Mini PTR and TR for Thanksgiving Week family trip!

[WendyWhy]

In awe of the detailed PTR and TRs on this board! I wanted to share too but don't think I will be able to put in quite the amount of detail (and pictures - I am a dinosaur when it comes to technology) - hope someone will find this interesting!

WHO: We are a family of 4 from the SF Bay Area, lucky enough to be traveling with our friends (also a family of 4) who are in San Diego - and we get to meet them at the Happiest Place on Earth!

DH: Our grumpy, reluctant leader - works hard (long days, lots of weekend call), is from So. Cal, and used to the "cram it all in one day" mentality for DL, but consented to a 3-day trip and staying on-site. I am sure his parents think we are crazy spendthrifts (we are not) for not just staying with them when they live 30 min away...but we have two young children who would just make that miserable!!

DS: 5 years old, loves Legos and comics - this trip is really for him. He has heard his little friends in preschool and now, kindergarten, talk about it but it is really an abstract idea to him. He doesn't even know enough to be crazy excited about it! but I really wanted to take him when he was little enough for it to be magical for him...

DD: 14 months old, loves her brother and chewing his toys...She is going to be our wild card. She still naps (hence the decision to stay on-site) and is the sweetest little baby when she is happy. When she is mad or disgruntled - hold on to your seats!! I wish we could wait till she's older - but if we did that, we'd be short-changing her big bro! She is just along for the ride (as usual) - but I think she will love having so many beautiful things to look at!

ME: Mommy who has been faithfully studying and plotting via the DIS boards to try to make this the perfect first family visit to DL! I have not been to DL in over 10 years - before DCA was even complete! At first, planning this trip was all about the kids but the planning is making me so excited - FOR ME too! Big bummer for me and DH though - our favorite ride, POTC, will be closed and we had planned to eat at Blue Bayou for the first time too...

Our Friends: These are our old neighbors - we lived in the same complex when we were all living on our same university campus and we have kids the same age. We have kept in touch for the past 3 years after they moved from Stanford down to San Diego. We feel so lucky to be able to vacation together - especially since when friends move away, it is so easy to just lose touch. Their boys are ages 4 and 2 - a bit rowdy, but DS gets along with them and I am so happy they will be able to entertain each other in the long lines!


WHEN: The Sunday-Tuesday before Thanksgiving 2011! I had thought I was being clever by choosing these dates (before consulting these boards) - not realizing that So Cal schools get the whole week of Thanksgiving off too! ARGH! I had checked Touringplans.com and it will be 10/10 crowds...ouch. And likely raining...

WHERE: DLR, staying at the Grand Californian for the first (and probably last) time! Thankfully, there is the fall promotion but when the kids are older we probably won't stay on-site - way too spendy! I am justifying the splurge because this is our first family vacation in 2 years! We have gone to Hawaii as our family trip once every 12-18 months but with the arrival of DD, we did not bother planning anything. We are overdue for a nice vacation!

 

[WendyWhy]

One of my favorite tips on the boards has been to load up on discount Disney goodies BEFORE the trip to surprise the kids with. Here's what I have so far:

DD: An adorable pink Minnie Mouse onesie - for less than $2 from the clearance rack at Target! Score! And a Minnie Mouse bow headband - it doesn't really fit, even though it was supposed to be for toddlers, but it will definitely make for at least a few cute photos.

Also - a bunch of dollar toys and books - for her, it's all about the novelty - and since being at Disney does not really have much meaning for her, I am just loading up on anything to keep her happy during the long lines and the drive down from SF to LA. I did get some Mickey and Donald board books for her from our local library sale - hopefully this will get her to used to these guys in case we see them at the park! I have a feeling we will have some good pictures of her screaming hysterically at the sight of any characters though...

DS: A cool Lego Star Wars tee-shirt with Boba Fett - he will love this. He has actually kind of outgrown Star Wars, he was OBSESSED for 2 years, but still loves his lego SW tee-shirts. And it's in his favorite color - green! Only $7 at Wal-mart!

Also picked up the Disney Junior Encyclopedia for him to read on the 6hr drive down (http://www.amazon.com/Disneys-Junio...434X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1321162011&sr=8-4). I think he will love it! Also got some comic books for him to read - it will help curb the "Are we there yet?" - I hope!

