I recently shared a recap of our recent Disneyland Girls’ Trip in a giant blog post. It was truly such a wonderfully magical mother-daughter adventure! The trip was not without its challenges (cold and rainy weather, I’m talking about you!) but overall we had a successful experience. My sister in law, Cheryl, and I are both dreamers and planners, so preparing for a trip to Disneyland was almost as much fun for us as going! Today I’m sharing things some thoughts about what we did well (preparing for the trip, what we brought, how we handled situations) and also what we’ll do differently next time- because of course we are already dreaming up another trip!
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What We Did Well:
- We shopped for flights and hotels on a private browser. Ever notice how you are planning for a trip and suddenly you’re seeing ads for the hotel you want to stay at and the prices are suddenly way higher, causing you to panic and rush to book? Use a private browser and that won’t happen.
- We watched the weather forecast in the days leading up to the trip and packed strategically for the weather. Sadly for us, there was lots of rain during our trip. In addition to raincoats, we packed layers, ponchos, and umbrellas. Cheryl was smart enough to pack TWO pairs of shoes for Waverly and herself. I, unfortunately, was not. (More on this in the What I’ll Do Differently section) Cheryl also found some great waterproofing spray to put on their shoes and she said it worked perfectly.
- We brought strollers. Yes, both of the girls are 5 and totally capable of walking, but the strollers were perfect for carrying our stuff during the day and the girls when they were really tired. We had a “no stroller until after dinner time” rule to ensure they were getting plenty of exercise and burning off all that churro sugar energy. The strollers also came in really handy for super crowded areas, because we could just have the girls hop in while we navigated through all the people.
- We gave the girls a set spending limit at the beginning of the trip. It can be incredibly draining to have your child (or children) asking for everything that catches their eye. A great way to avoid this is by setting a spending limit at the beginning of the trip. It is especially helpful if you purchase a gift card to give your child. Explain that the card holds ALL the money they have, and encourage them to spend a day or two looking for what they really want before spending. When they see something they like, talk with them about its cost and how it compares to the amount of money they have on their card. Tell them you’ll make a note of where they found favorite items (and really do) in case that is what they want to come back for. It is amazing how this strategy reduces the requests for things and helps your child think about selecting something that holds greater value to them.
- We packed an extensive “might need” kit. This kit is made up of small consumable supplies that we carried in our day packs. All of the items are useful for keeping us clean, comfortable, and combating common problems that may arise:
- Children’s Tylenol and/or Ibuprofen
- Adult Tylenol and/or Ibuprofen
- Children’s Benadryl
- A small first aid kit
- Blister Pads (Nothing will stop fun faster than a blister, especially in a park where you are walking non-stop!)
- Extra hair bands
- Water bottles (Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!)
- Lotion (It’s amazing how dry your hands can get while traveling, especially if you are washing them a lot.)
- Unscented baby wipes (They are so handy and keep faces, hands, and anything you can think of clean!)
- Antibacterial wipes (We reserve these for really grubby places. I wipe down the tray tables, arm rests and bathroom doors on planes, because they harbor the worst germs!)
- Antibacterial gel (I am a big believer in hand washing, but keep a small bottle on hand for emergency situations ONLY)
- Layers (As any person from the Pacific Northwest would tell you, ALWAYS dress in layers. The extra clothing was critical in keeping us warm during the rain, and easy to remove when the sun made an appearance.)
- High protein snacks (nuts, jerky, etc. for a quick protein boost when necessary)
- We kept everyone fed. Knowing that all four of us have the potential to become hangry, we pretty much grazed all day. We made sure to eat plenty of protein in addition to our churros to ensure help balance the sugar and keep everyone feeling good. We also kept high-protein snacks, like nuts, in our day packs for any potential hangry emergencies.
- We made dinner reservations. As I mentioned in the point above, we ate pretty continuously during our time in the parks, but we also made dinner reservations for a few nights. The restaurants all fill up at mealtimes, and so it was really nice to have set plans and know we wouldn’t have to wait in any long lines.
- We planned special events for the second day in the park. Don’t reveal or plan your big surprises (character meals, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, etc) for the first day. Instead spread out the excitement. We arranged for the girls to visit the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on the second day of our trip and waited to tell them about it until that morning. We also scheduled our fancier dinner for that evening, since the girls were all dressed up.
- We purchased princess dresses before our trip. You can find so many adorable and affordable princess dresses on Amazon. I seriously cannot tell you how many times we were stopped by parents asking where we got the girls’ dresses! We had to be a little sneaky to figure out which dresses the girls would want. About a month before the trip we started asking the girls about what they’d like for their birthdays (which both happen to be in the fall, so it’s a good thing they don’t have a great sense of time just yet!). We casually asked if they’d want new princess dresses. Then we scrolled through Amazon with them and made notes of their favorites.
- We set aside money throughout the year, estimated a daily budget, and brought cash for spending. We wanted to be reasonable with our spending, but also didn’t want this to be a trip where we had to nickel and dime everything, so we began setting a little money aside each month.
- We made a mental list of what we wanted to do BEFORE going to the parks. We showed the girls the park maps and discussed all of the different rides and activities the day we flew to California. That way we had a general idea of the rides and activities we were all most interested in, and planned our days around getting to them.
What We’ll Do Differently:
- Bring more than one pair of shoes AND socks! As I mentioned above, I only brought one pair of shoes for Isla and myself. Mine were my super comfy, broken-in Nike Flyknits. They fit like a sock and therefore I don’t wear socks with them. For everyday use this is totally fine, but let me tell you, when you were planning to walk around in them ALL DAY, you can end up with some serious foot stink! I will never forgo socks on a trip like this again. (I’m so sorry, Cheryl, for bombarding your nose with my stinky feet for four days!) Also, having only one pair of shoes in the rain meant that we had to deal with drying them at night so that they weren’t soggy the next morning.
- Bring safety pins. Safety pins are so versatile and helpful, and you just never know when you’ll need one. Plus, they take up very little space, so they are definitely worth bringing. We surprised the girls with princess dresses at Disneyland, so we did not have a chance to see if they fit properly first. Isla’s was slightly too big and hung down in the front. Thankfully, the shop in our hotel had a box of safety pins for sale, but next time I will bring a handful with us.
- Get up early. I am NOT a morning person, so waking up early is a challenge. The last day of our trip we awoke before the sun to make the most of our half day in the park. Because of our Magic Morning mix up, we were able to get in line and were among the first guests in the park once the gates opened. There were still plenty of other early risers there, but the overall feeling of the park was so much calmer and we were able to do a lot!
A few questions for you experienced Disney Travelers:
Is it worth it to carry your park passes in those little clear protective cases on a lanyard around your neck? Does it make a significant difference in being able to access your pass versus just carrying it in a purse or backpack?
Any other great tips you’d mind sharing that have made your Disney trips super successful? We’re all ears 😉
