Last time we went to Disneyland was in 2019, right before Tai turned 3. I told Kyle we would go again right before our last baby turned 3 so that he could mentally prepare! So a couple years ago we mentioned it to Kyley and Jordan and we made a plan to go. Huge shout out to Jordan for figuring out all the travel rewards credit cards we could use too, because we were able to pay for the whole trip with travel rewards points! We started working towards earning them around August of 2024. One big trick is to not add your spouse to the cards you apply for. You refer them to apply for their own card and get a referral bonus.
We used 4 Chase cards to earn 186,000 points to book our 6 night stay in a Hyatt suite. We used 3 Capital One cards to earn 303,096 points to book our 5 days in Disneyland/California Adventure WITH Lightening Lane Multi Passes (would have been $3,115.00 if we had to buy them), through Get Away Today. We still had 180,000 points to book flights with Southwest AND enough for the rental car to get us from LAX to Hyatt and back. How amazing is that?! All we had to pay was the credit card fees that ended up being $1,155. CRAZY! I still would have been happy driving there, not having to take a car seat and stroller to the airport, having our own car, etc. but it all worked out. Then we didn't have to pay for any parking at the Hotel. Or at the airport because Lyndsey was so nice to drop us off and pick us up.
We placed a Walmart pickup order that we got on our way to the hotel, before we returned the rental, so we had lunches every day to pack and eat in the park. We had breakfast every morning at the hotel and then we were only eating one meal a day in the park. It worked out perfectly! The meat and cheese party tray was the perfect family lunchable.
We arrived Saturday night in time to see the fireworks from our hotel window. Disneyland was less than a mile from there so we just walked there and back each day.
We rope dropped Peter Pan in Fantasyland!
How we feel when Alice in Wonderland breaks down as soon as we get close to the front of the line.
Keeping the kids off of the ropes and railings was impossible. Even after Kohen sat on a chain and flipped over it, backwards, hitting his head on the ground.
Before we left Fantasyland the girls got to have all their hair pixie dusted for free. Super cute!
Matterhorn
Kohen was not a fan and did not want to do Big Thunder Mountain or Tiana's Bayou Adventure after doing this very ride. But Space Mountain became his all time favorite!
Feed some ducks, take a nap. Hotel naps are for the weak. Kolt napped in the stroller every single day.
Astro Orbiter
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
Every time we come out of a ride, whether there was a score to earn or not, Kolt would yell to everyone that, "I win!"
Kasen left his hat on Indiana Jones and the ride broke down right after so we couldn't go back to get it. Luckily it opened in time for us to be able to get it back before we had to go home though.
Meeting Darth Vader was intense. The kids were all scared to respond to him after he got on to them for crossing the line they were told to stand behind.
Then rode Autopia. Poor Tai was barely tall enough to ride herself, but really wanted to. We passed her stopped on the track and found out that she wasn't tall enough to reach the pedal and steer so a worker had to hop in to drive her back. As soon as we were all off the ride she was crying. Poor Tai.
We rope dropped California Adventure, Cars Land.
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree was probably the ride we rode the most times. It was Kolt's favorite!
Radiator Springs Racers
This was fun because we pulled up right next to Kyley and Jordan's car to race and we won!
None of the boys wanted to come, and Tai was the only one that went back a second time with me and Jordan. The first couple days Kasen was saying no to all the rollercoasters, but the last couple days there wasn't anything he wouldn't ride, except THIS ride.
We all went on the Incredicoaster, which turned into an adventure. I took Tai and Charly to go again and we got stuck at the top of the roller coaster, half way through one of the tunnels, but still in the sun. We had to wait for 30 minutes for 2 maintenance men to come get us out and then walk us all the way down all the stairs. We were not impressed with how often and how many rides kept braking down. Especially while we were on them or finally at the front of the line.
We rode the Pixar Pal-A-Round, half of us in a swinging one and half of us chose a non swinging. We could see our hotel from the top of it too!
