Happy Tuesday! We spent most of last week in Anaheim at Disneyland with dear friends. This is the same crew we did Disney World with eighteen months ago. Disney can be hectic and overwhelming, so when you find your Disney crew, you protect them at all costs. This group travels well together because the moms are a mix of Type A and laid back. The kids all roll with the punches (mostly) and we have a total of three boys and three girls, all close in age. We also have similar budgets, which is possibly the most crucial element. But back to the good stuff…
We left early Monday morning for a quick flight to Atlanta, where we connected to our flight to Orange County. We chose John Wayne over LAX because it’s much more convenient, especially if you’re not planning to spend any time in Los Angeles. John Wayne flights were more expensive, but the easy travel day made it worth it. This is why I always suggest using an airline credit card. We were able to book using miles. Save your money for the fun stuff on your vacation!
We landed in time for an early lunch at In N Out! Team Slagel had never tried this west coast phenomenon and Bodie was desperate to get his hands on the burger all his favorite YouTubers rave about. We each ordered double double, animal style, add pickles. Same for the fries. We all loved the burgers. The ingredients are fresh and the quality is top notch. Delicious! Definitely worth the hype. The fries are okay. We asked for them extra crispy based on advice from friends. This is critical. Some of our travel companions did not ask for well done fries and they were not as good. I am so glad we made this pit stop. It was a great way to kick off the vacation. After lunch our Cleveland contingency met us. Let the fun begin!
In N Out Burgers
We checked our bags with the Disneyland Hotel bellhop and immediately headed to downtown Disney to explore. The Disneyland Hotel is in a great location (just steps from downtown Disney and both parks) and has some fun restaurants and a big heated pool. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay there. I will say that all three parties requested an early check-in if possible since we arrived around noon, but our rooms were not ready until 3:00, 4:00 and 5:00. This was totally fine as we hadn’t planned our day around the early check-in, but I want to make you aware so you can plan accordingly.
Breakfast Room Service at Disneyland Hotel
Downtown Disney consists of lots of fun restaurants and shops, not just Disney themed, although there’s plenty of that. We had fun browsing in the Lego store, Sephora, Curlsurf and an enormous Disney store. I treated myself to a commemorative 100 year Christmas ornament.
The Lego Store
We enjoyed an early dinner at Tortilla Joe’s (I strongly recommend a reservation) then put our travel weary selves to bed early! The time change struggle is real.
We were up super early for our first full day in the parks. The weather was quite chilly and gray, but we packed accordingly. I honestly didn’t believe my weather app when I saw the high temps were in the sixties and low seventies for the duration of our stay, but I’m so glad I threw a few pairs of joggers and hoodies into our suitcases as a precaution.
Day One
Our walk to the park entrances was about five minutes. Since we stayed on property, we were able to access the rides half an hour before the general public. We did.it.all! Our tickets were three day park hoppers, which I strongly suggest. Bouncing between the parks is super easy. We kept our eye on wait times and Genie passes in the app and maximized our time all three days. We spent the bulk of our first day in California Adventures. The biggest hits in this park for my family are Guardians of the Galaxy and Incredicoaster. Goofy’s Sky School is also super fun and packed more punch than I expected! We rode them every chance we got. The Pixar Pier is full of cute nods to Disney’s Pixar hits and also home to Lamplight Lounge. We ate dinner here one evening and really enjoyed the food and the views of the ferris wheel and coaster. You’ll want to make reservations as soon as you’re eligible.
Lamplight Lounge
We spent a good chunk of day one in Cars Land, which is precious. I felt like I was in the “Cars” movies and actually in Radiator Springs. The rides in Cars Land are fun and definitely worth doing, especially if you have a “Cars” fan in your group.
Cars Land
We ended our very full day with a reserved table at the World of Color show. This event requires reservations and is not inexpensive. I want to say we paid around $90 per person, but we agreed as a group when planning the trip that the reserved table alone would be worth it. Not only was the table in a fabulous spot for an incredible view of the show, but the treats were wonderful! Reviews are mixed online, but we all really enjoyed it. I encourage making room in your budget for this. Bonus: sitting down for an hour felt delightful after our whirlwind day.
World of Color
The menu consists of cheese, crackers, strawberries and multiple sweet treats that were almost too pretty to eat! Plus champagne, beer, waters and soft drinks.
Day two brought us to Disneyland! It’s similar to its Florida counterpart, but much smaller. The castle is also smaller. But the rides are fabulous! Once again, we took advantage of our early access and made a beeline to Space Mountain, which we followed with The Matterhorn and Big Thunder. Our crew loved all of these rides and rode them multiple times over the next two days. Space Mountain is even better than I remembered from Orlando.
Disneyland
Toon Town is particularly precious. We had to ride the Chip and Dale coaster because Bodie adored those little rodents when he was little. They are so cute. The ride is a kiddie ride and short, but I’m glad we rode it. Mickey’s and Minnie’s houses are also in Toon Town. We did not take the time to stand in line to meet them and walk through their houses, but I heard they’re fun for the Disney Junior crowd.
The highlight of Toon Town is hands down Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. This ride is a lot of fun at Magic Kingdom, too. Goofy, Mickey and Minnie are hilarious.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Our day included multiple stops for Mickey pretzels, Dole whips, churros and cotton candy. Disney calories don’t count! We walked 20,000 steps per day, so the fuel was needed.
Each family did their own thing for dinner our second evening. One family went to Carthay Circle in downtown Disney, which they really enjoyed. Another group decided on the tiki bar restaurant at our hotel, Trader Sam’s. This is a really fun restaurant for kids and adults. The food is Asian inspired and the reviews were great. You’ll want reservations for either of those places.
