A Dozen (more) Disneyland Tips From a Mom of 5

 

We took our 5 children to Disneyland last fall,
and here are a few things we learned.

You can also check out my trip planning tips HERE.


1. Have your tickets ready the night before. If you are picking them up, go to the ticket counter the night before and avoid the long line in the morning. There was no wait, and the cast member spent extra time explaining things to us. She even gave each kid a fun button for their first visit!

2. Get to the park early. There will be a line an hour before the park even opens. This blew my mind, even on a slow day people are lined up at the crack of dawn. It will take longer than you think to get out the door, so plan to get up early and get moving.

3. After you get into the park put all the tickets in an envelope or ziploc and have one responsible person keep them. This will really help when it is time to run around and get fast passes and ensures that they won't get lost.

4. We used the TouringPlans and hit three of our must-see rides in less than an hour when we got to the park. We followed the plan and had seen all the rides on the list by early afternoon. It gave us the rest of the day to move at a slower pace and re-visit favorites or throw in rides that weren't on the plan. You can get the plans on their website our their book The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland.

5. Take a stroller. We kept our lunches, snacks, blanket to lay out to save space for parade, water bottles, jackets, diaper bag, and any souvenirs we bought in their and it was a life-saver. Even our 7 year old got tired feet and wanted a turn to ride. We love the sit-and-stand for the storage space and bench seat for older kids. We put a brightly colored water bottle in the cup-holder to make it easy to spot in the crowd of strollers. You can park it and visit rides in the surrounding area, no one touched our stuff.

6. The park really clears out after the Fantasmic show. I didn't think my kids would be able to handle a late night, but we stayed until the park closed at midnight and they were all smiles. There were no-lines for many of our favorite rides, and the park has a completely different feel at night.

7. The water tastes funny. Take bottled water if you are particular about the taste. The kids seemed fine filling up their bottles in the drinking fountain or our condo's faucet, but this mama had a hard time with it.

8. Buy your own shirts, hats, and souvenirs before you go to save money. I found deals on Disney shirts at Target, Walmart, and Old Navy. I found a cute hat for my little princess on eBay. I paid $5-10 for my items compared to the $20-30 in the park. We gave each kid a $25 Disney card for their entire visit. Since they were on a budget they put thought into their purchases and weren't asking us for items throughout the visit. I bought Disney party favor items liked Mickey shaped ring pops and character Pez dispensers that the kids loved. Buy glow sticks at the dollar store, you will save the $15 they charge at the park and helps to keep an eye on kids at night. We also bought these glow sticks that came in handy and the boys were convinced they were light sabers, bonus!

9. Wear your most comfortable walking shoes. Most of your pictures will be from the waist up anyhow, you have to go function over fashion for this one. I mentioned in my earlier planning post that you will walk miles. I think the average is 7 miles per day at the park. You can take moleskin along in case of blisters, but we never needed it. I wore these columbia shoes and they were supportive and breathed well.

10. Buy the PhotoPass+ before you go! I should have put this into my planning post, because you really should order it ahead of time (I think 2 weeks in advance) to get the best price. For $70 you will get a card on a lanyard that you will give to any photographer you see, as well as all of the ride photo counters, and all of these pictures will be put onto your account. When you get home you enter a code and have access to download them all. Hundreds of pictures by professional photographers, totally worth it. If you split up, just have the other party get the number of their photo and you can go back with the lanyard and have it put on. You just have to go by the end of the day. If they see other photographer have them get a Photopass card and you can go to the photo shop on Main Street to have them all merged onto your lanyard card. Take a picture of the back of your lanyard card, if you lose it you lose all pictures, but if you have photo of the number they can get them all back for you!

