Taking a 4-year-old and 1-year-old twins to Disneyland? Some people say crazy. I say amazing, if you can go in with the right expectations and don't try too hard to plan.
I'm a semi-local to Disneyland (we live about 90 minutes away during morning traffic) and have been enjoying Walt Disney's fabulous park since I was a child in 1987. My most favorite memories throughout my childhood are of my experiences at Disneyland. There was the wishing well when I was 2, the Main Street Electric Light Parade when I was 3 (an especially favorite memory involving a front row experience with the little bugs), my first fast ride on Big Thunder Mountain when I was 10, "40 Years of Adventure" at the Tomorrowland Terrace way before Star Wars started recruiting young Jedi 5 times a day for their show, the 50th with everything going gold, Grad Nite adventures before my friends and I all went our separate ways, trips with my family, trips with my friends, trips with my boyfriend (now husband), and countless other memories.
I started taking my oldest to Disneyland when he was 2. Back then, I was in the "I'd never take a baby to Disneyland" camp, but 2 was definitely old enough since, come on, that's when I started, right? His first trip was magical. We splurged on the Disneyland Hotel and stayed in a suite, where we could enjoy watching the fireworks from afar as not to scare him to death on his first trip. We bought the ear hats, the t-shirts, all the grand merchandise. And from then, I was hooked. One month later we purchased season passes and went every month. It was the most amazing thing in the world, both for him, and for us as a family.
A couple of years ago, we decided to give our little boy exactly what he asked for for his birthday. In addition to yet another trip to Disneyland, we promised him he could become a big brother. Seven months later, our boy/girl twins were born. Waiting a year for them to get enough of their vaccinations and immune systems under control seemed impossible, but now, here we are, setting out on another adventure, 2 parents, 3 children, 2 amazing theme parks, and deluxe annual passes for the next year.
My goal here is to help out parents who are nervous about their upcoming Disney trips. I'll discuss some of our trips, things you may want to pack, strollers and baby carriers in the parks, and any hotels we have or will stay in throughout the years. While I'd like to promise regular updates, the reality is that I'm a mom of 3 children under 5 years old, a wife, and a full time teacher, so my life is a bit chaotic. I'm by no means an expert, and how you decide to structure your Disney trip may be very different from how I structure mine. But, I will do my best to share what I can. So, please, sit back and enjoy the ride.
