Did I Actually Pay Money for This? One Mom’s Reflections on Disneyland

What? This isn't what you think of when you think of pictures taken at Disneyland?
What? This isn’t what you think of when you imagine pictures taken at Disneyland?

I’m sure you’ve probably heard the saying fact that when you travel with children, you are not going on a vacation but a trip. I am a strong believer in this statement truth, and after traveling with my two small children to Disneyland last week, I can tell you that when you visit Disneyland you don’t just go on a trip but on a full-blown journey…through the seven levels of H-E-L-L.

I read quite a few blog posts while preparing for this journey to the dark side, mostly by moms eager to share their experiences and tips for tackling the park with children. My take on these posts is that they tend to focus overwhelmingly on the positives while grossly deemphasizing the negative aspects of the park experience.

So in an effort to bring a little reality back to the game, I’m going to share with you my number one (extremely hard-earned) tip about going to Disneyland: DON’T DO IT. Save yourself the trouble and use the piles of money to buy an island in the Caribbean instead. But if you must go the way of the mouse, at least read the rest of my post to balance out all the other bippity boppity BS that will most certainly cloud your judgment.

The Seven Layers of Hell: Disneyland Edition

1. The airport. A thought occurred to me while struggling to keep my children in check during our extended and unexpected delays at the airport: where are the glitzy award shows honoring mommies? I managed to keep my children and everyone unfortunate enough to cross their tornadic path alive and uninjured without completely losing what precious little is left of my cool, and for that I deserve the civilian equivalent of a Purple Heart. As much as I appreciate the pomp and circumstance that precipitate the big Hollywood awards shows, until we mommies get our well-deserved equivalent (might I suggest the Golden Boobies), I am heretofore personally offended by these displays of misdirected admiration and praise. Seriously, where are our awards shows? And don’t get me wrong: I am fully aware that even in the midst of my many thwarted attempts to wrangle my children at the airport I am far from in the running for millionth runner-up of Mom of the Year. But even so, I would still welcome and appreciate the opportunity to cheer on my fellow compatriots who have faced and overcome far greater challenges than I. Can we hear it for all the mamas out there who are flying with their children this week? Hooray for you!

2. Park hours. Who is the misogynist who decided amusement parks should open at 7:00 A.M.? Seriously, is there anything amusing about having your entire family fed, dressed, and out the door at 6:00 A.M.? Absolutely not. And to add insult to injury, this same park that opens at 7:00 A.M. has the audacity to host a can’t-miss parade at 8:45 P.M., followed by another must-see fireworks display around 9:30 P.M. Is this a conspiracy to kill off all well-meaning parents? If so, well played, Disneyland. You almost got me.

Can you spot the Disneyland trip on my phone's step tracking app? Here's a hint: look for the Mt. Everest looking peaks.
Can you spot the Disneyland trip on my step tracking app? Here’s a hint: look for the Mount Everest-esque peaks.

3. The crowds/waiting in line. So you may be scratching your head and wondering why we didn’t just sleep in and go later. Silly you. If you skip a level on your descent, you pay the consequences. Should you decide to sleep in during your magical stay at Disneyland, you will regret that decision until your dying day. The later you go to the park, the more ridiculous the crowds and lines become. And I don’t know about you, but waiting in line for 30 minutes in scorching hot sun while holding my sweaty, squirmy, whining toddler to get on a fairly lame ride that lasts all of two minutes (if you’re lucky) is just not an equation that makes sense to me.

This is how my son greeted any and all characters: face down on the floor. I loved that Anna stayed in playful character and met him down there!

