Tag Archives: Anaheim

Mommy 101

Pixar Fest at the Disneyland Resort

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I recently experienced a day at the Disneyland Resort for Pixar Fest and the opening of the re-imagined Pixar Pier at Disney’s California Adventure. I was lucky enough to go on a work assignment, BUT even luckier that I was able to bring my two boys and my sister with me too!

This was the first visit for myself and my boys to California Adventure. My sister had been before, so we left it up to her to navigate what we needed to experience. A huge key for us was using the Disneyland app and Fast Passes. We did like 5 rides in the first hour!

Since we were there for the pre-opening event of Pixar Pier we also got an exclusive opportunity to get up close with Edna Mode from the Incredibles and a pair of uber cute all-new Incredibles-themed Mickey ears!

When it came time for food we did a quick spin on Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters before taking a (food) timeout at Flo’s V8 Cafe.

The line at Flo’s was pretty long, but I used the app to order while we were in line, and then promptly got out of line and went straight to the pickup counter to get our grub and sit down to eat. I can’t stress enough how easy and convenient it was to use the app to order food. It also has options to order for a future time and it will be ready when you arrive at the restaurant. It’s a total game changer…

At the new Pixar Pier we loved the Incredicoaster and Toy Story Midway Mania, we got some yummy treats too Snowman Frozen Treats and Jack-Jack Cookie Num Nums!!

 

When the sun goes down and you’re looking for an attraction to “wow” you, don’t miss the “Paint The Night” parade. It has all of your Disney favorites with a brand new Incredibles float too! It’s pretty mesmerizing…

So, my tips…use the app – take advantage of the fast passes and order your food on it, take lots of photos (this can also be done on your app with park photographers), and have fun! Before you go, do your research and know what rides you want to experiences and if you and your littles can all meet the ride requirements. Check out the full segment I hosted for ABC7 here.

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Disneyland’s Main Street Electrical Parade

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When I think about my early visits to Disneyland when I was a child, the Main Street Electrical Parade is one of the first things that comes to mind, after Mickey and Minnie. In fact, if I’m being honest, I never even realized it went away….there definitely was a time lapse between my childhood, to now being a parent where I hadn’t visited Disneyland in YEARS!

Last year when I took my boys to Anaheim and Disneyland for the first time, I didn’t realize the night parade was not the same one I was accustomed to seeing during my visits as a kid. And, while the parade(s) we saw were awesome in their own right, it was very exciting for me to hear that the Main Street Electrical Parade is lighting up Disneyland once again!!!

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There sure is something about it that’s very nostalgic to me, and being able to share that experience with the kids is very cool, not to mention maybe I won’t feel so “dated,” as the characters and visuals that amused me as a child will have the same effect on them today! All this being said, I got to do an interview about this excited (limited time) event at Disneyland. I spoke to Disneyland spokesman Eddy Collins and the man mouse himself, MICKEY MOUSE even dropped in on the interview I did for Bay Area LIFE.

Check it out here…

If you want to see it and “relive” that childhood experience or maybe see it for the very first time, be sure to visit Disneyland Resort by June 18!!

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Mommy 101

Our Favorite Rides at Disneyland

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On our family’s recent trip to SoCal, I was the only family member who had ever been to Disneyland before. It was a first for our two boys and  first for Daddy too! And — it was then a FIRST for us as a family, I mean it felt all new to me since the last time I went was many moons ago for grad night when I was a senior in high school! LOL!!

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I think we lucked out with weather and picking a good day to be in the park. We beat the Spring Break rush and temperatures were in the mid 70’s! I downloaded the Disneyland app before we got there so I could see how it worked and how it might help us when it comes to ride time (highly recommend doing this), but we didn’t really need to use it too much. Typically we had to wait 5-15 minutes for most rides, with our longest waits being about 30 minutes. Ride-wise we pretty much got to experience all of the ones our kids were qualified for…we skipped any big rides like Splash Mountain, Matterhorn, Haunted House or Space Mountain, but had plenty of time to jump on the rest. The only one ride I wish we could’ve done was Peter Pan, but hey, save something for next time, right??

