Our 2023 Disneyland trip was absolutely magical and I am reliving it through this recap.
I have been lucky to visit Disneyland many times, and I always dreamed about bringing my kids there one day. I know that a lot of parents say to wait until they are old enough to do all the rides, but that was not what this trip was about for me. I know that we’ll take Mara to Disneyland many more times in her childhood, so it was totally worth it to me to experience the magic through the eyes of a 1.5-year-old. Plus, she was free.
We visited during Spring Break (wouldn’t recommend this time of year) with my parents, sister and brother-in-law, and my grandparents. It was so special for all of them to be there for Mara’s first vacation, and it was nice to have help. We stayed right across the street from the park at the Grand Legacy hotel and spent most of our time at Disneyland and California Adventure.
I’ll briefly touch on travel with a one-year-old: It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t as bad as I expected. Mara did really well and only really cried on the way home when our flights were delayed. On the plane, she slept and watched movies, and ate snacks. It was nice that she was free to fly, but it will be worth the money when she can have her own seat. We also brought our own travel car seat for rides to and from the airport, and I would totally do that again for peace of mind.
Stepping into Disneyland on the first day was so special. Mara was in awe of everything and so excited to see the characters and the castle! We went straight to the Enchanted Tiki Room, which is a family tradition, and it was a great show to kick things off with. There are SO many things to do in Disneyland with toddlers! There were a few rides that she loved (Finding Nemo Submarines, Web Slingers, Toy Story Mania, Jungle Cruise, it’s a small world, and Winnie the Pooh’s Adventures) and a few that she was a bit scared on, but didn’t cry (Pirates of the Caribbean, Emotional Whirlwind). Her favourite experiences were for sure the food (mine too) and the shows. She stayed up late and enjoyed World of Color and the Wonderous Journey’s fireworks, she watched the Magic Happens parade three times (equally excited to see Maui, Anna, and Elsa all three times), and she LOVED the Pixar Pals Dance Party and exploring the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.
Kirby and I both got emotional experiencing the fireworks with her. It was such a beautiful show with great music, and it was so special to share that with our daughter.
If I could give one piece of advice to parents considering a Disneyland visit with their toddlers, or really kids of any age, it would be to take it slow and don’t rush from ride to ride. There are so many wonderful things about Disneyland, and you’ll miss so many of them if you’re racing from ride to ride. Don’t get me wrong, I love the rides, but I was more than happy to pass on a 30-minute wait for Space Mountain so that I could run around Toontown with my little princess.
It was a truly memorable experience and I can’t wait to go again. I think we’ll probably want to take Mara again around 5-6 years old and I’m sure it will be a completely different experience then!
Last piece of advice, and this is for anyone visiting Disneyland: Do not sleep on the food. Yes, it’s expensive. Budget for it. Docking Bay 7 in Galaxy’s Edge and Cafe Orleans have some of the best food and you have to hunt for the specialty treats around the park. Skip the Mickey Pretzel, go find the limited edition churros. Trust me.
