Disney Food for Families columnist, Erin Foster, takes a look at baby food options in Disney parks and resorts. You can read about Erin and read her other columns on our Disney Food for Families page!
Many families make their first trips to Walt Disney World while at least one of their children is in the baby mush stage of eating. A question I often hear from these families is, “What do I do about baby food while on my Disney vacation?” This information may not be as exciting as news about the latest gonzo cupcake creation, but it can be of critical importance to those traveling with a toothless crew.
Magic Kingdom Baby Care Center
Where to Find Baby Food on Disney Property
Baby food is not a menu item at any of the Disney restaurants. However, you are welcome to serve your baby food purchased elsewhere while you dine. Disney stocks a limited selection of baby food products in the resort gift shops, always Gerber brand. The flavor assortment may vary slightly, but generally you can expect to find mashed bananas or applesauce, and one or two vegetable choices such as sweet potatoes or squash. I have only rarely seen meat-based baby food sold at Walt Disney World. The baby food is often positioned away from the regular gift shop foods and is instead sold near the health and beauty aids or in a general baby-care section.
Pop Century Baby Section
Polynesian Gift Shop Baby Section
Coronado Springs Baby Section
As you can see, the choice is extremely limited. The baby care centers in the theme parks carry a similarly abbreviated Gerber product line. For stays longer than a day or two, the small selection really means that purchasing on-site is an emergency-only option.
Other Options for Feeding Baby
So what’s a parent to do? Here are some ideas:
- Bring your own. This is easy if you’re driving to the parks. For guests traveling by air with baggage weight limits and TSA regulations, this may be more difficult.
- Mail yourself a package of supplies. All the Disney resorts will accept guest packages. This is also great option for other bulky supplies such as diapers and wipes. Remember that plastic containers weigh less and are safer than glass containers.
- Shop in Orlando. If you have access to your own or a rental car, ask your resort bell services desk for directions to the nearest local supermarket. There are also Target and Walmart stores within an easy drive to Walt Disney World.
- Order a local food delivery. Goodings.com and gardengrocer.com are some options, though there may be significant delivery charges.
- Improvise using regular food. Think outside the jar for non-traditional pureed foods to serve your baby. Many of the WDW counter service venues have applesauce as an optional side dish. Yogurt is readily available at table service breakfasts and at the resort food courts. Oatmeal or grits are also breakfast options; thin them out with a bit of milk or water if you need to. Soups may work for your baby. Or scan the menu for regular items that are pureed. For example, Chef Mickey’s serves delicious Parmesan mashed potatoes and the Artist Point chicken comes with a root vegetable mash. Again, thin these out with a bit of milk or water if necessary.
Yogurt at Crystal Palace Buffet in Magic Kingdom
Warming Bottles and Baby Food
An additional consideration when serving your baby is food temperature. Bear in mind that the restaurants at WDW generally will not, due to legal considerations, heat baby food or bottles for you. All of the resorts have either a food court or quick service restaurant equipped with microwave ovens for guest use. You are welcome to use these to warm food yourself. The baby care centers are your only in-park option for warming food.
Extra Info
As for the good news: children under the age of three eat free in many Disney table service situations, particularly the buffets. You can experiment a bit with new tastes and textures without the fear of running up large charges. Speak to your server about the rules at your particular restaurant.
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Do you have tips or suggestions for finding good baby food options in Disney parks and resorts? Let us know in the comments section below and help out fellow baby-owners!
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Don’t forget that Baby Care Centers in the parks also carry baby food, formula and diapers too! They also have “real” high chairs, microwaves for heating and sinks for easy clean up.
Travelin’ — Thanks for the comment! Yep! The baby care centers are mentioned in the article! The variety is low, but all the supplies are there. 🙂
This was a worry when ever we traveled when one of the kids were really little. If the Baby Care Centers were an option with my boys I didn’t know about them but they saved our lifes (ok mybe just our minds) when our daughter went through WAY more diapers than we’d planned on one day. Being able to change a soggy butt goes a long way in keeping a baby happy (there fore everyone else in the group!).
The food was not as much of a worry as she was already close to a year and a good eater. She loved trying the things I would never have given her at home. We found fresh whole fruit everywhere and that was wonderful. We carried snacks for her into the parks and some of her baby food but she was much happier with trying little bits of our foods. She LOVED the Sheperd’s pie at Reglan Road! Looking outside the box (or jar as the case may be!) was a wonderful way for her to explore. I’d love to hear what other families did for the tiny ones.
Oh! One tip I did have. If your baby doen’t care so much about the temp of their milk using cold water to mix the powdered formula is a great way to help cool them down in the summer time.
While we didn’t travel to Disney when my son was a baby, we did go when he was still in under the age of 2. All of the foodcourts offer single serving sizes of cereal, the cups with pull top lid that are found in most convenience stores. I think they always has frosted flakes and the cheerios. The buffets like Chef Mickeys have a larger selection like fruit loops, raisin bran, etc.
There is always some great fruit options too like bananas, apples, and grapes, plus single serving sizes of yogurt, applesauce, bread by the slice for toast with jelly, and pickles (I’m not sure sure why toddlers seem to love them so much.) There are also good mid-day snack options in the resort gift shops like bags of pretzels, shortbread type cookies, etc.
We also found that the little 4 ounce milk cartons with Mickey on the box were a big hit.
We are heading down there soon, I am planning on packing the baby food that now comes in pouches. It should be easier to pack and I don’t have to worry about glass breaking or a half eaten container leaking.
Baby Care Centers are the best kept secret in the “World” – I’m convinced! The last time I was at the MK BCC, I asked an attendant if that was so – because it’s never crowded – and she quite agreed. But they have saved my sanity more than once. Food offering is wonderful, but it’s also a great place to get a cool drink of filtered water, to nurse, or to just get out of the heat with a little one. Plus, the cushiest changing tables ever. I know I’m off-topic, but I really appreciate your featuring these here. They are truly a hallmark of Disney’s excellent customer service.
the baby care centers are the BEST. we took our son at 7 months and again at 15 months. i nursed him at the baby care centers when he was 7 months old and the nursing rooms are so great. at 15 months he was only nursing at bedtime but we still used the baby care centers for some nice down time. they have toys and tvs and they can stretch their legs and relax.
i’m taking my son again in two weeks (by myself!!) and i’m planning on where/when we’re going to eat. the buffets are great because they can eat off your plate. at regular sit down places if you order them anything extra they will charge you (coral reef charged us $6.95 for a little bowl of pasta).
i’ve found that ordering staples like milk, bread, juice boxes, goldfish, etc from garden grocer made things easy and it was cheaper than getting that stuff at the food courts.
great article!! thanks!
great update!! I’m having my first baby in January 2011 and I definitely will need to know all of this info for our first trip with baby. Thank you!
I would like to say a big Thank You to WDW, we went in Dec. 2009 with our 4 1/2 year old son and 4 month old baby girl. I nursed in the baby centers, rested, changed diapers and felt so comfortable….The nursing rooms were awesome with the rocking chairs and every supply I needed were available if I needed to purchase them. It also allowed time for my son to watch old school Disney cartoons and to color and relax with my husband, to help take a break from the 80 degree weather Flordia provided :). We had no problem with resturants, 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian was awesome, even the manager came by to make sure everything was ok, even giving me the receipe for the Redskin mashed potatoes……Hope this helps!