I hope you find this blog helpful, it's taken a lot time to piece this all together and remember everything! <3
I spent my whole life wanting to go to Disneyland, but didn't go for the first time until I was 29! It was April 2016 and now it is fall 2018 and we've been 4 times. Let me tell you, on the way to the airport for our first trip, I made fun of people who go multiple times. I had NOOO idea! I'm not saying you WILL get bitten by the Disney bug, BUT you just never know. It is so magical and it's such a dreamy trip (I don't call it a vacation because it's not for parents! ha!) and for a family of 6, I feel like it's so worth the money! I know it's not for every one, but if you're here, I assume you want some tips to make your trip a little cheaper and go smoothly! I'll be working on a post for tips DURING your trip! This is all the prep work!
I spent my whole life wanting to go to Disneyland, but didn't go for the first time until I was 29! It was April 2016 and now it is fall 2018 and we've been 4 times. Let me tell you, on the way to the airport for our first trip, I made fun of people who go multiple times. I had NOOO idea! I'm not saying you WILL get bitten by the Disney bug, BUT you just never know. It is so magical and it's such a dreamy trip (I don't call it a vacation because it's not for parents! ha!) and for a family of 6, I feel like it's so worth the money! I know it's not for every one, but if you're here, I assume you want some tips to make your trip a little cheaper and go smoothly! I'll be working on a post for tips DURING your trip! This is all the prep work!
Some people ask the best age(s) for kids to go! This will obviously be a matter of opinion but I would say there is no wrong age. Our youngest was 19 months when we went the first time - more so because our older kids were the "prime age" to go - but I'm obsessed with having the little baby pictures of her there experiencing it. I think of her (with me of course!) there as an adult or taking her own children and having these pictures to compare. I think that about ALL pics and ALL my kids, but especially since she was so little. It was her first trip at 19 months and it was my oldest's first at 9.5! I LOVE having these pictures of her there even if she won't remember specifics from that trip. Their entrance ticket is also free until they're 3. So go right before their 3rd birthday..it's a PERFECT age!
My youngest was JUST 3 here & it was so amazing. She remembers a ton!
The magic is sooo real at that age! I stood in line to meet characters multiple times because of her sweet reactions!
I will say it's waaaay easier to take older kids. Our trip in 2018 where the little two were 5.5 and just turned 4 was MUCH easier - especially with that stroller! Just for communication/understanding with their tired brains. We had ONE melt down that trip and it was completely understandable after a long day of travel/in the park, etc! Do I document that stuff, too? Yep!
If you're wanting to wait for that "perfect age," I would say 6-8 but seriously, is there any bad time??
I was 29 my first trip & I'm obsessed and the magic is alive!
You know your kid(s) and what they can handle & come prepared with what will make their long tiring day easier!
You know your kid(s) and what they can handle & come prepared with what will make their long tiring day easier!
Tickets
For park tickets, it's very hard to find a "DEAL." Sometimes you'll find child pricing for everyone but it doesn't save a whole lot. It's great, but it won't make or break the trip!
Other sites to check out are arestravel.com & getawaytoday.com. Be sure to compare, because they're both always changing a little bit. Also, you can purchase park tickets AT Target and use your red card and get an additional 5% off which can be nice.
There are also ways to earn $ if you use the Disney VISA but I have no experience with that, sorry!
Booking through Costco, can be a great idea! We did this with our first trip because we didn't know where to start. You're kind of stuck to what they have available for hotels which can limit you. It's a great way to start! They usually throw in a small discount and a free goody. For us, we got lanyards and 60th anniversary (that's when we went!) pins for each person. Now that we're pinners, I LOVE them. You can also buy your character breakfast through that bundle too! It takes a lot of shopping around. Go there first, create your ideal package and then go piece it all together piece by piece and see what is better! Sometimes times/locations/etc can be better than the small amount of money you might save! Keep those things in mind!
1 park a day VS parkhoppers
You're going to want to look up the crowd prediction calendar. There are so many that can give you insight. During a crowded time, for me, the Parkhopper isn't worth it. Even when we've had Parkhoppers, I've felt more pressure to "use" them than anything. We've decided we would rather do an extra day in the park and just stay at one a day. The 4 day one-park pass is about the same as the 3 day parkhopper. If you're limited on time, you can choose the parkhopper, but keep in mind, the park does get to capacity at times when it's busy &/or there can be lines to get in a park when you've left one which is a waste of time. I don't think I'll ever get parkhoppers again, honestly. I don't like to feel rushed by thinking, "we will hurry up and do this-this-this and then we'll run over to that park and do that-that-that!" Just slow it down and enjoy the park you're in from open to close! That's my opinion! When I get to Part 2 where I give you the low-down on my LOVE for MaxPass, you'll see how doing one park a day can get all the rides and more done so much easier and in less time! At least waaaay less waiting!
