I am so excited to be taking our little princess to one of the Disney parks.This trip was actually planned as a birthday gift for our little one but due to my husband’s work commitments we postponed it to a little later. It feels amazing to dream about going on a vacation but at the same time it can be equally stressful when you think about all the preparations that needs to be done before we go.It’s definitely not easy.There are so many decisions that we have to take and make arrangements accordingly.Here are a few things I considered when we planned a Disney vacation.
Ordering the free Vacation Planning Guide:
So, the first step was to go to the official Disney website and try to get as much information about their parks.I found out that Disney sends free vacation planning DVD and you can watch that along with your child to get a better idea of what can be expected.(The vacation planning guide can also be watched online in case you don’t want to wait for the DVD to arrive,which may take a couple of weeks). If you are totally new to the world of Disney you can get a better picture of how it is going to be.
I have been to the Disney parks before and had an amazing experience each time we went.While we are awaiting to go to this magical place on earth again,our little one had no idea on what we are talking about.So watching this DVD really helped her get curious and enthusiastic about the place and its free!!!
Choosing the park:
We decided to chose the Disneyland in California since we live here in California.It was an easy decision. The Disney World,Orlando is much larger compared to the Disneyland but this is just enough for us with a two year old,who is still not ready to go to all the attractions in the park and get tired and cranky at nap times.If you have older kids you would probably want to consider going to Disney World ,Orlando.
How to go?
Airfares being up high always we decided that a road trip would be an excellent idea.It saves a lot of money and being on the road by itself is an experience during spring/summer that we definitely would not want to miss . And you can load your car with all that you want without having to worry about the weight limits for a checked baggage on a flight.
How many days and do you need a park hopper?
We planned for a three day visit with park hopper.To be honest we only used the park hopper on the 3rd day.If you are there for a day or two then buying a park-hopper ticket gives you more freedom and you can make the most of it but if you are going for more than 3 days then that won’t be necessary.
Where to stay?
Now this is a big decision.It is best to stay in one of the Disneyland Resort hotels but they are not very affordable.We had planned a week’s vacation in LA , so spending the whole vacation budget on a Disneyland resort hotel will not be practical.We even considered staying in one of the hotels just across the street but later decided on staying at a hotel within 5miles radius. We found one of the Extended Stay hotels and decided that was the best fit for us for 2 reasons,
a)Even if you stay across the street and take the car to the park you will have to pay the parking fee at the park plus these hotels had a resort & parking fee too.That would simply add up to your trip cost.Instead, if you decide to walk to the park you can avoid parking fee at the park but it is more walking considering you will be walking whole day at the park. By the end of an exhausted walking day at the park I don’t think I would be glad walking back to the hotel.
b)We liked to have a small kitchenette or at least a microwave in the room. In the Disneyland hotels,you could request for a microwave with your booking but whether you get it or not it depends on the availability when you arrive.So I didn’t want to take that chances on that since I have a picky eater who is not used to eating restaurant food.Finding Extended stay close to the park was a score since it came with a kitchenette.
Weather forecast & traffic check
Who would want to visit the park on a rainy day that is no fun.Having said that the weather is unpredictable,it might be sunny when you checked while booking tickets but turn out the opposite when you arrive.Be prepared for the unexpected but don’t go without knowing what to expect.
Long weekends and holidays are the days with peak crowd.You really cannot enjoy much on a packed day, all you do will be waiting in line to get to the ride.You definitely cannot get the most of your day.Its best to avoid such days and go to the park on week days.But in Disneyland California, they have parade or fireworks only on Friday,Saturday & Sundays (They do have fireworks on weekdays but it happens after both the parks close and you can view it just from outside the park or parking lot). So we decided to include Sunday as one of the 3 days at Disneyland.
Check this site to know the days you chose are the best ones to visit:
Listing the suitable rides and attractions
It gave us an idea on how much time we would require to enjoy all the attractions.We made a note of all the attractions suitable for our daughter and it helped avoid confusion , figuring out things at the gate.
Booking tickets
We always booked Disneyland tickets online because it saves us from waiting in long Que rather than storming into the park to see the magic happening.We also bought the parking tickets for all three days online and it saved us a few more minutes when we got there.
Packing list & deciding on Outfits for the family
This may seem silly ,but this helps you from being overwhelmed when it’s time to leave. You would not want to leave anything back and have to go out buying the things you missed out on.There will be a separate post on this one soon.Be sure to check the weather and pack accordingly.
Snack ideas while at the park:
Prepare a list of snacks your whole family will enjoy. I picked up a few snacks from the grocery store and some of them were home-made.Everything at the park is very expensive and buying snacks for the family simply adds up the cost of your entire trip.Plus you or your little one may not like what you get there, so it’s better to have something on hand which you know you will eat.
Download Apps
We downloaded a few apps which shows the exact wait times for the rides.With these you don’t have to go all the way up to the ride to check the wait times.
And now get ready to enjoy at the magical place on earth !!