Disneyland {2018}

I'm recapping the final part of our Southern California trip.....when we surprised the kids and took them to Disney!
They knew we were going to So Cal for their cousins college graduation & they knew we were taking them to Universal Studios/Harry Potter World, but what they didn't know is that we were going to Disney for 2 days as well.
We drove to So Cal on Friday afternoon, went to Universal/Harry Potter World on Saturday (Read about that HERE)
The college graduation was at 8am on Sunday morning. My niece graduated from Cal State Fullerton, which is 10 minutes from Disney. When we were planning this weekend, we weren't sure if we would need more than 1 day at Universal. I talked to friends who have been & they said one day is plenty. They were correct! We could have driven home Sunday after the graduation, but I thought it would be fun to surprise the kids with  Disney on Sunday & Monday...I mean we were SO close...how could we not go?  A month before the kids and I were on our San Diego Spring Break Road Trip and literally drove by Disney on the way there & way home...I couldn't be this close again and not go :)
We try to go to Disney every 2-3 years. I don't like to go every year because I feel like if you go too much, then it isn't as special (That's just my opinion!)
The last time we went to Disney was October 2015, so the timing was perfect!
My nieces graduation was only an hour  & her graduation brunch was at The Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney (she loves Disney also)

Kevin's birthday was the day we left for So Cal, so at the end of the brunch, I said something along the line of this "What do you say we take Daddy to Disney for his birthday?"
They thought I was joking at first. But then, they figured out I was serious!
We decided to do Disney California Adventure that day & then on Monday do Disneyland.
By the time the brunch was over, it was after 12pm and you can do California Adventure in a shorter time than Disneyland.

I'm a "mean" Mom and told my kids the first ride we had to go on was Guardians of the Galaxy (this used to be Tower of Terror, but they changed it last year)

My kids have never been on this ride, but Kevin and I love it, so we told them they had to try it out.
#parentsoftheyear

2 out of 3 kids loved it! Luke thought it was the greatest ride ever!

Pixar Pier is now fully open, but when we were there it was still under construction, so the new Incredi-Coaster & Mikey's Fun Wheel weren't open yet.

But, one of our favorite rides was still open....Toy Story Ride! This ride is so fun.

After Toy Story we headed to Soarin'  for our Fast Passes and then the kids wanted to do the Grizzly Wilderness.

We did the Max Pass, which is $10 extra a ticket and you get to do Fast Passes from the Disney App. Because we didn't get into the park until after 12 noon, a lot of the fast passes were taken already, so we had slim pickings.

Then we headed to Cars Land for more mellow rides....back when I didn't have a bandage on my nose :(

We waited in line for over 1.5 hours for the Radiator Springs ride, but it was worth it, we love that ride.

My Mother in law & Father in Law went with us to Disney...when they heard we were going, they were all about joining us.

 They love Disney also.

Cars Land at night is my favorite...it makes me feel like I am in the movie.

Everything is so pretty all lit up.

We grabbed dinner...we never make reservations at any of the dining experiences because we would rather go on rides than spend time eating :)

We also don't sit and watch the entire parade.

We go on rides & then stop for 15-20 minutes to watch.

We did love the Paint the Night Parade.

My kids are over the princesses, but I still love seeing them in the parade.

Something is always just so magical about the parades :)

 Went on a few more rides & got a glimpse of the fireworks at Disneyland.

We shut the park down and left when it closed at 10pm.

It was a great day at California Adventure.

The next day we woke up early so we could be at Disneyland as soon as the gates opened.

One of my favorite things is when you first enter Disneyland & walk down Main Street. I love soaking it in. The sights, the sounds, the smells, the balloons & the energy of Disney embrace you with a warm welcome & wave of nostalgia. 

FACT: I am obsessed with Disney balloons taking photos of them.  I probably have 50 Disney balloon photos that I have taken over the past few years.

Another FACT: I have NEVER actually bought a Disney balloon because what would we do with it? It would get in the way, wouldn’t fit in the car to bring home. So, I will just keep taking photos of them..balloon photos last longer than the actual balloons.