11. A quick tip for the famously busy Cars Land ride at California Adventure. Go straight to that ride when you enter the park. Everyone goes straight to the fast pass line (you can send someone there too if you want to ride it again later) and the line to the actual ride is short. So, send one parent to the fast pass line, and one to go ride with the kids if you can. It is a fun ride, but my 7 year old doesn't love the feeling of dropping and there are a few good hills where your tummy does a flip. It goes pretty fast at parts and can feel a bit like a roller-coaster ride to a little one. Oh, and if you want a good picture of your kid, have them sit in the back. Otherwise, the windshield will cover their face and you'll miss a shot of their expression.

12. Although you will be running to and from rides like crazy, don't forget to savor each moment. Really look at your kids expressions, watch them take it all in. That is why you came, right? It is about creating family memories, so make sure you take moments along the way to really enjoy it.

I will continue to post more Disneyland tips, there is SO much to cover. We haven't even touched on the yummy food! Mmm...I can smell the churros now.

If you have useful Disney tips for parents, please share in the comments below!

Trip Planning: Choosing a Hotel

I love trip planning.
I should really look into a travel agent job, because I almost enjoy the planning part better than the actual trip.
Okay, I guess I wouldn't go that far. It is just so fun to see all of the options, compare deals, find new attractions to visit.
I am currently planning three trips for our family. I am in heaven!

Once I know the dates of a trip I get online and start with where we will stay. I love Tripadvisor.com to compare hotels and read reviews. I like to scroll through the travelers photo section to get a real view of what it looks like. Make sure you check the dates of the photos, some of them where taken a decade ago and the hotel has probably undergone renovations. You can also read reviews by category such as families, couples, or business travelers. Check out the "room tip" option too, this will tell you things like where the best views are or where the quietest rooms are located.

What I look for in a hotel:
> Affordable. Always check for any parking or resort fees since those can really add to your total. They won't be revealed in the rate shown on most hotel booking sites, you have to read the fine print.
> Room for a large family
> Free breakfast
> Pool
> Fridge in room. Not a deal-breaker, but nice for milk and snacks for kids.
> Reviews of clean rooms. NO bed bugs!
> Close proximity to attractions that we want to visit, or at least an easy route to and from.


If I am planning a trip for just me and the hubby I will often check the "secret hotel" rates on Priceline and Hotwire. Priceline only guarantees a room for two adults with these rates, though sometimes it does give you a "select your bed" option. Hotwire lets you tell how many travelers you have, up to 4, and could be more accomidating if you need more than one bed. They will tell you the area (sometimes a pretty big range) where the hotel is located, as well as the rating and a few amenities it offers. 
The trick here is that you don't really know what you are going to get. You can do your best to figure it out, sites like betterbidding.com can help with that, but ultimately it is a gamble.
It has worked okay for me in the past, so I say if you area really looking for a steal it is worth a try. Remember to read the fine print, since some places will tack on a "resort fee" to you rate, making it not such a great deal. Priceline also has the "name your price" option, but I have not tried this myself. There are many sites that can explain it better than me, but basically you pick your area and rating then tell how much you are willing to pay. They will either accept and you will be booked right then (no refunds) or rejected and you can add more areas, lower ratings, or bid a higher price to try again.

When we travel all together as a family I need to know that there will be room for everyone. I have found a great resource to find rooms that will sleep 6-8 people in a website names sixsuitcasetravel.com. If you are looking for options for big family or group it will let you know your options in each city.

We have had great luck with Embassy Suites, they offer a full breakfast buffet including made to order omelets and pancakes. The bedroom, with two queens, is separated from the living area by a door. This helps when we have younger kids that need to go to bed before anyone else. The sofa turns into a sleeper, so the older kids usually share it.

In smaller towns we have had good experiences with Best Western Plus hotels. I have been surprised more than once by the rooms and breakfast.

One of the best ways to find a decent hotel is to ask your friends and family. That way you are getting an honest review by someone you trust.

