Baby Bricker’s First Visit to Disneyland!
Megatron made her first visit to Disney! This report shares a look at Baby Bricker’s day at Disneyland, with family photos from our Christmas-time experience and thoughts on what it was like seeing the parks through the eyes of a two-month old infant.
Fair warning: this is not going to be an “exciting” step-by-step ride report or practical tips for taking a baby to Disney. It’s pretty much the exact opposite of Making the Most of Midnight in Magic Kingdom or I Did Every Ride at DHS Before 11am Via Standby Lines, to name just two of many examples.
That’s probably going to be completely unsurprising to parents. I don’t doubt that many of you are looking forward to our Early Entry and rope drop reports being forced to slow down as we learn the limits of having a child in tow. But that’s another post (or several dozen) for another day. The key difference here is that we weren’t trying to ride as many attractions or meet as many characters as possible. In fact, we weren’t trying to do anything.
In that regard, this visit to Disneyland was a massive success. We set out to accomplish nothing, and that is, in fact, what we managed to do. That’s a 100% success rate, beating even some of my best Early Entry benchmarks. Megatron is already a park touring extraordinaire!
Honestly, this was less about baby’s first visit to Disney and more about new parents going stir crazy and wanting to get out of the house, missing Disneyland at Christmas, and wanting to see how she does in a semi-public space. Aside from walks in public parks and the beach, the three of us haven’t really done anything in the last couple of months.
This is because we’re trying to err on the side of caution and mitigating risk by avoiding prolonged indoor activities for Megatron’s first ~6 months and during the peak of respiratory illnesses season. We recognize that this is extreme, but we’ve waited so long to get to this point that we’re erring on the side of caution to the greatest practicable extent.
It’s also important to stress that we’re not being preachy or passing judgment on the decisions any other parents make for their own families. There’s already way too much of that on the internet. Everyone has different levels of risk tolerance and mitigation measures they’re willing to take; it’s all about tradeoffs–there’s no such thing as zero-risk.
We recognize all of this and also that it’s healthy (emotionally and physically) to tolerate risk! This is something everyone is doing on a daily basis; taking measured risks–driving, riding a bicycle, crossing the road, etc–is a part of life. It’s important to approach decisions rationally without being overcome by paranoia or hysteria. At the same time, worrying while traveling wouldn’t be fun for us, either.
That’s pretty much where we are with this–two people who normally have reasonably high risk tolerance, but currently do not. This will not be the new normal for us. Once March 2024 rolls around, it’s back to business as usual–with lots of travel for Megatron, including baby’s first international flight.
All of that is probably an over-explanation, but we wanted to avoid criticism that we’re paranoid and overcautious now and flip-flopping hypocrites later. It’s all about mitigation during the highest risk season and age, and then living normally.
The other reason we decided to take an impromptu baby’s first visit was because we were salivating over the crowd levels. It’s no secret that pent-up demand has (still) been running hot at Disneyland, and the parks haven’t really seen their normal lulls between holidays the last couple of years. Our visits after Thanksgiving last year certainly did not have low crowds, and were nothing like what we encountered at Walt Disney World.
So it came as a bit of a surprise when watching wait times from home, as one does, that there was a pronounced drop-off. It didn’t happen right after Thanksgiving, instead hitting at the start of December. After seeing low numbers for a few days and seeing reports of low crowd levels in the evenings, we decided to take advantage.
Not doing any attractions, the actual “advantage” this offered was fairly limited. But it was nevertheless fantastic to park with ease, enjoy an empty walkway from Pixar Pals, and have no line whatsoever at bag check. Walking through Downtown Disney, which has been uncomfortable at times due to pinch-points from the construction walls, was likewise pleasant and relaxed.
Then there was the actual in-park experience at Disneyland. It was, without question, the least-busy normal afternoon and evening we’ve experienced during the Christmas season since at least 2021. (Including the “normal” caveat because they was a particularly rainy day last year that was uncrowded–but that’s to be expected.)
With this window of opportunity likely to close very soon, we’re already debating a return visit to Disneyland to see the parks again during our favorite time of the year.
It was a good thing we had all that extra space, too, as we’ve become part of the problem. (And right after posting a brand-new sequel to our list of the worst guests at Walt Disney World!)
As it turns out, when you’re taking your child to Disney for the first time, you are absolutely transfixed on their reaction to any and everything. I didn’t care if it was random trees or Troubadour Tavern, we wanted to see Disneyland through Megatron’s eyes.
