10 Things to Do When Pregnant at Disneyland
Have you ever seen a very pregnant lady at Disneyland fighting the crowds, pushing a 2-year-old in a stroller, and sweltering in the heat and thought, “She looks miserable?” Have you ever been that very pregnant lady at Disneyland? Well, whether you’ve been that Mom-to-be before, will probably be her in the future, or just love someone who’s been pregnant (or will be!) at Disneyland, this article is for you.
Now let me say right up front, going to Disneyland when you’re pregnant may not be the perfect time to go, but it doesn’t have to be a bad time! You can still have a great vacation. Here are a few ideas for you, in honor of mothers and mothers to be. And, if you remembered that this coming Sunday is Mother’s Day, you get a gold star (metaphorically speaking of course)!
1. Consult Your Doctor – The first and most important tip should be the most obvious – talk to your doctor before you go. Make sure he’s/she’s okay with the walking, the standing, the heat, and everything else that’s typical of a Disneyland vacation. You’re not the first person to ask, and they know what you need.
2. Listen to the Ride Restrictions – If a ride says it’s not for expectant mothers, it’s not for expectant mothers. Don’t do it. You may be fine, but it’s not worth it. The ride will still be there the next time you visit. You won’t be pregnant forever, even though it may feel like it.
3. Ride Some Rides – Don’t worry, there are some rides you can ride! As long as you can get in and out of the vehicles safely, there are several rides that offer no drops, sharp terms or jarring of any kind. In the Disneyland Park, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, and it’s a small world all come immediately to mind. In Disney California Adventure, The Little Mermaid-Ariel’s Undersea Adventure is your tamest option there. But again, carefully look at those ride restrictions each time before boarding a ride!
4. See the Shows – Disneyland has some excellent shows. Shows that no guest should miss, pregnant or not! Disney’s Aladdin-A Musical Spectacular is my favorite show in any park. World of Color is an incredible nighttime show that’s worth going to bed a little late for. Everybody likes the Enchanted Tiki Room, and Billy Hill and the Hillbillies will have you laughing until your sides hurt. I think laughing is safe, right? So go to the shows! There are a lot of options. You could spend a whole day just seeing the shows!
5. Walk Through Attractions – There are several attractions that you walk through. No climbing in vehicles, just walk right through! The Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough has stairs, but if you can handle that, it’s worth some time. Tarzan’s Treehouse is another one with a lot of stairs, but it’s fun. The Disney Gallery is an art gallery where I always enjoy spending a lot of time browsing. Speaking of browsing, take some time to shop. You don’t have to buy, although my husband will agree that I’ve never mastered that ability; just take some time to walk through. There are stores everywhere! Hello, Mickey baby clothes!
6. Street Entertainment – Stop and see some of the more informal shows, otherwise known as Street Entertainment or Atmosphere Entertainment. It’s not quite as spontaneous as it may seem, the street entertainment options are listed in your times guide. You can catch the very popular barbershop quartet known as the Dapper Dans on Main Street, U.S.A., or the newer, excellent Five & Dime on Buena Vista Street. Check your times guide!
7. Resort Activities – At the onsite resorts, there are probably some resort activities going on during the day like Storytelling by the Hearthside Lounge at the Grand Californian. Maybe even an animation class! Or, just take a break by the beautiful fireplace in the Grand. Relax in one of the rocking chairs and take a (big) load off.
8. Swim – If your doctor didn’t restrict you from swimming, and you don’t mind putting on a swimsuit, a swim is a great way to relax and rejuvenate. One of my friends told me swimming in the resort pool was the most wonderful thing at the end of the day. She said the feeling of a “weightless belly” after all that walking was just glorious. I must say I laughed at the image of a weightless belly. I’ve had two children, I’m allowed to laugh at that by the way.
9. Take Breaks – This is important. You cannot wear yourself out and still enjoy yourself. Not to mention, I’m sure it’s not good for you or the baby. No, I’m not a doctor, but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express before (OK, that’s an old joke, but I’m really not a doctor…). On this trip more than ever, you must take breaks! Go to the room and nap. Find a shady spot and kick your heels up. Have a relaxing meal at a sit down restaurant. There are a lot of options, just make yourself do it!
10. Take care of yourself – In addition to resting, listen to your body. Take care of it. Stay hydrated with lots of water. Wear the most comfortable walking shoes ever. If your feet have grown, splurge and get a bigger size making sure to break them in before you arrive at Disneyland. Better yet, get two pairs so you can alternate. If you’re worn out, don’t be embarrassed, get a wheelchair. There’s no shame in needing to be off your feet when you’re pregnant! Do what you need to do.
Bonus – Don’t pick baby names at Disney. No matter how much you loved Maleficent in Fantasmic!, it’s not a good baby’s name. Wait at least two weeks after returning home before deciding. You may need some distance from the Magic to get an honest perspective.
So, have you done Disney pregnant? What worked or didn’t work for you?