I saved some Mickey Mouse lollipops that we received as party favors at a Mickey-themed birthday party last month - so that will be making an appearance some time.

Woody/Buzz Pez dispensers picked up at ToysRUs - these will be a mini-surprise for the little boys we are going with.

And lastly, glow sticks left over from Halloween for all the boys - what kid doesn't like glow sticks?!?

My last bargain is unfortunately not as good as it could have been. I signed up for emails from the online Disney store - and jumped on Mickey/Minnie christmas pjs for the kids (2 for $26) and that qualified me for a $10 Mickey/Minnie ornament (full price $19) - and though I hated paying $8 for shipping, I didn't want to fill up my cart to qualify for the free shipping with $75 minimum...Well, yesterday, they sent out a 20% off everything coupon - and of course it cannot be used retroactively....ARGH. Don't you hate when that happens? I decided to not get any more emails from Disney Store - I end up buying way more than I need!!!!

 

[WendyWhy]

If it was just up to me - a corn dog and a lemonade sound like a perfect lunch...but I am going with a crew of 8 who all have different ideas and it will be insane crowds. In general, pasta for the kids (not just mac n' cheese - too convenient ) , and the other adults are not big fast food people (that would just be me ).

Here are our PS reservations:

11/20 Su Wine Country Trattoria 11:30A 8 L5BMF 


11/20 Su Cafe Orleans05:20P 8 Y5BMF 


11/21 Mo Storytellers Cafe 12:20P 8 4QBMF 


11/21 Mo Carnation Cafe 05:30P 8 JHX24/ 24X24

11/22 Tu Cafe Orleans 11:30A 8 WPXMB


Plan is to have lunch and then back to the hotel for midday nap for baby. I hope DS will take a nap, but even if he just reads in bed for an hour, that is good enough. The baby also dictates the early dinner - but if she has a good nap, we can still explore the parks a bit afterward.

The kids are not into characters yet - so I decided to not go for any character dining, and we are not into buffets, so we skipped those, and we prefer to eat in the parks - so no PS reservations for DTD or the other hotels.

My back-up plan for meals is to grab a pizza and go back to the Grand! Again - my only regret is that we won't be eating at the Blue Bayou

 

[danceanddisney2010]

Oh my goodness! Sounds like you are going to have A LOT of fun! Can't wait to hear more about the trip!

 

[WendyWhy]

Oh my goodness! Sounds like you are going to have A LOT of fun! Can't wait to hear more about the trip!

Thanks!! We are so excited!

 

[WendyWhy]

We will be there in 6 days...here is what I have for a plan:


Day 1: Sunday, Nov. 20 - We drive in from my in-laws and try to check-in at GCH around 9, meet our friends who are also checking in that morning and head to DCA.

There are differing opinions on whether to line up for TSMM rope drop or not. I think we will get Soarin FPs,ride and then ride LM before heading to rope drop for TSMM. Then GSS, MFW, a bug's land, +/- Turtle talk and animation academy if there is time before lunch at Wine Country Trattoria at 11:30. After lunch, back to the Grand for the baby's nap, while DH goes to pick up FPs for HMH and BMTRR.

Enter DL after naps around 3pm, try to catch the last JTA show, if not - have DH grab FPs for IJ, enjoy Main Street - buy some ears, silhouettes, take lots of pictures, use our FPs, dinner at Cafe Orleans at 5:30. Maybe Reindeer Roundup after? I will assume there's a long line for Santa - but we just want to get some cute pictures - not necessarily with the big guy. If there's a long line, we'll pass...

Day 2: Monday, Nov 21 - get to DL for rope drop - have DH pick up ST FPs, and hit up FL and PP first, then Dumbo and tea cups, IASW as my main priorities. After FL - explore Tomorrowland, see how how brave the boys feel about going on SM. Lunch at 12:30 at Storyteller's.

After naps, back to DCA for Aladdin. Then dinner at Carnation Cafe at 5:30 - the Holiday Parade will be going on - and we are happy to adjacent to it for the atmosphere, not expecting a great view or anything. The kids don't have the patience to stake out a spot - so this is as good as it will get!

