Disneyland is a favorite vacation spot for families because of all the amazing memories that are made there. It can be hard to travel with larger families, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some of the best Disneyland tips for traveling with a large family:
Best Hotels for Large Families at Disneyland:
Staying on-property at Disneyland is a great experience, but the suites offered for larger families can get expensive fast. If you want to stay at one of the three Disney hotels, it will save you money to get two standard rooms rather than booking a suite.
You can save even more money, and still be close to the park, by choosing a hotel that offers suites nearby. Some of the favorite hotels that offer family suites are the Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites, Springhill Suites, and Staybridge Suites. The Embassy Suites South is about a mile away and offers suites that fit up to six – plus they have an in-house restaurant that offers cook-to-order omelets every morning! The Homewood Suites by Hilton at Anaheim Resort Convention Center opened last year and has suites that can fit up to six as well. The best part is that this hotel offers family suites that have the king and bunk bed option, offering more separation so you can put the littles to bed first.
There are also two Springhill Suites properties; Springhill Suites Maingate and Springhill Suites at Anaheim Resort/Covention Center, both having opened in 2014. The Maingate property has suites that can fit six and is less than a mile away. The Anaheim Resort/Convention Center property has suites that can fit up to seven and is right on Harbor Boulevard. The Staybridge Suites is one of the farthest options, at just over a mile away, but it can fit a family of eight in its two-bedroom suite.
All of these suites are great for larger families and will help make your Disneyland vacation great. Plus, you can book any of these hotels with Get Away Today to receive the best deal. Be sure to use my promo code TFATM for extra savings.
Best Rides for Large Families at Disneyland:
You won’t have trouble riding any ride with a larger family, but here are some of the best Disneyland tips for keeping your family together on rides. Most of the rides can sit two in each row with multiple rows, but there are a few that fit more in each row. One family favorite is the Disneyland Railroad where your entire family can rest their feet and get a glimpse of the whole park. It’s currently closed, but will reopen next summer. Two more favorites are the Grizzly River Run and the Jungle Cruise – one will cool you off and the other will leave you laughing at bad jokes. If you have younger children and don’t want to leave anyone in a row alone, rides like The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, “it’s a small world”, and Dumbo the Flying Elephant allow three to a row.
If those younger children are too small to ride any of the attractions, you can take advantage of Disneyland’s child swap. Just tell the first cast member in line and they will give you a child swap pass that is good for the whole day on that attraction. Up to three riders can use that by either going through the exit or Fastpass queue depending on the attraction. The child swap is an amazing program for any size family with babies and younger children.
You can book their packages online at getawaytoday.com or call 855-GET-AWAY. Be sure to use promo code: TFATM to save an extra $10 off any 2-night or longer package.
Best Food for Large Families at Disneyland:
Disneyland is known for its food almost as much as it is known for the Disney magic. It can be difficult to find seating for a large family on a whim inside the parks so reservations are important. Character dining is the most popular dining option in Disneyland and Goofy’s Kitchen is the best for large families. Not only do you get to see Goofy and other iconic Disney characters, but it’s a buffet that features fun food for adults and kids (think peanut butter and jelly pizza). Other favorites are the World of Color and Fantasmic dining packages – these are packages that include reservations at specific restaurants and specialty seating for the following shows.
You can eat at any table service restaurant without a problem by making reservations with Disney ahead of time. For the quick service options, Plaza Inn, Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante and Flo’s V8 Café are great because they offer a larger amount of seating. If you don’t want to eat in the parks, you can visit many of the restaurants within Downtown Disney or across the street on Harbour Boulevard. Subway, Mimi’s Café, and Panera Bakery are all across the street. Downtown Disney also offers affordable options at Earl of Sandwich and any of the quick service versions of their table service restaurants like Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen Express or Napoli.
Once you are at Disneyland, you can also save money by sharing meals within the parks. The restaurants in the parks serve a lot of food with their entrees that can easily be shared between the kids and even adults.
You’re also able to bring your own food and drinks, as long as you don’t have glass containers or alcohol. Keeping snacks on hand is necessary for many larger families, so it’s nice to know that you don’t have restrictions for bringing them in.
Best Savings for Large Families at Disneyland:
Traveling with a large family can be more expensive, but there are so many ways to save money before and during your Disneyland vacation. The first tip is to plan your vacation for off-season because there will be fewer crowds and many of the hotels drop their nightly rates to fill more rooms. Off-season is pretty much any time that the kids are still in school and when there aren’t any holidays or celebrations occurring. If you don’t want the kids to miss school or want to see the holidays at Disney, check with our friends at Get Away Today. They have some of the best rates for hotels and discount tickets to save you no matter when you travel.
Another great idea is to buy your souvenirs before you travel. Souvenirs inside the park are expensive and the number can jump unbelievably high when buying multiples. You can find Disney merchandise at dollar stores, Wal-Mart, Target, etc.. Your kids won’t know the difference, but your wallet definitely will.
Another great idea to save money on souvenirs within the park is to get free souvenirs. Yep, free! Your whole family can visit the Animation Academy in Disney California Adventure Park and keep your sketches after taking a class with a Disney animator. You can also ask for a free map at the end of the Jungle Cruise or a copy of The Buena Vista Bugle at the Starbucks in Disney California Adventure. Make sure to visit City Hall or any other shop counter for celebratory buttons for the whole family for no charge as well!
These are some of the best Disneyland tips for large families that can help families of any size plan their next Disneyland vacation. The greatest tip is always to plan in advance and you can get help with that by visiting Get Away Today’s website to plan and book your Disneyland vacation. You can even use their layaway plan that allows you to hold your vacation for just $125 per room. Final payment is due two weeks before travel, so it’s really helpful.
You can book their packages online at getawaytoday.com or call 855-GET-AWAY. Be sure to use promo code: TFATM to save an extra $10 off any 2-night or longer package.
As a side note, I know a lot of you are getting ready for the Holidays already. We try to get all our shopping done before the end of October. But his year I have held off on buying gifts until November 4th which is when Pinners Conference begins! I’m so excited to go to classes and see all the amazing booths set up with local products and crafters! You don’t want to miss it! Check out their web site for more information.
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