Disneyland, Disney world, Disney cruises you can't go wrong

Disneyland in Anaheim California is the OG resort. For any one new to Disney travel or those who don't want to feel overwhelmed Disneyland in my opinion is the best option to start with. There are only 2 parks here, the Magic Kingdom and California Adventure Land. They both easily can be easily navigated with young kids alike. Plus you can't beat the weather in summer in California if that is your only time to travel. For any Disney park you can sometimes get discount tickets at Samsclub.com. They usually are about $10 off so not a huge discount but they all add up. At this point once you buy your ticket you need to make a reservation for the dates you want to go to the parks and which park you want to visit on which date. I did read that they are doing away with this within the year however so hopefully by January 2024 you will not have to mess with it! There are certain times such as holidays and weekends that Disneyland will have certain events or holiday themes that require extra tickets thus when you are making your reservation for that day be sure the park is open till 1200 AM not just till like 8 pm when you would have to buy a second ticket for the special event. 

Disney World is the mother ship for all things Disney. It is comprised of several Disney brand hotels which each have their own appeal, and 4 parks. Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood studios. Each park has its own unique attractions.  Disney Springs also offers wonderful shopping and dining, with easy access around the park due to Disney bus transportation. 

If you are familiar with Disney you know that everything is over the top and always 110%. This is also the case with a Disney cruise. From unique destinations, their own islands, dream ships with unbeatable shows. Disney cruises are a once in a lifetime memory maker for those wanting to travel in style (and have daycare for their kids for n adult night out!)

I highly recommend getting a magic band. These handy electronic bands that you wear on your wrist are super convenient with all Disney brand parks and ships. They are your hotel room key, wallet, entrance ticket and lightening lane fast past. They add the extra convenience without having to always pull out your phone. Also, they do match up with rides for the pictures so your photo pass can be linked to your app! We bought ours in November after halloween and got discounted bands for $29.99 that have worked great for 2+ years. They are rechargeable and work well. 

Staying on Disney properties has its perks. Early park entrance, the convenience of the hotels being close to the parks, or the options for certain methods of free transportation. They have different categories such as budget friendly to luxurious that can fit every budget. We have stayed at both ends of the spectrum and there are perks to both! Those parks that are easier on the wallet still have the wonderful service and guarantee that you expect with Disney. The pools are wonderful no matter the resort. For California Disneyland I do not think that it is as important to stay at a Disney resort as there are so many wonderful hotels near by. Using a lot of travel points we are loyal Hyatt members and the Hyatt Regency Anaheim Conference center is by far our favorite stomping grounds for our travels to Disneyland. Wonderful accommodations and their own shuttle! Most of the hotels are only about a 10 minute bus ride so you cannot go wrong. 

This was a big part to our experience as the first few times when we would go to Disneyland and ride Pirates of the Caribbean we would see people dining at the Blue Bayou only to find out reservations need to be made well in advanced. This is still the case. In fact, they must be made 90 days out. Restaurants such as the Blue Bayou actually open up reservations at 0300 pacific time and literally are reserved in minutes. Thus set a timer on your phone this is imperative! If worse comes to worse we have used Mousewatchers.com once to alert us on cancelations. It is also to be noted that if you have a large group such as 8 people you will not be able to make reservations or find them and would have better luck making 2 sets of reservations for 2 tables of 4. It is not ideal but you can ask them as you are being seated if they could perhaps pull tables together.