20 Days After Giving Birth: Walking the parks OK?

[NPD]

Hey everybody, it's a 2 hour ride to Orlando, I didn't want to leave my wife with the baby even though she suggested I do that as well. My friend is with his entire family, we at most were probably going to do stuff together for an hour if we went this morning, but I wouldn't have wanted to intrude on their day there and quite frankly, I'd rather just wait for my wife so we can spend a day in Disney together riding all of the rides (we went to theme parks twice during her pregnancy, once to Universal Studios when we met Ne-Yo in April, and then late August at the Magic Kingdom, can't wait to do the thrill rides together again).

I hope to see him next year perhaps, he said they go once a year and hopefully then we can get together.

And my wife isn't breastfeeding, pumping and formula, but not actual breastfeeding. Still, they obviously have a huge attachment to each other and she'll feel more comfortable to hold off on going a bit longer. We have the seasonal annual passes, so blackout dates start in two weeks I think until early January. We wanted to see the Osborne lights, which end on January 7th, we'll plan for that day, maybe do Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom (she loves the crumb cake at the Main Street Bakery), and finish off at the Studios for the Osborne lights while fitting in Rock "n" Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror, hope her body is ready by then! (Should be according to nurse).

Really appreciative for all of the feedback.

 

[Karlzmom]

Not this girl.....

I think I was still in sleep/feed/sleep mode at that point.....at least on my second one....can't even remember the 1st 8 weeks with DS #1.

 

[ariel5884]

Rent a scooter from apple scooters, it will be a lot more comfortable for you.
You can put your baby in the basket on the front of the scooter, just kidding of course!

 

[mom2rtk]

Hey everybody, it's a 2 hour ride to Orlando, I didn't want to leave my wife with the baby even though she suggested I do that as well. My friend is with his entire family, we at most were probably going to do stuff together for an hour if we went this morning, but I wouldn't have wanted to intrude on their day there and quite frankly, I'd rather just wait for my wife so we can spend a day in Disney together riding all of the rides (we went to theme parks twice during her pregnancy, once to Universal Studios when we met Ne-Yo in April, and then late August at the Magic Kingdom, can't wait to do the thrill rides together again).

I hope to see him next year perhaps, he said they go once a year and hopefully then we can get together.

And my wife isn't breastfeeding, pumping and formula, but not actual breastfeeding. Still, they obviously have a huge attachment to each other and she'll feel more comfortable to hold off on going a bit longer. We have the seasonal annual passes, so blackout dates start in two weeks I think until early January. We wanted to see the Osborne lights, which end on January 7th, we'll plan for that day, maybe do Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom (she loves the crumb cake at the Main Street Bakery), and finish off at the Studios for the Osborne lights while fitting in Rock "n" Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror, hope her body is ready by then! (Should be according to nurse).

Really appreciative for all of the feedback.

Just the first of many compromises to come, most much bigger than this.

These are days for bonding with the baby. Enjoy. You will never get them back. Don't sell them short for anything.

 

[NPD]

Just a quick update on this, my wife and I decided we'll go in early January to see the Osborne Lights before they end.

However, I am taking a quick trip myself to see my friend on Saturday who is still there and is leaving Sunday or Monday I believe, so I'll meet him at the Magic Kingdom in the morning and leave by 2 pm to go back home to my girls.

 

[scrapquitler]

There is no way I could do Disney 3 weeks PP.

Not a chance.

At a slow pace, with frequent breaks to rest and feed/care for the baby, if Mom feels up to it, why not?

 

[scrapquitler]

Thanks again for all the feedback. About a half hour ago, she felt uncomfortable being away from the baby right now. I fully support her decision, I would have loved to see my friend, but hope I can someday soon, maybe next year when he goes to Disney. I think we are aiming for early January to spend the day at the World, see the Osborne lights before they go away for the year, and she will be more recovered for thrill rides.

Thanks again everybody for all the kind words!

Is there a reason why you couldn't go for a few hours to visit your friend without your wife? As the wife I would hate to have my DH miss out on the chance of seeing an old friend because of me.

 

[NPD]

I just wasn't comfortable leaving her that day, but when we found out he was there for another week, she suggested I go for a bit to see him this week.

And instead of spending the morning/early afternoon in Animal Kingdom all day (which was planned for last Saturday), I get to go to the Magic Kingdom for two hours solo until he gets to the park (he is with his family so they'll arrive around 10 am) and then spend the next 3-4 hours with him and catch up. Worked out for the best!

 

[KimK2006]

No way would I have been able to do it. I had trouble standing for extended periods of time without being very uncomfortable. The time away would probably have been a welcomed break, but the unknown of how fast she will heal will make it hard to tell.

If she heals quickly, maybe she can decide at the last minute to go along!

 

[KatieCharlotte]

Not this girl.....

I think I was still in sleep/feed/sleep mode at that point.....at least on my second one....can't even remember the 1st 8 weeks with DS #1.

The same for me with the first and second. But with the third I was hosting a birthday party for four-year-olds at the park at 2 weeks pp. With nursing baby in sling.

