Sharing some adventures from our journey to San Diego, a few of our favourite SD eating places and family-friendly actions, and a visit to Disneyland with Dance the Magic!

Hello hello! Joyful Wednesday! What’s happening as we speak? I’m headed to the ladies’ faculty this morning, catching an F45 class, and placing the ending touches on podcast episode #100!! It should go dwell subsequent week and yesss there’s a giveaway.

For as we speak’s submit, I wished to share a recap of our journey to San Diego and Disneyland! Our final journey to Disneyland was fall 2019, so we had been thrilled to be headed again. (We’ve been to Disney World a few occasions because it’s reopened, but it surely was our first journey again to Disneyland.)

Right here’s a bit recap of our journey, plus a few of our fave spots.

Disney and San Diego recap

Once we came upon that Liv’s dance crew was going to be performing within the Disneyland parade with Dance the Magic, we knew we had been IN. We additionally figured we may sandwich a San Diego journey together with it, because it’s a simple flight to San Diego (an hour from Tucson) and hire a automobile to drive to Anaheim. We had been so comfortable to be again in SD!!

We went straight to Tiki Port, who welcomed us with probably the BEST acai bowl I’ve had in my life. (And I’ve had many, many from Tiki Port.) The man making them was actually an artist; I had chocolate chips, acai, granola, fruit, AND peanut butter in each single chew.

(That is the Drifter with peanut butter. Should you go to San Diego, get it! You received’t remorse it.)

We additionally made a cease on the seashore so the ladies may moist their toes (aka their garments and whole our bodies), to the resort to alter, Belmont Park (the place they rode journey after journey) and OB Noodle Home for dinner.

The following morning’s breakfast was at Nice Maple, which is one in every of our favourite breakfast eating places.

This avocado stack had arugula, avocado, balsamic discount, and perfectly-cooked salmon.

We additionally shared maple bacon donuts with our entrees.

After breakfast, we performed on the waterfront park for some time and then headed to the New Youngsters’s Museum, the place the children had a blast trying out the entire displays. It adjustments each time we go to, and it’s actually a children’ dream come true. We received Tender Greens to-go for lunch, and hit the street the Anaheim!

Our first cease in Anaheim was the resort to drop off our baggage and then straight to character eating at Goofy’s Kitchen!

Whereas we’re at Disney, I all the time attempt to guide one “actual” (sit-down) meal every day. It’s usually lunch, as a result of everybody will get the prospect to take a seat down and refuel. We received very fortunate with reservations this journey and I used to be capable of guide Goofy’s Kitchen, Tortilla Jo’s (Downtown Disney) and Blue Bayou (Pirates of the Caribbean) whereas we had been there!

(Lunch at Blue Bayou. Salmon, rice, veggies, and we shared a chocolate cake for dessert)

Goofy’s Kitchen is a buffet with every part you could possibly ever need, a ridiculous dessert choice, cocktails, and the characters come to every desk dancing to music when you twirl your serviette above your head. It’s every part.

The remainder of the weekend was spent driving rides,

(P rode the Incredicoaster 3 occasions… our daredevil youngster, lord assist us)

consuming ALL of the Disney treats

(my faves are the M&M rice crispy and the chocolate peanut butter sandwich, which is sort of a large amped up Reese’s)

and watching Liv and her crew carry out within the parade!! It was the primary Dance the Magic efficiency since they’ve reopened and I had full-body chills the whole time. It was SO superb, so magical, and the entire studios did such an unimaginable job. The streets had been utterly lined with spectators and everybody was clapping and cheering. I heard there have been about 600 complete dancers and they marched down the parade route, dancing to “Zero to Hero” from Hercules.

Lining as much as head into the park earlier than the parade:

I’ll always remember it.

As a part of Dance the Magic, we had been additionally capable of attend a VIP breakfast in California Journey, which began at 5:30 Sunday morning. Ya’ll know me and how a lot I LOVE my sleep, however I rallied and made it occur. It was actually cool to journey some rides earlier than the park was open and to observe Liv run round with all of her dance associates who’ve turn into like household.

Some Disney questions I figured I may chat about on this submit (and issues I used to be questioning about myself earlier than our journey):

Was it crowded?

After studying some issues on Instagram and different weblog posts, I anticipated it to be PACKED, particularly because it was a weekend journey over excessive season. As somebody who’s used to strolling shoulder-to-shoulder with full strangers down Important Road, I assumed it was pretty. It felt very very open and not too crowded in any respect. They’re nonetheless utilizing a reservation system to restrict capability, so you must guide reservations for every day you’ll be within the parks. (You want a ticket earlier than you’ll be able to guide reservations however can discover the calendar on-line to see what availability appears to be like like.)

What had been the character interactions like?

The characters had been nonetheless separated from park friends utilizing some kind of barrier, and you could possibly stroll in entrance, take an image, and speak with them. Apparently that is altering on the finish of the month, and character hugs shall be again! P LOVES hugging the characters, so this makes my coronary heart comfortable.

What are the present masks guidelines?

Masks weren’t required outdoor and really helpful indoors. Most friends weren’t sporting them.

What’s the new Genie+ system? Are there Quick Passes?

Disney has achieved away with Quick Passes. Beforehand, you could possibly guide as much as two rides at a time, and when you completed these, you could possibly guide new ones all through the day utilizing the app. Previously, it was additionally free. Quick Passes are gone, and they’ve launched two new paid choices: Genie + ($20 per individual per day) and Lightning Lane for premium sights (which you’ll be able to solely use with the paid Genie+ and it’s an additional $12-20 per journey, per individual).

With Genie+ you’ve got the flexibility to guide time slots for a number of the extra common rides (like Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones, Incredicoaster, and so on). It’s $20 per individual per day and we discovered that it was DEFINITELY price it. We didn’t purchase it the primary day since Liv was doing parade observe for a lot of the day, and the strains had been very lengthy. I used to be chatting with a forged member and they informed me that they should push by the Lightning Lane folks first as a result of they paid for a spot. So which means if the Lightning Lane line is lengthy, and you’re within the Stand-by line, they received’t allow you to transfer till the Lightning Lane is shorter.

The second day, we did Genie+ and it was completely price it. We hardly waited for longer than 5 minutes for every journey, and ended up doing about 19 rides that day. You may’t guide Lightning Lane passes for a number of the newer or premium sights with out paying a further payment (like Star Wars Rise of the Resistance, Radiator Springs, Net Slingers, and so on) and that is the place I’ve blended emotions.

Let’s say you need to do Net Slingers, Radiator Springs, and Rise of the Resistance in someday. It’s a must to have Genie+ to even have the flexibility to guide these rides ($80 for a household of 4) and you guide Lightening Lane with the paid payment for every of those ($48 for Net Slingers + $48 for Radiator Springs + $80 for Rise of the Resistance). This comes out to an additional $256 for a household of 4, simply to journey these 3 rides, along with your park tickets. It simply seems like an enormous cash seize to me.

I’ll say that Genie+ is completely price it if you wish to journey numerous rides, and to be strategic on the premium sights. We ended up paying $80 to do Rise of the Resistance and it was most likely the best journey I’ve ever skilled (and I do know nothing about Star Wars lol).

This journey genuinely felt like a trip and it was such a blast to get away and benefit from the weekend. Spending time with our household is my favourite factor ever, and I’m wanting ahead to extra adventures this summer season. 🙂

So, inform me associates: any holidays on the radar for this spring/summer season? What’s your favourite place to go to with children?? Additionally, fave Disney deal with?!

xo

Gina