Pre-trip Report
I need to start by saying that Disneyland was not my first choice for our first vacation as a family. We havent taken a vacation since before our DD was born in July 2005. At the beginning of this year we started talking about our first big family vacation. I really wanted to go to Maui and DH wanted to take a week off work and stay home (we live in San Diego) and do all of the fun stuff here in town and just relax. We obviously had to find a happy medium. Our final decision was to spend the week in the OC and do DL/DCA and the beach. I grew up in Socal so DL is not that big of a deal for me. DH grew up in the bay area and he loves DL, but he is kinda cheap (This will come into play later).
As we (really I mean I) started to plan our trip we started looking into hotels and stuff we decided we needed a suite because our daughter (almost 2) would never go to sleep with us being awake in the same room. After much searching and reading reviews (I had not found the DIS yet) we decided on the Doubletree Guest Suites near the convention center. What caught my attention were the luxury beds. I figured if I couldnt go to Maui then I at least wanted a higher end hotel. So we booked it.
Then I found the DIS!
The DIS changed my whole perception on our trip. I started reading all of the tips, and trip reports and I quickly became obsessed with this trip to Disneyland. I have gotten so excited about this trip and I want to make it a magical first time at Disneyland for my daughter. If I would have found DIS sooner I would have probably booked a closer hotel, but now I know for next time. I am just not sure what we are goign to do about transportation into the park. I guess we will figure that out when we get there.
Our plan was to buy 2-Day park hoppers, so my first order of business was to convince DH that we need to purchase 3-Day park hoppers for the EE. After much discussion and a lot of begging on my part he agreed. So I was on the ARES Travel website to purchase our tickets and I noticed you could buy character breakfast on that website also. So I convinced DH that our daughter NEEDS to go to a character breakfast. We bought tickets for the Minnie and Friends Breakfast and I immediately called for PS. I was able to book breakfast for 9:20 am on Wednesday June 13.
The other tip I got on the DIS was about how comfortable CROCS are and that there are different styles of CROCS. I found a pair of Mary Jane crocs in brown and they are actually really cute! I also purchased a new pair of tennis shoes for the trip. I dont want the trip ruined by sore feet!
The DIS also enlightened me about Ridemax gosh I love the DIS! I ordered Ridemax and I have been plugging in all sorts of options for our trip. I am hoping that Ridemax will be a lifesaver with the wait times. I just know waiting in long lines with a toddler is going to be a nightmare so I will take any tips that will limit the wait times. Besides the itinerary, Ridemax also has tons of tips on their website.
Now that the planning is pretty much done, all I can do is wait and make lists. I have made a list of food to bring with us, we are going to try to eat lunches and some breakfasts in the room to save money. I also have made a list of stuff to pack for each of us. I tried out my new tennis shoes at Seaworld yesterday (we have annual passes) and they were really comfortable.
I am sooooooo ready to go, I can't wait!
I need to start by saying that Disneyland was not my first choice for our first vacation as a family. We havent taken a vacation since before our DD was born in July 2005. At the beginning of this year we started talking about our first big family vacation. I really wanted to go to Maui and DH wanted to take a week off work and stay home (we live in San Diego) and do all of the fun stuff here in town and just relax. We obviously had to find a happy medium. Our final decision was to spend the week in the OC and do DL/DCA and the beach. I grew up in Socal so DL is not that big of a deal for me. DH grew up in the bay area and he loves DL, but he is kinda cheap (This will come into play later).
As we (really I mean I) started to plan our trip we started looking into hotels and stuff we decided we needed a suite because our daughter (almost 2) would never go to sleep with us being awake in the same room. After much searching and reading reviews (I had not found the DIS yet) we decided on the Doubletree Guest Suites near the convention center. What caught my attention were the luxury beds. I figured if I couldnt go to Maui then I at least wanted a higher end hotel. So we booked it.
Then I found the DIS!
The DIS changed my whole perception on our trip. I started reading all of the tips, and trip reports and I quickly became obsessed with this trip to Disneyland. I have gotten so excited about this trip and I want to make it a magical first time at Disneyland for my daughter. If I would have found DIS sooner I would have probably booked a closer hotel, but now I know for next time. I am just not sure what we are goign to do about transportation into the park. I guess we will figure that out when we get there.
Our plan was to buy 2-Day park hoppers, so my first order of business was to convince DH that we need to purchase 3-Day park hoppers for the EE. After much discussion and a lot of begging on my part he agreed. So I was on the ARES Travel website to purchase our tickets and I noticed you could buy character breakfast on that website also. So I convinced DH that our daughter NEEDS to go to a character breakfast. We bought tickets for the Minnie and Friends Breakfast and I immediately called for PS. I was able to book breakfast for 9:20 am on Wednesday June 13.
The other tip I got on the DIS was about how comfortable CROCS are and that there are different styles of CROCS. I found a pair of Mary Jane crocs in brown and they are actually really cute! I also purchased a new pair of tennis shoes for the trip. I dont want the trip ruined by sore feet!
The DIS also enlightened me about Ridemax gosh I love the DIS! I ordered Ridemax and I have been plugging in all sorts of options for our trip. I am hoping that Ridemax will be a lifesaver with the wait times. I just know waiting in long lines with a toddler is going to be a nightmare so I will take any tips that will limit the wait times. Besides the itinerary, Ridemax also has tons of tips on their website.
Now that the planning is pretty much done, all I can do is wait and make lists. I have made a list of food to bring with us, we are going to try to eat lunches and some breakfasts in the room to save money. I also have made a list of stuff to pack for each of us. I tried out my new tennis shoes at Seaworld yesterday (we have annual passes) and they were really comfortable.
I am sooooooo ready to go, I can't wait!
