m going to call this a nursing room because I don’t want to set the wrong expectations. If you are bottle-feeding your baby while at WDW and need a quiet spot, check with the Cast Member at the Baby Care Center. I’m sure they’ll accommodate you if they can. This room has rocking chairs and lower lighting. No one is allowed in but mom and baby to keep things nice and calm.
There is a feeding room in the Baby Care Centers for those needing a more home-like setting than a park restaurant. This area is furnished with traditional high chairs as well as tables and chairs for Mom and Dad. There is a television with cartoons to entertain your older child while you help baby eat her pureed peas.
Kitchen facilities within the Baby Care Center allow you to warm bottles or food and clean up afterward.
If you’ve forgotten a baby necessity, check with the Baby Care Center. They stock items such as diapers, wipes, bottles, formula, baby food, pacifiers, etc. These will be at a much higher price than at a grocery store, so try to come prepared. It is nice to know that these items are available in a pinch.
And the most important feature of the Baby Care Centers are the great Cast Members who are there to help greet you and keep the place really clean.
One Baby Care Center is available at each Walt Disney World theme park to give you a calm and cool place to take care of the needs of your baby or toddler. Here are the locations of each facility:
Magic Kingdom® Park:
The Baby Care Center is next to The Crystal Palace restaurant on Main Street, U.S.A.
Epcot:
The Baby Care Center is inside Future World’s Odyssey Center.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios™:
The Baby Care Center is in the Guest Services Building inside the Main Entrance.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park:
The Baby Care Center is behind Creature Comforts in Discovery Island™.
While you won’t make the trek across the park every time you need to change or feed the little one, they can be a refuge for the over-tired or over-heated baby (or mom!)
Contributed by: Amy E (NDM#242). Amy is our resident baby expert and creator of Growing Up Disney.
Amy’s love of Disney stems from a family tree firmly rooted in the Mouse. Her father’s first trip to the World was to the Welcome Center before the Magic Kingdom was completed. He filled their home and vacations with Disney magic. Herself a former College Program Cast Member, DVC Member, Disney Marathon finisher, and Disney bride, Amy has seen and done much of what Disney has to offer but she’s always longing for more. Currently a stay-at-home mother, she’s enjoying blogging with her father, brother, and some fantastic Disney friends at www.growingupdisney.com. She’s thoroughly enjoying meeting new friends and sharing Walt Disney World memories through her writing.
We were able to use the nursing room at EPCOT and the Hollywood Studios to bottle feed our son. At EPCOT the cast member allowed us to use the room because no one was in it, but I got the impression that if there had been a nursing mother in there, we would not have been allowed in. Which is pretty discriminatory if you ask me. At Hollywood Studios, there isn’t really anyone in the baby care centre, they are just outside in guest services, so there’s not really anyone policing who uses the nursing room. But there are only two chairs in it.