FIRST TIMERS WITH 3 LITTLE ONES!

[silvaohana808]

Aloha from Hawaii!! We are planning a trip to Disneyland and California April 29-May 7. It'll be me, my husband, 4 year old, 3 year old, & 1 year old traveling to Disneyland for the first time! Not sure where to start planning, etc...please help!! Any suggestions for traveling with little ones? Mahalo in advance!

 

[tlovesdis]

How exciting! Do you have a budget for hotel? That will help us give you recommendations. There are so many to choose from but prices are all over the place! How many days do you plan to be in the parks? The biggest ticket you can get is a 5 day hopper, just fyi.

 

[figment_jii]

Have you been to any other Disney Resort (e.g., Disney World) before? If you've been to WDW, I highly recommend checking out HydroGuy's A DLR Guide for WDW Vets.

In terms of planning...some basic questions...
1. Where do you want to stay? There are on-site options and off-site options. Each have their benefits and drawbacks. The biggest perk of staying on-site is access to Extra Magic Hour, which allows you into one of the parks an hour earlier each day (usually DL has EMH on Tue, Thu, and Sat and DCA has EMH on Sun, Mon, Wed, and Fri). The biggest drawback to on-site hotels is the cost. There are also good neighbor hotels nearby, which tend to be cheaper, but are usually "motels". There are some nice hotels over by the Convention Center, but they might be further than you want to walk.

2. How many days do you want to spend in the parks? The maximum length ticket is 5-days; after that you'll need to look into the annual passes. Personally, I think the minimum number of days you need to get a sense of the parks is three days. If you have more time, I would recommend 5-days (or as many as you can!). I would highly recommend getting a park hoppers because the two parks are only 110 yards apart (you can see into one park from the other park).

3. Do you like to eat at table service locations? Dining reservations open up about 60-days in advance (the system doesn't always release the dining reservations right at the 60-day mark, so if you try at the 60-day mark and something shows as unavailable, it's more likely they haven't loaded it into the system yet rather than already being booked solid). You can often get pretty good dining reservation with only a few days to go, but I do recommend making a reservation for a TS location if you have a specific location and/or time you want to eat. Otherwise, DLR has a lot of really good counter service (CS) options.

Other notes/thoughts...

• DLR generally releases their operating calendar about 45-days/6-weeks in advance, but the entertainment/refurbishment/etc. information is not always complete at that point. That information may be added later (closer to the 30-day mark).
• If you aren't already familiar with Fastpass, I would read up about it. Also, given the ages of your children, I would look into Rider Swap if the parents (and older kids) want to do any of the "thrill" rides (e.g., attractions with height requirements).
• Baby Care Centers are awesome for infants and toddlers. There is one in each park and it includes a semi-private place to nurse, fairly nice changing stations, a training potty (closer to the ground and without the auto-flush sensor), and a place to warm milk bottles or toddler/baby food.

You'll be there during Bats Day in the Park (4/29-5/1), Spring Dapper Days (5/1), and part of the Tinkerbell Half Marathon (5/5-5/8). Of those, you'll mostly likely notice an uptick in crowds during the marathon period and will mean some road closures (if you're driving).

 

[silvaohana808]

How exciting! Do you have a budget for hotel? That will help us give you recommendations. There are so many to choose from but prices are all over the place! How many days do you plan to be in the parks? The biggest ticket you can get is a 5 day hopper, just fyi.

I know right?! I'm at Cast Member at Aulani so I get a discount on hotel. I'm looking at Disneyland Hotel...I heard that's the best hotel for little ones?? I was thinking since the little ones will need breaks here and there...it may take us 3-4 days to do what we want to do in Disneyland/California Adventure. I do get free entrance into the parks so we wouldn't have to purchase tickets. I think I'm more concerned about time management and being able to experience as much as we can in the time we have! Thanks so much for wanting to help!

Have you been to any other Disney Resort (e.g., Disney World) before? If you've been to WDW, I highly recommend checking out HydroGuy's A DLR Guide for WDW Vets.

In terms of planning...some basic questions...
1. Where do you want to stay? There are on-site options and off-site options. Each have their benefits and drawbacks. The biggest perk of staying on-site is access to Extra Magic Hour, which allows you into one of the parks an hour earlier each day (usually DL has EMH on Tue, Thu, and Sat and DCA has EMH on Sun, Mon, Wed, and Fri). The biggest drawback to on-site hotels is the cost. There are also good neighbor hotels nearby, which tend to be cheaper, but are usually "motels". There are some nice hotels over by the Convention Center, but they might be further than you want to walk.

2. How many days do you want to spend in the parks? The maximum length ticket is 5-days; after that you'll need to look into the annual passes. Personally, I think the minimum number of days you need to get a sense of the parks is three days. If you have more time, I would recommend 5-days (or as many as you can!). I would highly recommend getting a park hoppers because the two parks are only 110 yards apart (you can see into one park from the other park).

3. Do you like to eat at table service locations? Dining reservations open up about 60-days in advance (the system doesn't always release the dining reservations right at the 60-day mark, so if you try at the 60-day mark and something shows as unavailable, it's more likely they haven't loaded it into the system yet rather than already being booked solid). You can often get pretty good dining reservation with only a few days to go, but I do recommend making a reservation for a TS location if you have a specific location and/or time you want to eat. Otherwise, DLR has a lot of really good counter service (CS) options.

Other notes/thoughts...

