California Trip 5 - Disneyland!!!!!

Well we did it - We made it to Disneyland! We figured we were already all the way out there, we should take advantage of the chance and go! We only had one day to spend there and so we tried to pack in as much of Disneyland as we could - we were there from 11am to midnight and by the time we were done our children were exhausted but still smiling.

Top 5 things we loved at Disneyland

1. So fun to be together as a family and with the Loughmiller's!
2. Fun to see and talk with all the many families and their children so excited to be at Disneyland!
3. Trying to pull the sword out of the stone and riding on the carousel!
4. Seeing all the fun Disney characters
5. The children liked getting a driver's license and driving the cars - Other rides they liked were It's a Small World, Buzz Lightyear, and Magic Mountain.


If we go again with young children here are some tips for myself:

1. Pack as light as you can - the baby carrier and the "leash" on Paul were great and it was nice not worrying about a stroller. I maybe would bring a soft carrier for Paul too next time and a light weight backpack vs. a diaperbag
2. Bring more snacks! Erin was a lifesaver with her snacks, but we ran out of our's way too quickly!
3. Go on a weekday in the early spring when most children are in school
4. Go for at least 2 or 3 days to make it worth your money and consider staying somewhere very close to Disneyland! We were so thankful for the Loughmiller's letting us stay with them, but we left so late on Saturday night and were so tired that we just couldn't make it all the way to their home without needing to pull over and sleep! They were smart and left earlier than we did!
I would like to go to Fantasyland first while they are still small.
5. Take more fun pictures!
6. Start in the area that your children are most excited about. For us that would have been Fantasyland and then to spread out to the other areas. We started out on two of the scariest rides (for children) - The Pirates of the Carribean and the Haunted Mansion and my children were not sure they were going to like Disneyland!
7. Ride the awesome rides early on before more people come in the evening! (That was a good idea Erin!)
8. Have fun and go to the beach too while you are in California!!!

Big note to self: Family fun doesn't have to be expensive! You can make great family memories right where you live for close to free - the important part is focusing on your family! Of all the things we did on our trip -- the things that were most fun for our children was playing in the backyards and with the toys of our friends and family!