We'd just come off 7 days skiing in Steamboat, Colorado, and honestly, swapping snow boots for Mickey ears felt like the perfect way to round out our USA trip. Disneyland with a husband, two little boys (3 and 2), and a full week of Southern California sunshine ahead of us — here's how it went, and everything I'd tell another family before they go.
Where we stayed made all the difference
We booked the Pixar Place Hotel and it was worth every cent. Its right opposite the Grand Californian Hotel which has its own entrance to DCA which we could use too, and it's just steps from the Disneyland Monorail, which when you've got two little ones and a stroller in tow, is a genuinely big deal. Less walking, less meltdown risk, more magic.
The little touches got us too — we spotted Dug from Up in the hotel lobby and the boys were absolutely beside themselves, and the character wake-up calls in the mornings set the tone for the whole day before we'd even left the room.
The pool situation (and how it turned into a bonus)
Pixar Place's pool happened to be closed while we were there, but Disney looked after us — a personal golf buggy ran us over to the Disneyland Hotel to use their monorail-themed pools and slides instead. The next day we tried the pools at the Grand Californian Hotel & Resort too, and my son basically could not be pried off the slides. One less thing to pack: they provide swim vests in every size at the pools, so we didn't need to bring our own.
Tip: if an afternoon park session with toddlers sounds ambitious, don't fight it — head back to the hotel, hit the pool, and go back into the parks refreshed. It saved our sanity more than once.
Best character breakfast, hands down
We've done a few character breakfasts over the years and Storytellers Cafe at the Grand Californian is the best one I've experienced. If you're deciding where to spend a character breakfast, that's my pick.
Slowing down for the little ones
With a 3 and a 2-year-old, we let the kids lead a lot more than we would have with older kids. One of the best decisions was ducking into Art of Animation in California Adventure to escape the heat and learn to draw Mickey Mouse — it gave everyone a proper reset in the middle of the day, out of the sun, at toddler pace.
The practical stuff worth knowing
* Prams (strollers): essential with little ones, but there are size restrictions on what's allowed into the parks, and you'll need to fold your pram to get on the Monorail — worth knowing before you're standing at the gate trying to figure it out.
* Stock up before you arrive: we stopped at Walmart and Target on the way to the hotel and picked up cheap Disney t-shirts and souvenirs, plus breakfast and snacks for the week. Saved us a fair bit compared to buying everything on property.
* Pacing: we did 3 days in the parks, which was enough to comfortably see everything we wanted without pushing the kids too hard, plus a rest day where we headed to the Citadel Outlets and the Outlets at Orange for a change of pace.
* The flight: we flew Air NZ and used the Skycouch — the boys slept for 7 hours straight. We were thrilled, and so was everyone else sitting near us.
Would we go back?
Absolutely, and we already know where we're staying — the Villas at Disneyland Hotel is next on our list.
Disneyland with really little ones is a completely different trip to Disneyland with teens, but it doesn't mean less magic — if anything, watching a 2 and 3-year-old take it all in for the first time is magic on its own.
If you're weighing up a Disney trip with little ones and want help planning the details — hotel choice, pacing, flights, all of it — flick me a message, I'd love to help you plan yours.
Amy Hansen, Galaxy Travel World Travellers
amy@galaxytravel.co.nz
