We just got back from a trip to Disneyland. This was my first trip there as a mom, and we had a blast. We were lucky and got to go with my parents and my brother’s family. Super fun!
For those of you who might be planning a Spring Break trip, or summer trip, or anytime trip, I thought I’d share a few things that worked for us to make things easier. We are a family of seven now. I have five children, ages 9, 7, 4, 2, and 2 mos. These tips will probably be most helpful for those of you with children of multiple ages, or who are traveling with children of multiple ages.
my boys with their cousin in front of the floating jellyfish ride
1. Beg, steal, or borrow a “sit’n'stand” stroller. We were given one by a friend and it worked great! These strollers let one child stand/kneel/sit in the back and one sit in the front. There is also a baby seat attachment available. We were able to fit in two and sometimes three children.
2. I made a Target run (1.5mi from Disneyland) the night before and bought all kinds of fun snacks and lunch stuff for the kids. Then we just bought lunch for the grown-ups. And we were able to get fun things like churros or ice cream without feeling too guilty.
- You can bring in plastic bottles, but no glass or cans.
- If you have refillable water bottles (like Camelbak or Nalgene) they have to be empty – you can bring them in empty, then ask for ice at one of the restaurants.
- There is also a McDonald’s across the street from Disneyland, so you could eat when you leave for a break or before you re-enter.
3. Take a break at the hotel sometime in the middle of the day, one of us went back with our little ones each day. Even older kids might benefit from a break – they might enjoy a swim at the pool! Use the hotel break to refill your snacks and/or dinner.
(My daughter was so tired, she couldn’t even stay awake until we got to the hotel!)
4. Bring a Moby wrap or something similar for babies. This helped us through several line waits and naptimes. Although I might have been a bit sore by the end of the week! {okay, I don’t remember ever having been so tired, what with a newborn, four other kids, full days at the park, and staying at a hotel, but it was so totally worth it.}
5. I found out about rider switch passes at the end of our second day. Wish I had known sooner! For every ride that has a height requirement, you can get a “rider switch” pass. Your party can wait in line for the ride while one of you waits outside with the baby/ies. When everyone has ridden, the person who waited outside gets to take an additional person and basically “cut”. Everyone doesn’t have to wait twice, and Mama can still ride the rides!
waiting in line for the Jungle Cruise
***just ask an attendant about “rider switch” at the beginning of the line.
***Mostly, Baby can ride the rides that have no height requirement in a baby wrap or carrier. This includes most of the Fantasyland rides, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Jungle Cruise, and even Dumbo!
What are some tricks you’ve learned about amusement parks with kids?
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My biggest find was the Baby Center at Disneyland. It was so peaceful in there a place to nurse, change baby, and little potties for toddlers. I think they even have extra things if you forgot something…
Kristi, I never actually made it in there, but I heard it was great! Next time I’ll have to take a break in there and check it out!
AGREE on the stroller. We took a regular one, but it was WORTH EVERY SECOND. My Dad couldn’t understand why we would drag that thing on the plane to LA, but let me tell you…even if I had kids that didn’t ride in a stroller. I would still take it. It hauls all your crap around, sweaters and cups and you name it. We weren’t even one day in and my Dad was signing a different tune.
Also, I went to Walmart and Target and even online and bought tons of Disney stuff at not Disney prices. My kids got Disney jammies and tons of Disney shirts and gear for cheap-o prices. I even went to the Dollar Store and bought glow sticks. Super glad we did that and would do it again. Also I would spend more time at California Adventures…low key, loved that place!
Oh yes. My sister in law and mom bought the kids matching shirts before we left and it was very fun! I didn’t do the glow sticks this time, but did think about it! Thanks for these fun ideas!
Oh man, we just missed each other at Disneyland!!! We were just there the first week of march!! Great tips! Taking snacks in was our savior!
Jennifer D. recently posted..If You Came to My Village
Before we left I had ordered necklaces (like a dog tag), I put ‘if lost call… and had all of the adults that were with us phone numbers on it. I watch my kids like crazy but stuff happens and you just never know.
That’s a great idea! I forgot to add this one, but we wrote our phone numbers on a piece of paper and put it in the kids’ shoes. Every morning we reminded them what to do if they got lost. Not as fancy as dog tags, but it worked!