Thinking back, one of the things I can appreciate about the majority of the rides there that simply require the shorter set to be accompanied by an adult is that for the most part you get on the ride and it’s taking you through a maze of attractions telling a story, something we can all enjoy. I will say Alice and Wonderland and Pinocchio’s Daring Journey were a little dark (kinda scary) for the boys, and Roger Rabbit is way before their time, but everything else was lots of fun.

All that being said, these were each of our “first time” favorites.

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Raef loved the Astro Orbitor. It was the first ride we went on after enjoying our character breakfast at Plaza Inn, and at the end of the day he still proclaimed it as his favorite ride of the day. I think he liked being high in the sky and able to control going up and down!

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My favorite was the Mad Tea Party, you know teacups! I liked this one because we all got to sit in one teacup together and spin around and around…

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Isaiah’s favorite kept changing throughout the day with Dumbo the Flying Elephant being his most consistent pick, BUT for sure, his highlight was meeting Pluto in Toon Town. Toon Town was a lot of fun. We got to meet Mickey at his house, hang out with Goofy, ride a roller coaster and more. However, when Pluto showed up, it made Isaiah’s day!

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T (Dad) says he had no preference. I will say he beat us all at Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters though… In this ride, you have these laser guns and there are targets along the ride route that you can aim for and earn points…well I only discovered that halfway through, so when I realized how to make my score go up the ride was already half done! HAHA! However, when we disembarked I say that T had amassed the most points, clearly he was in the competitive spirit of the ride.

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Other favorites included It’s a Small World – Raef keeps re-watching a youtube video of the ride and singing its signature song. The carousel is always a big hit and the daytime Mickey’s Soundsational parade was also lots of fun. We didn’t do any of the Star Wars stuff this time around, but I know next time we visit, that will be a main attraction.

Mommy 101

Fun SoCal Stops with Kids

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On our recent trip to SoCal (we live in NorCal), the main focus of our trip was Anaheim aka Disneyland! There’s may ways to enjoy Orange County and while a trip to the Disneyland Resort and theme parks can easily fill more than a few days, there is more to do and see in the area. A couple of my good girlfriends live in the area and since we were there… we visited with them, and they also provided the ideas on a couple of family-friendly fun spots the kids were sure to enjoy.

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First up the Irvine Spectrum Center. Located in Irvine, this is essentially an outdoor shopping mall…BUT it has so much more. Beyond the shops, there’s an awesome (free) outdoor play area resembling a pirate ship.

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There’s also a Carousel, Giant Wheel and Kiddie Train. You have to purchase tickets to enjoy these attractions, we chose to test out the carousel.

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And — when it comes to food choices. There are several restaurants at the center, from fast, food-court style options to casual sit down and more sophisticated dining too. We ended up at Red Robin, hence the balloons! I spied more than few sweet/dessert spots too.

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My friends both commented how it’s a nice place to hang out in the summer when the days are hot and the nights stay warm. There’s lots of room for the kids to roam and open grass areas too.

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What visit to Southern California would be complete without a trek to the beach! Being there at the end of February, you never know if it’ll be warm enough to go, but since we had rockin’ weather, we decided to bust out the swimwear and hit the coast. My friend recommended Corona del Mar Beach at Inspiration Point, which is in the Newport Beach area.

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It was a beautiful stretch of sand, and the waves were perfect for our toddlers. Since technically it was still winter, there wasn’t much of a crowd and we had lots of room to play. The water was cold, but you know kids, they don’t care! So they got their feet wet, jumped some waves and played around. Good thing Dad was game to go in… I got to sit in the sand and just watch.

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There is a parking lot adjacent to the beach, but we just parked along Ocean Blvd. It is a residential street, but we found free parking no problem. We also got in some good exercise because it’s a very long steep staircase down from the street down to the beach and then the climb back up too.

