Tanner's First Time at Disneyland!
Everyone told us we were crazy for wanting to take our one-year old to Disneyland for his first birthday. It was always the same response, “ Why would you go there so young? He’s not going to remember.” The truth is he wasn’t going to remember a party either, so why not go do something fun? I am SO glad we decided to go. Yes, it was a lot of work with a baby but he LOVED it. We didn’t have a single meltdown, he loved all the characters, and he was able to ride a BUNCH of the rides!
We went with Ryan’s mom, his sister, and her boyfriend. Ryan’s mom made the whole trip possible!! A HUGE thank you to her!
Where We Stayed
We stayed at the Grand Californian which is on the Disneyland property. It made it SO easy with a small baby to get to and from the park. Yes, it is pricey. Yes, it is worth it. It cut down on travel time and we got to spend more time in the park. The hotel offers concierge where you can get snacks and drinks all day. We never had to worry about snacks, we would just go up and grab food and leave. It was decorated for Christmas with a giant tree where you could meet Santa at night!
Characters constantly roamed the hotel to meet with the guests and Tanner LOVED them! his very favorite character was Pluto, and he got so excited each time he got to meet him!
Tanner so excited to meet Pluto in the lobby of the Grand Californian!
We only ate at one restaurant on the property and it was breakfast at The Storyteller’s Cafe! Firstly, the food was absolutely delicious, and they have so many fun characters dancing around! They did a parade and would all come right up to your table to meet with you and your kids!!!
Rides in Disneyland and California Adventure
There were so many rides that you can bring your baby on! I was surprised at how many he rode and he ENJOYED. Disneyland is very unlimited for such a small child and we kept him busy all day long. We went on a really busy weekend but Tanner got on:
Flying Dumbo
Pinnochio
Both of the carousels in Disney and California Adventure
Monsters Inc.
The Little Mermaid
Pirates of the Caribbean
The Haunted Mansion
Peter Pans Flight
Buzz Lightyear
It’s a Small World
The Essentials/What to Bring
What to bring with you will depend on the time of year/even day that you go. We went in November so I made sure to pack plenty of blankets, jackets, warm socks, and beanies for Tanner. At the park you can rent a stroller but decided to bring our own stroller because it is light weight. MAKE SURE you mark your stroller because they all look the same after awhile. I brought our diaper bag full of his snacks and food, there are not many food options for a baby that small. My two favorite must haves were my portable diaper station from SKIPHOP and our hydroflask.
This diaper station was a godsend. I snapped it to our stroller and would just unlatch when I needed to change him. There are inserts for your diapers and wipes; and it has padding so your baby is comfortable. Since our diaper bag was full of food and blankets, it was very convenient to have on hand.
If you don't have a hydroflaskyet I don’t know what you are doing, but it was PERFECT to keep his milk cold all day.
The Disney Baby Center
The Baby Care Center was probably my FAVORITE hidden gem of Disneyland. It’s located at the end of Main Street on the right hand side. They have changing stations, changing rooms, small toilets, and a nursing section with comfy chairs to nurse your baby. It is FREE to use and you can come in as often as you like.