I have recently been introduced to the Hyatt line of hotels. I have always thought that they were in the luxury price range, so never really looked into booking one. We have an upcoming trip to Denver where we are trying out the Hyatt House and I am really looking forward to it. A friend, who travels there more often that me, suggested it and I can't believe never knew about it as an option before. It offers a two bedroom suite, one with two queens and one with a king, and a living area with kitchenette. Yes, that is three rooms! I was surprised by how affordable it was, especially compared to the other option of getting two connecting (if you're lucky) rooms at other hotels. Hyatt House also offers a full breakfast. An evening reception is offered during the business week with snacks and drinks. The Hyatt Place hotels have an option with two queens and sofa bed, and I have heard the breakfast is great. Perhaps one day I will even find myself at one of Hyatt's exotic resorts! Dream big, right?!


The great thing about picking one brand of hotel for your stays is that you can earn rewards. Most chains offer some type of rewards program, so booking your stays with them can earn you a free night. Of course you could stay at an amazing location in one city and find it to a different story in another city. At least you have an idea of what to expect and are getting rewarded for your loyalty.

 Do you have a recommendation for your favorite family friendly hotel or resources for finding one?



 

Dinosaur Journey Museum in Fruita, Colorado

Do your kids love dinosaurs? 

 Western Colorado is one of the best places 

to learn about these cool prehistoric creatures! 

Just off I-70 in Fruita, Colorado is a museum filled with life-size dinosaurs and fun activities. It is called Dinosaur Journey, and its name is fitting since it does take you on a journey back through time. 

You enter through a stone arch and follow the yellow footprints. 

The first area allows the kids to touch fossils and see skeletal replicas of different creatures. The boys thought it was cool that so much of this stuff was found locally. Many of the first dinosaur fossils ever found were discovered in Colorado.

We wandered around and the boys found themselves face to face with a stegosaurus. There are buttons to push to interact with the realistic looking creatures. Did you know that Colorado's state fossil is the stegosaurus? Did you know that there was such a thing as a state fossil? I didn't either.

During our visit there was a special exhibit of the Super Croc! 

Seriously, look at the size of that thing.

 Wild J could have become a light snack for him, but wasn't scared. 

More cool robotic replicas to play with around every corner.

Sgt Al liked the Triceratops! 

Its fossils have been found near Denver, Colorado!

 Toward the back of the museum is a water play area that drew the kids in like a magnet. It was a fun activity for all five kids.

They had fun building dams and testing out the water's flow with floating ball and foam dinos.

 Baby C found the blackboard and did his best to draw a t-Rex, I think.

A big hit with my kiddos was the "quarry site" where you can dig up dinosaur bones. It is filled with walnut shells, and there are warning signs all around for anyone with allergies. You remove your shoes and enter the pit filled with tools and uncover the bones buried underneath.

Sgt Al found a big one!

We will warn you about this bridge. 

See the dino that is staring down my boys? 

If you don't move fast enough he will "spit" on you! 

The kids got a good giggle trying to escape his sprays.

We continued to explore and found ourselves in an earthquake. 

You stand on the black mat and push a button to get it started. 

The picture window in front of you shows how the plates shift

as the mat shakes through the different stages of an earthquake.

Learn about the local aquatic creatures. 

Big T is always a great helper for the younger siblings!

The huge dinosaur above Little Lu is enjoying a meal, 

but she doesn't seem to notice. 

She found the dino track activity where 

you use different rubber feet to make prints in the sand.

This is how Baby C and Little Lu measure up to a Brachiosaur heart. Wow!

There is also a viewing area to look into the working laboratory 

where dinosaur bones are prepared for display. 

I have one son interested in archeology, 

he was fascinated. 

End your visit with a trip to the really fun gift shop! 

Wild J give his sister a few quarters so she could ride the "shiny dino." 

As you can see, it was a big hit! 

This shop is filled with fun toys, books, 

jewelry, tourist trinkets and cool collectibles.

