Does anyone know where I could get DisneyLAND coloring books, view master reels or other items that would help my preschooler better understand where we will be going? I read in my book "S. Ca. with children" that these were great "pre-Disney" items to get, but have been searching with no luck. Thanks for your help. By the way, I DID try Ebay first, of course. Also, we DO have the free video and that helps-we also have sing along songs from DL VHS. I would love some of the above mentioned items for roadtrip fun!!! Thanks for any leads on where to find them. :D

you can try going to Disney.com and doing the print out coloring pages there....they have several to choose from and it's free

try this link..

http://asp.disney.go.com/DisneyBooks/Coloring.asp?id=2395

another good resource is MouseShoppe, even if it isn't listed on the site you can email them with specific requests and they are wonderful about doing their best to find what you want/need.....

http://www.mouseshoppe.com/

I dunno if it'd be as good for a pre-schooler as for my 7 yr old, but I bought full color wall maps of DL & DCA (in Mouseshoppe.com, I believe) that have all of the attractions on it. Take a look and see what you think...

http://www.mouseshoppe.com/directory.cfm?CategoryID=245

Great ideas and links you guys. I did send an e-mail to mouseshoppe, so we'll see what happens. If I get any good info I will post it under this topic. I do like the idea of the map too Diane. My son is really into reading maps. When our neighbor went to DL in July she brought us back a map so that we could get familiar with the layout. Of course at his age its difficult to imagine these things in real life. Heck, its difficult for me to imagine. That is why I thought that the view master reels and coloring books would be more visual. Ya know? Thanks guys!!!

I have seen Disney viewmaster reels at Target (but I don't think they are Disneyland). Check your local Disney Store?

I just checked my local Disney Store this weekend for stuff related to DLR -- zippo. No maps, books, viewmaster reels, nothing. Bummer.

Zina -- the other thing I'm wanting to do is get ahold of a book of Disney Stories -- Peter Pan, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Mr. Toad, Sleeping Beauty (what am I forgetting???), to read before hand to familiarize him with the Fantasyland rides' stories before we go...

Okay I DO know where you can get Disney story books for your children...go to Target and look in the book sections. They are nice big books that are ALL Disney stories. We read those wuite often, nice pictures straight from the movie.
Hey-Diane...if you had to pick (totally off the subject)would you stay at Candy Cane Inn or Desert Inn and Suites. Sounds like you have been to DL several times and I value your opinion. We want somewhere nice-not just clean. Let me know what you think. Zina

Zina, I have a friend who frequently goes to DL and stays at the Candy Cane each time (except this fall on her honeymoon, they are springing for the Grand Calif.), and she swears by it. I know she has written a hotel review on MousePlanet. She absolutely loves it--there's a garden pool, I think the wake up calls are Disney-related (I think), the continental breakfast is nice and filling and she says the staff is second to none. I have never read or heard a single complaint about the Candy Cane. We have stayed at the Radisson, Park Place Inn, and Hawthorne Suites in the last two years. Each one met our needs at the time--no complaints, really, but none were over-the-top great like the Candy Cane sounds. This fall I'm shooting for DLH. Keeping the fingers crossed on a good rate on Expedia......:)

Also, for about $6, the Disneyland Pictorial Souvenir is gold for kids. In fact, we have several in the car that the kids look at while we're driving around listening to the Disneyland Soundtrack. Scary, isn't it! ;) Maybe you can email AVP or get an APer here on MousePad to pick one up and mail it to you before your trip. The pictures and explanations of the rides and attractions are wonderful!. Also, on disneyland.com, you can send away for a free vacation planning video. It's about 20 min. long, and hits the highlights of Disneyland, DCA and Downtown Disney. My kids really like it. My four year old also likes to sit down with me online and look at pictures on Disneyland fan sites, too.

Thank you so much for the comforting info about CCI. Ya know, when you have never been to DL you just want everything to go right for your family. I hope that will be the case for us. I am trying hard to look at all of my options. We too would enjoy staying at a DLR hotel. PPH is offering $99 a night to APers. We may consider that just because we would get all the DLRH benefits, ya know? It may cost us $25 more a night but might be worth it...all the magic, ya know???
I think I will check on ebay first on the items you mentioned stinkerbell! I do appreciate the great ideas. Thanks!!!

Oooooh, Stinkerbell ... what's the $6 Pictorial Souvenir? I haven't heard about this? Can you get it on Mouseshoppe or Laughingplace's store? I know that they both (I think) will take special orders for things in the park ... I'm "giving" my son his b-day trip on Sun. 9/8 so the time is near...

Ooops, I just noticed these questions today. Did anyone get an answer? They do have pictorial souvenirs on ebay, but I haven't seen the latest one (it's a few years old--maybe there will be a newer new one at Disneyland) on ebay. I collect the older ones--late 50's and 60's ones--I get them all on ebay. They are so nice. The ones my kids look at though, are softcover, have the castle and many many characters in the foreground, is dark blue, with stars and has Tinkerbell on the back cover. Also says, "There's magic in the stars" on the back. Wish I had it with me, but it's out in the car. Anyway, I remember paying about $6 for it and I got it on Main St. in the book store/Disneyana shop. It's really inexpensive for the quality of the book and the girls love them! Best souvenir I can think of--lasts forever. :) I'll be looking there again in just one short month!!!

ebay seems to have TONS of viewmaster reels, lots of great vintage stuff too