theme parks with kids - Pitstops for Kids

Legoland California’s Star Wars miniland and water park

August 22, 2011 By Amy Hagstrom

While we were in Southern California last week, I had the opportunity to stop by one of our favorite theme parks for the younger set: Legoland California.

We love Legoland for their whimsical, primarily-colored theme, their young kid-friendly rides, and ample activities for the toddler and preschool set, but most exciting on this most recent visit was the showcasing of their new Star Wars Miniland! Yes, we’re a family of Star Wars-loving geeks, but even if you’re not, you’ll be floored by the attention to detail present in this multi-section display. I could have stood and looked for hours!

Of course, Star Wars in miniature is not the only new draw to Legoland California. The Legoland Waterpark features a 45-foot tower featuring slides and cascading, dumping water, two sandy beaches, and my favorite: the ‘build-a-raft’ river where kids create their own floatation devices. One word of warning: if you’re planning to enter the park later in the day, beware that the water park does fill to capacity. When it does so, water park passes may not be purchased at the main gate until enough guests have exited the area. It’s best to go early, or purchase a regular ticket that can be upgraded should the water park open up.

One thing I love about Legoland is that while it has certainly grown, deals can still be had. Did you know kids eat free from 5 to 7 pm? Or that the park offers free admission in its last hour before closing? Be sure not to buy more ticket than you need: if you’re not planning to visit the aquarium or water park, you don’t have to pay for it!

Plus! Did you know Legoland Florida is slated to open in October of 2011?! Autumn is a great time for families to visit Central Florida: the crowds have thinned, the weather has cooled, and room rates throughout the region have lowered. This park will certainly be on our list the next time we’re in the state!

San Diego on Dwellable

Disney done right: how to survive (and thrive!) in summer crowds

August 12, 2011 By Amy Hagstrom

The first advice I offer any family asking how to get the most from their Disney theme park experience is to visit in the off-season. Of course, such a plan isn’t always realistic. If your only option is to visit Walt Disney World or the Disneyland Resort in the summer season, take heart! It is possible to best the crowds and the heat and have a fabulous time.

During our three-day visit to the Disneyland Resort in August, we experienced every attraction we wanted, had time for relaxation, and never waited longer than 15 minutes in any line. Below you’ll find our top suggestions on maximizing your peak summer Disney experience:

1. Arrive at parks at ‘rope drop’. It sounds simplistic, but aside from utilizing FastPass (more on that below), arriving at park opening is the best way to beat crowds. Imagine theme park crowds as a breaking wave: get there first, and you’ll remain at the forefront of that wave all day long. We noted the difference during our August trip: at 8:15 am (with a general population park opening of 8 am) the standby wait time for the hugely popular Star Tours was under 15 minutes. Nearby, Space Mountain’s standby time was 10 minutes, and the new Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage was 5 minutes. By 9 am, we’d done all three and had snagged FastPasses for later in the day, while Star Tours’ standby line had increased to 60 minutes, Space Mountain’s to 45 minutes, and Nemo’s to 30 minutes. The FastPasses for Star Tours were listing return times after 7 pm. We moved on, riding that wave.

2. Use FastPass in an organized, deliberate manner. Most park visitors now know to utilize Disney’s ingenious FastPass system, but many still neglect to make the most of it. When crowd levels are high, fast passes for key attractions will run out by as early as mid-morning, so plan to gather the ones you want most as close to park opening as possible. We always send a Fast Pass ‘scout’ to obtain our FastPasses for our first attraction while the rest of our party jumps in the standby line for another ride directly following rope drop….this is often the only standby line we stand in all day. Remember that a new FastPass can be obtained as early as the first time listed on your current FastPass, and that FastPasses for water rides such as Grizzly Run in California Adventure and Splash Mountain in Disneyland won’t run out until later in the day (when people get hot); plan to snag those by mid-morning to ride in the heat of the day. (Or ride early morning to avoid any line at all!)

3. Seek out quiet park areas to escape the crush of the crowds: In Disneyland, nothing beats Tom Sawyer’s Island for some R&R. Kids can run and play without standing in lines, and adults can find a shady bench to decompress. If you all want to sit down for a bit, consider taking a ride on the nearby Dixie Queen steamboat. Even in peak season, seats are available, and it’s always shaded. If your food budget allows for it, make a reservation for the quiet, darkened Blue Bayou Restaurant, located inside Pirates of the Caribbean. You’ll enjoy the ambiance, and escape the heat. In California Adventure, enter the Redwood Challenge Trail play area, where kids will climb ropes and cross bridges and zip down zip lines and adults, again, can blissfully sit. Bear in mind that neither Tom Sawyer’s Island or Redwood Challenge have food vendors; bring in a snack or water bottles.

