What extra special experiences would you prioritize or skip?

[VGCgroupie]

The dessert party. It is insanely expensive and while the views are good I’ve had just as good of views when we have attended the normal way. With littles they could be tired and just over it and not in the mood, and dessert party cannot be cancelled last minute and it’s a ton of money on the line.

Blue Bayou is amazing but not so amazing with littles. We did it when my son was 2. I remember being worried if he was being loud because it’s such a calm quiet environment. We had to wait about 45 min for our table and that means paired with dinner you spend quite a bit of time on dinner which isn’t great when you only have 3 days.

Also keep in mind when you schedule things you have then make sure your days go smoothly as planned so you are able to get to the area of the park you need to be in for your reservation, which can be stressful.

Character meals are amazing and worth it. For Fantasmic Id do Rancho Del Zocalo.

 

[twodogs]

As for doing a character meal at the beginning or end of the trip, we did it both ways on different trips when our DDs were younger. Sometimes I wanted to do the character meal on day 1, so that they could meet a bunch of characters (or princesses) in one event, and then we could skip all the character lines for those characters/princesses in the parks for the rest of the trip since they had already met them and had an autograph. Other times, we liked to have a character breakfast on our departure day to finish off the trip (we don’t go to the parks on departure day) and then head to the airport.

It sounds like this is going to be a fun filled trip!! I agree with others that trying to get your kids to be at their best and awake for the nighttime entertainment after full park days (even with a break) and a 3 hour time change (we only have a 2 hour change) is a tall order sometimes. The WOC dessert package and BB Fantasmic packages are very pricey with 4 adults and 2 kids, if the kids have a melt down and several of the adults have to skip it. If you are ok with one person skipping it to take a kid or kids back to the hotel early if that happens, then it might be worth the risk. I would choose one or the other, personally, for those ages and that number of park days. Or I would probably pick neither one because my kids would have been asleep in the stroller by that time of day with a time change! Now that I have older late teens, BB is a MUST DO and we loved the Fantasmic package. But your kiddos will likely have a lot more fun at a character meal earlier in the day when they have more energy.

As for the stroller rental, I agree that is a great idea! When mine were 4 and 6, I made the mistake of only renting a single stroller since my 6 yo would not have been caught dead in a stroller under normal circumstances. After our first day (this was at WDW), she was in full exhaustion mode and very envious of her sister’s “ride”! I texted the stroller company and they were able to drop off a double stroller over night to our resort that night and take back the single. Saved our trip!!! So either a double or two singles as someone suggested will probably be a lifesaver! If you think you may split up the kids, two singles is a great option. I would get an air tire stroller (as opposed to an inexpensive umbrella one) because it makes pushing a heavier, older kiddo around easier (and their head can hopefully still fit under the canopy).

 

[OlliePop27]

As for doing a character meal at the beginning or end of the trip, we did it both ways on different trips when our DDs were younger. Sometimes I wanted to do the character meal on day 1, so that they could meet a bunch of characters (or princesses) in one event, and then we could skip all the character lines for those characters/princesses in the parks for the rest of the trip since they had already met them and had an autograph. Other times, we liked to have a character breakfast on our departure day to finish off the trip (we don’t go to the parks on departure day) and then head to the airport.

It sounds like this is going to be a fun filled trip!! I agree with others that trying to get your kids to be at their best and awake for the nighttime entertainment after full park days (even with a break) and a 3 hour time change (we only have a 2 hour change) is a tall order sometimes. The WOC dessert package and BB Fantasmic packages are very pricey with 4 adults and 2 kids, if the kids have a melt down and several of the adults have to skip it. If you are ok with one person skipping it to take a kid or kids back to the hotel early if that happens, then it might be worth the risk. I would choose one or the other, personally, for those ages and that number of park days. Or I would probably pick neither one because my kids would have been asleep in the stroller by that time of day with a time change! Now that I have older late teens, BB is a MUST DO and we loved the Fantasmic package. But your kiddos will likely have a lot more fun at a character meal earlier in the day when they have more energy.

As for the stroller rental, I agree that is a great idea! When mine were 4 and 6, I made the mistake of only renting a single stroller since my 6 yo would not have been caught dead in a stroller under normal circumstances. After our first day (this was at WDW), she was in full exhaustion mode and very envious of her sister’s “ride”! I texted the stroller company and they were able to drop off a double stroller over night to our resort that night and take back the single. Saved our trip!!! So either a double or two singles as someone suggested will probably be a lifesaver! If you think you may split up the kids, two singles is a great option. I would get an air tire stroller (as opposed to an inexpensive umbrella one) because it makes pushing a heavier, older kiddo around (and their head can hopefully still fit under the canopy).

