DISNEY!
I’ve been so lazy in writing posts over the past couple months…okay really the past nine. I don’t know what it was about being pregnant, but I had a little less motivation to work during nap time. I wanted to zone out and just sit down to catch my breath! Maybe you can relate. Now I feel back in work mode. Maybe not having tiny toes attached to my ribs helps, so I can go back to bad posture on the couch with my laptop while I type! So, let’s get down to business. I showed you guys a little bit of our family trip to Disney World that we took in October, but there was so much more to it than the few pictures and stories I showed on Instagram. Like I said, it really was a magical place. Even the crowded streets of Magic Kingdom and whiny toddlers couldn’t put me in a bad mood if they tried. I’ve got to admit, I was slightly anxious about Hazel missing nap every day since she’s a little feisty. But, naps in the stroller were easier than I thought they would be. Both of them took naps every day in the park, which was amazing. Yes, we were all tired at the week’s end, but they’re both asking when we can go back. And, I’m honestly hoping we can go again next year 😬
The Adventures
We did four days of park, and honestly, I wish we had one more to go back to Epcot. That was probably my favorite park. There and Magic Kingdom for sure.
We decided to split our driving up, because Hazel is a terrible passenger. Terrible. If she’s in the car for more than an hour, she turns into a spitfire. So, we drove from our home to St. Augustine for one night. It was a fun little town. We explored the more touristy areas, I think, but it was a nice little break.
The next morning, we drove to Disney…straight to Chef Mickey’s for brunch. I loved that we didn’t do a park the first day. Chef Mickey’s was a great little intro to the magic of Disney World. Hallen got to dance with Minnie Mouse, so her day was made!
OUR FIRST DAY
We also stayed at a home in a neighborhood that was off property, but a really easy drive to Disney, so we were able to hang with everyone once our days at the parks were over.
The first real day of Disney was spent at the Magic Kingdom. We spent ALL day there…from about 10am until after the fireworks were over. And then it was madness trying to get out of the park with everyone else and sleepy kiddos, but so worth it!
We started out meeting Cinderella and Elaina, and then went to our first pass pass, which was Story Time with Belle. It was so cute. Hallen was chosen to be Chip, so she got to be part of the story. You could tell that she felt SO special being up there with Belle and everyone watching her.
After some fun with Belle, we went to meet the rest of the family for more rides. We planned EVERYTHING around Fast Passes. That’s my biggest tip. Worry about your fast passes first, and you’ll feel like you had an accomplished day. Schedule everything around those. Spread them out so you have time in between to walk, shop, eat, or let the kiddos take a nap…watch a parade that happens to come by, but plan for those Fast Passes!
DAY TWO
The second day, we spent at Epcot. It was probably my favorite place, because there are fun rides, but it’s also a little more adult. And we got to see Hanson!! I couldn’t believe it. I was totally fan girling in the back! They were my first loves back in the day. I’m glad Kevin was okay with me gushing over them and dancing with Hallen through all of Mmbop!
We started off with our fast pass on the Nemo ride. It was so cute. And the thing I love about SO MANY of the rides at Disney is that they’re okay for most people to go on…my one year old and my pregnant self. I was expecting to be waiting around a lot, but it’s so not the case. They really include everyone. It’s all about the experience, stories, and family rather than a thrill for the majority of rides.
And then we went to our princess lunch. It may have been one of my favorite things we did. We didn’t know which princesses were going to be there, but Hallen is in love with Aurora and Hazel loves Ariel, so that’s who they were both dressed as. And it turns out, that they were 2 of the 4 princesses at the lunch!! We were all so excited!
After that, it was nap time in the stroller, and a hot walk around the world to see all of the different places, sample different food, and just kind of walk aimlessly so the girls could rest. Then it was time for the Frozen ride! I wish we could have done that 10 times over. It was so fun! So, naturally, we had to do the meet and greet with Elsa and Anna after that.
If you’re planning to go to Disney, and you’re pretty pregnant like I was, here are a few suggestions:
- Pack an extra pair of shoes every day. You just never know if something is going to start rubbing. My favorite shoes for Disney were my Chucks, Crocs, FitFlops, and Nikes.
- Stretchy skirts and dresses (like the ones I wore from Bae the Label…use code DEARNOVEMBER until Nov 30th for 10% off) are a must. At first, I didn’t know if it’d be a good idea for getting on and off rides, but it was actually fine. I may have flashed someone one time, but most rides are totally fine for dresses/skirts!
- This may be TMI, but pack an extra pair of undies. You may not pee your pants, but I know that nearing the end of a pregnancy, the more I walk around, the more discharge I have ( I know I know…gross), so you may just want to feel fresh!
