travel

The Nanton Candy Store and the Mainstreet Cafe – Calgary Day Trips

April 1, 2015 by danawyyc Leave a Comment

Gordie was off for Spring break last week so my mom and I decided to take the kids on a little adventure. My mom thought it would be fun to take the kids to the Nanton Candy Store. Nanton is about an hour south of Calgary which is a great distance for a day trip with kids. Long enough to feel like you’re going somewhere but short enough so that long before anyone is getting really antsy you are already there.

The Nanton Candy is located along the highway just South of the Bomber Command Museum, Big Sky Garden Railway and the Miniature Museum. The Candy Store also has a small antique shop at the back and in warmer months Nanton Ice Cream is open right next door.

Inside you will find retro candy, import candy, novelty candy, tons of bulk bin candy and more.

The kids were totally over whelmed with the the choices. Nicky ended up picking a pack of ‘princess’ candy with candy necklaces and bracelets, strawberry marshmallows in the shape of hearts and an Elsa (Frozen) Pez dispenser. Gordie picked a plastic toy screw driver with candies in the handle and a planes Pez dispenser. We also got some salt water taffy, some bulk licorice and a few other things.

It was not the cheapest trip! All of the candy was really nicely laid out and the staff were friendly and helpful. The candy I had was all really fresh too. They also have an online store and will ship anywhere in Canada! (http://www.nantoncandy.com/)

We also stopped for lunch while we were in Nanton at the Mainstreet Cafe. The restaurant isn’t huge but it’s a cute space that was previously a doctor’s house and office. The food is simple consisting primarily of things like breakfast dishes, soup and sandwiches. It has a casual atmosphere which is perfect when you are taking two little kids and a baby. The kids split a breakfast meal with ham, hashbrowns, scrambled eggs and toast. My mom had sweet potato soup and I had a BLT that I seem not to have photographed. The food was exactly as advertised and I would happily eat there again.

Have you been to Nanton? What do you eat while you are there?

A Carousel for Missoula Review – Missoula, Montana

September 23, 2014 by danawyyc 1 Comment

Location: Missoula, Montana http://carouselformissoula.com/
Address: 101 Carousel Drive

Ride Cost: $0.75 children under 16, $.075 seniors over 55, $2.25 for adults, $1.50 for an adult and a child sharing a seat.
Age Range: all ages
Estimated Stay Length: 30 minutes longer if you visit the Dragon Hollow Playground too.
Food Services: Concession from June-August selling hot dogs, popcorn pretzels and other snacks and drinks.
Worth the Trip?: Absolutely. The combination of the Carousel, Dragon Hollow Playground and the nearby Children’s Museum Missoula make this area an excellent play for families visiting Missoula.

Gordie’s Review (3 years old): “It went fast!”

Overall: This carousel was put built in 1995 as a real labor of love by the community. A local cabinet maker spearheaded the efforts to make ‘A Carousel for Missoula’ carved ponies himself and purchased the antique frame. Each pony and chariot has a unique story. The Midnight Rose pony was donated by the Midnight Rose Carvers from Calgary, AB. Lucky the dragon dispenses rings that you can grab – if you get the brass ring you get a free ride.

One of the things I really liked about this carousel is that the horses are big enough for an adult to comfortably ride with a child. This was came in handy even with our three year old. He was nervous about riding, but more than brave enough when he could ride with his Daddy!

If you are visiting Missoula with your family, this area should definitely be on your list.

The Dragon Hollow Playground is right outside.

Have you been to A Carousel for Missoula? What did you think?

Museum of the Rockies Review – Bozeman, Montana

September 8, 2014 by danawyyc 9 Comments

Location: Bozeman, Montana http://www.museumoftherockies.org/
Address: 600 West Kagy Blvd

Day Pass Cost: $14 adult, $9.50 kids 5-17, 4 and under is free. (You may be eligible for free or reduced admission if you have a pass to a Science Center elsewhere)
Food Services: Limited but there are vending machines downstairs.
Age Range: All ages.
Estimated Stay Length: 90 minutes to half a day.
Worth the Trip?: Absolutely. The dinosaur exhibits are excellent, the children’s discovery centre is great for younger kids and they have interesting travelling exhibits too.

Gordie’s Review (5 years old): “I liked playing with my new friends.”
Nicky’s Review (2 years old): “Fish!” (She loves the fishing game in the Children’s Discovery Centre)

Overall:

Bozeman is about 90 minutes away from Yellowstone National Park. The Museum of the Rockies makes a great stop on the way to or from the park. We went 2 years ago and enjoyed it so much we came back again this year.

