Going to Disneyland
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Going to Disneyland
Feb 2008
We are planning to go to Disneyland in April. We are a family
of four (2 adults and 2 kids, 7 and 3 years). Searching for the
right hotel is a daunting task and I simply don't have 24 hours
a day to do all of that research. Therefore, any recommendation
for a nice hotel would be helpful. Our budget is around $200 a
night, more or less. The lower the cost the better as long as
it offers what we need. We are looking for a hotel that's in
close proximity to the park so we can head back to our room
during nap hours for our 3 years old. We would prefer to have
amenities like complementary breakfast, a full kitchen in the
suite, coin laundry facilities, shuttle service to and from the
park etc... This will our first trip and any advice you can
give will be appreciated.
Working mom
From my experience one of the most important things you need is a balcony
so that after the kids are in bed you can go into another room so-to-speak.
I recommend Howard Johnson which is about a block or so away from the Park.
We always found that the younger child fell asleep in the stroller and the
older child wanted to keep going so we never went back to the hotel for the
nap. You also need a refrigerator, but I doubt that you will find the full
kitchen unless it's far away from the park or too expensive. Try to bring
plenty of snacks for the day so you don't have to buy the food in the park
which is too expensive. Have a great time!
We stayed at the Paradise Pier on the Disneyland Resort this last December
and loved it. You can easily get a room for around $175 (two queen beds)
and it was worth it to stay at the resort -there are so many benefits. To
get into the parks you cross the street into the Grand Californian and
there's an entrance to California Adventure from the lobby. It took me less
than 10 minutes to walk from the Disneyland gate to our room. If you buy
anything in the park you can have it sent to your room, there's a kid's
club for older ones and having downtown Disney right there is great for
eating and entertainment. The rooms at the Paradise Pier were nice, and
clean (our son loved that there was Mickey Mouse soap!), and there is a
cafe, store and two restaurants downstairs. Room service was excellent and
not outrageously expensive, we never used the pool (December!) but it
looked nice, and there was a workout room, arcade and a kid's movie room
etc. We booked our whole vacation thro!
ugh AAA - and got food vouchers, booked character breakfasts, park passes
and got a bunch of nifty little bonuses (preferred seating at the shows was
a huge bonus, the pins and lanyards and stuff was great for the kid). It
was nice to have everything taken care of before we left, I really was
pleased with our experience.
Now a Disneyland Fan
I usually stay at the Residence Inn Anaheim Maingate on Clementine. It's
about a 15 minute walk from the park, or there's a shuttle. It's all
suites, with a variety of room configurations all with a full kitchen. I
think we paid $239 last year for a penthouse suite (loft bedroom, regular
bedroom, sofabed) that we put 5 adults and 1 child in. They also have 1
bedroom and studios that would accommodate you (I don't know how much you
value having a separate bedroom; I think it's great for naps). Oh, and they
really have quite a good complementary breakfast.
Speaking of naps, my 3 year old got so wound up a Disneyland that she
wouldn't nap until she crashed, even when we took her back to the hotel (it
was just a lot of walking and wasted time), so we ended up letting go until
she crashed in the stroller on subsequent days.
Carrie
My family and I go to Disneyland every Christmas Day for three days. We
ALWAYS stay at The Alpine Inn. It is one of two non-Disneyland properties
physically sharing property with Disneyland (and is the closest hotel to
the parking lot pedestrian entrance). It is across the street from the
Anaheim Convention Center. You don't need a shuttle, you walk about 500
feet(maybe?) and turn into the parking lot where people pay for parking!
It is an additional 100 feet(maybe?) to the tram stop. They have family
suites, single rooms, continental breakfast, and they sell theme park
tickets at the hotel office. I checked on online prices, they are really
good! Somewhere around $100. Also, check for AAA, Credit unions, and other
discount organizations you may be apart of for more discounts!
The not so great stuff:
They don't have full kitchens(only microwaves and refrigerators), or
washer/dryers, they don't have shuttles(too close!), and it is important to
go early in the day of check in and get good parking. The parking lot is
small and they usually sell out the hotel so all the parking spots are
taken.
But, the hotel is clean and the staff is very friendly(they cleaned our
room and let us in early when we had a sick kid one year). I love being
able to pass this gem on to all of you! Have fun at Disneyland no matter
where you stay.
Contact Info:
Alpine Motel
www.alpineinnanaheim.com
715 W Katella Ave
Anaheim, CA 92802
(714) 535-2186
Le
For everything you're looking for, I would recommend Homewood Suites by
Hilton on s. Harbor. They have a free shuttle to and from Disneyland, have
a complementary breakfast buffet (not just muffins and fruit, you can have
eggs, waffles, etc. and they don't care if you take some of this food up to
your room...we did that when we stayed there last Nov.) The rooms are a
good size, there's a kitchen with all the utensils/dishes/cups that you
could need. The staff was pretty friendly too. It's also in the same
''complex'' as a Red Robin and some other eateries and across the street is
Target (in case you have any last minute purchases). Have fun!
Mai
The first time we went (2000) we stayed at the Tropicana Inn & Suites at
1540 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheaim 92802
714-635-4082. They are located directly across the street from the
entrance to Disney so it's a great place to take the kids back to for an
afternoon nap or romp in the pool.
The 2nd time (2005) we stayed on the street perpindicular to Disney called
Anabella Hotel at 1030 West Katella Ave.,
714-905-1050. This was more upscale (two pools). Rooms were much nicer and
I think the breakfast buffet was free for kids under 12. We walked to
Disney and entered through the Grand Californian entrance but you can also
take the bus and it drops you right in front!
We booked through Triple A so the bus tickets were included with the
package.
Have a great time!
Janet
We just got back from Disneyland and go regularly. We usually stay at one
of the hotels across the street, usually the Camelot Inn or Carousel. They
are reasonably priced (compared to the Disney hotels) and are really
conveniently located. I think they are probably a closer walk than the
Disneyland hotels. This time around we stayed at the Camelot Inn, in the 2
room suite, which was great. The rooms were big and there was a small
fridge and microwave. It was remodeled last year and was nice (we stayed
there two years ago, it had another name....Park Inn maybe?, and it was
pretty worn out at the time). There is also a small pool and laundry
facilities. We have also stayed at the Carousel Inn, also across the
street, and it was good too. Both offer breakfasts (no frills - cheap
pastries, basic cereal, fruit, juice/coffee). I would suggest a suite, if
you can manage (I think they're around $200) because they offer you more
space and the kids can be put down to nap or to bed ear!
ly while the adults can stay up later. Have fun!
Disneyland fans
Oct 2007
I'm planning a day at disneyland in January of 2008 with my 2
and 4 year olds.
I have only been there a couple of times and I remember that it
involved a lot of walking and lines. Should I bring my double
stroller - mostly I think only my two year-old will use it and
I'll put stuff in it but it is pretty big and I'm wondering if
it will be more trouble than it's worth. I can bring a back pack
to carry my youngest but that really limits the amount of other
stuff I can take for them. I think I will have another adult
along to help out.
Also I'm wondering if there is a specific part of the park we
could aim for for that has lots of activities for this age group.
disney-bound
My sister-in-law buys an annual pass to Disneyland every year and she's
taught us a few things about how to do the park:
1) Definitely bring the stroller, or at least a single stroller.
Disneyland is stroller friendly and there's stroller parking outside of
every ride. It's a big park and kids get tired walking around, and you'll
get tired carrying everything on your back.
2) It's hard to do everything in one day, so plan ahead. Is there one ride
or area that you don't want to miss? Depending on how popular it is (the
new Nemo submarine ride, for instance) you might want to get to the park
as soon as it opens to get in line. Or, you can get one ''fastpass''
ticket for a ride that allows you priority entry at a certain time, but
you can only get one fastpass at a time.
3) The California park is much quieter and has fewer lines than
Disneyland.
4) Two areas that would be great for two and four year olds: Toon Town in
Disneyland and A Bug's Life (or A Bug's Land? or something) in California
Adventure. Toon Town is a bit like a cartoon jungle gym while Bug's has
fun, mellow rides for little ones.
5) If you can, bring in food and water. It's really expensive inside the
parks. The least expensive food I've found is a McDonald's near Paradise
Pier in California Adventure.
6) The shows are really pretty cool -- fireworks, electic parades, 3-D
shows. If you can schedule one in, it would be worth it. The California
park closes at 9pm and then everyone heads over to DL to see the
fireworks.
7) My brother taught me this: put a piece of paper with your name and
phone number on it in your kid's pocket. DL is really crowded and it's
easy for kids and parents to get separated.
8) The Buzz Lightyear ride in Tomorrowland is also good for younger kids
-- and adults like it too.
You'll have a great time! Have fun...
jodi
Hurray for Disneyland! I went several times last year due to a season
pass. I would say definitely skip the backpack. The double stroller
should be fine, especially if you are not going on a peak day (after
Thanksgiving, Christmastime; check their website). You will have to park
it (lots of places) and take the kids out to wait in lines anyway. They
can rest or nap in it when you go place to place, a must if you plan to
stay all day. If you're still not sure, you can just bring a single
stroller and then rent another one there if you decide you need one (if
you have another adult helping out). The only places where the stroller
might be cumbersome are some stores and restaurants, but I think they all
can accommodate it.
The best spot for children's rides is Fantasyland. However, my daughter
at age 2 enjoyed all the rides that didn't have a height requirement, even
Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion (might be scary for some
kids). Don't forget the rides on Main Street (old cars, horse-drawn
carriage) and the railroad if your kids like that; less waiting there,
too. Again, check out the website - lots of information there - and the
park map.
I've heard some people mock Disneyland, saying, ''Why are people there so
happy/nice all the time?!'' Well, that is the best thing about it!
Disneyland is extremely child-friendly. If you are holding a tray of food
and trying to push a stroller at the same time, just ask someone for help.
If you have another adult, even better to save a table and leave the kids
there while the other adult orders.
A few more tips: Skip California Adventure (unless you're there for
several days). As for Disneyland, there is a nice children's room at the
end of Main Street for miniature toilets, changing tables, eating area
w/microwaves, etc. Disneyland doesn't allow you to bring your own meals
but allow children's snacks - they've never questioned our lunchbox. Get
there EARLY (even an hour or more before opening, if you can) because you
have to jump through lots of hoops just to get in (line in parking lot,
line for tram, line for security check). It sounds bad, but after you're
in, it's great. Granted, I've never gone at a super-busy time and am
generally patient with lines if I know to expect them. Food is not very
good and is expensive; some restaurants have better selection/quality than
others. Try Plaza Inn or specialty carts.
Have a great time! Wish we were going, too.
I Love Disneyland
Double stroller is essential for 2- and 4-year-old if you're the only
adult, and if there are 2 or more adults, then a double or two jogger
strollers or other very smooth-riding strollers are a must. We went this
spring with 2, 2.5, and 5-year-old, a Graco Metrolite, and a MacClaren and
were shocked that 5-year-old was EXHAUSTED from all the walking so we
rented a THIRD stroller since we had not brought a double. Double would
have been easier even with all the adults we had. Also, my lousy Graco
really bothered my wrists after a couple of hours. The single strollers
they rent there are joggers and are very smooth. They don't rent doubles.
Rental of a double can be arranged, but must be done well in advance.
Tried same day or day before through our hotel, and no dice.
Annie
We just came back from Disneyland and had so much fun (with a 3 yo). You
can rent strollers there for the day (or multiple days) for $10 a day
which is worth it if you are flying down there so you don't have to lug
your own stroller around (and they're kind of like jog strollers and can
store stuff underneath). We also timed it so that we were there on a
Thursday and so the lines weren't bad at all - if there were any lines at
all. We really only had to wait in one line that was pretty long and that
was for the new Nemo Submarine ride (which was worth it) but it still
moved pretty quickly. I would suggest making sure you have snacks and/or
small little entertainment things (e.g. small pad of paper and crayons) if
you do hit a long line. If you can, I would plan your trip for during the
week versus the weekend (or at least try to get a Thursday in there so you
can do the more popular rides then before the weekend (including Friday)
crowds hit. On the Disneyland website, there is a section with recommendations about what rides are most suitable
for little kids. Some rides you can get a fast pass for (it's only
available for a few rides though) so you just come at a designated time.
We loved the Nemo ride, Its a Small World, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh Ride
and Alice in Wonderland but I felt like overall, the park was very
friendly to younger ones without relegating you to one section of the
park...have fun!
anon
I'm a huge Disney fan and visit the park on a regular basis. I have taken
my daughter to Hong Kong Disneyland when she was 17 months old and we just
celebrated her second birthday at Disneyland in July.
If your kids won't be sitting in the stroller, I'd recommend not taking
it. Depending on the time of the year when you go, trying to push a
stroller through the crowd will be far slower than walking.
There are plenty of rides that your 2 and 4 year olds will enjoy.
