a mickey mouse treat state of mind
Hi friends! Happy Monday! Hope was the weekend? Hope you enjoyed a wonderful mix of family time, productivity, relaxing, and all things fall. Speaking of fall, have you seen this video? I’ve been singing it every time I eat something pumpkin spice-related, which is fairly often. The Pilot looooooves it hahah.
Friday afternoon, I got in a killer Orangetheory workout (and got my highest amount of splat points ever!), we took the kiddos to Soup Plantation, and Saturday morning after Liv’s ballet class, we hit the road to Disney. We told her we were going on a fun adventure, and of course, she guessed Disney right away.
We enjoyed the rides and shows,
the treats,
and got to see Kyle, Meg, and Meg’s side of the family. That was by far the best part. We loved riding the rides with them, meeting up throughout the day, and catching a show.
(Yes, Meg’s shirt means they’re having a girl! The avalanche of cousin hand-me-downs has already begun.)
We’ve lived up our close distance to Disneyland since we’ve been in San Diego, and each time, I feel like we see and do something completely different. Of course, the classics are always in there, like Small World, Disney Junior Show (if you have a toddler/preschooler, this is a must-do), and the parades. P was clapping and signing “more” the entire time we were on Small World. When it was over, she cried. Both girls are both Small World fanatics…. it’s like a rock concert for kiddos.
Some of the new things we did that will become traditions:
Lunch at Ariel’s Grotto
This is reservations-only (book online in advance), but we were drawn to it because it’s one of the few sit-down restaurants in the park. While the grab-and-go type places are excellent, we find that the girls enjoy a restaurant atmosphere, and there are more menu options. Ariel’s Grotto is a character dining experience, so all of Livi’s favorite princesses were there. Tiana, Belle, Rapunzel, and Sleeping Beauty perform a brief bit on the patio, and meet and greet at each table. Needless to say, it was a huge hit.
While the princess aspect increased the entertainment aspect for the girls, the food was surprisingly delicious. It’s funny because I have a Delicious Disney cookbook that I LOVE, and I always wonder where these restaurants are that have this amazing food. This is definitely one of those spots. It started with a soup or salad course, followed by an entree
(I chose the chicken with couscous and spinach. Turns out P loves couscous.)
and desserts.
(Madeline with frosting and sparkle sugar, toffee espresso brownie, and a coconut-citrus creme brûlée)
My plan for dessert was to taste each one and eat whichever one I liked the most, but they were equally delightful, so there ya go.
Also for all the parents out there: they have drinks.
This habanero margarita was everything I’d been wishing for after a full day at the park.
Another new experience was the Disney Frozen Live show at California Adventure. The talent of the actors combined with the production quality blew me away. The background of the stage was a video wall, with projections and special affects that were eerily ice-like. There’s a great article about it here. While I’m pretty sure a vast majority of moms including myself are SO OVER FROZEN, I was totally into it. I had to give myself a special pep talk to not cry during “Let It Go.” That good.
Quite a few people have asked me for tips regarding Disney with little ones, but I don’t really have a ton. The key for our family is to make sure they’re well-fed (and that goes for the adults, too. Hanger is real, no matter how old you are!), and that they have a good spot to nap, whether it’s back at the hotel, in the Ergo, or stroller. I’ve found that when Liv was really young, and now with P, it can be tricky to keep them at the park the entire day and keep them happy. This is especially true when it’s super hot outside. We like to plan some down time at the hotel, or even just hanging out at the Golden Horseshoe (COLD AC) to take breaks from being outside so much.
Since P is still taking two naps, when we travel, we go for at least one real nap at the hotel and stick to her bedtime. The Pilot takes P back to the hotel to go to bed at 7, and Liv and I stay out late to ride more rides + watch the parade and/or fireworks.
This is what we did Saturday night, and it was perfect.
Liv was officially Disney-ed out.
Sunday morning, we all had breakfast together at the hotel,
and then Liv and I went to the parks while P took her first nap in the hotel room with the Pilot. (It worked out nicely because he had a ton of Master’s homework to finish.) They met up with us when she was awake, and we could eat lunch together and spent the rest of the day out and about. She took a short afternoon snooze in the stroller.
We don’t go to the park with any expectations and if we ride one ride, we consider it a bonus haha.