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Overall, so glad we got the chance to explore off the Disneyland strip and enjoy more of what SoCal has to offer.

Mommy 101

3 Easy Tips for Disneyland First Timers

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My family is fresh off its first trip to Disneyland and there are so many thing I want to share about our experience, namely a few “insider” tips that I wanted to share. I say “insider,” because I learned the value of these tips after being on the inside. If you’re reading this post as you plan to take your kiddos for the first time, chances are you’re probably trying to sort out and absorb the overwhelming amount of info out can find about planning a trip to Disneyland. I did my fair share of pre-planning and felt pretty confident going in with my crash prep for the trip, I wrote about that here. Right now I want to give you a heads up about a few easy ways to make your trip a little more memorable.

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First up, a FREE souvenir… Be sure to pick up a 1st Visit button! It was a cute giveaway that can be proudly worn to show off that it’s your very first time. I wouldn’t have even known about this, save for one of the park attendants, who asked if I had one for my kids. He gladly gave them to me, making us feel that much more welcome for their first visit! I saw some people wearing other like buttons and pins, so maybe it’s a “thing” and they have them for all sorts of stuff…keep your eyes open.

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2. Character Breakfast

If it’s your first trip to Disneyland (or Disney World), I would highly suggest making reservations for a character meal. We chose to do Breakfast with Minnie and Friends at the Plaza Inn on Main Street USA inside Disneyland. It was easy to get a reservation – I think I did mine a week ahead of time, and it’s so worth it! Note – you do need the admission ticket for Disneyland in addition to a reservation for the meal. I wasn’t sure how my boys would react to the characters in person and it was a great ice breaker.

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This was our first activity of the day and we got into the park a little early, before it opened through a special entry marked for the character breakfast! It was a breakfast buffet with all the standard favorites. The food was good, but more than the food you are paying for the experience. The characters continuously made the rounds, each stopping at our table multiple times…taking photos, high fiving, interacting and signing the boys’ autograph books.

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We met Rafiki, Tigger, Pooh Bear, Dale, Fairy Godmother, Max, Hook, Eeyore and of course Minnie Mouse!

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**BONUS – Scoop up the FREE souvenir button, showing you went to the breakfast!

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3. Ride Photos

Several of the rides at Disneyland snap your photo during your excursion and at the end of the experience you can view the picture and email it to yourself free of charge. Another great memory saved in a photo, at no extra charge. At first glance I thought it would be a photo they’d try to sell to me, so it was a pleasant surprise to realize it was complimentary. We got one snap from the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters ride.

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All in all, our visit was exceptional. Other than our tickets for entry and buying each of our kids a Disneyland hat, we made it out without breaking the bank. We brought a few snacks/munchies and my dollar store finds like the autograph books and neon, glow in the dark goodies for when the sun went down…and managed to steer clear of any over the top, unplanned purchases!

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Mommy 101

Planning for Disneyland

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I don’t know who’s more excited, me or them!?!? My boys will get their first trip to Disneyland this week and I can’t hardly wait. I’ve done a lot of thinking, talking and (crash) planning to try and plan, prepare and execute a successful trip…and now the bags are getting packed and I think we’re just about ready to go!

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As this trip approaches, I really want to attempt to be laid back and flexible in this very first Disneyland family outing. Growing up in California, Disneyland was one of the trips I always looked forward to and just thinking about going back there – the last time I went was in the 90’s, and now taking my offspring, is super exciting!! We live about a 6 hour drive north on I-5, but we’re going to fly (2 toddlers + 6 hours in a car = no bueno), and first stop will be visiting with friends in SoCal, before eventually landing in Anaheim.

I’ve gotten some great tips from friends and family on simple ways to save money and/or the don’t miss opportunities for our visit! First off, my cousin told me to make reservations for a character breakfast. I’m so glad she reminded me of this, because it’ll be great to get my boys the one on one meet and greet with a few characters, that way we won’t have to hunt them down in the park!

