Parking for Pregnant Women

[Snow_White]

I was wondering if anyone knew if Disney provided any special parking spaces for moms-to-be near the handicapped section at the 4 parks. My doctor wants me to take it easy when I'm there so I'm trying to eliminate as much extraneous walking as possible! Thanks in advance.

 

[party_of_five]

Not that I am aware of, but there are parking lot trams so you shouldn't have to do too much walking in the parking lot.

 

[WDWguru]

Nope. They tried those spaces out here at home in some places and ended up taking them out as they were never used and generated a lot of complaints. The idea was that if you really needed the space, you would qualify for a temporary disabled permit or hangtag for your car anyway. If you need to park close, ask your doctor how to get a hangtag and just park in disabled parking. (I assume you'll be renting an ECV or wheelchair to get around the parks.)

 

[NJOYURLIFE]

With the trams, you have minimal walking anyway if you are near the end of a lane. If it looks like you won't be near the tram end, just roll down your window and tell the man directing the cars that you need to be on the end by the tram. They have never given us a problem when we needed to do this.

If you are not on the tram end, it is not a big big walk, but it can add undue stress if you need to keep walking to a minimum.

 

[Schmeck]

You should rent a wheelchair from an offsite company if you need to restrict your walking that much - that way you'll have it whenever you need it.

Hope you have a safe, fun trip!

 

[Poohsmommi]

I was wondering if anyone knew if Disney provided any special parking spaces for moms-to-be near the handicapped section at the 4 parks. My doctor wants me to take it easy when I'm there so I'm trying to eliminate as much extraneous walking as possible! Thanks in advance.

If you can walk around the park, you can walk from your car to a tram.

 

[SaraMc]

Nope. They tried those spaces out here at home in some places and ended up taking them out as they were never used and generated a lot of complaints. The idea was that if you really needed the space, you would qualify for a temporary disabled permit or hangtag for your car anyway. If you need to park close, ask your doctor how to get a hangtag and just park in disabled parking. (I assume you'll be renting an ECV or wheelchair to get around the parks.)

A lot of the malls around here have them too, however when I do have DS with me or when I was pregnant, I always found that people didnt care and would just park there anyways.

If you have to take it easy, ECV it. When I went and I was pregant we took it slow but I still managed to walk about 7-8 miles a day

 

[mickaholic4077]

If your doctor is that concerned,have him write a prescription for a temporary hang tag which you can get at your local DMV.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I'm not sure most DMVs consider a normal pregnancy to be qualification for an HP placard.

Taking much of the advice offered here - pointing out to the CMs directing cars that you need to park at the beginning of an aisle for medical reasons - probably would have you walking LESS than would parking in the handicap area. This is especially true at the Magic Kingdom. None of the HP parking is serviced by trams, and that one is a particularly lonnnnnnnnnnng walk to get to the TTC.

 

[WillCAD]

I'm not sure most DMVs consider a normal pregnancy to be qualification for an HP placard.

Normal pregnancy, no. But if your doctor has concerns and prescribes "take it easy", then he can easily write a note that DMVs will honor for temporary hangtags.

 

[disneygoof]

I know this isn't the advice you were looking for and the thread is a bit off topic, but having done Disney during a high-risk pregnancy, I would advise a wheelchair, not a motorized chair. More chance of hurting yourself if you're a novice at the ecv.

We did fine getting to the parks early so the walk to the park was minimal then rented the chairs at the park itself.

Does anyone know if there's a way that the OP's companion (assuming you're not traveling alone) could drop off and pick up at any locations?

 

[SueM in MN]

I'm not sure most DMVs consider a normal pregnancy to be qualification for an HP placard.

Taking much of the advice offered here - pointing out to the CMs directing cars that you need to park at the beginning of an aisle for medical reasons - probably would have you walking LESS than would parking in the handicap area. This is especially true at the Magic Kingdom. None of the HP parking is serviced by trams, and that one is a particularly lonnnnnnnnnnng walk to get to the TTC.

This is what Disney says about parking:
Guests with the ability to walk short distances and step up onto the courtesy trams should park in the main parking lots of Magic Kingdom® Park, Epcot®, Disney-MGM Studios, or Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park. The courtesy tram will transport Guests to the Entrance Complex. Parking for Guests with mobility disabilities or who are traveling with personal wheelchairs is available adjacent to the Entrance Complex at each of the four Parks.
The handicapped parking areas are not served by the trams. If you are parking in the ends of the handicapped parking areas, your walk will be longer than the walk from the end of a row in the regular lot to where the tram picks you up.

If you are staying at one of the WDW resorts, you are best taking the bus. If you drive, you will still need to get from the parking lot to the TTC and then from there to the monorail (up a long, steep ramp) or a farther walk to the boat.