We met lots of princesses that day and Gaston was making us all laugh so hard! Asking the girls when they fell in love with him and telling Kasen how he doesn't like books or reading so he can't write his name either.
We headed over to Toon Town and found the perfect shaded nook in the back to eat lunch together.
Big Thunder Mountain
Checked out Tarzan's Treehouse.
DAY FOUR
Pixar Pier
Toy Story Midway Mania
Jessie's Critter Carousel
We all stopped for some ice cream on the pier and then dinner included yummy grilled cheese and Kasen got his chili dog.
Later we all went to Pixar Pier to watch the World of Color show. It is my favorite show to watch. Always gives me goosebumps and makes me feel all the magic.
DAY THREE
Disneyland, but we did not rope drop. We stopped for pictures which is another reason why buying lightening lane is totally worth it. It includes all the pictures you want, getting linked right to your account.
Everyone headed for Rise of the Resistance while I took Kolt to meet Pooh Bear and Tigger. Then I got to go back and ride Rise of the Resistance with Tai after.
We met lots of princesses that day and Gaston was making us all laugh so hard! Asking the girls when they fell in love with him and telling Kasen how he doesn't like books or reading so he can't write his name either.
That night we got all the kids churros, while Kyle and I tried the Cookie Butter Churro Sundae. We got out our glow sticks and found a front row spot for the Paint the Night Parade. It was a hard spot to hold! Kohen was waving to every character and yelling their name though- it was so fun.
When we got home that night I had the biggest scare ever, thinking my camera got left on the Finding Nemo ride (#farttunnel & #fartchamber) we rode last, or stolen off the stroller. We contacted Disney and filled out their lost and found form and everything. The next morning Kyle remembered he put my camera by the front door! Huge relief.
California Adventure- no rope drop. While everyone headed to Soarin I took Kolt to Mickey's PhilharMagic 3D show and then over to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live. He loved dancing, especially when the room filled with bubbles blowing down from the ceiling.
After that we went to the Disney Animation Studio and an artist taught us all how to draw Eeyore.
We all rode the Web Slingers ride where Jordan learned that if your arm extends outside the front window that the whole ride will shut down...
The Days headed back to the hotel early again that day, but we had tacos for dinner and rode all the rest of the rides that we missed. I was bummed that there was no show at the Hyperion Theater this time, but we rode every open ride (2 were closed), except Goofy's Sky School. So, 15 rides and 4 other attractions/shows.
DAY FIVE
We spent our last day rope dropping Disneyland, for one last time. Headed to Fantasyland again.
Everyone headed to Galaxy's Edge again so I took Kolt on the Winnie the Pooh ride and the Mark Twain Riverboat.
We stopped to get everyone a beignet and eat them on the Disney Railroad ride over to Toon Town again. We got on the train again to ride it back, but it broke down so we had to get off and walk all the way back to our stroller. Lame
The first time we rode Tiana's Bayou Adventure, Tai insisted on sitting in the front and she got soaked! The next time, Kasen wanted to come with us and Tai put on a poncho.
Kasen liked stopping to do the pin trading. We had a few pins from last time we came and Kasen was excited to buy a few more too.
Only one ride was closed, but we rode 33 of the other rides! Nearly all of them.
The hardest part was trying to get all the kids to just go pee at the same time. That and the fact that Kolt insists on taking off his shoes, pants and underwear anytime he has to poop.
He managed to run away one time, while we were in line for Pirates of the Caribbean, but usually he was on a leash. Even though we could hear people saying, I would never do that to my kid. Bahaha!
For dinner, Kyle got us Cheesy Garlic Pretzel Bread with Bratwurst (his 3rd time ordering them!) and we ate dinner while waiting for the Fantasmic show. The kids all had Christmas money to buy souvenirs with so we spent some time letting them pick what they wanted to buy too.
Kasen bought a light saber and some pins. Tai got earrings, a keychain and a fuzzy sweater. Kolt got a Lightening McQueen car and Kohen insisted on a remote control Tracy spider-bot.
