Disneyland Archives - Busy Moms Helper

Disney Activity & Autograph Book

October 3, 2018 by Danielle 24 Comments

By popular demand, we’ve updated our Disney-themed autograph & activity books! Now there’s even more pages for extended fun while you’re at any Disney-themed park, cruise, event or just at home for some magical fun. Here’s the major changes we made with our ‘Unofficial’ Disney Activity & Autograph Book:

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Changes:

Now there is no park-specific option. Pages are all general Disney-themes, so will work at any of the parks, cruise line, etc.
54 Total pages of activities, memory sheets and autograph pages
Cover now says ‘My Magical Vacation’
Newer characters, such as Moana, now included in autograph sheets

Get the PDF HERE for just $2!

Get the new PRINTED version from Amazon HERE (coming soon)

Get the old PRINTED version from Amazon HERE

Check out our Facebook live showing of the OLD book HERE

Since our original book was released a couple of years ago, people are LOVING it! The favorites so far are the fun Star Wars autograph pages, jokes, and creating your own treehouse or superhero. With more than 54 pages in the new book, there’s plenty for everyone, whether young or old! Yes, us adults even enjoy them 🙂

Disney Activity Pages

To keep short attention spans happy, we included a large variety of things for them to do, such as:

Games
Mazes
Connect the Dots
Matching
Crosswords
Create your own map, super hero suit and treehouse
Coloring
Jokes
Trivia
and more!

Even THOR loved playing the games with my friend Lexi’s boy!

Disney Autograph Pages

Long gone are the days of boring, blank autograph pages – we’ve got more than 28 creatively designed ones to nab signatures from favorite characters! We’ve covered classics like Mickey & Minnie, Donald, and Goofy, princesses like Ariel, Belle and Rapunzel, and even Darth Vader and Avengers! Such a great Disney souvenir!

Donald Duck went CRAZY for his special page – it says #1 Duck, of course!

Even Minnie got in on the fun, along with Chip at Goofy’s Kitchen!

We’re excited to catch try and catch Kilo Ren next time – got the perfect page just for him!

Disney Memories

Creating memories together is a HUGE reason to do family vacations, right? I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been very good at writing them down before we forget many! Now you can keep track with our several pages designed exactly for that purpose – keeping the most important moments safe. You can list funny moments or things people said on the trip, favorite foods and rides, how old people were and who was with you, and even trace your child’s hand print so you can remember how big – or little – they were! Updated – no longer with dates, so you can use them any year!

To make it super easy to put in your bags or carry around at the parks, we sized it at 6×9. Our kids had no problem keeping track of theirs – they refused to let us carry them since they were having so much fun!

We have two options for the book, so you can get it in whatever way works best for your family:

Disney Themed – any park, trip, cruise, etc.

PDF Download: print and bind it yourself, especially nice if you have lots of children (via Gumroad)
Old Version Professional Printed Book: already bound with shiny cover (via Amazon)
New Version Professional Printed Book: already bound with shiny cover (via Amazon) – coming soon

So turn the lines at Disney from boring to fantastic with our newly updated ‘Unofficial’ Disney Activity & Autograph Book! More info available in our Store!

This is included in our Busy Mom Bundle, along with other fabulous printable packs!

Book your next Disney vacation with Get Away Today for the best deals – use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your vacation package!

Check out our other products HERE

Family Home Binder

2018 Planner & Calendar

Summer Camp Kits or Kid Activity Packs

A YEAR of Meal Plans plus Recipes – on a budget!

Other Disney fun you may like!

Free Printable Disneyland Height Requirements

August 15, 2018 by Danielle 1 Comment

Y’all know that we’re one of those crazy, Disney-loving families that have taken our kids during all sorts of ages and heights. I was so excited when my youngest finally reached 42″, because we could then go on ALMOST every single ride! Woot woot! For those travelling with younger ones that may require extra attention to what they can and can’t go on, here’s some super fun Free Printable Disneyland Height Requirements – plus a sheet for California Adventure, as well! And yes, they’ve been updated with the changes to Pixar Pier 🙂

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Disneyland Height Requirements

As we get ready for our Disney trips, we have fun with our DIY Disney Countdown, as well as prepare our kids for what rides they can or can’t go on due to any height restrictions. I think that by being prepared, we can help avoid more meltdowns at the parks, making it the best Disney vacation ever! On these printables, you’ll find some favorite characters from each of the parks – like Mike & Sulley for the California Adventure sheet! I couldn’t resist also including Dusty, since he’s one of my boys’ absolute FAVS!