I'm glad you'll have a chance to see your friend, especially if someone can visit your wife and baby while you're gone to break up the time. In January, she should be able to walk around all day and go on all rides, assuming all is healing well, but every birth and body are different. And whether she wants to leave baby at home -- again, everyone is different. Even with pumping, it's hard to leave them for that long so early, even though breaks are nice. I'm sure it's way too personal to ask why she's pumping instead of nursing, but I have lots of experience with nursing challenges...

 

[dimndgal1]

For me (and several others I talked to) it took awhile to get back into riding thrill rides. Before I had DD, I was a thrill junkie -- could not get enough of roller coasters and drops. We went to an amusement park when DD was 10 months and I got sick on the tilt-a-whirl for the first time in my life.

Even now, my tolerance for thrill rides has changed -- I used to do ToT over and over and now I'm spent after two tries. Sure, I am older, but we're talking about a matter of 2 years from before DD to after. I know my SIL can't ride any roller coaters after having her DS and I've heard others mention similar situations.

Just something to keep in mind before your wife jumps on Dinosaur or Expedition Everest!

 

[NPD]

Will do keep in mind!

So, I went this past Saturday to meet up with my friend who I haven't seen in 10+ years, and it was a great little fun time.

I got to the TTC and 7:30 am and since my seasonal pass expires on January 8, 2012, I figured I'll renew my pass while I have a bit of time before the park opens. Well, it took 25 minutes and I still wasn't able to get it renewed. The woman behind the window had even gotten a manager, but I'm guessing their system was malfunctioning although they said they wouldn't know why it would mess up. They suggested maybe my pass is blocked or my Florida DL was the problem, but I knew there was no problem, so I told them I'll just do it before I leave or when I come back with my wife in January. They did give me a FASTPASS to use on any attraction which was good, but not necessarily needed in my case, but I still used it, saved probably 10 minutes in the park.

So, I got on the monorail at 7:57 am and was in the park by about 8:05 am. My buddy is meeting me at 10 am, so this is the very first time in my life that I'm there solo for any amount of time. I've always read that people loved their alone time there and I definitely see the perks of it, but I'd rather not do it again alone. And I'm surprised I felt like that, I thought I would love it. Of course, I did love it, but not crazy about going solo and wouldn't do that if I didn't have to to get my Disney fix.

I immediately went through Cinderella's Castle to get to Fantasyland, and this is actually the 1st time I've ever walked through it, pretty crazy, right?

So, I went straight to Peter Pan's Flight and got right on and right off. The crowd calendar showed a 9.3 out of 10 for the Magic Kingdom, so I wanted to hit this before the crowds came. I then walked over to Frontierland and rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, sat in the last row, only 1 group with me on this ride who sat up front.

I walked over to Tomorrowland, rode Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, got 804,000. Then, went to Space Mountain, got a FP, then used the FP that the manager earlier gave me and got right on the roller coaster. Afterwards, I saw the Rabbit by the Mad Tea Party and took a picture with the character with my phone. I walked over to Adventureland and ate an Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich early in the morning, lol. I never ate one before and heard amazing reviews about it, but to be honest, wasn't all that special.

So, afterwards, I got on Pirates of the Caribbean and was the only one on the boat, pretty neat. Then, walked back over to Tomorrowland and tried to take a picture with Chip and Dale, but after a 3 minute wait, I was next for picture, and my phone's camera wouldn't come on. So, I didn't want to turn my phone off and back on, which takes about 2 minutes, and hold up the line or stand there waiting for it to come on, and I went to ride Buzz once more and told the guy I'll probably be back. Got 641,000 this time. Still, never a 999,999 score.

I rode Space Mountain with my FP I got again, then saw Chip and Dale out again, and waited about 3 min again and was successful this time.

My friend texted me that he was on his way over using a bus, and this is about 9:55 am, so I headed over to the front of the park. I stopped to get a bottle of water and snap a few pictures of the Christmas tree up front. At 10:15 am, he called me and we spotted each other and it was like we've hung out these past 10+ years and nothing's changed with our relationship.

We walked and talked, while we were walking to Splash Mountain, a group of people asked us to take a picture of them by the Castle, which he took for them, then we rode Splash Mountain (he has a Guest Assistance pass that acts as an unlimited FASTPASS because of someone in his family having a medical issue, which he had when he met up with me because his family was coming around 12:30 pm). Perfect ride to sit and catch up talking while being on an awesome ride.

Then, we got on Haunted Mansion, we walked through the interactive queue to show him the new stuff.

We rode Buzz, which had an hour wait, wow, immediate walk on. We rode Space Mountain. He grabbed a snack and we talked a bunch more. His family met up with us around 12:45, we rode Buzz again, Space again, then Monsters Inc Laugh Floor.

I had a great time with them and was awesome to catch up with my best friend from when I was growing up. He plans to come back to FL in 2 years, but maybe I'll get him to come a bit earlier and come for Halloween Horror Nights 22 at Universal in 2012 since their huge Halloween buffs and have never heard of the event.

