Aaahhhh Disneyland....ARE you the happiest place on Earth? YES....for that split second that my children are not crying or whining and not being carried around by me? YES you are, and how I've missed you. HOWEVER, I did enjoy the opportunity to share you with my children. Dom still talks about you (and asks everyday if we can go tomorrow) and Ethan has started a love affair with your ambassador, Mickey Mouse. He watches Disney junior at least once a day.
This trip required some planning. I looked at an endless list of blogs about where to go, what to do, where to eat, how to cope with children....they were great. I did an excel sheet (well 4 of them) for each park- detailing which ones had fast passes, parent swap (that's where one parent rides with a kid, goes through and then they give u a fast pass to give to the other parent so he/she can ride the ride too), parade times, show times, height requirements on each ride, cheapest places to pick up lunch, character meeting times and where....I mean, the whole enchilada....it was probably 4 days worth of work....and as soon as we got there, I feel like my itinerary flew out the window. Nobody ever listens to me at home, I'm not sure why I thought it would be different here.
For the most part, the kids did fantastic. Dom was a trooper and walked as much as he could, and Ethan....he was a trooper too....he skipped naps most of the time and hung in there. Spencer and Dom tried the famous dole whip at Adventureland, but if you want something REALLY good...there is a california churro cart in Downtown Disney (by Rainforest Cafe) where they serve a churro sandwich...google it...it's so good. I don't eat indulgences like this very often...and it was HUGE...it took all four of us to eat it...but SO WORTH the $8...I'm slobbering as I write this...I digress...
We all rode the haunted mansion, rode the thunder railroad (each parent) by ourselves, saw the 4 pm parade, and tired our little feet out. Dom and I had a fast pass for a 7 pm star tours ride, so we went back to the hotel, ate dinner there, and headed back out to the park to not miss it- he was very excited about it. He even got picked as the rebel in the cockpit. His face appeared in the screen and I have no picture of it, it all happened so fast (I actually forgot my camera back at the hotel, and my phone was already maxed out on memory by this point) Since we got done so fast (and there was just the two of us), we decided to stay and do more rides. We did the carousel, dumbo ride, tea cups, and finally the 9 pm parade. If your kids can stay up that late....this is the BEST parade. All the characters light up, including Lightning McQueen and Mac. Broadway would envy the princess costumes- they were so pretty. This was the only time I saw the princesses- my boys were not into waiting in line for them. Again, no pictures were taken, because my camera was left at the hotel. But here are some pics of the afternoon parade from that day:
As soon as the parade was over, Dom asked to use the stroller and he kinda cuddled into a ball...and the little booger zonked out. So, I was traveling by myself...the entire way back, and it was cold and dark. It's so weird...not talking to anybody...lol. I'm usually talking to SOMEBODY....and this time, I found myself trying to get out of the park, and it was a pain. I forgot the 10 pm fireworks were next. Most people stayed for that, so everything was packed....that's why it's not a good idea to bring a double stroller. I squeezed my way in and out of pockets among the masses and finally after 30 min, I was outside....I basically ran back to the hotel and put Dom to bed. Ethan slept in a separate area in a pack and play, so we never woke him up and Spencer had the other bed all to himself...so it was a done deal. I had not realized that California gets cold as soon as there is no sun. We did not prepare for this- I did not pack any kind of pants or long sleeve shirts or light jackets...it kinda stunk. Then, on our last day (Thursday) it rained from like 11 all the way until like 7pm....we were so cold and Disney was banking on those little dinky ponchos that you get at the dollar store.....for $6!!!..>What a ripoff...we decided to get wet...it was only a drizzle. I had the ergo baby, so I know Ethan was warm...and Dom was ok in the stroller...at least he wasn't getting wet under the canopy. Do prepare with at least a light jacket for everyone...just in case. I also brought a super slim fanny pack. Best idea ever! NEVER bring a purse- too bulky and you have to leave it in the stroller which is kinda far away from the ride...anything can happen to it...seriously. Everyone left EVERYTHING in the strollers in the parking area for the rides...but I can see someone going through everything and no one even noticing...better be safe than sorry. All you need is your ticket to get in, fastpasses, ID, and a credit car...super small items....really, just get a fanny pack. The snacks and things can go in a small backpack. That way, nobody has to carry anything.
