30 weeks pregnant at Disney, help!

[mocha22]

Hi all,

My husband and almost 5 year old daughter and I are going to WDW next Monday. I will be 30 weeks pregnant, and honestly have a hard time walking around as it is, so I'm dreading the trip. Any tips and tricks to make the trip more manageable, keep the pain at a minimum and have the most fun?

This is our first trip there so I don't want to ruin it with all the pregnancy symptoms. I get sciatica from walking around too much anyway so any tips on what shoes are the best to wear? Anything to help with the back pain and pressure felt with pregnancy?

Thank you!

 

[dachsie]

I know you are young and people think they are for the older folks, but have you considered renting a scooter to get around with? It might make things easier for you

 

[randumb0]

When my wife was 7 months pregnant we rented a wheel chair whenever we visited a park. Have you considered renting one?

 

[michbaron]

I’ve done other parks very pregnant but not as big as Disney, I would just recommend going slow and taking time to enjoy the scenery and sit on a bench to have a snack, watch some shows or go on some long dark rides to break up the day and get off your feet, maybe schedule a character meal with your 5 year olds favorites characters so you don’t need to stand in line to meet them

 

[Meglen]

Scooter or Wheel Chair. I dont think there would be any other way for your to enjoy the time in the park.

 

[StarSeven7]

On my first trip to Disney, I was 31 weeks pregnant and we had our DD who was 2.5 at the time. I joked with my DH about renting a wheelchair and he said if I couldn't get around by myself then we weren't going! We spent 4 days at the parks with a day off at our rental house in between. I would definitely recommend getting a maternity support belt! I wouldn't have survived without that! I had comfortable tennis shoes for walking all day in and I was mostly fine. Tired, but fine! We took breaks just at the parks to rest - we didn't go back to our hotel for a midday break at all. Honestly, I was so excited to be at Disney for the first time that I think adrenaline kept me going!

 

[MrsDuck]

Definitely rent the ECV. Between the heat, sciatica, and general preggo symptoms, you'll want it.

 

[twoolle]

Definitely wear tennis shoes!

 

[sponica]

Hang out in the pool when you get back from the parks.

get sneakers NOW if you haven't already, there's nothing worse than breaking shoes in at DisneyWorld. (My favorite sneakers when pregnant were skechers with foam in-soles, it was like walking on pillows.)

 

[dbb727]

These are my tips (from working 13hr on my feet in hospital setting, which is kinda similar):
-Definitely invest in a maternity support belt, you’ll be able to use it the rest of your pregnancy too if you are already experiencing sciatic pain. I know it gets hot with another layer, but it should help a lot with back and belly pain.
-Wear athletic shoes, and try them out for a week or two beforehand to make sure they are supportive yet broken in. -Lastly, I’d also wear compression stocking to minimize swelling from being on your feet all day. If you have a flight or car ride more than 2hrs, it’s also a good idea to wear compression stockings and get up to stretch your legs every 2hrs too as you are more at risk for blood clots.
- Stay hydrated, drink lots of fluids.
Also, if the sciatic pain gets really bad, look into seeing a chiroprator who specializes in maternity. I waited way too long and suffered when I didn’t need too. Enjoy your trip!

 

[TravelingTotMom]

We just did a week at WDW last month when I was 18-19 weeks (not as far along as you, but I already started experiencing hip pain and leg cramps). Here's what worked best for me:

-ADRs for lunch. We would get there close to rope drop, have our FastPass+ scheduled for late morning/early afternoon, and then have a nice, long, air-conditioned sit-down lunch at a table service restaurant. It helped make sure I was eating enough (and had some more nutritious options), and it was a wonderful break. Then we kept the afternoons open. I have an almost four year old, so the flexibility in the afternoon was great for both of us.

-Mix in shows between rides. DH and DS aren't big into the shows, but I insisted. It was nice having a break to sit down, plus entertainment. I would also go to shows by myself while they went on rides I couldn't do (like I watched Festival of the Lion King while they went on Kilimanjaro Safaris).

-Are you taking a stroller for your daughter? Pushing the stroller actually helped stretch out my back, but let your husband push it up inclines, like the ramps up to the monorail.

-If you go to Animal Kingdom, take your daughter to the Boneyard (a cool playground area). If you go up the ramps all the way to the left when you enter, there is a bridge that takes you to the dig site, which is like a big sandbox area with "fossils." It's more like a rounded gravel than sand, but kids love it. It's also shaded with fans, and there are ledges that you can sit on and take a nice long break while your child plays.

-And don't forget to drink lots of water. All of the counter service restaurants will give you free glasses of ice water. Just ask.