Everything in Fantasy Land will work. Although my 2 year old did not like
the dark rides (Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White...) However,
Dumbo, the Carousel, Storybook Land (boat ride), Casey Jr.'s circus train
were all hits with her. Then there's Toon town where they can meet
Mickey, Minnie inside their respective houses. The characters will also
hang out at various sites throughout the park, marked on the map. You'll
always find Mickey on Main Street. Winnie the Pooh ride is over in
Frontierland next to Splash Mountain. You can find the princesses next to
the castle. Fantasmic is one show not to be missed when it is scheduled
(evenings, worth staying up for, my 2 year old did not blink once through
the 9pm show).
California Adventure has It's a Bug's Life play area for kids. The
fountain is a great hit with kids during the summer. There's Heimlick's
train. And lots of opportunities to meet the characters. This park has
fewer rides overall for young kids. Your 4 year old might like Turtle
Talk in the backlot.
As for supplies, they do have lockers inside the park if you need to stow
some stuff. I would recommend bringing as little as possible to make it
easier to get on rides. If you make purchases through out the park have
your packages sent to your hotel if you are staying on the Disney property
or have it sent to the front gate to be picked up when you leave the park.
Give them 2 hours to transport your package to the front or hotel.
If you are going in the next couple of months, the Haunted Mansion will be
decorated for Holloween and It's a Small World will have Christmas
decorations.
Feel free to e-mail me with more questions.
One happy Disney fan.
Crystal
Hi Disneyland-bound,
I recommend just taking a single stroller as a double may be too bulky to
lug around (although the park is very stroller friendly).
There is plenty to do for that age group (Toon Town, Fantasy Land, etc).
If you can, it also helps very much to stay in a hotel close to the park
such as the Grand Californian or Disneyland Hotel. Then you can leave the
park for nap time and easily return later.
Have Fun!
We just got back from our first trip to Disneyland with my 4YO and 2 YO.
I'd put it off this long with my first one b/c I just wasn't up for the
challenge of it all. You'll be happy to know it was FAR easier than I ever
could've imagined! Yes, bring the stroller! There are many stroller
parking areas and the park employees will help you park it (ie. we were
able to keep the baby in the stroller through the entire line for Nemo,
and then they parked it for us when we reached the front).
My best advice is to invest $15 in purchasing the RideMax software
(www.ridemax.com). Based on historical data from the park, this program
allows you to choose which rides you want to go on (and does provide some
age recommendations), at what pace you will be exploring the park (slow v.
fast), and what day you are going on. It will produce an itinerary for you
of what rides to go on when, and how long you can expect to wait in line.
I can't tell you how accurate it was: we gt off one ride, looked at our
schedule, saw ''Peter Pan ride @ 10:07'', we'd look at our watch, see it
was 10:07 and that we were right next to Peter Pan. Scary! We're not big
planners by nature, but this took such a burden off of figuring out what
to do next and managing our expectations that we were able to have fun.
If you are considering staying at a Disneyland hotel, the benefit is you
get Early Entry depending on what day of the week you are going. We went
on an Early Entry day, and got in line at 7:20 as recommended by RideMax,
and were first in line at our gate for the 8:00 opening. Withink 5
minutes, there were probably 50 families behind us.
As for parts of the park, ToonTown is great for little ones - there are
even play structures for the kids. It is close to Small World, which is
always fun with kids, and close to some new Princess/Fairyland area(my
older one is a boy, so we didn't go in, but if your older is a girl, she
might like it). We went on a few rides in Fantasyland; Dumbo is there and
the carousel. My older was periodically scared as some Fantasyland rides
(Peter Pan, Snow White, Pinocchio) as they get very dark and the rides are
jerky. We pretty much skipped FrontierLand, but ''Critter Country'' is
close by with the Pooh bear ride. The Jungle Cruise is a must; we missed
Tom Sawyer's island which is our one regret. Unless you do have another
adult with you, you'll probably want to skip the Buzz Lightyear ride (I
think it's probably too stimulating for an infant) and you'll want to do
Nemo first (longest lines). We didn't do any rollercoaster rides, but did
do Pirates (a little scary for the 4YO; 2YO !
was unfazed) and we had to leave the Haunted Mansion.
Lots of info; but check out Ridemax - it's a great help!
Have fun!
disney convert
I went to Disneyland with my husband, 1 yr old and 4 yr old this May for 3
days, had a great time but it's tons of work. First off, get the book
''Disneyland and S. Cal with Kids''. LOTS of good advice on what to do,
bring, etc. I brought 2 strollers but the double would have been fine, we
were never separated. Just make sure you have a sun shade on your
stroller. My 4 yr old rode in the stroller EVERYWHERE. Forget the
backpack, too cumbersome. take it slow and rest. Plan your day in
advance, bring food and water with you. Spend lots of time in Fantasyland.
Prepare the kids that although they won't get to do EVERYTHING, you can
always go back. Email me if you want to talk more!
love the mouse
We've done Disneyland every year since my now five year old was 6mos old
and his older brother was 3yo... this last trip (5yo and 8yo) was the
first time we didn't use strollers. It is a lot of walking. We are big on
going in early, leaving in the afternoon, going back in the evening and
staying late so we always took two strollers so the boys could doze in the
strollers on the way out. (Even when our oldest was 7 we used the stroller
for this purpose!) One time we took our double umbrella stroller. It was
harder to maneuver with the crowds in summer, but doable. If there will be
two adults, I recommend using two (cheap) umbrella strollers so that you
can get around better. This is not as much of an issue if you are
travelling at a non peak time of year.
Areas that are best for little ones: Fantasyland... hands down. You can't
beat Dumbo. Toontown also has some toddler/smaller kid fun areas. If you
get the parkhopper tickets I recommend the Its a Bug Life area of
California adventure as well. One nice thing about Disneyland... if your
kids are into carrousels and it isn't a busy time of year they won't make
you get off after the ride. (I think we went 6 rounds without getting back
in line...) There is a princess meet and greet area near the Small World
ride that has tables with coloring which is a nice, mellow break from the
hubbub.
Also... if you walk all the way around to critter country, across from
splash mountain where the country bears jamboree used to be is the winnie
the pooh ride. My five yo can spend all day on that ride. It is a ''dark
ride'' like Alice and PeterPan and takes you through the events of the
movie... it is one of my favorite rides too.
If your kids really want to meet charachters we have found the all you can
eat breakfast buffet at the Plaza Inn (inside Disneyland) to be an
expensive, but fun, meal (it is hard to mess up breakfast.) The characters
come right up to the table to talk to the kids. My kids like it, but some
kids do get freaked out by the characters being alive.
The Finding Nemo ride should by all rights be a great ride for small
ones... very gentle, not scary, mellow music. BUT the line is
prohibitively long (or was all summer) here are my suggestions for Nemo.
1. If it is a non early entry day get in line early so you can be one of
the first people in the park and head straight to Nemo. The ride will have
an hour long wait within 15 minutes of park openning. 2.If you stay in a
Disney hotel or buy your ticket through AAA you will have the opportunity
to get in early (1 hr before park opening... only on 1 day for AAA,) on an
early entry day you want to go in early and head straight to the Nemo ride
again. 3.The other way you can get on with a relatively short line is to
get in line just before the park closes as Disney doesnt' shut the ride
down on the people in line at closing.
The #1 best thing about Nemo is that because everyone is heading there
first, you can walk on to almost every ride in the park with almost no
line for the first hour or two each day... even Peter Pan which has
traditionally had a 45 minute wait all day long.
That is probably more than enough info... have fun. Disneyland is IMO very
kid friendly and not too hard to figure out. Some kids do get freaked out
by all the stimuli.
Rose
June 2007
Hi-
We are heading to D-Land in two weeks (me, hubby, 3.5 year old boy and 13 year old
girl). Airline, hotel, transportation and tickets are all taken care of.
Now, I am wondering about places to eat while we are there. Our breakfast is included in
our hotel, but where can we eat for lunch and dinner that won't run us 50+ bucks at each
meal?
I am a Disney veteran many times over, but I have never been with my son, hubby and
sister, and I want to find decent food near the hotels that won't require a small loan
and that will appeal to the finicky teenager and preschool contingency.
Any ideas? I checked the archives and other than the ''bring in your own snacks'' I
didn't see much as far as cost savings once you are there. I want to have fun but don't
want to owe Mickey my second born.
Thanks for any suggestions!
deniene
There are a lot of different options for food obviously. Here are some of the things we have done
to plan eating.
Within the parks:
There are a variety of different food options within each park that range in price. Check out the
following website to see prices and menus for the various dining locations inside the parks.
http://www.allearsnet.com/dlr/tp/dl/dl_rest.htm
You can call Disneyland in advance and make reservations at many of the dining locations that
offer table service. We do this for one meal per trip... usually a character meal. The breakfast
buffet at the Plaza Inn is a little expensive, but is all you can eat (good for teens) and has
MANY characters who come to see you at the table (good for little ones).
Outside the Park, but on Disney property:
There are many places to eat in the Downtown Disney area. These are not necessarily any cheaper
than in the park, but do have a different ''taste''.
One way we balance the meals is to eat a breakfast item purchased in the park over in tomorrowland
(cheapest meal of the day) at around eleven and then have an early dinner at the Rain Forrest Cafe
at around four. (You cannot reserve Rain Forest Cafe in advance through Disneyland, but they will
give you the phone number so you can call yourself. If you don't have a reservation be prepared to
wait unless you are eating at 2 or 3 in the afternoon.)That may not be what you had in mind, but I
find dinner in Disneyland to be the least pleasant so I always try to find a place to eat outside
of the park if possible.
Off Property Food
Along S. Harbor Blvd. there are MANY places to eat including but not limited to IHOP, Denny's,
Tony Roma, Mimi's Cafe, and McDonalds. Also, the Tropicana Hotel on S.Harbor has a mini market
that sells bread, fruit, milk and cereal, etc. The prices are inflated, but cheaper than in the
park.
We've had good luck ordering pizza to our hotel room. (We don't stay in Disney hotels, so I don't
know how they feel about that.) In fact the hotels we've stayed in have usually got a list of
delivery places in the room that include more than just pizza.
I know you said you were flying down, I don't know if you are planning on renting a car. If you
are, ask directions to the local grocery store and pick up food there. When we do this I pick up
sandwich stuff but flip the meals... we eat hot food in the park for lunch (cheaper prices at some
locations) and sandwiches in the room for dinner before we go back to the park after our afternoon
swim/naps.
Have fun... we're going down later in the summer and just can't wait!
Rose
May 2007
We will be in Disneyland for a couple of days and would like to
drive our kids to Legoland for the day. Mapquest tells me it
should take 1 hour (164 miles), but it doesn't take into account
LA traffic. Any input from someone that is more familiar with the
area? Thanks!
We flew into Long Beach last year and drove to San Diego, and it was just an hour or two,
including a brief stop at the beach on the way. That was mid-day on a weekday. And Legoland
is a good bit north of San Diego, so closer to LA. Unless you're trying to do it at rush
hour, I think the 1 hour estimate is pretty accurate.
I-5 All the Way
Disneyland to Legoland isn't LA, it's mostly Orange County. This is an important distinction,
because Orange County has carpool lanes, which it sounds like you will qualify for (2 parents
+kids, right?). So it won't be as bad as you are probably
imagining. The carpool lanes will disappear when you go from Orange to San Diego County,
though, but at that point commute traffic should be less of an issue.
Carrie
Traffic betw Anaheim and Carlsband is pretty heavy, I'd give yourself at least 90 minutes.
Fortunately, Legoland, which I
think is a great park, is not far from the freeway. Try to
be there when it opens and start at the far end of the park --
we always start at the Dragon, which is a roller coaster.
Typically there's congestion and lines at the rides and attractions near the Legoland
entrance.
Good luck and have fun.
April 2007
Tax refund! My husband and I are planning a roadtrip to
Disneyland with our 4 year old son and 12 month old daughter.
We're planning on going in May for a few days, I liked the look
of one of the 3 day Disneyland resort packages, but would like
some helpful advice from parents who have made the trip before
I book.
We want to go in comfort, but not too over the top. Does
anyone have advice on # of days to spend in the park, where to
stay, gear to bring, food, events to not miss, and anything
else you'd like to share? Thanks!
Mousebound
We've been to Disneyland tons of times. And we took our three year old
last fall.
There is a great guide book called Dineyland with Kids. It's the best.
It has
schedules, tips, secrets. I basically followed what the book suggested
and we had
the best time ever. The best tip is to break up your day by staying at a
near by
hotel. Since small children get overstimulated fast there, you should go
early in the
morning when it opens. Stay until about 11:30am. Then head back to your
hotel
for lunch (cheaper that way), naps, play in the pool. This way you also
avoid the
hottest part of the day. Then around 4:00pm, you go back to the park.
Have dinner
there and watch the parade until 8:30pm. Then go back to the hotel and
put the
kids in bed. Then you two take turns going down to the hot tub. After
trying out
lots of different hotels there, we found our favorite to be Candy Cane
Inn. It's next
door to the entrance so it's easy to walk to the park, but you still feel
like you have
left the insanity of the park when you are there. It has lots of
beautiful vegetation
and plants, and the rooms are clean. For a deluxe room you get
continental
breakfast delivered to your room every morning and free video rentals
(great for the
kids). Also, always take a stroller to the park so you can stow all your
stuff.