4. Bathroom visits. All this roasting in the hot sun makes you thirsty, and being thirsty makes you drink, and drinking makes you pee, so guess what? You’re going to spend a lot of time in the bathroom. And I don’t mean to take care of your personal needs (because heaven knows that rarely ever ranks high on a mom’s to-do list), but your kids’. Between my daughter’s frequent need to relieve herself and my son’s bewilderingly frustrating ability to fill a diaper with just one squirt of the ol’ hose, I spent a great deal of time in the bathroom, often with two overstimulated kids crammed in the same stall. And in case you’re wondering, YES, all of the toilets in Disneyland are autoflush potties, so I spent a lot of time hunched over my daughter trying desperately to keep my hand over the sensor, therefore preventing the potty from flushing while she did her business. I hated it every minute of it…and there were lots of minutes. On the flip side, the bathrooms are nice, and there are usually plenty of stalls, so Disney scores a point there.

5. Character visits. Meant to be one of the most magical aspects of Disneyland, spontaneous character visits were nothing short of a nightmare for me. Here’s the drill, my family style: Daughter spots a character on the street and screams with the intensity of a howler monkey for us to stop the stroller so she can meet the character. Being the obliging parents we are, we stop the stroller, turn it around, and stand in the line with all the other beaten-down parents roasting like lobsters in a pot. Once we finally approach the front of the line, the character du jour extends her hand to my daughter in a welcoming gesture at which point my daughter scowls and rudely pulls the sunshade of the stroller down to avoid being seen by said character. Character tries in vain to raise the shade to meet my suddenly shy daughter while annoyed patrons look on with burning impatience, at which point I decide to wheel the stroller away mumbling “I’m sorry” to everyone within earshot. No sooner do I whisk past the character and back to the relative safety of the street, my daughter melts down into full-blown hysterics because she wants to go back and get a picture with the character we just left hanging. Are you kidding me? Did I actually pay money for this?

6. Food. After managing all these emotional highs and lows in addition to schlepping around the park pushing a double stroller while carrying almost all of your worldly possessions in a backpack, you better believe you’ve worked up an appetite. You may, in fact, feel hungrier than you’ve ever felt in your whole entire life. You’d assume that Disneyland would have accounted for that and would have restaurants that operate with the efficiency of McDonald’s with food that is satisfactory at least to that level. And yet, you’d be wrong. I found the food at Disneyland to be nothing short of abysmal, which is really saying something given that these were conditions under which I had seriously considered eating my own shoe for sustenance. Point is, I was beyond hungry and the food was still disappointing, the wait was frustrating, and the price we had to pay for all this loveliness was criminal. Do not expect to experience culinary delights at Disneyland. It ain’t gonna happen.

This lovely selfie was taken a mere 24 hours into my trip. I don't think it requires explanation.
This lovely selfie was taken a mere 24 hours into my trip. I don’t think it requires explanation.

7. Returning home. You return from some vacations feeling refreshed and revived and ready to conquer the world. Your trip to Disneyland won’t be one of them. I don’t know how it feels to climb Mount Everest in the midst of a raging blizzard and probably never will, but I’d imagine that the fatigue and weariness I felt upon our return home from Disneyland was at least somewhat akin to the level of physical and emotional exhaustion experienced by such a climber. If you come home on a weekday (as I did) and have to jump right back into school and activities the next day, God bless you. Start praying now. I recommend returning on a Friday or Saturday so you can at least take a little time to catch up on your sleep before the reality of your work week resumes. You’ll need the extra help. Trust me.

I can already feel the cloud of mommy amnesia setting in as I reflect on our trip and find myself recalling the truly precious and joy-filled moments (yes, there were some) instead of the more common grueling and trying ones. In fact, my husband (whose aversion to crowds runs deep) actually said to me the other day that he was looking forward to going again. When I questioned him on this, he replied casually, “Yeah it was tough in the beginning, but we really hit our stride there at the end.” Sure, I thought to myself, if getting into a shoving match in the middle of a parade at ToonTown on our last morning is an example of hitting our stride, then we definitely hit our stride. No doubt about it.

