My DLR guide for SIL, taking nephews for 1st

[mickeymomindesert]

The following is the first in a series of "email magic guides" I've been sending my lovely sil, regarding her upcoming trip to DLR with my nephews. Both boys are afraid of big scary rides, so I am helping her to skip those. I also am steering her toward stuff I know are favorites (Buzz and Woody, Pooh Bear). Her requests include NO PIRATES (she wants to wait until boys are older). SO:


I am so jealous! I really wish I could go with you, and your family, to visit Disneyland for the boys first time! I love to go with little ones! Less thrill rides, and alot more magic in trips with the little guys......I will try to steer you to all the important stuff.
Today I will explain a little "Disney Slang" for future reference:

DLR is "disneland resort" and refers to the entire property
DL is the original park
CA is Calif.Adventure
a "cast member" is anyone who works on property/a "character" is from a Disney movie (in costume) or show

Parents taking little ones should know:

Teach little ones what a Disneyland cast member nametag looks like (I've attached one to this email) they are WHITE and no other color. Teach them to find someone with a Cast Member name tag if they are lost. CMs will stop what they are doing to find any "lost parent" that has wandered from a child. They are great at this, and it is important to teach the name tag, as the "costumes" are different depending on where you are in the park, but the name tags are a constant. All CMs are trained to speak to kids on their level, to comfort them, and to quickly radio it in to a central "lost parent" channel on Main St. Kids don't stay lost for long at DLR.

Start looking at photos of other children with the characters. It can be alarming to little ones to see such LARGE cartoon characters, and then you don't get the fun photo ops you hoped for......Google the images of your child's favorites and look for PHOTOS from the parks, with other children especially.....This will give your child perspective, in advance. Another spot for that kind of perspective is at disboards.com on some of the "photo of the day" forums (trip reports is a good place to look for this) even if the photos are from WDW in FL, the character shots will help with the size surprise.

Consider a "countdown" calendar. For very little ones, a one week calendar is probably enough, for school aged (7-12) a month is fun......We've used Mickey heads on a calendar page (you can get mickey heads at home depot as the disney paint color samples come in the shape of his head), Buzz Stickers, Princess stickers and a chain of paper made from Disney Themed scrapbooking paper (pull off a link a day).

Watch a few of the movies your child(ren) may not know as well (Robin Hood or the Sword in the Stone), these characters are in the park, too. It is fun when very little ones recognize them.

Talk to your child about autograph books/tee shirts. A tee shirt is fun. You can have characters sign with fabric markers you carry and that is a great show & tell item, when you return home. But a book (even a homemade one) is a fun keepsake, as well. Almost all the characters have very distinctive signatures.

Consider matching tee shirts. Even if this seems like the dorkiest "I cannot believe people do that" thing to do, consider dressing the children in matching outfits. It makes it easier to find one if he is lost (He was dressed exactly like his brother here), if YOU match then it is easier for him to find YOU in the crowd. the photos are much more pulled together with the matching shirts, too! One thing that is fun with little ones is to put a request on the tee, I like to print (in iron on letters), "I am collecting character stickers!" because many CM's carry stickers and they will oblige at an alarming rate. Encourage your child to put them in his book, on his shirt, stroller, etc. etc. By the end of the day you will have a new fun shot, your child covered in his "sticker collection!" Another fun thing to do, if you are not a germaphobe, is to print "I am collecting princess & fairy kisses." on the little ones tees.......In this case they will likely be sporting several shades of lipstick by the end of the day! Nick did this! These special tees help shy children to interact with the characters, and help the characters engage the child.


I am going to send you an overview of one "land" at a time. I'll include: can't miss attractions for little ones, restaurants, and Fastpass locations.

 

[kwgilley]

Wow. This is wonderful! I wish my kids were still little so I could apply your suggestions. Although......my almost 13 yo son might like the "I collect princess and fairy kisses" t-shirt

 

[mickeymomindesert]

My son is (the "Nick" mentioned in op) is now 14, and he'd like that too! I was suggesting it for little ones. Nick collected those kisses at age 6......Where is that photo????? It was cute.
Here's my Main Street Post:
If your family are early risers, then arriving at the gates about 10-15 minutes prior to opening is fun, because opening the park is a CEREMONY. The characters often arrive, via train, in large groups to greet morning guests as they come through the gates. They pose for photos, sign books, and make the morning arrival a bit chaotic but fun.

