If you're bringing a baby to Disney World, a baby carrier that you and your baby both very comfortable is a very useful item to bring along too.
If you're thinking to yourself, "Oh, we don't need that, we're bringing a stroller," keep in mind that you can't wait on line with a stroller. Do you really want to be carrying your 6 month baby in your arms with no extra help for over 20 minutes?
Some families like to have both a stroller and a baby carrier on their Disney trip. They park the stroller, then go knock out a few rides or take a little stroll around World Showcase using the baby carrier. But they still have the stroller for storing stuff or for when they get tired and want to set baby down for a while.
And then there are some families who bring only a baby carrier. They love not having to worry about constantly parking and finding strollers or having to fold them up to lug them on buses.
After reading this post, you'll know:
- How to safely use a baby carrier
- Things to know about using a baby carrier at Disney World
- The pros and cons of several popular carriers
Can you wear a baby carrier on Disney rides?
Yes, you can wear your baby in a carrier on any ride with no height requirements.
I have heard some people say that they've been asked to take their baby out of the carrier and sit with the baby on their lap, but I don't get the impression this happens often -- unless your baby is on your back.
✅ Can you buy a baby carrier at Disney World?
No. Although you can rent a stroller at Disney World, you can't rent or buy a baby carriers at any of the parks -- and to my knowledge, there is no store at Disney Springs that sells them either.
That may be just as well, though, because you really don't want to figuring out how to adjust straps and finding the best position for your baby at the last minute. Ideally, you would already have a carrier that you like and have gone for outdoor walks in before you get to Disney World.
✅ Do Baby Bjorn Carriers Cause Hip Dysplasia?
When I began doing research for this post, I was surprised (and disappointed) to see many people saying, "Whatever you do, <strong>don't use a Baby Bjorn carrier!" (This was the carrier I used with my third child, and I like it very much.)
Apparently there has been a lot of accusations that Baby Bjorn is not ergonomic and can possibly cause hip dysplasia.
In fact, a lawsuit was filed against Baby Bjorn in May 2020 by the mother of a girl who has dysplasia and has suffered through surgeries, body casts, and braces.
However, it sounds like these claims are debatable. Baby Bjorn has hired medical experts to perform more testing and they concluded that Baby Bjorn was, in fact, safe to use.
Because of this issue -- and more importantly, because virtually nobody on the Disboards mentioned it as a baby carrier they used for a Disney trip -- I've left Baby Bjorn off the list of best baby carriers.
✅ How to Safely Use a Baby Carrier
Regardless of which brand of carrier you use, it's important to use it correctly so that your baby is safe. There's a list of baby carrier safety guidelines known as TICKS:
- Tight. According to Lillie Baby, to wearing your baby should be tight enough to support baby and feel like if you're moving as one, with the baby almost feeling weightless.
- In view at all times. You should be able to glance down and see your baby’s face without any fabric or accessories in they way, so you can easily monitor your baby's cues and breathing.
- Close enough to kiss. This is a little subjective, since adults are all built differently, but generally speaking, the higher the better, and the top of your baby’s head should at least touch your collar bone.
- Keep chin off chest.
- Support baby's back. A carrier shouldn't put pressure on your baby's back, but rather support their natural curve.
Proper positioning is crucial so that your baby's airway doesn't become blocked.
✅ Which are the best baby carrier for Disney World?
Ergobaby Omni 360 All-Position Baby Carrier
LÍLLÉbaby Complete All Seasons Ergonomic 6-in-1 Baby CarrierMoby Wrap Baby Carrier | Minnie MouseBeco Gemini Baby CarrierBaby K'tan Original Baby Wrap Carrier
Although I've worn my babies in carriers, and I've been to Disney World, I never did the two in conjunction with each other, so I can't speak specifically from experience.
So what I did for this article was scan the Disboards, note the carrier brands that were recommended again and again, and then did some research on those brands.
Ergobaby Omni 360 All-Position Baby Carrier
Ergobaby Omni 360 All-Position Baby Carrier
Ergo was the name that come up again and again in baby carrier discussions on the Disboards.
This soft, machine washable baby carrier is made of 100% premium cotton and comes in multiple colors/designs, including pure black, pearl grey, and "Classic Hogwarts."