This meant a lot of random stops and starts, direction changes, and so forth. Definitely a good thing we went on a day with the lowest possible crowd levels rather than high ones. Not getting in anyone else’s way was a positive, but even more important (to us at least) was being able to stop and savor her expressions and reactions to everything.
I also have a newfound appreciation for things like balloons and even those infernal bubble wands. I have long, ahem, not held those things in the highest esteem. Honestly, I’ve wondered why anyone would buy them when they could, instead, simply not.
We probably weren’t in Disneyland more than 10 minutes before Megatron reacted to a balloon, and I’m standing there like a doofus seriously questioning, should we buy this?! Cooler heads prevailed and we did not, thankfully. I think our fervent frugality is going to be a useful offset to moments like these. (Side note: balloons at Disneyland cost up to $20?!?! I shouldn’t be surprised, but it had just never really been on my radar.)
Fortunately, there’s no shortage of free-to-look-at balloons attached to strollers parked over by “it’s a small world.” All of the wide-eyed wonderment, zero of the expense. (I’m already feeling like I’m going to “need” to put together a post of random hacks like this for first-time parents!)
Joking aside–and really, none of that is a joke–I cannot even begin to articulate how incredible it was to stand over by “it’s a small world” bathed in the warm glow of the lights, just looking at her looking at the facade and all of the balloons in the area. Those little smiles, expressions, and sense of curiosity filled our hearts.
It was very similar to every morning when she wakes up with an unbridled sense of happiness, smiling and excited to start another day. Except this was at night and for a much more prolonged period of time. We didn’t think we could love “it’s a small world” holiday any more than we already did. Turns out we were wrong.
For us, moments like this are absolutely what it’s all about. When sharing some of our future travel plans, we’ve had some people wonder why? (Almost exclusively non-Disney ones–the Disney fans seem to get it.) After all, it’s an expensive undertaking and the kid won’t remember anything under a certain age.
We just bite our tongues, because why bother, but I’ve always thought, “you know that we exist too, right?” The joy we experienced in seeing Christmas at Disneyland through Megatron’s eyes cemented that.
I know there’s absolutely no way Megatron will remember this or hundreds of other little moments she’ll have in the next few years. But we absolutely will. That time around “it’s a small world” holiday is indelibly etched into my memory and was the absolute essence of pure Disney magic. (Inject that stuff directly into my veins, as the kids say!)
Seriously, those moments were priceless and we will never forget them. It’s the type of feeling you have explained to you by other parents (as I’m doing now), but the full weight of those emotions just doesn’t translate to text. It’s one of those “if you know, you know” type of things. And I feel like we are just beginning to “know” now.
I might add that all of this awe and wonderment was also during Megatron’s normal witching hour, the time of day “when demons, monsters, and other horrifying supernatural creatures are at their most powerful and wicked” per European folklore. (I’ve been advised by the editor-in-chief that I cannot use these words to describe our angelic little daughter…so I’m simply quoting the official meaning.)
Sarah joked that all we need to do to avoid the dreaded witching hour is go to Disneyland every night. This also may have not been 100% a joke; during the following night’s witching hour, the idea of another visit to Disneyland was once again floated. As attractive as that might sound, we won’t be doing it on a nightly basis.
One of our biggest mental blocks to visiting Disneyland prior to this was, “what do we do if/when witching hour strikes while we’re at Disneyland?” Our ‘solution’ was essentially head for the least-crowded spots in the parks (Fantasyland Theatre by “it’s a small world” being one of them) and hope for the best. (Side note: Fantasyland Theatre tops our work-in-progress list of quiet places to feed.)
Beyond coming up with that fantastically foolproof solution, what convinced us to visit Disneyland during the heart of witching hour is other recent walks during that time. Megatron loves to move, and so long as she’s strapped into the baby carrier and constantly in motion, she’s good to go for the most part.
Strong emphasis on constantly. There are times at home when I stop for ~30 seconds to pour myself a water or take a bite to eat, and she voices her opposition to the standstill. This is absolutely fine by us! If there’s one thing at which we excel, it is walking. Seriously, we pride ourselves on it.
If motion is all Megatron needs to be cool and calm, we have that on absolute lockdown. On this particular evening at Disneyland, walking or motion plus gazing at thousands of resplendent lights did the trick. She’s definitely her parents’ daughter.