I knew my kids wanted to maximize their time on rides and in the pool, so we actually set up camp at a table at the outdoor fireplace at our resort and ordered Raising Cane’s from Grubhub. I’m going to pat myself on the back because this turned out to be a brilliant plan. I ordered the food as we stood in line for our last ride of the day. It was delivered within minutes of our arrival back at our hotel. I grabbed a glass of wine from the walk up bar at Trader Sam’s and settled in with delicious fried chicken, slaw, toast and fries while the kids grazed and swam. It was delightful! Although we have a few Raising Cane’s locations in South Carolina, none are near us. This was a treat. As good as In N Out was, I think Raising Cane’s might have been my kids’ favorite meal of the trip.
Raising Cane’s
Our final day in the parks was met with warm and sunny weather, thank goodness! Our crew had a full day of fun bouncing between Disneyland and California Adventure. We rode all of our favorites again and managed to find time for Soarin’ and Grizzly River Run.
My kids and I are not huge Star Wars fans, but we do enjoy the Millennium Falcon ride and mingling with characters in the Star Wars area. The Rise of the Resistance attraction is not worth the wait, in my opinion, for those who are not die hard fans. We experienced Rise of the Resistance in Orlando during our last trip. It’s definitely cool and I appreciate the technology, but I’d rather spend my time on other rides.
Star Wars
Dinner our third evening was extra magical! We ate at Blue Bayou, which is actually part of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. The pirates ride is a fan favorite and during dinner you get to sit on a beautiful “patio” and watch fellow Disney visitors cruise by. It’s a great experience. The food has a creole flair and was delicious. This dining option books immediately, so be ready as soon as your booking window opens.
Sadly, I don’t have any pictures from the remainder of the day because I needed to conserve my phone’s battery. We went back to Cars Land, Pixar Pier and rode Guardians of the Galaxy twice more. We made sure we got our money’s worth!
Disneyland is much easier to navigate than WDW. Three days is plenty to check all of the boxes, especially when you purchase park hopper tickets. I was a little nervous about using Genie + for the first time, but we quickly got the hang of it. That being said, I hate that we spent so much time on our phones. Rather than enjoying the sights and sounds I feel like everyone walks around staring at their Disney app trying to secure the next ride, place mobile food orders or check wait times. We had a hard time getting our phones to last the entire day, but spots to charge phones are almost non-existent. I’m not sure what the alternative would look like, but I definitely wish I could have left my phone in my bag more. Disney, if you continue to go down this path, please consider adding charging stations.
My other issue with the technology this particular trip is that Disneyland and California Adventure require the new magic bands. We were not able to use our old magic bands, which we found super helpful and easy in Orlando. We used them for access to the parks, fast passes, and purchasing food and souvenirs. The new magic bands cannot be used for purchases. I hated having to bring a credit card into the parks every day. Furthermore, the new bands are bigger and bulkier and they do NOT stay clasped. Of our group of nine, three of us lost magic bands. Amazingly, all were turned in and we got them back at various points during the trip, but this was a stressful disappointment. As it turns out, the bands weren’t even really necessary because you can use the app for admission and Genie + bookings. However, we all purchased the bands because we thought they would be convenient like the former magic bands. They are not.
The moral of the story: don’t waste your money on the new magic bands. Many reviews online mention that the bands easily fall off, so even though we were aware and cautious, we still managed to lose a few. Until Disneyland develops the technology to enable purchasing on the new bands, just use your phone.
Emery, Bodie and I are so thankful for this group of friends willing to take Disney adventures with us. My kids and I agreed that the smaller House of Mouse has the advantage when it comes to maximizing your time on rides, but that Orlando does a better job of sprinkling pixie dust. That being said, both make for extremely fun and memorable vacations. We’re already planning our next Disney trip, along with a side of Universal. We’ve yet to visit Universal, so send me your tips and tricks. This is such a great age for Disney trips! The kids are old enough to have some independence and stay out until all hours of the night, but they’re young enough to still get excited over the magic.
I’ve got a few travel items to add to your Disney magic. First and foremost, a portable charger. A good one! Not surprisingly, Emery had the best charger out of the group. She’s had this exact charger for two years and it’s still going strong. It got multiple phones through the day every day of the trip! I think this would make a great gift for a teen.
Portable Phone Charger
The charger is from Amazon. Get it here: https://amzn.to/43Q1RM3
Another fun Emery travel item are these cute toiletry bags that give Stoney Clover vibes at a fraction of the price. I ordered these before Em left for her 8th grade trip to TN several weeks ago. She was thrilled when I surprised her with them. She’ll use them again on her church trip later this month and also when we take our annual trip to Lake Michigan in July. As her daily list of products and potions has grown, so has her need for space. She fits a lot in these!
Amazon Toiletry Bags
The bags arrived quickly, thanks to Amazon Prime. Get them here: https://amzn.to/43Dr2lC (hair) and https://amzn.to/42zRtqG (face).
I was influenced several months ago when someone shared this makeup brush case on Instagram. I clicked “add to cart” immediately. Now my cute travel bag stays nice and clean! Where has this been all of my life? The magnetic closure makes this extremely easy to open and close. The silicon material is easy to wipe clean.
Magnetic Travel Case for Brushes
Order this game changer here: https://amzn.to/3oXLBKb
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any Disney questions! Between my super knowledgeable travel buddy, Jennifer, and my incredible Disney planner, Amanda, I think I’ve got a solid grasp on all things Disney.
Have a great week!