Have fun.
Chiara
I visited Disneyland in June last year with my 10 mos. old
baby, and my brother's 4 children, 10,9,5 & 3. I was
pleasantly surprised how many rides my 10 mos old could go on
(while sitting on my lap). I was also happy that she expressed
curiosity, but no fear of the rides. It may be a different
story with your 4 year old on some of the more adult rides
(such as haunted mansion). My strongest advise is, save the
Peter Pan, Mr. Toad's wild ride, etc (can't think
which ''kingdom'' they are in) for early evening. By this time,
the other parents will be exhausted and gone and you can
practically walk on to the rides with no wait. Take advantage
of the set ticket times you can pick up at many rides (Buzz
Lightyear for example)which will also save you waiting in
line. Go a little later in the day instead of showing up when
the park opens so your 4 year old can last into early evening
when it will be quieter, less crowded, and you can see a
nightime parade. My 10 mos old just took a nap in her aunt's
arms instead of us leaving the park for ''nap time'', but be also
just planned one day in Disneyland.
anon
I have an almost 3 year old daughter, and we took her to
Disneyland at 16 months, 23 months, and soon again at almost 3.
I usually do multi-day trips to Disneyland even when it's only
adults. With kids, I definitely think that multiple shorter,
lower-pressure days is better. I think a 3-day parkhopper is a
great choice.
I highly recommend focusing on shows and parades while you are
there. Even the 12-month old can enjoy these. You can get a
schedule on-line. Things not to miss: the Bug's Life ride area
in the California Adventure park is great for little kids.
Playhouse Disney and Turtle Talk with Crush would be great for
your 4 year old, and probably with your 1 year old as well.
Disney characters can be very intimidating up close; my daughter
was totally excited from a distance but panicked when they got
up close. That said, we did do a character breakfast at the
Plaza Inn in Disneyland and had a good time. My daughter
followed Minnie Mouse around for quite a while (little stalker).
At one, your youngest probably won't be afraid of some of
the ''scary'' things at Disneyland (like Pirates of the Carribean:
dark, skeletons, etc.), but your 4-yr-old might be. We did well
with open air rides like the carousels, Casey Jr., Storybookland
Canal Boats, Dumbo, etc. Not so great with the dark, scary Snow
White and Pinocchio rides (or Peter Pan for that matter). Toon
Town's interactive stuff (talking mailboxes, etc) are great for
kids. The horse that pulls the trolley down main street was a
big hit, as was the Disneyland band. So it's not necessarily the
things you would think that will capture the kids' attention.
The last time we went we stayed at the Residence Inn Anaheim
Maingate, which is a suite hotel with full kitchens. This gives
you a room for the kids to nap (or go to bed early) while you
hang out in the living area. Others swear by the convenience and
comfortable beds of the Grand Californian, but we find it
prohibitively expensive.
Have fun!
Carrie
Hi.
We just went in March. 8 and 5 year old. Perfect ages. Your
children are a bit young, as they won't be able to do the
majority of the rides given height limits or fear/interest
levels. But, if you're committed to doing the trip now, just
know you probably have another one in your future!
MAJOR advice points:
Book through Disneyland.com. There are no discounts for their
hotels (there are three) to be had outside of their site and you
do get some savings on Super Shuttle and air travel if you
choose.
Stay at a Disney property. The benefits are HUGE: Within
walking distance to either California Adv. or DL. Also, on
certain days of the week, as a DL property guest, you get ''early
entry'' to DL and hour before the park opens to the general
public. This is limited to Fantasy land, but it's perfect for
younger children. The crowd difference is HUGE. You actually
can SEE main street walking down. It does mean for early
mornings, but you're probably already having those with an
infant. It's nice to also be able to walk back to your hotel
mid day for naps and pool time and then go back for an evening
parade or fireworks. If you're driving, you won't need a car
once you park.
The site also offers some ticket deals; we got a 3 day park
hopper pass at ''the kids price!'' that was pretty good deal.
Check out RIDEMAX a web site not affiliated with DL. If you are
limited to ''only'' rides suitable to small children, it may have
less value for you. But we found the program totally worked,
saved us TONS of ride line time (we rode everything in DL and
never waited longer than 20 minutes). Totally worth the $12 or
so it costs.
If you have any questions, email me!
dhtchk
Feb 2007
My wife and I are taking our 3 yo daughter to Disneyland next month and are looking for any
helpful advice/suggestions.
Thanks
David
We've been twice with 2 kids under five and both times we all had a great time. My best advice: get to
the park EARLY!! Do any rides that might have long lines (like Jungle Cruise) first. Fortunately, a lot
of the rides for younger kids aren't as popular so the lines are likely to not be so bad. But by 10:30 in
the morning, even in the off season, Disneyland is jammed (even if the lines for particular rides are not
long). Be prepared to go to California Adventure (which has some great rides for little ones) or back to
your hotel during the day when Disneyland is too crowded. Be really conservative about rides that might
frighten your daughter. A number of the really tame rides, like Winnie the Pooh and Alice in Wonderland,
are quite dark and could be too much for her. If an adult wants to ride a ''big'' ride, definitely use the
Fast Pass system. It will likely save you A LOT of time waiting on line. Finally, if like many people in
the Bay Area you can imagine returning to Disneyland one or more times in the future, don't worry about
''doing everything''. Go at your daughter's pace and remember you can always come back and do more, and do
bigger rides, as
she gets older.
anon
We brought our son to Disneyland for his 3rd birthday. We stayed at the California Adventure Hotel. Is
was great because you can walk easily into and out of the park, no waiting for shuttles. So napping was
easy. You can good rates on Expedia.
They also let you in the park an hour earlier and you can get a lot of rides in during that hour. Visit
all the ones that typically have a line. I suggest you read the schedules the night before and plan your
day a little. This way you can see some of the parades. I also suggest you don't take a hungry or tired
child into the Disney shopping area. If you can, avoid it as much as possible(we had a melt down there).
Our son had a blast and so did we. Good luck and have fun.
Mom of a 3 1/2 year old
I wouldn't take your 3 year old to Disneyland at all. In my opinion she is way too young and would be
scared by a lot of what's there. It really isn't designed for little kids, even though it seems that way.
I love Disneyland with all my heart, grew up down there, but didn't take my kids til they were 6 and
8 and I felt that was perfect.
I would however take her to Legoland, near Carlsbad. You can stay near the beach and have a grand ol'
time. You can spend at least two days at Legoland, plus you could take the train down to San Diego, or go
to the S.D. Zoo, etc.
Anyway if you insist on going to Disneyland I highly recommend the book ''Unofficial Guide to Disneyland''
and follow exactly what he says in there. We followed it to the letter, went off season, and never waited
more than 5 minutes in any line.
Anon
August 2006
We have the opportunity to take our 3 year old son to Disneyland
with some of my family members at the end of August. I'm going to
be around 31 weeks pregnant, and I know that means there are
several rides I won't be able to go on. That's fine, because I
figure a 3 year old is gonna wanna take it kinda mellow and slow
throughout the day. I'm wondering if anyone else has done
Disneyland while pregnant (particularly if past the 6 month
mark), and if you had any survival tips? Also, were there any
rides you went on that in hindsight you might not recommend to a
pregnant woman? (ie: I read online somewhere that the Peter Pan
ride has a 'bump' at the end when you land - I couldn't tell if
the person was overreacting or if I was being naive).
- Thanks very much!
Planning to spend a lot of time at Small World
I went to Disneyland with my two children and husband when I was 38 weeks pregnant and I
didn't have any trouble. Disneyland is so geared toward children that there are always
places to sit down, always places to get food easily, always a bathroom nearby. I didn't
have any problems at all. My kids too didn't want to ride fast rides but they went on the
cars, peter pan ( I don't remember any bump), the merry go round, storybook boats and train,
mostly they just wanted to be there, see the characters and soak in the atmostphere. There
are all the buses, carriages, cars etc on main street too. There are just a few rides that
they don't let you go on while pregnant, you can see a list online. It is such a great place
to go when you kids are little.
done Disneyland
I did Disneyland when I was about 6 months pregnant. I think that
unless you have had problems with the pregnancy or your Dr.
advises otherwise, you can do virtually everything a 3-year-old
is allowed to do at Disneyland (a few exceptions are that if he's
35 inches tall he can do Gadget's Go-Coaster and the Matterhorn,
and you can't). Roger Rabbit and the teacups are spinny but the
spin is under your control. The ''bump'' on Peter Pan sounds like
an unnecessary worry--unless you've been confined to bed rest, you get
bumps at least that big in your day-to-day activities.
Carrie
I am a DL season passholder and a nurse-midwife. There is plenty for you to do in both
Disneyland and California Adventure. Be sure to get a Parkhopper Pass so you can go into
both parks. Peter Pan will be fine. The signage is clear at the rides that you should avoid,
but your little one would not be able to go on those either. Indiana Jones, Matterhorn,
Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Spash Mountain, Mr Toad's Wild Ride are the turbulent
rides in DL. California Screamin', Tower of Terror, Mullholland Madness, the Grizzley River
Run- there are a couple more in Calif Adventure to avoid. It sounds like a lot but there are
many rides and attractions for little ones that are safe for you. Go to Bug's Life! You both
will love it.
Stay hydrated! 8 to 10 glasses when it's not hot, more when it is, or you may have an
increase in the normal (4 times an hour) contractions. Take frequent breaks in cool spots.
August can be very hot in the park. A good plan is to leave the park midday when it is most
obnoxiously crowded and the temp is highest. Head back to your hotel and take a nap (this is
very easy if you stay at one of the 3 hotels on site). Also, take advantage of Fast Passes
when possible- they give you a window of time to return to a ride and enter through a
little-to-no waiting line. A related tip: if you miss the time window, you can still use the
Fast Pass anytime the rest of the day. Pick the passes up as you are permitted throughout
the morning (you pick up one at a time, can not pick up another until the beginning of the
time window has been reached for the last pass picked up). Use them when it cools again
later in the day. Unfortunately, there are few little people/pregnancy OK rides with Fast
Passes. Enter the park ASAP in the morning for smallest crowds and cooler weather. Buy your
tickets in advance to skip the ticket purchase lines- the DL hotels (if a guest), grocery
stores (gift card racks) and AAA (discounted rates). Pace yourself and stay cool by taking
advantage of inside attractions, parades and shows, and you will have a great time. Enjoy!
Kathy
I'm 7 months pregnant and just returned from a trip to Disneyland
with my 4 year old daughter. There were a number of rides that I
couldn't go on, but they were the same ones that my daughter
couldn't ride on. My husband took her on the few rides I
couldn't do, but she could (like the bumper cars). Peter Pan and
the Pirates rides were fine for all of us, though the latter was
scary for our daughter. We mostly spent our time in Fantasyland.
I recommend you try and get to the parks as close to opening
time (8am) as possible, go back to your hotel in the afternoon
for rest, naps and/or swims, and then return to the park for the
evening stuff. We avoided any meltdowns (child and adults), long
lines and the hottest part of the day and were well-rested enough
to stay up late. Being pregnant made me less tolerant of the
heat, so if the heat gets to you, try to hit some ''cool'' shows,
like the ''Enchanted Tiki Room.'' Another big plus was staying at
a hotel within easy walking distance from the main entrance, so
you don't have to deal with parking, trams, etc. It doesn't have
to be one of the expensive Disney resort hotels; there are many
on Harbor Blvd, just outside of the main entrance. Have fun!
Cindy
Hi,
I haven't been there pregnant; we went last spring with our then 5 & 3 year olds, and
6-month old. I would recommend you buy a book called ''Disneyland and Southern California
With Kids''. It's put out by Fodor's, and I found it SOOOO helpful in deciding which rides,
and which general areas would best suit our family, and our needs for mellow rides, places
to hang out, etc.
There are a lot of tips that you otherwise wouldn't know about, being a visitor to
Disneyland--like they had well-equipped, quiet, peaceful nursing rooms for moms & babies.
Have a wonderful time, and take it easy--I bet it will be hot! A tip: wear a hat, and get it
wet every once in a while--it'll cool you down
Heidi
April 2006
We are finally getting around to a Disneyland trip and would like
some more specifics / any updates on the great info already
posted on the web.
1. Does the Character breakfast allow us to meet Buzz Lightyear?
If not, how can we arrange for breakfast with Buzz?
2. The Portofino Inn and the Fairfield Inn by Marriott are
mentioned as being across the street from DL. Are there others,
and are they actually across the street from the entrance? How
long a walk is it with a 4.5 year old? (we can bring the
stroller) Are they reasonably close to go back for an afternoon
rest and then return? Do they have free shuttles or do we pay for
those?
3. How are ways we can make it more affordable - in terms of
food, etc.?
We are planning our trip for june, and frankly the ''packages''
offered online are daunting in terms of price, so I am trying to
put it together by ourselves so that we can have a reasonable
price to save for.
4. Is it ridiculous to try and tack on a day trip to Legoland as
well?
