AK Safari Ride While Pregnant - Yay or Nay?

[720L]

Don't ride in the back if you do decide to ride!

[AshleeH]

I was 8 weeks pregnant on our last trip and chose not to do it. We tried for years to have this baby and I wasn't about to risk anything for the sake of a ride. If anything had happened, I never would have forgiven myself.

The last time we rode the Safari (in 2011) it was EXTREMELY bumpy. Everyone in the truck actually went airborne at one time - the guide did have a good punchline for it though.

[cogero]

I will be 28 weeks when we go in March and will not be riding. yes I drive in NYC with all its potholes but I am not going on it. I am a high risk pregnancy and AMA so I will be watching if DH and DD want to ride.

[princesspwrhr]

I think your position in the vehicle and your driver has a lot to do with your experience. We had ridden the Safari several times so the trip that we went with an infant, 6 year old and I was 7 months pregnant, I had no hesitations going on the ride. Heck, my not even one year old fell asleep on that particular journey. We were somewhere near the middle. The next year when the younger two were not yet 2 and turning 1 we ended up in the very back row and our driver was insane - I don't remember the bumps ever being that bad before, we all lost our seats and I started feeling car sick. If I had had that experience before going on pg, I never would have done it. For the record, I've never had a ride that crazy since.

Talk to your doctor - if you're having a normal pregnancy and the doctor doesn't have any problems with it, then make a decision when you get there and try to sit near the front.

[princesshaley]

Hi! I rode it at 29 wks and I had no problems. I was not high risk and I did check with my doctor before going. I was already riding with my dad in his fields in his WWII jeeps, this ride was no different then that. In fact my DD (2 1/2 yrs at the time) was so excited to ride this because she thought it was like Papa's Jeeps!

[Miumiu4me]

I'm 16 weeks and I've been skipping it (we are local). It doesn't looks particularly risky, but I personally won't chance it. You can go airborn on it and I imagine that's where the risk comes into play.

[LINYMOM]

I rode it at 6 months no problem. I didn't think it was bad at all.

[DisneyMom5]

Ask to sit up front. They were very accommodating when I asked for a front seat. The back is exceptionally bumpy.

[nadira36]

I'll be the voice of caution. I rode at 20 weeks - toward the front, no previous concerns with pregnancy - and I went into preterm labour. It was stoppable, but it was horrifying. I hadn't noticed the sign - and since I ride frequently I really didn't think much of it - I'd never noticed the bumps before.

It really wasn't fun to end up on bedrest for my vacation. Just saying.

[kymom79]

I rode the Safari at 33 weeks and thought it was fine. It is hard to know what to do since Disney is hyper-cautious on its labeling -- pregnant people should avoid Soarin'??? Really???? Sitting still is soooo intense.

When we went, I had my husband (a very non-uptight M.D.) try out the stuff I wasn't sure about being OK. We ended up feeling that, among MK, Epcot and AK, the stuff that shouldn't be ridden was basically just Dinosaur (too bumpy) and Space Mountain (also too bumpy). Didn't go on Primeval Whirl just to be on the safe side. I would definitely not worry about Kilimanjaro Safaris. We just moved from eastern Kentucky and the road up our mountain was a rougher ride than that.

[smallandfierce]

We went to AK the day before I was full term with this last pregnancy (we're local as well) and I was stopped at the entrance and told it wasn't a good idea to ride, which was fine since I wasn't going to be able to deliver where I wanted to until 37 weeks anyway, no point in risking it, but when the family got off half an hour later, they told me it really wasn't that bumpy and they couldn't see it putting me into labor--some of the roads in our neighborhood are bumpier!

[iheartjuppy]

I rode the safari 2x in one day when I was 6 months pregnant. I asked the CM before the queue the first time and she said it was fine, and to ask the CM loading the vehicles if I could sit as far towards the front as possible, since that was the least bumpy place. She also told me the "accessible" vehicles do not provide a smoother ride, for what it's worth. I did as she said, and had a smooth ride. I came back that afternoon and the CM that had relieved her looked worried that I was riding. I explained that I'd been on that morning and he continued to look worried. Because of the timing in line, we asked about sitting up front and were told it would be no problem as long as we were OK waiting for the next vehicle (of course we were fine with that!). Both safaris were smooth and fun, but I think every woman would have to consider her own pregnancy, experiences, and any hesitations and make the call on her own.

[jennylyn_b]

I did not ride the safari when we went and I was 20 wks pregnant. It just wasn't worth the risk to us.