Being pregnant at Disney World doesn’t have to be miserable. You can have a fantastic vacation while pregnant. Yes, you will need to eat and drink more often and yes, you may need to rest more, but that shouldn’t hinder the fact you can have a blast!
Please Note: I went to Disney World in the beginning of the second trimester of a healthy pregnancy with my midwife’s permission. I am not a medical professional. Do not take any of my recommendations or go on any vacations without speaking with your care provider first.
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1. Drink Lots of Water
My first recommendation and possibly the most important one is to drink tons of water! I stopped at just about every quick service location I saw to get a FREE cup of water. I was pregnant at Disney World the last weekend of May to say it was hot is an understatement. If I had to wait a few minutes in line to get a cup of water, it was worth it. I also brought along a water bottle to fill up at water fountains. Drinking water is very important during pregnancy and even more so when it’s hot and you are walking around. Make sure to stay hydrated!
2. Dress Comfortably
I love looking super cute at Disney and pretty much can always be found with at least a little makeup on. This is not the vacation to try and wear heels and a cute dress to Disney World. Some people will read this and think who goes to Disney in dresses and heels, but trust me people do it. Looking cute can include work out clothes especially when you are carrying around an extra person and it’s over 90 degrees. In the winter, the heat may not be an issue, but you will still want to be comfy. Maybe go for leggings and comfortable roomy top. Also, test out your shoes before you travel! I wore Birkenstocks, which are amazing, but I didn’t break them in and ended the first day with blisters. (If you break them in they are amazing and perfect pregnancy shoes) Luckily, I had my back up Keds to the rescue and while my feet still hurt then entire time, I was able to keep up. I changed before dinner each night because I was sweaty and it was cooler at night.
3. Eat Often
This goes right along with drinking a lot of water. You’re going to be hungry and you might be picky. We had dinner reservations at night and that was perfect. The rest of the time we ate whenever I was hungry and snacked often. The restaurants we ate at were Be Our Guest in the Magic Kingdom, Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Kindani Village and Biergarten in Epcot. I absolutely loved all three places and highly recommend them. Each menu offered a diverse selection and Biergarten is a buffet (or a pregnant ladies dream). The day we spent in Epoct was perfect because the Flower & Garden Festival was happening and I could basically eat constantly in Epcot’s World Showcase. At that point in my pregnancy, I was hungry nonstop. I highly recommend snacking around the world when you visit.
4. Try All the Kids Drinks
I went with a group of adult women, so drinking was on the table and I was worried I’d feel left out. Low and behold I discovered that Disney has almost as many fun non-alcoholic drinks as alcoholic ones. I tried so many fun drinks and have a whole new list of favorites for my next visit. If you didn’t drink alcohol before you were pregnant this probably isn’t a big deal to you, but it was extremely fun to seek out and try and find the best non-alcoholic drink! Some of the drinks were super sugary and at first, I was a little worried I’d overdone it on the sugar, but they were so delicious I decided I just didn’t care. I may have gone a little frozen drink crazy, but hey it was extremely hot outside and they kept me cool right.
My favorite was the Violet Lemonade, which is sadly only offered during the Flower & Garden Festival. My runners up were LeFou’s Brew, get one at Gaston’s Tavern in the Magic Kingdom and Night Blossom available at Pongu Pongu in the Pandora Section of Animal Kingdom.
5. You Can Still Ride Rides
You won’t be challenging anyone to the front row of Expedition Everest, but you can still ride many of the rides at Disney World. Disney does a great job on their website listing each and every ride that pregnant women should not go on. Also, discuss this with your care provider. I looked up every ride I thought we might go on and basically stuck to the moto that if an infant or small toddler could ride it so could the I. At Animal Kingdom you will be extremely limited, even the safari ride is out, but you can walk the Animal trails, see shows, ride Na’vi River Journey in the new Pandora section and enjoy all the fun around the park. I basically became the bag holder at this park and that’s okay because I was tired and could rest. The other parks offer a lot more options for things you can ride, Magic Kingdom has the most! You will be able to ride the majority there as this park is the most geared towards families.
6. Rest and Take Breaks
This sounds like a given, but really it’s hard when there is so much to do and see. You do have to go slower. This may be easier for those of you who are traveling with family and have little ones already. With my group, we typically are up early and stay in the parks late, so it can be really hard to be the one to slow everyone down. One thing that really helped me was going back to the resort to change clothes and rest a minute. We stayed on property, so it was a quick bus ride back to our resort and we could clean up for dinner. This provided me with a chance to sit and even shut my eyes for a minute while we changed. A nice pool break in the afternoon is another great idea, especially when it’s hot out! Disney resorts have some amazing resorts and pools, use them! If you can’t leave the park, find a bench in the shade or warmth depending on the season. Going to see an indoor show is another perfect place to rest up while still having fun!
7. Get Sleep
I feel like you are saying, these recommendations are common sense, but seriously when you are at Disney World these things can be hard to do! A Disney vacation while pregnant is not the vacation that you should be opening up and closing down the parks. It’s really important to sleep. You can, however, do either an early morning or a late night in the park. When you stay on property utilizing Extra Magic hours makes it even easier to get the things you want to do in without needing the whole day.
If your group are early risers get up and go to the park to experience rope drop and the mad dash to get the best rides before the crowds or that perfect castle shot without anyone else in it, but then leave the park to go back to your resort and to bed before you are at the point of exhaustion. If you’re a night owl and can’t stand the thought of missing out on closing down the park, do it, just don’t get to the park at park opening that day. Sleep in a little and have a leisurely breakfast. I promise your trip won’t be ruined if you don’t see every parade, firework show and ride every ride.
Use a Travel Agent to book your vacation
Whatever you decide to do while at Disney World, you can have a fabulous time while pregnant! A travel agent can help you have the best vacation possible by booking you at a resort close enough to the parks to allow for easy breaks, reserve dining reservations, and help you plan an itinerary. They will help you greatly reduces the time you’ll stand in line.
Do you have any additional tips for pregnant mamas heading to Disney World? We’d love to hear them in the comments!