That’s really about all there is to say about this first visit to Disneyland. It’s pretty much just a rinse and repeat version of the “it’s a small world” holiday anecdote. Walk to a new part of the parks, stare at the Christmas lights or other shiny objects for a while, savor the scene, and move on to a new area.
About my only “regret” is that we didn’t make our way over to Grizzly Peak earlier, as she was asleep by the time we arrived at Big Marc the Bear, all decked out in his ugly Christmas sweater. Oh well, there’s always next time.
I’m sure every trip to Disney for the next several years will be filled with exciting new discoveries, emotions, and reactions. We absolutely cannot wait. We’re also really looking forward to more substantive visits to test strategy and itineraries, so we can share more practical planning posts instead of just photo reports of ourselves.
Already, this visit to Disneyland during which we did nothing at all goes down as one of my all-time favorite days in the parks. We can’t imagine what else the future holds, but we’re looking forward to savoring every moment of it!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Any thoughts you have in response to our latest update on Baby Bricker? Anything else you’re interested in reading about with regard to Megatron, babies in the parks, etc? Anecdotes of your own about first visits to the Disney parks? Any other questions? Hearing your feedback is always appreciated, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
So excited to see baby’s first Disney trip! My baby is almost 15 now and it is different to experience the parks through them. I’ve learned to appreciate things I did not before (like trains and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree). I’ve also instilled a love of Carousel of Progress in him, which I consider to be a major parenting win. Thanks for sharing her with us.
>> I’ve also instilled a love of Carousel of Progress in him, which I consider to be a major parenting win.
Well played, Sir. Well played.
I LOVE THIS! I love this so much for you all! First of all, some new parents (ahem, it was me) felt very nervous about taking baby out into the world. Any sort of outing felt like a monumental task for me as a new mom. By the time I was on kid 3, I was all, let’s just friggin go to WDW. And we did. And it was amazing.
If you can take a kid to Disney, which is actually doable with the right expectations such as yours (do nothing! Perfect!!), it makes saying “yes” to other adventures that much easier.
You’re doing great!
Also? That wonderous feeling as a proud new parent, watching your little one take in balloons and lights and trees and how everything is new?
That’s me right now, reading about YOU experiencing these parental joys for the first time.
Thank you for sharing it with us!
(It goes so fast. SO FAST. My eldest is turning 15 next week. He was 4 and his sister was 2 when I took their 6-month-old baby sister to WDW for the first time)
““you know that we exist too, right?” The joy we experienced in seeing…” perfectly encapsulates how I feel about taking my kids to Disney World for the first time when they were each two years old. My daughter being scared of every character the entire week except Jedi Mickey still makes this Star Wars loving dad smile until my face hurts. She doesn’t remember it and doesn’t really care about Star Wars now as a freshman in college, but those memories will be with me forever. Thank you for sharing her first trip with us.
Thank you for sharing this! I’ve been looking forward to this post since your pregnancy announcement and I know that you have been looking forward to it forever!
You’ll cave for the ballons and bubble wand soon enough and the good thing is the balloons last for weeks and the bubble wands much longer!
We took it easy the first 6-9 months too. They don’t need to be shut-ins but there’s no reason to be hitting up large indoor crowds, especially during winter. My kids were born pre-Covid and we still took it easy.
It’s different here in the Midwest. we had the additional worry about it simply being really cold and uncomfortable.
First outing into the world of Magic! Perfect! I bet Meg’s were sparkling among all the Christmas lights. Thank you for sharing. Merry Christmas Bricker Family!
Thanks for sharing Megatron’s first visit to Disney. It sounds like perfection!
so happy for you guys and new baby. it is amazing seeing it through their eyes. my wife and I went to Disney world several times before kids and than took our kid before he was 2. I laughed about the balloons comment because they are expensive and we also thought before kids why bother; yet we get one almost every time since having kids and then trek it back home in the van 20 plus hours with it bobbing in the back annoying the driver. enjoy taking baby to the parks, we do and now he is almost 10
Ps. we are also frugal, honestly, some of my savings for Disney trips is literally done in a tin can! With that said, some of my boys’ most fun has been with the plastic toys like the light-up bubble or nerf-type blasters, swords, sabers, etc. One of my boys hardly ever asks for anything, his whole life, so, when he asked for big Stitch (if you don’t know what I’m talking about you’ll probably notice it next time you’re in a main gift shop) I let him have it… he was 12 years old and I knew it would probably be the last time he’d ask for a big toy like that. That was a “car trip”, so I didn’t have to worry about getting big Stitch on a flight. Now that he’s 16, I still occasionally put “big Stitch” on his bed for him to see when he gets home from school! Once in a while, it’s worth it to get the toy that has captured the kid’s attention. Sometimes it’s a memento-type item of my choosing that I hope will be appreciated in the future if not now, to help keep alive the memories of our trips to Disney. (Not saying you should have gotten the balloon for your baby daughter, I’m talking more about down the road when she understands she can ask for things). It’s all interesting and fun to ponder!!
