Taking a Toddler to Disneyland...ALONE

Summer is coming, and that can only mean one thing for a ton of Disneyland Passholders - BLOCKOUT! We're completely blocked out the entire month of July and most of August, so we've been trying to go as much as we can these past couple of months. And since it's still relatively cool, I had this crazy idea of taking Owen to Disneyland today...all by myself.

And even though Disneyland is like my second home, I knew going solo would be "a whole new world"; however, after going today, I can tell you that it IS possible! (I'll be sharing some tips later.)

I like going to Disneyland early, so we left as soon as Owen woke up. We were in the park by 8:30am, and my first priority was to get some food; and, for me, there's only one place to go for a great breakfast - Carnation Café!

He was definitely hungry, and so was I!

He will always yell "POH!!!" whenever he sees that silly old bear, without fail.

We got a great table - outside and right on the edge, so we could see Main Street.

Eggs Benedict, seasoned potatoes, and coffee for me. Silver dollar pancakes, turkey bacon, and fruit for Owen.

I gave him a small piece of turkey bacon to try, and he just snatched the whole thing from my hand and began to eat it like so, lol!

We were lucky enough to meet Chef Oscar! He's been working at Disneyland for ALMOST 60 YEARS, making him the longest tenured cast member. Such an honor!

Between loading/unloading Owen from his stroller, going on rides, and walking around, I wasn't able to take many photos. From 9:30am to 11:30am, we managed to go on four rides: Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. I would say that's an all-time record, especially with Owen!

After we went on the "Poh" ride, we headed to Fantasyland. I was hoping to squeeze in a couple more rides before we headed home, but Owen passed out on me. Kid can't hang.

So we headed home...Owen was OUT, so I took advantage of this time by going to Irvine Spectrum AND The Shops at Mission Viejo to do some Father's Day shopping. Owen was asleep this whole time, and as soon as I was done, he popped his eyes open. This was around 2pm, so we stayed a little longer at the mall to have a late lunch.

CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!

And now we're at home, watching "The Good Dinosaur" and snacking on some blueberries. Needless to say, I am EXHAUSTED.

So after my solo trip to Disneyland with a toddler, this is what I've learned...

1. TRAVEL LIGHT AND SMART

Ralph and I typically bring Owen's regular diaper bag when we go to Disneyland, but I knew I needed something easier to carry around - a diaper backpack. In it was his changing pad, a change of clothes (or two), a small bag of toiletries (powder, hand sanitizer, sunscreen), a couple of snack bars, a sippy cup, a water bottle, diapers, and wipes. Now, I THOUGHT it'd be smart to also use it as my "purse", but - EHH, WRONG! - because I had to carry it with me EVERYWHERE, including the rides. So, in the future, I'll be taking the backpack and a small crossbody bag for my own stuff.

2. TAKING THE RIGHT STROLLER

This was my biggest concern. With Owen only being a year and a few months old, a stroller is a must; however, there was no way I could use our trusty Graco one-fold stroller. It's too big and bulky to carry on and off trams/shuttles while also having my hands full with a toddler and a backpack of stuff. Last week (when I first started thinking about doing this solo trip), I purchased a Cosco Umbrella Stroller at Target (and it was on sale too...yayuh!). It's easy and quick to fold up, AND it's super lightweight. 

Funny thing is, on our way to the parking structure this morning, we were forced to go to an alternate parking area, which was right next to Downtown Disney...which didn't require us to use a tram or shuttle at all. Soooo...we could've just used our regular stroller. Heh. 

(Also, you could also just fork over $15 for a rental stroller, but I wasn't going to do that, knowing that I'd be at the park only 5 or 6 hours max.)

(UPDATE!!!)

I've taken our Graco one-fold stroller, and I have to say that it's worth taking...even though it's heavier and bulkier; HOWEVER, only take it if you're absolutely comfortable transferring it on/off trams/shuttles while supervising a toddler. I trust Owen enough to follow directions, and there is ALWAYS someone close by who is willing to help you out. To be honest, I only used the umbrella stroller once.