Money "saving" tip:
There are also ways to earn $ if you use the Disney VISA but I have no experience with that, sorry!
Booking through Costco, can be a great idea! We did this with our first trip because we didn't know where to start. You're kind of stuck to what they have available for hotels which can limit you. It's a great way to start! They usually throw in a small discount and a free goody. For us, we got lanyards and 60th anniversary (that's when we went!) pins for each person. Now that we're pinners, I LOVE them. You can also buy your character breakfast through that bundle too! It takes a lot of shopping around. Go there first, create your ideal package and then go piece it all together piece by piece and see what is better! Sometimes times/locations/etc can be better than the small amount of money you might save! Keep those things in mind!
1 park a day VS parkhoppers
You're going to want to look up the crowd prediction calendar. There are so many that can give you insight. During a crowded time, for me, the Parkhopper isn't worth it. Even when we've had Parkhoppers, I've felt more pressure to "use" them than anything. We've decided we would rather do an extra day in the park and just stay at one a day. The 4 day one-park pass is about the same as the 3 day parkhopper. If you're limited on time, you can choose the parkhopper, but keep in mind, the park does get to capacity at times when it's busy &/or there can be lines to get in a park when you've left one which is a waste of time. I don't think I'll ever get parkhoppers again, honestly. I don't like to feel rushed by thinking, "we will hurry up and do this-this-this and then we'll run over to that park and do that-that-that!" Just slow it down and enjoy the park you're in from open to close! That's my opinion! When I get to Part 2 where I give you the low-down on my LOVE for MaxPass, you'll see how doing one park a day can get all the rides and more done so much easier and in less time! At least waaaay less waiting!
Money "saving" tip:
Buy Disney gift cards as you can online or even at Target. Add $10, $20, $50 etc any time you can! It works at the stores and the restaurants in the parks and helps to have money you've "put away" while you're there. I'm not the best personally at saving up spending money before our trips. Any time I could grab a gift card on a grocery/Target run, was soo helpful!
Airfare
This is obviously depending on time, location, etc. We start checking months before and shop around for weeks. We use Kayak .com a ton. We've never flown the same airline specifically, it's always just what ever fits our times/price budget. We are in Oregon & we've done a lot of flying to Utah, flying to Colorado, etc to get there and it's ridiculous, but flying 6 people isn't cheap. If I can keep it around $200 each round trip (per person), I feel better about it.
When my little two were really young on our first trip (6 weeks from turning 3 and 19 months!), we took the carseats for the plane because I was terrified if they knew they were unbuckled, they wouldn't stay seated. It worked like a charm and they were cozy and even slept most of the flights!
Let's be real though, traveling was chaos. We still reference how hard this travel day was. A connecting flight with 11 people, a million carry ons, 2 toddlers, 2 car seats, a double stroller... it was so crazy! Keep this in mind with your family... is it worth this to go? It was for us!
My kids were 9.5, 6.5, almost 3 & 19 months. My niece and nephew were 9.5 and 8.5.
On our other trips, they've been 2,3,4,5, etc...we don't take carseats any more and we book a big 'ol shuttle bus that doesn't require car seats to make traveling much "easier" without having to carry around a bunch of car seats! That's below! Now they sit in their seats on the plane just fine, love the free snacks & we always get a couple little Target dollar section coloring sets for them to ONLY use on the plane. Those really help little ones!
A great way to save money, is to take only carryons. I know it's a pain, but if I'm paying for 6 tickets, I can get all of our stuff in 6 carryons & couple personal bags!
Make yo' big kids do some "heavy" lifting! You're taking them to Disneyland, sheesh! Saves money and no time wasted waiting on luggage. Especially if your plane comes in right when a shuttle is there. They come every hour, so you won't waste time getting your luggage and miss it and have to wait an hour!
PS - always take pics OF your traveling adventure! It's usually chaotic, but it's fun to look back on!
See a theme here? Document all the things!
Transportation
To & From the Airport
On our 2nd trip, we went on for our birthday (my 30th, my son and niece's 10th!), we just got an Uber because there were just 4 of us and no car seats. Holla!! We used the app for the first time for me on the way there and got a free ride! Then we used the app for the first time for my husband on the way back and got a free ride! I miss those free rides! HA! If you haven't used the app, google coupon codes for your first ride free!