I love how hands-on this museum is, it kept my kids attention and had them looking forward to every turn. It is not a huge museum, but still packs in a lot of fun. I think it is a great spot to visit in the Grand Valley for families looking for some educational entertainment.

I mentioned museum membership in a previous post about The Museum of the West. If you do become a member of The Museum of Western Colorado it gives you admission to their three sites (including Dinosaur Journey) for year, 10% off gift shop purchases, as well as other perks. It is worth checking out if you plan on going to any or all of these museums more that a few times in a year. More info can be found HERE.

Also, if you go to their website there is even a schedule of dinosaur digs that you can participate in yourself. I know a few little boys who would love that, so you may see more in a future blog post!

Dinosaur Journey Museum is located at 550 Jurassic Court in Fruita, CO.  

Info for visitors:

Summer Hours
May 1 - September 30
7 days a week • 9 am to 5 pm

Winter Hours

October 1 - April 30
Monday - Saturday • 10 am to 4 pm
Sunday • Noon to 4 pm

Please note: Closed major holidays - New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. In addition sites may close for emergencies. Please call to confirm status.

Admission
$8.50 for adults

$6.50 for seniors

$5.25 for children

$24.50 for immediate family groups

Free to members

First-Timer Tips for Planning a Trip to Disneyland with Kids

Let me preface this by saying, I love Disney! 

I dreamed of taking my kids to Disneyland since before they were born. You've seen the commercials showing bright balloons and adorable, happy children greeting their favorite characters and walking through a nearly empty park hand in hand. Perhaps you have fond childhood memories of visiting The Happiest Place on Earth yourself and can't wait to recreate those memories with your own kids.

When I first told people I was planning a trip with my five kids to visit Disneyland last year, I was surprised by the responses. I received these strange looks of "that poor mom, she doesn't know what she's getting herself into" and "good luck!" To be honest, I thought these people were just glass half empty types, and thought it was too bad they couldn't appreciate the magic of a place like Disney. My trip was going to be wonderful and even if it wasn't going to be simple, I was going to make it fun for everyone.  It turns out they weren't pessimists, just well-seasoned Disney travelers that understood the reality of taking kids (let alone five) to the parks. I have caught myself making the same "good luck" face when a friend now tells me they are planning their first trip. However, with the right planning, no luck is needed.

I don't want to scare you. The work was worth it! It really can be a magical place; seeing my 3 year old daughter's face when she met Cinderella or watching my 7 year old son fight Darth Vader was priceless. Those memories will last a lifetime, and could only have been created at Disney. It can also become a disaster if you haven't planned well. 

We took our first trip this past October and I would like to share what I learned along the way. We did some things right, but still managed to make some mistakes that I would like to help you avoid.

What to do BEFORE you get to the park:

1. Lower your expectations.

It will not be like the commercials. Well, not exactly. There is magic and joy throughout the park. There are also long lines and meltdowns around every corner. You will meet characters, but you will probably stand in line for a while before you get face to face. When you finally make contact with Mickey, your little one might not even lift their head from your shoulder, let alone smile for a picture. As you can see from the picture above, it is also nearly impossible to get a picture of your family in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle without other guests in your shot. Darn. 
You won't be able to do it all. Not all at once. We had 4 park days (which felt like plenty for us) and still didn't see it all. 

2. Stay Away during peak season.

This is an obvious one.  I also understand it isn't always possible. Maybe the only vacation time you have is in the Summer. It is just something to consider in your planning. Parents (and kids) dread the thought of standing in line for hours (yes, you read that right, multiple hours...it happens) for a three minute ride or two minute character interaction. We went in mid-October when the crowd forecast was low, but still managed to land on a busy week. I think the longest wait was 90 minutes, though some were only 10-15 minutes. 
Also, you need to know that during the slower seasons they shut down and repair rides. I was bummed to miss a few of my childhood favorites, but was willing to trade that for shorter lines to the rides that were open. You can check TouringPlan's Crowd Calendar and MouseSavers.com has good info on dates to avoid.

