Brand new Disney Family

superdeluxe

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jan 2, 2018
Going the first week of march (we heard this was an ok time, before spring break)

We have a 7 yo and a 2.5 yo. Any and all tips appreciated!

We are staying at the Anaheim Fairfield across from Disney, thoughts about this place?

We will be there 3 full days, 2 days at the parks and one free day for?

Looking to learn from you all!
 
That’s a nice place to stay. I’d do 3 Disneyland days.
Get parkhoppers
See Disneyland daily web site or Facebook for good tips.
I like French market, Boardwalk pizza & pasta. Award wieners and Bengal bbq are good for hearty snacks. Plaza inn can be good. Check all ears web site for menus And prices.
Use the free fastpass system. Or upgrade to maxpass to save the fp with your phone.
 
* purchase a guide book
* evaluate the fear factor of your 7 year old, I always recommend having the child watch the Wizard of OZ and their response to the variety of scenes, for my 7 year old it was the talking trees, unfortunately I didn't seek advice, and , his first ride was Alice, lots of talking plants... would not ride dark again.
* as a first time visitor with small folks, I would prioritize parades over fireworks and shows.
*write down on a note card all the bathroom locations, some of them are not easy to find.
* plan resting times, like the long boat ride on Small world or the train ride loop or curbside for the parade.
*if you are early risers, then to plan to split the day, leave the park from 1-4 to nap, eat and hydrate, then return for a few hours more in the evening. You will be tired, you will be dehydrated, comes with the territory of being a first time visitor.
* make or purchase autograph book for 7 year old to use.

* also discuss spouse time at night, it is possible for one adult to return to lodging with tired kids and one adult to stay in the park to ride the adult rides. It is safe and crowded sidewalks at night to walk.

Fairfield is a Marriott, so anything wrong, can be fixed. It is three towers and very elevator dependent. As you walk pass the other lodgings, you can make judgments on what your next lodging would be because there is a wide range of choices on how to access a room.

the cost of the extra day is worth the price, you will have a early morning access one of those day, that can be used by an adult if the kids sleep in or by the entire family. The concept is that Disneyland is not 100% friendly for children your age, and if one of you is struggling with why Disneyland, then the extra freedom for the one spouse will enhance your own magic.
 


Going the first week of march (we heard this was an ok time, before spring break)

We have a 7 yo and a 2.5 yo. Any and all tips appreciated!

We are staying at the Anaheim Fairfield across from Disney, thoughts about this place?

We will be there 3 full days, 2 days at the parks and one free day for?

Looking to learn from you all!
I see you are a new member
welcome.gif


I'll be there for a quick 2day solo trip that week too, March 6th and 7th.
I recommend turning your spare day into a 3rd day in the parks.

Geemo
 
I agree with others that two days might be tight. We have a 6 and 4 year old and don’t do less than 4, so two days for each park. However, 2 is better than none ;) and you will still have an awsome time... you just may find that you want to go back, lol.

Taking advantage of opening is important, imo, with young kids. If your kids are early risers then try to get to the park for opening to enjoy shorter lines, cooler temp, and happy kids. Take a break in the early afternoon if you need it, when the park starts to get really full and kiddos are getting tired. We make our kids plow straight through from open to almost close (or at least until after fireworks), taking breaks throughout the day to find ice cream and quiet spots, but I get that is not ideal for every family.

Our favourite break spots are the redwoods trail in California Adventure, and Pirate Lair Island in Disneyland. Both are quiet and shady and the kids can run around and blow off steam without waiting in lines or being in crowds. We also love the Mark Twain Riverboat and the Columbia when we just want to sit for a bit. My husband and I loved it when the kids would pass out in their strollers (they were 3 and 1 the first time we went) and we could sit in California Adventure with some brews and pretzels while they slept ;)

We save money by eating at places with meals big enough to share, like Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta. We avoid sit down dinners with kids, as we find them expensive and a waste of time, (but our daughter has autism so it’s a struggle to get her to sit) opting for quick service meals. We pack our own water and don’t order drinks so that helps save on meals.

