With the holidays upon us we are often asking ourselves how to make this year’s holiday stand out and make lasting memories for our children. Sure we want to spoil them with the gift or thing they’ve been wanting for some time, but in the end the the thing that we want the most for them is to make lasting memories of the joy they felt over the holiday season. There’s no better way to ensure that happening then with a trip to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.
[scrollGallery ID=42]Taking the family to Disneyland & Disney California Adventure starts with enjoying the all new updated Disney California Adventure, with all of the new attractions unveiled in June 2012. With four new attractions – Radiator Springs Racers, Luigi’s Flying Tires, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and the Red Car Trolley – eight new food locations including Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge, nine new shops including Los Feliz Five & Dime, plus more than a dozen new entertainment experiences along Buena Vista Street, park guests enjoy a full day-to-night experience at Disney California Adventure.
Holiday memories are ready to be made all around the park. We made quite a few on our recent trip to the parks. The kids haven’t stopped talking about the day, and the memories are burned in my brain for the rest of my life. Some of the many highlights of our day at the parks include:
1. My 3 year old has been singing “it’s a small world” for weeks because she learned it at school. I kept telling her she’d get to see the dolls singing the song. Little did I realize there was a new ride for the holidays. “it’s a small world” Holiday becomes a worldwide celebration of the season, boasting more than 300,000 glittering lights on its facade. Along with the children of many nations in their holiday attire, the attraction features a sparkling snowman dressed in a gold top hat, golden scarf and hundreds of twinkling lights for its finale. A frosty snowflake mobile twirls over his head, and his “Happy Holidays” sign is sculpted out of ice that changes color. She was speechless the entire ride, I think it was a lot more than she had anticipated.
2. Getting off of a ride and seeing my oldest skipping off and turning around screaming “that was the best ride ever”after every single ride we went on. Yes you notice I didn’t specify which ride. Well the truth is that he did that after most of the rides, so it only spoke to his enthusiasm for the day.
3. Buying all 3 kids their own Mickey Ears. J (8) went with the Perry the Platypus Mickey ears, E (almost 7) got the R2D2 Mickey Ears in Tomorrowland and my little one (3.5) despite all of my tries to get different ones, decided on the original Mickey ears in pink. Several days later and they are still wearing those Mickey ears all around the house. These Mickey ears epitomize their trip to Disneyland, and bring back fondness for them every time they put them on.
4. Cars Land. We had all been dying to see Cars Land because we are such Cars movies fanatics, and it’s truly like walking into Radiator Springs. One recommendation: stop by the Cozy Cone and get an ice cream cone, you won’t be sorry.
5. The Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle presentation finale show, which includes the legendary “Believe … in Holiday Magic” fireworks show, which takes guests on a journey of sights and sounds of the season and ends with a touching rendition of “White Christmas,” along with a climactic snowfall swirling down on Main Street, U.S.A., “it’s a small world” Mall and New Orleans Square. Read more on Disney Park Blog. My younger son who had been dying to go to Disneyland was looking at the fireworks and says to me “THIS IS AWESOME, how come we are so lucky to be able to see this?” My heart melted right there. I knew he’d love the day, but to hear him say this, was that heart warming feeling that we as moms know so well. He’s going to be 7 next week, and I know he’ll remember this Disneyland trip for the rest of his life. Plus who can forget that it snowed in the middle of Disneyland in Southern California no less.
On the car ride home my younger son fell asleep before we got on the freeway, and he was the one crying when we said we were leaving. He just wanted to go on “one more ride”. I knew he had the day of his life, and his exhaustion was proof of that.
Going to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure will certainly be the biggest memory we’ll have of the holiday season for 2012. No matter what seeing your children enjoying it the way they will, is worth every last second of the day. I can’t think of a better way to have beautiful memories of family my during the holiday season.
One last thing do not forget to stop into the Candy shops on both/either Main St in Disneyland and Carthay Circle in California Adventure, and get a world famous candy cane. They only come out once a year, I promise you won’t be sorry.
I was given entrance to the parks for me and my family in order to facilitate this post. The above is my opinion swayed only by my inner Fashionista.