Thanks for your help! We want to go to ''Buzz's house'' but need to
start saving now.
Shahana
I look forward to hearing the answers you get as we're going for the
first time next month with a five year old and a 1 1/2 year old. Along
with all the good tips we'll get from folks here, I'd suggest a trip to
your local AAA office - if you're a member. I hear they have a wealth of
Disney info/discounts, etc. Haven't gone yet myself, so I'm not certain.
-Disney bound
We spent 3 days in Disneyland in Feb. with our 3 1/2 and 5 1/2 year olds.
We stayed at the Portofino Inn and Suites. It is not exactly across the
street from the entrance, but it is kind of around the corner. It really
isn't far-- it was about a 10 minute walk with the kids walking. A
couple days we did walk back to the hotel for a swimming break in the
late afternoon and then walked back to Disneyland in the evening, and our
kids did fine. They walked all day all around the park too. We had no
strollers with us, and we never needed one. Sometimes we had to give
shoulder rides for the last couple of blocks on the last trip home. But
it was amazing to me how much they walked without complaining! I know if
we were hiking that same distance in a park, they wouldn't have it. They
were so excited about the whole experience that they didn't even think
about it. The hotel does offer shuttles-- they cost something, I'm not
sure what. But we didn't use them at all. The hotel worked out nicely
because there was a sliding door between their part of the room (which
had bunk beds) and our part. So at night we could put them to bed and
have our own space. The pool was not huge, but it was fine, and it felt
great to rejuvenate there. One thing I would recommend if you're trying
to save money (and be more health conscious) is to bring your own food
into the park. Signs say you can't, but everyone does. Tammy
We just spent spring break at Disneyland. I will try to answer as many of
your questions as I can.
1) Meeting Buzz- Buzz hangs out at Club Buzz which is in the restaurant
closest to Autopia in Tomorrowland. We bought breakfast (French toast
sticks and fruit and yogurt cups as well as other fastfood breakfast
sandwiches were available) there two mornings and he was there pretty
much full time. (I think he had a 10 minute break during the 45 minutes
we were there.) He stands in the dance floor and kids line up to get
autographs and photos.
2) Closest Motels - The closest two are the ParkVue Inn and the Best
Western Park Inn and Suites. The second closest two are the Desert Inn &
Suites and the Tropicana Inn. All of these are motels and are across S.
Harbor Drive from Disneyland. Having walked the whole area we believe
they are closer than the Disneyland Hotel.
3) We were in the Disney area from Monday afternoon through Saturday
morning. We had a 4 day park hopper and were able to ride everything we
wanted in CA Adventure once and Disneyland one to two times with long nap
breaks as well as hours of sitting to get good viewing for the fireworks
and parades. In addition we spent one day at Legoland. It was enough time
to ride what we wanted, and we were only there from 10:30 to 4. Legoland
is kind of like Bonfante Gardens... lost of rides for the 40 in set.
There is a lot of Lego merchandise being sold all over, and the prices
aren't discounted. Legoland is about 60 miles from Disneyland... that
took us two hours of driving each way.
4)Cutting food costs - Here is what we did. I like to get in line 30-45
minutes before the park opens so that you get right on the rides during
the first two hours when the park is the least crowded. I bring food from
home for my kids to eat while they are waiting in line (fruit and
muffins). At 10:30-11 we give them a meal, ie: split the breakfast item
at Club Buzz... Ride a couple more rides and head back to the hotel. I
give them a little snack we nap and do the pool, and then eat an early
dinner around 4 at one of the restaurants outside of the park, (IHOP,
Denny's, Tony Roma's, Mimi's Cafe are all in walking distance on S.
Harboard. There are other more expensive but good restaurants in the
Downtown Disney Mall... we did one dinner at the RainForest Cafe. I then
brought in or bought a snack for them in the park (popcorn for the whole
family to share) while we watched the parade or fireworks. It kept the
cost down quite a bit.
5) Character dining - The all you can eat breakfast buffet at the Plaza
Inn on main street is the best. We had about 10 characters stop by our
table and visit with the kids, plus we got to eat so much we were all
able to skip lunch. All of the princesses are supposed to be in Ariel's
Grotto in CA Adventure this year, but we didn't go as we were not
impressed with the fix-price-menu offered.
Hope that helps.
Rose
We just took a trip to Disneyland with our 2.5 and 4.5 girls and had the
same questions as you, which I wish I would have asked before I went.
The Portofino and Fairfield are the closest and I would probably stay
there next time. They would be close enough to come home for a rest
mid-day. We stayed down the street at the Holiday Inn and it really was
too far to walk for little legs and the shuttle was very inconvenient and
adds up in cost. Although the two hotels you mention are across the
street, it is still a long walk to the park entrance, especially after a
long day at Disneyland, but the shuttles won't do you any good. We ended
up renting strollers at Disneyland (they have great comfortable strollers
that you don't have to worry about being taken or losing when you're on
rides) and just carrying our kids on our shoulders to and from
Disneyland. The other option would be to bring your own stroller, but I
would make sure it's an old one that you wouldn't be sad to lose, just in
case. Food is very expensive and not that great, so bringing your own is
a good option. Also, take advantage of the Fast pass and the parent swap
passes to get on the best rides. We had an awesome time and can't wait
to go again. Have fun!
loves Disneyland
We just took our kids to Disneyland a few months ago and here are my
responses to some of your questions:
3) lowering costs: I brought groceries and bottled water from home! We
had a refrig in our room so we had bagels and cream cheese or cereal for
breakfast, and I made sandwiches and fruit to take for lunch every day.
It was really a great thing to have a bag lunch because the food in the
park is really expensive, junky, and you have to wait in long lines. 4)
San Diego is not close, especially in traffic. It might be doable but it
would be a LONG day, and many hours in the car.
You didn't specifically ask this, but we stayed in the Paradise Pier
hotel (we got a package at AAA). At first I thought we should look for
something cheaper outside the park complex, but I actually appreciated
the following things about the Paradise Pier: a) hotel access to the CA
Adventure Park. You can enter into a side of the park (through one of
the other hotels) where lots of rides are and you can get there early,
ride lots of rides and then see the other end of the park later.
b) I really liked being able to walk back to the hotel. It was so nice
to NOT have to pack the kids back into a car after a long day at the
park.
c) This sounds really silly, but at night we had a view of the CA
Adventure park and it was really beautiful all lit up. After the kids
were asleep and my husband and I were stuck in the dark hotel room, we
opened the curtains and had the park lights as a background. Very nice.
We could also see the Disneyland fireworks from the hotel balcony. Have
fun!
Did Disneyland and loved it
We just returned from Disneyland. 6 adults & 2 kids. Our daughter is 4
3/4 & our niece is 4. We purchased thru AAA, stayed at the Fairfield Inn
by Marriott. The AAA brochure has many hotels & packages to choose from.
We wanted to walk to the Disneyland (5 minute walk), heated pool, mini
refrig without paying too much. The price included hotel & taxes, 3 day
park hopper ticket, early entry to Toontown & Fantasyland. For my
husband, daughter & myself $624. I believe April is considered off
season.We would all stay at the Fairfield again. There are a couple
hotels closer Carousel Inn, ParkVue. I suggest reading the reviews of the
hotels on Hotel.com or like website.
You would think 8+ hours in the park you can see everything & then some,
but with waiting in line, bathroom breaks & eating, we didn't get to do
everything in both parks. We were pretty efficient using the FasPas &
while kids were riding on one ride with parent & grandparents, another
adult in another line. Except on the early entry days, you really wait
about 1/2 hr to 40 min a ride.
Disneyland is great. You can rent a stroller or locker. You can bring in
your own water, snacks, lunch to save some money. Downtown Disney has a
lot of ''fancier'' restaurants.
Eventhough our walk was only 5 minutes from the park, if you go to
Downtown Disney the walk is father. (where the Character Breakfast,
shops and other restaurants are) after an 8 hr day in the park, adults &
kids are exhausted.
Getting autographs from the different characters is great & the kids love
it, but you can be in line a long time and sometimes they take a break
right before you get there. Get a Time Schedule to see when they are
going to be at their designated spot & have someone stand in line. All
the stores there have autograph books.
All in All we loved it.
Ali
We've been to Disneyland twice - the first time we stayed ''on property''
and last month, we stayed at the Embassy Suites in Anaheim. It's about a
20 min. drive to the park, but there's a free shuttle that takes you
right to the gate. When we stayed on property (much more expensive) it
was a 20 min. WALK(easily) to get to the gate. Not only was the room at
the E.S. much larger than the Disneyland Hotel (a true suite, with a door
between the living room and bedroom), and MUCH less expensive, the E.S.
including a free cooked-to-order breakfast & buffet (saving us at least
$40) AND --- happy hour with free yes FREE cocktails, beer/wine, soda,
and appetizers. Did I say there were FREE drinks? There's an indoor pool
and the typical Embassy Suites atrium with koi pond, which included
turtles and ducks. My son (7) reported that it was the nicest hotel he's
ever stayed at. Only caveat- lots of families, and pretty noisy and
chaotic (the atrium channels sound) although we had no trouble sleeping
at night because the bedrooms are away from the hallway. Fran
April 2006
I am taking my 4-yr-old to Disneyland on Saturday in early May. I
bought the RideMax software package online, which lets you input
the rides you want, the day and hours you'll be there, and it
gives you a realistic, supposedly well-planned itinerary for the
rides we think we want to go on.
Can anyone tell me if they have used RideMax and whether it was
accurate and reduced waiting times? Any tips?
Karen
I have used Ridemax the last three times I have gone to Disneyland and
will never go without it again. When using the software my family has
never had to wait in a line for longer than 20 minutes. I am not kidding.
We just got back from springbreak at Disneyland and used ridemax, again.
This time I found that it wasn't as accurate with the wait times as it
has been over the past two summers. I believe this is because the weather
for the prior month was so bad that the stats weren't accurate. However,
we were still able to stick to the schedule and moved only a few things
around due to ride closures.
While it is possible to just punch in rides and go with the first
schedule that comes up, I would definitely play with it until you get a
configuration that you like with breaks in the best places. I have played
with it a LOT and got so comfortable that I could get our family around
off schedule when we showed up at the park a day early.
Here is the one warning... to make best use of Ridemax you need to be
realistic about your start times. We always get in line 30-
45 minutes before the park opens to really maximize the number of rides
we can get through before the park gets crowded. If you can't do that,
you will need a totally different schedule. Print schedules with
different start times if you aren't sure if you can make it in at
openning.
OK, well here is a second warning. Make sure that everyone you are
travelling with is willing to follow the schedule. My husband and kids
have totally bought into it because they love the short lines. However,
when we travel with other people they don't seem to ''get it'' and don't
stick to the schedule as well which causes problems and means you have to
skip over stuff to get back on schedule. Rose
Dec 2005
I'm taking two girls, 8 and 11, to Disneyland in January. Being
from the east coast (Disneyworld country), I've never been to
Disneyland. I'm overwhelmed by the options and unsure of the best
approach. Advice on what tickets to buy, where to stay, what to
see, how to survive, tricks, tips, what not to miss, etc., etc.,
would be greatly appreciated.
D.
I highly recommend you buy a book called ''Disneyland and Southern California With Kids''. It's put out by Fodors. We bought it, read it, and brought it along when we went this past April and it was a lifesaver. It gives you the lowdown on every section, ride and event at the park (as well as California Adventure), and the appropriate ages, scare-factors, etc. for each attraction. We stayed at the Howard Johnson's--a short walk to the park, and next to a terrific, family friendly restaurant. If you stay at the HoJo, ask for the 4th floor or higher, facing the park, so you can see the Disneyland fireworks at night from your room. I recommend a Park Hopper pass too--you can go back and forth between California Adventure and Disneyland. Have a great time!!!
heidilee
It all depends on how much $$$ you have. Best accomodations: Grand California Hotel. You're ''in-park'', get on the rides earlier than anyone else, wonderful rooms, great food, etc. Second best: Disneyland Hotel. In-park also, a little less expensive, still feel immersed in Disneyland. More affordable: the Candy Cane Inn across the street. Cute, immaculately clean, shuttle to the park.
Disneyland Veteran
before we went on our Disney trip, I read through several websites that offered tips for dealing with the crowds, the lines, and so on. Of the tips I read, the most useful were a) arrive *early* (at opening time), and b) walk directly to the back of the park, passing up everything you walk by, until you get to the very back. Start your fun there. This is because a) nearly everyone arrives either just before lunch or just after lunch, so if you're there first you'll miss a lot of the crowd, and b) nearly everyone starts with the rides and activities closest to the entrance, working their way back, so if you start early and at the back, no one else will have gotten that far back yet. That means there will be no lines or very short lines. Also, if you work your way from back to front, you'll find yourself already at the exit when you're done. That alone makes a world of difference. If you wind up at the front gate, it will be a lot easier to exit without your kids asking for on!
e more thing, and another, and ano
Good luck and have fun
We stayed at the Sheraton Anaheim. It is near disney, and they have a reliable (free) shuttle to and from the park so you don't have to worry about driving. Not the most exciting hotel (dated) but the disney properties were out of our budget. Belong to AAA? They usually sell tickets and hotel packages. Costco sometimes has Disney tickets also. anon
Where to stay depends on your budget. If you can afford it, you
can't beat the location of the Grand Californian, with the
Disneyland Hotel a close second. When I go on the cheap, though,
I stay at the Ramada Saga Inn, which is easy walking distance to
the park and very affordable, but pretty bare bones (it's fine if
you plan to spend most of your time at the parks and your
expectations aren't excessive).