3. MAP OUT YOUR DESTINATIONS FIRST

Get a map of the park, and identify the rides/attractions you want to (and can) go to. After that, plan your route so you can tackle all those rides/attractions and make the most out of your time. Today, I just stayed on the left side of the park because I knew the rides there were toddler-friendly, and the lines are typically short. If I had gone to Fantasyland first, I probably would've been able to go on just one ride. ("Curse you, Peter Pan!" Always a 10-week wait!)

And last, but not least...

4. PACE YOURSELF

When we first arrived (at the parking structure), I jumped out of the car and was so PUMPED about getting the day started. It was probably a 10- to 15-minute walk from our car to the security check-in, and I zoomed past everyone to get there; and as I was standing in line (and already a little sweaty), I asked myself, "What's the rush?" I had to remind myself, right then and there, that I had to slow down and pace myself for the rest of the trip. After all, there wasn't going to be another adult to carry Owen when he decides to start wandering off while we're waiting in line; or deal with a diaper blowout; or, my personal favorite, monitor Owen's every move during a meal so he doesn't do the following: steal your fork and use it to stab everything within arm's distance, grab his milk cup (by the straw) and turn it upside down because he thinks it's a sippy cup, shove 10 bites of food in his mouth at once, draw on the table with the crayons that come with the kids' menu, etc. So, with all that said, just "relaaax...enjoy the trip". (Yes, I'm quoting Disney movies in a Disney blog post. I can't help it.)

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And I know I'm a little late on my weight loss update, so here it is:

I lost 3.8 lbs last month, making my total weight loss 17.8 lbs since January 1st of this year. I've also dropped 3 pant sizes, so I'm pretty stoked about my progress. Another crazy idea that I had this week was to include a workout before I go to work. On Tuesday, I woke up at 5:15 in the morning to jog for 30 minutes. Let's see if I do it again tomorrow.

Until next time!

Babymoon in Hawaii - Days 4 and 5

OCTOBER 22ND, 2014 - RELAXATION

Wednesday was our last full day in Hawaii, so all Ralph and I wanted to do was just relax. In the morning, we had reservations to have breakfast at 'AMA 'AMA, which is an open-air restaurant right beside Ko Olina Beach. 

Our view!

Ralph ordered the Two-Eggs Entree with Chicken Sausages.

I ordered the Traditional Loco Moco Breakfast.

After breakfast, we went back to the hotel room to "digest" and check-in for our flight home...perfect time, too, because it rained a little. And then...it was beach/pool time for as long as we could stand it! I didn't take too many pictures because I didn't want to take my phone in the pools/ocean; and sometimes, it's just nice to savor the moment without having to take pictures all the time. :) And besides...I think I took enough pool/beach pictures!

Every day, we got a wrist band that signified we were guests at Aulani.

Ralph's favorite thing to do was go snorkeling in Ko Olina Beach.

We spent a couple of hours on the beach, and then off we went to the pools within Aulani - mostly the Infinity Pool and the Lazy River. 

Our favorite place to get a quick bite to eat.

Coconut-Battered Shrimp for me, and the usual Chicken Tenders for Ralph.

We stayed at the pools until it was dark, and we took our sad selves back to the hotel.

Ralph and I stopped by the Kalepa's Store to purchase some souvenirs for ourselves - a picture frame, a Menehune photo stand, an Aulani postcard, and Duffy the Bear (for our baby boy!).

Our collection of wrist bands - it's a different color every day.

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OCTOBER 23RD, 2014 - LAST DAY

Of course, on our last day, we finally managed to wake up at a decent hour and not before 6:00am. Ralph went for his final run on the beach while I stayed in to pack and make sure everything was set for our journey home.

Since the cleaning lady put our leis in the shape of hearts, I returned the favor...don't worry, we left more than $2.50 LOL!

Leaving the hotel was hard...Ali'inui Dr. and Olani St. - Aulani's location.

