Monday, June 15, 2009

Back from Disneyland...

Jar: 18.22 USD
We went to the Disneyland Resort from Thursday to Sunday.  The drive is about an hour and half from San Diego to Anaheim, unless you run into some traffic.  6 month old slept the whole way, and 2 year old was happy to get out of the house.  If you can. I recommend some days at home before the trip.  When we do this, a car ride for them seems nice and when we get home, they appreciate it so much more.

We checked in to our hotel, (The Disneyland Hotel) and were asked if we wanted an upgrade to their fancier hotel, The Grand Californian for one night.  We wholeheartedly agreed and we got to stay in a suite... it had a beautiful view and was ridiculously large.  Sometimes hotels in general find a candidate who might want this upgrade, and offer it to them for a number of reasons... one is someone somewhere overbooked some rooms and they are trying to move people around before the trouble hits.  Sometimes, if they see there is a returning guest, they try to see if they can give them a preview of the nicer hotel, for maybe a future visit.  

The girls enjoyed themselves thoroughly. Disney of course, has a very family oriented style of living, so things like large balconies always tiny spaces so little ones can't fall through.  Room was bare and minimalistic.  And I swear, their beds are really comfy- even more so than the Westin Dream Bed.    

Stroller:  We bought a Graco Duo Glide from a garage sale for 25 USD and take it to occasions like this- it's a long double stroller, with plenty of storage space on the bottom, cup holders and most importantly, both seats can lay down pretty well.  Also, we didn't mind if we left this battering ram outside... and kept valuables in a backpack that we carried the whole time.  

Amusement park must haves if you have an infant or a toddler:  
Stroller that folds back all the way
Pacifier Leash, 
plastic rings to hold toys, drink cups etc.  
sunscreen, 
a light blanket or an extra form of "shade" for the stroller
basic snacks, 
a small cooler

To save money:
bring a case of your own water
juice boxes
invest in a soft sided cooler
snacks
share portions of purchased food with your kids (or have them share with each other.)
have a souvenir budget

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