If you plan to rent a stroller, one parent can do the stroller rental (be sure to ask for a length of stay rental, where you pay once for all the days you'll be visiting they give a bit of a deal), while the other takes kids & camera to visit with the characters. You can spend 15-30 minutes here, so it is a great idea to split it up.

After you walk under the railway station you will come out onto Town Square. To your right is Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (your boys would probably not get this, but it is very quiet, a good place for a "rest" in the early afternoon. To your left is City Hall.
City Hall is the home of Guest Services. You should start here, and tell a CM at the desk that it is your sons first visits. Some very special "magic" will happen, they will probably receive button pins. There is a restroom next door to city hall, for a quick pit stop.

At this point it is a good idea to ride up Main Street on one of the Main Street vehicles. Options are an old fashioned Fire Truck, a horse drawn trolley, and sometimes a double decker bus. It is a one way trip to the hub, in front of the castle (the hub of the "wheel" of lands, an entry point of your days adventures). On your way up the street, you and Todd should watch the windows of the shops. The names you see featured there are many of the imagineers responsible for the building of this amazing place. They designed, invented, and reinvented. Walt's idea was to give them a place of honor in the park, and so these windows are like the parks rolling credits (remember, Walt thought of his park as a "show" and any show needs to run the credits at beginning and ending)....Also, the smells wafting from the bakery/candy shop are reaching you very deliberately, Walt made sure that large power fans would blow those wonderful aromas out onto Main Street all day long! Later, if you decide to watch the afternoon/evening parade, the seats on the porches of the buildings on the right are very popular (especially the rocking chairs) they fill as early as 90 minutes to 2 hours prior to parade (I suggest in front of Small World Castle, 45 minutes before-and with a snack).

Upon stepping out of the vehicle look around you; the hub center is a garden area with small statues of characters (bronze), and the famous Walt & Mickey statue in center. From here, the park spreads like the spokes of a wheel on a bicycle. The email guide that you are getting, will travel from Tomorrowland counter clockwise around the park. I thought that would be a good way to tackle your day, as you will see the things important to the boys, earlier in your day, and hit a few quieter sit down attractions (such as the Tiki Room) late in your day when you will appreciate the extended sitting.

However, to your left (facing the castle) is a board and a small kiosk. This is a wonderful place to learn where/when your favorite characters will be TODAY. Then you can be sure to meet those that are very important to your family....(lines are a given, but if you plan ahead there is less of a chance of disappointment). Ask the cast member at the kiosk to help you know when/where to find Woody & Buzz, for instance, and they will give you a time and location for the meeting. This will also give you an opportunity to see which attractions are not operational (posted on the board behind kiosk) and the current waiting times on attractions throughout the park.

Also nearby, on the same side of the Street, is Coke Corner. This is a little sidewalk cafe, inside you'll find a fastfood counter that sells hotdogs, pretzels (shaped like Mickey's head), softdrinks, milk, chili, chips. It is good for a preparade snack or light lunch. In the afternoon there is often a piano player making music at the piano outside in the sidewalk table seating area. He takes requests (especially those of children) and he is very friendly (he even let James play a song on the piano once). If kidlets have a favorite Disney tune, this is the right place to ask to hear it. This is not a great place for a "healthy lunch" or a table service meal. There is a table service restaurant 1/2 way down Main St. on same side, called Carnation Plaza. I don't recommend it, food is great but slow and pricey. Too loud to enjoy or relax. Others are better. If you are hungry on Main Street, stop at Coke Corner for a sit and a snack or grab something healthier from the fruit stand across the street from Car