Martin Children’s Discovery Center

This section is located upstairs and is geared towards kids 8 and under.

It features the science of Yellowstone National Park and is actually better than what is available inside the park. There is a ton of things to play with, touch and even smell.

At the front you can pick up a backpack filled with things you can use to explore the centre. It is fun but totally not necessary for you to enjoy your time there.

There’s an area just for kids 2 and under with age appropriate toys and soft mats to crawl around.

Nicky liked it there both as an infant and a 2 year old.

In the center there’s a model of the Old Faithful Geyser. The noise can be a little startling when it ‘erupts’. If think this may bother your kid, it doesn’t run between 10-noon daily. There is another geyser that you pump by hand too.

There’s a number of other hands on features that help explain the science of Yellowstone to kids as well.

They also have a mini model of the Old Faithful Inn with books and dress-up clothes. Gordie really enjoyed playing there with another kid he met while we were there.

On the other side the have a campground with lots of fun accessories.

On this visit our kids’ (2 and 5 years old) favorite thing was the fishing bridge. The have fishing poles with a little magnet on the end that you can use to catch the fabric fish. They would have happily played their for ages.

Siebel Dinosaur Complex

This is really the main attraction of the Museum of the Rockies. It houses one of the largest collections of dinosaur fossils in the world. Even if you’ve been to a dinosaur museum before, you will not be disappointed. We’ve been to the Tyrell Museum in Drumheller and the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, DC – this exhibit is of comparable quality.

The museum houses the most T.rex specimens in the world (currently 13) including the largest T.rex skull in the world (Custer T.rex). At the time of this post the Custer T.red head is not on display as it is currently part of the travelling dinosaur exhibit in Japan.

One of the other highlights is the amazing displays on the growth and behavior of the Triceratops. That was my favorite part for sure. So interesting!

Some of the displays showed the dinosaur bones or muscles on one side and what the dinosaur might look like when it was alive on the other.

In each exhibit they also have kids areas set up with books and toys that fit the theme of the exhibit.

Paugh Regional History Hall

This exhibit features historical items and stories from the region from early exploration through World War II. I found this area to be a little less well suited to younger kids, but the large relatable artifacts like planes and other vehicles help hold their interest. There is also a children’s area with books, toys and costumes.

I really liked the house exhibit set up inside like an actual house with cut outs so that you could see the different rooms inside.

The Enduring Peoples exhibit is found between the History Hall and the Dinosaur Complex. It feature the life and culture of the Northern Plains Native Americans. No photography was allowed in the exhibit at the time we were there.

Special Exhibit: Geckos – Tails to Toepads. Closed September 7th

The Museum of the Rockies has a large area for travelling exhibits as well. On our first visit they had an exhibit on Napoleon. This time it was about Geckos.

Inside the exhibit you could see enclosures featuring many different kinds of geckos. The kids loved trying to find the geckos in each one. Some of them were pretty tricky.

Living History Farm

In the warmer months (this year has extended dates to celebrate the 25th anniversary – May 24 – September 21) just outside the museum, you can find the Living History Farm. The historic Tinsley house was relocated to the museum grounds and now serves as a window into the past. You can see costumed interpreters, bake and cook using recipes from the 1890s, grow an heirloom garden and work in the blacksmith’s shop. This year (2014) admission of the Living History Farm is free (regular admission still applies for the rest of the museum. Have you been to the Museum of the Rockies? What did you think?

Great Northern Carousel Review – Helena, Montana

August 29, 2014 by danawyyc Leave a Comment

Location: Helena, Montana http://www.gncarousel.com/
Address: 989 Carousel Way

Ride Cost: $1.50 per ride
Food Services: Ice cream shop located inside the building. They have dairy free options available. They also serve hot dogs, pizza, pretzels and nachos.
Age Range: all ages
Estimated Stay Length: 30 minutes.
Worth the Trip?: Yes, particularly in the area. The carousel is fun, the ice cream is good and it is right across from Helena’s science centre Exploration Works and a lovely open air park.

Gordie’s Review (5 years old): “I liked the ice cream. And riding on the dinosaur.”
Nicky’s Review (2 years old): “horse! again!”