Day 3: Tuesday, Nov 22- our only Magic Morning, hit up FL and Tomorrowland rides, explore TT if we didn't see it yet and back to any favorites. Last meal is scheduled to be Cafe Orleans at 11:30.

PHEW! I can't believe it is almost here - thanks for letting me share my excitement!

 

[WendyWhy]

Need to get everything packed up tonight for our drive down from SF to LA tomorrow. Weather is going to be gloomy and cold (for us Cali-weaklings, 50 degree grey and cloudy is cold!) - but excited about hitting the road early. I even found a banh-mi Vietnamese sandwich shop on our way down that opens at 6AM! Whoo-hoo! We do not get down to San Jose often - but that is where all the good, hole-in-the-wall banh-mi shops are - yay! And DH will be able to get some of that strong Vietnamese coffee too.

Laundry, cleaning and packing - checking all my lists and making sure we don't forget anything!

Can't wait to report back - fingers crossed that all goes well! Thanks for letting me share

 

[Dizzy4DL]

I can't wait to read more! Have a wonderful trip!

 

[WendyWhy]

Day 1 (Sunday before Thanksgiving): Our little girl is our family alarm clock and she let us "sleep in" until almost 7AM! The weather report was calling for rain in the afternoon so we wanted to get as much park time in before the storm! One of the first things I did was to call the Grand Californian pre-registration number and request a room with a bunk - just for the fun of it...although they couldn't guarantee anything the CM said they would try their best - good enough for me

We scarfed down a quick breakfast and hit the road - it ended up being only a 15 minute drive to the Grand and guess who we see as we are pulling up to the hotel? Our lovely friends from San Diego hopping out of their car and handing the keys to the valet!

Checking in was a breeze - and we did get the room with the bunk! We weren't able to get into our rooms right away, so we checked our bags with bell service - and the CM helping us was very sweet to our kids and gave them 1st visit pins for them and Happily Ever After pins for me and DH. It was such a nice way to get the trip started

After checking in, we went through the hotel's entrance for DCA and went to LM which opened first at 9:15, then to Soarin' which opened at 9:30. I have to say LM was a bit of a yawn - but Soarin' - whoa, that was amazing! And our lucky little boys got to ride twice - once with us moms, and then with their daddies with baby swap. After that - it was already past 10AM, and the wait for TSMM was already 1 hour! AAAACK! DS was so cranky in that line - I left the snacks in the luggage...roh-roh. But all was well after the ride - he loved it and we rewarded the little bugger with his first Disney Churro.

After that, we went to Wine Country Trattoria for lunch - as it started to rain lightly. We were seated outside under the awning - it was a perfect spot for a break - we had a leisurely yummy lunch and watched the rain fall. DS ordered fish-of-the-day from the children's menu and I must say - it looked delectable. He scarfed it down - I didn't get a bite! DH and I shared a chicken panini and an arugula salad with chicken - one of the best meals we had during our trip! The service was slooooow - but cheerful! I was really hoping that we would have gotten a text about our rooms being ready - but no...

The rain was starting to really come down - luckily, everyone had rain jackets, boots, umbrellas and I was SO GLAD that I bought a heavy-duty rain cover for my double stroller. We decided to check out the Animation Academy - a perfect spot to stay dry and check out all the neat little shows. The kids really enjoyed Turtle Talk - and we had a place to sit, change diapers, and most importantly stay dry. At the end of our time there - Mickey and Minnie came to visit! DD screamed like they were serial murderers - just like I predicted! DS gave them big hugs and there was no wait - that was just wonderful

Hmmm...still no text about the room being ready...and I am worried about DD's nap. My friend's little DS fell asleep in her arms. SO we decide to hit up Aladdin since it was starting and we were already nearby. We ended up in the first row of the balcony - it was an amazing show! The genie is just hilarious! And so topical! Jokes about Kim Kardashian and Breaking Dawn - SO funny My friend's little DS stayed asleep the whole time! My DD did not - she was watching the show!

At the end of the show - around 2:45 - we finally get notice that our rooms are ready, so I head back and DD falls asleep in the stroller. The dads and big boys run to get FPs for ToT. By this time, it is starting to rain hard! So happy to be at the Grand today - DD naps, we change out of our wet clothes and take a little breather.

