In December, my son, his wife, and our 2-1/2-year-old granddaughter met my wife and me in California so we could all go to Disneyland.
Trips to Disney can get expensive, so we booked using a two-night, two-park deal my son found on the Costco Travel website.
I paid just over $4,600 for a package that got us two nights in a two-room suite at the Disneyland Hotel, two-day Park Hopper tickets for four adults, plus a $180 Disney gift card. Our grandaughter got into the parks for free because she was under 3.
We had a great time, but I plan to book our next Disney trip a bit differently.
Our suite was great, and we loved exploring Disneyland
Our Disneyland Hotel suite was beautiful and filled with special details.
The deep-blue carpeting had a fireworks pattern on it, and the headboards on the beds had little twinkling lights that looked like fireworks.
The hotel was also a short walk away from Disneyland, so we headed there after we checked in and dropped off our bags. Walking through the main gate of the park felt like entering a portal to another world.
Throughout the day, my granddaughter got to meet Disney characters and dance with them. We went on rides as a family and, for some, took turns waiting in line to ride with her.
We rode a submarine to the bottom of the ocean in search of Nemo, rowed a canoe on the Rivers of America, journeyed through a Winnie The Pooh ride, and even got to meet Eeyore.
In the evening, we staked out a spot along Main Street and waited for the Christmas parade, which was included with our admission.
We spent our second day in the parks at California Adventure exploring a range of rides and attractions and ended it by watching another parade.
We spent a lot of money, but we didn’t have enough time
Our $4,600 package didn’t include everything. I also paid $160 for parking because we drove to the parks in two separate vehicles ($40 per day per vehicle).
I spent an additional $700 on food, drinks, and souvenirs. We mostly had simple quick-service bites (chicken tenders, pizza, burgers, hot dogs) and snacks (churros). This helped us save some money, though our main priciest meal was at Disneyland Hotel’s Goofy’s Kitchen buffet for $450, including tip.
Plus, I gave my son $400 toward his family’s airfare to California. In total, I spent about $6,300 to take my family on this Disney vacation.
But my biggest issue is I felt like we didn’t have enough time. With only two nights, we lost almost half of the first day driving to the resort, parking, checking in, and taking our luggage to the room.
For our next trip, I’d do two nights instead of three. That way, on our first day, we can even spend some time swimming in the hotel pools and exploring Downtown Disney, a dining and shopping district nearby.
Then, we can get to the parks bright and early on our second day.
Still, the trip was worth every penny
This was the most expensive Disney trip I’ve ever taken, but seeing my family have such a great time meant everything to me.
Watching my granddaughter dance with Disney characters while twirling the shimmering skirt of her princess dress was priceless.
Months later, she still talks about Disney — she even told her mom she had a dream about going back.
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