All About Walt Disney World Baby Care Centers
Walt Disney World understands there are certain challenges that come with visiting their theme parks with little ones. Parents need to consider logistics like feeding, napping, and changing that can be quite difficult to accomplish when you’re away from home and all of the comforts you’re accustomed to. Add in unpredictable weather, very hot temperatures and an unfamiliar environment and it can seem nearly impossible.
In an effort to make all of those challenges seem less daunting, Disney has placed a Baby Care Center in each of the four main theme parks. These care centers do not require any type of reservation, are free to use, and are open during normal park operating hours. In this post, I’ll give a detailed look at what amenities can be found in these facilities and why I consider them to be a must-use when visiting the park with tots. I’ll also give a brief overview of where the centers are located within each park and let you know which one is our favorite!
Available Amenities
Air Conditioning: Baby Care Centers provide a cool environment for parents and their little ones to take a break from the heat during their visit.
Seating area with tables, chairs and high chairs: A great place to rest your tired feet while providing your little one with lunch. Some of the care centers are bigger than others and seating can be limited. In our experience, the care center in Animal Kingdom is the largest and provides the most seating.
Changing Room: Arguably the best amenity in my book, each care center has a separate changing room with oversized, cushioned changing tables. A Disney Cast Member oversees the entire facility and ensures that the tables are cleaned in between each use. Disposable covers are available to place on top of the changing table as well.
Quiet Rooms/Nursing Rooms: Each facility has separate rooms that feature a rocking or gliding chair, a small table, and most have doors that you can close for complete privacy.
Kitchenette: This area includes a sink that’s great for cleaning bottles, a microwave that can be used to heat up meals for little ones, and in our experience, there was even a bottle warmer available for use.
Restrooms: Clean, less crowded, and air conditioned - a great option!
Television: Most of the care centers have a TV that plays classic Disney movies and shows to help keep littles entertained during your time in the care center.
Small Store: Each care center stocks a small number of essentials that are available for purchase. These items include diapers, wipes, sunscreen, a select number of over-the-counter medications like Tylenol, a few baby food options and some outfits. Each facility has a slightly different array of items, and a limited option in sizing, but definitely a life-saver if you happen to forget something crucial like wipes or sunscreen!
Locations
Take advantage of the park map in the My Disney Experience App. Scroll over to the Guest Services section and select “Show list” in the bottom corner of your screen. You’ll see the Baby Care Center listed and can choose to view on the map or get directions. Have your hands full and can’t navigate the app? No need to worry, just ask any Disney Cast Member where the Baby Care Center is located and they will happily point you in the right direction!
Magic Kingdom: As you walk down Main Street towards the castle, turn left at Casey’s Corner and head towards Crystal Palace restaurant. You’ll start to see signs for the Baby Care Center which is also located right next to First Aid.
Epcot: Head towards the Odyssey Building and you’ll find the Baby Care Center and First Aid Center at the far side.
Animal Kingdom: As you pass by Pizzasafari, keep walking until you see Creature Comforts(Starbucks). The Baby Care Center and First Aid Center are down a short walkway with plenty of shaded space to park your stroller.
Hollywood Studios: In my opinion, this is the most inconveniently located center in all the theme parks. It’s located just inside the park as you first enter. It’s in the same building as Guest Services, so it might appear as if there’s a long line. However, it is most likely the line for guest services that you can bypass to head into the Baby Care Center.
Ranking the Baby Care Centers
Although it is very convenient to have a separate, air conditioned, clean and generally quiet space to take care of your little one, I believe there is a clear distinction between the best Baby Care Center and the worst.
Animal Kingdom: By far the largest of the facilities, this Baby Care Center is our favorite. The location means it’s not a terrible walk regardless of where you are in the park. We often find ourselves walking by it multiple times without even planning on doing so. Each time we walk by, we would take a few minutes to cool off, change and use the restroom. The seating area is quite large. There are cushioned benches, as well as tables and chairs. The changing room is also a great size and kept very clean. The small store provides a selection of cold drinks in addition to other baby items that are available for purchase.
Epcot: The second largest care center, this one offers a smaller seating area and changing room, but we’ve never had any issues finding a place to sit down. As a tip, try to avoid visiting during peak meal times when it’s more likely to be busy.
Magic Kingdom: Smaller in size than the others, this location we found to be the busiest. There were two cast members helping guests to find what they needed, clean the facility and answer guest questions. There were a decent number of seats, but no tables. There is no room for you to bring a stroller inside.
Hollywood Studios: This location is extremely small with very limited space and seating. Although there are two nursing/quiet rooms and a small sofa and TV, we ended up just using the changing rooms and leaving. Also, with its location being right at the park entrance, I consider it to be in the least convenient spot out of all the theme parks. I’d say if you happen to be in the area, it’s worth visiting, otherwise you’re probably better off just using the changing tables in one of the restrooms.
Final Thoughts
I cannot recommend utilizing the baby care centers enough. We didn’t know about them when we first started taking our now 4 year old son to Disney and I wish we had! Our toddler is also an extremely picky eater and will not eat anything in the theme parks. Visiting the care centers allows us to warm up a meal for him that we bring with us. Being able to take a break from the heat and sit down for a few minutes can make all the difference to your day. If you happen to forget any of your essentials, visit the store and pick up a package of wipes, diapers or sunscreen. Try to find the care centers on the map prior to your visit so you can plan a stop whenever you’re close by. You will not be disappointed!