Overall: We were staying at the nearby Best Western – Great Northern Hotel (it has a train theme my son LOVED it) on our way to Yellowstone National Park. Since we found ourselves in walking distance of the carousel we decided to stop by. The kids loved it, we ended up going again in the morning before we left. The carousel features animals from the area and stained glass work at the top with scenes from Helena. The carousel also has the rings that you can try to grab and you get a free ride if you get the brass ring. The ice cream was delicious and my kids (who don’t handle a lot of dairy very well) were thrilled that they had dairy free options.

Have you been to the Great Northern Carousel? What did you think?

Exploration Works – Helena, MT – Science Centre

August 18, 2014 by danawyyc 4 Comments

Location: Helena, Montana http://www.explorationworks.org/ Address: 995 Carousel Way

Day Pass Cost: $9 adult, $5.50 kids under 18, under 2 is free.
Food Services: Cafe serving snacks and drinks
Age Range: 10 and under
Estimated Stay Length: 1-2 hours.
Worth the Trip?: Yes, particularly if you are in the area and have younger kids. It’s also right next to a open air park area and the Great Northern Carousel.

Gordie’s Review (5 years old): “I liked the thing you squished your face in. [the giant pin art] and the thing where you put the scarves in and they whooshed around.”
Nicky’s Review (2 years old): “slide!”

Overall:

Exploration Works is Helena’s Science Centre. It’s located next to the Carousel and a beautiful outdoor park area. This is a great area for families visiting Helena. Exploration Works is a bit smaller than I had expected, but we had a lot of fun.

The Exploration Garden

Just outside the building is the Exploration Garden. There’s an enclosed garden space on one side.

Beside the garden is a pathway with outdoor musical instruments

Both of my kids loved these. You can access them without paying admission.

First Floor

Inside the building there are two floors. Here, you can find some classic science centre experiments like the one below.

On one side is space for small travelling exhibits. While we were there the travelling exhibit was Get Up and Groove.

Right by the doors is a water play area which is always a big hit with kids. They have water jackets to protect the kids clothes but you may want to have extra clothes handy especially if you have younger kids.

Little Sky Country

On the opposite side is an exhibit designed specifically for kids 5 and under.

My kids loved it here. I ended up practically having to drag them out so that we could see the rest of the exhibits. Nicky’s favorite part was climbing up the steps, dancing at the top and then sliding down the slide. Gordie spent most of his time with a set of building bricks.

The space is attractive with lots of opportunities for pretend play.

They also have a lot of features highlighting the animals and geography of the area.

2nd Floor – Science Cafe

On the second floor you’ll find more hands on science experiments. These exhibits rotate so they may be different from the ones that were there on our visit. But it will still give you an idea of what you may expect.

At one exhibit you can try to build a house out of little wooden logs and then test your buildings against a wind machine.

One of the most attractive features was a huge set of tubes with pressurized air that you could manipulate and put scarves though.

There was also a bee colony that you could look at.

This huge pin board was also a big hit with both of my kids. It’s pretty funny to see the kids squish their little faces in it.

Have you been to Exploration Works? What did you think?

Children’s Museum Of Montana Review – Great Falls, Montana – Travelling with Kids

March 10, 2014 by danawyyc 2 Comments

Thanks to Corrina for this guest post! Corrina is a busy mom of three kids under 4 who writes at the Celestial Nest.

Location: Great Falls, Montana http://www.childrensmuseumofmontana.org/
Address: 22 Railwood Square

Day Pass Cost: $4 per person (all ages)
Food Services: You can purchase coffee at the cafe.
Age Range: Children 12 and under.
Stay Length: 2 and 1/2 hours wasn’t enough time for us!
Worth the Trip?: Absolutely.

Overall:

There was not enough time in one visit to do and see all that was offered at the Montana Childrens Museum. I am just going to scratch the surface of the fun activities available at the museum. Before we even entered the main area the staff had my daughter gluing and building a space ship out of a plastic cup and plate.

We spend 2 1/2 hours there. I recommend going on a week day if possible. We went on a random Wednesday and we were the only ones there. The website suggests their activities are suitable for ages 4 months to 12 years and I would agree they do have something for every developmental stage up to 12 years.

The building is located in the older historic district and it’s brick wall interior is quite artistic. Downstairs they have a specific gated area for ages under 4. This is a safe space with lots of toys and educational games appropriate for smaller tots.

They also have many activities for older kids, ages four and up. My daughter especially enjoyed the fossil dig, which is an area filled with beans where children can excavate for fossils with shovels. This is gated off from younger children and requires parental supervision.