We’ll definitely be sneaking in at least one more trip before we move. 😉
Hope you had a wonderful weekend, too!
Anyone have any Disney secrets or tips to share??
What was your favorite workout this weekend? My only official workout was on Friday (Orangetheory before we left), but got in a lot of steps each day walking through the parks.
Have a happy Monday!
xoxo
Gina
*I finally uploaded P’s 11-month pics, so that post will be on the family page later this afternoon!
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What a fun weekend! It’s must be so cool to see their little faces when they go there.
i watch them the entire time. hope you had a great weekend!
I love the picture of P with the mouse ears! 🙂 So cute!
I tried Orange theory for the first time this weekend! Apparently they’re having some issues with a software update and we weren’t able to use the heart monitors, but it was really fun! The variety makes the hour go by really quickly. Have a great week!
yes, i feel like class always flies by! so happy you loved it, too!
I would have loved having lunch with princesses as a kid! I went to Disneyland when I was little and had so much fun.
i still have fun like i’m a kid there hahah
hope you had a great weekend!
Super fun! I didn’t go to Disney land till I was like 12 and way over the princess thing, Livs outfit is ADORBABLE!
thank you! she had such a blast
hope you had a great weekend, too
Love Disney! Also LOVE Meg’s, “the future is female” shirt!!
yes, i loved it too!!
So so so much fun! We’re heading to California for vacation next year and we’re definitely visiting Disney! My fave workout this weekend was running in my first 5k after recovering from an Achilles injury. It felt so so so good to run again…even if it was freezing and raining
ahhh that’s so exciting! happy you’re feeling better!
I missed the MEMO!? Where/when are you guys moving?! How exciting!
we are leaving at the end of december. we’re going to tucson for 3 months and then back to valdosta
What an awesome weekend!
Surprisingly, while I’ve been to Disney World almost every year of my life (for a variety of reasons), I’ve never been to Disney Land! It looks like a blast, though!
My trick for the adults is to go during off hours or right after holidays. And to make sure that you link your wristband to your credit card. You’ll end up paying more, but drinks are available at most stands and make the lines go a lot faster, ha!
So glad you guys had so much fun!
XO, Jessica
http://www.semisweettooth.com
Hilarious that P cried at the end of It’s a Small World! 😀 That’s my fave ride, too (oh, after Soarin’). We always did the character meals, too. Disney is so amazing!
Love Meg’s t-shirt! She looks so cute, & it’s so exciting that she’s having a girl! My daughter is 11 mos. younger that her cousin & getting her hand-me-downs was the BEST!
I love that you kept the trip a surprise from Liv! When my kids were about that age we used to go on “surprises”… I’d never tell them where we were going & half the fun was each of them trying to guess where we were going. Such fun memories for our family!! The best part about it for me was I’d always have a Plan B surprise ready if Plan A didn’t work out (because of weather, baby napping too long, etc). They’d never know that we were originally going somewhere BIG (like Disney) and instead went to a new playground to play 🙂 It was still a great time for them & they never knew what they were missing… no disappointment that way!
that’s another huge reason why we didn’t tell her we were going. that way if something happened (tom had to go out of town, one of the girls got sick, etc) she wouldn’t be bummed. i might do that for all trips going forward hahah
It must be such a joy that you’ve lived near Disney. We’re hours and hours from Disney World, so I imagine we’ll wait until little is not so little… ie not taking regular naps anymore. But I love the tip about staying full! I’m sure it’s so easy to get caught up in the fun and wearing yourself out that you don’t even notice that you’re hungry until you’re little is having a meltdown.
so so true! i have a ton of snacks with me at all times haha
Hi Gina:
I am a long time reader and want to inquire with you about a trip we are planning to La Jolla at Christmastime. Where may I email you please?
fitnessista at gmail!
Is Valdosta near Disney World? You will need to get your Disney hit once you move 🙂 🙂 :-).
yep! only 3 hours away!
What a fun trip! So many cute pictures! We are taking our kids to Disneyland for the first time this year! I am super excited! My daughter and I both have Celiac, so no gluten for us! Any tips for those of us with this issue when it comes to eats and treats at the park?
they’re very accommodating about allergies! https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/special-dietary-requests/