• DLR generally releases their operating calendar about 45-days/6-weeks in advance, but the entertainment/refurbishment/etc. information is not always complete at that point. That information may be added later (closer to the 30-day mark).
• If you aren't already familiar with Fastpass, I would read up about it. Also, given the ages of your children, I would look into Rider Swap if the parents (and older kids) want to do any of the "thrill" rides (e.g., attractions with height requirements).
• Baby Care Centers are awesome for infants and toddlers. There is one in each park and it includes a semi-private place to nurse, fairly nice changing stations, a training potty (closer to the ground and without the auto-flush sensor), and a place to warm milk bottles or toddler/baby food.

You'll be there during Bats Day in the Park (4/29-5/1), Spring Dapper Days (5/1), and part of the Tinkerbell Half Marathon (5/5-5/8). Of those, you'll mostly likely notice an uptick in crowds during the marathon period and will mean some road closures (if you're driving).

Thanks so much! I've been to WDW multiple times but it's been a while so I need to brush up on my planning skills. As for me, I love getting the entire package when it comes to Disney experience...we will most likely stay onsite. I do get a little big of a discount...so I'm blessed for that. We will probably spend about 3-4 days in the parks. I've never been to a Disney park with my little ones so I'm not too sure how much they can go before they need a nap! LOL! We do get free entrance because I'm a Cast Member so also blessed with that! As for dining, I kind of want to play it by ear except for the Character Dining. My little ones are actually pretty easy when it comes to eating...they like to eat anything and everything! They pretty much eat when we eat so that's helpful! I will definitely look into making dining reservations! Yes...we are also looking to do the Rider Swap...we're hoping we can get someone else to come with us so we can ride the rides together! and thank you for the advice about the Baby Care Center! I love that they have it! Any other advice is welcome! Thanks so much again!

 

[azdisneylover]

My advice about traveling with little ones is this: 1) try to keep them on their schedule as much as possible. This will make the trip go smoother. We have seen many parents try to keep their kids in the parks strapped in a stroller, only to have an upset, over stimulated, tired bunch of kids and frustrated parents. 2) If you bring your child's favorite toy/blanket/etc, make sure you have a backup or know where you can get one to replace it. 3) If a child doesn't want to ride a ride, do ride swap instead. Do not force the child to ride the ride and make the child and everyone else on the ride miserable. 4) The Disneyland Hotel is nice for kids, I feel, between 4-12. The Grand Californian is better for little ones that need down time, and teenagers that seem to want to nap. When your child is tired and needs to get away and relax, rest, nap, the closest hotel is the best hotel (in my humble opinion). There's lots for your kids in DCA for your kids to see and do making breaks during the day easy when staying at The Grand Californian. Keep in mind, the train in Disneyland will be down next year, so, there will be more people in the walkways making it harder to maneuver a stroller from one side of the park to the other. 5) Smog in Southern CA can mimic a sore throat/cold. You might want to bring meds to help with that, along with an others for teething, fevers, bandaids, etc.6) Sunscreen, sunscreen, and more sunscreen. 7) Ignore the rude people and enjoy your trip. There will always be a negative person complaining. 8) Have a wonderful time, and know you can plan another trip, so don't rush, just enjoy. Listen to your kids, they will let you know what they would love to do and not do.

 

[Jerryp49]

I agree with AZDisneylover on #4. The GCH`s location is great with little ones having to take naps or breaks. You`ll be there during Dapper Days. We are getting standard view GCH rooms for $257/night. Can your discount beat that price? Your last day or two there is also the start of the Tinkerbell Marathon so expect a large crowd then.

 

[disneymum58]

You might want to check out the price on getting your hotel with the Dapper Day discount and compare it it with your Cast Member discount to see which is better.
I am a mom with several years experience and have had little ones the same ages as yours. Some days it takes forever to get out of the house! With the time change it might be hard to get going early in the morning. Just a thought.
Also consider using Single Rider when you can, unless you have a very tall 4 year old.

 

[Jerryp49]

Here`s the number to call for reservations for Dapper Days convention rates ; 714-520-2016

GCH $259 , PP $187 , I think DL Hotel is $205.

Here are maps comparing the walking distance from the closest ( the Frontier Tower is the furthest ) DLH to the Main entrance and the GCH to the Main. You are right there in the DCA park from the GCH.
Trust me. We took the kids while still in diapers and staying at the GCH is so convenient for change of clothes or naps or to get something you forgot from your room.

 

[corinne76]

Hi Keala! I'm on Oahu as well

We visited DL for the first time in 2013 when DD was 5 and DS was 2. I think a lot of your touring style will depend on your kids. My kids went full blast all day. We did bring a double stroller and a carrier so the younger one napped either in the stroller or on me. The older one sat and rested when she was tired, but we never went back to the hotel to actually nap.

Other things to think about:
hotel as figment mentioned. There are some great off-site options that offer breakfast
food/snacks. We made a trip to Walmart a few times during our last trip to get snacks, bottled water and snack stuff. We brought some food in the parks each day. we also did buy at least one meal and snacks though. Have to get a churro a day!

We're planning a visit about a month before yours. Good luck!

 

[avalovesminnie]

We just got back with 3 kids. It was harder than with 2kids, but part of that was the rain. Is your oldest 40 inches so could do fast pass rides? We loved rider swap, the non riding adult went on fast pass runs or snacked or a different ride. Our stroller fits 2 and has a kickboard and we used it alot. Our 1 year old just stroller napped but if your older ones will nap going back to the hotel would be nice. We thought the days we had early dinner late lunch reservations worked the best, like 3-4:45. We also loved photopass plus. The 1 year old tossed a shoe so was Cinderella... There is no where to get small shoes in the park. Pack extra of everything for each kid. We bring lots of our own snacks and drinks.