The truth is that I will probably return to a Disney park before my children are too old—and therefore too cool—to go with me. I will coast on the potentially erroneous belief that having gone once, I can tackle the parks anew, equipped with the wisdom and jaded perspective of a seasoned veteran. And because I’m now armed with the knowledge that Disney isn’t so much where the magic begins so much as it is where the migraines begin, I will be packing an economy-sized bottle of Tylenol. And possibly a flask. Did I mention they don’t serve alcohol at Disneyland?

"Next time I want to go to Disneyworld, Mommy. Not Disneyland." True story.
“Next time I want to go to Disney World, Mommy. Not Disneyland.” True story.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a native Texan and stay at home mom to a 3-year-old human hurricane in pigtails and a 1-year-old son who is currently jockeying for the title of world’s biggest mama’s boy. She has been married to her husband, who lives in perpetual denial of the fact that he is, in fact, a Yankee, for eight long (and wonderful!) years. Together they have renovated a historical home with their own little hands (never again), braved the winters of New York (and decided they’d rather not), and discovered a profound and binding love of travel (travel without the children, that is). They currently reside in Fair Oaks Ranch where they are surrounded by family and deer.

54 COMMENTS

  1. I was forwarded this by a dear friend and, unfortunately, I was unable to even complete reading half of this blog. You my dear are one of the parents who are turning our society into a “nothing matters but me” society. You have come off whiny, self-centered and pretty much annoying. As a matter of fact, from reading what few lines I did, I feel you should not have even had children! This may “offend” you but you seem to be more worried about “oh no, I had to do _____ for them”. This is the self-centered part I was referring to. Please do not bother taking your children to Walt Disney World and I do not wish the pleasure of running into you. An ever better thought, please don’t vacation ANYWHERE so no one will be tortured with your holier than though, praise me for what I do attitude.

    • Obviously you don’t know this writer, nor have you witnessed her parenting! If so, you would never dream of making such awful personal attacks. To make such bold accusations about someone’s character – someone you don’t even know – based on one article that you didn’t even read in its entirety, is absurd. Your comments are hateful. It is my personal opinion that “what is wrong with this world” is the lack of love and support for our fellow mothers. We should all be careful about how quickly and boldly we pass judgment versus treating others how we would like to be treated and loved.

      One last note – I LOVE Disney, like unhealthily obsessed and have always had great experiences. However, I adore this author’s writing and love this piece for its honesty and humor. Shouldn’t we all be this “real” and encourage everyone to be honest and true with their own experiences? Although I may have a different opinion on ‘the magic of disney’, that’s not really the point. What I do believe is that tearing down other mothers/people is messed up and a detriment to our society, especially when the attack is based on a few lines of an article clearly laced with humor.

      • Thanks so much for reading, Allison! I appreciate that you are able to separate your love of Disney from one mom’s not particularly awesome experience. What I really love, though, is your comment about moms who are so quick to insult and degrade other moms without any basis for doing so. This blog is about sharing our stories and expressing ourselves freely, and it is such a great feeling when we are met with love instead of hate. Thanks for commenting – you really made my day!

    • Hi Jeanie – Thanks for sharing your thoughts! After reading that you didn’t feel compelled to finish reading my post, I likewise felt uninspired to continue reading your comments. Cheers!

  2. I found this hilarious and real. Thanks for writing. When my first two were little we did things like Disney. One would run to the characters while the other screamed in terror “Don’t let her talk to them!” Some trips were a lot like yours.

    Also, it’s a funny piece, people. Lighten up. Who knew Disney had so many on their payroll? ?

    #firstworld problems typed from a mobile device, tablet or computer is kinda ironic, dontcha think?

    Group hug and a chill pill mommas!

    • Thanks for sharing your story, Denise! I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one whose kids weren’t completely enthralled by the characters at the park!