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| Toon Town |
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| Goofy was right at the entrance |
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| Dom likes being silly |
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There were things that kids can touch all over that make funny
noises...when you rang the doorbell, you heard glass breaking |
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| The mailbox talked to ya |
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Goofy's house had a slide...we came all the way to California
to get on a slide. |
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| Ethan loved that chair |
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| Dom loved that piano |
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| They both loved the washing machine |
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| They both loved this thing.... |
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| worst picture ever....Ethan was just being a butt |
If you are going to do Disneyland...book a character dining. It is not any more expensive than anything at the resort AND you get to meet Disney characters....they come to you! The Pacific Grill was the ONLY one (out of the three) that guaranteed Mickey to be there...they also had Pluto, Daisy, Minnie, and Stitch. The ONLY time, that you are able to talk to Mickey without anyone rushing you to get out of the way...Ethan loved playing with Mickey and having his attention. Dom loved dancing with Stitch...you can't do those things when you stand in line to meet them at the park....so this is nice AND well worth it. That way, if you see them in the park, you don't feel bad that you didn't stood in line for half an hour to take a picture.
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| Dancing. |
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| My favorite picture |
Overall, the trip was a success. The kids loved it. Next time though, we need to get a bigger hotel room. When we were walking by the rooms to get out into the park, I walked past the houskeeper (she was cleaning a room) and I peeked inside...the room had two rooms!....It had a partition...a bunkbed in one area, and then a bed in another...that's what we need to get next time. It was so odd, all of us in one room. Ethan goes to bed at 8pm, but the rest of us usually last until 9 pm or 10 pm...so we had to be quiet for him. I didn't like it, that's why Dom and I usually left the room and left the other two to rest, while we went and walked some more and had lots of fun. Then again, it was so easy for Dom to fall asleep, since he was so tired. Seriously, I don't know where he gets his energy from because he hardly eats. But on this trip..he seriously ate like 4 big meals...he was constantly telling me "mama I'm hungry...what's the snack today". So, now I know....for summer, this kid needs to do soccer or something.....he needs to get tired.
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apparently, selfie sticks are not allowed....I guess people
hit each other all the time because they are not looking |
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| But...we pulled it out anyways |
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| His favorite character |
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| MY favorite characters |
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| Dom loved this fountain...for some reason. |
Lunch was the easiest part. You are allowed to bring snacks into the park, as long as they are not in a cooler. So, there was a lot of cookies to go around....probably more cookies than my kids had ever seen....seriously, I hardly ever bring cookies....but I wasn't sure what other kind of snacks we were allowed to have since I thought we didn't have a fridge. So, there were fruit ropes, organic cookies, organic cheese crackers. The cool thing about buying lunch at the park...is that the casual places usually have a kids food combo thing- doesn't include drink BUT it includes a piece of fruit, yogurt and some side...so it's actually quite a bit of food for $7...both my kids were able to share the $7 meal and we already had water, so that saved me a lot. Ethan has developed an affection to soda...root beer to be exact. A couple of times, I bought Dom soda, and Ethan immediately recognized that he did not have one, but why Dom? I have learned that Ethan is a bit sharper and old enough to know when he's being left out of something. I don't buy soda here, unless it's a rare occasion...but when I do, I only buy one 2L and whoever drinks it's great...and once its done...it's gone. And I think everyone feels the withdrawals...it's so terrible...haha. I usually just go and get myself something to make a juice from, but nobody wants those. Ethan...whose a foodie, will always taste it, and just spit it back out.
Downtown Disney is fun and full of shops and great things...like the churro cart. We ate our last dinner at the Rainforest Cafe...and that's a whole 'nother beast. But they do have fancier restaurants and live music almost everywhere. The road is below you, so no cars ever come by...it's all pedestrian and the monorail station is right there (and they check your ticket there), so you can skip the lines at the gates and just go on through to Tomorrowland. If that's something you like...go in the morning, the lines are super long there. We also discovered that Chewbacca and Kylo Ren are hidden in what used to be the Autotopia entrance. I'm excited Disney has decided to incorporate a Star Wars land...but because of it, they have taken out a lot of things- the iconic Disneyland Railroad was not working, Autotopia was not working, and everything near the lake- Tom Sawyer island, the riverboat and the canoes were not even moving. I don't think I have ever ridden any of that. Also, the jungle cruise was not working- this is my third time, and I STILL have not ridden the cruise, it's never working! I was so frustrated when I found out. But I"m sure once the Star Wars land is up and running in a few years, maybe most of the stuff mentioned will go back to normal.
So, anyways, it's well recommended to take a family vacation here...just be ready to understand that you WILL need a vacation from THIS vacation....but Oh so worth it! If you have been here before, I would love for you to comment and see maybe any tips I might have missed.
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