Our room was perfect - we had a connecting room with our friends and it was in the outside building so it was a bit of a walk from the main lobby - but not bad at all when we figured out how to use the back elevators which were closest to us. Our DS-5 was so excited about sleeping in that top bunk! It was actually a trip highlight for him - funny how it's these little things that make a trip so special for a little boy. We had a standard room but our view was actually the back of DCA - we could see a ton of rides and watch the riders on Goofy's Sky School! During the day, we could hear the happy screams I was actually able to turn our room into a "suite" - we fit our own pack n' play into the closet! DD was able to take her naps and sleep in there - which was so great because we could natter around and not worry about keeping her awake.

After our rest, it is a full-on winter storm. We decide to just gear up and go! We ride all the rides in A bug's life, the big boys go to ToT, and then we walk on to Monster's Inc. I was so proud of my DS for riding ToT - he said he liked it but that he was not going to ride it again The rain is letting up - but still pretty wet - we have dinner at the mexican place - we are all starving so we are just happy to be dry and taking a break! There is a sweets booth with the desserts displayed at little people's eye level - so of course we get some Christmas cookies. Also got to try a sample of the spicy peanut brittle - really good!

We wanted to go on more rides after dinner but they were either shut down because of the rain (GSS) or for WOC (Golden Zephyr). So we decided to head back to the hotel for hot chocolate...unfortunately, everyone else had the same plan! The lobby was packed. The kids didn't care - they loved the little TV showing old Mickey movies. The grown-ups got drinks and then we called it a day - we wanted to rest up - the next day is our first Disneyland day and the weather was calling for blue skies and sunshine!

 

[WDWJonasGirl]

Loved the update!!

 

[WendyWhy]

Loved the update!!

Thanks! Sorry it's been so long since I've added to my report!

 

[WendyWhy]

Day 2 (Monday): Our baby alarm clock wakes us up at 6:30AM - which gives us enough time to get ready and eat an on-the-go breakfast and meet our friends outside of La Brea Bakery (their kids wake at the crack of dawn so they had time for a proper breakfast) - we were on Main Street by 7:45AM! It was a perfect time to take some pictures before rope drop - it was cold, so everyone was bundled up but the skies were crystal clear - a beautiful, crisp, sunny winter day. Could hardly believe that just a few hours before it was a raging storm! Waiting for rope drop was actually kind of fun because everyone was buzzing with excitement! Once we were able to move on, we powered onto Peter Pan, while DH went to get Star Tours FPs for everyone...

There was already a good 10 minute line for Peter Pan - we were lucky that DH was able to squeeze into line with us without "cutting in" since our group of 8 is big enough to kind of space out at the entrance to the line!

I haven't been on PP in over 10 years - I had forgotten what a magical ride it is It was amazing to be able to ride it with my two babies! After PP we got onto Dumbo and again I was able to ride with both my DS and DD - I know it will be a memory that I will cherish forever

After that - we got tripped up because the teacups were not open, so we thought we'd just hop onto the Storybookland boat ride - OY. It was a 20 minute wait!!! Ack! We sent the other Dad to get FPs for SM and RR - and he still made it to the ride because we were in line for so long! The CM did give the kids Honorary Citizen pins which was nice. It was a nice peaceful ride but I hated how it took up so much precious morning riding time!

After the boat ride, we got onto the teacups which had just opened up - I think they were drying the seats which were still wet from the prior day's rain. DS loved making it spin! After that we headed to IASW - only a 10 minute wait! I was surprised by how much DS loved this one - I was starting to think he might be "too cool" for such a sweet ride but he says it was one of his favorites

It is now 10AM, and I herd the group over to TL for JTA. By 10:10 almost the entire front row is filled! We were just able to find seats in the front on the Nemo side - and we hunker down to wait for the 10:30 show to start. The adults take turns going to the bathroom, and the kids have a snack. My friend decides to take her littlest DS in line for Autotopia since he has no interest in Star Wars. Thanks to tips from this board, I do make posters for the big boys but our friend's son (age 4) says he just wants to watch. I remind DS to jump up and down with the sign when it is time to get picked - and he got picked right away! There was only one other family with signs and both of those kids got picked right away too. It was such a relief that DS got chosen - I did not want to sit through another showing! I did feel badly for the other kids not selected - there was a collective "Awwww...." when the Jedi Trainer said he was done picking padawans! DS got to fight Darth Maul - I was so proud of him!

