Last weekend we went to Disneyland and it was so much fun! I’ve never been before so my birthday earlier that week seemed like a good enough reason cause you know what they say – it’s the happiest place on Earth!
We went to Anaheim for couple of days to just relax and have fun. The first day we were just chilling at the hotel, all I really wanted is to swim in a pool, haha. It was especially fun since it was the first time we took the baby to the pool, I was worried he would cry because the water would seem to cold but he totally loved it! He had fun splashing wearing his Swim Trainer lifesaver (which is awesome by the way and worked perfectly!), and he was just so cute in there wearing his blue swim trunks (aka swim diaper) and shades!
The second day we were off to Disneyland! I didn’t really know much about what’s actually there but I was obsessed with finding that Disney castle. We did and I was so surprised how modest it was, I was imagining this gigantic pointy castle from the Disney logo but it was pretty down to earth, oh well, still cool! The park itself is huuuge, it’s actually something I didn’t realize until we took the train around all the parks there (Disneyland, California Adventure, Tomorrowland) at the end of the day, you definitely need more than 1 day to see everything.
It was a really fun day though! Especially because our baby seemed to really enjoy the experience even though he is only 5 months old and has no idea what Disney is all about. That being said, there are a few things to keep in mind if you want to take a baby to Disneyland:
1. Make sure to bring sunblock and sun hat for both baby and yourself; bring a water bottle. It is very crowded, and in case you’re going in summer, pretty hot, so be ready for long lines under the sun.
We weren’t on a mission to see everything in one day since we have a Silver pass and can come back anytime, our goal was just to enjoy the first Disneyland experience as a family and have a good time, that’s why we purposefully avoided anything with very long lines.
2. Baby carrier is a must! First of all, you are going to spend a number of hours there so it’s good to have different options for your baby. Second, having your baby in a carrier lets him look around and see all the fun things and colors and it’s also very convenient if you want to get on the rides or inside the character’s houses.
We went to a Mickey house and met Mickey Mouse which was so funny, our baby loved it and wasn’t scared of a gigantic mouse at all. We watched the Disney parade and took a train ride around the park. We didn’t go on any rides because it was too hot and too long of a wait, I guess we’ll reserve it for later when little Mister would actually care to ride them.
3. Don’t overpack. Going anywhere further than 10 minutes away from home with a baby means bringing everything you might need, but make sure to only bring the essentials. Yes, it’s convenient that you can put everything in the stroller and not worry about carrying it but keep in mind that for the most rides you will have to leave the stroller behind. If you’re not comfortable with leaving your stuff unattended you will end up carrying it all with you which turns into a bit of a mess. We brought a camera bag with two cameras, diaper bag, blanket, etc. and it was kind of annoying having to drag it all along. Also, if you want to take the train to move to a different part of the park, you would have to fold your stroller to bring it on and here you are again with all your stuff on your hands.
All in all, going to Disneyland with a baby is very doable, just make sure to keep him comfortable and happy. All bathrooms have changing tables, any cafe will give you hot water to heat the milk and any staff member will be happy to help you, this is a place where kids are the customers so don’t be afraid to ask for any help you might need.