4. Stay on-site. I’m a firm believer in staying at a Disney resort. While they’re often more expensive nightly than other area hotels and motels, they pay for themselves in the perks. During our August trip, we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, where guests are given two extra FastPasses per guest per night which my kids called ‘magic FastPasses’ (as you can use them for any ride, at any time). Guests also enjoy extra park hours, and fun Disney touches in their rooms (my kids loved the musical headboards on the beds and their Mickey wake-up calls). The best perk of all, however, is simply logistical: staying at a Disney resort, you can easily take park breaks and won’t have to pay theme park parking fees. Each afternoon of our stay, we exited the parks and enjoyed a few hours in the Disneyland Hotel pools.

5. Eat at off-peak times and skip beverage lines. By the time lunch or dinner rolls around, the last thing anyone wants to do is stand in another line. To beat crowds, plan your meals during off-peak times. We always each lunch right at 11 am and dinner at 4 pm, adding a later evening snack. Many lunch venues are just opening at 11, giving us our pick of seating. Carry water bottles and powdered drink mix (to make drinking fountain refills taste better) to always have drinks on-hand, saving you time and money.

Every family’s schedule, budget, and preferences are different, but even if you can only take advantage of 3-5 of these tips, you’ll have a more relaxing, fun, and cost-effective theme park experience during peak season. Will you still become worn down by crowds and feel the heat? Sure, at times, and at the end of each day, you may still say, ‘Next time, let’s come back in January’, but at least you’ll be smiling as you say it.

To maximize our visit, our family used Southern California CityPasses during our three days at Disneyland Resort. As I disclose whenever applicable, these passes were provided free of charge, but came with no expectation of a positive review.

Disney done right: a stay at the Disneyland Hotel

August 11, 2011 By Amy Hagstrom

Until last week, my family and I had never stayed on-site at the Disneyland Resort, despite numerous trips to the theme parks. After last week’s stay, I may never visit Disney any other way. Our night at the newly improved Disneyland Hotel granted both tangible and intangible perks I don’t think I could do without!

We arrived at the hotel in the morning before park opening, and the front desk Cast Members had us registered and back out the door in time for California Adventure’s ‘rope drop’. I loved that they were able to store our bags and issue us key cards with an assigned tower (of three: Adventure, Frontier, and Fantasy) so we could skip the registration line later and use the pools at our leisure. We were told we’d receive a text with our precise room number once it was available after 3 pm, and we hit the park!

The walk to California Adventure and Disneyland from the Disneyland Hotel is a short hike through Downtown Disney, but if you’re headed to the latter and already have park passes, the fastest and easiest way (unless you don’t want to break down a stroller) is through the Monorail station located right next to the nearby Rainforest Café, which will take you directly into Tomorrowland.

We stayed in the parks until 2 pm, when we opted to return to the hotel to make use of one of the best perks of staying on-site: an afternoon pool break. The kids loved the ‘D Ticket’ pool and ‘Monorail’ water slides (though they missed having a larger swim area…can’t wait for the construction to finally be complete!). By 4 pm, we were ready to change for dinner and a return to the parks, but hadn’t yet received our text. Upon further investigation, I realized our key card envelope included a phone number we could call to check on the status of our room; when I did so, I learned it was indeed ready! I don’t know what glitch prevented our text, but if you have the same problem, use the number to double-check!

Our room in the newly remodeled Frontier tower was surprisingly spacious, and I love that it accommodated our family of five: an extra day bed is built in for a child. The kids couldn’t get enough of the light-up, twinkling headboards, and I loved the view of the pool area with its retro Disneyland signage. We even got a glimpse of the Disneyland fireworks later that night!

Staying on-site at the Disneyland Resort truly does keep families immersed in the ‘magic’ of the theme parks, from the small touches in the rooms to the character sightings in the hotel (Toby ran right into Goofy in the lobby—literally!). Taking advantage of the close proximity to the parks and the extra magic hour opportunities shaves time off busy vacation schedules, and we were surprised to learn that from now until September 5th, guests at the Disneyland Hotel receive two extra FastPasses per guest per night! Our kids called these ‘magic’ FastPasses, as they’re good for any ride, at any time!

Note: Though it lights up invitingly, the Monorail slides close earlier than the rest of the pool complex (at dusk, for safety reasons); let your kids know!

Date last visited: August 3, 2011

Room rates: Rates are more affordable than you might think! Check the reservations page for current prices; on the night we stayed (in peak season), it was under $200.

