Who are you planning your Disney trip for: You or the Kids? If you’re really honest with yourself, I can guarantee the answer is both. As parents we want our kids to have so much fun and give them a vacation they’ll remember forever. But a strong part of us wants to share those nostalgic memories we have from our own childhood visits to the Disney Parks and relive them for ourselves, too. If you want a magical Disney vacation your kids will love, give them the gift of happy parents who are having just as much fun on the trip. To help make that happen, here are some of my best tips for adults at Disney:
How to Have the Best Disney Vacation Ever
4. Be Open to Unexpected Experiences
5. Go on a Treasure Hunt for Trivia
6. Lighten Up and Goof Around
7. Take Naps!
8. Dine Well
9. Find Your Favorite Character
10. Enjoy the Beauty of the Details
I am proud to be a Disney Social Media Mom. We were invited to join their annual celebration in Disneyland and provided a discount to experience the magic of the Disney Parks. All thoughts and opinions are our own. Little did we know then how that approach would improve our vacations forever after. We have learned to not let an aggressive Must See List spoil our family adventures. The result of that amazing trip was one of the most relaxed, laid back Disney vacations we’ve taken yet. So today I want to share my tips for taking the hysteria down a notch and show you how to actually enjoy your time at the Disney Parks whether you’re a Disneyland or a Disney World fan. When we pick our One Things, Tim and I pick one for each of us, too. The kids are prepped ahead of time and understand that part of being a family is taking turns while each of us experiences what we want from our family vacation. So while they may have fallen asleep during the Great Moments With President Lincoln presentation that Tim wanted to see, they didn’t complain because they knew that was on Daddy’s list.
Tim: Great Moments With President Lincoln & Meet Donald (ok, that’s 2 things, but let’s not be picky here.) Tiffany: It’s a Small World, which was celebrating its 50th Anniversary. I even spotted Richard Sherman playing the piano and singing out front, woah!!! Peanut: Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, we read “Wind in the Willows” together right before the trip to prepare. Little Pea: Meet as many princesses as possible — which we solved with one breakfast in Ariel’s Grotto
You can view our favorite things to do at Disneyland here. This trip I made a conscious effort to get in front of the camera as much as possible. For my girls’ sake as much as my own. We have photo combos of all sorts–whole family, me with each girl separately, me with just the girls, and me on my own. To make this happen we had to slow things down a LOT. But here we are almost a year out from the trip and I am loving having all these pictures to look back on! I was there, too! Not just my kids. Check out these tips on how to look awesome in your own vacation photos and then make the time to get in front of the camera! We stopped for this moment just before lunchtime as everyone was starting to heat up a little and needed a break. This was another great opportunity for me to get in on the pictures and we slowed down to take selfies with our magical accessories. You’re on vacation, slow down and enjoy these moments with the kids rather than rushing off to the next thing! We were in the park early and had some time to fill. It turned out that the live show “Mickey and the Magical Map” started and ended right outside of Toon Town just before we were due for dinner. This was something we had wanted to see but we hadn’t picked an official time to make it happen. It was an impromptu decision that worked out perfectly! The girls were starting to get a little tired but we still had a big evening ahead of us. Being able to sit and have some quiet time while being entertained by this fantastic show was the perfect solution. Pro Tip: Be sure to grab the live performance schedule for the park when you enter and just keep it in your pocket. A parade or a show or a street performance can be the perfect pick-me-up in-between a steady stream of rides. But what about the lesser known hidden gems in the parks? Did you know that they have the bench Walt sat upon while he dreamed up the concept of Disneyland preserved and on display? I adore the vintage photos of Walt in the parks but actually seeing this bit of memorabilia was truly touching. Take the time to hunt it down and actually read the signage on display. The kids have had their fill of rides and excitement and are usually good natured about leaving slowly because it means we are still inside the park! I squealed like a little girl when I got to ride the Same Carousel as Walt did and as Emma Thompson & Tom Hanks did in “Saving Mr. Banks.” That scene from the movie where Tom (as Walt) teases Emma (as PL Travers) that he bet his staff he couldn’t get her on a ride makes me Laugh Out Loud every single time. It is my 2nd favorite moment in the whole movie. Not riding that carousel was not an option. I hoisted myself up on that pony and took a selfie while giggling away. My kids thought I was nuts, but they loved every second of seeing mommy so playful. At Disneyland you have even less of an excuse since going back to the hotel for a rest is so crazy easy to do! A 2-hour recharge in the middle of the afternoon during the worst heat is just good practice and makes for much better evenings for everyone. This ensures you’re all ready to live it up and enjoy all that the Disney Parks have to offer at night: The food we had during the trip was delicious with lots of healthy options, but I wanted a nicer sit-down restaurant with a personal waiter and less crowds. We took the extra time our of our very last day to spend a leisurely lunch at Carthay Circle in Disney’s California Adventure park. This gorgeous restaurant is on the higher end of the price scale but worth every penny, in my opinion. It was the perfect “send off” meal experience to cap off a magical vacation. We ordered a starter and two entrees and shared them family style so we could each sample a few different things. We indulged with a glass of wine and savored our special meal. The restaurant itself is worth seeing because it is a replica of the theater where they held the premier for Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. There are fantastic vintage photos of Walt & friends throughout, I loved one of him with little Shirley Temple at the Academy Awards! Our favorite is the Dole Whip, but be on the hunt for a churro, turkey leg as big as your head, those amazing pomme frittes from Cafe Orleans, or a Ghiradelli surprise. I ran in her ears during the 2 mile fun run and loved running into her a few times over the course of our visit. Meeting the characters isn’t usually a top priority for us during our trips to the Disney Parks, but it was so much easier to find them at Disneyland! I have a ton of pictures of the characters we met from this trip and they make me smile so hard! It is definitely worth picking your favorite and hunting them down once during your visit. The Disney Parks have expertly themed their grounds to maximize gorgeous views everywhere you turn. I could have let the girls ride the teacups all day long just to watch how the light came through the trees and lit up the colors on the cups. I never get tired of seeing the castle from all the different angles. And we all love to spot hidden Mickeys and the tiny statues and details sprinkled throughout the park. Truly pause and soak it all in, these are the things that will trigger your memories as you fondly look back on your family vacations.