We got out of Monsters Inc at 1:40 pm and I said my goodbyes to them and took a few pictures. I grabbed 2 crumb cakes from the Main Street Bakery for my wife who loves it. Then, got on the monorail and went to the ticket window again at the TTC and this time, took 4 minutes to get my pass renewed, I knew it was a problem with their system lol. I thanked the woman and walked to my car since I was in the front row at the TTC and was back on my way home.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Glad you met up with your friend. However, it really bothers me that he would use a GAC card when the person it is intended for wasn't even with you. That's like using a handicap parking space when you're not with the one who's handicapped. They are not unlimited fastpasses, they are for people who have specific medical reasons that they cannot wait in the regular queue. Shame on you!

 

[Danibelle]

Glad you met up with your friend. However, it really bothers me that he would use a GAC card when the person it is intended for wasn't even with you. That's like using a handicap parking space when you're not with the one who's handicapped. They are not unlimited fastpasses, they are for people who have specific medical reasons that they cannot wait in the regular queue. Shame on you!

Thanks for speaking up!

 

[michellebeck316]

Wow, I gave birth 9 weeks ago. You are superwomen.

 

[deegack]

Glad you met up with your friend. However, it really bothers me that he would use a GAC card when the person it is intended for wasn't even with you. That's like using a handicap parking space when you're not with the one who's handicapped. They are not unlimited fastpasses, they are for people who have specific medical reasons that they cannot wait in the regular queue. Shame on you!

Exactly. It's stories like this that make people who have legitimate reasons for a gac to have issues and stares. So koodos for that and I hope your friend got caught misusing the car and it got taken away.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Wow, I gave birth 9 weeks ago. You are superwomen.

She didn't go. Only her DH.

 

[RabFlmom]

Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,023


Quote:
Originally Posted by disneyfaninaz View Post
Glad you met up with your friend. However, it really bothers me that he would use a GAC card when the person it is intended for wasn't even with you. That's like using a handicap parking space when you're not with the one who's handicapped. They are not unlimited fastpasses, they are for people who have specific medical reasons that they cannot wait in the regular queue. Shame on you!

Exactly. It's stories like this that make people who have legitimate reasons for a gac to have issues and stares. So koodos for that and I hope your friend got caught misusing the car and it got taken away.

I think you both misunderstood what fast pass the OP used. It was not a GAC for his wife. In the post he said..... He tried for 25 minutes to upgrade his AP but they couldn't get it to work. For his trouble and time spent while the CMs worked on it and failed, the CM gave HIM a fast pass as a gift or compensation for his time. It had nothing to do with his wife. He did not misuse the fast pass. There are more types of fast pass than for just someone who is sick or handicapped . My family has gotten one that was for any rides and even had us sit in the VIP section for parades and none of us were sick. I guess we just looked sad waiting for an hour out front of the MK for another person to arrive who happened to have some of our passes to get in.

Some CMs can give this pass to anyone they want to for various reasons. Even just because they feel like it if they think someone isn't having a good day or just because something about the family catches their eye.

 

[dimndgal1]

We walked and talked, while we were walking to Splash Mountain, a group of people asked us to take a picture of them by the Castle, which he took for them, then we rode Splash Mountain (he has a Guest Assistance pass that acts as an unlimited FASTPASS because of someone in his family having a medical issue, which he had when he met up with me because his family was coming around 12:30 pm). Perfect ride to sit and catch up talking while being on an awesome ride.

Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,023


I think you both misunderstood what fast pass the OP used. It was not a GAC for his wife. In the post he said..... He tried for 25 minutes to upgrade his AP but they couldn't get it to work. For his trouble and time spent while the CMs worked on it and failed, the CM gave HIM a fast pass as a gift or compensation for his time. It had nothing to do with his wife. He did not misuse the fast pass. There are more types of fast pass than for just someone who is sick or handicapped . My family has gotten one that was for any rides and even had us sit in the VIP section for parades and none of us were sick. I guess we just looked sad waiting for an hour out front of the MK for another person to arrive who happened to have some of our passes to get in.

Some CMs can give this pass to anyone they want to for various reasons. Even just because they feel like it if they think someone isn't having a good day or just because something about the family catches their eye.

I think the issue was the GAC used for Splash Mountain which appears to be a GAC for a family member not with them at that time.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

We walked and talked, while we were walking to Splash Mountain, a group of people asked us to take a picture of them by the Castle, which he took for them, then we rode Splash Mountain (he has a Guest Assistance pass that acts as an unlimited FASTPASS because of someone in his family having a medical issue, which he had when he met up with me because his family was coming around 12:30 pm). Perfect ride to sit and catch up talking while being on an awesome ride.






I think the issue was the GAC used for Splash Mountain which appears to be a GAC for a family member not with them at that time.

Exactly, that was the part I was referring to originally. The OP referred to it as a GAC for a medical issue for a family member who wasn't yet in the park. I don't believe I misunderstood what he wrote.