Traveling to WDW pregnant vs. with an infant

[disneygirl76]

Hi All,

So my DH and I like to plan a trip to WDW every year. We are considering doing a cruise next year - the new cruise out of NYC to Canada. However, we are bouncing around the idea of going to WDW instead. Here's the thing, we are currently going through IVF so we have a choice, either go pregnant or after just having a baby. I understand that there are limitations to both. I'm a nanny and am very confident with traveling and doing things with an infant. And I know there are rides and attractions that I can and can not go on if I am pregnant. I understand that with these limitations, a cruise probably makes the most sense. However, if we go to WDW instead, I would like the thoughts and opinions on going pregnant or just after having a baby.

Thank you in advance for info! :wave:

 

[jlevis]

I'm a guy so what do I know! :lol: I but I wish you the best.

 

[kangaand2roos]

Let me say I never did either, we waitied until we had a toddler before going but that said if I were to pick one of the two, I would pick going with a newborn. I was a miserable pregnant person. The first part of my pregnancies I was sick constantly, I had maybe a month and a half of being relatively comfortable and pregnant and then I felt huge, uncomfortable, swollen and with my daughter I was put on bed rest. Now if I had added a week of walking all day long in FL heat, forget it. Thankfully my kids were wonderful infants no colic or any health issues. Newborns nap alot and it would make for a more pleasant vacation for you. It still wouldn't be easy though. Regardless of what you decide, I wish you good luck

 

[angela02]

My experience showed that both situations require a lot of stops but for different reasons. We took our youngest at 4 months and I spent most of the time carrying him around in the Baby Bjorn. We had no issues at all and he was able to ride many of the rides and was big eyed the entire time. The pictures are fun to compare to each trip we have taken since. To watch him grow at Disney is really special if you are a Disney fan. I thought Disney made it very easy to take a little one and still enjoyed the trip.

As far as being pregnant you do make a lot of stops but it is to use the restroom or to take a break. You just do what you want and need to do and it will be a wonderful experience. Considering a trip when it is not hot outside would be best but that something I know that you know.

I treasure both experiences and for me it was very easy and memorable.
You will have some tell you not to take the trip but if you have been many times b/f I think you feel less of a need to see everything and instead just do what you enjoy and what you can. Congratulations on building a family. I look forward to hearing what you decide.

 

[bgraham34]

My experience showed that both situations require a lot of stops but for different reasons. We took our youngest at 4 months and I spent most of the time carrying him around in the Baby Bjorn. We had no issues at all and he was able to ride many of the rides and was big eyed the entire time. The pictures are fun to compare to each trip we have taken since. To watch him grow at Disney is really special if you are a Disney fan. I thought Disney made it very easy to take a little one and still enjoyed the trip.

As far as being pregnant you do make a lot of stops but it is to use the restroom or to take a break. You just do what you want and need to do and it will be a wonderful experience. Considering a trip when it is not hot outside would be best but that something I know that you know.

I treasure both experiences and for me it was very easy and memorable.
You will have some tell you not to take the trip but if you have been many times b/f I think you feel less of a need to see everything and instead just do what you enjoy and what you can. Congratulations on building a family. I look forward to hearing what you decide.

This is pretty much the same experience my wife and I had. We absolutely loved both times. It was awesome taking my then 5 month old. He enjoyed looking at all the new sites.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I think a lot of this depends on time of year, the pregnancy and/or the infant.

I know people who were full of energy and fairly comfortable right up until the end of their pregnancy. I am not one of those people! :lol: With DD5, everyone kept telling me that my 2nd trimester would be bliss, but I managed to come down with several minor ailments that made me miserable. She was a summer baby and we live in TX, so my third trimester was pure torture. I wound up on bed rest for a while. After she was born, it was probably a good 6-7 weeks before I felt like myself. My pregnancy with DD2 was easier- no ailments or bed rest - and even though she's never been a great sleeper- I started feeling like I wanted to be out and about and do things only a couple weeks after having her. While I wasn't brave enough to travel with DD5 until she was about 9 mos old, I managed air travel by myself with both girls when the older one was about 2 1/2 and the younger was about 5 mos.

All this being said, I have one friend who jetted off to the islands just a little over a week after her first son was born and I have another friend who went on vacay in Hawaii a few weeks after her second was born.

Based on all of this...if it were me, I wouldn't have wanted to do more than a cruise if I was actually pregnant at the time of vacay; however, I'd probably brave the parks with an infant if I was hitting that comfortable post birth stage.

Best wishes to you!!! :wave:

 

[Goofy6294]

My wife and I went to the World once when she was about 5 months pregnant as well as another time when our middle child was 8 months old. As previously mentioned, you'll need multiple rest breaks for various reasons whether it's before or after the birth of your child. Depending on how far along you are in your pregnancy, not only will you be limited on ride selection, but you may have issues being on your feet as much as a visit requires.