  3. LMAO!!!! Are you for real???? First, it sounds like if you had better control of kids, you might’ve had a decent time. It’s Disney’s fault cause your children were hooligans in the airport and no one helped you? Doubt it. And it’s the character’s fault cause your child had a meltdown at picture time? Hardly. Also, if you don’t want to be SWEATY, HOT and/or crowded, don’t go during the summer time. And 30 minutes wait time is definitely not a long by any means. When you’ve waited 90+ minutes, you can complain. I don’t think Disney MAKES YOU get there at 7 am either. Just because something opens at a set time, doesn’t mean you have to be there at that time. If you’re staying for the evening parade and fireworks, come later in the day. Or with little ones, go back to your room, take a nap, and go back. It’s actually pretty easy and loads of fun if you take the time to enjoy it.

    • I think if you go back and reread the post, Liz, you’ll see that I never placed blame on anyone for my experiences – not Disney, not airline passengers, not the characters. Thanks for reading, and have a blessed day!

  4. Complaining about waiting too long for rides at Disneyland while people the world over can’t even afford to feed their children properly. Classy! #firstworldproblems

  5. I suggest building in an extra day to your trip. Put it smack dab in the middle and use it for nothing more than floating in the pool, resting in the hotel, and maybe a character dinner that evening at a Disney hotel. Or go early to the parks when the lines are shorter, and around lunch when everyone else is hitting the wall and it starts to get crowded, slip out of the park with your kids and head back to the hotel. Let your kids nap, take a shower and find your second wind. Disney takes being creative with your kids and lots and lots of planning. We bring little things for our kids to do in the lines and I plan our days to the letter. I would give it a second chance, because it truly can be a wonderful time. (Small tip- all counter serve restaurants at Disney are not the same. Consider getting the Unofficial Guide to Disney where they’ve ranked the restaurants and rides for adults and kids. Counter serve restaurants also will give you FREE ice water upon request, and I find that a hydrated family is a happier one. We hit them up as often as we can.)

    • Thanks for all the great tips, Tanya. I didn’t realize you could get free ice water at the restaurants. That would’ve saved a lot of water-bottle weight in the bottom of my stroller! Thanks so much for reading and the great advice!

  6. I hate that your family didn’t have a magical time! I’ve been at least 5 times to DL with mine and ALWAYS have an amazing time! In fact, we’ve decided to purchase season tickets. With a little more research before going, I think you could have saved a lot of tears. I (like those before) find the “Unofficial Guide to Disneyland” the most helpful. Disney isn’t a fly by the seat of your pants vacation for sure! Good luck on future trips, and have a Magical day!

    • Thanks so much, Terri! I was initially pretty bummed that we didn’t have a magical time too, but I spent some time looking at our DL pictures with my daughter over the weekend, and her face glowed with excitement as she eagerly recounted her memories of each shot. Knowing that she has such fond memories of the trip makes all the pain and suffering seem worthwhile. That mom amnesia thing will get ya every time! Thanks again for reading!

  7. My wife and I have taken our kids to WDW 4 times. Twice with just our daughter and twice with our daughter and twin boys. Each time we went, there were things that we did wrong. But we learned from our mistakes to make the next trip better. We’ve never been to Disneyland, so some of my advice might not apply.

    One of our earliest mistakes was trying to do too much. It sounds like you made this mistake too. Between trying to catch parades, buses, fireworks and dining reservations, we were running ourselves ragged. My wife and I were not having fun and neither were our kids. We learned that it is essential to come up with a schedule for your vacation. But not every minute has to be accounted for. If you miss a parade, who cares, catch it next time. Listen to your kids. I can’t stand seeing parents dragging their sobbing kids around when the kids are obviously exhausted. Remember Disneyland is big and Disney World is HUGE! You can’t do it all in one trip. They WANT you to come back!

    You also mentioned that you felt the need to get to the park right at opening. We did this too when the kids were younger. It worked out fine because the weather is not too hot. Around noon time or so, we would head back to the hotel and let the kids rest or head to the pool and recharge. Then, we headed back to the parks in the evening to catch the parades and fireworks.