They also had lots of lego upstairs along with building educational tools complete with large PVC pipe which the children (and dad) had fun connecting.

The imaginative dress-up/puppetry area was also a hug hit with Julia.

My 1 year old spent most of his time zooming cars down the wide variety of built in car ramps or their mini train station upstairs.

They have small swings and slide upstairs as well as a slide downstairs connected to a large ship with a telescope on the end.

Our family will certainly return the Childrens Museum of Montana, only with more time available to play!

Extra Pictures:

Going to Disneyland with Someone Who has Special Needs

February 18, 2014 by danawyyc 2 Comments

Disneyland is a great place to go if you have someone in your family or travelling group with special needs. Disneyland tries extremely hard to be inclusive and accommodating so everyone can have a great experience at the Disneyland Resort.

My brother, Geoff, has Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS), a rare syndrome that results in both mental and physical handicaps. Although he can walk short distances, he uses a wheelchair and would have difficulty waiting in long lines. His favorite place (okay, I’m going to be honest, it’s also the only place) he likes to vacation is Disneyland. He loves the music, the familiar characters and being able to be brave in a safe setting. We’ve gone with Geoff to Disneyland a few times before the kids were born and my in-laws have taken Geoff a few times since. This year we decided to take a big family trip with our kids, Geoff, my mom, my brother and my mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

Things that make Disneyland a Great Place for Geoff:

Music – Music seems to be everywhere in Disneyland. Music really resonates with Geoff so he loves this. Some of his favorite moments have been just sitting and watching musical performers on the streets of Disneyland.
Safe environment to be brave – Geoff has a strong sense of self preservation and tends to be kind of fearful about trying new things. Being in Disneyland is a whole different experience. Disneyland provides a safe environment for Geoff to take risks and be brave that he gets no where else. He gets a little bit more brave each time he goes.
There is so much more than just the rides – The rides in Disneyland are great but even if you don’t go on a single one there is a lot to see and do. There are daily parades, fireworks, musical performances, and live productions. There are also a number of walk through attractions and transportation style rides, like the train, riverboat and the historical vehicles along mainstreet.
Magic – It’s a bit cliche but there really is something magical about being in Disneyland. It’s an immersive experience in a beautiful magical world where you can spend all your time and energy focusing on your travelling companions.

Other things to make your visit awesome

Quieter spaces – There are a number of areas that tend to be a bit quieter even when the park is quite busy.
In Disneyland: Mainstreet first aid, by the Winnie the Pooh ride in Critter Country, Tom Sawyer Island (requires going on a raft to access), Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland, and outside of Roger Rabbit’s Cartoon Spin in Toontown.
In Disneyland California Adventure Park: First Aid at Buena Vista Street, near Mike and Sully to the rescue in Hollywoodland, all areas of ‘a bug’s land’, the world of color viewing area (when not in use for world of color), Redwood Creek Challenge by Grizzly Peak.
At non-meal times the seating areas of the larger restaurants are a great choice in both parks.
On most days the California Adventure Park will be less crowded and congested than Disneyland.
FASTPASS – Many popular rides offer the FASTPASS system where you can use your park pass to receive a specific return time for the ride instead of waiting in the whole line. This can be used in addition to the Disability Access Service Card.
Disney PhotoPass – At the character greet areas and other areas throughout the park you’ll find Disneyland photographers who can take your photos and load it on a card. This makes it easy for to do what you need to do to get a great picture, including being in the picture, instead of trying to take the photo yourself. If your party ends up with multiple cards you can load them all onto one account. You can order pictures individually or get the whole lot on a Photo CD.
Food – Disneyland has recently revamped their food options making more healthier choices available and more variety of choices. I noticed many places listing foods as non-dairy and gluten-free as well.

Services for Disneyland Guests with Disabilities

On the Disneyland website you can find strategies and services for different disabilities to help make your visit a success. They also have a guide that lists details of each attraction like whether the ride has loud noises or flashing lights.

Disability Access Service Card (formally Guest Assistance Card program)

You may have heard that Disneyland recently discontinued their Guest Assistance Card program do to rampant abuse of the system. Actually, they have changed the program instead of abandoning it completely. You can get the Disability Access Services Card at Guest Relations near the main entrances to either Disneyland Resort Park.

