Disneyland? - Riverside,CA

I agree the passes are the best way to go and include the parking. I have Park hopper passes and LOVE it we go all the time. Another thing I just learned is that Disneyland allows you to bring in bottle water, Juices and snacks. So that helps a lot. Good Luck though going with two little ones you’re a brave mommy :) have Fun!!!

buy tickets on ebay and then go..and if you feel like its a place you'd like to visit once a month get the year pass..i bought tix for $55 each on Ebay last March for a weekday..it was great..

dd

We had passes when we lived in Socal and my youngest was 3-4. I loved just going for a few hours and doing whatever we felt like it that day. There is plenty to do, even if you don't ride the faster rides. Plus, if your hubby gets a pass, the two of you can go for a cheap date without the kids. Well, not so cheap if you pay a babysitter but if you have family or someone to exchange childcare with, Disneyland is a fun place for adults, too. Plus, the passes are such a good deal for SoCal locals. Enjoy!

My brother got passes for him and his family. He always worked late so my SIL would take the kids on her own. She found that going in the evenings for just a couple of hours was perfect. They would choose an activity they'd all want to do, go do it, and leave. Sometimes the kids only wanted to hit Downtown Disney to eat at a restaurant. Sometimes they wanted to go just to see a certain parade etc... They have since moved but she and her kids talk about their fond memories of taking in Disney a little bit here and a little bit there.

We have had passes since 2005. My kids were 3 1/2 & 1 1/2 when we first got them. We've since added my daughter. She was 17 days old for her first trip.
If it wasn't a 1 1/2 hr drive each way without too much traffic from here I'd take the kids on my own for a few hours here and there. But because of that I only go when my husband can go with us.
Even with that we go a lot. We leave after he finishes work. He can work flexible hours so if he starts work at 7AM he can be done by 3 at the latest and then we head up type thing. We have stopped there many times on our way home from other activites in the LA/OC area and had dinner, maybe watched the parade or gone on one ride before closing. We've taken my mom up just so she can shop in Downtown Disney.
We did the math when we first decided to get passes. We added up the price of 4 tickets & parking and divided it by the amount of 4 Premium Passes (these are the ones we have which have no block out days). We would have to make 5 trips in a year to cover the costs of the passes. This does not take into account the discounts you get on food and merchandise etc that add up to a nice savings. We get discounts in the shops in Downtown Disney as well.
I know and have seen many moms that take their kids for a few hours during the day. It is pretty common. A lot of the rides you all will fit in one car with your little one sitting on your lap. We used to fit all 4 of us on many rides when we first started going. Of course the kids are bigger and older (10,7 & 2 now) so we've become a 2 ride car family on most ride LOL I would suggest you have your husband get a pass too if you live close enough, you'd be surprises how many opportunities you will find to use them.
Don't try to do the whole park each trip. Pick special things for each trip. Take your time. The beautiful thing about passes is you can always come back again to see something so there is never that stress of trying to take the whole park in during one or two days. You don't get burned out by the end of the day and you don't have melting down kids.

We have a ton of friends that do this. One friend of ours takes his daughter every wednesday and has done this since she was a kid (she's a young adult now).
We have not gotten the passes yet. I want to wait until my girl turns 3, then we will get the passes. Even though my guy is always at work, I want to get him a pass too. Some people think it's a waste, but in the off chance he has time he can go. Even if it's just for a few hours after work. Seems like just a little bit of time, but we justify it as thats a few hours he gets to see his kid happy.
Thats one of the many perks of living down here! =)
Enjoy.

I have passes and have gone alone with my 4 year old and 10 month old. We have a good time. We mostly stick to Fantasy Land, but also ride Buzz Lightyear, Pirates of the Caribbean, Winnie the Pooh and a couple of others. My son loves Autopia, but the baby is too small for that one, so we can only do it if we have another adult that can ride with him.

We usually go for 3-4 hours. It's a fun way to spend the morning/early afternoon and the kids still get a nap so no one is too worn out.

We have passes (not buying one for Daddy when they expire, can't come with us enough to justify the price) and we love going. Get there early (9-10am?) and out by nap time. I only have one little one but several of my friends who have more than one kiddo also have passes so we can meet up for a few hours and then fall out as naps approach. You might want to consider adding parking to your pass (if you visit 7 times, it's more than paid for). It's a fun outing that is paid for and you get to *treat* yourself to a few hours of fun once or twice a month!

OMG! I've been taking my kids to DL since they were babies. There's so much magic that it's a great way to spend a few hours with the kids. Before they were both in school, we'd go for just a few hours in the morning about 3-4 times a month. There are plenty of rides that work for everyone and so many other things to do. You won't regret having passes!!! We still have passes and my kids are now 7 & 10. We go for a couple hours after school when we can. It's so much fun!!!

