Our Trip to Disneyland
Let me just start out by saying, Disneyland is AWESOME. It is very manageable and I believe you could do both parks in a day. I love the smaller size and convenience factor as well (if you stay on property).
We went to Disneyland in January 2023 over MLK weekend. We went to Disneyland that Tuesday and the crowd was pretty low. We stayed in the Grand Californian and I think I could do a whole blog post about that hotel. It may be my favorite hotel we’ve ever stayed in as a family. It is homey, beautiful, has several amenities, MINUTES away from the parks and I believe, totally worth it. Only negative was our rooms didn’t have baths, and our girls weren’t showering yet.
The Grand Californian literally has an entrance into California Adventure from the hotel and then to get to Disneyland, you just walk through Downtown Disney… which is maybe a 5 minute walk?
On the Inside Out ride in California Adventure
We decided to do both parks in one day because the amount of time we were spending in Anaheim, the fact that they were right next to each other and the size of that parks. It is completely doable. We had a double Zoe stroller for the girls which was very handy and easy to go through security and lines. The double Zoe stroller can go through any doorway, the storage is great, it is comfortable for kids and great for napping if needed.
Eating at Naples
The night we got there, we had a reservation at an Italian restaurant in Downtown Disney called Naples and it was delicious! It is a casual restaurant and perfect for kids. I want to say you could see them making the pizza from the table, but I can’t remember.
Naples Ristorante in Downtown Disney
The next morning, we started out at Disneyland. If you’re staying at one of the park’s resorts, you can get in 30 minutes early. We were doing the character breakfast at The Plaza Inn at 8:30 so we went in early to ride some rides first! P.S. they often let you in even earlier so get there earlier than you think :) The Plaza Inn is a super cute character breakfast. We got to take a picture with Minnie Mouse before we entered and it is mostly Winnie the Pooh and Friends inside, but there are quite a few characters to get autographs from! Our oldest was 3 at the time and she loved getting autographs from all the characters so I highly recommend getting an autograph book before you go.
Plaza Inn Character Breakfast
Also, before we went to breakfast, I think we were able to go on four rides? I couldn’t get over how empty it was! It was wonderful. We enjoyed the morning until the parade at Disneyland. We ordered lunch on our phones while we were in line for a ride nearby and by the time the ride was over, our lunch was ready for pickup. It was a great timesaver. The parade was around 1 PM so Emilia and Josh stayed for the parade and Serena (just turned 1) and I went back to the hotel so she could nap. After the parade, they went to California Adventure and we met them after Serena’s nap. It’s definitely a plus to be able to shoot over to the hotel for a nap and recharge.
Riding Buzz Lightyear in Tomorrowland
The rides at California Adventure are a little more “adventurous” but it was just as fun! We got lots of carnival like food there which was fun for the kids and Cars Land is AWESOME. It is so unique and something you must go to while you’re there since they don’t have that in Orlando. When you’re there, you kind of go by the wait times. If we saw a short line on the app, we would go to that and then try and find characters for autographs in between. Emilia’s favorite rides were the Finding Nemo ride at Disneyland (she still talks about how cool it was to go on a submarine) and the Little Mermaid ride at California Adventure. We went back to the hotel after dinner (aka hot dogs and chicken fingers on a park bench) and I honestly could say it was the perfect day. I don’t know if it was the Disney magic or what, but the girls didn’t have any meltdowns and it was just filled with happiness!
It was a delicious afternoon at California Adventure
The next day we got breakfast at the restaurant at the hotel which is called Storytellers Cafe. I want to say the characters there were Mickey, Minnie, the chipmunks and one other. The brunch is really good and it’s definitely pricey, but the kids get to dance in a conga with the characters and they all come to your table. I then went for my spa appointment and it was the perfect way to end our time at Disney. Our only regret? Not getting a babysitter after the kids went to bed. Josh and I were itching to go back to do the “big kid” rides together and wish we planned better. So if you have the flexibility to get a local babysitter, I think that would be so fun!
Breakfast at Storytellers Cafe
Oh and of course on our way out of Anaheim we stopped at In and Out because you can’t go to California without going :)
Questions? comment below!