After JTA, it is almost 11:30 so we head back to Main Street. We dropped into the Silhouette Studio and my friends were doubtful that it would only take 5 minutes - but Silvia worked her magic and we got two amazing souvenirs! Then headed to Carnation Cafe and there was quite a line formed already even though it looked like they just opened - almost all the tables were empty. Since we had a PS we got seated right away. Again, the service was cheerful and slow - the kids were starting to melt down too...so right after lunch we jammed back to the hotel for naps...

By 2:30 we were ready to go back but our friends' kids were still asleep - so we went ahead to take pictures and got some great ones by all the main landmarks. We then headed down to Adventureland and I noticed the long, snaking line for Dole Whips by the Tiki Room. I went through the other side - and though the line was much shorter - maybe only 7 people ahead of me, it was still a 10-15 minute wait!I am so glad I was able to try it - and although it was sweet and delicious, now I know I do not have to wait in that line to try it again! If there is no line - sure, give me some whip! - but because the line is so inefficient, it is way too long of a wait to get one. The poor girls who are running that booth are hopping!! Poor things. Well, at least with that long wait, our friends are able to meet up with us pretty easily at the Tiki Room.

With a boost of energy from our delicious whips, we then head to BMTRR and HMH with FPs. Both of them were breezy 10 minute waits - and DS really loved HMH, but now realizes he hates roller coasters... We had FPs for Indiana Jones but the return time was 9:50PM! We then head over to TL and hop in the Autotopia FP line...and wait, and wait, and wait. The CMs were totally confused and did not know what they were doing. The people in front of us tried telling a CM that something was wrong - that despite having fast passes the line was not moving at all! After almost 20 minutes, DS says he has to use the bathroom! We have to ditch the line - and though I am super frustrated, my sweet DS says it is fine and he wasn't excited about that ride anyway! We go grab a table at the pizza place - and our friends meet up with us after riding. They say it was just a disaster - the CM moved them to another line - and then that line stops moving too! Horrible. Anyway, I was just so happy to be sitting down - finding a table was NOT easy! The pasta and caesar salad we ordered were super yummy. And after dinner, we give the kids the glowsticks - so they are happy too.

After dinner, the big boys ride SM and ST with their FPs. DS did NOT like SM...oops. But ST made up for it - everyone agreed that that ride was very cool. We then headed down to Toontown, but it had JUST closed down for the fireworks! It was fine though - we were able to see IASW all lit up and I am so glad we did - just beautiful!

By this time, it is getting close to 8:15 - we decide to ride the train back to Main Street, I head back to the hotel with DD, while DH and DS hang back to catch some of the fireworks. Lucky for me - they come back to the hotel with slices of pizza from Napolini and funnel cake!! Great way to end our first Disneyland day! We need our rest - tomorrow is our last day and our only MM!

 

[WendyWhy]

Day 3 (Tuesday): The baby had a rough night - therefore, DH and I had a rough night...We only managed to crawl out of the hotel by 7:15AM and meet our friends in TL for our only Magic Morning.

Since our friends are early risers they had no problem getting into the park on-time and went ahead and rode the Matterhorn which DS was not remotely interested in riding . We walked onto BLAB which was so fun and the family picture of us on the ride was priceless! We all look so serious! Even the baby - but that is her default look

While waiting to meet up with our friends, DS and DH went to ride the Astro Orbitor and then our entire group walked onto BLAB again! After this, we hopped on to Nemo...while we were waiting to get into our sub, we shook our fists at Autotopia - still mad about that one!