 We did the Fast Pass Express again today (it's $10 per ticket)

Let me tell you....it was worth it today! We had a great system for the fast passes, I loaded all the tickets onto my phone and then was able to do fast passes every hour or so. I set a timer on my phone so that I could maximize the fast passes.

First up was Space Mountain....one of my favorite rides. Thumbs up from the kids!

Star Wars guys coming out.

 Star Tours...Love this ride also!

Gotta love Mary Poppins and the band.

Mary  Poppins is one of our family's favorite movies.

Then we hit up all the big rides in a row because of the Fast Passes!

Big Thunder Railroad, Matterhorn & Buzz Light Year

Tea Cups!

So much JOY!

Not my favorite ride, but my kids love it.

We hit up Toon Town after....my least favorite thing to do at Disney, but my kids love it :)

Mickey Pretzels...so good!

We pack lunches and bring them into the park and eat while we are in line. 

Again, we don't do the dining experiences because we want to go on as many rides as possible :)

We will buy snacks/treats throughout the day.

The kids rode the Merry Go Round and guess who was on it with them playing some songs?

Mary Poppins Band!

We went on Splash Mountain and the ride got stuck just as we were about to be done, so we had to get off via the emergency exit. That was a first! But, they gave us an EXTRA fast pass because of that!

Gotta love the Speedway!

Pixar Fest was going on, so Main Street had these blue/yellow/red decorations up.

Luke's favorite was the Fire Station :)

Finally took our photo in front of the train station as we were leaving :)

We left Disney at 6pm, drove 6 hours and got home at midnight and then had school & work the next day.
We were so, so, so tired, but the memories we made were worth it!!!
This was probably our best Disney Trip to date....No strollers, no diapers, no napping kids. 
Plus the weather was amazing...It was overcast & cloudy but 70 degrees. Perfect!
 I feel like we are in the sweet spot of parenting. 
Totally loving these years post baby/toddler and before the teen years. 
All our kids love Rollercoasters, so we got to go on all the fun big kid/adult rides...Space Mountain, Big Thunder Railroad, Matterhorn, Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Tours, Splash Mountain...all of them.
 Yet, the Disney Magic was still there, they loved waving to the characters & watching the parades. 
We managed a few days in Disney with NO tears or meltdowns.
IT. WAS. MAGICAL!!!
Moms with babies & toddlers...hang in there....the sweet spot of parenting will be there for you soon!

Can't wait for our next Disney trip in a couple years. Next time I want to go during the holidays to see Disney all decorated for Christmas. We went in October a few years ago and I loved all the pumpkin & Fall decorations.

++++++++++++++++++++++

Speaking of Christmas....my Rodan + Fields team is having Christmas in July Specials all month!

The first Christmas in July Special is this week & it ends on Sunday.

You get $20 off your order and TWO free essentials items of your choice! 

That’s right, TWO! 

 It can be 2 of the same essentials items or you can mix and match. 

The essentials items to choose from are:
-SPF 30 Body Sunscreen
-Body Moisturizer
-2 pack of our SPF 25 Lip Shield 

 - Foaming Sunless Tanner

We have products for all skin types.

Take THIS quick 5 question survey to find out what products are best for your skin type.
(Ignore the prices you see on my website, those are retail prices & I can get you discounted Preferred Customer pricing!) 

Like all our products, this offer comes with a 60 day, empty bottle, 100% money back guarantee. 

You have nothing to lose!
What's your biggest skin concern? I am here to help!

  This deal is good for new or current customers. 

 

Email me to place an order.
I am also happy to answer any questions you have! 

melissa_larson17@yahoo.com

The Happiest Place on Earth {Part 3}

Day 3. Our last day.
When we first decided to go to Disney (about 2 weeks before the wedding)
We decided to only go on Saturday and Sunday since we had work & school on Monday and we were already taking off Friday to drive down to So Cal and attend the wedding on Friday afternoon.
Then I found out that I had 2 days of leave left that was never used for my maternity leave.
We decided that FOR SURE we would spend another day at Disney.
The 3 day park hopper pass was only $20 more than the 2 day Park Hopper.
It was a No Brainer. And, by doing 3 days, we could be more leisurlly about our time at the parks and not stress so much about cramming it all in.

