Disney Fantasy It’s a Small World Nursery… You’ll want it to be a small world after all š
One of the facilities I was most interested to check out on our Disney Fantasy cruise, was the It’s a Small World Nursery. Not every family resort or cruise offers infant and baby care, but if they do it’s usually pretty good. The Disney Fantasy was no exception. It’s not free, like at Beaches Turks & Caicos, but it’s not a full day rate like at Club Med. In fact, the pay-as-you-go rate of $6.00 US per hour is incredibly reasonable. Bub couldn’t wait to go!
Since he was just shy of his third birthday, I was a little worried that he would find the area a little too babyish. Not the case! He really seemed to enjoy the smaller scale of Small World. When my husband went to pick him up after an hour, he didn’t want to leave… A good sign, I think! We let him stay for another hour š
It’s a Small World Nursery’s Policies & Procedures:
I spoke with Manda, one of the lovely staff members, about the policies that It’s a Small World Nursery follows. For infants aged 14mos. and younger, the ratio of staff to babies is 1-4. For older babies aged 14mos. and up, the ratio is 1-6. There is usually a staff of 8 standing by, but they can always call someone in if things get busy. On the Disney Dream, the maximum number of babies they could manage was 28. Manda anticipated the same for the Disney Fantasy. Reservations are recommended, but they can take walk-ins as capacity allows.
As with the Oceaneer Club and Lab, you can pre-register your kids online. Check under āMy Cruise Plansā in your online cruise profile for the option for registering. Wristbands are not given for the little ones. The It’s a Small World Nursery is open from 9am to 11pm – sometimes opening at 7am – and they offer open house time during the first two at-sea days.
Dropping Off…
When dropping off your baby, you leave with the staff their food and/or bottles, diapers and wipes, and napping instructions. If your little one is not exactly thrilled with being left, the staff will try to comfort and distract. Manda advised that most usually calm down within a few minutes. However, they will page parents for further instructions if the baby cannot be comforted after 15 minutes. If your little one cannot be comforted after 30 minutes, the staff will page you to come pick them up.
If your baby or toddler falls down and goes boom while in the care of the Disney Fantasy It’s a Small World Nursery, the staff will administer ice packs and/or band-aids, and will call you straight away. Usually the children are fine to stay but the staff leaves that decision to your discretion. If a “protein spill” happens (Disney-speak for vomit – love it!) they will call you to come pick up your child right away. They can return to the nursery once you’ve received clearance from the medical team. They need to determine if the “protein spill” was a one-time upset stomach, or a virus that could affect the staff and other attendees of the nursery.
How much does It’s a Small World Nursery cost?
The cost of the It’s a Small World Nursery is $6.00/hour. This is remarkably reasonable, I think, considering the level of care and quality of the surroundings. It’s spotless, and the various zones are so nicely decorated and soothing (and clutter-free) it makes me wish our daycares at home could maintain that level of cleanliness and tidiness. One thing I noticed about the staff at It’s a Small World (and most of the kids’ staff, actually) is that they’re mostly Brits, Aussies, and Kiwis – I think it’s the accent (think Mary Poppins) that inspires extra confidence in the child care department.
I wasn’t able to utilize baby and kids clubs at resorts until my firstborn was past-two. But that’s me and my helicopter parent tendencies, not lack of confidence in any of the facilities I’ve come across. Bub did great at FDR Resort and his vacation nanny in Jamaica when he was 16mos., but my mother-in-law was also there with him. But I recognize that other (most?) parents are not as hover-y as I am. Plus, having 2nd and 3rd kids often means A) you’re more relaxed about leaving them in the care of others; and B) you’re in more need of a break! Knowing there are resorts and cruises like Disney Cruise Line that offer exemplary infant and toddler care is a real bonus for parents who just need some grown-up time.
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See Also:
- Disney Cruise Lineās Disney Fantasy Cruise
- Character Dining with Toddlers
- Disney World Tips & Tricks for Visiting with Three Young Kids
- Tips for Disney with Toddlers
- Can You Enjoy Walt Disney World If You Hate Theme Parks?
- Best Walt Disney World Rides for Babies & Toddlers
- A Complete Guide to Canadaās Wonderland with a Baby or Toddler
[…] 3 years of age, for an additional fee of $6.00/hr. Reservations are recommended for the It’s A Small World nursery, but walk-ins are usually accepted without issue if the ship is not at capacity. For the tween set, […]