We then head down to Frontierland to try to get FPs for IJ - but the ride is down! Argh. We are all noticing that it is definitely the worst crowds of our trip - but I knew what to expect because of these boards and knew that it would get more and more crowded the closer we got to Thanksgiving. We ride the Jungle Cruise and then head to ToonTown. RR is down as well, so we just explore and have our potty breaks before getting in line for the baby rollercoaster there. The line is surprisingly long - maybe 15 minutes - and when we are done, RR is back up so we decide to get in the line and just ride it without bothering with FP since we know we won't be able to come back to TT. It was a strange ride - I didn't expect it to be so creepy! with lots of adult themes - kind of a bizarre choice for the "kiddie" section of DL!

After TT, we fight the crowd and head to Casey Jr train - it was a must ride for my friend's two sons but honestly, I wish we could have just skipped it. It was an atrocious wait because they only had 1 train running and then didn't add a 2nd train until we got to the head of the line... In any case, DD loved it - but I would not get into the line for that one again....

Then we head to Frontierland, while DH picks up FPs for IJ, so we can stop to say hello to the reindeer and that humongous turkey! We did not have time to say hello to Santa but we took our pictures in the sleigh and pictures of the reindeer. Then our family has to head back to the Grand to check out. I was able to get a late check out for noon and it was 11AM already - we had to jam back and pack. Our friends who are much more organized than us, had already checked out and sent their bags to bell service - so they were headed to DCA for a few rides.

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped at the PhotoPass store on Main Street and made sure that DS' JTA pictures were on our card. They run a smooth operation - "Which day? Which show? Darth Vader or Darth Maul?" - then BAM! priceless photos! We did go ahead and get the Photo Gallery CD - which includes free shipping of the photo CD. When we got to the hotel, I was able to put the baby down for a quick nap in the closet! The rest of us packed and took a nice little break before checking out - by the time bell service came up, DD had already had an hour nap! Once we were ready to really leave, we went down to Storyteller's to meet our friends for our last meal. It was strange that even with a PS, our friends had to wait for 10-15 minutes for a table, which was fine since we weren't even there yet - so it all worked out!

After our meal, we head into the Grand lobby for the last time. They had just put up the beautiful Christmas tree the night before - so of course we had to take some last pictures before our friends left to try and beat the traffic down to San Diego.

We head down to DL for the last time - we can't stay late because we have dinner plans with DH's family. The crowds are now totally intense but we finally get to IJ - I get the rider swap and wait for DH and DS who hop into the FP line. After about 10 minutes, I hear the announcement - IJ is out-of-order and has to close!! After another 15 minutes, they force the queue to clear out - poor DS - we had been hyping that ride because it is one of our favorites and it was his last chance to ride it!

We did not want to end the trip on such a sad note - so we headed back to main street to watch a bit of the parade and get a fat sundae from the ice cream parlor. I think that will be the start of our family tradition - a yummy treat before leaving the park so that we always end the trip on a sweet note.

 

[WendyWhy]

Planning: Spending the time reading through posts, taking notes, and carefully reading through Hydroguy's awesome stickies were invaluable. Yes, I did have to pretend to not see my friends eyes glaze over when I tried to explain the intricacies of the FP system. And yes, it is not cool or sexy to be the dorkily excited planner of the group - but it's what made our trip so awesome! My friend's DH said, "We discussed it and you are coming on all of our family vacations!"

There were a few times where I was able to drop some DIS board knowledge on my group and they would be fleetingly amazed! For example, DH and my friends were wondering why some people were able to skip the line - they did not look like VIPs and did not look particularly disabled - and I explained about GACs, hidden disabilities (i.e. ADHD, fibromyalgia), etc - instant amazement! And another big example was knowing to bring a sign for JTA - a definite trip highlight!

Grand Californian Hotel: It may have spoiled me for other hotels...The restaurants, the grand lobby with the old-time Mickey movies and little rocking chairs, and most of all - the location. Our family tends to be on the thrifty side - so this was definitely a splurge - but with a napping baby, I really felt the Grand was worth every penny. That said, once DD outgrows the nap, I would not hesitate to try out the other hotels within walking distance - especially PPH which is right across the street! - but I would double check for any promos for the Grand first!