Not crazy at all! I have a 4 year old and 18 month old, we all have passes (well, the baby is free). We go about once a month, if not more. My hubby has a pass too so most of the time it is the 4 of us. However, I often let him ditch us to go on the grown-up rides by himself (he doesn't care! To me, that would be so boring to ride Space Mtn. alone) so often I am shuffling the two little kids from ride to ride alone. Not too tough as long as they behave!
I think I could handle them on my own for the whole trip but a couple things would be hard, like getting on and off the tram with a stroller. But people would help I think and my older one is patient.

What is also hard (from experience) is juggling them if I take them on my own to get food. I would avoid that- bring snacks, eat your own food. It's kind of hard to get through the line and handle a tray and two kids alone. Maybe when the younger one gets big enough to just walk with me and not be carried or strolled.

But, it is totally like what you said- we never try to cover the whole park in one day like I used to when I was a kid. Sometimes we go and don't make it out of fantasyland. Other times we hang out on Main street and then go to CA adventure for a ride and show. We do different things everytime. And it's not all about the rides, my kids like the ambience, the characters, the Tiki room and all that.

I love having passes. Have fun!

We love Visiting The Mouse and have two main suggestions for going with babies and toddlers. 1) Use the Baby Room by the First Aid Station on Main Street, they have well stocked changing tables, small potties, microwaves to heat up food and a quiet place to nurse or cuddle before nap time. 2) When you go with another adult use the Baby Swap Program so both adults get to go on the rides and the older one gets to ride twice. Ask any cast member about these. You will be glad you did.

Also, check out the archives for other Disneyland questions and responses, lots of good suggestions right here from past posts.

Have Fun!!!!!!!

i only have 1 daughter but its easy to do. you just pack what you need and only that. when i take my 4 year old daughter we start off with the princesses then we go on rides. for every few rides she does i will have her do a ride i want (not scary ones). we get there when it opens and leave around 4-5pm.

I've been taking my kids to dland since they were 2 weeks old. When you have a pass you do not feel stressed to do everything in one day. you can pick and choose and if its busy you can relish in the hidden gems in the park you would otherwise miss. Since your son is 3 he will need a pass as well. Have fun!

Great question! I think about taking two of my kids by myself but am too chicken, mostly because of the long drive. Someone mentioned the difficulty of managing the stroller on the tram, etc. You could always walk from the parking lot (long, but do-able). I like to have my double stroller everywhere, the empty seat is good for putting your bags, and is always the 'threat/option' for not following directions!
Something else to consider, we just have the SoCal Select pass, I figure that if a day is blocked off, I wouldn't want to go on that crowded day anyways. Not sure what the price of a regular ticket is, but at $199, it would pay for itself before three visits for your hubby!

We have had passes for a few years and love it. It makes it easy to leave when the kids get to tired. It is hard going alone with two small ones, though. Last time I was alone was in June when my oldest was 4 and youngest was 18 mo. The 4yo will wait patiently in line, but the 18 mo is a different story, he is a bit of a runner. When alone I have to put a leash on the small one so he does not dart out of line. You cant exactly leave a 4yo in line while you run after a 18mo. We try to avoid long lines when alone (Cal Adv has much shorter lines and good kids shows). Also, unless your son is extremely brave, he probably wont be going on the height requirement rides because you will have to wait with your little one.

Having 2 kids 2 years apart myself, it will be harder when your son wants to go on something that your daughter isn't tall enough for. But if he wants to go on the Fantasyland rides and not the bigger 'mountain' rides, you should be fine with just the 3 of you.

get the pass! get the least expensive since your husband isn't going to come. your 3 yr old will need one too. 4 hrs in the park is plenty with the kids, so do it! why not? I love Disneyland, and have had a pass since before I even met my husband.

I think the pass is really handy for those with young children, for the reasons you described.

We had a pass when my daughter was 2-3 years and it was nice to be able to go for a few hours at a time, once or twice a month. That way we could try all of the rides she wanted to, and ride her favorites (Dumbo and Small World). We would leave before she became too tired or overwhelmed.

In our family my husband stays home with our boys. As the paid (originally said 'working', but both work!) parent, I say make sure you get a pass for the spouse. Figure out how many times that person will have to go for the pass to pay for itself, and ask him/her to PLAN to take maybe 1 day off from work/month (or so) to go with the family.

Here's why: I can't tell you how often we'd have someone from out of town want to go, or other friends with passes want to take Friday evening to go on a few rides with their kids too. If I hadn't had a pass either I would have had to stay home or we'd have had to pay for it. Totally worth it.

Make sure you get the park-hopping passes, too. CA adventure has A LOT of kid-worthy stuff -- much that you don't have to wait in line for. On sunny days, bring a change of clothing because there are places to play in the water.

And pay the extra $$ to get the parking included for the SAH parent's ticket. This made it much cheaper in the long run.

Enjoy!