I like the California Adventure Park as well as Disneyland, so I
would recommend park hopper tickets for as many days as you have
to stay (if you'll only be there one day, you'll probably only
have time for one park).
My strategy is to get to the park when it opens, hit as many
rides as possible before it gets crowded, then slow down and take
in shows, parades and other more sedentary activities during the
afternoon. Or, head back to the hotel and take a nap in
preparation for the evening.
Don't miss: the fireworks, Fantasmic, the parade. Catch the
Aladdin stage show in Cal. Adventure. The Muppet and Bug's Life
theaters are fun in Cal. Adventure. Disneyland has a lot of the
same stuff as Disneyworld, so much of it is probably familiar.
Lots of dining in Downtown Disney, but if you like Japanese,
Yamabuki at the Paradise Pier Hotel was pretty fabulous.
Carrie
There are many inexpensive hotels right near the entrance to the park (I found one through the AAA book) in fact many are suites. Then you can do without a car and walk to the entrance or take a bus. I've gone a few times for one day and just done Disneyland. I hear California adventures is mainly big rides which are better for teenagers. There's an excellent book that describes all the rides and attractions and gives you strategies for getting the most out of your time. I take one kid at a time because their interests are so different but yours are close in age so in may work better for you with both. I strongly recommend going on a week day so the lines aren't too bad.
Last time I went we spent a day in Disneyland and a day at Universal Studios which I enjoyed even more than Disneyland. Fewer rides and more shows and virtual adventures. It's possilbe to get there on public transporation.
The two times I've taken my son to Disneyland we start out when the park opens, spend about 4 or 5 hours, go back to the hotel to swim and chill out, and return to Disneyland in the evening for about 2-3 hours (see the parade, go on some more rides.)
Have fun!!
Have fun!
Anon
Nov 2005
I've read on the BPN website about folks brining their own food
into Disneyland, but I've read on the Disneyland website that
outside food is not allowed. I'm wondering, is this a new rule
or just one that doesn't get enforced? Do they search your
stuff? Can you not even bring in water bottles or snacks for a
toddler?
Kim
I took my children (ages 3 and 5) to Disneyland in June. We
brought in milk in insulated bags, fruit, nuts, crackers etc. No
one inspected our stroller. A friend, who goes there often with
her 3-year-old does the same, and hasn't had any problems.
Karen
You can most definitely bring your own water, which is a good
thing if you don't want to pay $3 a bottle.
We found the food to be disappointing, though better on the
California Adventure side.
Michael
It's confusing isn't it?
First, you can't bring hard-sided coolers in, nor hard ice (like
Blue Ice). You can put them into lockers outside the gate, and
once you pay for a locker, you can go in & out as much as you
want during the day (which is nice). I was able to put 2 small
coolers into one small locker (but it was a challenge). I think
that was $5/day. You get (and keep!) a slip that gives you the
locker # and the electronic ''combo.''
Second, you technically can't bring food into the parks. Really,
though, we brought it in several times. I usually had it in a
small zippered cooler bag (with a Ziploc of ice) in the basket of
the stroller. Not an issue (and great to have a snack to head off
the Uglies in your kid!).
Third, there are picnic tables at which to eat (kinda hidden to
the left of the Disneyland entrance), but we enjoyed eating out
on the plaza, people watching and planning the rest of our day.
Hope this helps.
Jennie
I've taken food into Disneyland (snackey stuff, not full meals...) and never had a
problem. I grew up in OC, and my mom ALWAYS took in sandwhiches, although we
usually finagled burgers, fries and churros out of her anyway. The last time I went
was about a year ago, and I just took in a diaper bag which they peeked into and let
me pass...
We like to take the monorail to downtown disney to eat (more options for your $$)
and stay really close, that way we can leave the park to rest. So you could always
leave food in your room and catch a shuttle back to the hotel/motel to munch on it.
Good Luck, and Have Fun!
Sarah
I've been going to Disneyland for almost 30 years now. I've
never ever had a problem bringing in food. I definitely don't
think it would be a problem to bring kid-related snacks. They
do check your bags now, but they're looking for dangerous items,
not whether or not you're packing Goldfish.
Have fun!
karen
The no outside food rule at Disneyland has been around a long
time (at least since my first visit in 1990). However, it is not
vigorously enforced--particularly for something like toddler
snacks. I think you would have to lay out a tablecloth and a full
picnic spread before anyone would notice, much less call you on
it. I always bring water bottles at the very least, and last time
had lunch box full of bottles and snacks for baby, and had no
problem at all.
There is a picnic area located outside the entrance to the park,
if you want to follow the letter of the law.
Been there, done that
We went to Disneyland last Christmas with our 2 and 4 year old
and brought all of their food in practically (there is very
little food there that my kids are used to) We just carried in
our little soft sided cooler pack filled with PBJ, fruit, sippy
cups, snacks, sat on a bench whenever they needed some
nourishment and didn't think twice about it. If there is a
rule, it is definately not enforced. We really saved a ton of
money that way, in fact, our Disney vacation was really
reasonable as we didn't spend much beyond the admission
ticket. The one big splurge was the character dinner at
Califonria Adventure which was more for the characters as my
kids didn't eat the meal. But the primary reason we brought
the food was so we didn't have to wait in line, take a chance
they wouldn't eat what we bought, and could feed them at a
moments notice, it worked great.
A healthier, less expensive vacation for all!
We were in Disneyland a month ago and it was no problem
bringing food in. I brought a soft cooler that fit in my pack
and even though they thoroughly check everything, they never
once questioned the food or drinks. I brought plenty in -
enough for lunch and snacks so it wasn't just a few items.
Even with bringing food we still spent some money on treats, so
Disneyland is definitely not losing out. If you have any other
questions please feel free to email me. We had a great time in
both California Adventure and Disneyland.
marissa
We brought in sandwiches, chips, fruit and snacks for the kids
in a soft-sided cooler. I don't remember anyone checking for
anything other than cans or bottles. Of course we had diaper
bags and lots of other gear, too. It was definitely worth it
to avoid the outrageous food prices in the park, other than
drinks.
Alison
Feb 2005
We're considering taking our 3 kids (5, 3 and will be 5 months)
to Disneyland in May for the first time. We plan to stay at a
hotel on or near the premises, and we're basically clueless about
the whole trip. The older 2 kids are girls and really into the
Disney Princesses; any advice on which areas to look for, what to
avoid, etc.? We're thinking we'll be focusing on things other
than the big rides...Thanks.
Heidi
Our daughter at 3 1/2 (then) was not fully immersed in the
Disney Princess obsession (as now). Several recommendations re
Princess stuff: there was a Snow White musical and an Alladin
show when we were there; the Princesses parade around with
their handlers to give autographs and photos with child. You
can buy a special Princess autograph book for the occasion.
There are usually lines for this; there is a story time about
the Princess stories in the gift shop in the Fantasyland
castle - a nice respite on a hot day; Ariel's Grotto is a
restaurant where Ariel is wheeled around by a handler. You get
to meet other Disney characters wandering around, too. We
stayed at the Portofino Suites Inn across the street. The
great thing (and good for you with the 2 older girls) is that
they have a separate room from the adult/main room divided with
french doors that allows the girls to have bunk beds and their
own table and chairs in their own section. I think you will
have heaps of fun!
Sharon
I suggest you spend a whole day at Disneyland, and then take your lovely family to
the beach or the zoo for as much time as you have. Even if the girls are into the
Princess stuff, Disneyland is rather commercial and the stimuli is almost
overwhelming. Yes of course everybody does it and nobody dies from the stimuli.
One day there can be presented as the norm. The beaches in the area are fabulous
and while the water is cool to cold, the weather is warm! You might appreciate
downtime with your children in a place that allows you to enjoy each other's
company.
Wish I had this advice years ago
We went to Disneyland last October with a 4 year old and a 5
year old. We had a great time. I would recommend staying
somewhere nearby so you can walk to and from the park. We
stayed at the Ramada maingate. It's not the snazziest place,
but it was a 10 minute or so walk to the park and it worked out
really well. One thing I would recommend, since your girls are
really into the princesses, is to get an autograph book for the
characters to sign. My son loved it. I took pictures of him
with the characters and then put the pictures and the
autographs in a small photo album. Another thing that my
sister-in-law did that I thought was fabulous was, she bought
some special pajamas (very ''Princessy'') for her daughter. When
they checked into the hotel she put the pajamas on the bed with
a note she had made (on beautiful vellum paper with gold
writing). The note said the pajamas were from the ''princesses''
and that they were so excited she was able to visit them, etc.
It was adorable and her daughter (8) absolutely loved it.
Whenever she saw one of the princesses in the park, she would
thank them for the note and pajamas and they went right along
with it (''Oh, I'm so glad you got them, I hope they fit...'').
You can also attend a ''character breakfast'' where all of the
characters attend. We didn't do this because it was a bit
pricey, and it might be too much for your young one, but check
it out. One other word of advice, bring in your own food!
It's so expensive to eat there. We brought our food/water in
under the strollers, so that we only needed to buy ''fun'' snack
foods. Have a wonderful time!!
Nancy
We go about 2 x a year and just got back from DLand last month.
I highly recommend the Fairfield Inn by Marriott. Really
inexpensive, nice pool, newish. Ask for a room facing the pool,
not the back part of the hotel though. It is across the street
from the park and about a 5 minute walk. You can also catch the
trolley that takes you to the front of the park. Buy park
tickets at the front desk. Buy park hoppers to save money and
get you into the CA Adventure park too. Another good hotel is
the Howard Johnson, next to the Fairfield. I would allow 3 days
to see everything and have time for the pool and naps. There
are great restaurants in Dowtown Disney (outside the park) and
near the hotel (Mimi's is good and kid friendly). If your girls
are princess crazy, treat yourselves to a character bfast at
the Disney Hotel's Goofy's Kitchen. Make a reservation. It is
worth it. Hopefully you have nice weather but if you don't, the
bright side is that there will be much shorter lines. We tend
to go during the week rather than weekends to avoid the larger
crowds. Have fun!
Disney Fan
We went to Disneyland this past November with our 2 kids, ages 4 1/2
and 1 1/2. We had a GREAT time. We managed to stay 10 hours (we
only went one day and wanted to maximize the day); the toddler slept in
his stroller and in our arms for 2 naps (and had the best night's sleep of
his life that night).
Here is my advice, based on our experiences. (We did not go to the
California Adventure at all, just because time didn't permit):
- Get there early: the park really fills up as the day goes on. We got
there when it opened.
- The princesses were the highlight of my 4 1/2 y.o. daughter's YEAR.
Basically, different princesses appear hourly (every hour on the hour)
around/near the Disneyland castle (Sleeping Beauty's Castle). They
stand around to talk to children, pose for pictures, and sign autographs
(children buy these autograph books for that purpose! Weird to me, but
there you go. We actually didn't buy one, so my daughter just talked to
each princess and posed for a picture that we took ourselves). They can
also be found roaming around and talking to children, at seemingly
random times. But the place to be for maximum princess time is Fantasy
Land. We tried to return every hour, or every other hour.
- All the Fantasy land indoor rides (Peter Pan, Mr. Toad, etc), with the
exception of the Carousel, were too dark and scary for my toddler (my
daughter loved them).
- Our toddler loved: Small World, Tom Sawyer's Island (it's like a park),
Winnie the Pooh ride, and everything in Toon Town. I find Toon Town
exceedingly boring, but it is perfect for small children. It's toward the
back of the park--past Small World. You might spend the majority of
your time there!
- Our adventurous 4 1/2 yr old loved: Thunder Mountain, Pirate's of the
Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, the rollercoaster in Toon Town, all the
Fantasy Land rides, and pretty much everything we did. She is tall (45
inches) and was tall enough for pretty much every roller coaster, though
both Matterhorn and Space Mountain were closed.
- We missed the light parade and fire works, because we left at 6:30 pm
after a long and tiring day. However, I'm sure my kids would have loved
the parade.
- Food is expensive in the park ($5 for a HOT DOG). I noticed many
parents brought their own food--probably locals! We couldn't be
botherred grocery shopping, making lunches, etc., but if you can, you
might want to bring at least some food to offset the costs.
- You can rent a stroller (don't know if it costs $$ or not). I noticed people
ran toward the stroller rental area after they entered the park--I guess
the strollers go fast!
- For accommodations, we stayed at a very cheap Howard Johnson's
across the street. I found it on the web. You can go to certain sites that
show you cheap hotels and where they are in relation to Disneyland! I
think our room rate was $79/night for a room with 2 double beds. We
walked to and from the park, but it was just far enough away that we
didn't want to return for naps. You will be doing a TON of walking just in
the park, so even hotels right across the street can seem too far away for
''in and out'' experiences.