    Trips (yes, they are NOT vacations!) to Disney definitely get easier as your kids get older. Our last trip was last year when our kids were 7 and 10. It was by far our most enjoyable trip. Perhaps you should work your way up to a Disney trip by first doing a “day trip” to a smaller park and see how your kids handle that. Jumping into a multi-day trip to Disney with toddlers can be overwhelming!

    Hope this helps!

    • Hi Kevin – thanks so much for sharing your thoughts! I think it’s undeniable that we tried to do too much at one time. If anyone learns anything from this post, I think that tidbit should be to take it extremely slow at first and ramp up the pace as needed as your time at the parks draws shorter. I also think you just never know what you’re going to get with young kiddos. Going to a smaller day trip park is a great idea in theory – but unfortunately with kids (or at least with my kids!!!), behavior on one day is no guarantee of behavior on a nearly identical day in the future. Or as Forest Gump might say – kids are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get! Anyway, I appreciate your encouragement and do look forward to future trips when are children are older and presumably a little more reasonable…maybe???

  8. We also went last month and coming from Texas, we found it a positive the parks opened so early! We didn’t have to adjust to Pacific time! Park opening at 7 was 9 our time so we didn’t have to sit around and find something to do before the parks opened!

    • Well, that’s true Kelly. I guess we just jumped right in and adapted to the time change like it never happened. Maybe that contributed to my general malaise! So glad y’all didn’t experience the same setback!

    • Thanks Wendy – and I’ll tell you what – at home I never go out in public without my trusty roll of painters tape for exactly the purpose you mention above. But I just didn’t think to bring it with me to DL. Total parenting fail!!!!

  9. We have 4 kids and have done disney world 1x and Disneyland 3x and will be heading back to Florida on the next vacation. The best thing I have found is the book the unofficial guide to Disney and their website touringplans.com they give crowd calendars for each park by day, rate each ride by like dislike per age level, give tips, and give you guided plans for what order to see the park to avoid the most lines. From the website you can access on your phone and customize touring plans based on kids ages and what you still need to see. It has really helped make it so much better for us. Disneyland we usually left the park and ate in downtown Disney for better food and then returned later on after a break. Plane travel, my kids travel several times a year often with me traveling alone with them so we have that down well, electronics, snacks, and good kids headphones. My kids are not big on characters and so we just went to goofies kitchen in the Disneyland hotel where they could see them at at less crazy pace. Worst experience – when my 2 month old baby threw up his milk down into my shirt / bra in 100+ Degree weather on a trip that we were staying too far away to go back to change (of course this is the same kid who wet my sleeping bag at 2 am on a camping trip in 32 degree weather).

    • Wow Faye – you win! I know firsthand what regurgitated milk smells like after a little time in the heat, and it’s not pleasant. At all. You are a real trooper! I hope this baby grows to love and appreciate you for the excellent mom that I’m sure you are!!! Thanks for the advice about the resources! I’ll be sure to check them out if/when we go next time!

  10. We were in Disneyland for Fall break. And we also visited Walt Disney World earlier this year.

    You have a unique take, I like the hint of sarcasm. Yes, this type of trip is a huge undertaking. It’s expensive no matter how you plan it. I have a few tips that have worked for our family. Oh, and my family includes a child that has a hard time with loud noises, a spouse who gets physically ill if anywhere near a fair or carnival, and a princess obsessed preschooler. Thankfully everyone is out of diapers.

    1 Airport: ditch your stroller as early as possible. I know that seems counter intuitive but we seriously move so much faster when we aren’t dealing with the stroller. We have a framed kid carrier that has been a total God-send and we used it for every airplane trip for about 4 years.

    2. Park Hours: Magic hours are for suckers. We aren’t early risers so 7am isn’t happening. But we do love a fireworks show. So far we’ve managed this by making the kids sleep in the stroller. We have a double that will seat up to 100lbs. One of the rental groups near Disney has them and boy howdy did we love having it. DO NOT go back to your room for naps. The only exception to this is if you are in the CA Adventure park and you are staying at the hotel that has a direct entrance back into the park. Also, Park Hopper passes are not worth the cost, at all, ever. They might be worth it if your kids are in high school, or the trip is all adults.

