We decided that driving would be better (to save on money). In hind sight, we definitely know now that flying is the best option! It was nice to have our own car to drive wherever we wanted to go, but really we stayed at the Hilton right next to Disneyland, and that was within walking distance. Actually, pretty much everything was within walking distance. I do have to say that driving down was perfect because Dakota slept the whole way down. Leaving at night was the best choice ever! But driving home was 12 hours (before bed time) of "are we there yet?" and "I'm hungry," or "my leg is asleep again!"... It seemed to be never ending. Also, by the time we were almost home, Cody and I were so delirious that we made up games that we had no idea how we even thought it made sense at all at the time.
(on the way there)
(on the way home)
Not a huge difference, but note, we do look a little more refreshed and ready, and then we are all frizzed out and unshaven. (Just cody... I forgot to shave... JK)
I almost forgot! Before we left, Dakota and I had to visit the most amazing and talented lady Cassie Thompson who does the most amazing nails I have ever seen! She does all Gel/Shelac even in her designs... I got some cute little polkadots and roses, and Dakota got her half/half Frozen nails. One hand Anna and the other Elsa.
You can follow her and make appointments with her on:
She also is a mommy and gave us some phenomenal tips on how to make sure we got the most out of our Disneyland trip. With her tips I started researching things to do in Disneyland that not everyone knows about... I stumbled upon this website:
It totally helped us out a million! We also got the MouseWait app in the app store (for iPhone/apple users) and it saved us time on all of our rides. We never waited more than 5 mins for our lines. The best part about that was it was a "do not even try" time on the Disneyland calendar, so we knew we were going to be waiting FOREVER. But, with this app we didn't have to wait at all! (You're welcome.)
One thing (THE BEST) in my opinion that was amazing about driving is that we stopped in San Fransisco to see/stay with my good friend Robby. He housed us, fed us, showed us around San Fran and was an incredible host! He took us to the Fisherman's Warf, and also the Golden Gate Bridge. It is like Portland, but cleaner, and a little more friendly.
(This is a photo of his amazing condo building where we stayed right on the bay!)
(San Fransisco Bay right next to Robby's condo)
(Golden Gate Bridge)
I seriously want to bombard you with photos from our trip to the Golden Gate Bridge and all around San Fran, but if you want to see more... you can visit:
Or mine:
After staying the night with Robby, we ventured on to Anaheim! The view was amazing! So much land to just stare out and look at... And the weather was gorgeous so that helped a lot!
We stayed at the Hilton Anaheim, and they were phenomenal. As soon as we checked in Dakota was telling them about how it was her very first time at Disneyland. Right then and there they upgraded us to a room with a view of the park so we could see the fireworks every night!
We only spent one day in Disneyland so we had to make it count! I also woke up with a migraine and they usually put me out for 8+ hours and I wasn't about to miss her first time here ever! I put on my shades, grabbed a coffee and bagel, and we headed out. First ride? Space Mountain. UGH. I felt a little woozy after that, and then we hit Star Tours... Bagel was a bad choice. I ended up in the bathroom for about 40 mins while my sweet girl and her awesome daddy met everyone in Toon Town. The poor people in the restroom with me were in for a show. I'm not a quiet puker. Just sayin'. Little kids would come in singing their little hearts out and leave crying with what they heard! (I felt awful!) Here are some cute pics of my little one to take your mind off the image you just imagined...
There... that should be good. PS right after I was out of the bathroom she wanted to do the teacups. Alright, dad time for you to take one for the team! And he did!
Like I mentioned before, we were only spending one day in the actual Park, so we got there right at 8am when they opened. We used the amazing MouseWait app for all the rides and had perfect timing on everything. We decided to leave around 1pm for lunch. (You do not have to stay, you can re-enter!) If you want, you can also bring your own food. You do not have to spend an arm and a leg inside on their cafe food. I will tell you this though... The frozen lemonade is the best thing I've ever had. It's $5 and so worth it! I had 2.. Don't judge me.
(First thing in the morning)
(Second time in after lunch... Wardrobe changes are a must with 7 years old girls.)
We ended up going back to the hotel after eating so we could rest and swim it up! The hotel pool was awesome!
We came back to Disneyland around 5pm and stayed until close. I was so proud of my snoopy doop (Dakota's nickname) for doing the Haunted Mansion. (I might have bribed her with 2 sets of Mickey ears if she didn't cry, but that's besides the point!) She did great! I think her all time favorite was the Carrousel. We went on it 3 times... and at night it looked so magical!
The one thing we got a FastPass on was the Fantasmic Show. Which was worth it completely! I don't think I'll ever forget seeing Dakota's face when she saw this show... I tear up every time I think about it. She experienced Disneyland like a little girl should. I still remember her jumping up and down pointing to every little thing and looking back at me with wide eyes like, "mom! did you see that??!!" I'm such a lucky mom. Even though the drive back home was tough, the over all vacation was amazing. It was our first one as a family out of state. I couldn't be more grateful for the time we got to spend together.
Sorry this one took so long! I started on Saturday and I'm just uploading today... I promise to try and have them out on Saturday and definitely Wednesday! Thanks for reading!!
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