My family has a tradition of taking kids to Disneyland for the first time right before their third birthday. (Kids are free until they turn 3, so this was probably our budget-friendly loophole ha!) My siblings and I all participated in this tradition as kids, and now that I have children of my own I’m doing it too.

My oldest boy got to go to Disneyland just before his third birthday, but by the time my second boy turned three…I’d just had a third baby! I hesitated before booking a trip, but circumstances aligned and we ended up with a perfect opportunity to go — seven weeks after the baby was born. I’d never taken such a young infant to a theme park, but I figured we could handle it. By that time he was already being dragged around all over the place to his older brothers’ activities anyway, so this was just par for the course. #thirdkidproblems And guess what? It ended up being my most favorite trip to Disneyland EVER — and taught me a lesson I try to share with all my clients: enjoy slow Disney. My whole life I’ve gone to Disney parks with one goal: squeeze as much magic into each day as possible. That meant running from ride to ride, eating at the best restaurants, watching all the parades and shows. That also meant busy days with no time to stop and enjoy my surroundings.

But with a newborn — I moved slower. I sat and nursed him on benches and outdoor patios and just listened to the amazing Disney music and took it all in — the smells, the smiles, the Cast Members making magic in small ways all around me. And watching my baby coo up at the birds in Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room is one of the best memories of my LIFE because it was so adorable. Babies at Disneyland — totally do-able. They might even help you make your best memory yet.