I was dubious, very dubious. Some may think it was selfish of us to decide to do a trip to Disney knowing that a certain little someone would be strapped to a buggy for most of it but with a little bit of forwarding planning, we made the most of our trip.

Given that Disney is all about family, you won’t be surprised to learn that they are very well set up in accommodating all ages.

Here are my top tips:

• Take advantage of the Baby Switch – one adult queues and the other waits with the baby by the exit and ‘switches’ when they have finished the ride. Certainly eases the pain of some of the longer wait times on the bigger rides. You’ll need to check for each ride how the baby switch works as it varies depending on where the exit is etc, however, don’t be afraid to ask as it appears to be a very frequent occurrence given the number of fellow parents I stood next to waiting for our other halves
• If you staying in a Disney hotel, be sure to be in the park when it opens at 8am and miss the crowds! I’m guessing being parents that, like us, you will be up early anyway so 8am won’t feel too painful. It’s certainly a bonus to get some of the bigger rides out of the way, leaving the rest of the day to queue for Dumbo or It’s A Small World and not feeling like you’ve missed out
• Most of the restaurants are buffet style which is great for weaned babies as you can grab them a plate of bits to nibble on while you eat. I would recommend that you book in advance as some places in peak times have long queues and the last thing I wanted was a hungry baby screaming at me!
• Get a spot near the entrance of the parade – you’ll see a set of gates near It’s A Small World – being near the entrance meant we saw all the floats come past quickly and there was little hanging around which kept the little one entertained
• Walt Disney Studio Park doesn’t have much to entertain a 1 year old but as there are fewer rides, you can get round them using Baby Switch pretty quickly – still worth a visit
• An absolute must is a character breakfast which takes place in the Palace Gardens Restaurant. Again, a buffet but with the added bonus of Mickey, Minnie & Friends! Have a camera ready to take photos of your little one pooing their pants when Mickey creeps up behind them – they’ll thank you later!

Rides that we all enjoyed (i.e. no height restriction!)

• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Dumbo The Flying Elephant
• Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
• An Encounter with Darth Vader
• Mad Hatter’s Teacups
• It’s A Small World

We shall certainly be returning to Disneyland (before the little man turns 3!)

x PB x