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I tried to make this as convenient as possible, with the MANY rides that don’t have any height requirement at all listed right at the top. You can pair this with our amazing ‘Unofficial’ Disney Activity Book, but even alone it’s still the perfect printable to fold into your pocket or fanny pack to use for quick reference at the parks.

You can download and print off your FREE printables here….

Download the Disneyland Height Requirements Here

Download the California Adventure Height Requirements Here

Check out Get Away Today to book your trip today! Use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper to save $10 off your package!

Don’t forget to save some money (every few dollars saved is another Dole Whip – woot woot!) and book your magical vacation -whether it’s Disneyland, Walt Disney World, or even Legoland or Universal Studios – through the awesome folks at Get Away Today! Use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper to save $10 on your package!

Check out the fun changes to Pixar Pier (formerly Paradise Pier) like the Incredicoaster!

And did you know – ur ‘Unofficial’ Disney Activity Book is available as a PDF download OR you can nab a printed one from Amazon! Woot woot!

Check out Get Away Today to book your trip today! Use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper to save $10 off your package!

Printable Disney Banner

June 6, 2018 by Danielle 12 Comments

With our family Disney World vacation happening in a few months, we’re getting our countdown out and ready. I’m excited that many of YOU can enjoy this Printable Disney Banner too!! Even if you’re not planning a Disney trip, it can be used for parties, or just for fun.

Book your next Disney vacation with Get Away Today for the best deals – use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your vacation package!

(originally shared March 2016) See, isn’t it fun?! I did Mickey-eared numbers from 1-31, so you can count down the month leading up to your vacation. OR combine numbers for a birthday banner for the special persons age! There are TWENTY pages, with 4 triangle banner pieces per page. Just print them off (I recommend cardstock, but that’s entirely up to you), cut them out, then string or tape where you like.

My hubby had a super idea (when I agreed it was genius, our Thor said ‘wait…what?!’ Guess he needs to come up with great ideas in front of the kids more often, but it sure was funny!) – String up the numbers, then gently tape a character one on top. So each day you take off the character to display the number! Or you can do it in reverse, and life off the number each day to reveal a surprise character. Yup, totally fun!

My kids asked if we would use this the next time we have a Disney vacation – I said definitely, along with my favorite DIY Disney Countdown using a frame and straws! I’m leaving it up in our house just for fun this week 🙂

Book your next Disney vacation with Get Away Today for the best deals – use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your vacation package!

Other Disney fun…

Disney's New Paint the Night Parade is my favorite Disneyland parade yet! by BusyMomsHelper.com Our experience with Paint the Night Parade with kids was fantastic!

Disneyland's 60th Diamond Celebration / by BusyMomsHelper.com

Star Wars Half Marathon by Nikki Christiansen for Busy Mom's Helper

Free Printable Disneyland Height Requirements / by Busy Mom's Helper / Free Printable California Adventure Height Requirements

Disneyland Foods that are Worth Trying

November 2, 2016 by Nikki Cole

Disneyland is one of my favorite places, if you haven’t noticed by all the posts I do about it. This time I wanted to know if the Disneyland foods were worth the price, and yes I was very surprised by most of them. So here is a list of Disneyland Foods that are Worth Trying.

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Disneyland Foods that are Worth Trying will show you some places to get meals or just simple snacks like the Matterhorn Macaroon, which was amazing! Now some of these are a little pricey but worth getting instead of just bringing your own sandwich or McDonalds outside the park.

Book your Disney vacation with Get Away Today for the best deals – and use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for extra savings!

First stop was the Plaza Inn on Main Street USA in Disneyland. This was an all you can eat breakfast with Mickey Mouse Waffles, sausage, cinnamon rolls, drinks, cereal, and a melt in your mouth French toast. We definitely ate way more than our stomachs could hold so we had to stay off some big rides for a while but completely worth it, and it filled us up for hours. With the amazing all you can eat food you also have characters walking around saying hi and taking pictures with you. This is obviously a full meal and it was a little pricey but worth every bite.

