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We had the best time in Disneyland and California Adventure in July. If you follow me on instagram (@cami.inallplaces) you may have noticed my obsession with Beth’s outfits and some pictures of the yummy food we ate. In this post, I’ll share my thoughts on the new Avenger’s Campus, the food that we got (including some gluten-free options), and tips for having a good time with babies and toddlers at Disneyland and DCA. Lastly, I’ll share some must-have items for a good Disney experience.
We went hard core on this trip. But honestly, we do that every time we go to Disney. We did back-to-back park days and stayed from open-to-close both days. I do NOT recommend doing two park days in a row like that because it was exhausting, but it’s the only way we could do it this time around.
Avenger’s Campus
Disney California Adventure Park was our first day. We woke up early and were ready to leave by 7:00 AM. We secured our boarding group for the Web Slingers ride exactly at 7:00 AM using the tips we learned from @morningswithmickey. We got boarding group 14 so we started the day on a HIGH. Next, we walked from our hotel to the park and it took around 20 minutes to get there and go through the Downtown Disney security. We made it into the park long before rope drop and had made a plan to go to Radiator Springs Racers first… but lots of other people had that plan too, so we stopped briefly in Radiator Springs for a picture with Lighting McQueen then headed to Toy Story Mania instead. We got right on at Toy Story Mania and that quickly became Emmett’s favorite ride. He asked for “Buzz and Woody Cars” 1,000 times over the next two days.
I did Jessie’s Carousel with the kids while my sisters went on Incredicoaster, then it was already time to report back to Avenger’s Campus for our Web Slingers boarding time. This was around 9:00 AM. The Web Slingers wait was only about 25 minutes and the ride was AMAZING, just like Spiderman himself. It takes you through a virtual and interactive experience where you get to shoot webs using your own hands! I couldn’t believe how well it worked at detecting our hands and shooting webs out of them.
We spent the next little while exploring Avenger’s Campus because there was a little show every 15 minutes or so. I could honestly stay in that part of DCA all day because new characters are always coming out to do something. We saw Black Widow, Black Panther, Thor, Loki, Captain America, Dr. Strange, Spiderman, the Dora Milaje, Antman, the Wasp, and Captain Marvel all in one day! The Spiderman stunt show was my favorite.
Food in Disney California Adventure
- Nachos and Pineapple Frozen Horchata from the red taco truck
- So yummy! I ordered the chicken nachos. I tried to save some nachos for my sisters, but they were on a ride and there were only a few chips left when they made it back to me. Next time we go, I’m getting these again and maybe the tacos too. The frozen horchata was refreshing and tasty too.
- Pixar Pier Parfait
- This was delicious and we ate it at the hottest part of the day. The bad part was that I waited in the line in the direct sun for about a half hour while the rest of the group went on a ride. The other bad part was that Beth woke up from a nap right before it was my turn to order and really wanted me to hold her. So then I had to carry 2 parfaits and a baby while pushing my stroller trying to find a shady spot to eat. It did not turn out well and both of the ice creams melted all over my hands. One actually tipped over into my stroller. I became a little hysterical as I wiped up the mess with a crying baby while people walked by and stared at me. I heard a guy say “Wow, she didn’t really think that through…” No sir, I did not. I did take a picture… but it does not do this delicious icy treat and justice.
- Chicken Teryaki Bowl from Lucky Fortune Cookery
- Unfortunately didn’t get a picture of this one… it was nearing the end of the day and I had a really tired 2 year-old. That’s my only explanation. But the bowl wasn’t that good anyway. I wouldn’t MUCH rather eaten the bacon mac and cheese in a cone of bread from the Cozy Cone. RIP gluten. 😦
- The GIANT pretzel from Pym Test kitchen
- I didn’t get to eat this one, but my sister got it and it looked amazing. Look how big it is!! She also got a tiny milkshake and a peanut butter and bacon sandwich with blue bread. They have some weird stuff on the menu.
Food in Disneyland
- Mickey Rice Krispy Treat
- I love these a lot more now that I don’t eat gluten. This one was a Mickey head Rice Krispy treat on a stick that was covered in Reese’s pieces. This was a very yummy treat that I had in the afternoon while my sister ate her cream cheese pretzel.
- Cream Cheese Pretzel
- We bought it from the refreshment corner at the end of Main Street, but I’ve heard there are other places you can get it too. I have to admit that I tried a little bit of my sister’s pretzel and it was delicious. Maybe even worth the digestion consequences.
- Pizza from Red Rose Taverne
- This Gluten Free pizza did not disappoint. If you eat Gluten Free, pizza is usually a safe bet. My little sister also loved it. I didn’t take a good picture because we were hungry and I think we were hurrying back to Rise of the Resistance after eating, so there just wasn’t time for a picture… this one is a screen shot from a video.
- The Grey Stuff
- “It’s delicious”. Another thing that is not gluten-free, but is something everyone should try if you can! It’s like a cookies and cream mousse. And this one came on top of a shortbread cookie and had sprinkles on top.
