Family Holidays

Travelling with kids is never as easy as doing it on your own, but with a lot of careful planning it will be a very fun and happy time spent together. I’m a single mum and something I always look for is value for money when planning a holiday with my daughter.

Family holidays on a budget, from travelling with baby’s, toddler’s, and older. Pick the right place, time and accommodation for a wonderful, memorable, stress free family holiday, with the kids in mind to enjoy every minute. Check back for updates on my holiday suggestions as I find them.Travels with Baby: The Ultimate Guide for Planning Trips with Babies, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children

Disneyland Family Holiday
I have recently taken my daughter to Disneyland in California, she was still under three years of age at the time, so she got in free, which is always good to save some cash. We stayed at a hotel a friend helped me find and I would recommend this place to  anyone needing good, clean, close to Disneyland and affordable accommodation, its nothing fancy but does the job. Del Sol Inn, Anaheim Resort, www.delsolinn.com. Plus not needing to use your car will save on petrol while there. If you are a AAA member you will get even better rates.Everything Family Guide to the Disneyland Resort, California Adventure, Universal Studios, and the Anaheim Area: A complete guide to the best hotels, restaurants, ... attractions (Everything: Travel and History)

We only stayed there 2 nights, but it was just what I needed and included  free continental breakfast that we got to enjoy each morning, as we took our time getting ready to be at the front gate when it opened at 8am. Which was only a 5-10 minute walk straight across the street. I could take my daughter right back to the hotel for her nap at 11am and when she woke up gave her some lunch before heading out again, which I have to tell you she really needed. I hated seeing kids crying in Disneyland their tired take them home (hotel) for a nap. Then we would just walk back over to Disneyland to enjoy a afternoon and evening of fun, which ended for us at 7pm with a very tired little girl ready for food and bed. With me not following far behind.

Young kids really do need a rest, and sleeping properly in a bed will help them enjoy the rest of their stay, as well as giving yourself a well deserved break. They will be tired from all the excitement of seeing everything at Disneyland, it really is a lot for little minds to take in. I would recommend not trying to do Disneyland in just one day and stay at least 2 nights with young children. Plus there are park passes that included California Adventure as well as Disneyland, but as my daughter was so young one was plenty.The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2010 (Unofficial Guides)

Tip: My friend took me to the Disney Outlet Factory on the way down to Disneyland, where I bought some things for my daughter, Goofy, Lady and The Tramp (stuffed toys), Tinkerbell purse and bag, and Little Mermaid thongs, with the plan to give them to her during the day at Disneyland, it’s a great way to save money, an worked like a charm my daughter thought it was the best. As buying things in Disneyland can get very expensive. If you can’t get to a Disney Outlet Factory (maybe I was just lucky) you can try Target, Wal-Mart or department stores for Disney toys before hand.

I checked out the rides before hand so I knew which ones my daughter would want to see first before she got to warn out, then we could just work our way around Disneyland from there. Tip: Do the Dumbo ride first thing as there is always a line at that ride and try and be at gate when Disneyland opens. I also went across and bought our tickets the night before so we wouldn’t have to get in line the next morning. Check out the fast pass for the rides once you get inside.

My daughter thought Disneyland was a amazing place, very tired but fun. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes for the day of walking, and take food and drink in if you plan ahead. She didn’t like the dark inside rides to scary, but there are plenty of others to enjoy, The Jungle Cruise, Merry-Go-Round, Dumbo, and A Small World were a hit with her. She also got to meet Goofy and wanted to pull his tongue. There is so much to see you definitely need more than one day, the kids just love it.

There are plenty of place to choose from to stay, from cheap affordable to expensive but I’d say the closer to Disneyland the better when you have kids, and definitely get a ground floor room if you have a pram with baby asleep, I just pushed her straight into the room.

Check back soon for my updates or if you have question leave a comment and your email so I can reply to you.