It grows with your baby from when they're a newborn all the way to when they're a toddler of 45 pounds, so you get a few years of use from it. Unlike the original Ergo 360 carrier, the Ergo Baby Omni 'does not require a separate infant insert. It is newborn ready without an extra accessories.
You can carry your baby inward, front outward, on the hip, or on the back, so not only can you use the position your baby prefers, but you can switch it up if, say, your hip starts to get sore and needs a break.
It has padded back support and extra padded shoulder straps (which can be used either regular or crossed) for maximum comfort.
This reviewer loves that there is no infant insert or velco waist, and they wrote a thorough explanation of the Ergo Baby Omni 360's pros and cons:
Pros:
- Super comfy for wearer. Ergobaby carriers are by far the most comfortable carriers for the person wearing the baby (at least from the ones I’ve tried) ...
- No insert like the original 360. When I bought the original 360, I was surprised that they hadn’t come up with a way to fit smaller babies other than an insert that you had to buy separately. In the Omni, there are 3 positions that you velcro to fit babies of different sizes and NO INSERT. (Yay! I couldn’t stand the insert.)
- Buckles at waist instead of velcro. I actually didn’t mind the velcro, but some people felt like the velcro wakes up a sleeping baby. I would just leave the carrier on until I left the room, and then I would undo the velcro. The velcro actually seemed easier to adjust to me, but once you have the buckle adjusted to your size it is easier than the velcro to get on and off.
- Built in hood for sun shade (same as original 360)
- Storage compartment for keys, phone, etc. [The compartment measure 8 by 6 inches. -Jen] It fits my iPhone 6 and keys with room to spare. My original 360 did not have any storage except within the hood storage compartment.
- Not as hot as the original 360 with insert in. The original 360 did not breathe as well as the Omni.
Cons:
- Hard to get on. This is the biggest downside for me. I have pretty good shoulder flexibility, but I struggle with getting the back shoulder buckle snapped. I have found that loosening the straps on the chest area before buckling the back shoulder strap works better than trying to do the chest straps first. I cannot emphasize enough to WATCH THE VIDEOS ON THEIR WEBSITE....
- Still not ideal for tiny babies. I have a Baby Bjorn that worked a lot better when she was between 7-10 lbs. I felt like in the Ergobaby (both the Omni and original 360) a newborn feels like she will fall out the leg holes....
- Baby still prefers being in Bjorn right now, but she is starting to enjoy the “frog” position of the Ergobaby more. (EDIT: once she was old enough to hold her head up well, we switched her to forward-facing which she LOVES. She giggles and coos and happily kicks her feet the whole time she's in there, it's pretty awesome!)
- Not great stain resistance in the lighter colors. Oxiclean took out most of my tomato stain, but not all of it.
- Still expensive. These are very expensive carriers, and if you don’t use them very often you might be okay with a less expensive one. With an older child, I feel like I am constantly wearing the newborn—otherwise I would get nothing done. So for me, it is well worth the price to have the most comfort.
Ergo also offers a separate product of a Drool and Teething Pad that will fit with not only their own carriers, but with any carrier that has front buttons.
The reversible pad is thick and soft and saves you from having the wash the carrier all the time. It also has a loop to attach teether toys.
Reviewers particularly liked how the print was gender-neutral.
LÍLLÉbaby Ergonomic 6-in-1 Baby Carrier
LÍLLÉbaby Ergonomic 6-in-1 Baby Carrier
The Lillebaby Complete Carrier comes in over 10 colors/designs, including black, succulent, stripes, and a star pattern.
There are six different positions you can use with this carrier.
It has a zip-down front (it rolls up neatly) and a breathable mesh to keep your baby from getting too hot. It also includes a storage pocket for holding your keys and credit cards (unfortunately, it's not big enough to hold most phones), a removable sleeping hood, and an extendable torso. In addition, there are adjustable side panels that can widen or narrow the seat so your baby's hips are positioned comfortably.
This mom has used both the Ergo 360 (which is slightly different from the Ergo Baby Omni 360 above) and explains that, while she likes both, overall she prefers the Lillebaby.
[The Lillebaby] is different from the Ergo in several ways.
- The waistband is a buckle vs the Velcro waist of the Ergo (some people do not like the loud sound the Velcro makes on Ergo, for me it did not matter because I would just go to a different room to undo the Velcro)....
