What is the right age for Disney?

What is the right age to take your child to Disney?  This is definitely one of the questions I hear most from moms considering a trip to WDW or DLR.  So, what IS the answer? 

From my experience, there is almost no wrong age for a child to be at Disney!  Now, I wouldn't take a newborn, and I wouldn't take a really young one in the peak of the summer, but I've definitely seen my share of young babies in the park.  As a mom, though, I couldn't imagine dragging such a young child through the park, especially in the very hot and humid summer months.  It's not fun for the child, and it's definitely not fun for the parent.  But I swore up and down I'd never take a baby to WDW, and there I was in 2008 with a 10 month old, and it was really amazing to see her experience WDW.  We've also found that our favorite age to take a child has been when they are three, since the experience constantly changes.


A lot of making this determination depends on the child, of course, especially if there are any special considerations necessary.  However, for most children, I think most parents are just hesitant to take their child for a myriad of reasons, including that they are too young to remember the trip, that they will have to go back to the room to take a nap, etc.  And from my experience, a lot of these concerns come from a parent's fear of the unknown.  

One of the most important considerations is just be willing to rest during the day.  Have lunch, go back to the room, chill, sleep, swim, whatever; then head back to the park around dinner time.  You will feel better, your child will feel better, and you'll be in a better mood.   This is, hands down, one of the biggest reasons we stay on property.  We don't have to worry about travel time sucking away our precious time.  In fact, this has led us to stay at a monorail resort our last two times at WDW, and one of the deciding factors in staying at GCH on our recent Disneyland trip.  Rest is so important.  You don't want to be That Family - kids are screaming and whining, parents are rolling their eyes and yelling at the kids and everyone is hot and miserable.


If you're thinking about taking a baby, you should know about the Baby Care Centers, especially in WDW.  Each park has its own Baby Care Center, which is a nice, quiet, air conditioned little slice of heaven.  There's a private area for nursing, a waiting area for dad and the other kiddos with a TV, clean changing areas, things for feeding - mircowave, high chair, etc.  If baby has a blow out or you are out of supplies, they have some available for a nominal fee.  


Don't be afraid!  Make sure you know what Disney offers.  Consider staying onsite.  Know your family's limits.  But have fun!


Any questions you want to see answered about little ones at Disney?

New Suites Coming to Disneyland Hotel

Even if you've never been to Disneyland, chances are very good that you've heard of the Disneyland Hotel.  It's iconic.  It's the original Disney hotel.  And right now, it's receiving a serious TLC renovation on all three of its buildings.  Part of this renovation includes the addition of some absolutely amazingly themed suites.  

According to the Disney Parks Blog, the 11th floor of the Dreams Tower of the Disneyland Hotel will be the new home to what Disney is calling 'signature suites' - over the top theming, attention to detail, sound effects, etc.  You know, the typical Disney treatment!  These uber-themed suites will include the following themes: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Fair Tales, Mickey Mouse and Pirates of the Caribbean.  The DP blog recently provided the following pictures of the new Big Thunder Suite:

Prices aren't being publicized yet, but if you are interested, just give Disney a call at (714) 956-6425.

2011 Free Dining Announced!!

WDW is doing it again!  The wildly popular free dining is BACK for 2011.  The program has been expanded, too!  Those staying at mods, deluxes, and deluxe villas will get the standard dining plan, and those staying in the value resorts will get the quick service dining plan.  Please note that

Here are the dates:

Jan 1 – 5

Jan 9 – 13

Jan 21 – Feb 3 

Feb 11 – 17 

Feb 25 – Mar 3 

May 27 – Jun 2 

Aug 19 – Sept 29

The booking window for these promotions is through December 20, 2010, so act now!! Book online or call (407) 939-7926 and ask for booking code NL7 to book your room reservations. 

The fine print: No group rates or other discounts apply. Advance reservations required. With the Disney Dining Plan, children ages 3-9 must choose from children's menu if available. Excludes gratuities and alcoholic beverages. Some table service restaurants may have limited or no availability at time of package purchase.

Price Increase Coming on Park Tickets!

It's that time of the year again.  Time for football to start, kids to start thinking about school again and time for Disney to raise ticket prices!  You will see the regular ticket prices below, but also know that annual passes, Florida resident passes, etc., will also be going up as well.

Please note that these prices are effective as of Thursday, August 5!

New Prices at WDW:

Days On Ticket	Base Ticket: Ages 10-up	Base Ticket: Ages 3-9	Optional Add-On: Park Hopper	Optional Add-On: Water Park Fun & More	Optional Add-On: No Expiration
10 Days	$262 ($26.20/day)	$239 ($23.90/day)	$54	$54 (10 visits)	$213
9 Days	$257 ($28.56/day)	$234 ($26.00/day)	$54	$54 (9 visits)	$208
8 Days	$252 ($31.50/day)	$229 ($28.63/day)	$54	$54 (8 visits)	$182
7 Days	$247 ($35.29/day)	$224 ($32.00/day)	$54	$54 (7 visits)	$142
6 Days	$242 ($40.33/day)	$219 ($36.50/day)	$54	$54 (6 visits)	$106
5 Days	$237 ($47.40/day)	$214 ($42.80/day)	$54	$54 (5 visits)	$95
4 Days	$232 ($58.00/day)	$209 ($52.25/day)	$54	$54 (4 visits)	$67
3 Days	$224 ($74.67/day)	$202 ($67.33/day)	$54	$54 (3 visits)	$28
2 Days	$162 ($81.00/day)	$146 ($73.00/day)	$54	$54 (2 visits)	$22
1 Day	$82	$74	$54	$54 (2 visits)	n/a

New Prices at DLR:

Ticket	Ages 10+	Ages 3-9
6-Day Park Hopper	$256	$230
5-Day Park Hopper	$251	$226
4-Day Park Hopper	$231	$208
3-Day Park Hopper	$206	$185
2-Day Park Hopper	$161	$146
2-Day	$151	$136
1-Day Park Hopper	$101	$91
1-Day	$76	$68

Recipe Share - Tigger Tails

I stumbled upon Tigger Tails at DLR while we were waiting to meet Pooh and Tigger.  Little Man and I went into Pooh Corner to get a drink, and there they were.  These little sticks of orange joy. 