Rain: I was really worried about the rain but since we were prepared with our gear (especially a rain cover for our stroller) - it ended up being more than fine and still tons of fun. Our DCA day was our rainy day - we took advantage of the rain to check out Animation Academy - where they trotted out Mickey and Minnie without any waits!, take a long lunch, watch Aladdin, and ride a handful of rides without any wait. The bummer is that some rides are closed for rain (ie. GSS). A random FYI - I incorrectly assumed that WOC would be closed for rain, but a CM said WOC was the best in rain (though it is closed for high wind). The crowds were really light and if DD didn't have such an early bedtime, it would have been a great opportunity to catch the show.

Going with Young Kids: If it was possible to freeze DS at age 5 and wait for his little sister to "catch up" - I would say that 5 is the perfect age for DL. They are old enough to have seen the movies and know the characters, they no longer need naps, they are still small enough to cart around in the double stroller so they don't slow you down when they get tired, and they are big enough to ride all the rides but still small enough for it to be magical!

Of course, you cannot "freeze" your kid! Leaving DD at home was not an option - but we did wait till she was 15 months so she was only napping once a day and able to enjoy watching everything from the stroller. She really loved it! I cannot wait to go back when she is older. Staying onsite was very helpful and I never needed to use the baby centers (though I hear they are quite handy!). Bring plenty of snacks, extra clothes, water - and you are set! Young kids definitely slow you down - they make ridiculous requests ("You want to ride Storybookland? ARGH!!"), they need to nap and sleep early, and they fuss when they are tired/cranky/hungry. I wanted to go commando - especially after reading some of the inspiring posts where DISers are able to ride 25 rides in a day! - but those kids do slow you down too much to do that...It's still an amazing trip - just a different pace...

Thanks for letting me share - it has been great reliving my trip by sharing this little report!

 

[Eeee-va]

You're right about Roger Rabbit…I never thought about it since I was a teenager when Toontown opened…I mean, Toontown came about BECAUSE of the film, but my parents would not let me see that film when it came out in theaters because of Jessica Rabbit.

I love being the planning dork, LOL. That is WONDERFUL that you educated your party about hidden disabilities and the like.

Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

 

[DisneyMomma81]

Sounds like a pretty fantastic time! We visited the parks right after you - Thanksgiving day - Saturday ~ our weather was lovely, quite warm during the day. Star Tours is great - we rode at least twice a day all 3 of our days. We no longer ride Autopia - sorry it was such a disappointment. Bummer about Indi Jones ~ do you plan to head back to DLR soon?

 

[deejdigsdis]

Going with Young Kids: If it was possible to freeze DS at age 5 and wait for his little sister to "catch up" - I would say that 5 is the perfect age for DL. They are old enough to have seen the movies and know the characters, they no longer need naps, they are still small enough to cart around in the double stroller so they don't slow you down when they get tired, and they are big enough to ride all the rides but still small enough for it to be magical!

Our trips overlapped! I agree that 5 years old is a wonderful going-to-Disneyland age. I took my 5 year old in April -- just me and him and my sister. It was so wonderful! We got in 30-35 rides in 1 day.

 

[kstand]

Great TR! Thanks for taking the time, and I'm so glad you all had a wonderful time!

 

[WendyWhy]

Sounds like a pretty fantastic time! We visited the parks right after you - Thanksgiving day - Saturday ~ our weather was lovely, quite warm during the day. Star Tours is great - we rode at least twice a day all 3 of our days. We no longer ride Autopia - sorry it was such a disappointment. Bummer about Indi Jones ~ do you plan to head back to DLR soon?

We were SO bummed about IJ! That and POTC...I don't know when we can head back - DH thinks we should space them out - more like once every 2 years minimum, maybe even 3 years! I think that is way too long but if we space them out longer we would be able to stay longer, stay on-site, etc...Trade-offs!

And Autotopia - we are done with that ride! We only got in line because my friend's sons are really into cars/train type rides - my DS is more about space!

 

[WendyWhy]

Our trips overlapped! I agree that 5 years old is a wonderful going-to-Disneyland age. I took my 5 year old in April -- just me and him and my sister. It was so wonderful! We got in 30-35 rides in 1 day.

30-35 rides?!?! You guys are rock stars! I can't wait till my youngest is 5 and we can go commando! Does your 5 year old ride in a stroller? I know in real-life a 5 year old is too old for a stroller, but on a long day at DL that stroller comes in handy!...I wish someone would push ME in a stroller!