Disneyland and DCA with Babies and Toddlers
I don’t claim to know all about Disneyland and the very best way to do it, but there are a few things I have learned as I experienced Disney parks with my two babies. I hope these suggestions will help you make the experience as magical as possible.
1. Take advantage of the baby center
Each park has a baby care center and it is the quietest place to sneak away when you have a little baby who needs to nurse, change a diaper, or get some rest. I absolutely love this place and I even had to buy some diapers at the baby center in Animal Kingdom last year after a huge underestimation of necessary diaper quantity. What a life saver! The baby care center is on the map in the Disneyland app, but to give you and idea, it is at the end of Main Street USA on the side of the road with the corn dog cart.
2. Invest in a good stroller
Please don’t settle for an umbrella stroller that is only good for carrying kids from one place to another. Bring a good stroller! Think of your stroller as home base. Your kids will not just ride in it. They will take naps in it, change diapers in it, and you will store everybody’s stuff in it. I don’t know if I’ll ever go to Disney without a stroller, even when my kids grow up.
My stroller is the Mockingbird Single-to-Double stroller. It is affordable yet still has all the cool features of the popular luxury strollers. I think I paid about $300 for it.
Keep in mind: There are restrictions for what you are allowed to take into the Disney parks. Check those regulations on their website so that you aren’t shocked when they don’t let you take you extra wide stroller or wagon into the park.
3. Go on the rides with short lines
Winnie the Pooh never has a long line. I road that ride with Emmett 5 times in a row while waiting for the rest of our group to do another ride. That is not an exaggeration! Other rides with shorter lines are It’s a Small World, The Carousel, and other activities like Tarzan’s treehouse. Make you toddler think that the rides with the short lines are the very coolest rides in the park. They will believe you! Toddlers may not last very long in the longer lines… but if you want them to experience the classic rides that usually have long lines, then you need to get to the park before rope drop and go to Fantasyland first. We go to Peter Pan first almost every time we go. Fantasyland will be the most crowded part of the park later in the day.
4. Take pictures toward the beginning of the day
It won’t be long before your toddler spills Mickey ice cream on their shirt, or your baby poops through their cutest outfit. I suggest taking pictures at the beginning of the day before those messes happen and while the kids are still energetic and smiley. If you are waiting for rope drop, you can take some pictures of their excitement and maybe even get a shot of with the castle among the crowd.
5. Just go with it
A Disney day is the day I have to just let things go and make the most of any situation. During this last trip my ice cream melted then fell on the ground, the fireworks were cancelled on the day we were in Disneyland, Emmett had a meltdown in Galaxy’s Edge with plenty of people watching, and they didn’t have any Luca toys in ANY of the gift shops. I just had to go with it! There were way more positive moments than negative ones. It took a lot of energy to stay happy while Emmett was laying on the ground crying and refusing to walk… but I did it! I convinced him to get back in the stroller and head to the complete opposite side of the park just so he could go on the Buzz ride again. He was elated. It turned out to be one of the best parts of the day because it was just me and my kids and they were happy.
Must-have products for a magical Disney day
These are some of my favorite things to bring to any Disney park. It’s not a comprehensive list of every single thing you need for Disneyland because everyone is different! My list may be different than yours, but if you have suggestions for other helpful products please leave them in the comments section at the end of this post! I would love to read them.
For Comfort:
- These mini Mickey fans work so well! They are small yet powerful and saved me a lot of discomfort while waiting in the line for the Pixar Pier Frosty Parfait with the sun beating down on me.
- This neck fan is also AMAZING. My sister brought it and she let me use it for a while. I’m buying my own for my next Disney trip. It’s also 36% off right now!
- I came to the conclusion that Tevas are my favorite Disney shoes. I even wear them with socks to make them extra comfy and extra fashionable 😉 They SAVED my feet on back-to-back park days. These are my two favorite styles.
Staying hydrated and full
- G2G protein bars are the very best. I love them and my kids love them too. My favorite flavor is the peanut butter chocolate chip. You can find these at Costco and also on the G2G website.
- Insulated water bottles are the way to go. I have a Stanley 40 oz. mug and a Takeya 32 oz. water bottle. Both are great! Water is FREE at any food establishment. They’ll give it to you in a paper cup, but I always pour it into my water bottle to keep it cool all day.
Other essentials
- A good backpack. This is my diaper bag backpack and I LOVE how many pockets it has. Even if I didn’t have kids, I would want a bag like this.
- Covid guidelines have changed over the last year, but if you go to Disneyland at a time when masks are required, a mask chain is AMAZING. You can easily take on and off your mask without losing it. Plus, with a mask chain and socks with sandals, you will be the most stylish person in the park.
Once again, please let me know if you have other Disney park essentials that I need to bring on my next Disney trip. I’m going back in January 2022 so I would love your recommendations!
Disney Photo Dump
If you’re here for the pictures, here you go! I love how photos can transport you back to a moment. They make memories last longer. So even if you feel crazy for taking thousands of pictures, you will feel glad that you captured those special moments.
In All Places 