With the new Disability Access Service Card guests with disabilities who are unable to tolerate long times are able to receive a return time for attractions based on the current wait time. Basically, you still wait in line, but you don’t actually have to stand in the line to do it. The card holder does not need to be present to obtain the wait time, but does need to go on the ride (obviously). After going on the ride you can receive another return time. Return times are valid until redeemed. This can be used in addition to the FASTPASS program.

If you do not feel the Disability Access Services Card meets your particular needs you can visit guest relations to discuss this with them and they will do their best to provide assistance that suits your unique needs.

Wheelchair Accessibility in Disneyland

Disneyland is very wheelchair friendly. Many rides have special cars that can be used even if you are not able to transfer out of your wheelchair. Most Disneyland attractions are accessible if you are able to transfer out of your wheelchair. Disneyland has a full list of their ride’s accessibility levels on their website.

If your require a wheelchair or scooter but do not otherwise require special accommodation you do not need to obtain a Disability Access Service Card. On some rides you would wait in the standard line-up, others will give you a return time and some you enter the ride through the exit. If you ask a cast member how you will access the ride before you get there it can save you some walking. Fantasyland in particular has many rides with line-ups that are too narrow for wheelchairs.

You may also want to read the other Disneyland Travel posts I’ve written:

I’ve also written up an overviews of Disneyland Park and Disneyland’s California Adventure Park on my other blog, Calgary Playground Review.

Disneyland Photography Tips – 11 Tips for Getting Great Photos of Your Disneyland Vacation

February 17, 2014 by danawyyc 3 Comments

Disneyland is one of my favorite places to take pictures. The backgrounds are colorful, bright and varied making it easy to take beautiful photos. Disneyland really pay attention to the small details too – for instance if you look, you can find little hidden Mickey’s throughout the park. During your Disneyland vacation your family will be doing many fun and exciting things together that you will want to remember. One of the best ways to keep the Disney magic alive when you get home is with great photographs. Here’s a few simple tips to help you get photos your family will cherish.

1. Synchronize your Cameras and Phones

If you will be taking pictures with more than one camera synchronizing the date will make it easier to organize and sort through them once you get home. On a trip where you will be doing so many different thing, even a fairly small difference can be a nuisance.

2. Bring Extra Batteries and Memory Cards

You may be able to find batteries and memory cards at the park if you forget but you’ll be paying a premium. We also move our pictures over to our computer when we get back to the hotel and charge the camera batteries over night.

3. Take the Right Camera

Your ideal camera for Disneyland is one that you can comfortably carry with you for the whole day. I have a Nikon 1, which is a mirrorless SLR so it’s pretty compact (it’s the orange camera slung over my shoulder in the picture below). I wouldn’t want to be taking a camera much bigger than that around the park everyday. We don’t leave our DSLR at home though – Disneyland is so photogenic you can take some really beautiful pictures with an DSLR. But we don’t take it to the park every day. Take it along on days where you expect to walk less and aren’t planning on having your whole group go on the thrill rides. If you are only taking one camera pick a smaller camera over a bigger one.

4. Take Off Coats, Sunglasses and Bags

You don’t have to take them off for every photo but if you are spending time in line to get character photos you might as well show off cute outfits and beautiful eyes instead of hiding them so you can get the best photo possible.

5. Photograph Different Combinations of Your Group

Try to take individual photos, different pairs, family and group photos. It can be easy to forget to take a photo of your whole group or individual ones of the kids.

6. Take Lots of Candid Photos

You’ll get some of the best expressions when the photos aren’t posed.

7. Take Reaction Shots

Sometimes getting a shot of their face while they first see Cinderella can be even better than one with her in it.

8. Take Pictures of Some of the Simple Moments

Don’t feel like all of your photos need to be of big moments or be obvious that they are taken in Disneyland. Take photos while waiting for your food, hanging out at a bench or just walking around.

9. Get in the Picture

Especially if you are taking most of the pictures it can be easy to end up with photos that make it seem like you didn’t even go on your vacation. If you are going with other adults make sure to swap photographer duties for some of the trip. Most other guests will also happily take a photo for you so you can get in the shot so don’t be afraid to ask. Additionally, at many locations throughout the park you can find Disney photographers who will take photos that they load onto a Disney Photopass card that you can purchase later – they will also take a photo with your camera.

10. Let the Kids have a Turn

If you have an older pocket camera it’ll be perfect for the job. Otherwise let them take some photos while you supervise them closely. They may not all be winners (or maybe even any of them depending on their age) but they will probably be at least entertaining.

