In case you are planning a trip to Disneyland yourself, here is what worked well for us:- We specifically chose January to visit Disneyland for the lower rates and fewer visitors. While Saturday was busy by our standards (I'm sure it wasn't by D.L.'s), Sunday and Monday were dead. Virtually no lines! No crowds in which to lose your sanity and/or child. Pure awesomeness and a more relaxed experience.
- We were fortunate to be gifted a copy of The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland. It was immensely helpful; it covered everything from age-appropriate rides to hotel ratings to stroller rentals to just how large (and intimidating) some of the characters' costumes can be to young ones. Hubby read it practically from cover to cover, and planned the lodging according to their recommendations, too.
- In the back of the book was a one-day plan specifically geared toward children aged 2-5 years. We followed the plan in 2.5 days to suit our needs; allowing time for repeating favorites, catching a few day time shows, plenty of breaks and no rushing from one thing to the next.
- The weather was also gorgeous, though we were prepared for CA's wet season. We got lucky, and our umbrella remained untouched.
- I packed plenty of snacks into the carry-on to limit our food purchases. You are allowed to bring snacks and water into the park! We brought our Camelbak, refilling it with the tap. If there's ever a next time I would bring Crystal Light for a water bottle, too.
- We adhered pretty strictly to the girls' normal sleep schedule so they were very well rested each day. Our girls no longer nap midday, or even have regular quiet time, but we left the park for lunch and sat for a good hour to 'rest.' With the time change they went to bed at 6-6:30PM, so we skipped the fireworks and other night time festivities. But knowing how volatile tired children can be, it was deemed crucial.
- I pre-purchased 'autograph' books ($1 at Staples!) and Disney shirts ($6 at box stores!) to keep souvenir costs lower. It would have cost us $6o+ to buy these for the girls in the park. We skipped souvenirs for us, and the girls each got a pair of ears and one gift of their choice (with a set price limit).
- Dining out in and around the theme park is expensive. Unable to bring frozen meals and a crock pot in the carry-on (trust me... I thought about it) we opted to stay in a no-frills hotel due to it's super close proximity to the park and the free continental breakfast. While our hotel room came with a mini-fridge and microwave, there is no grocery store within walking distance. Perhaps we should have taken a cab for sandwich supplies? So we ate lunch and dinner (almost) exclusively at the pancake places where children eat for free and just drank water. Usually we just split happy hour specials or go out for dessert, so there was some definite sticker shock. Little Sis and I shared kids' meals, too, when the portions were generous. Anybody else do that?
Does it come with shoes?!
Admittedly, Hubby thinks I overreacted and was better prepared for dining out in a California theme park.
Overall, the trip was fantastic! We are so glad we went! It wasn't really stressful at all, minus losing a couple hoodies and (almost) my Rx glasses. It was just such a joyous trip. The immense amount of planning paid off. :-)
Anyone have any other helpful tips to share?
1 comment:
so glad it was such a success! you have such a gorgeous family and you are such a beautiful mama! i love seeing photos of you with them.
also: if it makes you feel any better, we once paid $18 for one order of applebees takeout mozzerella sticks right next to niagara falls. there was just nothing else. :(
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