How to Survive Disneyland with Two Young Children

Being an annual passholder, we frequent Disneyland quite often. I am very fortunate to be a stay at home mom of two adorable kids, K who is 4 years old and R who is 2 years old. Since we only live half an hour away from Disneyland, we go three to four times a month. I've picked up a few handy tips for surviving what can be a fun but oh so hectic adventure.


1. Go as early as possible 
If your kids are anything like mine, you're already up at the crack at dawn anyway. Find out when the park opens as the opening hours can vary depending on the season and day of the week; and  keep in mind, the parking lots open an hour before the parks do. The park gets more crowded as the day goes on so going early will help avoid some of the lines. Also, if you want to ride the popular Radiator Springs Racers or meet Anna and Elsa, getting to the park early will help you secure one of the highly sought after FASTPASS tickets that can sell out within only a couple of hours after the park opens (a FASTPASS ticket is required to meet Anna and Elsa).



2. Know what rides your kids can go on
Check Disneyland's website to check out the height requirements. When I first started taking the kids, my son was 6 months old. There are several rides that have no height requirement like Pirates of the Caribbean (whoo hoo!).

The kids on our first trip to Disneyland

3. Know the wait times
There are several apps available for your smartphone, some are ever free, that give a somewhat accurate wait time for the rides. If It's A Small World is a 45 minute wait and it's close to lunch time aka the time bomb can go off at any minute, making the trek up there may not be the best idea.

4. Speaking of food, pack lots of snacks
Snacks can be a lifesaver when the line you're currently waiting in is a lot longer than you had thought it would be. It keeps kids busy and happy. Enough said.

5. Know when to take a break or call it quits
Being that a trip to Disneyland can cost a family of four over $400 with parking, going non-stop until closing time seems extremely tempting but that may be a recipe for disaster. Ride the train. Watch a show or parade. If you're staying at a local hotel, take a catnap to recharge. For me, if my son hasn't nodded off in the stroller or in the Ergobaby, then I head home early afternoonish to avoid a meltdown.

My son asleep in the Ergobaby while we watched the parade

Thanks for reading my very first post. More to come!