- The Lillebaby has a lumbar support, which is my favorite feature of the Lillebaby and what makes this superior to the Ergo. I have a bad lower back and this extra support helps greatly. I can wear the baby in comfort a lot longer than I was able to in the Ergo...
- This Lillebaby also has the mesh panel, which helps cool down baby (another feature that the Ergo does not have). That said, I notice that when the weather is warm and I wear the baby for an extended amount of time, we are both sweaty when I take baby out of carrier even when the mesh panel is exposed.
- Like the Ergo, this carrier has the sleeping hood. It also has a high neck support that can be folded down to allow baby more view.
...
Moby Wrap Baby Carrier -- Minnie or Mickey Mouse
Moby Wrap Baby Carrier -- Minnie Mouse
If you want to keep with the Disney theme, check out these Moby Wraps with Mickey or Minnie Mouse designs. (You can, of course, also buy a non-Disney Moby Wrap.)
If you're not familiar with wraps, they have a less structured design than carriers like the Ergo or Lillemom, without the straps, buckles, or loops. They're made from one long piece of fabric that, um ... wraps around you.
The Moby Wrap is made out of soft, stretchable and durable fabric that evenly distributes the baby's weight across your back, shoulders, and hips. When you're not using it to carry baby, you can also use it as a blanket or pillow.
It measures 18 feet and supports all babies from premies to toddlers weighing 35 pounds.
It comes with an easy to follow instructional guide for all types of holds, like the Newborn Hug, Hug Hold, Hip Hold, Kangaroo Hold, and Pregnancy Sling.
As cute as this wrap is, someone of the Disboardsthis Disboards discussionwho loves the Moby wrap points out that it may not be the best baby carrier for a Disney trip. If you have to adjust it you have to unroll several feet of fabric, which is inevitably going to touch the ground and be kind of cumbersome. Just something to be aware of.
Infantino Flip Advanced 4-in-1 Carrier
Infantino Flip Advanced 4-in-1 Carrier
The Infantino Flip Advanced is a 4-in-1 convertible carrier that lets you wear your baby:
- Facing In (narrow seat)
- Facing In (wide seat)
- Facing Out
- Backpack
It has an adjustable ergonomic seat, adjustable padded shoulder straps, and a waist belt to give the parents a more comfortable fit
It works for babies and toddlers between 8-32 pounds and is much cheaper than the Ergo or Lillemom carriers.
Several reviewers said they used this carrier on a Disney trip, and every single one of them gave the carrier five stars.
This reviewer listed the pros and cons of the Infantino:
PROS:
- Price- If you want to make sure that your baby will like a soft structured carrier and aren't ready to invest in a nicer expensive one, this is the carrier for you. Or if you never want to spend a lot of money on a carrier, you will still get decent quality with this.
- Lightweight- the material is breathable and the carrier itself does not weigh much. I was able to wear for long periods of time in the hot Florida summer heat without overheating myself and baby.
- Versatile- The leg openings are adjustable for small babies and larger babies. All four straps that secure arms and legs are adjustable. Both straps that clip around parent are adjustable. I'm 5'5" and my husband is 6'4" and we are both able to easily adjust this to fit comfortably.
- 4 ways to wear
- Washable- Very easy to machine wash without ruining.
- easy instructions and videos to help you wear baby safely. There is head support that folds down and snaps for when facing baby out...
CONS
- Drool cover- Basically worthless. It's supposed to be able to attach both forward and inward facing, but the Velcro is only on one side of the cloth so it doesn't really work facing in. Plus it falls off easily anyways either way is attached. Not the biggest deal in the world, but it definitely is a useless feature.
- Shoulder straps- They are padded, which is nice, but it's not terribly thick or overly soft padding ... The style of the strap is not the most ideal either. It's basically like backpack straps with a thin strap that buckles across your upper back. More expensive carriers will have x shaped straps or straps that actually cross over to help disperse weight better....
Beco Gemini Baby Carrier
The Beco Gemini Carrier allows you to carry your baby in four different positions: front facing in, front facing out, back, and hip
You can use for newborn babies through toddlers from 7 pounds to 35 pounds. It comes in both a regular version and a front mesh version which is cooler. (Most people loved the mesh version, but a few people comments that it would scratch their baby's legs if baby wasn't wearing long pants.)
