7 Practical Tips for Braving Disneyland : A Little Guide to the Disney Ride

We got to go to Disney!.... For FIVE whole days with four kids, two grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, second cousins - I think at one point their were around 20 people ( I didn’t count exactly, no judging this homeschool mom - I was on vacation ok!?!). It was awesome.

I do have to say that going without a newborn and 10 month old plus a four and five year old, (which was our crazy attempt at a Disney vacation the last time around), was a total GAME CHANGER! I realized that when you aren’t spending six out of the eight of your manageable hours in the park taking a child to the potty or nursing/ pumping/ changing diapers in the nursing room- there is some real fun to be had! (#facepalm). We are still in the “taking children potty all the time” phase - but hey, ya get the idea.

Also, side note, if you are in the season of nursing and potty training and diapers everywhere, take a deep breath, and breath in the little moments. Know that you may have expectations of “family vacations” that don’t happen the way you anticipated simply because your season is allowing for things you didn’t quite expect. I want you to know I am writing from a place that has just come out of THAT OTHER PLACE (partly because trying to find the time and the emotional and physical capacity to write while IN that other place....well.....ya, I just didn't)

I don’t think it’s about things “getting better” the older your littles get, I think its more about living in the moments and with the CAPACITY you have been given in those moments. As you and your kids grow, so does your capacity to grow with them…..

OK, so back to Disneyland:

7 practical Tips for braving disneyland:

• For the rainey times (aka when we went) - Disney’s ponchos (you know, the things you wear when it rains) are legit! There are definitely cheaper versions at every little market around Disney - but those Disney ponchos (It could have just been the mickey mouse on the back of each one) kept every drop of rain off the littles while we fast-walked our booties off back to the hotel when it rained the second night. ( they also had a kid- sized poncho, not just adult ones!). Leave it to Disney to think of everything. So if you ever get caught in the rain at Disneyland, just know their ponchos will take good care of you.

• Pack your own water! We splurged on treats and one meal in the park a day and the rest of the time kept hydrated with our own water and full with tons of apples sauce packets and Gogurts. I found that pre-packed snacks were my game. Applesauce squeezable packs from Costco, Gogurts that I froze so they stayed cold until the kids wanted them, protein smash packs for lij (from sprouts), and Pringles ( in the individual cans). Believe it or not, my kids don’t like PB&J’s, so we stuck to the easy stuff that mom could throw into the back pack before leaving hotel in the morning. I focused on protein and quick carbs to get through the majority of the day, and sprinkled the other stuff in between.
• Double umbrella stroller! I had sold our huge double stroller a while back and didn’t have anything for the kids to take breaks in - so found a double umbrella stroller on amazon and it was  PERFECT! I needed something i could break down quickly to get on and off trolly’s, buses, trains, etc. and this was the solution.

• Break up the rides with quiet down times. When at the park for a full day, the kids couldn't handle ride after ride after ride, so we broke up the day with meals in quiet places, shows like Frozen in California adventure, the train ride around the park, and the steamboat ride.

rides like the Steamboat, the Train, the Jungle Cruise, and Its a Small World were perfect rides for "resetting" when we needed some quiet down time!

• Depending on the needs of each child, different types of accessibility are offered by Disneyland. For Elijah, I am hesitant to use “special” services for just him. Our family is about inclusion and always championing our kids to live without limitations. Elijah isn’t a part of a different world, he’s a part of THIS one so my goals are to always treat him like he is. However, sometimes, to be included, we have to take a slightly different approach. We were able to get a pass through Disneyland that allowed us to get on rides more quickly without having to wait in such long lines. The long lines stress Elijah out, which isn’t good for him, or us, or the people around us. My goal would eventually be for Elijah to be able to wait in lines with everyone and have a great time (a great a time as can be had while waiting in a line ) , and for him to be ok with going through the same processes as “everyone else”. However, in the meantime, I am thankful for places like Disney that accommodate different options so that Elijah and our family can continue to be a part of the INCLUDED as we work toward our goals.
• Noise Canceling head phones. If you have a sensory sensitive kiddo that needs a break from the constant sounds of an amusement park - these are perfect.
• The "bungie chord" leash. I know these can be up for debate on whether or not putting a leash on your child is "good" parenting. BUT, I would say that keeping my child safe and "unlost" is the good parenting choice on this one. I liked these wrist "leashes" because it gave Elijah the freedom to feel independent from me (aka not have to hold mom's hand the whole time). He could walk at his own pace, look around and still be "connected". It was a huge stress reliever for me AND for Elijah. Also, ALL my kids asked to wear it at some point when we were around a lot of people so they felt safe. I'd call this one a win.
• A Sensory Bag. Having a kiddo with additional sensory needs can make a supposedly fun and happy experience an extremely stressful and frustrating one. One way we were able to help our kids adjust was by bringing a "sensory" bag. I literally just packed a ziplock back with different types of things like sensory balls, silly putty, and an elastic workout band to pull on. we didn't use it all the time, but it was sure nice to have when those moments came!

Its a Small World - Seriously could've gone on this one ALL DAY LONG.

when feeding 6 kids(we added some cousins in there - whoop whoop!) at McDonalds after a wild Disneyland day!

So there ya have it, SEVEN practical tips. What are your practical tips for braving the Happiest Place on Earth - I'd love to hear!

Here are the links to the things we brought and loved!