3. Plan to take your own lunch and snacks.
This was a lifesaver! One of the quickest routes to a meltdown is allowing a child to become "staaarving!" Many people are surprised when I suggest this one, but we passed security daily as they examined our bags of food. They do suggest on their website that you enjoy your food in the picnic area outside the park gates, but I saw no regulation of this.
If you have a different experience in your travels, please let me know.

We took two soft sided coolers that fit in the bottom of the stroller. You can also get a locker if you don't want to haul it around. I packed one with sandwiches and the other with snacks (granola bars, apples, oranges, trail mix, cheese sticks). You cannot take glass containers or alcohol. When I started to see my kids' little feet dragging we found a shady bench and pulled out our coolers. This was also a great time to check out the map and our Touring Guide (more about that later) and plan our next few rides. We also found a great spot to watch the parade and found it was another perfect time to refuel. 

I stocked up on snacks and bottled water for a few months before our trip as I ran across coupon deals. We also went to a local grocery store to get fresh items when we arrived. 
We still enjoyed plenty of Disneyland treats (more about that in a future post), but this saved us time and money and made those treats just that much more special. 

4. Get a copy of The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland.

This book was full of useful information for a first-timer. No, they are not paying me (or giving me a free book) to tell you this! 

Everything from what shoes to wear to restaurant reviews. What we used the most were the TouringPlans that they offer in the back of the book. You can also get them as an app in your phone with subscription. Basically, it is a schedule of what rides to go on throughout your visit. It doesn't look efficient at all when you first look at it. It sends you from one side of the park, to the other, and back. To be honest, I was skeptical. We used the "small children" plan and were amazed when we breezed through the first half of our plan in just a few hours. The TouringPlans folks have it down to a science, and it works! You do have to follow the plan in the order they give, no matter how tempted you are to go on that ride that is right in front of you instead of the one across the park that the plan lists. You will come back to that ride later, don't worry. Print a copy of each day's plan for every person in your group. This helped us all since the kids weren't asking "now what?" every five minutes. It also helps if your group 
                                     splits up, so you know the next meeting place. 

You can purchase a copy at many online retailers, just click on the photo above to find it on Amazon. My local library also carries a copy, so you may want to check yours. I have also seen deals on eBay, once a trip is over people may not need to hold on to their copy.

5. Book a room as close to the park as possible.

Getting ready for our last walk to the park!

You are going to walk miles and miles. Even if your hotel is just a few blocks (and trust me, those are long blocks) away it will feel like 5 more miles! Especially if you have little nappers, you will be thankful that you can easily get back and forth without eating into too much of your park time. We tried a vacation rental condo that was "within walking distance" so that we would have more room for our group of 8. It was also cheaper than two hotel rooms. The 15-20 minute walk didn't turn out to be as convenient as I'd hoped. We had to cross a busy street and jump a median; it was a little scary with 5 kids. My friend recommends the Best Western Plus Park Place Inn for an affordable option. It is literally straight across from the main gate entrance to the parks! They have suites for larger families and offer a free breakfast. Personally, I would love to save up and stay at the Grand Californian Resort & Spa. It is located IN the park and the spa sounds amazing. Every time I heard that magical voice on tram describe the accommodations as we drove past the building I swore to myself that next time we'd be staying there. Hey, a girl can dream!

6. Start Waking up Early and Walking
Yes, I care about your health and well-being, but this is about being prepared for early morning park openings and a LOT of walking. We are already early risers (well my kids are), and the time change from mountain to pacific helped us with the morning routine. You will need to get to the park ridiculously early to pack in all the rides you want. To take a bit of the shock off, try waking up a bit earlier throughout the weeks leading up to your trip.
We also start taking family walks about six weeks before our trip. We went down local river trails, strolled main street, you can even walk the mall. Obviously, the toddler and infant didn't need as much "training" but it was good for Baby C to get used to sitting in a stroller for a good amount of time. You can see from the picture above, that still didn't happen. Sigh. Thank goodness for my Ergobaby!
 Anyhow, you need to train those legs and feet. We tried extending our walks as we got closer to our trip. You need everyone to be comfortable walking about 6 miles for an average day at Disney. 
It helped, especially with the kids, but I still have never had such tired legs and feet in my life as I did after a full day at Disneyland. 

