Help plan a trip for family w/ 8 kids

[8timesblessed]

I've been lurking on here for over a year and tried last year to figure out arrangements but got overwhelmed with all the details and gave up. I was hoping to try again for this year but I'm still so confused.

We are from Seattle and will be driving down. We want to make it a 2 or 2.5 week trip.

I thought of getting the City Pass through Costco and my kids really want to see Legoland.
My kids will be 12,10,9,7,6,4,4,and 3. 5 boys and 3 girls. The twins are turning 5 in May and that's when I was going to try and go but now I'm just not sure.

Trying to find a place to stay seems to be hard. I saw the Staybridge Suites had 2 bedroom suites but someone told me they are a long ways away and it could take me 30 minutes just to get to the park even though it's only a mile away. So I think I need to keep looking so finally decided to join and get some expert advice.

We aren't sure if any other family members will be coming and helping us or if it will just be my husband and I?? Is this a possible trip??? We homeschool so timing isn't an issue.

Thanks for any help!

 

[michelleh1]

check out the Desert Inn and Suites. they have a C2 suite which will sleep 10 people. you may be able to get a roll away for an extra bed (since you have 3 and 5, it's hard to split up for beds). that's the hotel we are going to stay in for our first trip. you can look at pictures, plus they have a floor plan. it's very close to the crosswalk that gets you into DLR.

 

[laura&fam]

I would also recommend Desert Inn & Suites. They have rooms that should work for you and you can't beat the location.
As far as if it is doable, I think it would be extremely hard, but worth it. Is there any adult you could get to go with you, one of your siblings or parents? That would be very helpful because you have kids that are going to want to to very different things.
Good luck, try not to get overwhelmed.

 

[goldies 5]

You can always take an air mattress for additional room. I think it is totally doable. First of all you have your older children who are probably already responsible and used to helping you. Just make sure everyone has a buddy so that they know who they are to be with. Also make sure your children know what to do if for some reason there is any seperation. It is always a good idea to tag their shoes with any info. necessary. Make sure you plan on strollers because really any child under 8 might need a break once in a while. We only took our single stroller last time and I had to wear the baby almost the whole time because the 5 year old really needed it. Even our 7 year old had his moments. If you have more than one cell it is a good idea to give one to your most mature child, because if this child gets seperated from you with other children he/she can call right away. And always have a just in case spot. I always point out exactly where to meet in case of a problem. You probably know all of this already and your family most likely will do great at Disneyland. You will have your moments as we all do, but you and your children will really enjoy it! Have fun!

 

[Todd Lee]

You've already received some great advice here! I'd second the notion of finding another adult or two to tag along and help out. A grandparent, aunt/uncle...

I think the kids will have a ball at legoland. They are the perfect age range, my 4 year old (at the time) absolutely loved it!

 

[CrazyDuck]

Wow... 8... That's impressive! Definately try and find some more eyes to try and help you out, unless your 12 and 10 year old are responsible enough and willing to help watch the others. Just to do a ride like Dumbo it may take some planning. 12 ride with 4, 10 ride with 6, 9 ride with 7, Dad with 4, and Mom with 3. That may work... but then you gotta plan for every ride... Good luck...

 

[michelleh1]

I've been thinking some more about your post and wondering if you can post what your priorities are? when I started planning, I wanted a hotel within walking distance with a kitchen that would sleep 6. I realized that for the price difference of the kitchen suite, we could eat our meals out for that same amount of money, so a kitchen became non-priority. then it was easier to narrow down the hotels. my main priority then became a hotel that was close to DLR so we could go back as needed for breaks and lunch. I would think that with your younger children you will also want a hotel that is very close by.

if you do want to stay at Staybridge though then you could take ART. if you are going off-season then it's likely to not be as crowded. that way you won't have to worry about driving/parking each day.

anyways, if you give us some of your priorities then we might be able to help narrow down a hotel.

good luck with your planning and I hope you're able to find another adult or 2 to come and help!

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

I third the Desert Inn and Suites. You will have enough beds, as well as space so if there are some napping, the rest of the family can watch a movie or play a game.

Strollers are really important! There are so many miles to hike, and it helps "wrangle" the kids.

There are child centers in each park. You can use the "short potties" for youngsters who are overwhelmed by little potties, and you can have two or more pottying at the same time, but they have a hight upper limit of...I believe 42 inches.

Desert Inn is close enough so that a parent could take the youngest ones back for a nap and the other parent could take the big kids on the "big kid" rides. That way the little ones don't have to sit around and wait for the older kids who are getting to ride the cool rides.

I would suggest you have a PLAN. By hitting the park first thing in the morning, you will have at least an hour with very few lines and few crowds. With that many kids, that will be a lifesaver. I really like RideMax computer software that allows me to make a schedule that fits our family.

