Disneyland and Universal Studios Family Trip

Last September we decided to visit the Magic Kingdom - Disneyland It took little bit more planning since my 11 year old is type 1 diabetic. I needed to make sure all his needs are met and we still have lots of fun.

We flew out of the Spokane International Airport. Since we live about 3 hours away we decided to stay overnight at the Ramada Aiport Inn. They offer Park’n'Fly (free parking for up to 14 days) which is a great deal since they are located directly across from the airport terminal. The hotel shuttle is also available.

After a short flight we landed at the John Wayne Airport in Orange County. In my opinion the hotels that belong to the Disneyland Resort are very overpriced for what they offer. We stayed at the Best Western Park Place Inn located directly across the entrance to Disneyland and California Adventure park. The Best Western is by far the best deal around: friendly staff, very reasonable priced nice rooms with microwave and mini fridge, gift shop, car rental, complimentary deluxe breakfast next door at Captain’ Kids, 5 minute walk to Disneyland.

Buy your tickets online at www.Disneyland.com to save money. If you travel with a child with type 1 diabetes stop by Guest Service right after you enter Disneyland. Our son received Guest Assistance Card which allowed him and up to 5 members of his party use wheelchair entrances at various rides and attractions. Since it was a hot day we had to stop many times to check his blood glucose and give him drinks and snacks, but thanks to his pass he didn’t miss out on anything.

Food and drinks are quite pricey inside both parks. We bought our snacks and bottled water at the corner store and brought it with us. It will save you time and money.

Since our hotel was only 5 minutes away we ate lunch and dinner near the hotel. The best value was buffet lunch and buffet dinner at Captain’ Kids right next door. It wasn’t much of a selection, but all kids friendly and tasty. Just a short walk from the Best Western Park Inn was also IHOP restaurant and Tony Roma’s Steakhouse. We ate at both and the meals were great and budget friendly.

We enjoyed our trip to Disneyland, made new memories and it was all within our budget.

Our second day in Anaheim was the day we decided to venture out to the Universal Studios Hollywood. We decided to rent a car at our hotel since that seemed to be the cheapest way to spend the day at the Universal CityWalk and Universal Studios without pressure.

After arriving at the Universal CityWalk we opted out for the valet parking which was very reasonable ($25.00 for the full day) and you don’t have to walk very far. If you don’t want to explore the CityWalk you can park in the preferred parking ($20.00 per day) located in the Woody Woodpecker lot which is located the closest to the Universal Studios.

The Universal Studios offers a deal : 2 day pass for the price of one day, but I don’t think there is so much to do there to spend 2 days exploring. We purchased our tickets directly at the Studios with our discount coupons from the Entertainment book ($8.00 off per person). You can also pick up same coupons at the coupon station at the hotel.

The ticket agent talked us into purchasing the All-You-Can-Eat meal plan , but it’s not worth it. The price is $19.95 for adults and $9.95 for kids under 48″. They were good only in 3 or 4 fast food cafeteria style restaurants with limited food choices (not the healthiest or tastiest). The kids meals were sad. The worst place to eat was Mel’s Diner. Bad food and bad service.

The new Simpson’s ride was different. My oldest son loved it, my youngest hated it and I felt sick to my stomach for hours to come. The Revenge of the Mummy ride is not for young children or the weak at heart. Our family favorite ride is the Jurassic Park ride. The only brave member of our clan to enter the House of Horrors was my hubby. If you are visiting with small children and in the summer months bring a swimsuits and towels. The Curious George Waterpark and Adventure playground is the best and they will never want to leave especially when Curious George and Sponge Bob show up.

After the day at the Universal Studios we decided to have dinner at the Universal CityWalk. After day of eating fast food we opted out for a light far at the Crepe Cafe. Fantastic crepes and smoothies. All crepes are made right in front of you while you wait. Talk about show and dinner.

I love shopping and the Universal CityWalk offers great selection of stores. My favorite was the LA Sock Market ( I love unusual and funky socks). My kids love the GameStop right beside the Hard Rock Cafe. If you have time you must try the iFly Hollywood vertical wind tunnel indoor skydiving. It is an experience of a lifetime and perfectly safe for kids 3 years and older.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 17th, 2009, 9:16 am and is filed under Travel Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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