Have fun!
I love Disneyland more than my kids
Hi,
I'm sure you'll get more knowledgeable answers, but I have a few
tips. I just took my 5-year old and her 5-year old cousin to
Disneyland recently, and this is my advice:
1. Let them get autograph books (and pens) and stalk the
characters. This was the highlight of the whole thing for my
kids. There are characters in Main Street at opening, at Toon
Town throughout the day, etc. I think there's even a schedule.
You wait in line for the autographs, and the kids get a little
chat time with the character (if they speak).
2. Speaking of characters, consider a character breakfast. We
all loved the one we went to, at the Grand Californian hotel.
You reserve ahead of time (there's a special number somewhere),
and the breakfast is more or less hotel-priced, but there are
usually 4-6 characters going from table to table and spending
some quality time with the kids. The Grand Californian
breakfast is apparently unique (?), in that we could order a la
carte or do the buffet, which cut down costs a bit (we spent
under $35 including tip for breakfast for two kids and one
adult - hotel prices). Each breakfast has its own cast of
characters. You might want to consider the Princess breakfast,
which is inside Disneyland on Main Street. The drawback to this
is just that it makes you spend the emptiest hour of the day
indoors, rather than out in the park, but it might be worth it
for Princess fans.
3. Take a break in the afternoon.
4. Pack in healthy snacks - they didn't even blink at our
sandwiches, fruit/veggies, and yogurt going in. It helped us
maintain our stamina and avoid lines for meals (and save
money!).
Take it easy, and have fun!
Nancy Humphrey
Regarding hotels, there are several that can claim to be ''across
the street'' from Disneyland, but the more relevant question is:
is the hotel close to the park entrance? Good luck and have fun!
Anon
Congrats on your first trip to the ''Big D''. We're a huge Disney Fan
Family and have been going for years. If the girls are into the Princess
thing that's the best place on earth. They'll be out giving autographs all
day long near the Wishing Well at Sleeping Beauty's Castle. They come
and go all day long. You will have to wait in lines but the Princesses are
lovely and will pose for pictures and give autographs. If you're aren't
interested in the big rides Fantasy Land is the place to hang. There's
the carousel and all the rids aimed at the younger set. Be sure to over
on Tom Sawyer's Island in Frontier Land, there are caves to explore and
rocking bridges to cross.
Have a fabulous trip!
Disney Fan
Feb 2005
Has anyone split a Disneyland Park Hopper pass lately? I bought
five day passes for our family when we went to Disneyland two
years ago and split the cost with some other people. I'm just
wondering if they are still loose about checking the passes.
Technically I think you are supposed to sign the back of the pass
but we didn't and they never checked. We want to go to Disneyland
again this Spring Break. I think the only way we can affort it is
if we go with the 5-day Park Hopper passes again and split them
with another family. We are going the week of Marck 28. If you
are interested in splitting the pass with us drop an email. (2
adults and 1 child) We plan on using two days so you could use
three days the week of April 4th.
Dawn
We visited Disneyland last March, with the 5 day passes. All of
the grownups had to show ID (we used our driver's licences)to
match the name on the pass.
Barbara
Here's an idea for you:
I have purchased and sold partial Disneyland Park Hopper
Tickets on Ebay. I've not encountered any difficulties with
park entry for either my family when I purchased used Park
Hoppers with days left, or for the buyer of my used Park
Hoppers. And I saved an incredible amount of money!!
None of the tix were ever signed and no one ever checked.
Check out Ebay...there are many, many Park Hoppers for sale--
both kids and adults tickets, for varying number of days. As
long as there's enough time for you to get the tix (or many
will offer to meet you at a convenient location to pass off the
tix.)you're set.
Good luck.
Karen
We bought a 5 day park hopper for our trip to Disneyland in
October of last year. We used 3 days and sold the other 2 days
on E-bay. They did not check our signature and it all went
fine!
Have fun!
Nancy
As early as last August we did ''split'' a Park Hopper pass and it worked
just fine. In fact the family that had the second set of days went on to
purchase an annual pass. Since they had the 5 day pass already the
annual pass was much cheaper. I doubt they've changed their policy
drastically in the past 6 months.
Have a great time!
disney fan
Oct 2003
We are considering taking our 3 and 6 year olds to Disneyland during
winter break, between Christmas and the New Year. Has anyone done
this trip at this time in recent years? I'm mostly concerned that it may be
too crowded because of the winter holidays.
Roemerfam
We went to Disneyland last Xmas/New Year holiday and it was great
fun. We are used to going during the peak times (summer,
holidays, etc.) as our kids are 12 and 16! It was just as
crowded as in the summer. New Year's Eve was a blast, but we
were stuck in such a crowd that we were unable to MOVE for hours.
I certainly would NOT recommend it with 3 and 6 year olds! I
would suggest that you rent one of Disneys' double strollers.
(VERY REASONABLE!) They are like jogging strollers and large
enough for a 6 year old. When our kids were younger, it gave me
peace of mind to have physical control over them in crowds. I
would also suggest that you arrive at the park early (1/2 hour
before opening time) and stay only until late afternoon or early
evening. It always seems to get more crowded after dark! If you
are staying at a nearby motel, you should still be able to view
the fireworks (in your jammies!)
I would say that it is definitely do-able! ...And it is such a
magical time of year! Hope this helps................
Marcia....
Disney Mom
We went to Disneyland last year between Christmas and New Year.
This was our 5th trip to Disneyland (we have 2 kids ages 6 and
9) but our first time at this time of year and it was the most
crowded I have ever seen it. They actually closed Disneyland one
day around 1:00 pm and sent people to CA Adventure because
Disneyland was too crowded (people could come back to Disneyland
after the 5:00 pm parade when a lot of people left the park). I
discovered that one reason it's so crowded at this time is
because of the Rose Bowl. The teams playing in the Rose Bowl are
usually from other states and the teams, their families, and
fans do all the So. Cal sites. We were there for the Tournament
of Roses parade and decided to visit Disneyland while we were
there only to discover that everyone else had the same idea. If
you're going to go plan to stay the week so you don't feel
stressed about seeing everything at one time.
love Disneyland
ITA that the first hour that Disneyland is open is the most
productive. Go on the ''big ticket'' rides like Pirates of the
Caribbean, Space Mountain (our favorite, but probably too scary
for a 4 year old - its a twisty roller coaster in the dark with
spacy music and swirling ''galaxy'' lights). Also, many internet
Disney packages will come with a ''free'' fast pass per ticket
that can be used to ''jump the line'' without waiting for your
time frame (fast pass can be obtained with your regular Disney
ticket and gives you a window of time for entry into big ticket
rides in which you can go in a separate entrance/line which is
at most a 10 minute wait - unlike the regular lines that can be
up to 1 1/2 HOURS! - but you can only get one fast pass at at
time). If you think things through you can do alot in the first
3 hours. After that take a break - I found my kids (at 6)
needed to back to the hotel and swim/maybe eat at the hotel or
something and then could go back again in the evening for a
short period of time. Disneyland is INTENSE! Two days are much
better than one for that reason. Definitely take snacks such as
fruit juice boxes, trail mix, crackers, etc. For eating out, you
can find some better bargains in Downtown Disney (just outside
the entrance of Disneyland off of the common area that also
links Disneyland to California Adventures). I think one problem
you will have is that the 8 year old will probably want to go on
more of the exciting rides which may be too intense for your 4
year old. The Jungle Ride is corny but enjoyable for everyone
(and doesn't usually have long lines)- the Tarzan tree house is
one big CLIMB of stairs up a tree and something you might even
let the kids do themselves (easily monitored egresses). Honey,
I Shrunk the Kids doesn't usually have very long lines and
relies upon 3-D glasses and special effects to make you think
that animals are leaping off the screen to get you or that mice
are crawling around your legs. Again, not sure about your 4 year
old.
Karen H.
I have a Disney season pass that is blocked out for the week
between Christmas and New Years. Block out dates are
exclusively for the most crowded days of the year. So, yes, I
think it will be extremely crowded.
With that said, Disneyland is always crowded and I've been on
those overly crowded days. I still think it is worth going if
you don't have another option and if you think you can handle
the crowds. If you do go during the busy week, try getting
there early, leave for the busy middle part of the day (Downtown
Disney is fun and free!), and come back during the not as
crowded evenings. Also, most of the more crowded rides
have ''fast passes.'' Fast passes allow you to get time slotted
for rides and makes the potentially hour-long lines into 10
minute ones.
Have fun if you go!
Karen
DON'T DO IT - We took my then 5.5 year old to disneyland for
that week and regretted it the whole time. Twice while we were
there they had to close the entrance to the park as it was ''at
capacity''. You can just imagine what capacity is at
disneyland. huge long lines, oceans of people - it was a
disaster - go off season or during the week but not the week
between christmas and new years - you will regret it!!
never do it again
Two years ago we went to Disneyland between Christmas and New
Year's. We did it as a surprise. On Christmas after all the
family gatherings, we got in the car and told them we had to go
on a long errand. Since it was evening, they fell asleep and
woke up at Disneyland. That part was very special. It was,
however, quite crowded. We figured out after the first day to
go early when they first opened, stay until around lunch time,
go back to the hotel, swim/nap/rest, and come back in the
evening. That schedule worked really well. But from then on
we've made a point of just taking the kids out of school and
going then (sorry, teachers!). No lines! It's been better.
Eden
It is a total mob scene in Disneyland between Christmas and New
Years. That said, if you are willing to be in line at the entrance
before they open in the morning, and hit Fantasyland immediately,
you have a chance of getting on those rides before it becomes
impossible. I'm serious about being there first thing in the
morning. After you've done the rides, there's so much stuff to
look at, it can be fun for the kids to sit in strollers and check
out the scene, plus, Disneyland is all decorated that time of
year. However, sometimes around parade times, there is a gridlock
of people that can be scary for the kids and the adults. On the
other hand, the week BEFORE Christmas (except for the day when
employees can bring their guests -- you can call and check about
that) is a rather nice time to go. The best days are rainy days,
because the parks are relatively empty, but the rides still
happen.Make sure you buy your passes at CSAA (if you're a member)
before you go, so you don't have to wait in line to buy a ticket
at D-Land. Many of the hotels nearby sell the tickets, too.
A Disneyland Annual Pass Holder
Disneyland during this time is magical. Small World is
decorated with lights, lights are in the trees, there are
several Xmas parades a day, and the Haunted Mansion is done as
Nightmare Before Christmas. However, the Thanksgiving and Xmas
breaks are their busiest time. If you go, get there as early in
the day as you can, get fast passes, etc. Although it's
crowded, it is a magical time and worth experiencing.
Jennifer Murov
Here's a website that shows which times of year are the
busiest at Disneyland (including the week between xmas
and new years)
http://www.scottware.com.au/theme/feature/crowds.htm
Elizabeth
Oct 2003
We are going to Disneyland for the first time with our 4 and 8 year old. I would love any
thoughts and recommendations about spending a day
there. We are planning only one day. Is that enough?
Elyse
We are a Disneyland family so we go at least once a year. If
possible get a map (program) before you go in. If you arrive the
day before, you can get one at one of the information kiosks
outside the parks. Check off rides and sights that you might
want to do. Arrive at the park about half an hour before it
opens. You will be able to do as much in the first hour as the
rest of the day. Plan to have lunch at the Golden Horseshoe in
Frontierland. They have a sit-down show at about 11 or 11:30
(check your program and arrive 1/2 hour before). This is a good
time to rest, eat, and be entertained. 4- and 8-year-olds will
enjoy Fantasyland and Toontown the most.
Other recommendations:
Jungle Cruise (Silly, but fun.)
Splash Mountain (One big drop, but great fun!)
Pirates of the Caribbean (A Disney classic!)
Autopia (Let the child drive, but have an adult in the car to
push the gas pedal--it's really hard!)
Tom Sawyer Island is good for children that like to climb and
explore.
''Honey, I Shrunk the Audience''--3D movie is OK, if your children
are not overly sensitive. (My 12-yr-old does not like the
special effects!)
Haunted Mansion--the same. My children were older than yours
before they began to like this one.
Indiana Jones is one to go on early in the morning before the
lines are too much, but it may be too ''Herky-Jerky'' and scary for
your children, especially the 4-yr-old.
Winnie the Pooh ride was totally boring and because it is new,
has a really long line. Get a fast pass if you must go on.
Take advantage of the ''Fast Passes''. Many of the big-ticket
rides have this option. After going on a ride in the morning, if
you all really like it and want to go again, you might want to
get a ''fast pass''. This allows you to go on later, after a
certain time, and bypass the long standby line. The down-side is
unless you have a special unlimited park ticket, you can only get
one fast pass at a time (per ticket) or until the posted time on
the fast pass.
