Take my family to Disneyland.

After som general planning last year an d now this year I just booked us a trip to Cali for disneyland fun!!!

5 kids, time to go!

This was our 2 year old son’s first trip to Disneyland.
He was scared at first, but quickly got used to all the people and action happening around him.

Seeing Disneyland in December really gets you in the holiday mood.
It’s A Small World and Haunted Mansion were decorated with the holiday theme.

I recommended doing the Holiday Tour.
You get a nice walking tour around Disneyland, special passes to It’s A Small World and Haunted Mansion, and front row seating for their Holiday Parade.

If you go, relocate to L.A. if you plan to double up a Hollywood tour. You don’t want to fight L.A. traffic. It’s worth unpacking and repacking. Short distances are brutal.

Our DVD player in teh car was critical.

In Anaheim, we enjoyed Mimi’s Cafe and Hof’s Hut for breakfast.
Coco’s was unimpressive.

DelTaco breakfast burritos offer a less expensive option.

Anaheim Plaza Hotel saved us some bucks with their kids eat free breakfast buffet. (Beverage included. very nice)
The pool was great, poolside hot tub was a nice surprise, a few game room machines weren’t working right. Rooms had a musty smell, and teh air conditioner kept things comfortable when temps got to 84 degrees. Things might not be so good in July.

Stop in at Nickel Nickel if you have youngsters that go through quarters like water in an arcade. Games cost 5-20 cents for a 3 dollar entry fee. The kids played 3 hours and had a wonderful time.

There APPEARS to be a B-movie theater (cheap seats) on Ball Rd. but I can’t confirm that it’s open I found it at night on my last day.

Food4Less is on Katella St on the North side of Disney. Grab some groceries there for your room frig. Cheap produce (compared with Washington DC area.) $1 strawberries 80 cents per pound apples. Fresh loose carrots for 38 cents a pound. Grab this stuff and take it with you into the park to cut down on the $8 burgers inside disney. (You’ll feel better on Space Mountain that way too.)

Fast Passes are critical. Max them out if you can.
Soaring over California is a must in California Adventure.

If you want to extend a 3 day park hopper be sure to do it before you use up your last day. Some park employees are unaware of this rule.

Decent photo op at Mailbu cliffside. As you go up route 1 North from Santa Monica, a snack wagon parks on the left next to a small parking lot. You can climb down to the rocks if you’re even half agile.

Venice Beach seems like the fun place to be.
We didn’t get enough time there.

3 day park hopper.
other L.A. attractions fill out week.

Thanksgiving 2006. Wife madly reviewing Disney hype.
Despite kind warnings from fellow 43thinger, I suspect I’ll get soaked.

Its worth doing but it’ll be a few years til I’m ready to go back. Happiest place on earth? Not sure I buy that…get plently of rest and don’t get caught up in the marketing hype & you’ll be fine. Kids enjoyed it.

Pop up advertisement for Disneyland planning kit.

What the hell. I clicked it.