    3. Crowds/waiting: comfy shoes and an iPad. or FAST PASS your hearts out. We literally sent hubs running all over the park to get FAST PASSes. Then we almost always ask for a swap rider pass, even if our whole group was on the ride, so we could zip back in when everything else was too long of a line or we just loved the ride we just did. Both parents have to ask for these, they only get one adult on in the short line.

    4. Bathroom visits: poteet. its a foldable potty for the kids. I got nothing for you on the auto flush, I have a love/hate thing for it.

    5. Character Visits: skip these unless you have a fast pass or your child will literally die if they don’t meet Alice/Mary/Elsa/Ariel

    6. Food: reserve at least one sit down meal each day. This will do a few things a) most mid day and breakfast meals are character meet n greets so now you can skip the other character meets. b) the food is usually much better than the take away counter places c) you get to sit down for at least an hour d) many of these meals offer alcohol as an add on e) alcohol is offered, wait I already listed that one?

    7. Returning home: Yes! plan a day of decompression post trip. Better yet, buy your return flight tickets so your husband has to fly home solo with the kids and you can follow the day after. If he’s amazing he will have started trip laundry for you.

    8. The never ending asking for stuff: This isn’t on your list but it should be. We started giving the kids a gift card that has loaded on it roughly $20 a day to spend on what ever their little pea pickin’ hearts desire. Ice cream at 9am – sure thing kid! the stuffed princess doll just like what you already have 5 of at home? Why not, it’s your money. But when the money runs out – DONE no more stuff or treats. Amazingly this has been the best thing we’ve ever done. They get it, we take the time to talk to them about their choices and will often say can we wait until tomorrow to buy that? or after we go on one more ride? They really get that they have the power to pick things out but that when the money is gone, done. No winey begging children, it’s like magic.

    I am not a Disney person but we have managed to go to Disneyland 2 times and WDW 2 times in the past three years. We’ve had travel for other things that have taken us near the parks all but once. That one time we intentionally planned a WDW on property trip. It was fun and took so much effort to plan. I like going solely because my children love it. Well the princess obsessed child does, our older child would rather spend his time at Legoland.

    May your next family expedition be less stress and way more fun for all. I’m envisioning a beach trip where I can clean, cook, and do laundry with in shouting distance of the ocean.

    • Hey Lisa – we should travel together! I like your style, I am not a morning person, and it sounds like my husband and your husband would get along just fine (though mine would never – and I’m serious – not ever – have a load of laundry started if I somehow did manage to convince him to fly home with the kids by himself…which I think is probably a slim to none probability). Anyway, I appreciate your thoughtful response. A few comments of my own – we rented a double stroller too, and it was a LIFESAVER! My kids wouldn’t nap in the stroller – or at all on this trip which contributed to the overall suckiness of it all – but I certainly did think the stroller was a critically essential element of the park experience. I’ve never heard of poteet – gonna look it up. Autoflush potties are my nemesis. Miraculously – and I mean seriously by the grace of God – my kids didn’t have a case of the gimmees on this trip. The only instance I thought it might become an issue was when my daughter noticed all the cool light saber gadgets for sale, but I had picked up quite a few (relatively lame) glow stick things from the $1 bin at Target, and just having a wand and a few bracelet that glowed in the dark seemed to satisfy both kids. Hallelujah! So – on this beach trip – are you thinking Atlantic, Pacific, or Texas coast?!? I’m in!!!

  11. I recommend using a authorized Disney travel agent. They can help you plan it out so you don’t feel as rushed and crazy and can point out place like changing stations etc. They will help with touring plans so you go to rides when lines are the shortest as well!