Dining options: The hotel houses several restaurants, including the Goofy’s Kitchen character meal (which we enjoyed), Tangaroa Terrace, Steakhouse 55, and the very fun Tiki Room-themed Trader Sam’s, located poolside and offering drinks and appetizers. Spend some time inside soaking up the ambiance and observing what happens when guests order certain drinks! (Children welcome.)

Directions: The Disneyland Hotel is located at 1150 Magic Way. From I-5, exit Disneyland Drive and follow signage to Downtown Disney.

As I disclose whenever applicable, we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel free of charge as part of a two-day Disney bloggers event. Though we’re grateful for Disney’s hospitality, this compensation came with no expectation of a positive review.

Universal Studios Hollywood with kids and tweens

August 8, 2011 By Amy Hagstrom

It’s been years since we’ve ventured any further north than Anaheim in search of theme parks during our annual vacation to Southern California, so in late July, we braved the commute up I-5 from Orange County to Los Angeles to revisit Universal Studios Hollywood.

Knowing Universal is a great pick for older kids, tweens, and teens, I opted to spend the day there with Nate (12) and Calvin (10) using Go Los Angeles tickets from Smart Destinations. A 3-day card gives you a day at Universal Studios, which you can upgrade to a Front of the Line pass should you desire.

What to do: Universal Studios Hollywood is different than other area theme parks in that its focus is more heavily on shows and tours than on ride-type attractions. Because visitors need a basic grasp on the movie-making industry and at least a small background on popular films in order to appreciate these shows and tours, older kids and teens enjoy the park more than young children and toddlers. Our kids (ages 10-12) loved the Studio Tour, which they deemed worth the 45 minute wait (during the peak of summer) despite not being familiar with all the TV series and films featured. The King-Kong 3D attraction in the middle of the hour-long tour added action, as did the special effects on several lots and sound stages. Adults will get a kick out of driving through working sets (we saw the sets of Parenthood and Desperate Housewives on our tour).

Another highlight was the WaterWorld stunt show, shown hourly throughout the day. No need to have seen the Kevin Costner film beforehand; the show demonstrates various stunts within an acted script that’s easy to follow, and tons of fun to watch. After learning how stunt doubles do their job, head to the back of the Upper Lot to the Special Effects show, to learn about CGI, green screens, and other digital effects. Again, these attractions are best for kids old enough to understand the basics of how a movie is made (or at least old enough to have the attention span to learn).

Nate loved both Revenge of the Mummy the Ride and Jurassic Park the Ride, though Calvin opted out of the former, wary of things ‘jumping’ out at him (and they do!). Both kids liked The The Simpsons the Ride, though all three would have been too scary for them just a few years ago!

Tip: The park is comprised of Upper and Lower Lots. The entrance is located on the Upper, which means it fills up fastest, but the Lower opens half an hour after the Upper on most days, forcing visitors to stay put. If you plan to take the Studio Tour, do this first (located toward the back of the Upper Lot), because it only gets busier later in the day. Once you’re done with the hour tour, the Lower Lot will be open, but still relatively uncrowded, due to Jurassic Park being a water ride. Later in the day, the wait will be long, but any time before lunch, it typically remains under 15 minutes.

If you do bring young children: There are sections just for them, though they are not abundant. Young kids will like the Nickolodeon water play area and the Curious George playground and ‘jungle’ (foam ball play area). None of these attractions require waiting in line, but do get crowded. Keep in mind that the few ride-type attractions in the park do have height requirement. If you have fearful or sensitive young kids (or kids of any age), beware the scary content in all Universal shows and attractions (including the Studio Tour): all play up the studio’s various monster and horror creations, such as King Kong, Jurassic dinosaurs, mummies, Frankenstein, and the like. Even Chucky and Norman Bates mother from Psycho make more appearances in the park than my kids would like.

Tip: To beat summer crowds, get to Universal (or any theme park) early. Arriving before ‘rope drop’ ensures staying ahead of the masses; we rode The Mummy and Jurassic Park two times each without a line between 9:30-10 am.

Admission: Admission varies based on height instead of age. Current prices can be found on the official site.

Hours Current park hours.

Dining: Multiple casual dining and counter service restaurants are located within the park, but to escape long waits and crowded table seating areas, we recommend leaving the park and dining in City Walk (directly adjacent). Just be sure to get your hands stamped, and remember to keep your ticket stubs to get back into the park.

Parking: General parking is $15 per car ($20 for preferred parking). We parked in the Jurassic garage at the end of City Walk, which was quite uncrowded).

Directions: From I-5, take Highway 101 Hollywood. Exit on Universal Studios Blvd.