Aulani in the distance. :(

Our "But we don't wanna go!" faces before take-off.

Our flight took off at 12:30pm from Honolulu, and we arrived safely in Los Angeles at 9:05pm. LAX was busy as usual, and we took a shuttle back to my parents' home in Irvine so we could pick up our dog Wendy. We didn't get there until 11:30pm, and we didn't actually get home to our apartment until midnight.

Needless to say, I feel incredibly blessed that Ralph and I were able to take this trip. It was our first REAL vacation in the 8 years we have been together, and it was the perfect place for a couple of Disney enthusiasts to go to. This trip was our honeymoon/babymoon/1st anniversary combined...so it was all worth it, and we would do it all over again! Thank you, Hawaii and Aulani! We had a blast!

Babymoon in Hawaii - Day 3

OCTOBER 21ST, 2014: DAY 3 - PEARL HARBOR

Ralph and I, once again, woke up before 6:00am. Not able to go back to sleep, we watched "A Bug's Life", which we borrowed the night before at the Pau Hana Room. Afterwards, Ralph went for a run at the beach while I just stayed in and lounged around. When Ralph got back, we got ready to visit Pearl Harbor.

So green!

I've been to Pearl Harbor before, so I remembered to leave my purse behind. I felt bad for all the people I saw turning back around from the main entrance to walk back all the way to their cars to drop off their things. And it was HOT and SUNNY today!

"The Tree of Life" by Alfred Preis is a symbol of eternal renewal.

The shrine of the memorial (with the names of the honored dead) was under renovation. Interesting fact: all survivors who have passed away have been interred within the USS Arizona; and the rest of the 9 living survivors have confirmed that they, too, would like to be with their fallen brothers once they have passed.

I didn't really take a lot of pictures because I didn't want to forget the fact that it was a memorial, and Ralph and I wanted to be respectful. And anyway, it's not a place to take a "selfie" of yourself with a huge smile...not very appropriate.

After visiting Pearl Harbor, Ralph and I went back to the hotel to get ready for a long afternoon of swimming.

Had to share - room service arranged our leis into hearts. Cute!

Also, if you're going on vacation, and you need a waterproof case, then THIS is the one to get! I took it with me to the pools, and everything in it was kept dry. You can even use your phone through the screen. Only downside is that your pictures can get a little blurry.

On our way down, we met Duffy! WHO is Duffy? He's a character who was created by Minnie Mouse for Mickey Mouse while he was preparing for a long voyage at sea. Cute, huh?

My dad let us borrow his Kodak Mini Video Camera (waterproof), so we were able to capture one of our many trips down the water slide. *SQUEEEEEEE*

The Waikolohe Stream aka "Lazy River" was definitely our favorite place to be.

Ralph got a nice picture in the infinity pool with an awesome Hawaii sunset in the background...

...and I did not. Super blurry. HAHA.

This pool area was pretty nice. It's 18+, so there were no kids running or splashing around. AND it has a poolside bar...good thing we're not pregnant and super heavy drinkers! ;D (I'm being sarcastic...*ahem*...MOM.)

At around 7:00pm, it was getting dark, so we decided to call it a day and grab some snacks at the Ulu Cafe before going back to the room.

Just realized I didn't have a picture of this - we stayed at the "masculine" tower.

Aulani WOULD have Mickey Mouse Spam Musubis!

Ralph's baby food - free juice included! Lol!

A chocolate chip cookie almost as big as his face for dessert!

And, of course, once we were done eating at 8:00pm, Ralph and I both fell asleep. We should've taken a nap or something...because now, we're both wide awake at 2:00am. Oy vey.

So today was pretty relaxing. We decided to skip the 'Ohana Disney Movie Nights (this is where they would show a Disney movie on a big screen in the same area we saw the Starlit Hui) because...1) We'd be sitting on a mat on the lawn, which isn't too comfortable for me; and 2) The movie was "Halloweentown". Eh...no, thank you.

And that's a wrap for Day 3!