1st time to Disneyland with grandchildren, this Feb....Help!

[Nevada Jen]

You are much closer to reasonable now. His bday is still too full. Can you get the cake for plaza inn instead and drop carnation café? Otherwise you will literally be going directly to lunch from breakfast and I wouldn't drop that breakfast slot. Cancel dinner there also (or keep dinner and get the cake for the dinner and drop the lunch).
Personally I would not take kids that age to Napa or steakhouse 55. Do at least one of those as rainforest cafe.
Hold on. Now you have my buy in snaking this the best vacation ever. I will be back with a suggested itinerary for you

 

[VandVsmama]

My kids are now 10 and 8 and for our next DL vacation this coming May/June, only NOW are DH & I considering doing 1 fancy sit down meal like at Carthay Circle. And even then, YDD won't appreciate much of the food at Carthay Circle (ODD is a more adventurous eater than YDD). My kids could handle a lunch at Carthay Circle but a 3 hour meal at Napa Rose? Forget it. We'll wait and do something like that when they are teenagers.

Also, something to be aware of regarding TS meals at fancy restaurants with toddlers & preschoolers - or, well, really any meal at a TS restaurant with kids that age - is that 1 of the adults present has to be prepared to pick up the kid and carry him out of the restaurant for a brief time out if/when the little one starts to flip out and have a temper tantrum. At CS restaurants, nobody really cares because all of those places are loud and it's kind of expected. But at a place like Carthay Circle or Napa Rose - those are fine dining establishments. If you & the other adults in your party want to eat there, that's great, but leave the younger kids out of it.

Children that age have really short attention spans. And a short amount of patience. When my kids were that young, I really had to time our eating out well so that we wouldn't arrive to the restaurant when 1 or both kids were at the "hangry" stage. And once said child announced, "Mama, I'm hungry!" I knew that I had a maximum of 15 min to get something in the kid's belly or else it would be epic temper tantrum time...which results in nobody having a good time.

Just remember back to when your kids were that age and use some of the tactics that worked well with your kids and it will probably work on your grandchildren, too!

It's not too much of a bummer that you might have to skip out on Carthay Circle or Napa Rose or Steakhouse 55. Look at it this way...it will mean that you have other stuff to try out on future trips with your grandchildren. With the age of your grandsons, they are that age where all of the characters at DL are the REAL deal. The REAL Goofy. The REAL Mickey Mouse. Children at that age totally live in the moment. Use this trip to look at it through their eyes and everything will fall into place and you'll have a lovely time!

 

[VandVsmama]

On the subject of timing meals:
When my kids were younger and in preschool/preK and such, I found it helpful to plan on doing the dining out at times that they would normally be hungry. So in your case, talk to your grandsons' parents. Find out from them:

• What time of day do the kids usually wake up & eat breakfast?
• What time do the kids usually eat a morning snack? This is pertinent especially for the 3 yr old if he goes to preschool. Plan on having a snack ready around that same time of day while at DL.
• What time of day do the kids usually eat lunch? Plan to have lunch around that time of day.
• Do the kids usually eat an afternoon snack at home or at daycare/preschool? if so, what time does that snack usually happen? And what are the kids' favorite "go to" snacks? Pack some of those in your luggage.
• What time do the kids usually eat dinner?
• Do your grandsons ever get hungry after dinner? If so, what do their parents usually give them for an after dinner snack?

In terms of any of the above time slots of eating/meals, alter the time if you are travelling to Anaheim from a time zone other than Pacific time.

 

[Nevada Jen]

Ok. Here is what I would do.
Saturday
Keep goofys for breakfast But make it as close to lunch as possible. And early dinner at rainforest cafe.
Sunday
Flos counter service for breakfast (you will be very happy with this). Lunch in pacific warf area (its like a food court). Snack somewhere for early dinner. Desert party. Kids should be free and it gets you a seat for world of color. Call Disney to book. There is a trick with the kids I can't remember.
Monday
Keep plaza breakfast and if you can get cake there, cancel carnation all together and do counter service snack and do alladins oasis lunch package to get reserved spot for parade. (pick the latest time that gets you first parade). If the kids are still going after parade do counter service or stop on the way back to the hotel.
That does get rid of your fancy dinners. If you want one , do blue bayou parade package on Monday instead of alladin.
Tuesday
Late breakfast at surfs up at pph. And play it by ear for lunch at downtown Disney.
I think that would make the most amazing trip for the littles.

 

[VandVsmama]

I found the podcast I was looking for! http://www.disunplugged.com/2016/01/25/dis-unplugged-podcast-012416-disneyland-show/. Click on the 2nd podcast that's listed on that website. Nancy Johnson talks about doing a trip to DL for kids age 0-3.

Plus there's another podcast a couple of weeks after that one that covers the next age group starting at age 4. http://www.disunplugged.com/2016/03/07/dis-unplugged-podcast-030616-disneyland-show/

I've found Nancy Johnson's podcasts talking about how to plan a DL trip for different ages like this to be really helpful for our family.

 

[VandVsmama]

I second what Nevada Jen just recommended!