Last week we discussed creative ways for pregnant women to enjoy fun-filled days with their families at Universal Studios Florida. Today we address Islands of Adventure. While this park may focus on thrilling, fast, and most definitely NOT pregnancy-friendly rides, expecting women can still find plenty to do and experience!
1.) Take the Hogwart’s Express
We’ll begin where we left off at Universal Studios. Pregnant women can safely ride the Hogwart’s Express, provided they have a two park ticket. The train runs between Universal Studios’ Dragon Alley and Island of Adventure’s Hogsmeade. Each direction is a different experience, so make sure to travel both ways!
2.) Explore Hogsmeade
While not quite as detailed as Diagon Alley, there’s much to explore and do in the village of Hogsmeade. You can grab a meal at Three Broomsticks or buy a chocolate frog at Honeyduke’s. (Hey, you’re pregnant. Why not do both?) If you’re interested in purchasing a wand, you can go to the original Ollivander’s (There is a second location in Diagon Alley.), and find out if a wand will pick you! After purchasing your wand, practice your spells in some of the shop windows around the village. Before leaving Hogsmeade, of course, you’ll want to catch a glimpse of the breathtaking Hogwarts Castle. (And maybe take a picture or two).
3.) Ride The Caro-Seuss-el
You’d think that Seuss Landing would be full of family-friendly experiences that all can enjoy. Yeah, that’s not exactly accurate, especially if you’re pregnant. However, there are a couple rides where pregnant women can join too. The Caro-Seuss-el is one of them. This ride is full of whimsical Seuss creatures, ready to play! Some of them even have moveable heads and eyes that you can blink while riding.
4.) “Spin” around One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
With a similar ride system to Kang and Kodos’ Twirl and Hurl at Universal Studios, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish is also safe for expecting mothers. The key difference (other than theme, of course) is the potential of getting wet on One Fish, Two Fish. Those that listen to the poem playing over the audio system and choose their paths wisely may stay dry.
© Universal Orlando 
5.) Find an awesome playground
Whetheryou have other children or not, you can enjoy three themed playgrounds at Islands of Adventure. All playgrounds have a water play component and lots of different activities. If I Ran The Zoo in Seuss Landing is a super fun area with characters from the beloved children’s book. At Me Ship The Olive, children and adults can play with an interactive piano, climb nets between decks, or even use water guns to squirt unsuspecting passengers on the neighboring Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges. Finally, there’s Camp Jurassic, an immersive and expansive playground complete with caves, waterfalls, and “abandoned” structures. Watch out for the spitting dilophosaurus!
6.) Visit Jurassic Park’s Discovery Center
Movie fans will feel like they’ve walked into the original Jurassic Park in this eerily similar recreation of John Hammond’s famous Discovery Center. As the hub of the failed amusement park, this building is where you’ll find dinosaur exhibits, a gift shop, and, of course, a restaurant. You can even meet Mr. DNA and watch a dinosaur “hatch” in the nursery!
7.) Meet a raptor
The Raptor Encounter is one of the coolest “character” experiences I’ve ever seen. After waiting in line, your group will be greeted by a dinosaur trainer and introduced to a raptor (sometimes “Blue” from Jurassic World). You’ll get to interact with her for a few moments and take some pictures. If you’re lucky, the team member taking your picture is also recording a video of your whole meeting. It’s a great souvenir to remember your day at Islands of Adventure.
Watch the video below for one of my experiences at the Raptor Encounter. We did not meet Blue during this visit, but we have more recently!
8.) Escape the Temple of Poseidon
Poseidon’s Fury is a thrilling, walk-through journey into the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon, Greek god of the sea. Following your junior archeologist guide, you’ll encounter water, fire, and other special effects culminating in an epic battle between Poseidon and Lord Darkenon. While this attraction may be too intense for young children, I definitely recommend it for older kids and adults. It’s a great way for pregnant women to enjoy a more exciting attraction with their families.
Being pregnant can be hard. Being pregnant on vacation at a theme park can be harder, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have an awesome, exciting day at Islands of Adventure!
