We’re starting to relish our Disney trips. This is the last year that we’ll be able to go whenever we want. Emma will start school in the Fall, making it challenging to go anytime except outside of school days. We wanted our next trip to be special, since both girls were sick during our last visit and unable to enjoy much.

A new world opened up for us on our most recent trip. Emma is FINALLY over the 40″ mark. She’s well over the mark at 40 3/4 inches tall. This means she actually bumps her head on each of the height checkers when ride attendants ask to measure her height, drawing the obvious, “she’s good to go” from each attendant.

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If you’re headed to Disneyland with young kids, you’ll have a great time. We were worried the first couple of times we went. We weren’t sure if there’d be enough to do with our toddler. We were pleasantly surprised at how many things we were able to do with young kids. Read up about the rides before you go, so you’ll know what to expect. Also, make sure you know how tall your child is, they will check and you’ll want to be prepared for any restrictions. We’re still measuring Emma for the 40″ mark!

Watch your child and follow their cues. Some kids will love the Characters, other will be scared by them. The rides are all different too. Some may be fast and furious, others slower, but dark and loud. Every child is different. Ours turned out to be a daredevil. continued

This is a great tip for families going to Disneyland or Walt Disney World. The Rider-Switch Service is one of the best kept secrets around. Once you figure out how it works, it’s great. One of the hardest part of traveling with young kids where one of them might be too short to ride certain rides, one parent often gets left out. The “rider switch” pass lets each parent enjoy the attraction with the child who is tall enough, while one stays behind with a child who can’t ride. All without doubling your wait time.

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My friend, Janet, recently contacted me about her upcoming trip to Disneyland. Her four year old daughter is on a strict gluten-free (GF) diet, and she wanted to make sure Disney dining wasn’t going to be an insurmountable challenge.

I honestly didn’t know a lot of the answers to her questions. But after doing some searching, it became clear that there were several options for her family. But would it be easy? continued

We’ve been going to Disneyland during the holidays for a few years now. If you didn’t believe in the magic before, you will if you visit during the holidays. Visiting in early December will miss most of the holiday crowds as well.

Holidays at Disneyland are amazing. I can’t just tell you one reason to go, I’ll give you ten!

1. Buena Vista Street
Buena Vista Street is new to Disneyland California Adventure. There’s a 50-foot Christmas tree in the middle of Carthay Circle along Buena Vista Street. The 1920′s themed tree will be decorated with vintage-style ornaments, just as Walt envisioned. Santa will be on Buena Vista Street. Children can visit him at Elias & Co., the main department store along this street. continued

There are three great hotels at the Disneyland Resort. Most recently I told you about Paradise Pier. Paradise Pier is the most affordable of the resort hotels. Next is the Disneyland Hotel, and later, I’ll discuss the Grand Californian.

The Disneyland Hotel is the original hotel on the Disney property. The hotel just went through its second major renovation and has a whole new look. The hotel recently renamed its three towers after the original “lands” in the park: Adventure, Fantasy and Frontier. The pool area was also transformed to represent historical features of the park, and they upgraded the dining options to satisfy all ages. Now you can enjoy stunning rooms, a new pool area, and several restaurants. continued

The last couple of weeks have been extremely hot in LA. This time of year, the average high is usually around 85 degrees. Completly managaable. However, temperatures have been hitting 100 degrees lately. Here are some ways to keep cool at Disneyland in the warmer months. continued