Disneyland in the Fall

The week before Halloween, we had the opportunity to fly down to California and go to Disneyland for three days. The trip was a huge success!  All three Adventure Boys were happy, enjoyed the rides and characters, and were as well behaved as you can expect sleep-deprived, over-stimulated children to be.  The weather was warm, not too hot, and the crowds were less crushing than at more popular times of the year.

Disneyland

Disneyland in the fall is spectacular!  It was so fun to be there with all the Halloween decorations up and see all the elaborate costumes people had put together.  Plus, my very favorite ride, the Haunted Mansion, is transformed into The Nightmare Before Christmas until after Christmas.  The lines weren't too bad, and with the Fast Pass option (plus Adventure Great-Grandma's wheelchair) we didn't have to wait very long for any of the rides.

This trip was a nice overview of everything the park has to offer since we had so many different ages to accomodate. Adventure Boy O was tall enough this time to try some of the bigger rides and went with Mom on Space Mountian and Dad on Big Thunder Mountain.  He said they were scary but fun and that he'd wait until he was older to go on them again. Adventure Boy E was happiest with the open air rides such as Dumbo, Jungle Cruise, and the Storybook Canal Boats. They both enjoyed the playgrounds in ToonTown and we were happy to let them run around and play for a bit.  They both also did well on the Disneyland classics, Pirates of the Carribean and Haunted Mansion.

It was a special experience for us since we were able to split up and each have some one on one time with Adventure Boy O as he was big enough for some of the rides that E is still too little for.

California Adventure

California Adventure is by far the less crowded of the two parks.  It is a great option for short lines, and a slightly more relaxed theme park experience.  Or for when the crowds over at Disneyland get to be a bit too overwhelming. Our favorite areas were the Bugs Land and Cars Land.  Once again, Adventure Boy O was tall enough for some rides that E was still too short for, so we were able to split up and Dad took O on Grizzly River Run and Mom took him on Soarin Around the World, while the other parent took E to play at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.  We also enjoyed Frozen - Live at the Hyperion.  It was so fun for the Boys to see their favorite Frozen characters on stage, and it was really spectacular to see it "snow" over the audience at appropriate times during the show.

Downtown Disney

Downtown Disney is an area of commercial shops and restaurants nestled between Disneyland, California Adventure, and the Disneyland Hotel.  We had some time on our last day before we had to be at the airport to explore Downtown Disney and especially enjoyed the Lego store.  Adventure Boy O also was intrigued by the Ridemakerz store, but we decided it would be better to wait until he's a bit older for that one.  Downtown Disney was a great option for us to get away from Disneyland food (and prices) without having to go too far away.  In the evenings, there was also some really great entertainment in Downtown Disney which we enjoyed both with and without the Adventure Boys.

How to Get There

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the main airport for the greater Los Angeles area and is the easiest (and usually cheapest) airport to fly into and out of.  Being a main travel hub, it is easy to get a shuttle or taxi from LAX to Disneyland, but it is well over an hour to drive.  This is where we flew in to, and from there took a shuttle to the resort.  About a 40 minute drive away, John Wayne Airport is the closest airport to Disneyland.  This is the airport that we flew out of, and is a smaller airport (although by no means small) with fewer flights.  We also called ahead and arranged for a shuttle to take us to the airport for our flight out.

Where to Stay

This time we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel and it was awesome!  Just steps away from Downtown Disney and a monorail ride away from Disneyland, it was so convenient to be staying so close to the parks.  The Parents' favorite part of the room was the mini fridge which allowed us to keep cereal, milk, snacks, and lunch stuff right in the room.  The Boys' favorite part of the room was the extra-special headboard that lit up like stars over Sleeping Beauty's Castle and played an instrumental "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" lullaby.  Really, having our room so close to the parks made such a big difference for us.  Being able to head back to the room for some quiet time or lunch helped us keep our sanity with three small ones among hundreds of other people.

The biggest hit of the hotel, though, was definitely the pools!  We took one afternoon off from the theme parks, just to play in the Disneyland Hotel pools.  The retro themed pool was really fun with the water slides and splash pool, keeping the Adventure Boys entertained one afternoon. Plus Adventure Dad is a big fan of swimming, and a human jungle gym, so that helps the fun factor, too!  The best part about the Disneyland Swimming pools, though? Swim diapers, life jackets, and pool towels all available pool side!

Another nifty thing about the Disneyland Hotel was the outdoor movies they featured twice while we were there.  Unfortunately, the Adventure Boys were much too tired to stay up and watch a movie that didn't even start until after dark, but I imagine it will be fun once our kiddos are a bit older.  Also, when you stay at the Disneyland Resort Hotels, you can get into either Disneyland or California Adventure an hour early each morning (one park is open early one morning, and the other park is open early the next), which allowed us to get in line for the more popular rides before the park opened for everyone else.  And finally, the package we booked through included our 3 Day Park Hopper Passes with the hotel stay, which actually made the Disneyland Hotel comparable in price to the other options around, but so much better in every other way!

Where to Eat

Breakfast:  We just ate cold cereal in our rooms for breakfast each morning, but if you have to experience the Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes, then the RiverBelle Terrace in Disneyland is the place you're looking for.  Make it a meal by adding our favorites to your pancake: Becky Thatcher's Fresh Fruit Plate and the country potatoes.  And hot chocolate, of course.  What is breakfast without hot chocolate?

Lunch: Once again, we brought our own sandwich material for lunches most days, but we also did eat at the Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney one day, which was less expensive and better quality than much of what you can get inside the parks.

Dinner:  This is where we splurged!  We ate one night at the Storyteller's Cafe located in the Grand Californian Hotel and another night at Goofy's Kitchen in the Disneyland Hotel.

My favorite dining experience was definitely the Storyteller's Cafe.  The arts and crafts theme of the Grand Californian Hotel is reminiscent of the great national park lodges and the Storyteller's Cafe fits right in with white linen table cloths, fancy menus, and chef created meals.  The food was seriously delicious, too.  Everyone enjoyed what they ordered and commented on it throughout our trip.

Goofy's Kitchen was probably the Boys' favorite, though.  The food is a decent buffet (which kids love) but what really sets it apart is you can meet Goofy cooking in his kitchen, and at various times during your meal, a whole kitchen staff of characters will parade past your table, often stopping to give high-fives or play peak-a-boo or dance with the kids.

All in all this really was a magical adventure for our family and left us eager to return!