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I was 5 months and visited WDW in February 2010 so weather was nice and cold. I did ride Pirates and thought it was fine and also did ride Kilimanjaro Safaris but asked to sit in first row. I really don’t see why they have a sign for pregnant women not to ride that one. If anyone lives on a farm on bumpy roads then there is not much difference! That was the only ride with a warning that I did ride. I avoided all others. I still had a great time. My husband took my girls on all thrill rides while I enjoyed the shops and just watching people! Now my almost 3 year old loves Disney (he’s been twice) and can’t wait to be back in a couple months.
I feel amazingly jarred after Kilimanjaro! I’d be worried about that one. But I’m glad it worked for you, MW. And you’re right, you can have a great time without riding the thrill rides!
Not pregnant, but I imagine the character meets would be fun and baby safe!
Good call, Lynn! I can’t imagine a scenario where they wouldn’t be!
We went to disney world around the last week of july with my wife, unknown to us at the time that she was pregnant for about a month already with twins… we rode every single thrill ride in all the parks and universal studios island of adventure… she was lucky because we have had three miscarriages prior to this past pregnancy, but she felt it on our last day at magic kingdom when she started getting easily dizzy… now we have our two boys and its crazy to think she was pregnant because if she would have known, she would have not ridden any of them!
I’m so glad she was okay, Eldian! Do the twins like thrill rides? 🙂
hahaha I hope so, I want to take them to disney when they are tall enough for the minimum height requirement, but I will try to break them in to carnivals and theme parks to see how they handle thrill rides, so far they are only two months old and have no complaints when they are seating in their swingers 😛
Woohoo! They’re well on their way then! 🙂
I’ve never done Disneyland, but I’ve been to WDW 5 times during 4 different pregnancies (and yes, that means the last time I was there pregnant we also had 4 kids with us). Two things I would add is first to actually stop, and sit down for a drink and snack often. Planning a slower than usual pace always makes things run smoother for me. Second, study the map and KNOW where all the bathrooms are ahead of time. My husband actually photoshopped an old park map to mark the best bathrooms and note the bathrooms to avoid.
Pirates of the Caribbean never bothered me during pregnancy, but there is a drop and everyone is different so just know what you can handle. Also remember there is a bump or a few at the end of all the slow boat rides like Small World, when the boats are jostling each other to reach the unload area. I ride Soarin’ every time, even though it is not recommended during pregnancy… that’s not a jarring/bumping issue, but more of a dizziness issue.
Those are all great tips, Cynthia. And your husband is awesome! Haha!
Avoid the pirates ride at wdw when pregnant. It was not listed as restricted when I was there and pregnant but the drop was big enough that it was uncomfortable and I worried the rest of the day that I might have hurt the baby (he was fine)
Better safe than sorry, Anne! Good tip!
I went with my best friend to Disneyland when she was eight months pregnant with her first child. We had a great time! OK, we didn’t go on the fast/bumpy rides and we rented a wheelchair so she’d last longer, but we had a great time! By ruling out the fast/bumpy rides, we had more time for activities that we often missed in our usual park-storming mode: shows, shopping, dining, character meets, etc. The gentler pace also put us in the right frame of mind for enjoying the many smaller joys and details of the park.
In many ways, it was similar to how I expect we’ll go to Disneyland when we’re very old. And you can bet we’re not going stop going when we can’t be as hard-charging as we used to be. A great strength of the Disney parks is that they are fun at different speeds.
It’s so true. When you take out the thrill rides, you really do get to appreciate things you never took time for before.
I love that analogy!
Yes, DO talk with your doctor. I was not far along and my doctor OK’d me for all rides. I did however fall asleep in all air conditioned attractions! We planned our day to avoid large line ups and certainly took advantage of FastPasses. I took some extra breaks – the people watching was fun.
I took a hat and a bandana to wet and wear around my neck and had a waterbottle with me wherever we went. As long as you pace yourself and listen to your body it can be just as much fun as ever!
The hat and bandana is a great idea! Very helpful in those hot months!
Not Disneyland, but we did WDW resort while I was pregnant this past December. I did everything we normally do except ride the coasters and the big water rides (I left these for my dh while I stayed with our 2 yo). Took more breaks than normal, but also ate more chocolate covered bananas and drank more water than normal, staying cool and hydrated was a priority. It was just as much fun as it always is! I have to admit though, the Mad Tea Party did NOT help my morning (aka all day) sickness. But, the goofy mints did 🙂
The one place I did make a concession to play it safe was with any of the petting zoo animals. I would not pet them and was very careful, even without petting them, to wash my hands diligently when we left their area. It just wasn’t worth taking any risks.
Oh, and as an afterthought, my dh wanted to name our first child Maleficent, and was campaigning hard for it for this one, too (neither child is named Maleficent).
That. Is. Hilarious.
Eating more chocolate covered bananas is good! And good tip on the petting zoo. 🙂
In general, you are more at risk from the bathrooms (and all the sick children!) at theme parks than petting zoos. I understand being really cautious though. 🙂