Yes! The umbrellas are not the easiest to push around the parks for multiple days and the canopy isn't as big!

 

[OnThisMagicNight]

Hi all! We will now have 3 full days at Disneyland. I am wondering what “extra” experiences you think we should prioritize or skip of the below:

1. Napa Rose princess breakfast
2. Fantasmic dining (Blue Bayou, Rancho del Zocalo)
3. Plaza Inn character breakfast
4. World of color dessert party
5. Bibbidi bobbidi boutique

We are going with our 6.5 year old daughter, 4 year old son (birthday is during trip), and in-laws. It is the kids first Disney trip, and possibly only Disneyland trip for some (we are in the Midwest). I am wondering this for budgetary reasons, but also for time reasons. Even with unlimited funds, it might not make sense to try to fit all of this in. Want to try to do snacks/quick and counter service a good amount of the time, and even have groceries.

Obviously all kids are unique and I know what my kids would like best, but I was wondering if anyone has strong feelings about any of them. Both love princesses, Mickey and Minnie and friends, characters, Pooh, all of it! Want to make it a very magical trip, but also don’t want to totally sacrifice spontaneity, rides, parades, rest, etc.

Thank you!!

We had our first ever trip to the Disneyland Resort last month (we are WDW regulars.) My 6 year old daughter did Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique one morning and it was such a great experience (much less chaotic than WDW's BBB, that's for sure.) If you have a princess lover, I wouldn't cut this one. We opted to bring our own dress this time, as she got to pick out a dress last year in WDW; they brought her to the changing room inside to put her dress on. The whole experience took about an hour, maybe a little less - I'm sure that could vary, depending upon crowds, etc. My husband took our 2 boys to do some rides that my daughter wasn't interested in during this timeframe. If you do end up keeping the Princess breakfast, I'd time it for after the BBB appointment so your daughter can be all made up to meet the princesses. Given the fact that we'd need to leave the park for this meal, we opted to skip it though (plus we've done Cinderella's Royal Table at WDW.)

For World of Color, we just did the virtual queue for standing space, although my husband unfortunately chose to put us in the splash zone. We were allowed to bring our double stroller in with us. Sadly we missed Fantasmic because it was canceled for some reason the night we planned to watch it. I also considered doing the dessert party/dining package for each of those shows but ultimately decided I wanted the flexibility to change my mind in case we just didn't feel like it.

I did also want to add that we stayed at the Villas at Disneyland Hotel and took a break during the hottest part of the day for naps (coming from East Coast.) All of our kids fell asleep each day, even the 12 year old. This worked to allow us to stay up late enough to do the parks at night, although we never made it as late as midnight.

 

[Iceman93]

I would do every single one of those experiences on your list. Unless you NEED to cut things due to cost, they are all great experiences and will add significantly to the enjoyment of this special trip.

 

[Pluto468]

Hi all! We will now have 3 full days at Disneyland. I am wondering what “extra” experiences you think we should prioritize or skip of the below:

1. Napa Rose princess breakfast
2. Fantasmic dining (Blue Bayou, Rancho del Zocalo)
3. Plaza Inn character breakfast
4. World of color dessert party
5. Bibbidi bobbidi boutique

We are going with our 6.5 year old daughter, 4 year old son (birthday is during trip), and in-laws. It is the kids first Disney trip, and possibly only Disneyland trip for some (we are in the Midwest). I am wondering this for budgetary reasons, but also for time reasons. Even with unlimited funds, it might not make sense to try to fit all of this in. Want to try to do snacks/quick and counter service a good amount of the time, and even have groceries.

Obviously all kids are unique and I know what my kids would like best, but I was wondering if anyone has strong feelings about any of them. Both love princesses, Mickey and Minnie and friends, characters, Pooh, all of it! Want to make it a very magical trip, but also don’t want to totally sacrifice spontaneity, rides, parades, rest, etc.

Thank you!!

I'd do it all if you can! But I understand time and budget constraints.


I'd definitely do the Plaza Inn breakfast. We had an amazing time there on our last trip. Unique characters and great food! We did a 10:30 which was perfect because we rope dropped and were then ready for a nice long break. I love character meals because you have to go eat somewhere anyway, so why not meet characters at the same time? Plaza Inn is beautiful.

I'd also suggest Goofy's on your arrival day. It's my kids' favorite character meal and it's right there in your hotel. It would be a fun way to kick off the trip.