There are drop off points at all the parks.

 

[njchris]

If you are parking in the ends of the handicapped parking areas, your walk will be longer than the walk from the end of a row in the regular lot to where the tram picks you up.

I have to ask.. then what is the point of the handicapped parking areas if it's a LONGER walk???

 

[disnut8]

There are drop off points at each of the four parks. Personally, it's more of a hassle to do this since then the two (or more) of you will have to meet up later.

I was on restrictions with my pregnancy but didn't get a handicapped card or anything. Basically a "take it easy" kind of thing. No vaccuming, no lifting over a certain weight but no bed rest. I toured Disney World at five months fust fine except having to rest a bit more and knowing where every single bathroom was in Disney World!

Sorry, no special spots for expectant mothers. Take the Disney transportation or use the drop offs.

I'd also ask your doctor what he means by "taking it easy". Specifically ask him if a wheelchair is recommended. If so, rent one and don't look back. But you will owe your husband for pushing you around the World!

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

I have to ask.. then what is the point of the handicapped parking areas if it's a LONGER walk???

i don't get it either, however there are courtesy wheelchairs available at the beginning of the handicapped parking. I assume that if youneed one you can take it and wheel it to the entrance. I am not sure what you do with it after. Don't know i a CM will take it back for you or if you have to retunr it yourself. Same thing if you get off the monorail. Don't know if someone in you party would have to go and get it.

 

[NotUrsula]

if your doctor has concerns and prescribes "take it easy", then he can easily write a note that DMVs will honor for temporary hangtags.

Not saying it isn't a good solution, but FYI, in many states there are official DMV forms that the physician must fill out in order to authorize the temporary hangtag. I just dealt with this recently, and I had to email a request to the the DMV to have the forms mailed to me, because they were old-fashioned triplicate carbon forms -- not something you could download.

Check your DMV's website and find out what the application procedure is before you take a wasted trip to the DMV and stand in line for an hour.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I have to ask.. then what is the point of the handicapped parking areas if it's a LONGER walk???

Truly? The entire point of handicapped parking spaces is to get the handicapped person out of the flow of traffic as quickly and safely as possible. That's it.
The HP spaces at Magic Kingdom do this. They're at the front of the parking lot, closest to the TTC. That you have to get from your vehicle to the center aisle, then down a sidewalk under the roadway that goes past MK and the Polynesian, then up the other side and to the TTC actually does serve the purpose. The only vehicular traffic under the roadway is the trams, and there are more or less 'guardrails' along the outer edge of the walkway.

 

[Snow_White]

Thanks for the input guys I'll be sure to talk to my doctor about it in more detail at my next checkup. Sounds like the easiest thing to do would be just ask the parking attendant to let us park on the end of the row. My husband is not thrilled about the prospect of a wheelchair, but I definitely don't want to use anything motorized. We just plan to take it nice and easy (and eat lots of good food)

 

[NeverlandDreams]

Last time I checked, being pregnant isn't a disability. Honestly, if your doctor is worried about you "taking it easy" I think Walt Disney World would be the last place you'd go! There is no special "passes" or special "treatment" for expectant mothers. It's your choice to go on vacation while you should be "taking it easy." The assistance that WDW provides is for those people that have some phyiscal disability, psychological issues, or terminal illnesses.

 

[smidgy]

no, being pregnant is not a disablility. it's a "condition" . I don't know anyone (at least in my group of friends) who would not GLADLY give up a parking space, spot in line, seat on a bus, etc. for an expectant mother. I am 50; was only to :the world" with teens and then 7 times just hubby and me. my hubby NEVER gets a seat on the bus (we ALWAYS stay on site). he has had 5 foot surgeries and a bad back. but we always (even when we are first in line after illuminations) give up our seats to elderly person, , pregnant ladies, people holding children, and, in his case, ladies. (then, I get a seat).
ok, I'm 50, but i DO still remmeber what it's like to be expecting.. even if it in not a problem pregnancy .. any pregnancy has can be iffy. in any case.. your back hurts, your bladder hurts,(screams).
why go to disney if you're pregnant? gee most people plan these trips months and months in advance. we had ADR's for sept. back in April.!these people should tell their 4 and 7 year olds that the trip they are looking forward to is cancelled cause a baby is on the way? God has a funny way of surprising us, and I don't know many people who would begrudge an expectant mother their seat on the tram/bus just to get 10 spaces ahead in line for space mountain. or maybe they know once the baby is born, they won't be able to go again for years. God bless pregnant women. you can always have my seat on the tram, my spot in the parking lot. (better you than me! )