Things have been looking up in 2021. Southern California residents have weathered through this pandemic, so we jumped at the opportunity when Disney California Adventure announced its limited re-opening. If you’re anything like me, you may be a working mom that has been exhausted during these last 15 months. Raising a 1 year old during a pandemic did a number on us. We were simply thrilled to know that Disney would bring a smile to Mila’s face. And let me tell you, our experience did not disappoint. Today I’ll be sharing with you how I planned for our fun-filled day trip as many these tips will hold for theme parks post pandemic days.
How I planned for the day trip to DCA. I’m going to share a brief overview of how I planned for a succesful day trip with a toddler in tow.
- I reviewed the park hours.
- I assessed and planned for Mila’s meal times and nap times.
- I researched eateries, foods and even takeaway alcoholic beverages that hubs and I could enjoy.
- I planned and packed snacks, beverages and back up meal for Mila in case meal options for her were sparse.
- I packed sunscreen, handsanitizer and of course a backpack of Mila’s essentials.
- I packed bottled water for hubs and I to enjoy in the park to limit vendor interactions.
- I packed a cooler with ice and left that in the car with bottled water, mineral water and iced coffee for post park and return home. This is a game changer and we do this now for most of our toddler outings. It helps us parents get that kick in our step for the trek back home.
Now this is simply my list and if you’ve followed me for some time, you know that I operate with lists for most planning purposes. It just helps organize thoughts, things and helps prevent oversights all which lead to a much more enjoyable experience for all. Afterall, hubs and I both work full-time and any investment made in outings has to be maximized to make the most of our time with littles. My goal is always to do the planning and prepping before-hand so that I’m fully present and immersed in the experience with my family.
Why research park hours?
Well this helps me set up a timeframe for when I expect to arrive and depart the park. It gives me a good idea of how to plan my itinerary. For our particular day, park hours began at 11am and ended at 7pm. Mila naps around 12:30pm and generally is in bed by 8pm. So by understanding park hours I was able to decide that arriving at opening time would give us a good hour to spend with her sight seeing and would still allow her to nap in her stroller. This is also why I packed small meals for her as we could park the stroller and allow her to enjoy her surroundings while she ate lunch. She really only dozed off for about 30 minutes and then was eager to discover DCA. Even with this small nap, she powered through until the park closed which really helped us maximize our time spent there as a family.
What good does researching eateries do?
For us this meant making sure we liked what we would be eating. Keep in mind this happened during COVID and so all food and drink orders had to be done via mobile orders. The food options were also limited. We saved a lot of time by knowing exactly where we were interested in eating. The same applied for alcoholic beverages. We did our research ahead of time by knowing what spots offered what. During Mila’s quick 30 minute doze, hubs and I took advantage parked her strolled and ordered a beer each. This part was great because after having been cooped up from COVID restrictions for so long it actually felt like a little mini date where we where able to catch up and have a drink. Again for us, we are all about maximizing the experience. If we hadn’t done our research first we would have scrambled having to think and find a place to eat that satisfied all of our appetites. Had we not done this, chances for drinks would have been much more limited and less enjoyable as Mila really didn’t nap after. Could you blame the kid though? It’s Disney. 🙂
Why bother packing things like water and snacks?
It’s a must for us. Staying hydrated and nourished means no crash in energy. And these are simple things to pack, water, electrolytes, and simple snacks like trail mix, nuts, bars and fresh fruit. Keeping a routine for a toddler helps them prevent meltdowns and can buy you some time if dining plans/service runs a little late. As mentioned, Mila had her own packed lunch and snacks and really only joined us for our dinner. She behaved wonderfully which I really think was attributed to our preparation. Oh and the cooler in the car, I like to mention that only because it really does make a difference. Because of COVID, the trams from the park to the parking lot were not in use. So you were left to walk well over a mile and a half into the park and upon departing. We had Mila’s stroller so the walk for her was an enjoyable ride. 🙂 By the time we got back to our cars we had cool water and caffeinated beverages waiting for us. Our backpack was by then a light load since we were no longer carrying bottled waters or snacks.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this quick guide. I know that post pandemic we are planning on even more outings and road trips and plan to utilize the same planning techniques to make our experiences as optimal possible. I try to keep these guides short and useful. As a working mom, I myself like to do my research before hand and understand the time constraints that exist. If you have any Disney tips for moms or any learning experiences that you’ve had, feel free to drop a comment below and share.
Until next time,
The Sun Queen.