And, because our 3rd day was a Monday, so we figured there would be less people there.

Um, NO. TONS of people.

And, the parks didn't open until 10am, so EVERYONE was there early lining up to get in the gates. 

It was nuts. These are all the people lined up in the area between Disneyland & California Adventure.
To the right is the entrance to Disneyland, to the left was the entrance to California Adventure.

While we waited in the LONG line, I had some time to go check out a personalized brick of one of my blog readers, Trisha (her last name is also Larson!)
Trisha has a brick by the Disneyland entrance in honor of her son Nathan.  Nathan was born on March 5, 2008 and went to be with Jesus when he was just 25 days old.
Every year on his birthday, March 5, Trisha and family celebrate his life by going to Disneyland.
Day 3 of our trip was March 4th. I would have so loved to have met them & given her a birthday hug, but since I was 1 day off, I took this picture instead.

 We had the park hopper pass, so the 3rd day was dedicated to doing the girls favorite rides again.

We lined up to get in to California Adventure because the girls (and us!!!) wanted to go on the Cars Land Radiator Springs Racers again.

They have Fast Passes for that ride, but the line to get the fast passes is so long and they run out of fast passes for that ride quickly.

We had a plan, as soon as we entered the gate, my mother in law was going to stand in the line for the fast passes while Kevin & I (ran) with the kids in the stroller to stand in line for the ride. 

 We ended up waiting in line for over an hour to go on the ride and my mother in law got fast passes for 4:30 (which we ended up giving to a random family since we were heading to Disneyland after lunch)

After the ride, we walked around Cars Land a little more because it is just so cute!

While we were in Cars Land, Lightening McQueen was driving through town.

And, so was Tow Mater!

Attempt at a photo of all 3 kids.

After Cars Land, Kate wanted all of us to go on the ferris wheel again.

Then we left California Adventure and walked back over to Disneyland.

Please take note of the girls shirts that they wore on Day 3.

I was one of those mom's (pre-kids) that said I would never, ever, ever buy my kids "character" clothes. Well. My girls LOOOOVE character stuff. 

When we take the girls on vacation, we tell them that they can pick out ONE thing they want to buy.

When we were on the Disney Cruise/Disney World trip we had this rule also.

It totally cut back on them begging for things all the time. 

If they wanted something (shirt, toy, stuffed animal, etc.)
I would ask "Is this the ONE thing you want?"

It made them think about if they really wanted it.

We had the same deal with this Disney trip.

Kate wanted a purple Daisy Duck shirt. Couldn't find one anywhere.

Our hotel had a little gift shop in the lobby and Kate spotted this Cinderella tshirt. She had to have it.

(And, it was a knock off, so it was only $12. Score!)

Of course, since Kate got a shirt, Claire wanted a shirt as well. She picked the Ariel/Tiana/Snow White shirt which was also a knock off and $12. 

We headed to Toon Town again because the girls wanted to go to Minnie's house & see Minnie.

Minnie!

Kevin and I wanted to take them on the Toon Town Roller Coaster.

They loved it!

Then we went on Dumbo.

We were planning on leaving the park around 3pm to head home (it is a 6 hour drive home and we all had school & work the next day) But, we were all having so much fun we decided to stay until after dinner. And, because it was a Monday afternoon, there were no lines for most of the rides.

 I really, really, really wanted to go on Splash Mountain. 

Kevin had never been on it. We asked the girls if they wanted to go on a "Log Ride"

They said sure. So, we took them on Splash Mountain. 

If you are familiar with this ride, you know that there is a 50 foot drop. 

As we are on the ride, you can see people going on the drop. 

