The last time we were at the west coast, Alex and I were pregnant with Grace. We went to a Bible conference and haven’t been back since. Last spring, we took a family vacation and joined Alex and my brother Elias at a Men’s conference. This time around we brought our entire family and made a vacation out of it.
I asked my sweet sis to help me recap the first day and we put together our answers all in one place.
Disneyland 2020
Location: Disneyland
Time of arrival: 3 AM wake up call (6 am flight / 9-10 am arrival (3 hour time gain) First stop Food to go then Disneyland! 12pm
How you felt
Corina – Although we were all exhausted from our early morning wake up call and long flight, we were all on a high. Overly joyed to be with our best friends and headed to one of the happiest places on earth, Disneyland!
Teresa – So excited but oh so tired. Packing for 6 for different weather and terrain was taxing. It took me a bit to finally realize that we made to to California. It wasn’t until we met with our family on the road (four hours after we landed) that it hit me that we were finally here! Alex, the kids and I stopped and grabbed a cuban breakfast that gave us an energy boost and brought us all back to Alex’s moms kitchen.
Overall Disney experience
Corina– Great! The park was pretty much empty thanks to COVID. Aurora’s castle was a little underwhelming but I appreciated that they kept it and Main Street to its original 1950s form. It was cool that we were able to walk through the castle whereas in Disney world you can’t.
Teresa – Amazing. We are huge fans of Disney World (which is so much bigger) so Disney land seemed a bit small for us but that didn’t stop us from embracing the magic. I loved the nostalgia of it all and the flowers!!! The landscape in Florida is beautiful but the sun really scorches the gardens. The tulips here were out of this world. They were huge and so colorful.
Favorite ride
Corina – Hard to pick just one. Dumbo – felt nostalgic riding it with Mimi and Charlee both, brought me back to my childhood. Teacups – are a blast because the kids are obsessed with them and watching their faces makes nausea almost worth it 🤪 Gadget’s Go Coaster (in Mickey’s Toontown) – We all got to ride it except for Jacob and Harry. It was Charlee’s first roller coaster and her facial expressions killed me, I think I peed my pants of laughter. I rode with Gracie and she was a trip too. Gosh, Love that girl! Star Wars Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run
Teresa – I think riding the Gadget’s Go Coaster was my favorite. I loved seeing Emory’s face while she rode her first rollercoaster. She had a steady smile on her face the entire time with no flinching. She was cool and composed, like she was meant for that moment. The Star Wars section of the park was fascinating. Alex and I really got into The Mandalorian on Disney + and really enjoyed seeing how they tie everything together. I rode with Haddon and watching him go from terrified to elated was a treat.
5 tips if you’re visiting with kids
Mickey’s Toontown is a must! They used to have it in Disney World back in the day, it has all the Disney character’s houses (Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald Duck, Chip, and Dale). It’s great because you get to walk through and tour the house, but the best part is at the end of the tour. Where the Disney character is waiting to greet the kids. The kids get to take a picture with them and get their autographs if they want. I loved how patient they were with our little ones and how much time they gave each of them individually.
Pack your own snacks – Helps to save money, if your kids have allergies/food intolerances it gives you peace not having to worry about ingredients or cross-contamination.
Have a plan – Have an idea of what rides are a “must ride” beforehand that way you can be sure to get fast passes.
Sunscreen – Lather yourself in sunscreen and being extra to reapply. And hand sanitizer/wipes to wipe down rides beforehand if you so wish.
Gadgets – If you’re bringing a camera/GoPro do not bring the stick that goes along with it, they will make you hike it back to your car to leave it behind.
Highlights
Corina – Entering into the park, just all of us being together.
All the kids stacked up in the dumbo ride chair screaming “Cheese!”
Charlee and Emory meeting Minnie Mouse. Charlee is scared of the masked characters but with Minnie Mouse she wasn’t. I was the same way at her age, and Minnie Mouse was my only exception as well. Yes, I cried.
Riding Star Wars Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run with Grace, she was my ride buddy for the day. She was so nervous and so brave. As we waited in line she held my hand the entire time and asked all the questions. When we got to the ship we were assigned our duty, we got to be engineers, and although she through screamed the entire time she still managed to hit all the buttons when needed. Me on the other hand I’m pretty sure they would’ve fired me, I couldn’t stop watching her, encouraging her to push the buttons when she needed all the while laughing so hard that I cried. I definitely had a proud tia moment. That ride could be very intimidating for young kids but she rocked it and had a blast!
Teresa – I think there were a few times where we just walked around these beautifully landscaped portions of the park, laughing with our friends and chatting about life that just made everything worth it. I loved seeing my kiddos on the rides, and identify some of the iconic Disney characters. I loved our dinner that night too. We ate at New Orleans Square and there was a funky live band that played some of our favorite songs while we ate our weight in gumbo. Also, meeting chewie was really fun. We took a picture with him and spent a little time reading about the history of Star Wars. The kids were so exhausted, and so were we. It was one of those days that the good parts were just so good, that they made the rough portions of our day insignificant.
Oh what day!