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Along those same lines, she suggested I purchase and personalize an autograph book, so the boys can get those coveted signatures form all the Disney characters they encounter. I found this fun, hardcover Mickey and Friends journals at Dollar Tree, and I personalized them with stickers too.

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Also on my trip to the dollar store and dollar aisle in Target, I found all kinds of light sticks, bracelets and perfect glow in the dark “souvenirs,” that will conveniently pop up when the sun goes down and we wait for the electrical parade! I’m SURE this is going to save me more than a few dollars.

I also found some Mickey-themed tissue and Star Wars bracelets, plus I dug up Minnie and Mickey ears we took home from a Mickey Mouse party a while back! I purchased them Mickey Mouse shirts to wear for our outing (I got one each for me and their Daddy too), and I borrowed a City Mini double stroller because I’m sure at some point their little limbs will be tired.

All in all, I think we are good to. Other helpful tips I’ve been given include checking out the Anaheim Target store because they have an entire “Disney” section, as well as keeping lots of sanitizer, baby wipes and bringing in our own snacks and water bottles. I’ll be sure to write a follow up on this post with any other Disneyland tips, tricks and advice of what worked (or didn’t), for us!

Mommy 101

Too Young to Disney?

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I recently started contemplating on when is the right time to take my boys to Disney. Well since Isaiah is still an infant, I wasn’t necessarily thinking if it was right for him, but I decided to wonder aloud on my Facebook page to see what my circle had to say about it! Raef is officially a toddler now at 16 months, and I am so anxious for him to experience all the fun perks of being a kid and I definitely look forward to all the great places I can take him…Disney being one of them! Plus, of course I’d like to take advantage of the “free” admission while he’s underage! 😉

At any rate, a great conversation ensued with parents weighing in on with first hand experience and insight on when to “Disney,” and I’m sharing some of the best responses below…

Sharmin – I took my daughter at 4 months old. We took her on almost every ride. We took her several times before she was two. My favorite was at 18 months when she was able to walk on her own and explore. She loved it! I think any age is okay for Disneyland

Larissa – My daughter’s first visit she was 6 months my son about a year old, even though they don’t remember it taking pictures is what counts…. I say you are never too young or too old for Disneyland

Marissa – We took Enzo every year…his first time at 18-months. We founds that the year he was 4 was the best year because he could remember everything and articulate what he wanted to do. But when he was 5 (almost 6) we went again and he could go the entire day (literally 8 am to close) without stopping and wanting to go back to the hotel to nap!

Monique – Good thing about before 2 is it’s free:-) you can watch the shows, go to the rides like dumbo and toon town:-) its great for memories of pictures

Amy – I’ve taken Zoe every year since she was born, wouldn’t change it for the world. The first year watching her just taken in the lights and her little smile was so precious! Do it! We even started a pin collection for her.

Reina – we took miles when he was 28 months old, which was just right for him to articulate what he experienced (well in 2-word sentences). i think younger than 2 would not be worth it, albeit memorable for you as a parent. sorry to be a party pooper… lol.

Michelle – It’s going to be a lot of work for you with no memories for them – go to a small fun park like pixey play land or fairy land in northern cal, I’m sure they have something like those in southern cal. Best ages for us were 3 & 5 and ever since then;) If you’re the one who really wants to go, then by all means go!

Alex – Daughter was a few weeks shy of her first bday when we took her and our 6 yo son. She was all smiles on several of the rides and especially loved the bird show in the Tiki room. We were there four days BUT we stayed at the Grand Californian and that makes ALL the difference in the world when doing Disney with a baby.

After reading all the feedback from my friends, I actually decided I will hold off another year until making a trip to Disneyland or Disney World. Although everyone makes a great case for going and I’m sure the photos are a lot of fun, but since I have 2 in tow, it would be a lot of “work” and I figure I can take them to a petting zoo or local park with a few rides, and the smiles would be just as big!