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Grijalva
03-06-2006, 03:40 PM
Hi I am Melissa. I am going to DL Mar 11-17. This is our first time. I have a 3 yr old 1 year old and an 8 year old. Does anyone have any advice on anything? I am so overwhelmed I don not know what to pack, do etc.:confused:

Should I have the kids dress in shorts or is it still pants and l/s shirt season?

Also I have read tipping the maid is that for the DL hotels or should you do the good neighbor hotels too?

Can backpacks go on the rides?

Can you take snacks in?

Are there many rides a 1 yr old can go on?

Is the princess lunch fun for little girls?

Do the kids need swim suits?

Oh yeah and are there any special carriers you can buy for your tickets since it seems like you use the same park hopper ticket everyday?

Thank you for any answers or suggestions. I am so excited about this trip.

Bolivar
03-06-2006, 03:49 PM
Let me see what I can answer:

The princess lunch -- my daughter LOVED it. There is a thread about it with more info.

Backpacks -- yes you can take them on rides. You will want to be a bit creative on some the more energetic rides -- put it in front of you with your foot through the strap, etc.

Swim suits -- if you are at a hotel with a pool, yes. If not, no.

Ticket carriers -- Yes, they sell (or give depending on your package) lanyards that go around your neck and have a plastic case to put your tickets in. I highly recommend them. Disney will NOT replace lost tickets so you want to be careful with them. You also use your tickets a lot because you use them to get fast passes.

rentayenta
03-06-2006, 04:05 PM
Hi I am Melissa. I am going to DL Mar 11-17. This is our first time. I have a 3 yr old 1 year old and an 8 year old. Does anyone have any advice on anything? I am so overwhelmed I don not know what to pack, do etc.:confused:

Should I have the kids dress in shorts or is it still pants and l/s shirt season? I would pack both-you can never be too prepared.

Also I have read tipping the maid is that for the DL hotels or should you do the good neighbor hotels too? Yes, all maids should be tipped if they do their job.

Can backpacks go on the rides? Yes.

Can you take snacks in? Yes but I wouldn't roll in a cooler or anything. I have never had a problem and I have brought in everything from a box with pizza from DTD to 6 packs of water.

Are there many rides a 1 yr old can go on? Yes.

Is the princess lunch fun for little girls? Yes, very fun!

Do the kids need swim suits? Yes, if you plan on going swimming.

Oh yeah and are there any special carriers you can buy for your tickets since it seems like you use the same park hopper ticket everyday? Yes but I don't use them or know where to get them.

Thank you for any answers or suggestions. I am so excited about this trip.


Have fun!!!!

Quinten27
03-06-2006, 04:08 PM
Hey.......I'll be down the same week as you........and my kids are about the same ages. We're from Alaska, so we're planning on doing shorts/t-shirts the whole time since it'll seem like summer to us.....though I know many people from warmer places would consider it pants/t-shirt/jacket weather.

Yes, snacks can be brought in, as long as you aren't going overboard (bring whole meals).

I generally tip the maid the first day and that is it, no matter where I'm staying. Unless she goes out of her way to do something special, then ofcourse that deserves a special tip.

My son was only 3 months last time we went and there were plenty of rides he could go on as long as we held him. He LOVED POTC, but only because he usually got to breast feed on the ride. ;)

Small Backpacks can go on most rides, otherwise you can leave it with whoever is watching the little one. (the rides you CAN'T bring it on are the same rides the little one can't go on)

Bring swimsuits for the kids, almost all the hotels have pools, and swimming is a great way to burn off extra energy.

As far as the pass holders.......I keep mine in my wallet, but I've seen several people that have them in little plastic cases on a lanyard around their neck. I assumme these can be bought somewhere in the park.

And most of all...........don't rush yourself, take your time and smell the roses along the way...it should be a vacation, not a rush to see how much you can squeeze in. :fez:

JDBlair
03-06-2006, 04:14 PM
I'm going to be there the same week!

I have my kids wear layers. T-shirt, long sleeve shirt, sweatshirt and then let them peel things off as we go along. And then pull things on as we go! But really, it depends on where you are in the country now that will affect how you feel when you're there. We're in AZ so we tend to feel chilly when we visit S. CA!! We won't have jackets with us during our trip but we'll definitely be layered!

JDBlair
03-06-2006, 04:15 PM
Forgot one thing, Melissa. Congrats on your first trip to DL! You're going to love it!!!

charpaul
03-06-2006, 04:21 PM
It can still be fairly cool in the evenings at DL this time of year. IF you are not going back to your hotle during the day get a locker for coats/jackets to be used later in the evening (this could also hold some of those layers if they are not needed inthe middle of the day). Lockers are $6 for the small ones and you can get in and out of your locker all day!!!

