5 Tips to Make Your Pregnant Trip to Disney Great

Going on any trip while pregnant requires some special planning but, a trip to fast paced theme parks requires a lot of planning. I lived and worked at The Most Magical Place on Earth for nearly five years and thought I had done everything in the world there...until now. Going to Disney while pregnant is a completely different machine that what I'm used to. Here are a few things I found to be extra helpful when visiting Disney while pregnant.  

{one} Dress for Comfort

We went to Disney in April when I was rounding on 19 weeks pregnant and when we planned the trip I didn't think the weather would be too hot. I lived there for nearly five years and April was always warm but never miserable. Unfortunately it was 90 degrees without a cloud in the sky. I should've listened to my gut and brought my dri-fit capri pants to wear in the parts but I opted for my cute maternity khaki shorts...big mistake. Some women are fine in shorts but mine ended up being uncomfortable and ultimately ruined my day. Your shoes can make or break your day so this is the one time you can throw fashion to the wind and wear something that feels better than they look.  Listen to your gut and dress in what you know will be comfortable for you for those long hours in the parks.

{two} Don't Rush Meal Time

Let's be real, the food at Disney is one of the greatest reasons to visit when you're pregnant. A bonus is if you plan accordingly your meal time will be an opportunity to cool off and relax indoors. Taking your time during meals in the park will be your saving grace. Enjoy a meal somewhere that you've never visited of fear of too much time being taken up by the dining experience, if there ever was a time to do so it's now!

{three} Utilize Disney's Package Pick-up

If you're anything like me you want to pick up some adorable merchandise for your baby! The only downside is carrying and keeping track of it (oh hey pregnancy brain!) throughout the day. Disney offers a wonderful service called package pickup where you can opt to have your purchases sent to the front of the park to grab on your way out (allow at least 3 hours for it to get up there) or you can pick it up the next day at the main gift shop in your hotel. This came in very handy when my mom bought the baby her personalized "My First Christmas" ornament.

{four} Plan Your Activities Inside and Outside of the Parks

Using Fastpass+ is a wonderful way to plan out your day in the parks but don't let that be the only thing you take time to plan. It's difficult to have an open to close day in the parks while pregnant so plan things that help you still experience the parks. For example I made a late dinner reservation at 'Ohana at the Polynesian and because of our dining time we were able to watch Wishes, the Magic Kingdom fireworks, from the comfort of our table.The restaurant dims the lights and plays the music so you get to enjoy the show without the crowds. This goes for several restaurants at both Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Don't think that every waking minute needs to be spent in the parks...enjoy the pool, see what recreation offers your hotel has, and if you're lucky have some "me time" being pampered at one of the spas on property.

{five} Celebrate this New Chapter

Disney is all about celebrating everyday things and making them magical. The celebration buttons (birthday, anniversary, first visit, etc.) are easy conversation starters for cast members as well as fellow guests. I was lucky enough to find and amazing Etsy shop, CrowleyCastle, that makes adorable custom Disney buttons (seen in the photo above) that you won't find in the parks. We got them to use in our gender reveal and were stopped countless times by people telling us how much they loved them, wishing congratulations to us, and asking where to get them.

One of the greatest things about Disney theme parks is that they hold true to Walt's original vision of everyone, no matter your age or physical restrictions, can have fun together. I suggest planning things out and utilizing the My Disney Experience to scope out what rides are safe for expectant mothers. I didn't feel like this was a half done trip just because I was pregnant and if you plan your trip right you won't either. So girl go to Disney and treat yo' self to all the Dole Whips and Mickey pretzels your little heart desires and have fun on the world famous Peoplemover.