I happened to run across a recipe online for them, and I can't wait to make them!

How to Make Disneyland Tigger Tails at Home
Making Tigger Tails like the ones found at Disneyland is fun, easy, and cheap!
Read More

Grand Californian Hotel - Disneyland

As I mentioned before, we just returned from our first trip to Disneyland!  We did do more than just the Mouse while we were out there - quick trip through LA, Malibu, Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Legoland, San Diego, La Jolla - it was definitely a whirlwind trip!  

For the first five nights of our trip, Disney's Grand Californian Hotel (GCH) was our home base.  We had considered non-Disney hotels while in the LA area since Disneyland is right in the middle of town and surrounded by hotels, but Disney offered a great deal this summer - pay for three nights, stay for five.  It brought the GCH down closer to what we would pay at an Embassy Suites or similar, so we chose the GCH.  Boy, we were NOT disappointed!

The GCH was designed by the same architect who designed both the Wilderness Lodge and the Animal Kingdom Lodge in WDW, and you can see some similarities in the designs, such as the impressive lobby (see pic below).  Unlike the two Florida resorts, the GCH is designed in the Craftsman style that is so prevalent in California.

Like WDW, DLR also bases room rates on the view from your room.  The primary room views are standard (overlooks front entrance), pool view, Downtown Disney view and Disney California Adventure (DCA) view.  We booked a standard view room, and to our surprise, we were told at check in that we had a 4th floor room with a pool view!  Love free upgrades.  And to make things more fun, we were able to see part of DCA from our room as well if we looked to our left. 

GCH's pool complex is expansive.  There are three pools and two hot tubs.  The pool in the picture above is also home to the Redwood Slide.  The slide is only open during the day, as it is manned by a lifeguard.  At night, the pool complex is dimly, but safely, lit.  Cabanas are available for daily rental.  During the day, there is also chairside food service.  Another difference between all pools at DLR versus WDW is that they are gated with restricted access.  One must slide a room key to gain access to the pool - see gate below.

Once in our room, we were pleasantly surprised at its size.  The rooms were larger than what we had at the Wilderness Lodge, but they were not as large as the Polynesian or Contemporary.  We had two queen beds, flat screen TV mounted above a dresser, as well as two chairs and a writing table.  Outside on the balcony, there were a few chairs and a small table.  The decor continues the Craftsman theme with very little obvious Disney influence.  There were Mickey heads on the carpet, and there was Bambi and Thumper on the shower curtain.  The dresser hid a small dorm fridge.  

One of the best features of GCH is its proximity to both DLR parks.  Our room was essentially four floors above the private entrance in to DCA!  While this entrance is available to all current guests of any of the three DLR hotels, few can say that it only took them 5 minutes from room to park!  Going to Disneyland Park itself takes a few minutes longer - walk out from the hotel in to Downtown Disney, swing a right, and tada!  You are in the promenade between the two parks.

GCH's proximity to DCA is proving to be a bit problematic with the new World of Color show.  Currently, there are three shows a night, and it is LOUD.  The rides you see in the picture are in the Paradise Pier section, and WoC plays out on the lagoon in that area.   Even though we were not overlooking DCA and were actually a decent distance away from the lagoon, we could still hear the music during the shows, even with the doors closed to the balcony.  Luckily, it was not loud enough to keep us awake at night, but we both commented that it had to be loud in the rooms that overlooked the park on that side. 

We experienced two of the three dining options at GCH.  Whitewater Snacks is the quick service location, and we ate dinner there our last night of our stay.  We found it to be better than average as far as Disney hotel quick service goes.  We also had dinner one night at Storyteller's Cafe.  Three of us chose their buffet, while E Belle ended up with standard chicken nuggets.  The buffet had a carving station, salad, desserts, pasta, vegetables, etc.  Pretty decent, we felt that we got our money's worth considering we left stuffed!  Napa Rose was the only one we did not try, is considered to be the nicest of all DLR restaurants and serves California style cuisine.


I am so glad we chose GCH!  I'd stay here again in a heartbeat.  While it is definitely more expensive than most rooms on Harbor Blvd., it is still cheaper than a deluxe room at WDW.

Coming Soon - Your Chance To Explore the Savannah at AK!

This is cool!

Disney Parks blog is reporting that later this year, small groups of guests will be able to experience Animal Kingdom's Harambe Reserve at WDW up close and personal.

They're still working out the details, but guests can observe wildlife on Disney's savannah and learn about the animals who live there and their behaviors.  From the description, it's a combination of walking through a part of the Harambe Reserve that's not typically open to guests, then riding in a specially designed vehicle for the duration.

More information, including prices and reservations, won't be available until later in the year.  But this definitely sounds like an exciting tour!