We're Back...Come see our photos!

We had a great trip and I have lots to share. Every day this week, I will share a little glimpse into our Disneyland vacation. Along the way, I will pass along tips that made our trip great.

Planning
Before we left, I did extensive research. I learned that reservations for character dining as well as the major sit down restaurants (like Blue Bayou) were made a month in advance. I also went to the Disney website and found out which rides/attractions would be closed and made a list of all the different things we wanted to see/do. (just a note for those w/ small kids...expect this list to be cut significantly!!!) Dan and I made a tentative schedule of the things we wanted to do each day. This was SO helpful in getting my head around everything. Some days we had to work around show times and meal reservations, so it was invaluable to know ahead of time how to plan our flex-time at the parks. We also planned it so we spent 2 days at the parks, then took a day off and then had our last day on Friday when all the special plays and parades were running. The day off in between was a much needed break for us and the kids.

Packing
Before we left, I tried to think of everything we would need to make our trip more enjoyable. So, besides clothing...here are some things that came in handy:
Glow sticks for night time fun (Walmart sells them for .88...much cheaper than anything you will find at DL), Disney tummy ticklers juice bottles, 12 pack of colored Sharpies for autographs (colors coordinate w/each character), autograph books, crayons and paper/coloring books, fruit snacks (for the kids to chew when the plane takes off), neat sheet ground cover for sitting on during parades and fireworks, disposable cameras for the kids, extra memory card for my digital camera, quarters and pennies (for all the squished penny machines), disposable ponchos (.88 at Walmart), lots of clean socks, colorful bandanna to tie around stroller for easy identification, pretty princess dress for Natalie, Disney character clothes for the boys, small backpack for bringing snacks and stuff to the park, sun screen and lots of patience.

Snacks I packed a whole small suitcase full of snacks. This was a suggestions I heard over and over...bring snacks into Disneyland to avoid the high prices at the park. Best suggestion ever. I brought a box of cereal, 2 boxes of dried apple snacks, about 24 fruit roll ups, animal crackers, 3 boxes of granola bars, snack sizes pouches of Teddy Grahams crackers, Wheat Thins, gummy snacks (princesses and pirates), and Papa Giki cookies found in the bulk foods section at Winco (.98). They are very filling and filled with wholesome ingredients. Because we had all these snacks, we didn't waste any time sitting down for breakfast, we ate our breakfast on the way to the park each morning and got in right when it opened. They also came in handy while waiting in line or when your kids are starving, but you won't be eating for another hour or two. By the end of the trip, we ate up every last snack and so we could use the empty suitcase to bring home our souvenirs.

DAY 1: Traveling to California









First Night at the Hotel
After we got checked in, it was about 8 pm, so we decided to walk to McDonald's for dinner. This must have been the game plan for everyone else too, because McDonald's was crowded, even at this late hour. After dinner we got the kids in their pajamas and just as we got them tucked into bed we heard the fireworks start. I walked outside and wouldn't you know it...we had a spectacular view of the whole fireworks show from our room. Although I wanted the kids to be well rested, I couldn't resist getting them out of bed to watch the fireworks. They loved it and were jumping up and down and clapping. It was a great end to a long day of traveling.