Disneyland for Dummies
We got back from Disneyland last week and I have a short and simple post inspired by a request from my friend/ life coach/ spin instructor Jessi.
As I wrote in this post the Disney trip came sooner than I had anticipated or really wanted but I am so glad we did it. I had fun, Mike had fun and most importantly Momo had fun. So today we have a down and dirty guide to Disneyland by la madre with five key take aways from our trip to the happiest place on Earth.
1) TRAVEL SMALL The smaller the group the better. It is so much easier to navigate the park with a small group. We did not follow this rule but I learned this after just an hour in the park.
2) ONE DAY IS ENOUGH If you are planning your trip right now keep in mind that one day at the park is enough especially if your kids are under five and two days is plenty. We did a half day on Saturday at Disneyland arriving at 5pm and leaving at 10pm. Then Sunday a full day at California Adventure Park from 12pm-9pm. On our Saturday late arrival this was perfect as most people were ending their day and exiting the park as we were getting there.
3) DOWNLOAD THE DISNEYLAND APP We downloaded the Disneyland app to buy our tickets, see maps of the park, find the characters for meet and greets and of course access Fastpass. I highly suggest splurging the extra $10 or whatever it is for Fastpass access. This allows you to reserve your spot in line at the most popular rides and plan your day accordingly. It is a must!
4) LIVE LIKE A LOCAL We stayed at a rental house in Anaheim that a lot people asked about on IG. It was one we found via my cousin in law called Twelve Springs a collection of houses in the Anaheim area that are perfect for families or large groups to stay. Our house was the Orangewood house, two miles from the park. I suggest taking a Lyft over to the park if you don't require car seats. If your family requires car seats you can park in one of the Disney car park where they put you on a sweet little tram all branded Disney and very fun. Or designate someone as the drop off person to drive you over then shuttle back to the house and get a Lyft to get back. All ways work out, just depends on your preference.
5) EXTRA HANDS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME If my first point above is not part of your plans that is completely fine. As I wrote above we went with my parents, niece and nephew. Ages 1.5 years to 61 years. It was great to have the extra hands and stroller. Mario napped in the stroller on Sunday while I carried my nephew in my solly wrap and it worked out great. Plus my parents were more than willing to take Mario on little kid rides while Mike and I went on bigger ones. We did a lot of exchanging of kids thru out the trip. On Sunday night Mike and I went to dinner at Downtown Disney, the shopping center conveniently located right in between the two parks, and we took Aiden with us so that my parents could take Mario and Annabella back into the Disney park to see more princesses and ride Its a Small World for the fourth time.
Comment with any other questions or requests below. Happy to help!
xx Ly