Walt Disney World while Pregnant

Hello and welcome to Dana’s Mouse Tails! First of all, I want to say a huge THANK YOU, as my blog has reached over 10k page views- this is huge for me, as I simply created this blog for fun at the request of family and friends. Again- thank you for reading, and I truly hope you enjoy what I create!!

(My son Camden at the runDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend Expo at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in November 2017)

I took a few months off from blog posting, but I am back and ready to share! We just returned last night from a wonderful stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge, which was the perfect resort to stay at for a more relaxing Disney vacation. The reason we wanted a more relaxing vacation is that I was 30 weeks pregnant on this trip, and our main goal was simply to have some quality family time together. This was my third trip to WDW while pregnant- I went at about 24 weeks when I was pregnant with my now-four-year-old son, and we went several months ago, back in November 2017 when I was about 16 weeks pregnant.

(A beautiful February day at the Magic Kingdom)

If you travel to WDW early on, during your first and even second trimester, I don’t know that you need to take many precautions unless of course your doctor recommends you do so. In November, I was able to run the Wine and Dine 5k and 10k with absolutely no difficulties or modifications, but I was a runner long before I became pregnant. If I would have had to run a race this past vacation at 30 weeks, I am sure I would have been much slower, and I probably would have walked a lot of the races. The most difficult part of traveling in the beginning of the second trimester was the fact that I could not ride everything with the rest of my family- my son rode Test Track for the first time with my father and husband, and it made me sad that I was not there to experience his first ride! I also found it difficult- and disappointing- that I could not eat the same things that my family was eating. I LOVE shrimp, and the night we visited Cape May Café, a seafood buffet, for dinner, I was unable to enjoy the cold shrimp and cocktail sauce that the rest of my family enjoyed. And then there was the alcohol during the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival- I certainly did miss the Grand Marnier slushie in France, the margaritas in Mexico, and the grapefruit beer in Germany!

('Eating For Two', as my shirt announces- 16 weeks pregnant at the Wine and Dine Fall Feast 5k in November 2017)

When I traveled to WDW back in 2013 at 24 weeks pregnant, I also did not make many modifications, except of course I couldn’t go on the roller coasters, and had the same food and beverage restrictions. This trip was nice because my husband and I had a king bed at Caribbean Beach Resort, and so there was plenty of room to spread out. Now that my son travels with us, we no longer are allowed to book a king-size bed room (in the standard WDW resorts, you can only request this room type if there are two in the room, or two plus an ‘infant’ under the age of three years old).  I will pass on that if you book a Deluxe Villa (one, two, or three-bedrooms), you are given a king-size bed in the master bedroom- if you are traveling pregnant, this may be worth it to you to spend the extra money for a Villa for this very reason!

(In November, we shared a two-bedroom Villa at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa with my parents & aunt- this is the Master Bedroom with a King-Size bed that my husband and I shared)

Traveling in the third trimester at 30 weeks pregnant proved to be just a tad bit more difficult than my previous two trips I’ve mentioned. Besides having to stop at nearly every restroom we passed, I simply moved more slowly this trip. I also had more difficulty sleeping- for this reason, I would recommend bringing a tablet or something else to read in the dark room while the rest of your family sleeps. This had nothing to do with being on vacation, I simply am not sleeping very well in general this pregnancy- many nights I read while my family slept, and days that I woke before dawn, I would do the same. It was nice to be able to read while still keeping the room dark for my sleeping family.

I also would schedule plenty of time to relax, especially if you travel later on in your pregnancy. The day we arrived, we spent several hours in the pool at Jambo House at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and the following day after our brunch reservations, we spent the majority of our day over at the other section of Animal Kingdom Lodge, Kidani Village, playing in their pool and utilizing the kids water play area, Uwanja Camp. We did a lot of activities outside of the theme parks, including bowling at Splitsville Luxury Lanes at Disney Springs, renting a Surrey Bike at the Boardwalk Resort (which my son had been asking to do for MONTHS), and walking around Art of Animation Resort checking out all of the Cars décor (Cars is my son’s favorite movie). These activities were enjoyed at a more relaxing pace than the theme parks, as we didn’t feel like we had to rush through to get our money’s worth as you often feel while in the theme parks. We also checked out many different restaurants at different Disney resorts, which we got to typically via monorail or boat (an enjoyable ride in itself!). Finally, Animal Kingdom Lodge had MANY different cultural activities to enjoy- we could have spent a week at the resort simply enjoying these amenities! I had good intentions to do the cookie-decorating, as well as a tour of one of the restaurants at Animal Kingdom Lodge, both of which were offered daily, but I never got the chance- guess I’ll have to go back! I was, however, able to try out the night-vision glasses, offered every evening for free at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Watching the giraffes roam the savannah at night through these glasses was just breathtaking!

(Playing at Uwanja Camp at Kidani Village at Animal Kingdom Lodge)

(Bowling for three at Splitsville Luxury Lanes)

(Checking out the Cars section of the resort at Art of Animation)

A few final tips would be to stay hydrated- this was the first trip I brought a large water bottle with me, which I kept filled at all times. Go at an easy pace, and don’t schedule too much- this was the first trip that the majority of our days had no set plans- we simply decided we’d see what the weather was, and go from there. We ate when we wanted to eat, rather than letting reservations dictate our plans, which was wonderful. I also took some time for myself while my husband and son rode the rides that I couldn’t when we were at the theme parks. I either wandered around and took photos, or I rode a few of my favorites. While they were off using their FastPass for the Tomorrowland Speedway, for example, I enjoyed a ride through the world of Ariel on Under the Sea- Journey of The Little Mermaid.

(Enjoying a solo spin on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority while my husband and son enjoyed a ride not suitable for pregnant women to ride)

(I DEVOURED this pineapple upside down cake at Aloha Isle in Adventureland- Hey, I'm eating for two!)

(I was still able to enjoy a few 'mocktails' when we visited a lounge at WDW)

I hope that some of these tips will help- if you have any questions, feel free to email me at dana_aimee@hotmail.com. Thanks for joining me, and Happy Travels!