This brings me to an important point that we will revisit alot, in the coming emails. FASTPASSES. This feature is being used at other theme parks, for xtra $$$. Not at Disney. Nominate one parent to be a "Fastpass Runner" and hold everyones park passes. The reason for this is that you must enter the passports into a machine to receive the FPs (fastpasses). The machine will then spit out your park passes and the fp with a "return between" time. You can only get one fast pass every 2 hours, so choose wisely. I will help you know which attractions are best for fastpasses. Not all attractions offer FPs, not all that offer them always need them. The FP kiosk will have a digital read out above the kiosks telling the return time (between Noon and 2 for instance) and sometimes you might just as well get in line (if line is short enough, our rule is 20 minutes in line or less=no FP). Each ride will post a sign telling you wait times "from this point" which means if the line isn't back to that point, the wait is Shorter!
So....While NON Fastpass runner is doing the "where are the characters today" stop at the hub, the FP runner can dash into Tomorrowland and go get your 4 FP's for Autopia. Yes, you want FPs for Autopia first! It is notoriously slow loading, so the line builds very quickly and the line is BORING for little ones (not alot of interactive theming here, and very noisy with alot of stairs so the stroller has to stay behind). But your kids will want to DRIVE, it is lots of fun. So, go get the FPs. They are across the way from the ride, near the hat shop outside the Innoventions building (which appears to be moving in a circle). Meet your family back at the Entry to Buzz Lightyear's AstroBlasters.

When you exit the Main Street vehicle, facing the castle, Tomorrowland will be on your right hand side. It is easy to locate, as the Astro Orbiter rockets will be sailing around in circles at the entry way to Tomorrowland. WARNING: The Astro Orbiter Rockets are FAST! Faster than they seem, and they have been known to make adults lose their breakfast. They also load slowly and only travel in circles. Skip them if you can manage to walk the boys past them........ Meet up with your FP Runner at the entrance to Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters!

Next email: We will enter a the gateway to the world of Tomorrow!
PS. Just send me a one word email, to hit my off button "stop" lol.......if you have questions, send them.

 

[mickeymomindesert]

I'd fashion a very different personal plan for parents of teens (my boys ages are 16 and 14).......

 

[mmoon]

This is great, looking forward to reading more!

 

[GrandBob]

Your nephews are very lucky to have such a thoughtful aunt.

 

[mickeymomindesert]

Tomorrowland
Yesterday we got off the Main Street Vehicles, at the hub, got the info. we needed from the tip board CM, sent a parent for some Autopia FPs and then........Headed toward Buzz Lightyears Astro Blasters (tell Wesley and Zack that they are Buzz Lightyears Spaceship, and he needs us to go on a Space Ranger Mission)! Check the line time sign (it should be less than an 60 minutes, if it is not don't get in line yet). When you get in line, enjoy the signs along the way.....When you get to BUZZ (he is big) he will give you directions about the ride. Don't worry if you have to move through this room, quickly, they will repeat the directions as you get on. One parent & one boy per ride vehicle, so everyone will get a laser gun.

When you exit, Mom, you will have a forced walk through a gift shop........Try to steer boys to a photo of Zurg, rather than letting them loose (because then they will want to buy buy buy all the cool Toy Story themed merchandise). If you get stuck: buy a set of pins with a lanyard....The set is a bit pricey, but you are actually buying a game for the boys to play during your vacay. They can trade with any CM wearing a pin lanyard (the CMs love to trade with little ones, they will ask about favorite characters etc.).....Remind the boys, you are only buying ONE SET, but they can trade. This is a fun way to kill waiting time with Line Control CMs. But if you are collecting stickers (see yesterdays tee shirts tips) you don't need a pin lanyard, really. And most little ones hate wearing the lanyard necklaces. I think this is a game best saved for school aged trip.

After Astro Blasters, check your return time for Autopia. If it isn't time yet, head over to the submarine ride (Nemo and his Friends can be seen from your sub). If the line, here, is an hour or less, it is worth the wait. Don't wait for longer than that, it isn't that much fun.......But the boys will like the Nemo characters, if they know the movie. If you are in the park early, it will probably not have much of a wait, but later in the day the wait is awful, because it is a slow loader. James says to warn parents that this is an extremely claustophobic ride, so if closed in spaces bother you-you should skip it.


When you exit the sub, or if the line is too long, head over to the Innovations Pavilion (moving in a circle building across from Autopia). You can have some fun in here, but keep a tight hold on the boys. This is ADHD heaven. Lots of fun light up, buzzy, it does cool things that are hands on and FUN! I suggest planning a meeting time OUTSIDE (near the entrance to autopia, is good), and assigning one kid per parent. Give yourselves 30 minutes-1 hour, depending on how long you have until your FP comes up.
After you have ridden the Autopia cars (and vowed never to allow either child to hold a real Drivers License), get FPs for Buzz Lightyears Astro Blasters (if the line was too long, when you arrived in Tomorrowland); or head to the Tomorrowland Train Station for a trip to New Orleans Place, Or do what this guide will do next: head toward Fantasyland/Toontown (walk back toward Castle).

