I’ve been working on this post off and on for a couple of weeks now (gone are the days I could bust out a post in one day!) so I apologize if it comes across a bit choppy and bland, ha! But I’m so excited to share a little bit about our California vacation with you. It was an adventure for sure, and we had a great time! I’m planning on writing up another post of our favorite things about Disneyland along with some tips and tricks, so be on the lookout for that soon! 🙂

About a year ago Kyle and I began talking about a potential Disneyland trip. We had only gone to Florida earlier in 2017, but we knew that with Kyle finishing up his student loan repayment contract falling around the same time as Eliza’s birthday, we could celebrate that part of life being over and take our kids while Eliza was still 2 (and not have to pay for a ticket for her). We kept it on the back burner, brought it up every so often, and a few months ago decided we were going to go ahead with our plan.

We ended up going the first week of November and it was the PERFECT time of year to go. Our trip was broken down into a few different parts so I’ll try to make this as succinct as possible and not confuse you with all that we did. Here we go!

Driving to California & Staying with Cousins

Thursday, the 1st, we finished packing, loaded up our car, and drove the 2.5 hours to my in-law’s in Salt Lake. We stayed over night, and hopped in the car ready to go at 6 am the next day. We drove all day, and got to my brother- and sister-in-law’s home a little at 5 pm. We were able to eat dinner, and watch my nephew’s soccer game before heading to bed. Eliza woke up right after Kyle and I went to bed and puked in my hands, then over Kyle in the bathroom. (Our kids had been sick off and on pretty much the whole month of October, ugh.)

We hung out all day Saturday, went to church Sunday, and enjoyed dinner before driving down to Anaheim. There we met up with my mother- and father-in-law at our rental condo right across the street from Disneyland.

Disneyland

Monday, the 5th, was Eliza’s birthday, although we were telling her her birthday was on Wednesday, because that’s when we had character dining reservations. Good thing, because that poor little girl was so sick on her actual birthday! She woke up puking around 6 am, and then after a few rounds of that slept for another few hours. When she woke up she was covered in diarrhea, and continued to have messy diapers every hour for the next 6 or 7 hours. My MIL actually ended up walking back with her early because she was so miserable and needed a nap. We stayed a few more hours (we being Kyle, my FIL, Abe, Jonah and I) and had a good time. My SIL arrived a little while after we got home, with my nephews and niece, since they were joining us at California Adventure the next day! We didn’t take too many photos this day, but did get this gem of Abe on Splash Mountain!

We woke up bright and early (literally — between California being an hour behind, and that weekend being Daylight Savings, my kids woke up at 5:30 every day, ugh!) and made it to California Adventure at opening. We enjoyed ride after ride and being with family. Kyle took Jonah and Eliza back to the VRBO during the afternoon for naps, and I got to stay and go on rides with Abe. It was such a fun experience, spending that one on one time with him! And he loved it, too. We stayed until close that night, and enjoyed the Paint The Night Parade before walking back to the VRBO. (My SIL and her kids left a little before the parade started, since they had to drive home that night.)

Wednesday, the 7th, was the day we told Eliza was her birthday. After opening a few gifts, we walked to Disneyland, again arriving at opening time. We rode a few rides before going to the Plaza Inn for our reserved character breakfast. It was 100% worth the money, and we had so much fun! We stayed until about 4 or 5 pm, after riding all the rides we could have wanted. We walked back, had dinner, and put the kids to bed, and then Kyle and I were able to go back to Disneyland for a few hours, just the two of us, while my in-laws stayed with the kids. It was the perfect date night on vacation at Disneyland.

The Beach & Driving Home

The next morning we checked out of our VRBO, and then drove 20 minutes to the beach. Our kids have never been to the beach or seen the ocean before, so we had to make sure they had the chance while we were so close! We played for 45 minutes or so, then grabbed some lunch and hit the road home. We stayed in Mesquite that night, then drove to my mom’s in Spanish Fork, Utah, the next day. We stayed with her one night, before driving the rest of the way home. I came down with some sort of stomach bug while at my mom’s, which was not an ideal way to end our trip, but we survived 🙂

We really had an amazing time and I regret nothing (except maybe the fact that I wasn’t able to get a Monte Cristo sandwich, wah!). Until next time, Disney!