If you have any specific questions, email me
Marcia
I haven't done it yet with my own child (2nd on the way) but I
remember my own experiences as a kid, adult, and with families
with kids. One day did not seem like enough with the kids
because they (especially the 4 year old) may get over-excited,
over-tired, over-whelmed, etc...and need to have a break midway
through, possibly for several hours. If you have two days you
won't feel pressured to see it all in one day to get your
money's worth. You'll feel more relaxed and be able to go at
your kid's pace which may mean taking a break, leaving early,
moving slower, spending 1/2 the day in one part, etc.... Also
with two kids so far apart they will have different interests.
The older one may feel resentful to have to waste part of his
one day doing ''baby'' stuff but if you have two days he will be
more relaxed about this too.
Oh yea, although the junk food is part of the experience I would
take at least some provisions of your own if you can (check the
rules) like water/juice, fruit, sliced cheese, etc... so you're
not relient on the outragiously priced stuff for your every need.
Just my thoughts. I'll be interested to hear what the parents
have to say who've been there since I'll be in a similar boat in
several years (not so far away).
May 2003
hi i am a single mum of a 4 year old. he is going through some
insecurities ( just realized he doesn`t have a dad-my husband
left when i was pregnant) anyway i promised him a trip to
disneyland. i was thinking of going by car from albany since
the fares are so expensive but everyone thinks i`m crazy. any
ideas on stopovers on route or where to stay on route to break
the journey? i believe its about 6-7 hours and i feel i can do
it, but i`ve lost my confidence a bit now, in case something
goes wrong.
single mum
In the Grapevine (when I-5 climbs steeply into the mountains
between the Central Valley and Los Angeles) there is Fort Tejon
State Park, which might be great to stop at to let your kid run
around a bit. It was a Civil War era army fort, so might have
some historical interest for you if you are into that sort of
thing, plus there are picnic benches and lots of open space.
Most of I-5 up until that point consists of farmland and roadside
restaurants with bad food, so last time I drove that distance
with my 2 year old, I was very happy to stop at the state park.
Robin
Just go!! You will have the best time. We drove in march and
it was great. It took about 7 hours and we stopped for a long
lunch. The park will be crowded this time of the year so be
forwarned. It is expensive so I suggest staying in one of the
hotels that have little mini suites that have kitchens so you
can eat in. Our son (3 1/2) had agreat time. Be careful with
some of the rides. Our son was very traumatized by Snow
whites scary adventure. He still talks about it.
good luck!
ncm
It is an fairly easy drive, about 410 miles. It takes about 7
hours, including stops at rest areas and a stop to eat. The key
is to get on the road either in the early morning (best of all
between 6 and 7 am) to get to LA before the afternoon rush hour
(580 towards I-5 is not a problem in the morning), or around
after 2 pm to avoid heavy afternoon traffic on 580 and get to LA
after their rush hour. I-5 is an easy freeway to drive, it has
several rest areas along the way, plenty of restaurants, so I
guess everything depends on how long a trip your son can survive
before he gets nuts from riding in a car.
Since Anaheim is on the southern side of LA, you could also take
your son to Legoland which is less than 2 hours away, people say
it is not a bad place for little kids.
istratov
Go for it. We do it all the time, the last time was last month with my 3
year old and my 6 week old. I stop over in Bakersfield for the night,
somewhere with a pool to hang out and burn off some of the calories he
was storing sitting still. They another 2 1/2 hours and we are there, and
in time for the openings usually. Bakersfield is about 4 hours away, so
the big part I do in the morning, stop on the way for lunch at a stop with
a playground (mcDonalds, etc) and then on the road til about 3, then hang
at the pool til dark. It is a great adventure for all ages.
Kristi
Check Southwest airfares. My husband and I are taking our 4.5
year old at the end of June. We are flying from Oakland and into
Aneheim for $29.00 each way. If you drive, it is about a six
hour trip. I have driven solo with my son a handful of times to
visit a friend in LA and did not find it terrible. My son is a
good traveler, so you need to take that into account. We took
some fun car toys and stopped a couple of times along the way.
We also did the Interstate 101 and US1 route which takes much
longer but is beautiful...you can stop along the way and stay on
the beach.
tracy
I give you a lot of credit to tackle the trip to Disneyland with
your son. We did the same road trip and stuck with Route 5. It
has plenty of chain restaurants and rest stops to help break up
the trip. To boost your confidence, I would bring the car in for
servicing before the trip, have AAA road service (and they can
help plan your trip) and a cell phone. If you leave in the
morning, you'll do all the driving in daylight. And we got a
bunch of books on tape from the library for our kids. Good luck.
Anon
Take 101 and stop in San Luis Obisbo -- that's about the halfway
point and there are some decent motels there, and a nice
walkable downtown with restaurants. You can also take a break
for a walk or lunch the next day in Santa Barbara. Then it's
about a 1-1/2 hour drive to the west side of LA or 2 hours to
Orange County. 101 is much nicer than 5, especially in hot
weather, and there are places to stop along the way -- the down
side is that depending on where you are going it takes an extra
hour or so. I think you should consider the drive down as part
of the vacation. However, you don't want to drive for a trip of
less than 4 or 5 days; the ratio between driving time and
being ''there'' is too great.
Carol
I have a daughter who is almost three, and wev'e been
driving down to L.A. several times a year since she was
born. I don't like to fly, and I like to have my car when I'm
visiting friends and family. Anyway, I use to worry a bit, but
we always seem to manage just fine. Some trips were
easier than others. I always chose going down the 5
because it is the quickest, but very boring. It all depends on
how many stops you take and how fast you drive. When I
use to go down the 5 without child, it took me on average
about 51/2 - 6 hours at an average speed of 75 (One stop
for a quick picnic lunch at a rest stop and bathroom, and
maybe one more brief stop at a gas station for fuel and
snacks a cold drink). With child it took anywhere between 6-
10 hours depending on what we did during those stops and
how old she was. Lots of toys, books, snacks, and music
for the drive is a must. Getting an early start always seems
to work best. I did the trip alone with just my daughter three
times and found the easiest trip to be the one where we
stopped and stayed at a hotel half way down.This was great
because it eliminated the need to get an earlier start, and
made the trip more relaxing, but a bit more expensive. The
nicest hotel that is right off the 5 at the half way point is
Harris Ranch. Take the Coalinga exit. You can't miss it. It is
a rather large two story complex surrounded by lots palm
trees. They have a swimming pool with several jacuzzis, two
restaurants, and a nice outdoor garden area with room to
walk around. It was an experiment that I found to be
successful. I would definitely do it again if I had the extra
time. There are probably other decent hotels around there. If
you are a AAA member just ask for their California hotel
guide. I believe it is in the northern California book. Look up
Coalinga, the town that Harris Ranch is listed under, or just
look at a map and pick another town that is close to the half
way point near the 5 and then look for hotels listed in that
area.
An important note if you drive the 5. It can get extremely hot
during the summer, so a car with working air conditioning is
strongly advised. Also, it is important to make sure your car
doesn't have problems with overheating, as this can be a
real problem when trying to get over the Grapevine during
three digit temperatures. Turn off air conditioning if you are
not sure when going over it. Don't worry, most cars make it
just fine. I've never had problems. You'll do just fine.
Don't let your friends tell you that you are crazy. They
probably never did it themselves. You'll have a good time.
Just take your time, stop at a hotel half way, and relax. And
have fun at Disneyland!
3loons
you might want to rethink flying only b/c fares on Southwest can
be cheap. $29 each way from Oakland to Orange County (closest to
Disneyland) You might also check out AAA website for vacation
packages. if you fly, you could stay at a hotel that has shuttles
to/from airport as well as to/from Disneyland.
If you decided to drive, which really could be fun (but the price
of gas = the air fair, no?) it depends in the route you take. If
you go by way of 5, there is really nothing from here to there
that sparks any interest--but it is much faster, cuts at least an
hour off the trip. If you go 101, you could stop in many places.
there are lots of beaches on the way--Pismo, San Luis, Santa
Barbara is more than half way but gorgeous. Just check out a map,
there's a lot along the way.....I wouldn't worry, it's a nice
drive, it's only a matter of whether or not your kid likes being
in the car. One suggestion, if you can drive at night, you might
try that and he could sleep on the way, and no traffic for you.
Finally, I know you promised Disneyland but have you thought of
Knotts Berry Farm? We found it was much more kid (under 6)
friendly, smaller--so less tiring, and bathrooms everywhere! not
to mention less expensive. The characters at Knotts are the
Peanuts (Charlie Brown and Snoopy, etc.) We took are then 4 year
old there and she loved it....good luck.
been there
We leave at 4.30am in the morning, drive until the kids wake up
(usually 3 hours later) stop for breakfast (Denny's) then drive
some more before we hit LA. It makes for a quicker trip - less
traffic and less whining from the cheap seats AND less need for
a stopover!
anon
We just drove our daughters down to Disneyland for a long
weekend. What worked well for us was leaving at about
6pm. We fed them dinner in the car, let them watch a video
and read, then told them it was ''sleeptime''. They slept most
of the way to LA! While I wouldn't recommend this for you
alone, maybe a friend could travel along? The trip took us 5
hours since we didn't have to stop for them to stetch their
legs and potty breaks (1 quick one for us!). It was great and
very manageable with 2 drivers. Saved a lot of $$ in airfare,
too! On the way, home, it took a bit longer, but we left with
plenty of time and let them stop to play tag at a rest area
once in a while. Good luck!
Trish
My husband & I drove last year (in a civic hatchback) w/ our 3 &
5 year old (from Berk to Disneyland). We put them still sleeping
in the car @3am & drove as fast as we could. They woke up when
we gassed up ~6:30 or so. It is pretty much a wasteland all the
way down but you could stop when they got the fidgets.
We had packed activities for them (books & drawing stuff & small
plastic figures for them to do play activities). They did fine.
We stayed inexpensively (~$75/day) within a few blocks on the
strip across from Disneyland.
The best advice we got was to go as soon as it opened in the
morning, go back to the hotel & rest during the day, and then go
back in the evening until closing time. This way we avoided the
crowds to some extent. Our young-uns got a chance to rest & swim
which they need as a result of the over-stimulation.
Our kids still talk about it - it was a highlight of their young
lives! Have fun & don't worry - it's very doable.
Anonymous
I drove from Richmond to San Diego when my daughter was 21 mos
old, and it was fine! It took 8 hours, but I did not opt for
any significant stops. I left the house at 4 am to get a few
hours of driving in with her asleep. I bought a tray that
straps to her car seat to make eating and drawing easier and it
kept her pretty busy (the One Step Ahead catalog has them). I
also had some tapes of favorite music, as well as books on tape
for me for when she was asleep.
If you want to make a stop, you might want to consider driving
down the coast instead of the I-5, as it's prettier and the
stops would be more interesting. If you & he like camping,
there's a lot of camping along the coast.
I'm not sure if a road trip with a 4 yr old is easier or harder
than with a 21 mo old, but I found she seemed to know we had a
long way to go, so she might as well relax. You can do it!
Good luck & have a great trip!
alonn
It is 6 hours with minimum stops, light traffic,
at 80 mph (speed limit is 75 mph on I-5), if you take
I-580 to I-5. It is the flattest, straightest, most
monotonous drive imaginable. I hope you have cruise
control and air conditioning. That said, there are
gas and food stops every half-hour to an hour from
here to around Bakersfield. I recall a 2 hour gap
somewhere between there and Valencia. We take
an hour long restroom, fuel and meal break twice along
the way, including breakfast at McDonald's and later
a Happy Meal (with an entertaining new toy) lunch.
Bring taped audio books and music (from the library?).
Pack everything in the car the day before, save your
energy for the road trip. Keep snacks and drinks
within arms reach of your son so he can help himself.
Use safety pins to attach a snack bag to his car seat
cushion.
Disneyland has fireworks only on Fridays and weekends
before 6/15, and every night after that in the summer.
When school is out on weekends and the summer, the
park is very crowded. So try to attend on a Friday
before school is out. It means travelling on a weekday.
To avoid commute hours along I-580 and in L.A., start
out at dawn expecting to arrive around noon.
By the way, they allow you to bring your own stroller,
if you want to try and save on the rental. They have
locker rentals and do airport-style security checks at
the entrance.
kim
It's an easy road trip to Anaheim--as long as your car is in good
condition. And since you are a single woman travelling with a
child, I'd make sure you have a cell phone with you, for safety.
There's an In-and-Out Burger in Kettleman City which is always
crowded so if you are driving at night, I'd stop there for a
bathroom stop. It should take you about 7 hours -- but think
about what time you'll be hitting LA. If you hit LA during rush
hour, it will take you longer (potentially adding 2+ hours).
I-5 Veteran
I am a single mama who just rediscovered the joy of a road trip!
My three year old son and I just went on a week long road trip
to southern California and we had a terrific time! In terms of
places to stay, we used the Extendedstay America hotel chain -
it's inexpensive (relatively speaking!)and the rooms have
kitchenettes, so you don't have to eat out for every meal! They
have a website, so you can check out all of their locations. As
for stops along the way, just look at the map and pick a couple
of pit stops a few hours apart, and be sure to leave at a time
that works with your child's schedule...we left at about 11 a.m.
drove for about 2 1/2 hours, stopped for lunch, ran around and
played, then hopped back in the car for the rest of the
drive...brought books, toys (not too many), but really just
talked a lot and enjoyed the drive! Just remember to plan it
out and be prepared and you will have a blast!
have a fabulous trip!
