Pirates of the Caribbean While Pregnant?

[not.the.mermaid]

Hi everyone,

We're headed to the parks in a few weeks, and by that time one member of our group will be ~7 months pregnant. The Disney site does not list an expectant mother warning on Pirates of the Caribbean, but we are uncertain if the ride is safe for her. I know it has one little drop, and we've been going back and forth over whether or not it might be too intense for an expectant mother.

It's her first Disney trip, so I'm really hoping she can go on it, but if we're not sure she's going to sit it out. I was hoping someone here might have some input.

Thanks!

 

[Kewz1]

Obviously the choice is up to the mother but the drop isn't really anything big. It's nothing like Splash Mtn. Maybe try looking for a video to see if you can get an idea what it is like.

And just for the record it is one of the rides I did do pregnant. Hope this helps.

 

[caitcance]

Everyone has their own comfort level of course but personally I would not hesitate to ride it pregnant.

 

[bkfamilyof5]

I’ve ridden both DL and WDW versions while pregnant. It’s extremely tame.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

If she can get from home to Disney and then her hotel to MK then there's no reason for her not to ride POTC.
Its more mild than the transportation to get to the park.

 

[snowwhite84]

I rode while pregnant!

 

[OhhBother]

We went with a friend who was seven months' pregnant a couple of years ago. It was also her first visit. She rode without incident. I just told her when to brace so she wasn't jostled unexpectedly.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

I agree with everyone, the drop is mild. Is she having a difficult pregnancy or are there other medical conditions that heighten the concerns for her pregnancy? The end of the ride, when the boats are qued up waiting their turn to exit, you are repeatedly bumped from behind by other boats, and sometimes it is quite jarring. That could be more of a problem than the small drop, I would think.

 

[Catvondita]

I haven't been pregnant yet but my husband and I will be trying soon so I always think about what rides I would be able to go on or not. Personally, I would go on this. I would try to brace myself for the drop just in case (even though its pretty tame) but can't hurt just in case. Also maybe be prepared to brace myself in case the boat bumps into another or whatever, They can ask their Gyno about it and see what they recommend. The cause of concern I've heard is that when the placenta starts forming, certain things like roller coasters etc risk the placenta detaching which is very bad. So I would say as long as they are aware of the risks and speaks to a professional first it should be okay. It's only one little drop and then the rest of the ride is slow moving.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I rode while pregnant (though only ~4 months) and was fine. I would just make sure she’s aware of the drop and can brace for it.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

I rode it at 15 weeks pregnant.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

(Double post)

 

[MickeyWaffles]

I rode it at WDW and Disneyland, pregnant both times. There’s no pregnancy warning and the drops on both are small and smooth.

Up to everyone, of course, but it didn’t even cross my mind to not ride it.

 

[MrsDuck]

I chose to NOT ride it while pregnant. I was already anxious and didn't want the unnecessary worry.

 

[2019TripIdeas]

Is she having a difficult pregnancy or are there other medical conditions that heighten the concerns for her pregnancy? The end of the ride, when the boats are qued up waiting their turn to exit, you are repeatedly bumped from behind by other boats, and sometimes it is quite jarring. That could be more of a problem than the small drop, I would think.

100% yes on this. We rode it twice at Disneyland when I was 5 months pregnant and the drop was no big deal at all. I felt totally safe BUT one of the times the ride got jammed up and boats were bumping into each other and that was definitely more questionable than the drop. I still felt fine about it overall.

 

[not.the.mermaid]

Thank you all so much for the responses!
We are actually most concerned about the boats bumping at the end of the road - I've never thought anything of it myself, but I've also never been pregnant.
She'll need medical clearance to fly, and when she gets that we're going to have her talk to her doctor about the boats bumping into each other. I also like the suggestion of having her watch a ride-through. She is aware of the drop, but we'll make sure she braces herself for it if she chooses to go on the ride.

 

[Tink_83]

Why will she need medical clearance to ride? 7 months is a few weeks before the cut off to fly so it shouldn't be an issue unless she has medical problems. Regarding the ride, assuming she has no medical problems, Disney would not not have a warning about a ride if they thought it could cause a problem (including the bumping of boats at the end) - and due to liability laws in our country I would presume they would err on the side of extreme caution. As such I wouldn't be concerned about any rides that they don't specifically warn against. I would be far more concerned about staying hydrated. So I"ll recommend tons of water for your wife. And breaks.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Why will she need medical clearance to ride? 7 months is a few weeks before the cut off to fly so it shouldn't be an issue unless she has medical problems. Regarding the ride, assuming she has no medical problems, Disney would not not have a warning about a ride if they thought it could cause a problem (including the bumping of boats at the end) - and due to liability laws in our country I would presume they would err on the side of extreme caution. As such I wouldn't be concerned about any rides that they don't specifically warn against. I would be far more concerned about staying hydrated. So I"ll recommend tons of water for your wife. And breaks.

The pp indicated she’d need clearance to fly (not to ride). I think my doctor’s cutoff for flying was 32 weeks, but some doctors may be more conservative (or more lenient).

 

[not.the.mermaid]

The pp indicated she’d need clearance to fly (not to ride). I think my doctor’s cutoff for flying was 32 weeks, but some doctors may be more conservative (or more lenient).

Yes, that's exactly it. She'll be 31 weeks when we leave. She was told the cutoff is 34 weeks, but her doctor is erring on the side of caution

 

[Daisy1940]

Just chiming in as another who rode while pregnant (4 months along). Frozen in EPCOT has similar drops and I rode that as well. I avoided coasters and anything else with a warning but I did ride safari in AK.

I agree with the above poster that Disney errs on the side of caution so if there is no warning, it is safe baring pregnancy complications.