Little L Does Disneyland - The Sequel

Here, in no particular order, are some valuable gems of advice to make your trip a bit more magical (or slightly less stressful).

If you have time, order it for cheap off Wish.com

1. Ladies - bring a backpack, not a purse.
I use a cute little black one I scored off Wish, but really, any little backpack will do. You have to unzip all the zippers every time you enter the park area, though, so keep that in mind when you go shopping for the really cute backpack with a gazillion zippers and buckles. It's way easier when you don't have a big ol' purse smacking you on the side of your torso every time you move, and it frees up your hands for pushing strollers and holding Turkey Legs.

2. Bring warm clothes and rain gear.
The folks that forecast Anaheim weather get it right about 50% of the time. Our forecast called for rain all week long when I checked the week before we left. On departure day, it was one or two possible days of rain. In actuality, it rained at night one evening, and that was it. It was, however, bloody cold once the winds started to blow. Like, 14'C felt more like 4'C Vancouver weather. We made sure to pack rain coats, stroller covers, and warmer hoodies, but I still got suckered into buying a lined Disney hoodie for those cool evenings.

The view from our room. You can see our bathroom vanity reflected here too!

3. Stay at the Disneyland Hotel for secret fireworks views!
Okay, the fireworks are loud and therefore not really a secret, but they aren't officially Disney fireworks, either. We stayed at the DL Resort Hotel on the 10th floor of the Fantasy Tower, facing NE, and on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday night at 9:30pm our bedroom and living room were treated to the most amazing fireworks. The shows lasted about 15 minutes. We spoke with Guest Services to ask about the 9:30 fireworks, and they claimed that it wasn't theirs; their Fantasmic and other pyrotechnic shows happen earlier in the evening, and only on certain nights. So who was giving us free entertainment at 9:30? Mystery!

4. Bring a stroller.
Yes, Little L is 6 and capable of walking. But seriously, you can clock a *lot* of steps in a day; on Day 1 my pedometer registered over 21,000 steps, and that was with us taking a break at the on-site hotel mid-day, and only visiting one park. Even the most active little 6 year-old would find the day exhausting at that rate! You can rent some pretty nifty blue strollers at Disney, but we decided to BYOS. Totally worth it.

5. Wear comfy shoes.
Nobody cares about your fashion sense at Disney; grown-a$$ women are wearing rhinestone and sequinned Mickey ears all day long, so obviously, the fashion bar is low. Wear sensible, comfortable shoes that you know you can clock 21,000 steps in. I wore my Natives, and Hubbs wore Blundstones while Little L stuck to Crocs.

From Tortilla Joe's - Pork Carnitas

6. Make dinner reservations 60 days ahead of time.
The nicer, sit-down restaurants at DT Disney and inside the parks all accept reservations, and without those, you may be in for a wait. This recent trip was during Disney's slow season, but the wait times at restaurants were still about 30+minutes for those who tried to just walk in. We didn't have to wait, and were able to enjoy our meals on time because we had booked in advance. If you use the Disneyland app, it's an even easier process to make dining reservations!

7. Download the Disneyland app.
It's useful to figure out wait times for rides, make reservations, and also check out photos (like the ones we got after Little L's Bippidy Boppidy Boo experience).

8. Pack light.
If you're on staying property at Disney, there are laundry facilities. You are also more than likely to be bringing back some souvenirs or incidental purchases, so you want to make sure that your luggage has space. In our case, we brought a compact third bag (thanks, Wish!) that we unfolded and filled up for the return trip.

9. Think carefully before buying clothes or ears at Disney.
Sure, they're cute stuff, and you're all caught up in the moment, but most of the Disney clothing and accessories are very Disney-fied, which means that you will look ridiculous wearing said items in Superstore once you've returned home. The clothing isn't cheap like Wal-Mart or Target either, so if you're really itching to blend in with the branded crowds, purchase the Disney clothes before you go, so that at least your wallet doesn't suffer along with your pride. (Full disclosure: I own one Disney Mickey t-shirt and one lined Mickey hoodie. I only wear the T-shirt at Disney or to sleep, and the hoodie isn't likely to see a lot of action now that we're back home).

Diva in training 

10. Take your kid to the Bippiddy Boppiddy Boo salon, and get the full package.
It's not cheap, but it is an experience that is worth the money. Their Fairy Godmothers-in-Training are excellent with all kinds of kids, including those with special needs, and the full package experience includes the outfit, the hair, the make-up, nails, accessories, a photo shoot, and a Fast Pass to meet the princesses, plus a bag filled with make-up and some extra swag. They also have a boys' package, so that little princes and knights don't have to feel left out. It was the highlight of Little L's trip, and worth the $200USD plus tax and tip.

11. Buy multi-day passes and don't rush your park visits.
Disney can be pretty overwhelming for kids, and can cause them to become massively overstimulated and dysregulated (read: meltdowns). The abundance of tempting, sugary treats for sale doesn't help. If you can afford it, go for several days, and take breaks during the day instead of trying to hit up every ride on Day 1. You might want to only see one part of one park in the morning, then return to see a different part in the evening, with a rest in the mid-day. I wouldn't bother with a Park Hopper pass unless you're going with teenagers who can walk really far, all day, every day.

12. Don't overpack your kids' toys.
It's just more stuff you have to remember to haul back. Frankly, you're probably going to be buying your kid something while you're at Disney anyway, so leave their toys at home. If your kid is anything like Little L, they will be busy looking for "hidden Mickeys" all trip long, and will find ways to entertain themselves that don't even involve the markers or tangrams that Mom so lovingly packed!

Her position for approximately 20 hours of Day 2.

13. Bring your kids' meds, just in case.
Lesson learned. Little L caught a tummy bug on Day 2 of our park pass days, and so we holed up in the hotel all day long. We wanted to give her some kids' Gravol or Pepto, but nowhere on Disney's grounds were these meds sold (at least, to our knowledge). They do sell the adult versions at the hotel, but you can't give those to kids. We ended up buying some Children's' Advil and a thermometer, but that really didn't help with the puking. Next time, we're making space for all the meds.

14. Bring an extra portable battery charger.
Especially if you're like me, and use an iPhone that hasn't had a battery or iOS upgrade. The battery doesn't last the full day if you use the phone to take photos, or if you're busy looking up ride wait times on the Disneyland app. We were happy to take those afternoon breaks so that we could head back to the hotel to charge up our devices, but we would have been even happier not to be sitting at 14% when we were still in the park trying to coordinate a meet-up.

As for traveling at the end of February - the Magic Kingdom part of Disneyland wasn't too busy on any of the days that we were there, but we were at the parks on weekdays, not weekends, so your mileage may vary.

Anyway, as I stated in our earlier Disney post, we don't travel cheap, but we do try to travel smart. We eat out a lot because it is more convenient, we stay on property because it allows super-easy access to our hotel room for afternoon breaks, and we try not to let cost be a factor in our decision-making once we are at the parks. It's no fun for kids or your traveling companions when you're price-checking and nickel-and-diming every time you buy a souvenir or grab a bite to eat, so Disney is just one of those places where you should save up and budget for a more extravagant experience.

But that's just how we roll. And it works (for us). However you travel, may your Disney trip be magical, and may all your dreams come true!