After settling into our new home here in Washington, we finally got the chance to check a big item off our family’s bucket list: taking all four kids to Disneyland.
I won’t lie, while I was super excited about the idea, figuring out how to make it happen was a bit overwhelming. There’s just so much info out there, it’s hard to know where to even begin. But after about 90 days of getting settled in and adjusting to the school year, we decided to just dive in. And I’m so glad we did!
As a military family, we get access to discounted tickets through MWR, and let me tell you—I wish I had known about this sooner! I initially booked through Disneyland's website and it was so much more expensive. Using travel through the military saved us over $1,500, which is huge! We went with 3-day Park Hopper tickets that included multi-day Lightning Lane access for the six of us. I wasn’t inititally sold on the Lightning Lane or the Park Hopper option at first, but it ended up being a game-changer. The flexibility to bounce between parks was so worth it, and having all those photos from the parks? Probably one of my favorite parts!
Once the tickets were secured, it was time to figure out where we were going to stay. Normally, I play it safe and stick with hotel chains I know, but this time I ended up changing our hotel reservations THREE times! We were trying to find the perfect balance of proximity to the parks, good quality, and breakfast options (because, really, who knew breakfast would be so important?!). I ended up making the final choice just a week before... but I was relieved we finally found a spot that worked for us. Next up: how do we get there? With everything going on with airplane travel this year, we decided to drive instead of fly. It seemed like a cost-effective option that also gave us the flexibility to explore Southern California outside of the parks. In hindsight, though... driving 20 hours was a bit ambitious, especially with LA traffic. But driving at night was a genius move—the kids slept through most of it!
We also made the trip extra special by surprising the kids with Disneyland tickets as a Christmas present. We got creative and ordered boarding passes off Etsy, made a fun video for them to watch on Christmas morning, and even got matching shirts for each day at the park. The look on their faces when they opened those tickets was absolutely priceless—and yes, there were tears! It was so magical, and I’m so glad we kept it a surprise. We planned the trip for Spring Break, so we had months to build up the excitement. After all that planning, we finally hit the road. But there was one more surprise in store for the kids: Auntie Ticia was joining us! The kids had no idea she was coming, even though I nearly spilled the beans just a couple days before. When she knocked on our hotel door, we saw some jaws dropped. It was such a fun, emotional moment!
That evening, we treated ourselves to a meal at Roscoe's Chicken, a place we’d never been before. It didn’t disappoint! The kids were out for the night shortly after but I personally ended the night with a sweet treat: watching the Disneyland fireworks from the rooftop of our hotel! Apparently, Disneyland only does fireworks on weekends now, so we got lucky being able to catch the show.
Day 1 at Disneyland started bright and early. We were ready to make the most of our day, so we planned to rope drop at 7:00 am. The kids were up and ready for breakfast shortly after 6:00 am! A solid decision came into play the night before! We did a small grocery haul so we could enjoy breakfast in our room and pack lunches for the park. The continental breakfast didn’t start until 6:30 am, and with our early plans, that just wasn’t going to work for us. We got to the park right on time, breezed through security, and then it was just a little waiting before the gates opened. I used that time to get familiar with the Disneyland app (should’ve done that months ago, but hey—better late than never!). One of the things I really appreciated about Disneyland was how easy it was to link our tickets. Even though I didn’t purchase my Aunt’s tickets, we were able to link hers with ours, which made getting into the parks and securing Lightning Lane reservations a breeze. This was such a big help, especially for a large group like ours!
We made sure to get a photo in front of the iconic Disneyland sign before diving into the magic. Of course, we grabbed our Disney buttons—everyone in the family got one, but the best part was that it was Tatum’s actual birthday, so she got a special “Happy Birthday” button too! We didn’t spend too much time exploring Main Street before heading straight for the castle and straight into Fantasyland.