The straps adjust from 23 inches to 45 inches, making it easily fit adults of many different shapes and sizees.
This reviewer thought the Beco Gemini combined the best of the Baby Bjorn and the and classic Ergo carrier:
- [The Beco Gemini] allows facing outward position in a good ergonomic way (ergo 360, Lillebaby and Baby Bjorn do too, but the Baby Bjorn is less ergonomic)....
- Allows to change the baby's position from inward to outward or the other way without taking out of the carrier, therefore without putting the baby down. This matters for me as I go for example to the zoo with both kids and have nothing but the carrier for the youngest. So obviously I can't ask my 2 year old to give me a hand to change the babys position ( Ergo 360 and Baby Bjorn allow that too, no way with the Lillebaby.)
- Back friendly waist belt with a pocket on it (no waist belt on the Baby Bjorn, very loud velcro waist belt on the Ergo 360. Lillebaby has a nice waistbelt too and offers a pocket on the back of the baby)
- Relatively easy to put on and take off by myself (again think of the zoo situation) (Ergos are a pain to put on and I would usually need help to close the back strap, Baby Bjorns are the easiest to put on and take off, Lillebaby seems just as painful as the Ergo.) It took me about 5 attempts to figure out how to use the Beco by myself, so it's not too bad.
- Fits very small to very large people. The only carrier so far that my husband (6ft 8in) can use as well. If I wear it (5ft 7in) the leftover straps are kind of long hanging around, but I there is an elastic band on each fastener where you can hide the leftover straps once you rolled them up.
- I can breastfeed in the carrier (takes some practice though)
- It looks good (so does the Ergo 360, the Lillebaby is kind of baggy looking)
- The head support which can be folded down for the outfacing position is very high when folded up, giving my baby a great, adjustable head support and shade when she falls asleep on my chest (looking inward).
- Breathable and sunblocking 3d-meshes are perfect for the Texas weather.
Baby K'tan Original Baby Wrap Carrier
Baby K'tan Original Baby Wrap Carrier
The K'tan Baby Wrap Carrier comes in nearly 20 different designs/colors, including denim, navy stripe, olive stripe, leopard print, houndstooth, and tie dye grey.
Made of 100% cotton, it calls itself "the no-wrap wrap," boasting no rings, belts, buckles or excess fabric. Simply slip the sling over your head like you would a t-shirt.
It holds babies and toddlers from 8 pounds to 35 pounds.
This reviewer, who is a second-time mom who has used bother wraps and structured baby carriers, shared both the pros and cons of the K'tan wrap:
Here are what make this carrier so great:
It’s FAST & simple to put on with way less fabric (which when you compare it to a standard 16’ wrap means you’re not dragging fabric that could be touching your baby’s face on the floor).
I can easily put this on in the parking lot of the grocery store and get my 4 month old in it without needing any help from my husband ...
I like that the extra fabric you wrap around has a little pouch that both stores the wrap when not in use and can be used for a small item. When I use this at my sons gymnastics I have my car keys and a pacifier in the pouch and it doesn’t get weighed down.
There are two big negatives about this wrap though:
My biggest negative is the sizing. I definitely needed a small to fit snuggly but I can’t imagine being able to use this wrap when my daughter is past 9 months.. I may wait for a sale and order a medium to get her more room or just switch to the structured carrier at that point.
The other thing is with it needing to be a specific size for me my husband isn’t able to use this. When he wears our baby we have to opt for a different carrier. I got my wrap on sale so it’s not that bad. But if you’re paying full price, $60 for a wrap that only one parent can use for less than a year of the baby’s life seems a little high to me.
The other semi negative is it just isn’t as comfortable as the Moby is. It’s not bad by any means and for the shorter spurts I typically use this wrap it’s fine. But when I’m home and doing housework with my baby in the carrier for longer than a 45 minute grocery trip my shoulders & neck start to feel strained. I think because a Moby wrap has more fabric, thicker fabric and wider fabric it just does a better job of distributing the weight ending in a much more comfortable long term experience ...
What baby carrier have you taken to Disney World?
Now it's your turn.
Did you use a baby carrier at Disney World? If so, did you bring a stroller as well?
What brand of carrier did you use, and why did you like it?
Let us know below in the comments!
Featured image at top of the post courtesy of Judd Helms Disney Parks Photographer.
Leave a Reply