If you have kids, I really suggest the Disneyland Express. It's a massive cozy bus.
https://dre.coachusa.com/
If you plan on getting an Uber, fly in to SNA. It's much closer to Disneyland! LAX is the only airport with the Disneyland Express shuttle, though! We always fly in to LAX for that reason.
BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR FLIGHT TIMES AND MAKE SURE THEY MATCH UP WITH THEIR SCHEDULE! We made this mistake our first trip and after paying for it, had to waste our last night in the park realizing they didn't pick up as early as we needed. We had to spend more money (& waste what we had already paid for!) and get a new shuttle. Now we know and we also know that those early flights AREN'T WORTH IT. You will be sooo exhausted after your trip, the last thing you want to do is get up early and rush out the door to the airport super early!
If you have kids, I really suggest the Disneyland Express. It's a massive cozy bus.
https://dre.coachusa.com/
If you plan on getting an Uber, fly in to SNA. It's much closer to Disneyland! LAX is the only airport with the Disneyland Express shuttle, though! We always fly in to LAX for that reason.
BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR FLIGHT TIMES AND MAKE SURE THEY MATCH UP WITH THEIR SCHEDULE! We made this mistake our first trip and after paying for it, had to waste our last night in the park realizing they didn't pick up as early as we needed. We had to spend more money (& waste what we had already paid for!) and get a new shuttle. Now we know and we also know that those early flights AREN'T WORTH IT. You will be sooo exhausted after your trip, the last thing you want to do is get up early and rush out the door to the airport super early!
They also play movies sometimes, I don't know why it's not consistent! There's also a bathroom in it! Keep in mind, they do take tips too!
Ridin' in style! No car seats!
This is from our 2nd trip (my 3rd!) as a family - Sept 2017 - and my kids already look so much older!
Love the comparison of our traveling pics!
Hotels
Here's where opinions will differ depending on who you talk to. I don't care how rich I am, I can't see myself ever spending the money on a Disney hotel. It's about 3-4X the cost and we don't spend ANY time in the hotel. It is soo not worth it for us.
What IS worth it?? A park across the street. #allthepraisehands
We have fallen for .8 miles or "4 blocks" away. Nope, don't care. It's too far for me at the end of the day. Our favorite budget friendly hotel across from the entrance/exit is Anaheim Desert Inn and Suites. It is nothing exciting and is "motel" like, but we don't care. IT'S ACROSS.THE.STREET. The trip we stayed there, it made all the difference. Honestly, the price was about the same as any that are a half mile walk. We have never gone back mid-day to rest or anything. Once we are in the park(s), we are in for the day! The walk from the gates to the street is enough for me after a whole day! Desert Inn & Suites had a free breakfast, but keep in mind it's not exciting. It had items like cereal, HB eggs, yogurt, fruit, etc. Nothing super hearty. Great for kids to fill their bellies though and grab some fruit/dry cereal to go for snacks.
There are plenty of people who don't mind the small walk, but I'm telling you... booking in advance, you'll pay about the same as a hotel .5-1 mile away!
What IS worth it?? A park across the street. #allthepraisehands
We have fallen for .8 miles or "4 blocks" away. Nope, don't care. It's too far for me at the end of the day. Our favorite budget friendly hotel across from the entrance/exit is Anaheim Desert Inn and Suites. It is nothing exciting and is "motel" like, but we don't care. IT'S ACROSS.THE.STREET. The trip we stayed there, it made all the difference. Honestly, the price was about the same as any that are a half mile walk. We have never gone back mid-day to rest or anything. Once we are in the park(s), we are in for the day! The walk from the gates to the street is enough for me after a whole day! Desert Inn & Suites had a free breakfast, but keep in mind it's not exciting. It had items like cereal, HB eggs, yogurt, fruit, etc. Nothing super hearty. Great for kids to fill their bellies though and grab some fruit/dry cereal to go for snacks.
There are plenty of people who don't mind the small walk, but I'm telling you... booking in advance, you'll pay about the same as a hotel .5-1 mile away!
MAKING RESERVATIONS AHEAD OF TIME
The day your trip is 60 days out, get online and make reservations. They go quick! Also, the Disneyland app is super super user friendly and you can make them on there, too!
Meals
I was one day late (59 days out) and any times that worked to make a reservation for the Lamplight Lounge were full. Also, if you aren't doing Park Hopper passes, know you have to book this reservation for a day you're in California Adventure. If you're doing hoppers, just know this restaurant is in that park, not Disneyland.
