Walt Disney World Resort is a popular destination for families with young children, and Disney recognizes the importance of providing spaces where parents can care for their little ones in peace. One such space is the Baby Care Center, designed to offer a quiet refuge for parents who need to change diapers, feed, or rest with their children. These centers can be found in the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Disney World’s Baby Care Centers
While they are meant to provide a convenient, comfortable setting for families, a recent experience shared by a guest has raised questions about whether Disney’s Baby Care Centers are as welcoming and accommodating as they should be.
A Guest’s Discomfort in the Baby Care Center
In a recent post on Reddit, a user by the name of ForsakenPianist9310 detailed a personal experience during her visit to Walt Disney World Resort. The poster, a new mom, had come to the park to celebrate her birthday with her family. She encountered an uncomfortable situation while attempting to use the Baby Care Center to pump breast milk.
The Reddit user explained that when she entered the Baby Care Center, she was directed by a cast member to a room that was specifically meant for breastfeeding and pumping mothers.
However, upon entering, she was shocked to find that the room, which was meant to be a quiet and private space for nursing moms, was occupied by an entire family, including a grown man.
This past weekend my husband and I went to disney to celebrate my birthday. While there I had to use the baby care center to pump for my baby. When I went into the nursing room, there were a few moms breastfeeding but there was also a whole family, including a grown man sitting in there. I do not feel comfy pumping or breastfeeding around a lot of people, especially in front of someone that is not family. I went to the cast member and she told me there was nothing she could do, so i went back in and turn the chair around so i can pump and leave. Am i wrong for feeling uncomfy here?
Edit: when i was there i asked the cast member where the lactation room was and she guided me to the room spoken about above. She verified it was in fact the room for moms to breastfeed/pump in
Am i wrong for feeling uncomfy
byu/ForsakenPianist9310 inDisneyWorld
Is the Cast Member to Blame?
This incident left many wondering whether the cast member handled the situation appropriately. Some Reddit commenters speculated that the cast member may not have fully understood the purpose of the nursing room or the fact that it was meant to be a private space for mothers who are breastfeeding or pumping.
As one commenter put it:
That’s weird the cast member said that. The first time I went into the nursing/pumping room my husband and I had no clue (or we were overwhelmed and didn’t realize) what room we were about to enter and a CM stopped my husband in time. Once she told us what the room was we were grateful she stopped us. My husband would have been mortified to make any mother feel uncomfortable like that.
Related: Tips & Tricks for Taking a Baby to Walt Disney World
For some, the situation may not have been entirely intentional. Many Disney guests are from diverse backgrounds and cultures, and views on modesty and public breastfeeding can vary greatly. It’s possible that the man in the room didn’t recognize that his presence could make others uncomfortable.
One commenter offered a possible explanation: “A lot of Disney guests are not from the US (or at least that’s how it was), and so their views on modesty or what is and isn’t appropriate in public may not be aligned with ours.”
Despite the varying perspectives, the fact remains that the guest felt distressed, and it raises an important question: Should Disney do more to ensure these spaces are properly managed and respected?
What Can Disney Do to Improve?
While it’s clear that the Baby Care Centers offer essential services for parents in need, this incident highlights potential gaps in how the spaces are managed. If families are going to use the Baby Care Centers for breastfeeding or pumping, it’s vital that privacy and comfort are prioritized.
Disney should consider additional training for cast members to ensure they understand the specific needs of parents in these sensitive spaces. More clear signage or guidelines could be beneficial, explaining that breastfeeding rooms should be used only by breastfeeding mothers.
It’s also worth considering whether stricter regulations or guidelines need to be put in place regarding who can access these spaces. If the Baby Care Centers are meant to provide privacy for breastfeeding and pumping mothers, there should be clearer policies in place to ensure that these spaces remain secure and respectful for those who use them.
What Other Guests Think About the Situation
Commenters on Reddit were divided in their opinions about the situation. Some felt the guest’s discomfort was valid, while others felt that the issue could have been avoided with clearer communication. Many were sympathetic to the mother’s experience, recognizing that every parent has different comfort levels when it comes to breastfeeding in public spaces.
This situation serves as a reminder of how important it is to ensure that public spaces, especially those intended for new parents, are managed with respect and understanding. The Baby Care Centers at Disney are a fantastic service, but perhaps more attention needs to be paid to how these spaces are utilized.
If you’ve ever used Disney’s Baby Care Centers, you know how valuable these spaces can be. However, if you’ve encountered any issues or discomfort similar to the one shared by ForsakenPianist9310, don’t hesitate to share your experience. Disney has always prided itself on making the guest experience as comfortable as possible, and feedback from parents and caregivers is essential for improving these spaces.
Should there be more strict rules about who is allowed in nursing rooms? Should Disney revise its training procedures for cast members? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below or on social media. Together, we can help ensure that Disney’s Baby Care Centers remain a welcoming and respectful environment for all families.
Something like this happened to me only I was at the Long Beach Memorial Hospital, where my premature baby was in the nursery for a month in the NICU. They let me use the hospital breast pump to pump my milk, and I would do that every day and put it in the freezer for her when she was able to eat they could feed her. She was not able to eat the first two weeks of her life. She was fed to a tube. So I went into the designated nursing lactating room whatever you call it that they told me to go to. They had a nice chair. They gave me the breast pump and there was a sign on the door that said in use that they flipped over. What they didn’t tell me was that there was a second door into that room and through that door walk the janitor who came in to empty the waste baskets. I was mortified to say the least.
It was probably a dei woke trans person who was crazy. Do more training in there and yeah, they don’t care about
Anything.Fire Bob Iger