I have SO much more to share about our Disneyland wanderings in future posts. These are my planning tips, I will get to the tips for when you actually get to the park soon! 
Despite a few challenges, it really did turn out to be a great trip.


Do you have any tips for a family taking their first trip to Disneyland? 

Museum of the West in Grand Junction, Colorado

There are so many fun things to do with kids in Western Colorado. There are several fun museums for you and your kids to explore, including the Museum of the West in downtown Grand Junction.

We wandered over for a visit. Before we even got in the door the kids found something interesting to climb on, and mom found a photo opp!

 We made it in the door and were greeted by a friendly volunteer at the front desk. She gave us info about a yearly membership which turns out to be a great deal for families, especially big families!

After paying admission we started through the exhibits. There are many interesting facts about the Native American history of this area.
 
We found our way back to the old schoolroom.

  The kids had fun playing school and taking turns being the teacher, and cleaning blackboard erasers.

 They also loved this room, though they weren't sure what it was supposed to be.

It explained the Alferd Packer Lost Camp Expedition and the investigation that followed. When my older boys read the information on the wall they got a little freaked out. We kept moving.

The boys loved the gun room.

We have a long line of law enforecment in our family and it was cool to see the guns of all of the local sherrifs over the  years.

Next it was time to head through the saloon.

 The boys put on a good can-can show for me. Unfortunately, I did not get a good, non-blurry picture. You get the idea.

The next exhibit was the uranium mine. There is a short tunnel that you can walk through, only my bravest two children made it all the way. It is not frightening, but dark and mysterious for younger, timid kids.

I would have to say the highlight of the exhibits was "flying" a 1958 Cessna from Walker Field.

You can actually sit in the pilot seat and go through a check list for take-off. They could have played in that plane for hours.

There was also a little flight simulation game. Leave it to my tech kid to find the only video game in the place!

As we walked through the rest of the flight exhibits we found a hot air balloon,

and a weather balloon!

Sgt Al measured himself up with a propeller. 

We also enjoyed taking a "ride" in a stagecoach as it shakes and makes noise.

Little Lu was slightly disappointed there weren't real horses. 

After our tour it was time to climb up to the Sterling T. Smith Education Tower.
 
You can take the stairs all the way, or take the elevator part of the way and finish with a few flights of stairs. Again, I have a few timid kids and this was a challenge. We eventually all made it to the top, and the view is amazing. You have a 360 degree view of the Grand Valley.

There is even a picnic table if you are ready for a snack.

We made our way back down and paid the gift shop a visit. The kids all earned a reward after a fun day of exploration.

I recommend a visit to the Museum of the West for any family looking to learn about the history of this area, or just a fun place pretend you are back in the "old days."

Here is some more info to help you plan your visit, you can also visit their website HERE.

They are located at 462 Ute Ave. Grand Junction, CO 81501

Admission

$6.50 for adults

$5.50 for seniors

$3.75 for children

$20 for family groups

Free to members



Summer Hours
May 1 - September 30
Tuesday - Saturday • 10 am to 5 pm
Closed Sunday and Monday


Winter Hours

October 1 - April 30
Tuesday - Saturday • 10 am to 3 pm
Closed Sunday and Monday

Free Luggage Tags

Thanks to TheFrugalGirls.com for the great tip about the  

FREE luggage tags from KLM! 

I just ordered mine and can't wait to get them. 

You can use an image from your Facebook albums,

upload a pic, or use one of the many that KLM has in their gallery. 

Go design yours today!