11. Know When to Put the Camera Away

Don’t let taking photos of your vacation get in the way of having fun on your vacation. You don’t need to take a picture of every moment, sometimes it’s best just to live it and enjoy it first hand. Additionally, not every aspect of Disneyland photographs well. If you enjoy the photography challenge and have a good camera feel free to try your hand at night photos and fireworks but otherwise don’t bother. Also put your camera away when you are on a dark ride. They don’t photograph well and the light from your camera is disruptive for everyone else. You can often get some nice photos of parades but think about whether you will actually appreciate that photo when you get home or if you will enjoy the parade more if you see it without a camera in the way.

You may also want to read the other Disneyland Travel posts I’ve written:

I’ve also written up an overviews of Disneyland Park and Disneyland’s California Adventure Park on my other blog, Calgary Playground Review.

Practical Penny Pinching in Disneyland

February 13, 2014 by danawyyc 10 Comments

Going on a trip to Disneyland is an amazing experience but when you have to pay for airfare, hotels, park passes and food it’s not going to be cheap no matter how frugal you are. If your travel budget is strained consider delaying your trip or cutting it down by a day – you’ll enjoy your trip more if you’re not stressed about every penny you are spending.

Finding discounts or deals on airfare, passes and hotels can help but it’s hard to plan for and in my opinion, it’s not worth doing things that take time away from your time in the park to save a few dollars. At the same time there is no need to spend money that you don’t have to. Below I’ve listed 5 ways that you can make your trip a little more budget friendly that don’t require you to take any time out of your day.

1. Stay at a Non-Disneyland Hotel

I love staying at one of the Disney Hotels – it makes it so you never really leave the magic of Disneyland. There are other benefits as well such as early entry days, guaranteed entry even on busy days, and you can get into the California Adventure Park via a side entrance by the Grand Californian.

However, if you stay at one of the nearby non-Disneyland hotels, you can save a significant amount of money. Most of the hotels will have a shuttle service – some of them are even free. Many hotels are even within walking distance of the park and your hotel may even have a free breakfast or be near a restaurant like McDonald’s where you can get an inexpensive breakfast.

2. Go in the off-season

Going in the off-season can save you a significant amount of money on your hotel. Depending on your specific travel days your airfare may be cheaper as well. You’ll also find the Park much less crowded. There are trade-offs, however. The congestion will be reduced but during the off-season more attractions will be under repair or closed, park hours are reduced and some attractions will run at a reduced capacity so the time you spend in line won’t change as much as you would think.

3. Minimize the amount of food and drinks you buy at the park

You can bring refillable water bottles or get free water in a cup with a lid and straw at any of the quick service restaurants in the park. You can also share big meals (Ranch del Zocalo has large portions, the chicken dinner at the Plaza is huge and one of the turkey legs you can buy goes a long way). Evaluate the kids meals instead of automatically getting them. Some of them might be a great value for your kids but you may be better off with them sharing a meal with you, splitting an adult meal with each other or ordering individual items or sides. Having some snacks at your hotel and eating breakfast before you go to the park can also help.

4. Photos in Disneyland

In many places around Disneyland you can photos taken by a professional photographer and loaded onto a Disney Photopass Card. Although I love this service, purchasing the photos they take can be pricey. Generally the professional photographers will also happily take a picture with your own camera. Another option is to order a photo CD instead of individual pictures. You can load all the Photopass cards that your group collects onto one account and purchase a CD with the whole lot of them on it. It’s around $60 for the CD, but that’s way less than it would cost to get family photos done at home. Also, other guests at the park will usually happily take your family photo if you ask them.

5. Buy Some of Your Disney Merchandise Ahead of Time

You do not need to buy everything you might want at the park. There is something special about having a Disneyland souvenir from your trip but you can easily supplement your park souvenirs with things like Disney pajamas and t-shirts that you bought locally. The merchandise in the park is generally good quality, but it is definitely not cheap. The stock in the park is also limited – I looked at getting my daughter a princess dress, but they were all too big for her. I could have bought one at the Disney Store at home in her size and it would have cost less too.

You may also want to read the other Disneyland Travel posts I have written:

I have also written up an overviews of Disneyland Park and Disneyland’s California Adventure Park on my other blog, Calgary Playground Review.