I had made a post about missing out on it on facebook and my friend Valerie, who is way more of a Disney vet than I am, told me that they walked in and ate without a reservation! So this was my plan on our trip in 2018. It opened at 11 and we got in line around 10:20 while half our group was on a ride and were first in line. When the doors opened, the lines weren't even long & we got a table immediately. Obviously they leave room for people to walk in vs all their seats having reservations! Phew! This will depend on the crowds, of course, but if you want to go, there's hope!
I was one day late (59 days out) and any times that worked to make a reservation for the Lamplight Lounge were full. Also, if you aren't doing Park Hopper passes, know you have to book this reservation for a day you're in California Adventure. If you're doing hoppers, just know this restaurant is in that park, not Disneyland.
I had made a post about missing out on it on facebook and my friend Valerie, who is way more of a Disney vet than I am, told me that they walked in and ate without a reservation! So this was my plan on our trip in 2018. It opened at 11 and we got in line around 10:20 while half our group was on a ride and were first in line. When the doors opened, the lines weren't even long & we got a table immediately. Obviously they leave room for people to walk in vs all their seats having reservations! Phew! This will depend on the crowds, of course, but if you want to go, there's hope!
The food was soo good. So good. Do you see those lobster nachos? Ugh.
Lets talk about the view. Holy moly. They took our group of 7 out on the deck and I couldn't believe the atmosphere!
Lets talk about the view. Holy moly. They took our group of 7 out on the deck and I couldn't believe the atmosphere!
Can you believe this view?? And the food is priced like an average sit down restaurant!
I'm going to go out on a limb that I may be hanging out on by myself. I don't think MOST of the food at Disney is very good. This OBV doesn't include beignets...but. Most restaurants are eh.
I'm going to go out on a limb that I may be hanging out on by myself. I don't think MOST of the food at Disney is very good. This OBV doesn't include beignets...but. Most restaurants are eh.
In my next post, I'll chat more about places I like to eat in the park that don't require reservations and don't break the bank!
These mini donuts were delish with warm chocolate & raspberry dips...the only downer was having to share and only get one!
Character Breakfasts
I don't even want to waste time talking about all the options. At this point, I think the only character breakfast we haven't done is Goofy's Kitchen. I obviously can't talk about that one, but let me tell you the millions of reasons the Minnie and Friend's breakfast at Plaza Inn is THE best and why we've gone to it twice now!
They all have the same food. They're all buffet.
BUT
We've done Mickey's Surfs Up and the Storyteller's breakfasts. Storyteller's was a waste of time. Such a long walk for us to get there, it was hard to find and we saw ONE character the whole time. It was Pluto who we have met and is EASY to find in the parks any time! I was so upset.
With Mickey's Surfs Up, they had more characters but the PCH Grill was soooo far from our hotel. It was such a walk to get there! There were the basic characters + Stitch which was cool. It's also inside so the lighting in your pictures aren't great!
When you do breakfast at the Plaza Inn, you're IN the park. There's no extra walking and the character line up is sooo much better!!
Food at the Plaza Inn with amazing light when you sit outdoors where it's covered! We've been out there in good weather AND when it's drizzling and it was fine!
This is the light you get at Mickey's Surfs Up!
More at Plaza! These are from two different trips!
look at this interaction! <3
Our first trip/April 2016 - weather wasn't great, but it was fine!
Food to take!
Yes, bring food with you!
You'll be walking so much, your kids will see snacks allll over. You'll want to be prepared.
Yes, we buy snacks while in the park! But we always split them!
Until Daddy takes them off to get a churro and gives the 4 year old a whole one to herself! ha!
Before we go, I go to Costco and buy so many snacks. Jerky, trail mix, granola bars, Goldfish, bars, fruit leather, etc! I wish I had pictures, but I wasn't blogging before! I take portions for all of us for ONE day and put all of it in one big Ziploc. So a sandwich bag of trail mix, a sandwich bag of Goldfish, 6 bars, etc. All of it goes in one big freezer bag. Each day, I will put the big Ziploc in the double stroller and when my kids want to eat, they can grab whatever they want! If we are doing 4 days in the park, I pack 3 big bags! Why? There are always some left overs. So the last day, we take whatever is left. I don't want to pack food BACK home. Depending on meals/park snacks, you never know how much everyone will eat!
Best Season
Now that we've been during the "normal" time, Halloween & Christmas time, I'll tell you my opinions!
