I’m finally sitting down and documenting our Disneyland trip. Not only so we can always look back at this blog post and the pictures, but hopefully the things I’m sharing will help one of you who may be planning your Disney trip!
Our trip was supposed to take place in October 2018. A couple days before our flight my mom was experiencing intense leg pain. My step-dad pretty much had to force her to go to Urgent Care to get it checked out. Thank God he did! My mom had a massive blood clot that went from her ankle all the way up past her knee, with parts already in her lungs. Talk about scary! The doctor looked me in the eyes and said, “if your mom would have got on that plane, this blood clot would have taken her life”! We quickly cancelled and planned the trip for February instead, and just focused on my moms health for the next couple of months.
We had to reschedule for a date before March, the twins’ birthday month. The reason why we picked this time in our lives to go is because the twins were able to fly for free and get into the parks for free because they were under two! It just made the trip much more affordable for our family of 5!
When we booked the flights, we decided to go with a night flight to California. Although it sounds dangerous, we thought there would be some sleeping perks with that choice, and there were, but I will say it was still difficult. I am unsure if I would make that choice again because with the amount of hours for travel and the time change, we didn’t technically get to our hotel and to bed until 4 am! That was hard on everyone, especially the kids even though they slept through a lot of it.
However, having a day flight on the way home with hours of awake time and busy toddlers scared me more! Luckily we only had one meltdown on the flight, but we had to be on our toes entertaining them the entire time. I was pretty nervous for this flight knowing that things could go bad at any moment. Both options had its advantages and disadvantage.
After spending one night in a hotel, we rented an Airbnb 5 bedroom home blocks away from the park for the rest of our Disneyland experience. I think this was one of the BEST decisions we made. We were able to stock the house with food, do laundry, and come and go if needed. Sadly Brian came down with the flu and NEEDED a place to relax and get better. The house was a much better option than being stuck in a hotel room. It was great to have multiple bathrooms and lots of room for the mornings and nights. The kids were able to run around, stay busy while we got ready, and when sleeping, the adults were able to enjoy some kid-free time in another room!
Family Photo Opportunity
Make sure to get your family picture right away when you arrive at the park when everyone is in a good mood! Here is our family picture! We weren’t able to get one in front of the castle because it was under construction. Total bummer, but you make due! I was so happy I shopped and purchased all of our Disney attire before arriving to Cali! I will link all the options below for you to shop!
Minnie & Friends Breakfast
The Minnie & Friends Breakfast is offered at the Disneyland Resort. It’s an all you can eat buffet with constant visits and performances from Minnie and all her friends! Make sure to bring your camera and autograph book!
This was one of the BEST things we did! This breakfast was expensive but totally worth it!!! We did this on our second day in Cali, and it was on a separate day from the parks. It was the morning after we arrived so we were able to still have an experience, but then take the rest of the day to relax and catch up on sleep before the busy park days.
Aside from the good food, excellent service, and the smiles on the kids’ faces, the visits from the characters were truly magical. We weren’t really able to see characters at the parks up close, so for that reason, I was especially happy we did this!
Bubble Machines
Small tip, but extremely effective for busy toddlers! My cousin had purchased one of these bubble makers for McKenzie and the twins loved it so much! So, their generous grandparents purchased ones for them! They really helped keep them busy, and overall more content riding in the stroller. The tip is to purchase them before you get into the park, like my cousin did! But even the ridiculous $30 price tag was well worth the distraction and entertainment!
This picture was us watching the parade. So fun for the kids, but be careful to plan ahead and don’t get caught in the middle of it!
Speaking of strollers, of course they are a must! If you’d rather not travel with one, they do rent them. However, they are a hard material and not ideal for naps. But I also really liked having the backpack leashes and carriers. Having options helped break up the stroller time because busy kids don’t tend to want to be in the stroller much. The options kept things fresh and the carriers gave a better option for naps!
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique was such a fun and special experience for McKenzie! We were able to take an hour just with my cousin, her daughter and McKenzie. The girls were treated like royalty and got dolled up by their Fairy Godmothers! This package included an outfit, hair and makeup. McKenzie felt like a true princess! This experience does require a reservation and costs about $80-$120, but we thought it was well worth it.
Purchase Outfits Before
Like I said earlier, a big tip to saving money is to buy all your attire before you get to the park. We had the most luck at Walmart and Amazon. I have linked some options here! My favorite by far were the Mom and Dad shirts!
Other Savings and Tips...
MaxPass and Rider Switch Buddy Pass
Max Pass is the digital version of FastPass and is a $15 add-on per ticket. This gives you the ability to book and redeem reservations from the Disney’s mobile app. It gave us the ability to secure our spot in line for a ride, while on another ride. It truly maximized our experience and decreased the amount of time we had to wait in line for rides!
The Rider Switch Buddy Pass allows an adult guest to wait with a child who is unable to ride, and then board the attraction without waiting in line again. This was perfect since we had 2 ono-year-olds.
And you CAN combine both the Max Pass AND Rider Switch Buddy Pass!
I know this option requires an extra daily fee, but was well worth the extra money!
Pack Snacks and Lunches
You can pack and bring all the things into the parks. This is a area where you can save a lot of money, especially when you have kids who ask for a snack every 5 minutes. I know I am not alone in this! Fed children not only are usually in better moods, but eating is an excellent distraction.
Buy Disney Gift Cards
We were able to purchase gift cards from Target. When using your Target Red Card, you save 5% so you end up getting $100 for $95. That small savings can really add up!
Mobile App & Order Service
Having this app on your phone is a real time saver! You are able to view wait times, order food for pick, view the map and SO much more! Make sure you download and familiarize yourself with it before going!
That's it for now....
I really hope some of this information was helpful! We purchased a 3-day pass, and truly that seemed like the perfect amount of time. We did not purchase the Hopper Add-On. That gives you the option to go from one park to the other in the same day. That just seemed like too much work with the younger kids. We just switched up the days. The first day we went to Disneyland, the second California Adventures, and then the third, we went back to the park we enjoyed the most, Disneyland.
We were lucky enough to go to the parks with family who live in Cali and go to Disneyland often! It was like having our own private tour guides. I know you all won’t necessarily have access to that amazing benefit, so I wanted to share the things we learned!
I’m hoping to learn lots more and plan to share more tips from our next trip. I’m not sure when that will be and if it will be Disneyland or Disney World next time, but as always, I will be sure to share!
Happy and Safe Travels. It truly is a magical place and an experience we will never forget, especially the excitement and smiles on our children’s faces.
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