- Pack LOTS of snacks. We’d buy a box or Uncrustables every day on the way into the park to have with us for snacks/a quick lunch.
The rest of the day, we just walked around meeting princesses and exploring different countries with the girls. Hallen loved seeing the Eiffel Tower in France since she’s Fancy Nancy obsessed right now! That’s how I know she’s my girl…loves everything French! Fancy Nancy may have struck up the love for Paris, but I know I had something to do with creating it 😉
My tips for the kiddos:
- Take a double stroller that you don’t have to disconnect the seats. We had to get on and off the trams for the parks every day, and having to fold up a stroller was enough of a hassle. If we had taken our stroller that has seats in the front and back, that would have been a huge migraine. I saw some people struggling with that. Our Thule was THE PERFECT STROLLER!!
- Pack comfy shoes for them too! Even though my girls were in the stroller a good portion of the day, something light and supportive is still needed. They had both outgrown their summer shoes, so I bought Crocs for them as well, and that’s almost exclusively what they wore there. I bought both of the girls these Elsa sandals and then Hallen these and Hazel these.
- Remember those Uncrustables I suggested for us pregnant mamas…they’re ideal for the kiddos too! But we also brought lots of squeeze pouches, granola bars, and gummies.
- WIPES!! You’ll need lots of wipes. We were constantly wiping hands and faces.
- Extra pair of clothing. If we knew we were meeting a princess, we’d bring that dress and then a change of clothes since princess dresses can get hot and itchy pretty quickly. But, I knew Hallen would want to be in a princess dress…especially her Aurora dress.
- Bring your own glow sticks or bubble machines. Those things are expensive in the park!!! And yes, your kid will ask every time they see one to get one.
- Bring a stroller fan.
The next day, we took a rest day. It was Halloween, so we didn’t do much. The neighborhood we were in had a little trick or treat that afternoon, so we did that with the girls. We also took Hallen out in her Fancy Nancy costume so we could have some one on one time with her while Hazel napped at home.
And that night, we went to Disney Springs. I had never been there in the past, but it was the perfect way to end our rest day and still be in the Disney bubble. We went to the T-Rex restaurant and celebrated Hallen’s birthday, and then just had fun. There was a little dance party there that we all joined in on, and really just walked through the stores to see it all!
The next day was a park hopping day. We were lucky enough to partner with Disney and receive two park hopper tickets for Kevin and me, so we got one for Hallen as well. We ended up doing Hollywood Studios in the morning and Animal Kingdom in the afternoon with the rest of our family. We mainly went to Hollywood Studios to meet Disney Jr. characters, and that was so fun! It thought they’d have a lot more Disney Jr. things there, but there really isn’t anything except the characters! Since we were there, we went to watch a couple of the shows they offer as well, so it was really fun!
Once everyone had a meltdown meeting Olaf, we knew it was time to leave so the girls could get a nap in the car on the way to Animal Kingdom. So off we went!
ANIMAL KINGDOM
We did a lot of walking at Animal Kingdom and not very many rides it seemed like. The main things there that we wanted to hit were the Everest Roller Coaster (not me of course) and the Avatar Land … just to see what it looked like. We did a few of the kiddie rides in Dino Land and then the safari, but it felt like we walked an looked the majority of the time we were there. Not that it wasn’t fun. We all still had a blast! I just felt like there weren’t as many rides and things to do there. I don’t think I even used a fast pass since I couldn’t do the roller coaster. I also chose to stay off the safari ride. It’s advised against, because of the bumpiness, so I went with the recommendations.
On our very last day, we visited the Magic Kingdom again. And it was honestly the perfect last day. Since Halloween was over, we got to see the start of the Christmas decor going up. It also rained while we were there, so we got to see a rain parade that comes out when it’s raining! They seriously think of everything!
Take Aways
So, I think my biggest takeaway from it all, as a pregnant mama in Disney World, is that you can totally do it! I had been active my whole pregnancy, but even with all the walking you do in the parks, I think most pregnant mamas can totally do it who are near the end of their pregnancy. I never really felt uncomfortable or too tired. And I loved that I could still ride most rides with the family. Granted, we didn’t go in the middle of the summer. I do think going in October/ November was perfect since it wasn’t too hot. Even just thinking about the little kids…their stroller naps were never unbearably hot.
If you have any questions, as a pregnant mama who wants to go to Disney, or just in general, please ask below or on Instagram! I’m always happy to help 🙂
FAMILY TRIP TO Disney World
Kristina
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