Day 7: Expectant Mothers Should Not Ride

The Disney World dream

We are in the middle of a whirl-wind trip to Disney World. A year ago my husband won the raffle of a lifetime, and it’s all landed so serendipitously that this would be our last trip as a family of three, before the baby comes.

As I am just days away from starting the third trimester, much of the extremely fast and elaborately engineered experiences are off limits to me.

Instead, I get my thrills by executing on a perfectly planned day. Waking up before 7am to lock in virtual queue reservations and strategic lightning lane choices. Making sure my loves see the sights they’ve been dreaming of for months. Snagging the perfect lunch spot so we can watch the parade while we eat. And some other surprises along the way—my most legendary (so far) being getting them on TRON twice without paying.¹

The mama bear in me is determined to make this the best trip for my little family—their first-ever time at Disney World. So while I mostly wait on park benches while my husband and stepdaughter dash from one fast ride to another, I spend that time plotting. The next move, the next smile, the next surprise.

And all around me, so many other mamas and papas painstakingly take care to do the same for their own: indulging in the Mickey ears and princess dresses, making sure their kids see their favorite characters, keeping the day enchanting during long wait times for rides, hoisting little ones on shoulders during the fireworks, and carrying them and a day’s worth of souvenirs on the trek back home.

I’m not having a quintessential Disney experience, but I don’t think I’ve ever been happier in “the most magical place on earth.” We are the ones who make the magic.

1. I feel like this alone would certainly earn an A in a 21st-century home economics class.