If you get hungry before leaving Tomorrowland:

In the center of Tomorrowland is a walk-up counter service Fast Food joint. This is the MOST popular place in the park, at lunch time (due to high visibility)......Don't eat lunch here, the crowds and noise are mind boggling, and they do a somewhat scary show (star wars theme with very realistic villains) every so often.
Instead, head toward the Space Mountain Ride. On the Right you will see the Captain EO attraction, which is kind of fun (3D movie) if you like M.Jackson music, on the left you will see a tucked in Restaurant, the Pizza Port is a fave of ours. It is really tucked back out of the way, it serves pizza, pasta (yummmy), and salad, the kid pack lunches are big enough for adults too (especially the pasta ones), and the service is usually quick). It is cafeteria style. Sit inside for a real quiet "time out of the park chaos" lunch. Aunt Kathleen alert: they will make gluten free pasta/pizza here, upon request. It takes a little longer to serve, but nick loves the pasta.

Tomorrowland shops sell lightsabers, Star Wars and Buzz Lightyear themed souvenirs and clothing. You can meet Buzz Lightyear, Stitch, and the characters from Star Wars in this part of the park. When it is time to leave (to head toward Fantasyland) tell the boys that Buzz told you that the Tea Cups are REALLY fun for space rangers (or the carousel)... If you are going to head toward the train to New Orleans, tell them that you are going to visit Tarzan's Treehouse and they can climb up it! Leaving any land, is a tough transition, so when you are on your last attraction; give warning! "After we drive the cars, we are going to Fantasyland to spin the Teacups!"

Answers to your stay questions: The proximity you see to off site hotels is misleading, they are giving you distance to disney property as the crow flies to the nearest point of the property (hence across the street might be across the street from the back of the park and you'll have to walk 3 long city blocks to get to the entrance point on Harbor blvd

 

[corkevem]

Very cool idea! Thanks for sharing with all of us!

 

[mickeymomindesert]

I forgot that the monorail to the Disneyland Hotel can be boarded here, in Tomorrowland (the only place in the park). Ask a monorail ride attendant (as soon as you get to platform) if your boys can ride in the front (with the driver).....If no one else has asked, before you, the answer will be yes-and this is an extra special treat for little guys......Definitely worth asking (and they will likely get some xtra attention from driver with their 1st visit buttons and sticker collector shirts).

This is important because in the middle of the day, when your kids have had it, a timeout monorail ride to the DHotels and lunch in one of the hotel restaurants (pricey) can be a perfect quiet break in your day. We like the StoryTellers restaurant in the Grand Californian- it is very quiet midday, prior to noon they have characters that visit each table (pluto, chip and dale, and the brother bear characters, usually) and spend a few minutes with your kids personally, but later in the morning (when most are in the parks) this is a pretty quiet and comfy place to eat. Very upscale decor (dark woods and cushy chairs), and you can eat a brunchy style buffet or have a table service meal. The characters are not present after noon (or they weren't a couple years ago).

It is worth walking through the Dhotels, just to check out theming and decor.

The Disneyland Hotel (closest to monorail exit) lobby often has a character or two near front desk (Goofy is most common), much easier to meet character here, than in park. He interacts with kids in really fun ways and there are cartoons playing on TV at kids eye level, all day long.

Goofy's Kitchen Restaurant at the Disneyland Hotel is a favorite of all our kids, even still, it is little one nirvana. All you can eat buffet (it better be all you can eat, at those prices) has some fun and inventive foods (peanut butter and jelly pizza for the not allergic), the characters (princesses, minnie mouse, pluto, donald, and chip&dale) visit each table, every 1/2 hour Goofy comes out and dances with kids (the Macarena), or plays Follow the Leader, or some other fun activity..........WARNING: this is NOT a great place for a quiet meal and it is very expensive. The biggest plus here is that your kids will get to meet and play with the characters in ways you can't in the line up opportunities at the park. This is a splurge location, when it comes to price.

We also liked the Japanese restaurant at Disneyland Pacific, but that is more grown up, and not very kid friendly.......Unless your kids are asian fans (mine were).

