We found out that I was expecting our second child after we had already registered for the 2012 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend events. Flights were already booked and we both love that time of year – empty parks, great events, and a time to visit with friends and family. So, we decided even though I would be about 6 months pregnant, we would still travel to the most Magical Place on Earth.
With a two year old and my husband running the half marathon, we braced ourselves to be very tired – and to take a lot of breaks. My son is, unfortunately, refusing nap time on a regular basis and our trip was no exception. Even knowing that, most days, we headed back to our rental home for nap time – for me. My husband also enjoyed some down time, as he did most of the running after our very energetic tot.
Park touring is slightly different pregnant – all of the E-ticket (big rides!) attractions have recommendations to avoid. I chose to avoid everyone of these except for the Kilimanjaro Safari, having been on the Safari on our previous trip I had thought about the bumps and thought I could handle it. However, this meant finding activities for my son and myself while my husband went on the rides. This was perfect in Disney’s Animal Kingdom – my husband went on Expedition Everest while my son and I headed to Dinoland U.S.A. to ride the TriceraTop Spin.
Helping my personal touring – I trained and completed the marathon weekend Family Fiesta 5k. I definitely believe that staying in good shape helped me for long days of park touring. We also didn’t burn the candle at both ends – we started early, but were generally home and asleep by 9 pm. I invested in a good maternity support belt and wore that for the majority of the trip. I can’t imagine walking those parks without that additional support and would highly recommend it.
And to think – on our next trip to Walt Disney World, we will be a family of 4!
Related articles
- Walt Disney World (WDW) Marathon Weekend (meetthemagic.com)
- Raising the next generation of Disney Fans (thedisneymoms.com)