As to another set of useful hands, we have an older teen girl from our church who has accompanied several families on vacation. She asks that her travel and meals are covered and then she asks for two hours a day without kiddos to enjoy herself. I don't know if you know any responsible older teens, but you could ask around amongst your friends for a recommendation.

I know that the family who took her to Hawaii said it was the best money they spent. They were able to enjoy a couple of night "out on the town" knowing the kids were asleep in the hotel with adequate supervision. They also really enjoyed having another set of eyes when they had the kids at the ocean.

It is important to allow downtime for small kids. Plan on naps. Also, plan a few evenings in. My kids love the nights on vacation when we stay in, eat pizza and ice cream, hit the pool, and play stupid games.

Have a great time!

 

[8timesblessed]

OK some more info now that I've spent 2 days looking. Someone posted that the Staybridge might take me 30 minutes to get to the park by bus and thought it would be better if I got a hotel close. So I looked up the Desert Inn and that looks great and yes all of us can actually be in one room.

We are going for the twins 5th birthday and it falls on a Tuesday so I think we will plan to arrive on Monday and stay til Sunday and then we plan to move to another location for a week in Carlsbad and do Lego and all the San Deigo stuff and the beach and then head home.

I think we will do Disneyland for the twins birthday and then the next day do Universal and then back to Disney and then maybe the next day spend the day at the hotel?? and then do Disney again.

I was going to get the CityPass so that comes with a 3 day hopper pass, so I hope that is enough?? Not sure if I should be looking at more days so it's not so rushed or not.

I don't like rides so I'm hoping my 19 year old sister will come with us and she can do rides with the older kids and I can take the little kids. We have a triplet stroller and a single umbrella stroller we will probably bring. The triplet is super easy to push and it is long not wide.

So if we are across the street at the Desert Inn, how much time will it take us to get in and out of the park? I know I have alot more to look at as far as planning our meals and rides.

When I called Costco back about changing our hotel from Staybridge to Desert Inn she couldn't find it and she kept saying Desert Palms Inn and I told her I didn't think it was the same one and she said it was. Now that I'm looking I see they are different. I wonder if she could find me the other hotel because if I book through them, a character meal was included.

 

[CrazyDuck]

Can't help you out with your hotel question but I just wanted to say that you don't want to spend a week in Carlsbad... The only thing there is Legoland... You do that in one day on the way to San Diego. Check out of your hotel in Anaheim, drive to Legoland, do Legoland, Drive to San Diego, Check into a hotel in San Diego.

You sure you don't want to do San Diego first then do Disneyland.... Save the best for last!

 

[MagicalMomAZ]

My grandma brought every grandchild to DL & the rest of the family, being the oldest I got to go a lot! If grandma could do it in the 80's on a budget w/ 15-16 people - you can do it with 8! Heck, there was no internet then!!

I second DI&S....it's clean, close & affordable. The walk to & from for us was 7 minutes. I could never find DI&S on budget sites like Expedia.

I've never gone in May but since you home school I imagine if you do "theme park stuff" on weekdays it should be relatively easy. Stick to museums, aquariums & the beach on the weekend!

ALSO - I second CrayDucks recommendation....driving from Anaheim to Carlsbad can be a long drive...it took us 3 hrs to go 70 miles (San Diego) on a Saturday.

 

[goldies 5]

They are different places. The one you want to stay at is one of the closest to the crosswalk on Harbor. Should take ten minutes or less. I think with the ages of your kiddos you should spend more time at DL. Universal is more geared toward older kids and in my opinion not worth it. We did do Magic Mountain one day this past December. It is also better for older kids. We have never done Legoland but my neighbor used to live near there. She says it is good for a day. We go to DL every year. We actually had a lot less stress this past trip because we were there for a week. With many age differences our kids have many different interests. We were able to go at a slower pace and really enjoy doing things that we don't normally do, because we had the benefit of time. You may feel pressed to see and do a lot of different things, just make sure you are doing what you want to and not what you feel like you have to and you will have much less stress and much more fun too. .

 

[8timesblessed]

So you couldn't just stay in Carlsbad and drive to San Diego for all the events?? I read it was a 30 minute drive is that not true?? I just didn't want to pack and unpack etc. I thought it we could settle into a 3 bedroom Condo in Carlsbad by the beach and drive to do the San Diego things that would be best.

We were going to do Universal because I think my older kids would really enjoy it. They also love Legos so I know they will enjoy that and the twins have been saying they can't wait to turn 5 so they can play Legos because that's what the older kids tell them. So they are excited about turning 5 so I thought this would be fun.

I liked the Carlsbad place because it had an ocean view and was so close to the beach.

 

[CrazyDuck]

You could do what ever you want... I'm just throwing out suggestions... If you got a good place to stay in Carlsbad go for it... Only thing I'd watch out for is traffic going into San Diego on I5 in the morning.