With your hand stamped, you can reboard the monorail and reenter the park when you are ready. OR you can stroll back to the park entrance through downtown disney (a mall, basically). Build a Bear has a lot of Disney themed bear outfits, there is a Gigantic World of Disney store here, there is a store where boys can design their own racecars then race them (think pinewood derby). I don't spend lots of time here, just because I'd rather be in the park, than spending more $$$. But the World of Disney Store, midday is a nice place to get any souvenirs, much quieter than Main Street near closing time.

 

[mickeymomindesert]

I've included Fantasyland/Toontown together as they are next door neighbors and Toontown is very small. To get to Fantasyland from Tomorrowland you can walk back the way you came, to Main Street USA, and then go through the Castle. To get to Toontown from Tomorrowland, walk between the Matterhorn and the Submarine lagoon......You'll arrive in Fantasyland, at the end of this path. Turn Right (toward the Small World Castle), walk straight toward the Small World Castle and at the last minute, veer left......You will see the gates of Toontown in front of you........This may be unavailable, at the time of your visit (as it is slated for remodel), but if it is not it is the favorite part of the park for many many little ones. Go straight to Mickey's House 1st. This is his neighborhood, and you will be able to visit all the homes of the neighbors (but not everyone is home). Mickey is always home, he is out back in the film studio, and he will visit with you after your self guided tour of his house. PLEASE ENCOURAGE THE BOYS TO TOUCH AND TRY THINGS IN THE HOUSE, THERE ARE MANY LITTLE GAGS.......Especially fun is listening to Mickey's answering machine. Have a camera ready in the cartoon room (large screening queue area), next is your personal meet and greet with the Big Cheese.

***(sidenote: i once lost James here (he was 3 1/2. I was headed toward Toontown square where character greetings were happening, and James saw Goofy's Bounce house. He was gone in a blink......I didn't realize he was not with us until we got to the front of the character meet line and I only had 2 kids! The DL CMs were fabulous and found him really quickly, but it was scary. I recommend renting the double stroller, I've seen kids as old as 7 in them, and they help corral the kids in an exciting and distractable place.)***

After Mickey's house you can visit Chip & Dales Tree house (slide with an acorn ball pit), Goofy's Bounce House ( the furniture and floor are made of the inflatable stuff you see at kids party bounce houses), Donald's Boat (the Miss Daisy), and Minnie's House (again lots of hands-on gags, turn the knobs on the stove and the dishwasher, play on the computer). There is a small roller coaster (looks like it is made out of giant tinker toys) called Gadgets Go Coaster. It is fun, and grown ups can ride (a bit uncomfortably), but it might be a bit high/fast for the chicken hearted (Nick wouldn't ride when he was small). There is another ride called Roger Rabbits Cartoon Spin, which is a dark ride that won't make sense unless they've seen the movie (I think it is better suited to the school aged set).

Toontown is not a good place to eat. There are a few walk up snack counters in Toon Square, but it is things like Pretzels (again shaped like Mickeys face) and ice cream bars (like his head), so snacks but not meals. There are some fun gift shops here, you can get character related merchandise and disposable cameras and film or memory cards ($$$). In "downtown" Toontown you can visit the post office (listen to the messages in the po boxes), the jail, jump on manhole covers that talk back, etc. It's a fun place to run and play. When you are finished here, leave Toontown through the gates, and turn left at the top of the hill. End your Toontown Time with a ride on the Small World Ride, it is a calming (to kids) ride with a repetitive song that seems to calm them down (makes daddies nuts, often,but calms little jumpy kidlets).

After Small World you will walk back toward the Matterhorn and the 1st ride on your right is the Storybook Canal Boats. This is a slow ride through miniatures of the Fairy Tale world, Jessi loves it (like a dollhouse town), but your boys may not care much....
Across from the Storybook ride are the Teacups, you know how this works. It is slow loading so the line can be tedious, but kiddos love them. Behind the Teacups in the corner of the Castle is the Alice in Wonderland dark ride....This is my favorite darkride for preschoolers with fears of villains, because it is not SCARY at all. Even the Queen is not alarming. Mostly we see flowers and funny creatures.