Claire looks at us & says "Glad we aren't on THAT ride"

Little did she know, 1 minute later we would be going down that drop.

PARENTS OF THE YEAR. 

They actually loved the ride & the big drop. 

Claire said that when we went down the "Big Slide" her voice went away & she couldn't talk.

 We went on Small World & Pirates the Caribbean with only a 5 minute wait.

Couldn't leave without getting a Dole's Pineapple Whip Ice Cream. YESSSS.

 Good bye, Sleeping Beauty's Castle 

(which is weak sauce compared to Cinderella's Castle at Walt Disney World)

We let the girls have one last ride on the carousel.

 Then we loaded up the kids in the car, put them in their pj's, left the parking lot at 7:00pm and drove 6 hours home. Luke was a champ on the way home, slept the entire time. The girls didn't fall asleep until almost 11pm. They were too jazzed about our 3 day adventure.
We got home at 1:30 in the morning. When I woke up for work a few hours later, I was nauseous I was so tired. And sore. I did 3 days at Disney in my Rainbow Flip Flops. Those shoes aren't made for walking!
It was such a fun, fun, fun trip. I am so glad we decided to go to Disney while we were in So Cal.

Here are some thoughts & some answers to your questions that have been in the comments or emailed to me:
1. All the photos that I took during our trip were taken with my iPhone or my Canon Rebel with the kit lens!!! (I left my 50D and good lenses at home. Didn't want to worry about my good camera getting ruined.

2. Everyday we brought our lunch in. That helped cut down on cost. We made PB & J sandwiches, fruit and granola bars. We stored it all in the stroller (Double BOB)

3. A lot of you asked if I like Disneyland/California Adventure better than Walt Disney World in Florida.
Let me tell you this. We went to Walt Disney World in June 2011.
Read about it HERE.
The humidity!!!! The crowds!!!! Ahhhh!!!!
We did a 4 Day Disney Cruise (Disney Dream) and then did WDW for 4 days.
I would do the cruise again in a HEARTBEAT (after I save lots of $$$) but, Walt Disney World?
It was a little overwhelming. I am a Cali girl, I am not used to humidity.
Also, everything is SO spread out at Walt Disney World. If you want to go to another park (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Downtown Disney, etc. You have to take a bus or a shuttle.
Everything was really far apart.
At Disneyland, California Adventure & Downtown Disney, it is all right there. No shuttles, no buses, you just walk 500 yards to the other enterance. So convient.
So for us, personally, because we live 6 hours (driving) to Disneyland/California Adventure, I think we will stick to that. We don't have to fly across the country (lots of $$$ for a family of 5).
Although I think Epcot & Animal Kingdom are cool, California Adventure was AMAZING.
Magic Kingdom & Disneyland are pretty comparable and have most of the same stuff.
-Cinderella's castle at Magic Kingdom is better than Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland
-Magic Kingdom has Belle's Castle now and Disneyland has Tangled's tower & village...which opened 5 days after we got home!! Bummer.

Other notes:
The girls are 6 & 4 and it was the PERFECT ages to take them.
You have to be 40 or 42 inches for most of the "fun" rides, and they both met that.
Luke was free entry because he is under 3. 

I am so glad we took my mother in law so that we had a 1 to 1 ratio of adults/kids. 

I will  for sure bring another adult next time we go (which will probably won't be for another 3 years, when Luke is tall enough to go on all the rides)
 
 Let me know if you have any other questions & I would be happy to answer them!
Or, if you have any Disney tips leave them in the comments to share with others!
Thanks for reading about our Disney Adventures.

It really is the Happiest Place on Earth (minus a few meltdowns here and there!)

I am not sure who had more fun on the trip, our kids or us adults! :)


Read Part 1 {HERE}
Read Part 2 {HERE}

 *********************************************
Don't forget to enter the Giveaway for the $25 shop credit to Sewn with Love (where I bought the kids cute shirts in this photo)

Enter on THIS post! Giveaway closes on Monday, March 18, 2013!