 

[goldies 5]

I am sorry. I didn't pay enough attention to the 2 to 2.5 week thing. Anytime at the beach is always great for the family. And it is much closer to San Diego. If you are splitting it into 2 stops. I still would maybe add days to your DL side of things if you decide to. DL is just really nice if you can not feel rushed. Universal is only my opinion. Lots of people like it. My older kids just like thrill rides and there aren't many. It is about an hour from DL so just make sure you understand LA traffic. The less you have to pack and go the better you know? 2 stops should be very manageable in that time frame. I would love to do legoland myself someday. Like I said my neighbor says you can easily do it in a day.

 

[DangerMouse]

So you couldn't just stay in Carlsbad and drive to San Diego for all the events?? I read it was a 30 minute drive is that not true?? I just didn't want to pack and unpack etc. I thought it we could settle into a 3 bedroom Condo in Carlsbad by the beach and drive to do the San Diego things that would be best.

We were going to do Universal because I think my older kids would really enjoy it. They also love Legos so I know they will enjoy that and the twins have been saying they can't wait to turn 5 so they can play Legos because that's what the older kids tell them. So they are excited about turning 5 so I thought this would be fun.

I liked the Carlsbad place because it had an ocean view and was so close to the beach.

Personally, I love the Carlsbad beaches. They are never as crowded as the SD beaches farther south. A condo on the beach for a family of 10 sounds awesome.

 

[JustAKid]

I don't know what your budget looks like, but I thought I might add another option to the mix. Have you heard of the Disney Theme Home? Check it out! It comes with it's own pool, washer and dryer (I'm sure it's pretty important for a family of 10!), kitchen (would it help you save money if you could cook meals for your family?), and...it's just fun! I will say, though, that it's ~$550 a night. Is that too expensive? Would the benefit of living in a "house" save you money in the long run? HTH!

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

We have a triplet stroller and a single umbrella stroller we will probably bring. The triplet is super easy to push and it is long not wide.

So if we are across the street at the Desert Inn, how much time will it take us to get in and out of the park? I know I have alot more to look at as far as planning our meals and rides.

When I called Costco back about changing our hotel from Staybridge to Desert Inn she couldn't find it and she kept saying Desert Palms Inn and I told her I didn't think it was the same one and she said it was. Now that I'm looking I see they are different. I wonder if she could find me the other hotel because if I book through them, a character meal was included.

You should check the DL website because I know they have restrictions on stroller size. Not sure, but I don't think they'll allow a triplet stroller if it's wider than a double - unless it's one of the strollers that sit front to back and not side by side.
To get to DI&S it'll be about 2-5 minutes from the front gates depending on how fast you walk and the light at the crosswalk.
If Costco says they aren't showing it for your dates that's because they've probably sold out of their blocks for the dates you're looking at. (T.A.s are given blocks for each hotel and once it's gone, that's it, unless the hotel releases more -- and that won't happen until late in the game once they know thay can't fill the rooms on those dates.) DI&S can and probably does sell out often because they are right across the street. You can buy the character vouchers at ARES travel or getawaytoday if you are determined to stay at DI&S. In fact, you may want to check out getawaytoday.com to see if they have rooms at DI&S. They often have competitively priced packages.
Good luck! And I just wanted to add you are a better woman than me for having 8 kids! Wowza!

 

[GrandBob]

Just wanted to add my voice to the chorus -- add some Disneyland days. Even though your CityPass includes only 3 DL days, I believe you can upgrade it to a 4, 5, or 6 day pass for very little money. I'd look into that. Trying to steer that large a group around, you'll probably be touring the parks slowly. I'd give yourself 4 days at least, and possibly consider 5 park days.

And I also echo the "Wow!". I'm one of 7 kids, and I recall very well what a zoo it was around the house. Eight <shaking head>. I'm very impressed.

-Bob

 

[mommyof2boys1girl]

Another thought - there is another hotel near the DI&S which has a similar layout - the Camelot Inn has Family Rooms which are basically the same as one of the layouts at the DI&S. We stayed there for our trip in 2008. One room has a king bed and a double sofabed, a fridge, mini kitchen sink, microwave and 4 person dining table and chairs. The adjoining room has 2 double beds and the bathroom. Both rooms have huge wardrobes, tv's and dressers for clothing, etc. One of the wardrobes held all our suitcases, carry on's, and various travel paraphanelia; the other all 3 of our carseats, shoes, dirty clothes, jackets, etc.... There was also a nice big spot beside the wardrobe for the stroller to park, as well as a place to dump all our other junk!
Just another option - it's about a one or 2 minute longer walk up the sidewalk from the DI, and it may be another option if Costco carries this one. It may, however, be more pricey than the DI.