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

Packing for Disneyland... "It's A Small World After All..."

Jar: 16.77 USD

I love that song.

We always joke that on an overnight, or short drive trip we always take more than if we were going around the world. The difference is not in necessity, it's in what you actually carry from day to day. Let's face it folks, we don't really need anything. Okay, I retract that just a tiny bit, because when you have babies, or small kids, you actually might need certain items. We are going with the intention that we are splurging a bit, and taking advantage of Disney's specials (meal plans, ticket and hotel deals) which are actually, quite reasonable. We are celebrating Grammy's Birthday, a night at Disney's fancy restaurant, The Blue Bayou is on Saturday.

Ask yourself these questions when you pack...

• Are we driving or taking a plane?
  
• How long is the trip?
  
• What will I be carrying with me at all times? The kids?
  
• What's the weather going to be like? (www.weather.com)
  
• Are we on a budget and taking food in? Drinks? (Check with your destination about what is acceptable to bring in, some places don't allow you to bring certain things, but with infants there might be exceptions.)
• What are my baby's essentials? (Allergies, special creams, prescriptions etc.) Do we have enough of that?
  

As for packing to amusement parks for infants and toddlers, I have broken it down to these key items (for a 3 night, 4 day trip)

Infant: (6 mos)

32 Diapers (8 diapers a day x 4)

6 Swimmer Diapers

about 200 wipes

1 disposable changing pad

6 sets of PJ's

6 tubs/jars of baby food

4 small pre packaged tubs of rice cereal

8 sets of clothes

4 onesies

two teething rings

4 pacifiers

one pack of pacifier wipes (handy and also safe for them to eat right after I wipe it off)

two stroller toys (to switch out)

about a dozen plastic rings (to hold toys in place)

6 disposable baby spoons

2 baby bottles

1 extra nipple

Water Babies Sunscreen

Floppy hat

two sweaters/jackets

1 muslin Blanket

1 regular blanket

1 heavy blanket

4 pairs of socks

1 beanie

The nice, heavy, comfy stroller with lots of room on the bottom. =)

4 bibs

8 burp cloths

formula (2 cans)

bathing suit

Toddler (2 years old, not potty trained)

32 diapers

8 swimmer diapers

about 200 wipes

antibacterial hand sanitizer

1 disposable changing pad

1 beanie

1 blanket

sunglasses

1 muslin blanet

6 sets of PJ's

2 tee shirts

2 pairs of pants

6 sets of clothes

2 bibs

floppy hat

robe

stain spray

sippy cup/bottled water

some extra money for amusements

bathing suit

For both:

changing pad

sunscreen

pack of 500 wipes

diaper rash cream

baby powder

baby bath soap

1 large trash bag for dirty laundry

2 gallons of bottled water

First Aid Kit (geared for infant and toddler needs, basic adult ones- see my post on First Aid Kits & Safety)

My bags for this trip?

The JuJuBe Be Prepared, and the DadGear Backpack. Click here to see or buy these bags. The JuJube will be kept at the hotel, and the backpack kept light and easy to lug around with essentials and valuables (phone, wallet etc.) So when you leave the stroller at the stroller parking lots, you can take it with you. =)