  12. Oh wow! You nailed it. We went over the summer. I will have a hard time going back! We spent alot of night time in Epcot. Adult beverages and better food!

    • Solidarity Jen! I’m starting to think maybe a Disney cruise is the way to go. Think about it – no lines, plentiful food, and adult beverages galore! Thanks for reading!

  13. I have to agree with April, this lady definitely caused her own problems, not Disneyland itself. If her kids are honestly not well enough behaved to go to Disneyland and be happy about meeting characters and waiting their turn to go on rides, then she shouldn’t take her kids to Disneyland till they’re older. And if SHE, the ADULT, can’t even handle walking around in the heat and taking care of her children’s needs, when she very well knew that California is hot during that time of year, then SHE shouldn’t be going to any amusement park. Her kids probably didn’t have a great time because she wasn’t having a good time. Disneyland isn’t supposed to be an adult’s dream vacation spot, it’s for kids. Food at ANY amusement park isn’t going to be like a five star restaurant. That’s a given. If she didn’t want to pay that much and if she had such high expectations, she obviously did not look at reviews and prices and other blogs, and Disneyland is not at fault at all. Also, it is not a requirement to get there at 7am every day as soon as it opens. There are parades throughout the day, and most kids I know have no interest in sitting down in the blazing sun just watching their real life favorite characters dance around and walk by. Whenever I went to Disneyland, we went at 8 or 9 and it was just dandy. This lady needs to stop making problems for herself and take her kids when they’re old enough to not be apparently such a nuisance to her. Sorry, but really. This was completely ridiculous to read.

    • Thank you for reading, Sophie, and for taking the time to express your opinions – none of which I particularly agree with.

  14. Go to WDW most of the parks open at 8 still relatively early depending on the time of year . You can go do everything you want and head back to the hotel rest and relax and go back for parade and fireworks. Utilize the fast passes to your advantage. I dunno about Disneyland but, WDW you can cancel fast passes on the app and pick up others thanks to the magic bands. Also, character dinings help get some characters out of the way. If you don’t have one I highly recommend a baby and toddler carrier at the age. Wear the babies in line and anytime they are exhausted. We also, bought little fans to keep them cool(bonus they attached to our baby carrier). I forgot to mention with the magic bands you can setup your fast passes before hand which may help with the sleeping in thing 🙂 I went to Disneyland once I loved the nostalgia but, that was it. Go to WDW!!!!

    • Thanks for the good advice, Becca! Disneyland didn’t offer the magic bands when we went last month, but I understand from friends who have done WDW that they are fantastic! Perhaps we will venture to WDW sometime in the future, but at this point I’m thinking maybe a Disney cruise is more my speed!!!

  15. Girl, you’re doing Disney wrong … I took my 18 mo. old, 4 year old, and 7 year old to WDW and it was amazing! We’ve been several times since, as well. Next time (assuming there is one?), don’t try to cram so much into every day. Just because something exists doesn’t mean you have to do it. Even now, at 11, 14, and 17, my kids aren’t interested in seeing any parade nor most shows. And none of them want to be ANYWHERE at 7am! And oh, my dear, WDW serves beer, wine, and hard liquor, so make THAT your next trip!

    • Thanks Lisa! I think you’re right – we definitely overdid it on the first 24 hours we were there. After unexpected delays at the airport forced us to miss some of our scheduled activities on our first day, we were determined to make the most of the time we had left that evening. Between that late night and the early scheduled events the next morning, we wore ourselves too thin. And once you experience such an intense deficit of energy, it’s tough to recover. Next time (if there is one), we will start slow…like tortoise slow!!!

  16. just an FYI: Disneyland DOES have a baby change/feeding area with a child size, non-autoflush toilet. My sensory avoidant kiddo and I spent a lot of time in there. It’s nowhere near efficient, but it exists. 🙂

    • Oh man, Jessica. That info would’ve been good to know about a month ago! I didn’t think to look in the baby station areas for a non-autoflush potty. Good tip – thanks for sharing!

