DL in Jan '10 - traveling pregnant and w/a 3.5 yr old

[Punchie]

Hello! I'm new here and after scouring this forum, I have some questions of my own. We will be in So Cal from Jan 16 - 23 visiting family. I would like to take DD to DL as a treat. This will be her first time there. I haven't been there since Jan '07. This time, however, I will be around 28 wks pregnant (*sigh* no space mountain for me).

We're looking at going during the middle of the week, for reference.

Because of DD's age and my pregnancy, would it be better to get a 2-day pass as opposed to only a 1-day? I don't want to feel rushed, and I want to head back to the hotel for an afternoon nap. I ask b/c the last time I was there in Jan, there was no one in the park. Only a few rides had waits, and of those, most were 5 min or less.

Because of the afternoon nap, hotel location is important. It looks like both the Tropicana and a Best Western are pretty much smack dab at the park entrance. Are either of these hotels a good choice? Do you have any other recommendations?

I know a lot of the rides are going to be out of the question for me, but I'm assuming I can go on some of the more basic ones. Is Pirates of the Caribbean safe? I would be extremely disappointed to miss this one as it's been one of my favorites since I was a young child.

How about character dining or meeting the characters? What is recommended for a 3.5 yr old? How far in advance do I need to make reservations? This is one of the big things for me. I really want her to meet some of the characters she likes.

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[Peg In The Pound]

Wow! That sounds almost exactly like our family's last trip!
I think I was about 4 months pregnant when we went.
I still did Pirates and tons of other rides.
The Land is still so much fun even when you are preggers...
especially since you will be sharing with your DD for the first time!
The only drawback for us was that DH had to do the Toon-Town Coaster with DD... who was 2.5 at the time.
I think by the 6th time in a row he was ready to fly home!

I think a two-day would be easier to manage with a little one...
gives you more flexibility.
Especially for a first trip... there is so much that you want them to experience, but you also don't want to overwhelm them.

I can't make a hotel recommendation... we have always stayed far away.
Next trip (looks like we are planning to go around the same time!) we will be staying at Hojo... the closest that we have ever stayed ever!

Have so much fun!

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

What a wonderful abundance of blessings: a child, a pregnancy, and a trip to Disneyland!

As to rides, you should be able to ride anything that does not have a height restriction, and Pirates should be just fine.

When pregnant plan on keeping hydrated, wearing very supportive shoes that allow for some swelling, an afternoon nap, and take at least two days.

As to hotels, I would get one right at the gate.

While you can get a stroller at Disneyland, you will need to get your little one to and from the front of the park, and after a day in the park, your little one may be asleep/exhausted and want to be carried, which you will not want/need to be doing. So, take a stroller with you to get to and from the hotel.

I hope you have a marvelous time.

 

[momto2nenas]

We went to Disneyland this past May and I turned 29 weeks pregnant while there and took my 3.5 yr. old and 6.5 yr. old. We had a wonderful time! I rode everything my 3.5 yr. old wanted to ride (not could exactly since she is still timid of the coasters, etc.).

It got up in the 90s while we were there and that is the only place I struggled, I had to constantly drink to stay hydrated and then of course needed a restroom every hour, lol

My feet did ache like the Dickens in the evenings and I would soak them in the pool and switch shoes after our afternoon break.

We did the Lilo and Stitch breakfast this trip and it was pretty fun. We've done Ariel's Grotto w/ the Princesses in the past and that was also very nice.

Have a great time and definately go for at least 2 days. Don't forget Its a Bugs Land in California Adventure, never crowded and lots of funs for the little ones.

(I think my trip report is still linked in my siggie if you want to take a peek to see how we survived ).

 

[jacs1234]

I think any ride your dd can go on should be alright for you to go on.

We're staying at hojos and also have a 3.5 year old and I think it's a little far away for her little legs. I think those two hotels you are considering are in an excellent location.

We did Goofy's kitchen and it is just soooooooooooooooo suitable for 3.5 year olds. It's also very suitable for 35 year olds (That's me)

 

[Punchie]

Thank you for your help! It's reassuring to know others have done this pregnant as well. I am really excited to go. I can't wait to see DD's reaction! I'm probably going to spend too much money on her.

 

[Tink91]

Thank you for your help! It's reassuring to know others have done this pregnant as well. I am really excited to go. I can't wait to see DD's reaction! I'm probably going to spend too much money on her.

You will have an amazing time!! Let us know how you go

 

[goldies 5]

I went on POC at both 32 weeks and 6 weeks numerous times. I think 28 weeks will be a great time to go as long as you feel well and have no chronic conditions. I would definetely do more than one day. If you have swelling or are tired just make sure you rest a lot.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

How fun ~ will it be just the two of you or will another adult (dad??) be with you? If you'll have someone else and she's tall enough (40 inches for everything except Indiana Jones (my DD @ 6 still isn't tall enough for Indiana) & Matterhorn has a shorter height requirement) and brave enough she'll be able to do the mountains. You could show her ride videos on youtube to prep her. Definitely bring a stroller for her ~ my DD hasn't used a stroller outside of Disney for a few years but at Disney she rides in comfort in a Mac Volo. If you'll have a stroller I highly suggest HoJo ~ especially if you can get the ent. rate (as low as $59 per night!) Look here ~ http://www.hojoanaheim.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=14 *dates can be added as it gets closer ~ we got one night in mid July at the $59 rate the day before we needed to stay there!

 

[EagleFlyer]

We took our first trip to DL a few months ago when my wife was about 28 weeks pregnant. We stayed at Desert Inn and Suites, pretty cheap and very close to the gate, a good place if all you need is a close bed.

As far as rides, my wife didn't go on:
Matterhorn
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Star Tours
Indiana Jones
Splash Mountain
The coasters in Toon Town

In CA:
Grizzly River Run (none of went on that one, so I don't know how safe it is for pregnany women)
Screamin
Maliboomer
Mulholland Madness
Tower of Terror

Even without those rides, she still managed to have a great time for 5 days.

We walked to Millie's (or Mimi's, I can't remember which) one night right after leaving the park and my wife mentioned how glad she was that she didn't have to walk that far every day. So even though HoJo's isn't very far away, those extra 5 minutes can seem like forever for a pregnant woman after spending 8-10 hours in the parks.