A Disneyland Vacation : Where I Would Start ...Your Travel Agency

There are many options out there for Disney Travel. There are some great packages available. If you have membership with a motor club company, are in the military or shop at a bolk warehouse type store, you may be able to find some sweet discounted deals!

Our absolutely favorite company to use for a Dinseyland trip is Get Away Today. Why? Well, about 7 or 8 years ago our oldest came home with a flyer from their company. A portion of the money spent with their company would go back to my kiddo's school. At the time we had a credit card with a very low limit... not enough to book a vacation on, but Get Away Today offered the option of paying straight from your bank account, which was perfect for us.

I really like their user friendly site too. Many travel agencies online require you give them your email address and sometimes phone number to receive a quote for a vacation. Not so with Get Away Today. I can sit for as long as I want and enter and re-enter information to figure out the best deal, time to go, specials, etc.

Also when you book with them they usually send you an official Disney Pin, which isn't anything super special BUT you can bring it with you to the park and trade it with any cast member for a more unique pin (more on that later)

A couple of years later I thought I would shop around for a better deal. Really all I found was that everyone else was either more expensive, less friendly, or relatively the same with a few differences...So we are staying loyal to our favorite.

Your budget for Disneyland depends greatly on how many days you will be there, how many things you plan on buying, and how much you DONT want to spend. I will be doing a post later about different tips to help you save money if your main goal is to create a "magical" trip for a family. Right now, just understand that the biggest part of your budget is probably going to be taken up by your park tickets. When you are booking with most agencies the price you see includes tickets. Your hotel room only takes up a small portion of that money. Often times you might find a deal for a free night which will help with up to $120 of your hotel budget. Also when you book tickets and hotel together(along with anything else like car rental and airline tickets) you stand more of a chance of saving a hunk of money than if you booked them all separately.

A couple of posts from now I will go over our typical first day at Disney, how we use our time, how we save money, and what we spend our money on and why. Next up: Hotel Review and How to Pick Where You Stay

What Should I Wear to Disneyland?

You've booked your airline tickets to California, you've booked your hotel and bought your Disneyland tickets (our favorite agency is Get Away Today really an excellent deal!), all you need to do know is figure out what to pack for everyone. Here are some tips to help make it easier to pack.

1) Check the weather... Mornings in Anaheim are usually a bit overcast and misty leaving you feeling both cool and clammy. As the sun burns off the cool clouds the temperature will of course warm up. Summers usually reach the mid 80's. Winters are mid 60's.

2) What time you will be there will determine how many layers to bring... We always saty at the park from open to close. I dress the kids and I in long pants or shorts, t-shirts, very comfortable shoes (we love a Keens for their durability and comfort). Also make sure to bring a jacket... that cold moist air will definitely be back in the evening. Most lines for rides are shaded to some degree, but a hat is always nice to help prevent sunburns. Also inexpensive camping rain ponchos to avoid getting wet on Splash Mountain and for that unexpected rain shower.

3) Children... If you have them, you know you are likely to have some sort of accident. Dont make me tell you the story about my baby and her diaper incident! Extra clothing items worth packing for inside the park are:
-underwear, pants, and socks for your potty trainer
-onesie and change of out fit for the baby (a onesie will come in handy if the weather gets really warm)
-t-shirts for those messy eaters
-also pack some sandals or inexpensive tennies in your luggage in case your new walker loses a shoe.

I've always found that being over prepared for an out of town trip to Disneyland is far better than having to buy something in an expensive gift shop. Have fun!