Frankly, if I had to choose between the two, I'd pick going to WDW while you're pregnant, since you don't want to run into any medical issues while you're on the boat.

As far as a post-pregnancy vacation, I'd have to go with WDW as well. My wife and I went on a cruise sans kids, and I can't imagine us having had a baby on the boat.

I think that whichever choice you make, you'll have a great time. Congrats and good luck!

 

[snookie5605]

i just went to disney in november/december 2010 and i was 5-6 months pregnant while down there. it really wasnt that bad. yeah there are a lot of rides you cant do but thats ok, theres plenty of time for that. the walking is a lot...i know i really "popped" when i got down there so getting big was a little hard with walking. my feet hurt pretty much every day, but other than that it wasnt bad. if you are going to go, i would just suggest to schedule in some breaks for yourself. you can also relax while other people are going on the rides you cant go on. we arent taking our princess until she is almost 3 which will be in march 2014 so i dont know anything about going with a baby/toddler. good luck with getting pregnant!

 

[disneygirl76]

Thank you for the insight everyone!! I did forget times didn't I! If all goes well, then the baby would be due at the end of July ish. I do not go to WDW in June, July or August. Its too insane. So we were thinking of a trip in March/April/May so I would be about 4 - 6 months pregnant. And then if we waited until after the baby is born, it would be late October - so the baby would be about 3 months old. I think I have ruled out the cruise based on the point from above that said, you don't want any medical issues on the boat. I didn't even think of that!!!! Thank you for that point.

I love the idea of taking an infant so that you can see them grow at Disney. That does mean a lot to me. I work very hard in order to get our family to Disney each year and hope to continue that when we have children. And I love the idea of taking a trip with my DH one more time, just the two of us. I think it would be a great experience and a great way to have fun and relax before the baby comes. So I think if all goes well, we will be planning a trip in the spring of next year. And then wait to go with the little one in 2013.

Thank you for all the advice and points. It is greatly appreciated! :wave:

 

[BelleofDE]

I would double check Disney Cruise's website because I'm pretty sure you are not allowed to cruise after 24 weeks pregnant. I'm not sure how far along you'd be at the point where you want to cruise, but that is something you should keep in mind.

 

[bgraham34]

My wife and I had an incredible last trip while she was pregnant before my son came along. It is probably a better idea to have time to yourselves before your life is turned upside down. Enjoy..

 

[EvilQueen-T]

i've been pregnant doing disney and if you love doing a lot of rides you can feel a little disappointed. depending on the time of year you go and how far along you are can make a big difference as well, if you're big pregnant between april and september you can be miserable in florida (i had an august and a september baby and live in florida so i'm speaking from experience hot and huge don't mix well).

for the newborn side i personally really don't get the point of taking a newborn or even a child under 1 to disney but that's just me. i'd either wait to go until they are older or leave them with a grandparent. there are plenty of years to take them when they can interact more. to me taking a newborn would be like just taking extra stuff to carry along. i could see it more on a cruise but not at the theme parks. just my opinion. i'm sure you'll have a fantastic time either way.

 

[nc_disneyfreak]

hey everyone...

i am a guy but i do have a little insight...last april i took my family to WDW for our first visit (all star movies) it was myself, my wife, and my 4 yr old stepson...we had a blast....anyways, two days before we left, I found out that my wife was pregnant! talk about a boost to our already elevated disneyness lol...now, she just found out so although she was only about a month along, she did fine, being my first biological kid, i was jacked up about being overly cautious and she did stay off the teacups lol....sophia was born dec. 21st 2010 (great christmas present) and now we have just a hair over six months till our 2nd trip to WDW (april 28th-may 5th, all star sports) shell be about a yr and a half and she already smiles big when i show her mickey mouse playhouse! never to early...its going to be great watching the kids every 2 yrs at wdw growing up....

 

[SallyShine]

I went to WDW in Oct 06 when I was 7 1/2 months pregnant. It is true that there are quite a few rides you can't go on, but you can still find lots to do. I just made sure I drank lots of water and got a good nights sleep. You will have a blast.

 

[Firepath]

We did a Disney Land trip with our 8 wk. old daughter. She slept 90% of the time so it was easy, but would not have been fun had she been colicy like her brother. Keep in mind, if you are doing IVF, there's a good chance you could have twins. Best of luck to you! :wave:

 

[ladydi]

Like the last poster said- IVF often results in twins. With that said it might be best for you to wait for your IVF results before you do any planning. I had twins and although I had a relatively uneventful pregnancy, you are considered high risk. By six months, I felt like I had a torpedo strapped to my belly! My boys were very good babies but a trip to WDW when they were infants would have pushed me over the edge. However, I could see that one infant esp with your past experience as a nanny could be very doable.