Take your cell phone, make sure you have some sort of road
service in case of emergency, and GO! Do you have a friend
(with or without kid) who might like to go along? Did the trip
when my daughter was 3 and we had a blast. Of course, she slept
most of the ride. It's a boring drive, but if you're willing to
stop at the likes of McDonald's, many of them have play areas.
There's lot of stuff to do en route, but we preferred to just
drive and get it over with.
Driving Dad
I've drive to San Diego and back by myself with a 1 month old and
3 year old. I wouldn't do two again, but one child I would do!
You can too! An easy rest stop or overnight stop is the Harris
Ranch & Hotel. It's half way between Berkeley and LA. The hotel
is beautiful and has a lovely swimming pool. It you're going
this summer, it does get hot! If you don't want to break up the
trip, just stop a couple of times and expect them to be a little
long. You're not crazy, got for it!
Anonymous
We have driven down to Disneyland at least once a year since our
now 16-year-old was a couple of months old. (I know, we're
''spoilers'', but my husband and I love it even more than the
kids!) We have stopped and stayed at Santa Nella (?) where the
Anderson Pea Soup place is. I believe it is about half way
there. We take a little TV/video combo to watch movies along the
way. If you have a lap-top that plays DVDs that would also work.
We usually stop at all of the rest-stops along I-5. They are
spaced about an hour apart. Everyone gets out to stretch and use
the facilities. When the kids were a little younger, we would
play tag or ''keep the beach ball up'' type games to expend some
energy. Have plenty of snacks and water in the car, but there
are also tons of fast food options along the way. Be careful to
time your trip so that you don't get into the LA basin at commute
time. That is no fun! Also, once you get over the Grape Vine
and into LA area there is really no stopping! Getting off of the
freeway to find a restroom or food is really inconvenient (but
not impossible.) Some people I know have started their trip in
the middle of the night so that their kids sleep most of the way,
but we haven't tried that. (I personally need MY sleep!) It is
not a bad car trip and Disneyland is so fun! Just relax and you
and your child will have a great time!
Marcia
We have driven to Disneyland twice in the last year so I wanted
to give you my thoughts on it. We took our 4 and 7-year old.
Many people recommended waiting until 6 years old and I would
recommend the same. I took our 4 year old because I wanted to
take my 7 year old. There are fewer rides available to that
age and it takes alot out of a kid walking/strolling, waiting
in lines, etc. I discourage going in June, July, August
because the heat is very hard on children. We first went in
August and many children were miserable and therefore many
parents were miserable (alot of money and little fun). Go
after September (we went in late January). It is far more
manageable and fun. When you do drive, leave really early in
the morning and take I-5 down. There are a lot of little towns
on the way with restaurants, etc. There are fairly inexpensive
hotel/motels across the street from Disneyland. For a little
more money you can get tickets to the California Theme Park (go
if you are staying more than 2 days). It sounds like you made a
promise to your child during this challenging time. If you
feel like your child can manage the ride, etc. go for it.
Otherwise, wait so that you really can have a great time.
anon
There are plenty of things to see on the way down to Disneyland.
I think the San Luis Obispo area is a great place to visit with
kids.Stay in Paso Robles for cheaper motels though, and then you
can drive in to SLO and Moro Bay. It's a good half way point as
well. Also, We just moved to Albany (just from Oakland) and I
have a 4 year old daughter. I was a single mom for 2 years.Write
me if you want to meet at a playground or something. Jess
Jessica
I did not see your original post, so excuse me if my post is off
from your question.
We just came back from Disney land yesterday. We took our 4
year-old son, and 6 month old baby. Since we did not know how
our baby will be in a car trip, we decided to stay one night at
Pismo Beach, near San Luis Obispo, then drove to Anaheim the
next day. Both trip is around 200 ~ 230 miles, and it was
managable for both kids. On the way back from Anaheim to the
Bay Area, we took a chance, and drove I-5. We said that if kids
could not bear with long drive, we just stop at a motel off the
highway, and stay overnight. Well,, we left Disneyland area at
10 am. By 6pm we were eating dinner at Tachibana, Japanese
restaurant on College Ave. Luckily our baby slept 3 hours and a
half straight during a trip, and older one also napped for 1
hours and a half. We just kept going until kids finally became
fussy. I know we were lucky that our kids slept in a car. We
thought our little one could not bear with this long drive, but
now we know it is sometimes possible.
About Disneyland, we took our days easy. We went there for 4
days from 10am to 2pm. My 4 year-old son enjoyed easy rides such
as ''It's a small world'', ''Autopia'', Casey Jr. Circus Train'',
''King Arthur Carrousel'', ''Mad Tea Party'', and most of Mickey's
Toontown attractions. He was a bit scared of new ''Winnie the
Pooh and Friends'', ''Alice in Wonderland'', and any ride which
goes inside of buildings. Actually most of such rides are dark
and loud, which can be scary to little kids. I took my baby in
a sling, and rode to most of attractions together. He had great
time looking at people and being in my arm all the time.
Afterall my sons enjoyed Disneyland, but I felt I could have
been able to wait to go there until he reaches 6 years old. By
then he will be able to enjoy more rides.
Dining there can be very costly. We bought healthy fruits and
snacks here and brought them there, and it helped.
Last advice, if you are going to Disney's California Adventure,
be warned for ''It's tough to be a bug'', 3D movie type
entertaiment. It was way too scary for my son that we needed to
get out of the theater immediately when a huge spider run toward
us (visually) with a huge sound and a blast of air toward us.
Too sensational for a little one. In fact, I am going to write
a complainment to Disney. I do not understand why it is located
in a ''district'' for small children.
If you want to know more about our experience, e-mail me. Good
luck!
Mika
We drove to Disneyland from Richmond in November with our almost
4yo and 7mo sons. We left in the morning around 8am (bad timing
for the commute, but we just didn't make it out of the house as
early as planned. We were able to use the carpool lane though so
it wasn't bad.) And were in Anaheim by 5pm... yup, just in time
for the eveining commute down there. Despite the unfortunate
timing, the trip was easy. We packed books and the magna doodle
for car seat entertainment. We also brought all the sing-a-long
CDs. The baby slept. The 4yo... well he ate and slept, which was
good because it kept him happy. It rained the whole way down so
rest breaks to burn off steam consisted mostly of jumping around
puddles in parking lots.
I have noticed that a couple of posters felt that their kids
were too young, small or overwhelmed by Disneyland. It is funny
how different kids react. My son loved it. His cousin went a few
months later... at around the same age, and didn't have as much
fun. Some of it I think you can tell before you go though... my
neice gets nightmares more easily so the rides will be scarier
to her. My son was tall enough to ride every ride in the
Disneyland park except Indiana Jones and Autotopia. He LOVED it
all. We felt he was just the right age to really experience the
park. Since we got there late his first experience of the park
was the parade with all of the princesses and characters. He
just stood with his mouth gaping in awe. We rode the train and
Dumbo and Peter Pan that night... all very fun and non-
threatening. He had seen all the movies that went with the
scarier rides like Pinocchio and Snow White and while we were on
them we just whispered reminders of all the happy, fairytale
ending parts of the story to help him place the images. He
wasn't frieghtened at all.
California Adventure was a little less fun. It was raining
pretty bad the night we went, and there wasn't much we could do
except over in bug land. (The park is more spread out but with
the rain we weren't to up on exploring.) My son LOVED all of
those rides though. He also really liked the Tough to be a Bug
3D movie and the 3D Muppet Movie (both were very simillar... the
Honey I Shrunk the Audience movie in the Disneyland park was
more of the same). He didn't keep the 3d glasses on the whole
time, but really didn't seem to notice the physical tricks. He
was small enough that the air and water jets didn't hit him in
the face as they did me. He also loved getting to see the
characters from the movies. I have to say that the thing he
liked best at Adventure was the Electric Light Parade. We had
found a seat right by the fence where the characters emerge
(across the street from the Hollywood area) so he got a really
great view of them all. It was really fun to see him enjoying it
all.
The ride back we did all during the day as well. Both kids were
so tired from the whole trip that they slept all the way from LA
to Harris Ranch, (which really isn't half way in our opinion...
it just seems that way because it takes so long to go through
the Bay Area.) If you are looking for a good place to stop close
to the middle I recommend Split Pea Andersons. They have a huge
parking lot, as well as a huge front yard area where we could
all stretch our legs. The restrooms were huge and clean. If you
feel like stopping to eat the food is pretty good too.
It has been several months and recently he has started to ask
when we can go again. He says he misses Mickey Mouse. I would
love to go again while he is still young enough to be excited by
the ''baby stuff'', but the baby is toddling now and won't be so
good about sitting in the stroller as he was at 7 mos.
Mom is missing Mickey too.
August 2002
I just had two friends bail on me for this trip we had planned for
Disneyland with our kids. I have a 14 yo and a 10 yo --both
girls--who are both EXTREMELY hormonal right now, and exhaust me with
crying, nagging, whining, bickering, you name it, night and day. the
only way I agreed to this trip was because my good buds were going to
drive down with me, and one of them has a 16 yo daughter who's very
mature and could influence/distract/amuse my girls (or at least shame
them if they got too unruly). Now I'm looking at either flying or
driving by myself with these two, and I feel like I do enough
self-sacrificing already!! They've never been to Disneyland--I was
planning on taking them 5 years ago with my mother and she died
suddenly. I must admit I'm fearful with all the kidnappings and stuff
on the news--how Stainer was stalking the one family-- two daughters
and a mom, and switched to the Pelosi family. It starts to get to
you! I also had to put this on a credit card--I've already charged
$800, and one of my friends was going to get a limo to drive down in,
saving us about $200-$300 in airfare or car rental. Now I have to add
that to the tab, and my husband and I just refinanced to get out of
debt and prepare for a long overdue divorce. I need to either decide
to take them and plunk out the bucks and pluck up my courage and maybe
spend five days of hormonal hell, or call the travel service and
cancel TODAY before I rack up any more cancellation fees (I will
already lose $50).
Does anyone have any ideas? I'm stuck!! Does anyone want to drive to
Disneyland?
Distraught Single Mom
We just returned from a very successful and satisfying trip to
Disneyland with our 10yr and 12.5 yr old daughters. They thoroughly
enjoyed both parks (Disneyland and California Adventure) and I would
recommend a park "hopper" pass, which allows you to bounce back and forth
between parks. The twelve year old brought a friend and this can help to
diffuse whiny or argumentative behaviors. Your girls are close enough in
age that you should be able to stay together and go on the same rides
together. The girls were in the park until closing every night. There are
fireworks and shows every night. My usually late-sleeping daughters asked
to be awakened by 8:30 so they wouldn't miss any time in the park.
You can save money by buying your park passes here at AAA. The 3-day
passes are $25 cheaper at AAA than they were at the park or hotels in
Anaheim.
The drive was long but do-able. You might want to consider flying if 8
hours in a car will put you all over the top. Please feel free to contact
me directly if you want to ask more questions. I think your daughters are
at a great age for this trip. Also, it will be something positive to
remember about this summer, especially if a divorce is part of your summer
plans.
Wendy
To Distraught Mom about Disneyland plans: Simplify your life; take
care of yourself first; CANCEL the trip - the aggravation you will
have saved yourself will be well worth $50. Your daughters frankly
don't sound like they need that expensive treat, can't or won't really
appreciate it, and should learn the consequences of your friends
bailing equals no trip. Don't agonize over this any longer.
My opinion,
Cassandra
Don't go!! Driving several hours and trying to keep track of two
hormonal girls by yourself would make any sane person rethink why they
were doing this. I can't imagine that they would meekly follow you
around and it doesn't sound like you see them as ready to "solo" at
Disneyland and just check in with you from time to time. Seems to me
you may be trying to compensate for your divorce by giving the girls a
special treat but it doesn't sound like their overall behavior
warrants such a treat and if you're just getting out of debt, why
spend all that money --- for a lousy, stressed out time at that? You
seem to have more than enough on your plate. Let the $50 go.
Karen
You poor thing! You seem completely stressed out. It also seems that you
actually may not be able to afford this trip (or at least not be willing to
pay for it) and that you don't look forward to it. Why not postpone it until
your lives have stabilized a bit and you can really afford it? Could it be
that the girls are less hormonal than upset by the divorce? Also after
refinancing your house to get out of debt, does it make sense to start the
credit card cycle all over again? From your description it sounds like
exactly NOT the time to go with your girls to Disneyland. It also sounds
like you need a shoulder to have a good cry on. Best wishes.
To Disneyland parent:
Don't go! You and the girls need a low stress, low cost trip together. Go
camping somewhere close and quiet and have a few laughs with each other.
Remind
the girls of all the positive aspects of themselves and you will all feel
better.
Been there.
March 2002
We are planning our first trip to Disneyland this summer
(July!), and would be very interested to