After Alice walk toward the backside of the castle (toward Dumbo). You'll pass Mr. Toad's Wild Ride on your left. This ride has a "hell" scene that is very frightening to many small children. Walking between Dumbo and the Carousel will take you to the Casey Jr. circus train ride. This is fun. Turn left (toward the castle) and you'll see Pinoccho's daring journey (dark ride, with some mildly scary scenes) and Snow Whites Scary adventures (aptly named, very dark and scary). Across the Castle courtyard from Snow White you'll see Peter Pan's Flight (dark ride, nothing terribly scary, you'll fly over London and Neverland in your Pirate ship).
The Sword in the Stone in front of the Carousel can be budged (by 2 or 3 very strong children per day) in a small Ceremony.....It isn't worth waiting around for, but if it happens to be going on when you visit Fantasyland it is fun, and one child will be crowned "King for the Day." Kind of fun, and the only time you see Merlin, in the parks.

In the back of the Castle you should find the entrance to the Sleeping Beauty walk through attraction (moves through the castle). This tells the story of Aurora and her Prince. It is very pretty stained glass art, and only recently reopened after decades unavailable to the public (I haven't seen it in it's recent opening)......It was a favorite of mine, as a child. Because it is a "tucked in" attraction, it is likely to be a quiet walk through the story. I am looking forward to seeing it in the future.

Food in Fantasyland is more satisfying than Toontown, but nothing to write home about. There is a counter service restaurant with a large indoor seating area, at the back of the castle, across from the Casey Jr. Circus Train. I believe it has a Pinocchio theme (it is next door to the ride). The food here runs to sandwiches, soups and salads. Kids meals are not bad, and the seating area is vast. It is a bit crazy and crowded between 11 and 1.

If you follow the path between Casey Jr. and the restaurant (walking with your back to the Matterhorn) you will pass restrooms on your left (next to restaurant) and soon pass onto the Big Thunder Mountain Trail to Frontierland.

 

[mommamonster]

Thank you so much for sharing! This is my first DL trip planning, I was pretty young the last time I was there and I just remember the magical stuff from a kid's point of view. My husband and I are taking the kids on their first trip in May - your walkthroughs are really helpful and I'm starting to put more pieces together remembering the park and things to do. I love the sticker collector and pin trading ideas, my oldest will love doing that!

 

[Midnightred]

Excellent! This is so much better than any guide book I have ever read!

Midnightred

 

[mrsmcnoggin]

Thank You!! I am also planning our first family trip with little ones and i haven't been there since i was young. This is super helpful!!!

 

[tinkslite]

Both names are mine, and I cannot remember the password for the other). So, here I am.
For those of you who are using this guide:
I personalized this guide for these specific kidlets (shy, scared of dark and sudden noises, love the Toy Story characters, not that fond of princesses). If you have different kinds of kids, different age kids, no kids, babies, large group, I would write a very different plan for you. PM me if you are interested in having that.
Happy Touring

 

[tinkslite]

I totally excluded locations of bathrooms!!! They can be hidden, but you are never far from one. Many many of them have preschooler friendly low sinks, etc. They are usually pretty amazingly clean (based on how many people pass through).

On Main Street USA
1. Outside front gates, next to outside Guest Service desks.
2. Next to City Hall
3. Next to (and down the walkway) Carnation Cafe, midway down Main Street USA, and across from Fruit Stand.

In Tomorrowland:
1. before you enter, near the Astro Orbiter (facing it from Main St). To your right, behind the Plaza Inn Restaurant on Main....
2. Next to the exit of Space Mountain Ride (just past the arcade and gift shop)
3. Behind the hat shop between Innovations and Autopia, next door to Tomorrowland Train Station

In Toontown
1. At goofy's Service Station (of course!)

In Fantasyland
1. Next to Alice in Wonderland dark ride, actually in the side of the castle, across from matterhorn (marked Princes and Princesses). This one has fun Alice in W. theming throughout.
2. Next to Pinocchio restaurant on the way to Big Thunder Mountain Trail

I'll try to remember to include the rest of the bathroom locations in land tours. Sorry about the omission.