 

[slappy magoo]

My wife Slappette, our daughter Slapperina, and I are soon expecting Slapperennia. Yeah, that sounds right. We had a trip planned for this past August, but after my wife's oven got officially re-bun-ified, we nixed it. Florida heat is brutal in general but pregnant? Your body in constant flux and that oppressive heat and humidity. No way, Hose B (Jose's twin brother, their dad was a fireman, ba dum bump). I know you said you don't do Florida in the summer, but even in spring, it could be brutal if you're incubating.

And remember that your changing body not only results in stuff like nausea, but also ached and pains that can really add an edge to traveling. True story, we live near Sesame Place now, and recently took our daughter for one more trip before the baby (we have annual passes good till Christmas). Well, we were literally walking across the street from the parking lot to the entrance when my wife screams "OH!" I thought maybe her water broke, but her knee somehow "popped." She didn't twist her leg or anything, it's just that her ligaments are loosened from being pregnant that it added strain to an already weak knee. Just walking. Slapperina learned a brutal lesson about delayed gratification that day as we had to leave as soon as we could get a wheelchair - but she was pretty awesome about it. She asked a few times "we're not going in to the park? We're not going on rides? We can't go on ANY rides?" But then no tantrums or sulking, she understood mommy was in pain and we had to go home and that was it. But back on topic, I know that injuries can happen on any trip at any time, but a body in flux is more prone, and it would be a drag if that were to happen to you. I'd recommend waiting.

 

[NewfieFan]

i've been pregnant doing disney and if you love doing a lot of rides you can feel a little disappointed. depending on the time of year you go and how far along you are can make a big difference as well, if you're big pregnant between april and september you can be miserable in florida (i had an august and a september baby and live in florida so i'm speaking from experience hot and huge don't mix well).

for the newborn side i personally really don't get the point of taking a newborn or even a child under 1 to disney but that's just me. i'd either wait to go until they are older or leave them with a grandparent. there are plenty of years to take them when they can interact more. to me taking a newborn would be like just taking extra stuff to carry along. i could see it more on a cruise but not at the theme parks. just my opinion. i'm sure you'll have a fantastic time either way.

Not to start a debate on what's the perfect age to take a child to WDW but when you're taking children that age it's just about the parents! And then you could use the argument (which you mentioned) why not leave the baby home!?! Well, some parents can't or don't want to... but they still want to vacation.

Some parents still want to vacation, some parents want a change of scenery, etc. and they're not prepared to wait until the child is "old enough". If parents want to take a baby or a young child to WDW and they're prepared for the trip... then more power to 'em, I say! I was told I was crazy for taking a 14mth old and a 3 year old. My husband and I wanted a vacation, we wanted to go to WDW, and we DIDN'T want to leave the kids home. And we had the best time ever!!! Sure we lugged around a lot of stuff (but we do that at home anyway) and we had to go at the kids paces (we do that at home anyway) but it was still a great trip. We just did what we did at home everyday, except we did it at WDW! It was a change of scenery, the kids had fun, and so did mom and dad!

 

[njDizFan]

As a father to IVF twins(10 months), I have some experience.

Last year we decided to skip our WDW trip, the cost of flying was too much, so instead we went to Virginia(Busch Gardens, Va Beach, Williamsburg). At 5 months pregnant, in the August heat, we really needed to take it slow. Super hydration and many stops to just relax. We had a good time but there was literally nothing my wife could do at BG. She got to take in a few shows and the carousel but since twins are considered high risk, we decided that we better play it safe.

This year, we also decided to forgo our WDW trip for Cape Cod(shorter ride). To be honest I could not imagine bringing the 6 month old twins to the parks. They require a very strict routine. Granted they are not the most easy going babies, so we really have to take time for them to breastfeed, nap, eat, have tummy time, unwind etc.... Actually even up to now a 2 hour trip to the mall is quite an adventure. Everything needs to be timed correctly between feedings and naps, and then they still have a short shelf life as to time in the stroller.

I also, have an 8 year old daughter and she would have been a breeze to take anywhere at anytime, so you just can't tell what kind of babies you are going to have. Either way have fun and enjoy

 

[mousefamily]

I've done both, gone to WDW pregnant and with an infant and I've also been a nanny for many years. While pregnant I missed out on some of my favorite rides, with an infant my family was able to wait with the her while I did some of my must dos. Being pregnant at WDW is fun, but also hot and somewhat constricting. I was a breastfeeding mom so WDW with an infant was a breeze, I took my daughter when she was a couple months old and soley breastfeeding, I took her again at 11 months old and it was a little trickier and much more stuff because she was on solids. By far my favorite trip between being an expectant mother and a new mom, was the one when she was just a couple months old, she slept the entire plane ride, she slept nicely in her stroller at the parks, she enjoyed being outside, and loved all the colors and hubbub(is that even a word?? :ROFLOL And the baby centers were a lifesaver, for a well deserved break and quiet time. I'm taking her again when she will be 21months to WDW, and 18months on a disney cruise, so I'll happily report back on those trips too.