One of the best tips I ever got from this site was tell the kids they can choose one (or whatever your budget is... we have a tiny house so one is our limit) souvenir, but they have to wait until the last day to buy it. This helped so much with the “I wants....” Even our three year old understood he could look but we were not buying anything until the last day. By the last day he knew exactly which one item he wanted and was thrilled when he finally got to have it.

Most of all, take a deep breath and just let the kids lead the day. Disney is super magical to kids, and I find it is best to go slow and let the kids explore the magic on their own. If they love pixie hollow and want to spend the afternoon there, awesome. If they want to explore the singing wishing well for twenty minutes, great! If they just want to dance to the great music in New Orleans Square, grab and churro and take video. I feel like the magic gets lost a bit when grown ups drag the kids all over the map at lightening speed to “get everything done”. Forget the touring plans and let the magic do its thing. You will be surprised at what you find when you slow down.
 


We went to Disneyland in June to do some recon regarding taking our kids, we booked for all of us for next June. We have been doing all of the fun pre disney things like watching every Disney movie, playing Eye Found It etc, but we also bought the Going To... Guides, they have been a great taster for what to expect from the Attractions...

http://www.goingtoguides.com/
 
I am going through all of these great tips. Would you guys recommend private shuttle transport from the Airport? Or use a Uber. We will be lugging luggage, car seat, stroller etc.
 
We Uber from sna.

Sorry to jump in on your post, Welcome to the boards, there is such a wealth of knowledge.

I have been wanting to try uber from SNA but always just jump in a cab. What size of uber do you suggest for pick up, with 2 adults and 2 suitcases?
 
Sorry to jump in on your post, Welcome to the boards, there is such a wealth of knowledge.

I have been wanting to try uber from SNA but always just jump in a cab. What size of uber do you suggest for pick up, with 2 adults and 2 suitcases?
The cheapest one should fit you!
 
If you are early risers, try your best to rope drop. Go back to the room and nap mid day. Use the nap to stay until park close, crowds tend to thin out toward park close. Get the maxpass.
 
:welcome: to the DIS!

Will you be going during the week or weekend? Disneyland and DCA are open late on the weekends, but close early during off-season - like around 8pm or so. If that is the case, you may not want to take a break in the afternoon and go back to the hotel - just something to think about. If you stay out late one night, you may want to sleep in a bit the next day. There is a lot of walking at Disneyland, and it's better to go well rested than to have multiple days with little sleep.

I also agree with everyone that it's okay to take it slow and build in quiet/down times for your kids (and you).
 
Will you be going during the week or weekend? Disneyland and DCA are open late on the weekends, but close early during off-season - like around 8pm or so. If that is the case, you may not want to take a break in the afternoon and go back to the hotel - just something to think about. If you stay out late one night, you may want to sleep in a bit the next day. There is a lot of walking at Disneyland, and it's better to go well rested than to have multiple days with little sleep.

I also agree with everyone that it's okay to take it slow and build in quiet/down times for your kids (and you).
It is good to mention the park hours. We’re coming specifically during busy spring break time because our kids are early birds. The 10 opening in winter was hard.

We always napped and never closed the park even at 8 pm. Lol

My toddlers are disabled though.
 
can you tell me about how much an uber from SNA is? We are staying at the Candy Cane Inn in June. Have never been to Disneyland before.
This will give you an idea of cost. If you don't have the Uber app yet, be sure to get a sign-up bonus! I think the first ride is free. I have the app, but hadn't used it in a long time so when I used it in December to get an Uber back to SNA from GCH, the ride was free! I didn't even know until it was done.
https://www.uber.com/airports/sna/
 
If looking at uber/lyft prices, be sure to check at various times/days similar to your flights. The prices change quite a bit based upon time and day. As far as taxis, there is a set SNA to Disneyland area hotels rate.
 

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