 

[tinkslite]

So I left your family walking along Big Thunder Mountain Trail, your backs to Fantasyland......Big Thunder Ranch will be on your right (sometimes there are animals to pet, at Christmastime reindeer). Seasonally, there is an open air barbecue served here. It is tasty,but probably not available during your stay. On your left, as you progress you will notice a mtn. range reminiscent of the Utah mtns......This is Big Thunder Mountain and it WAS modeled after the mtns in the Zion and Bryce areas. The roller coaster that runs through it is too rough a ride for your little guys, but in 4-5 years they'll LOVE it! It is a good introductory big boy coaster. Fast and lots of turns, but not alot of scary drops and no loops or anything.
After you pass the mtn you will see the Rivers of America on your right. You can board the Mark Twain Riverboat at the dock. This is fun and lazy view of the River. You will notice the island in the middle of the River....This used to have a Tom Sawyer theme, but recently got a Pirate's Lair makeover. If you are not looking to introduce pirate stuff yet, skip this.
Across from the Mtn you will see a row of Little House on the Pairie style town buildings, with a wooden sidewalk out front. Most of these are gift shops, but the saloon deserves a look inside. They run several shows here everyday, and they are a funny band of cowboys who play fiddles, banjoes and the like. There is a counter service lunch served and some ice cream treats. Don't look for alcohol, you can't get it inside this park (you can at CA though).
Woody, Jessi, and Bullseye can sometimes be seen around these parts. There is a wonderful musician who sometimes works frontierland, if you see him with his fiddle-stop and chat. He is great with the kids and will play "Turkey in the Straw" and tell the silliest kid friendly jokes you every heard! James loves this guy. He isn't there every day, but if he is you are in for a treat!
If you walk toward the log "fort style" fencing you are headed back toward Main Street USA. The only other thing is a shooting gallery, but it is xtra $$, and not very exciting. Inside the watch tower of the fort fencing is an ATM machine (if you need one). There are bathrooms inside the Mexican restaurant in Frontierland. This restaurant serves food just slightly better than the Taco Bell quality (not one of my favorites). I think it is awful. I wish they'd make the Ranch Barbecue serve year round, instead of this place.
If you continue past the Saloon, along the Rivers of America, you will leave Frontierland behind and enter New Orleans. This is the home of The Pirates of the Caribbean. The ride isn't likely your cup of tea, this go round. BUT there is a lovely table service restaurant, INSIDE THE RIDE, by the name of The Blue Bayou. It is always Twilight, here. You can see the fireflies and hear the banjo being strummed (softly) by the audioanimatronic bayou gent on the porch across the waterways. This is not far from the loading area for the ride, and yet a world apart. One is not burdened by the pirate theme here, just a gentle southern cajun feel. It's nice when you are able to get away from the kidlets.

But I digress....

While New Orleans Place doesn't have much that will appeal to the boys, it does have a Train Station (you can enter or exit train here). And Tiana and Prince Naveen are often greeting guests, here. I understand there is sometimes a show on the Mark Twain with a Frog Princess theme, now. The music is often very good here, if you are a fan of Jazz. The little shops have some very unique souvenirs, not found in other parts of the park. Parasols that can be personalized, crystal baubles, and other fancies are fun to look at (I'd never $pend the $$, but I like to look). Nick once saw a crystal sleeping beauty castle in the crystal shop (he was 7 or 8) and promised me that, "someday when i grow up I will buy you that castle, mommy!
There is no such thing as bad food in this part of the park. I've eaten at every restaurant and counter in New Orleans and they all have foods that are to die for. Mint juleps (no alcohol) were a favorite of Jessi, when she was small (it's like minty lemonade). The muffelatta sandwiches are delish, and one of the table service restaurants serves a spicy ratatouille that Nick was not fond of, but James and I enjoyed. Aunt Polly's Diner, which is actually the last door on the row of buildings as you are leaving Frontierland, is a favorite of Nicks. He loves the Mickey Mouse Waffles at breakfast (served with fresh fruit), and the sandwiches at lunch time are huge. You can't go wrong eating here, except in cost and weight gain! Don't even get me started on the pastries! There are restrooms behind the open air restaurant next door to the train station.
The Haunted Mansion should be skipped, this time. Past the Haunted Mansion is Critter Country. I will tell you more about that next time. Upstairs, above the Pirates of the Caribbean, there used to be a lovely art gallery, but it is now home to the Disneyland Dream Suite.
Hope you are still enjoying this (we are nearly done with this park).

 

[tinkslite]

oops

 

[tinkslite]

New Orleans Square will be more fun for the boys when they are Pirate Aged!