Thanks for sharing that anecdote!
We’re on the same page. We don’t want to have a lot of random junk or spoil her with impulse buys, but toys are definitely important. As someone who grew up on LEGOs, I’m already angling for excuses to buy those. (They’re educational and help with development!)
Afraid to not comment because I want you to know another long time follower of yours loves this post! And hope there are many ,many more. May God Bless your family. Merry Christmas!
Thank you for sharing the joy you experienced during Megatron’s first Disney adventure! These special moments – the ones where she looks around in wonder, will always stay in your heart. I’m especially touched to read it today. Our son and daughter came to us from Korea, and today is our daughter’s Homecoming Day. She came home to us 29 years ago when she was seven months old, but reading of the love and awe you have for your daughter takes me back to all of our “firsts” that we have shared. You are wonderful parents and you’re doing a great job! Soak it up, have fun, and have a very merry Christmas!
“Our son and daughter came to us from Korea, and today is our daughter’s Homecoming Day. She came home to us 29 years ago when she was seven months old, but reading of the love and awe you have for your daughter takes me back to all of our “firsts” that we have shared.”
Twenty-nine years ago…wow! I know the world was a lot less connected then, so I can only imagine how much different that process was and how nerve-wrecking the wait was. But I’m sure the time since has flown by. Happy Homecoming Day–hope you have a chance to celebrate the big milestone next year–and Merry Christmas to your family, too!
I do love baby Disney pics now that mine are now grown. Such sweet memories. I can say though we have NEVER purchased a balloon.
Did I miss the part where y’all moved to California? Like permanently?
Yes, we moved back to California.
Florida was always intended to be a temporary place of residence…it just got extended and we stayed a few years longer than originally expected! We love both Orange Counties–they’re much more similar than the naysayers might have people believe–but California is just more to our speed (and by speed, I mean climate).
Thanks for sharing about baby’s first Disney trip. She’s a lucky little girl! Looks like you are two very proud parents : )
Love the pictures and so glad all 3 of you have been able to get out and visit our favorite place! Thank you for sharing!
Love the photos and the article! It is fantastic to see all 3 of you out & about. Thanks for sharing!
Marry Christmas!!
So happy to see you starting the indoctrination as early as possible! I loved reading every single word of your post! Sarah is radiantly beautiful! Thank y’all so much for sharing your first experience at Disney with Baby Bricker!!
I’ve been anxiously waiting for this post since Megatron was born! So happy to hear that all went well! Can’t wait to read The Further Adventures of Megatron and the Magic of Disney!
Did you actually name your daughter Megatron?
They’ve covered in other articles, due to privacy, they are not using their daughter’s real name and won’t post photos of her face. 🙂
Don’t be silly… Everyone knows Megatron is a boy’s name.
Rule #1 as a parent, you do what is right for you and your family. Keeping your child out of public places for six months is fine if it’s right for you. Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks or says.
Rule #2 – I’m seriously hoping the baby’s real name is Megatron.
Enjoy your first Christmas together as a family.
Not a parent,and too.poor to do.Disney often (spent the day before my 50th birthday at Tokyo Disneyland ;we were stationed there). One of our happiest memories was an adorable little 4 year-old redheaded girk.who, after trying to get her rather overbearing mother about wanting to sit next to.Grandpa, finally climbed on a chair and said so loudly but without a temper tantrum. Everybody at Liberty Tavern applauded her enthusiastically. As soon as she got the seat she,wanted,, we didn’t hear a peep out of her.
You two sound like responsible parents who will kno Megatron is limits and go with them. The parents everyone hates are the ones who don’t and expect the rest of us to put up with screaming tantrums. and being literally shoved out of the way. Enjoy this time,,and Merry Christmas.