6 Tips for Going to Disneyland with a Big Group

February 10, 2014 by danawyyc 8 Comments

We’ve been on two trips to Disneyland with a group of 10 people. The first time it was all adults and the second time we had our two kids with us. Travelling with a large group can be a lot of fun but it can also come with some headaches. Here are 6 tips to help make your trip to Disneyland with a large group a big success.

1. Split Up

Don’t expect to stay together as a big group very much of the time. Splitting up into smaller groups can make it easier to get around and less aggravating. People will want to do different things and you will spend less time waiting and deciding what to do if you spend most of your time in smaller groups. If there are anything you want to do as a big group make sure you talk about that beforehand and make a plan to do it.

2. Switch the Groups Around

Don’t stay in the same groups the whole time. If you change the groups around you can get more out of your trip. Maybe Mom and Dad are sick of It’s a Small World but Grandma would be happy to take the kids again or some people in the group love rollercoasters but others don’t. You are only going to be in the park for a short time, you want to spend as little time waiting around as you can. Of course I’m assuming you’re going with people you like…

3. Meet up for Meals

Split the day up into chunks where you can meet up, spend some time together as a big group and then switch the groups around. We’ve found that meals work the best for this. Make your plan to meet up at a specific restaurant and at an approximate time. Try to plan for off peak meal times (even 1pm vs noon) and you should have lots of space at most restaurants.

4. Stay Connected

Even with making plans ahead of time, it will really help to be able to let other people in your group know if you are running late or need to make a plan change. We found texting to be a good way to do this. For our group most of the time 3 phones with texting was enough as long as we shuffled the phones a little bit.

If you are travelling to Disneyland from outside of the US, make sure that you get a temporary plan that will cover you while you are there otherwise your charges can be quite high. From Canada you should be able to do a plan that will give you talk and text for the month for around $20. If you have a smart phone be sure to turn off your cell data in the settings or you will end up running up a data roaming bill (this can happen even if you think you are using the hotel wireless network).

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Begin your Day at Different Times

If you’ve got a larger group there is a good chance that you have some early risers and some night owls. Instead of trying to drag the night owls up in the morning, or waiting around until everyone’s ready make a plan to meet up at lunch or mid morning and go at different times. One morning I took my daughter (1.5 years) by myself and we had a great time together until everyone else arrived. It was way more fun than waiting around for everyone else to get ready.

6. Don’t Forget to Get a Group Picture

If you are going with a big group you are going to want a group picture to commemorate your trip. This may seem obvious but it can be easy to forget to do. We have ended up with only one group photo at the end of each of our big group trips.

There are photographers set up at different locations in the park that will take your picture and load it on a photo card so you can order photos later. The photographers are also more than happy to use your camera as well. [Note: you can load all the photo pass cards your group collects onto one account and get a CD with digital copies of all the photos which can be a good choice compared to buying photos individually if you get a lot of photos.] If there isn’t one around when you are trying to take your photo you can usually find a willing guest to take a photo with you instead.

You may also want to read the other Disneyland Travel posts I have written:

I have also written up an overviews of Disneyland Park and Disneyland’s California Adventure Park on my other blog, Calgary Playground Review.

travel

Martin Children’s Discovery Center

Siebel Dinosaur Complex

Paugh Regional History Hall

Special Exhibit: Geckos – Tails to Toepads. Closed September 7th

Living History Farm

The Exploration Garden

First Floor

Little Sky Country

2nd Floor – Science Cafe

Things that make Disneyland a Great Place for Geoff:

Other things to make your visit awesome

Services for Disneyland Guests with Disabilities

Disability Access Service Card (formally Guest Assistance Card program)

Wheelchair Accessibility in Disneyland

1. Synchronize your Cameras and Phones

2. Bring Extra Batteries and Memory Cards

3. Take the Right Camera

4. Take Off Coats, Sunglasses and Bags

5. Photograph Different Combinations of Your Group

6. Take Lots of Candid Photos

7. Take Reaction Shots

8. Take Pictures of Some of the Simple Moments

9. Get in the Picture

10. Let the Kids have a Turn

11. Know When to Put the Camera Away

1. Stay at a Non-Disneyland Hotel

2. Go in the off-season

3. Minimize the amount of food and drinks you buy at the park

4. Photos in Disneyland

5. Buy Some of Your Disney Merchandise Ahead of Time

1. Split Up

2. Switch the Groups Around

3. Meet up for Meals

4. Stay Connected

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Begin your Day at Different Times

6. Don’t Forget to Get a Group Picture

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