Our first ride of the day was Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, which had the kids giggling. After that, Tatum was all about King Arthur’s Carousel, and she couldn’t get enough of it! We were also lucky enough to meet some of the best characters—Genie, Pinocchio, Minnie, and Mickey! The kids’ faces when they saw these characters were priceless. We ended up spending over 15 hours in the parks on day one, and I don’t think any of us expected to be able to go on 20 rides. But with a little Disney magic on our side, we made it happen! One of the highlights was the fireworks show. I’ll never forget how we ended up in a special roped-off area, in black chairs, with the BEST view of the fireworks ever. Auntie Ticia somehow worked her magic and made that happen. Honestly, I think that moment was a highlight of the entire trip. After the fireworks, we made our way back to the hotel—exhausted, but so happy. Day one was officially in the books, and I couldn’t have asked for a better start. As for food, we had meals at Belle’s Tavern and Tiana’s Place, along with a couple of quick-service stops here and there. Overall, day one was solid. Full of adventure, magic, and plenty of fun for all of us!
Day two at Disneyland started pretty much the same as day one—early morning, excitement in the air—but this time with some very different shoe choices and a more tired bunch! I also realized that I am so glad we took Tatum’s stroller. She might be 4, but trust me, she (and even a couple of her siblings) needed a break from time to time to sit down and recharge. We rope-dropped California Adventure and headed straight for Radiator Springs Racers, which had a whopping 90-minute wait! This ride is no doubt the most popular attraction in the park, so I’m glad we tackled it first thing in the morning. We could have paid extra for the Lightning Lane (beyond the price of already having the multi pass lightning lane, this was a separate charge), but we decided to tough it out and wait in the line. The wait was definitely a little brutal with the kids getting restless, but we survived and it was absolutely worth it!
After that, we explored a few other rides, some of which were... let’s just say interesting. I had a mini breakdown or two (I’ll admit it), and Tatum wasn’t quite tall enough for Soarin’ Over California, so we had to sit that one out. But despite a few hiccups, we kept going. For dinner, we ventured to Black Tap in Downtown Disney. The food was good, and we were all pretty ready to sit down and relax after a long day. By around 7 or 8 p.m., five of us were wiped out and called it a night. But Justin and Ava weren’t quite ready to stop the adventure, so they headed off to explore the Star Wars area for a couple more hours. Olivia got some pool time in with Auntie Ticia, and I took the opportunity to put the youngest two to bed at a more reasonable hour. Day two was a bit more relaxed, but still full of memories and moments that made it just as special as the first day!
Day three was a little different—we did not rope drop. Instead, the kids enjoyed the continental breakfast at the hotel, and we took our time heading into the parks. By this point, most of the kids had already picked out their souvenirs from this trip - Ava built a robot at the Star Wars depot, Tatum picked out a baby Minnie and a princess Elsa toy, Liam grabbed a robot from the Avengers area in California Adventure, and Olivia was all about the jewelry (of course!).
Our main goal for Day 3 was to hit the rides and experiences we hadn’t gotten to yet. Tatum was beyond thrilled to meet so many princesses, she got to visit the Royal Hall and meet her two favorite princesses, Mulan and Elsa, and she also met Ariel, Cinderella, and Snow White. We also saw Anna, Belle, and Rapunzel. The princess magic was in full swing! While Tatum and I waited at the Royal Hall, Justin and Auntie Ticia took the older kids to Star Wars Land to meet their favorite characters there. We did a couple of repeat rides that the kids loved, and since there were special Star Wars events happening that day, we ended our night in California Adventure.
We didn’t pack any lunches or much for snacks during the last day, so we treated ourselves to some iconic Disney treats. We tried the famous Dole Whip, had a meal at Belle’s Tavern, and ended the night with Clarabelle’s ice cream! We got to take in the World of Color show at California Adventure (Disneyland closed early due to a Star Wars event) and it was INCREDIBLE and magical. Dare I say more magical than fireworks? By the time the show ended, Tatum was definitely down for the count, so I opted to leave a bit earlier—around 9 p.m. While the rest of the crew stayed to ride Web Slingers one last time.
This trip truly felt magical for the most part. Of course, it wasn’t without its share of frustrations, hiccups, and a few meltdowns along the way (hello, 20-hour drive and waiting in long lines!), but in the end, I’m so glad we took the kids. What matters most is that their takeaways are filled with mostly magical moments. That’s all I ever wanted for them. Seeing their faces light up when they met their favorite characters, riding all those fun attractions, and sharing these memories as a family—those are the moments that make it all worth it. I’m so glad we made this happen for our babies. It’s something I’ll treasure forever, and I know they’ll carry these memories with them for years to come.
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