We've done WOC dessert party a couple times and loved it. I always see little kids there, so it's definitely worth it if you think your kids can stay awake and in a good mood. I agree with an above poster that you could have a back up plan of someone taking an exhausted child back to the hotel if necessary. But if you do that make sure to ask for a to-go box for their treats.

My daughter did BBB when she was 5 and it was a highlight of her trip. We brought our own dress and the fairy Godmother in training did hair and makeup. It was so cute! If your son doesn't stay at BBB to have a knight makeover he could go on rides.

I haven't been to the Napa Rose princess breakfast but we did Ariel's years ago and it was very special. My only question about the princess breakfast is if it would take up too much time.

Have you looked into Fantasmic premium dining at River Belle Terrace? You get seats and a full meal and watch the show from the RBT patio. Afterwards you can stay there to watch fireworks.

 

[Mardigras2025]

I'd do it all if you can! But I understand time and budget constraints.


I'd definitely do the Plaza Inn breakfast. We had an amazing time there on our last trip. Unique characters and great food! We did a 10:30 which was perfect because we rope dropped and were then ready for a nice long break. I love character meals because you have to go eat somewhere anyway, so why not meet characters at the same time? Plaza Inn is beautiful.

I'd also suggest Goofy's on your arrival day. It's my kids' favorite character meal and it's right there in your hotel. It would be a fun way to kick off the trip.

We've done WOC dessert party a couple times and loved it. I always see little kids there, so it's definitely worth it if you think your kids can stay awake and in a good mood. I agree with an above poster that you could have a back up plan of someone taking an exhausted child back to the hotel if necessary. But if you do that make sure to ask for a to-go box for their treats.

My daughter did BBB when she was 5 and it was a highlight of her trip. We brought our own dress and the fairy Godmother in training did hair and makeup. It was so cute! If your son doesn't stay at BBB to have a knight makeover he could go on rides.

I haven't been to the Napa Rose princess breakfast but we did Ariel's years ago and it was very special. My only question about the princess breakfast is if it would take up too much time.

Have you looked into Fantasmic premium dining at River Belle Terrace? You get seats and a full meal and watch the show from the RBT patio. Afterwards you can stay there to watch fireworks.

Thank you for all of the advice and experience!

So the odd wrench is that we are not planning to stay at VDH on arrival night since we are getting in later - I know it’s a hassle to move, so we might consider trying to get in one more night, but given the amount of savings and the amount of time not utilizing the facilities or early entry, we thought we would just start fresh with early entry on our first morning and have three full days and nights at VDH. We may stay on Harbor, so could hypothetically walk to Goofy’s on our first night if we really wanted to.

For the Napa Princess brunch, the question would be if it is worth leaving the park for such a long amount of time during a park day. I know our kids would love it so much though (but yikes at those prices!). Also, seems highly unlikely to be able to do BBB before Napa Rose - just seems like a lot to cram in.

I have not looked into River Belle too much - seats were not overly important to me and I have gathered not so great reviews on River Belle! I thought either the least expensive option to grab and go or the unique dining experience at Blue Bayou (but now I comprehend that it’s not good for kids) would be better options, but could definitely consider seating!

 

[LKing]

I don't know that I would say that Blue Bayou is not good for kids. I just wonder if the kids will appreciate it enough to justify the cost. If the parents and in-laws want to do it, then do it. The kids will be fine.

 

[Mardigras2025]

I don't know that I would say that Blue Bayou is not good for kids. I just wonder if the kids will appreciate it enough to justify the cost. If the parents and in-laws want to do it, then do it. The kids will be fine.

Thank you! It seemed so unique that we were considering it with fantasmic since this is a special (or maybe only) Disneyland trip. But I read elsewhere (maybe unofficial guide) that kids might be bored and adults might want it to be an escape from the parks. So in the grand scheme of prioritizing scheduled activities, it seems like a good one to cut for budgeting time and money. Just hoping I don’t regret not going in the future!

 

[disneychrista]

Thank you! It seemed so unique that we were considering it with fantasmic since this is a special (or maybe only) Disneyland trip. But I read elsewhere (maybe unofficial guide) that kids might be bored and adults might want it to be an escape from the parks. So in the grand scheme of prioritizing scheduled activities, it seems like a good one to cut for budgeting time and money. Just hoping I don’t regret not going in the future!

I'd say that Blue Bayou is less boring than Denny's or Red Robbin. But it also darker in comparison.

 

[Gypsybear]

I'd say that Blue Bayou is less boring than Denny's or Red Robbin. But it also darker in comparison.

As an older person, I can really identify with this. With the darker atmosphere at Blue Bayou....I really needed a light to clearly see the menu. A small pen light would have helped immensely.