Travelling with a 2.5yr old whilst pregnant .... About This Page:

[Kit]

Hi!

We're on the verge of booking a couple of nights at Sequoia Lodge in September to celebrate our 10th Wedding Anniversary having stayed at NPBC for our honeymoon.

We've been to the parks a few times but not for 4-5 years so I'm struggling to get my head around changes and how to "do" the parks with a toddler. Added to the mix will be that I will be nearly 7 months pregnant!

So we'll need to keep it as relaxing as possible, keep walking to the minimum as well as seeing as much as possible and spending as little as possible! We considered other holidays but decided that we were always disappointed with them compared with Disney even with these restrictions.

We're planning on taking the buggy (will it be safe-ish if we all go on a ride together? obviously carrying any valubles with us), loaded with a small amount of snacks and drinks. Waterproof and warm clothes to cover those eventualities. Hopefully a toddler won't have too much of an idea about spending loads on souveniers and will also prevent the option of lovely sit down dinners.

So any pointers please? Are the buses from hotel to park worth using? Does the hotel pool really not open until the afternoon (I'm sure I read this somewhere)? Is it worth getting up for breakfast at 7am to avoid the rush?

Thank you!

Kit, travelling with dh & ds

[chezp]

I can't help much - the only thing I would say is that it's worth getting up early to avoid the rush. We much prefer an early breakfast and then getting straight into the parks.

We've never personally used the buses to get to and from the parks from the hotels. We've always walked. My friend did take them and found them fine, but I know when she went, there were problems with pickpockets on the bus - someone had their purse stolen on their bus and hers was stolen and she thinks it could've been on the bus. I don't know if those problems remain now (this was last October), but it's worth keeping a close eye - and probably hand - on valuables on the buses, just to be safe.

[Disneybine]

That sounds like you have a wonderful trip coming up! Taking your little one to DLP for the first time will probably be both amazing and a little overwhelming at times - especially with you being 7-months pregnant!

In the Disneyland Park, I assume you'll end up spending a great deal of your time in Fantasyland, simply because there are the most attractions suitable for a 2 year old (and a pregnant lady, for that matter ) there: Dumbo, the fairy boats, It's a Small World, the Lancelot carrousel, maybe even Casey Jr. (circus train). At the Walt Disney Studios Park, only Stitch live and the Flying Carpets are toddler-friendly.

If it's raining (which happened to me in September 2007 on 3 of our 4 days at DLP ), your best bet will be to find a restaurant and sit it out. Unfortunately, most of the parks isn't very pleasant in heavy rain.

I've stayed at the Sequoia Lodge twice so far and love it! There's a very cute photo op corner where they bring out characters at certain times a day. It would make for an adorable pic with your little one Also, I think one of the restaurants at the Sequoia Lodge offers a buffet for dinner. In December, the hotel pool was open in the mornings. It may differ based on how full the hotel is. We were there right before Christmas so the pool got pretty crowded in the late afternoon.

The bus from the Sequoia Lodge runs frequently. It may get pretty crowded, though, and honestly, the walk from the bus station to the park entrance is only slightly shorter than walking directly from the hotel. I have back problems so I can't walk too much but we ended up not taking the bus once last time we were there.

I know that most people feel comfortable leaving their buggy outside when enjoying an attraction. As long as you take anything "loose" with you, it should be fine.

About the "getting up early to avoid the rush" question, well, I guess it depends. If you're at DLP in September during the week (Monday through Thursday especially), the parks won't be too crowded. They do fill up on sunny days on the weekends, however. I'd get to the parks early on those days. Also, if your DH wants to ride Crush's Coaster or the Tower of Terror (both rides you can't go on while being pregnant, sorry) in the Walt Disney Studios Park, I suggest going early at least one day or the wait will be 90 minutes (Crush's Coaster doesn't have FP).

That's all I can think of right now. Hope it helps!

[Kit]

Thanks for all the advice Getting excited now.

Kittb