Pass the haunted mansion, on your right and you will see Splash mountain! This is a fun ride, everyone can ride together. BUT most little ones won't go near it after they see the drop. However, you want to walk past it because Critter Country (the home of Splash Mtn.) is also the home of the Hundred Acre Wood! Pooh and his pals have a really fun ride here (the line does not have FPs, but moves pretty quickly). After you exit your beehive car, you may see a meet and greet opportunity for Pooh and friends. If you have to make a choice, choose Tigger. He is probably one of the most fun characters in the park. Encourage boys to "bounce" with him! He likes that! These are good opportunities.

A tip I have not mentioned before, anywhere there is a meet and greet with a Disney Photographer you can receive a PhotoPass Card. These are fun. The photographer will load the photos onto the card, then hand it to you. They are happy to take shots with your camera too so whole family can be in photo. Keep your card and present it whenever you get to a Dis photographer. When you return home, you can go online and play with the photos, creating books, mugs, tees etc. Add borders, characters, etc. We created a memory storybook of our last WDW trip. Don't hesitate to ask for the photog to use your camera too, they are happy to do both.

After you visit with Pooh Bear, if you are feeling Hungry, head to the Hungry Bear Restaurant. There is a wide selection of comfort food here. Bathrooms and riverside porch tables are downstairs from the service counters. This is a great spot for a break and lunch. I remember our little boys watching the ducks and the Mark Twain Riverboat float by as we ate lunch here. Very serene, low key spot.

There are some cute Song of the South and Pooh related gift shops here.

When you finish in Critter Country, head back the way you came, past the Haunted Mansion and New Orleans Place, when you see Aunt Pollys, veer right down the other side from where you came earlier (when leaving Frontierland). You will see Tarzan's Treehouse just across the way from Aunt Polly's. Tarzan's House is HUGE (used to house the Swiss Family Robinson). Head up but if you (or kids) have issues with heights, skip it. It has a fun bridge and tells the story of Tarzan as you make your way up and down the tree. When you plant your feet back on the ground again, you will find yourself in Jane's camp (and it seems to have recently been trashed by Gorillas)......There are some fun interactive things here, like pots to musically bang on a la gorilla.......Spend 20 minutes and check it out.

When you leave Tarzan's place, head to the Jungle Cruise. Sometimes there are FP's available (check and get one before Treehouse, if available)....This is fun for kiddos, and grown ups find it corny but fun. Lots of groaner style jokes. But the audio animatronic animals are very exciting for little ones.

Just past the Jungle Cruise you may run into Aladdin and Jasmine (they hang out here sometimes), signing and posing for pics. Stop if the boys would like to meet them..These are "talking characters" and they do an amazing job of staying "in the role" with kids.

Around the corner from the Bazaar shops of Adventureland are bathrooms. The Tiki Room is across the way. This is a blessed sit down show. There is a very realistic thunderstorm near the end of this show, so if you have kids afraid of thunder, consider skipping it.

Food in Adventureland includes Aunt Polly's (mentioned earlier), and a counter service place that does chicken and beef w/ veggies on skewers......Yummy. A fave of Nicks. At Tiki room you can get fresh pineapple spears, juice or an Auntie Yvette Favorite (only found on Disney Properties) a Dole Whip (like soft serve pineapple ice cream, delisheeeeous). Grab one of these to nibble while you wait for the next show.

After the Tiki room you can pass through the Adventureland entrance to Main Street USA! You've been round the whole park!!!

If you would like to get to certain parts of the park without as much walking remember:
The Disneyland Railway makes stops at Main Street USA, New Orleans Place, Toontown and Tomorrowland.
The Main Street Vehicles make one way trips up and down Main Street USA all day long (until nightfall).
The monorail will take you to the Disneyland hotel and back

 

[mickeymomindesert]

I just got a phone call from nephew (he has never spoken to me on phone before), telling me all about his letter from Mickey Mouse (it arrived in his mailbox today). It seems Mickey hears about his upcoming visit to DLand, and wanted him to know that Mickey and the Gang are excited too! It mentioned continuing to be a good boy, while waiting, by helping Mommy and cleaning his room. He left the phone to go clean bedroom!
Sister in Law was very happy to share the excitement! I love playing Fairy Godmother!

 

[Midnightred]

Great job Auntie, I am taking notes!

Midnightred