I feel like if you have never been, it's so awesome to experience it & get pictures of all the original looks and spots without decor. Is it necessary? No! For me though, my first trip was as an adult, so I loved getting those first time pictures! I know that isn't important to everyone. If you've been as a kid or 10, 15, 20 years ago and just want to experience a seasonal time, then definitely do that!
I feel like if you have never been, it's so awesome to experience it & get pictures of all the original looks and spots without decor. Is it necessary? No! For me though, my first trip was as an adult, so I loved getting those first time pictures! I know that isn't important to everyone. If you've been as a kid or 10, 15, 20 years ago and just want to experience a seasonal time, then definitely do that!
You get all the classic characters, too which I wanted!
Christmas time...
I'm taking this out of order of seasons for a reason. Halloween time will be below this because I experienced Christmas at Disney before Halloween. It was insane. I don't even know if there's a word to describe the chaos.
My birthday is November 14th, so I planned my 30th birthday around that in 2016. I wanted a day in the park to land on THAT day so we scheduled Sat the 12th-Mon the 14th in the park. OMGGGGGGG. Well. The 11th was Veteran's Day which was a holiday/3 day weekend for everyone, it was a marathon weekend AND apparently it was the first weekend that Christmas was up. I had NOOOOO idea about any of this when booking. It was all about my birthday!! Keep this stuff in mind, you can easily look up events and avoid them. And 3 day weekends!
I took so many pics of the crowds because they were unreal! It was shuffling your feet to get by. I kept getting so frustrated (it was bad!) and I was saying if it was our first trip, I would never want to go back.
I'm taking this out of order of seasons for a reason. Halloween time will be below this because I experienced Christmas at Disney before Halloween. It was insane. I don't even know if there's a word to describe the chaos.
My birthday is November 14th, so I planned my 30th birthday around that in 2016. I wanted a day in the park to land on THAT day so we scheduled Sat the 12th-Mon the 14th in the park. OMGGGGGGG. Well. The 11th was Veteran's Day which was a holiday/3 day weekend for everyone, it was a marathon weekend AND apparently it was the first weekend that Christmas was up. I had NOOOOO idea about any of this when booking. It was all about my birthday!! Keep this stuff in mind, you can easily look up events and avoid them. And 3 day weekends!
I took so many pics of the crowds because they were unreal! It was shuffling your feet to get by. I kept getting so frustrated (it was bad!) and I was saying if it was our first trip, I would never want to go back.
I KNOW it's not the norm, but if you plan during a busy busy time, you won't have as much fun!
There are plenty of other times to go with the Christmas decor that aren't as busy. I'm thinking the first week or two of December or even right after Christmas. It stays up a couple weeks after Christmas! Plus, you can probably dress in more appropriate "Christmas attire" than when we went & were roasting in 90 degree days! It felt so silly being in shorts/tanks and dripping sweat during "Christmas!"
It WAS soooo fun to get the Christmas characters though! The Christmas outfits were so dang adorable!
There are no words to describe this in person. It took our breath away. The pictures don't do it justice!!
The darn parades... can you even???
All the lights are unreal. But so were the crowds. Keepin' it real!
Posting all of these so you can take the positive and negatives and make your own decisions!
Halloween...
I LOVED this time. The weather, the low crowds, the fun difference of decor, etc. We were in the park September 30th-October 3rd. It was amazing! In 2017, we went RIGHT after Labor Day and it was great for crowds but it was still a little too hot out and so much was closed in preparation for Halloween. It was a little too early. This time in 2018 was amazing. The weather was never too hot & the crowds were fine! All the Halloween themed rides & decorations were out!
A small downside is it got dark earlier, and sometimes there were no cast members to take photos so you had to just use your camera flash and hope for the best! How fun are the Halloween costumes though??
It's so fun to have the Halloween themed rides to go on too!
This was Guardians "After Dark" so after 6pm, it switched to be a little "scarier!" It was just more intense for us, it opened up less which was AWESOME!
It's so fun that no matter when you go, they have seasonal food! This is a pumpkin spice churro!
I can't pick, sorry! You decide! hahaha
Oh and before we make it over to Part 2, get yo self a fanny pack. Disney themed of course. Life changing. Holds all the things, no worry about leaving your stuff behind on rides, etc!
My mom and I have this one (I have the more black one, she had the polka dot one!)
It was amazing with 2 spots! Perfect for money, passes, phone, phone charger etc!
I got this one first and returned it. It was WAY too small!
Also, we get our clothes for trips from Kohls, Old Navy, Cotton On, Etsy & iron ons from a friend where I iron them on to shirts!
Most pics are from my iphone, some from Tika Davis Photography
(yes we hired a photographer on our last trip!)
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