    • Hi Angela – thanks so much for reading and posting your experience. I wanted to share my perspective because you frequently hear about how wonderful Disney is – because it obviously truly can be – but you rarely hear people say outright that they really didn’t care for it. I found it interesting that my friends – the very same ones who encouraged us to go to Disneyland and told us how much we’d love it – confessed to me upon our return (once they heard my less than glowing review of our trip) that they too found their trip to be a beat-down. So that’s what inspired me to write the piece. I just don’t feel like people are willing or anxious to admit that they fought the mouse and the mouse won! That being said, my daughter had a great time on the trip (at least her memories seem to suggest to her that she had a great time) and frequently asks when we can return. As a last note, I did use a Certified Disney travel agency, and while they were wonderful with all the assistance they provided, their services still could not shield against the frustrations I outlined in my post. Thanks again for providing your insight!

  17. Oh Elizabeth, I feel like I can relate to every little mommyism you have. This is so funny. I nearly died over the auto flushers. What the hell is Disney thinking… Seriously.

    • Thanks Nikki! Yeah – I know. I seriously almost had a panic attack on our first night when we walked into the bathroom and my daughter asked – as she always does – if it was a “regular” (non-auto) potty. The good news is that so much exposure to them over a few consecutive days kinda numbed her sensitivity by the end of the trip. Yes, I still had to cover the sensor each time she went, but at least she didn’t leap into the air midstream every time someone else’s potty flushed. What is that saying – the joys of motherhood know no bounds?!?

  18. Maybe a strange question. I worked at the park and I know of no such time that it opens at 6am except.. March 23rd for a special event. (when its open 24 hours straight, 6am to 6am, closes for 2 hours, then opens again at 8am on the 24th).
    Was this the day that you went?

    • Hey Matt – not a strange question, and I’m glad you asked! It was a typo – I meant to say that the park opens at 7 (if you stay on property as we did and can take advantage of the Magic Morning), thereby necessitating that your family be out the door by 6. I’ve changed the post to reflect the correct hour! Thanks for pointing that out, and thanks for reading!

  19. Love this! I have a 4 year old and 2 year old. While our 4 year old is probably ready, our 2 year old isn’t. Seven horses couldn’t drag me to Disney at this point. Your description sounds exactly like the hell I’d imagine.

    While I’ve always said, no thanks to the idea of Disney, I know we can’t escape forever. But we won’t be going without the following: (1) all kids potty trained; (2) no strollers; (3) no nap time required; (4) staying in resort; and (5) the fast passes. With all those requirements, I should definitely just buy the island. 🙂

    • You are a wise woman, Lisa. Contrary to what my bio says, my children are also 4 and 2, and I just think it was all a bit overwhelming for them. If you end up going anytime soon, I totally agree with you about staying on the resort. That is a MUST. The stroller – pain though it was – totally saved our life though. I’m not sure at what age it becomes unnecessary, but maybe double digits!!!! If you end up with that island, I will happily accept any invitations to visit!!!

  20. My kids were 6 and 3 when we went to Disney World and it was the first time for all of us. It was nothing short of magical! Sure it was the most oppressive humid heat and I was wet the whole time, sure the lines were long (God bless fast pass!) And sure, by the third day me and the 3 year old headed back to the hotel while everyone else stayed in the park but that dinner and movie alone is his best memory from the trip lol 🙂 I would brave the chaos and go every year if I could afford it. The looks on my kids faces are worth every complaint 🙂

    • It sounds like you had the true magic Disney experience Jennifer, which is awesome!!! I think my children were just a little too young and perhaps I was a little too tired going into the trip. Whatever the case, I’m glad y’all have such great memories to look back on!

  21. I totally adore this post – I could well have written it myself! In fact I did write similar recently after a fortnight in Florida!!!
    #neverdoDisneyagain #probably

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