Our most recent Disneyland trip

For Spring Break this year we went to Disneyland to watch my daughter perform with her dance company.  We knew going into it the trip that it was spring break so it was going to be crowded.  We just hoped for the best, and luckily my parents went with us, which was a lot of help.

This time around we rented a condo that was within walking distance from the park.  It was nothing fancy but it was great for us.  It had 3 bedrooms and 1 and 1/2 bath.  It even had a crib for us to use, and a stroller available as well. It was about a 7-10 min walk to Disneyland and it was perfect, after a long day at Disneyland though it felt like the longest walk ever, of course :).  But I would definitely recommend renting a condo/house next time you go.  You pay about as much as you would for a hotel room and you get way more room.

We decided to leave a day early and visit my grandma and her husband in Yuma on the way to California.  I am so glad we did this.  It is so nice to visit with my grandma as much as we can.  We enjoy seeing her and my kids love her.  So after spending some time with her we were off to Disneyland!

We arrived in California on Sunday and had originally planned to go to Disneyland on Monday.  Unfortunately Kenz ended up being sick so we decided to give her Monday to completely rest up, we just did some exploring in Downtown Disney and we headed to the parks on Tuesday.  

Kenny and I had already discussed that this trip would be more about the kids, we had prepared ourselves to be disappointed if we did not get to ride most of the "big kid" rides.  And I am so glad we did, because truth told this trip was exhausting, in a different kind of way, but we still had so much fun!

 The twins did NOT want to ride in the stroller.   Which obviously made things difficult.  We let them then walk as much as we could, like while going through Downtown Disney and walking from the condo.  But once we got into the craziness of Disneyland it became much harder to keep track of them walking,  But when we put them in the stroller they would scream and cry and toss and turn.  So it was interesting to say the least.  We tried to do an equal amount if crying and walking, I'm sure we looked like quite the circus act.  In hindsight I should have prepared them more for being in the stroller.  We just don't use the stroller much at home, so I can't blame them for not really wanting to be in it.

My mom suggested last minute that we do a character dining this time around and thankfully we found an opening at Goofy's Kitchen, and I am so glad we did! My kids had so much fun! The characters are great and the food was pretty good.  They had so many options, literally something for everyone.  I can't wait to try the other character dining options next time we are there.

 Kenz really wanted to try to get as many characters to sign her autograph book as possible, and I think we did a pretty good job.  We met lots of princesses and characters, it was so fun to see the excitement in her eyes from meeting and talking to them all.  She was a lot braver than I thought she would be, I am so proud of how much she has grown in the past year.

On Thursday Kenz performed at California Adventure with her dance company.  It was so cool to see her up there performing, an experience I am sure she will never forget.  Her cousin is in her dance company as well, so she then got to ride a few rides with her.  I wish we could have coordinated more time together, but I am grateful for the time that they did have.

Tate was SOOOOOO excited to ride the Incredicoaster.  Last time we went, when it was still California Screaming, he was too short to ride it.  I remember him going up to be measured, and the cast member told him he was not tall enough, to which he replied "But mom I'll sit really still, I promise."  And it broke my heart.  He was so sad he couldn't ride it.  So you bet he jumped on it every chance he got! He rode it so many times and kept asking when he could go on it again.  He is my thrill seeker, he loved Guardians of the Galaxy as well.  He wanted to go on any roller coaster he could,  I love his fierce, brave soul. 

Overall it was an exhausting and great trip.  I love seeing Disneyland through my kids eyes.  I love to see what they are excited for.  We got to catch one of the parades which the twins loved, they got to go on quite a few rides, note so self Rem is NOT a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean.  Apparently the drop at the beginning is scary for some two year old, whoops, forgot about that.  I can't wait until the next trip when they are a little older.

5 ways to get the most out of your trip to Disneyland!

Those who know me know I am Disney obsessed!  I have visited Disneyland more than I can count.  Over the countless times I have visited I have come up with some tips and tricks to help your experience go smoother.

1. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare - Disneyland is sure to be exhausting. Make sure you are prepared for your trip. Comfortable shoes are a must. I would even say bring a couple pairs, a pair of sandals and tennis shoes. We always make sure we bring along a different pair of shoes so when we do water rides we can switch shoes and we don't have to spend the rest of the day with wet shoes.

2. Make a plan - Decide which rides you absolutely want to ride while you are there.  Make a plan on which ones you will go to first, and which ones you will get fast passes for.  I highly recommend paying the extra money for the maxpass, it is a fastpass you can get on your phone, which saves you from running around to the different fast pass locations. Another great tip a Disney employee gave me was to walk the park counter clockwise.  most people enter the gates and immediately go to the right, because its a natural tendency and its where space mountain is.  If you enter and go immediately to the left, you will experience shorter lines and ride more rides in half the time.

3. Stay close to the park - I think it is totally worth it to stay within walking distance of the park.  You don't have to deal with parking (it's expensive and a pain), and you faster access to your hotel room if you need a break anytime during the day.  This is also best if you have kids with you, we know they can't always last all day.

4.  Always make sure you have ziploc bags to put your valuables in while you do water rides.  You can also purchase ponchos for pretty cheap on Amazon, or at the dollar store if you would prefer not to get wet at all, personally that is my favorite part, especially when its hot. 

 

(Pic of my brother and my cute son on his first Disney trip)

5.  Book with Getawaytoday! I have used getawaytoday.com for all of my Disney trips.  They have the best prices on trips and you can bundle your tickets, hotel and even plane tickets if you need. Their customer service is amazing and I promise you won't be disappointed! 

Until next time....

Ditching the kids for Disney

Disneyland.
The Happiest Place on Earth. 

But do you sometimes question how it could be the happiest place on earth when its often met with whining, fit throwing, and complaining?  I mean yes, seeing Disneyland through your child’s eyes is amazing. It’s fun to watch them meet the characters and sing along on It’s a small world. But have you ever experienced Disney without the kids. Let me tell you, it is heavenly.

The normal 6 hour drive, from the Phoenix area, actually takes six hours.  There aren’t lots of unnecessary stops, unless of course you want too. The car ride is also much more enjoyable, you won’t hear “Are we there yet?'”, “How much longer?”, or fighting coming from the car.  

Once you get to the park, everything seems less stressful without kids. You can decide which rides you want to go on and when. You don’t have to base it off whether your kids are tall enough, brave enough, or even in the mood.  There’s no fear of losing your child as you fight the crowds going from one place to the next, or fear of them wandering.  It’s much easier to keep track of adults, and even if you loose each other, a call or text will help to reunite quickly.

Waiting in line is also much more pleasant.  Instead of spending your time wrangling bored and tired children, time can be spend socializing with those around you, or just taking in the fun scenery. Have you ever waited in line with your child for what seems like an eternity, just for them to back out when you get to the front of the line? Hopefully you won’t have any situations like this arise.

Next on the list is the length of time you can spend at the park. I don’t know about you but because Disneyland is so expensive I always want to make sure I get my moneys worth.  One way to do this is to maximize my time spent in the parks and on rides.  If your bringing little kids this is doable, but usually hard. We always enjoy staying for the fireworks show and later, because often times the park is beginning to slow down and people are filtering out.  Not to mention lots of the rides and roller coasters are more fun at night.

So the next time you consider booking a vacation to Disneyland consider leaving the kids at home. Whether its a couples trip or girls trip, its definitely worth trying without the kids. It is definitely just as magical, if not more.

This blog was originally published for East Valley Moms Blog, you can see the post here.