IF you are going to be taking a mid-day break and going back to your hotel at some point in the day then I would recommend bringing the coats/jackets back with you for the evening time. It never hurts to be prepared for spring in SOCal!!!!

DianeM
03-06-2006, 04:30 PM
Based on the current weather, it's likely going to rain. This is not necessarily a bad thing - rain cuts down crowds and there is still a lot to do if it is raining at DL, especially the kinds of shows that will appeal to your kids. Tipping is a good idea. I generally leave a few dollars for each day we are in the room, if the service is adequate. Backpacks can go on the rides, although if you plan on going on Grizzly rapids, you might want to not put them on the floor of the ride. You can take snacks and drinks in, as long as you don't try to take in a picnic lunch. I take a drink bottle and re-fill it at the water fountains as I pass them. Don't take tupperware - I've heard that they sometimes give people trouble if they take containers in. Just take some light snacks in zip-loc bags. You won't need as much as you think, since a couple of churros and a Dole Whip go a long way, and can be shared. 1 year olds can go on some rides. The Winnie the Pooh ride, and Pirates, and It's a Small World, to name a few. You should probably pack swim suits, just in case it's warm and you decide to give the kids a chance to cool off and relax at the hotel in the afternoons (an afternoon break, imo, is an essential part of having fun with kids at Disneyland - it's a pretty intense experience for kids). My favorite ticket carrier is a plastic pouch that attaches via an extendable cord to a Mickey mouse shaped clip that will fasten on just about anything. Thy are available at the Emporium as you enter the park. Don't let the kids hold their own tickets - Disney will not replace lost tickets.

One thing to remember - for the younger children, it can be very exciting and overwhelming to see Mickey and his friends for the first time. We took my nephew to DL for the first time when he was 4, and he was totally overwhelmed and excitable and irritable. We thought he had a horrible time, but he LOVES disneyland and remembers the trip with great fondness. Don't feel bad if every moment isn't smiles and sunshine - think about how you would feel if characters you had only seen on television (sometimes mean characters) suddenly appeared in front of you. One of our favorite memories of our first trip is my nephew having a sword fight with Captain Hook (My nephew used his light saber). This took a lot of courage, since to him, Captain Hook was quite real. In retrospect, it was a great trip. We visited again when he was 6 and had a wonderful trip. Just let things happen, and dont' worry if the kids get excitable and trust Disney Magic to do it's work in due time. Have fun. :-)

[/I]


Hi I am Melissa. I am going to DL Mar 11-17. This is our first time. I have a 3 yr old 1 year old and an 8 year old. Does anyone have any advice on anything? I am so overwhelmed I don not know what to pack, do etc.:confused:

Should I have the kids dress in shorts or is it still pants and l/s shirt season?

Also I have read tipping the maid is that for the DL hotels or should you do the good neighbor hotels too?

Can backpacks go on the rides?

Can you take snacks in?

Are there many rides a 1 yr old can go on?

Is the princess lunch fun for little girls?

Do the kids need swim suits?

Oh yeah and are there any special carriers you can buy for your tickets since it seems like you use the same park hopper ticket everyday?

Thank you for any answers or suggestions. I am so excited about this trip.

Keurigirl
03-06-2006, 04:36 PM
Oh, you're going to have a blast!

I suggest reading a ton about the park and how to get your money's worth before you go. Make sure you understand and know how to use fastpasses, make sure you understand and know how to do the "Kid-swap" thing (if there are two adults who want to go on a ride, one can ride while the other waits at the loading area with the little one, and then they switch once the ride is over and the other parent goes on the ride - you can even keep all the other kids on the ride so basically they get to go twice!).

Specifically to your questions:


1. Check out weather.com for anaheim temperatures and weather. Then you'll know what to pack.

2. I've never tipped a maid at a DL hotel.

3. Backpacks can go on every ride. They usually have a pocket or something to put them in, or they can go at your feet. The only ride that I could not have my backpack was on the Maliboomer at California Adventure - and then, they provided cubbies for it while I was riding.

4. You can take snacks in. It's a good idea to do so. Food is expensive.

5. A one year old can go on many rides, though many of them might not be specifically for them. I.E., Pirates of the Carribean or Haunted Mansion - your child can go with you, but the ride isn't geared towards them. He/she might get scared on some of the dark rides, however.

6. Princess lunch is even fun for big girls! :)

7. Pack the swimsuits! You never know.

8. You can buy special carriers, but I just carry mine in my wallet, which is on a wristlet attached to my belt loop.

Have fun!!! I suggest reading through the "what to skip" thread to find out what kinds of stuff people like and don't like.