Our Disneyland Trip

We were very pleased with this hotel. We had a room on the seventh floor facing Disneyland. The patio with chairs made it nice to watch the fireworks on our first night there. The kids loved the pool and spa. It was great that they served light meals and poolside drinks at the pool. The first day of our trip we did not go to Disneyland so we made a lot of use out of the pool area with the kids. Another plus is the tram that will take you to Disneyland from right in front of the hotel.

Since this hotel is the first stop for that route, it is not crowded when boarding the tram and you are the first to be dropped back off at your hotel after a long day in the park. There are two restaurants on site. A fancier western themed restaurant and a more reasonably priced coffee shop. We tried both as our kids were able to eat for free. I was very impressed with the hotel for the amount we spent on our package. We received third night free, most hotels in area only offer fourth night free at best. We would love to stay here on our next trip to Disneyland.

We did a buffet character breakfast at Goofy's kitchen. Upon arrival we had the opportunity to have a family photo with chef Pluto. The best part of the experience were the characters. My kids were able to get the autographs of about 5-10 characters without the wait you get in the park. The characters come right up to the table while you are dining. They also did a song and dance in the middle of the restaurant. The food was buffet but for breakfast it was good. They offered everything from bacon and sausage to pancakes and waffles. Drinks brought to your table by a server. It was a little pricey but what at Disneyland isn't. It really gave you the full Disneyland experience. The characters hung around and were much more up close and personal than in the park. We got lots of pictures.

This Rainforest Cafe was in the Downtown Disney District. Rainforest Cafe is always fun for the kids. It gives lots for them to do and look at while waiting for your table or your food. We were able to walk right up and get a table with less than a 10 minute wait. Many Disney dining options require reservations. This was a better option than most of the in-park dining. It was not crowded and moderately priced. We did not feel rushed in and out. Perfect place to sit down and take a breather from a hectic day at the park.

What can I say, it's the most magical place on earth. Only suggestion is to try to go during "off" season. We went in August of the 50th anniversary celebration. It was crowded but still great. The only problem was having to wait so long to get Mickey's autograph. I recommend getting a deal where you can get in early to the park to meet Mickey.

This was our first trip to California Adventure. The fist thing I want to say is that California Adventure is directed more toward older kids. Our kids were smaller and many of the main attractions were not geared toward their age group. One ride that the whole family enjoyed was Soaring over California. That was also one of the few rides in the park that accepted Fast pass for less waiting in line. The other thing we all really enjoyed was the electric light parade that used to be at Disneyland. The kids really loved that. It was almost worth "hopping over" to California Adventure just for those two attractions.