Traveling to Disney World While Pregnant
By: Jersey Diva
I was 20 weeks pregnant with Jersey Baby #3 when we took our first family trip to Disney World. The first 18 weeks of my pregnancy were no joke. I was beyond sick almost everyday. When Hurricane/Super Storm Sandy hit, I was hit with a 4 week stomach bug…which ended about 1 week before we were set to leave for Disney. Seeing as how I was the unofficial travel agent for my family I was so nervous I was going to be sick the entire time and ruin the trip for all 10 of us. Apparently, the big man upstairs is also a Disney fan and took pity on me because 3 days before we were set to leave, I starting feeling so much better.
Traveling to Disney World while pregnant is not too much different than traveling while not pregnant. Of course there are restrictions but I didn’t feel like I missed out on TOO much. Getting to take a picture with Jersey Daughters and Minnie was a wonderful experience my oldest still hasn’t stopped talking about.
Taking a family picture with Mickey was something we
all soon will not forget. Youngest Jersey Daughter was not all too happy about it but being able to be in that picture was a blessing. 
So much so, I had to give Mickey a kiss…just love him to pieces. You can really see my Jersey baby bump here. Guess he/she really loves Mickey too!
One important thing to remember while pregnant, whether traveling to Disney World or not, don’t forget to eat! Here I am having my first ever Falafal in Morocco in Epcot. I’ll be honest, it wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever tasted, but Jersey Baby loved it! It also helped me travel through the rest of the Countries on our way to lunch at Askerhus in Norway.
Another important thing to remember is to stay hydrated. When we traveled, we had the Dining Plan which included insulated drink mugs. Although we were only able to fill the mugs (for free) at the resort, we would fill them each morning before heading out to the parks and bring extra bottles of water to refill them, after getting ice from a vendor, which is free! I also made sure to drink some PowerAde each day to give me extra hydration.
Other important things to remember are:
- Comfortable walking shoes (preferably elasticized to accommodate swollen ankles)
- Rest often: The extra walking makes your body work even harder
- Choose “safe” rides and heed the ride’s warnings
- Bring medical records if necessary
- Check with your doctor first
- Read your travel insurance carefully, to make sure you will be covered if, God forbid, any emergencies arise.
There ARE some restrictions while enjoying your time in the parks, sorry to say. They are broken down by park below:
Magic Kingdom
Hollywood Studios
Epcot
Mission Space
Animal Kingdom
Dinosaur
Kali River Rapids
Kali River Rapids
There may be some that I am forgetting and I apologize for that. Follow your instincts and the signs posted at each ride’s entrance.
If you are still on the fence about traveling to Disney World while pregnant, let me leave you with a few pluses:
While you are waiting for the non-pregnant members of your group, imagine all you will get to see. I was able to catch numerous parades while waiting. A case of being in the right place at the right time. Youngest Jersey Daughter and Jersey Niece loved that since they was usually waiting with me. I also saw Ginnifer Goodwin walking through Tomorrowland on the day of the big Fantasyland Grand Opening. I would have totally missed that had I been on Space Mountain with the adults. Don’t get me wrong, I did miss seeing oldest Jersey Daughter’s face on Big Thunder Mountain, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror but I know that was an experience she and Jersey Husband will never forget and I’m ok with that.
Traveling to Disney World while pregnant is not out of the question at all. You just have to remember to take care of you and your baby first and foremost. It can be done. Many women have done it before and many will continue to do it. Most importantly, HAVE FUN!!!
~Jersey Diva
Did you have any problems with the lap bar on any of the rides? All I can picture is a 5 month pregnant me being booted off Winnie the Pooh because my preggo belly is too big!
Have there been any other rides besides splash mountain that have had lap bars installed? Small world?