London loved Pluto!
In October, we took our much anticipated trip to Disneyland!!! This was our second time going with the children; London was 11 months old and Jackson was almost 4 the last time we went. Brooklyn actually stayed at home with Grandma; I’ve taken a baby who wasn’t walking to Disneyland before, and let me tell you, it isn’t fun for them or you. I knew she’d just sit in the car for a day, sit in the stroller for 2 days, and then sit in the car for another day. No. Thank. You. We will go again in a few years and she’ll come then; but she had a blast getting some one on one time with BOTH of her grandmothers while we were away.
I think her vacation was much more relaxing than ours.
Our awesome suite!
Bedtime stories!
We went back and forth over where to stay. While I really like the idea of staying on location in one of the Disney hotels, I simply could NOT wrap my brain around paying $3000 just for our hotel rooms. Could. Not. Do. It. When we travel and vacation, I like to do it comfortably, which means we get two rooms. We don’t share a family bed and pretend like that gets you well rested children. Plus, we took a nanny, which means we needed more room.
A nanny, you say? Yep. Note above where I mention the word “comfortable”. We wanted to be able to go back into the park at night and do adult rides, plus we wanted someone to stay with London while we took Jackson on some of the rides she was too small for, so we packed up our beloved babysitter Taylor who agreed to come with us.
(Taylor and her sister Peyton are the BEST babysitters in the history of babysitters. But, I digress..)
Anyway, we ended up getting a 2 bedroom suite at the Howard Johnson Anaheim. Now, they aren’t paying me to say this, but this is the BEST hotel to stay in. It is right across the street from the main gates (about an 8 minute walk from your room) which gives you the convenience on being close without the price tag. Our suite had a kitchen, a living room, two balconies, two full bathrooms, and a separate bedroom with two queen beds. It also had a water park for the kids! We stayed there for 3 nights and paid $700. That left a lot more moo-la for churros!!! (For those of you who’ve had Disney churros, you KNOW what I’m talking about!)
If the normal suites aren’t up your alley, you can stay in their kid suites, which we will do next time since we won’t take a nanny. It is a suite with one room having bunk beds and a twin and full bathroom, and a second room with a king bed. Those suites go fast and need to be booked at least six months out, and most likely that is what we will do next time.
Isn’t she a DARLING princess?! She was so much fun to take! She hopped and skipped and twirled and danced at every oppurtunity…until she got sick.
Disney vacationers worst nightmare, right? Sure enough, at about 1 pm, she decided that a 102 fever was just what Mickey ordered. The staff at Disney is fantastic, though, and when we took her to the first aid station they cared for “the little princess” and gave her motrin with orders to go home and nap. Taylor was a gift from God at this point because she was able to stay with London while we took Jackson back to the park. Don’t worry, by the next morning she was just fine and ready to experience the magic once again!
Buzz Lightyear!
The Wishing Well
The Carousel
In front of the castle
Two days was just enough for the pipsqueaks (and us). Lessons we learned from this trip:
1. Do not go in October. The Halloween stuff is ridiculous. Plus, on Fridays they close the park at 7. So, now we know not to go in October OR December. Check.
2. Always, always, always, bring Motrin for the kids. And Advil for you.
3. The Bengal BBQ outside the jungle cruise is fantastic.
4. Making reservations through Disney Dining ahead of time is the best idea ever.
5. Howard Anaheim=awesome.
6. Never plan your trip to fall on a Saturday. Like, ever.
We had a great time and can’t wait to go back!
Greg and I have been married for 6 years. In that time, we’ve welcomed 3 children. Things moved very fast for us in those first few years; several job changes, two college degrees for Greg, buying a house, the babies…it’s a lot to shove in such a short amount of time. What we’ve never shoved in is family pictures.
A Tale of Three Cities 