My favorite on this list of Disneyland Foods that are worth trying is the Matterhorn Macaroon. This is a coconut, melt in your mouth snack that you will absolutely not want to miss. It is located just inside Jolly Holiday Bakery Café which also provides a great view of the Matterhorn.

Dole Whip from the Tiki Room is also a must have and a perfect treat to enjoy while watching the Enchanted Tiki Room. Dole Whip pineapple ice cream in the style of soft served or a float is sure to quench your thirst for something sweet.

Princess and the Frog is one of my favorite Disney shows so when I heard Tianna’s Beignets were served in New Orleans Square I was there. These beignets are delicious, better than doughnuts, and during Halloween time you can stop by for pumpkin flavored beignets.

Cinnamon rolls at Fiddler Fifer and Practical are warm and very filling. These cinnamon rolls we get every time we go to Disneyland because they are a perfect and quick breakfast. They also serve as a Starbucks so all you coffee lovers will also love to stop in.

Disneyland too hot for some of you? Well cool off with one of Disneyland’s Minute Maid Frozen Strawberry Lemonade. These are cold and perfect for those hot days in the park, and conveniently located at the ice cream carts throughout the parks.

Also located at the ice cream carts you can grab a Mickey Mouse ice cream sandwich, sure to add excitement to your little kids.

Pizza is always a great dinner right? Well it smells amazing and at the Pizza Port by Space Mountain they have pasta, pizza, salad, drinks, and several items at a reasonable price are sure to fill up your whole family for more fun memories at Disneyland.

Flo’s Café in Cars Land is one restaurant that I never even really knew about, well I missed out. Flo’s is a little pricey but you do get a lot of food and the food is delicious. I got the Brioche French Toast and my husband got the American Breakfast. Both were amazing, now the Brioche French Toast not only sounds a little different than what I am use to but it looked a lot different too but don’t be fooled, it was melt in your mouth, more of a dessert than breakfast French toast, so go ahead and be adventurous.

Need a late night snack? Well it was big enough to be a meal so be prepared to share. Ghiradelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop in California Adventures has and wonderful Crissy Field Cookie Bits Sundae, hot fudge, cookies and cream ice cream, whipped cream, and lots of chocolate chip cookie bits on top what’s not to love? This dessert was huge which didn’t stop my husband and me from eating all of it but if you can’t eat very much ice cream or sweets find some people to share with, I’m sure it won’t be hard to convince people.

Churros are also one of those things you always get at Disneyland and they make it easy by having a million stands selling them. I think I smelt churros all the way through the park which made it horrible not eating one every five minutes.

Last but not least, our family tradition of going to Goofy’s Kitchen for dinner. Goofy’s Kitchen isn’t in Disneyland itself but in Disneyland Hotel so it kind of works. This is an all you can eat buffet with ribs, pizza, pasta, chicken, salad, fruit, huge dessert bar, and drinks. They also have characters walking around taking pictures and signing autographs and randomly dancing through the restaurant. One of my favorite things there is their Crème Brulee , it is amazing and I think I ate six of them, oops, probably not great on my weight but totally worth it.

There you have it, Disneyland Foods that are Worth Trying, plus there’s millions of other foods in the park that are just as amazing so if you go to Disneyland try to set a little money aside to indulge in some of their mouthwatering foods.

Don’t forget to check out Get Away Today for the best vacation deals, plus use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for even more special savings!

Magical List of Disney Vacation Fun and Resources

June 13, 2016 by Danielle

While we do most of our family trips during the school year (I know, shame, right? Oh well!) it’s getting to be vacation season for a lot of others. I decided to put together this Magical List of Disney Vacation Fun and Resources to help you out for your next family Disney trip!

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Planning

The Best Times to visit Disneyland

Visit Get Away Today to get the best deals, find out current Disney news & much more! Use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your vacation package

Walt Disney World Planning vs. Disneyland Planning

Disneyland & California Adventure Printable Height Requirements

Our Disneyland Rental House

You can count on Michael’s VIPs for the best tour guide services, from planning, to at the parks & everywhere between!

Disneyland Countdown Banner

Printable Ride Lists & Height Requirements for Walt Disney World

DIY Disney Countdown

Fun Before You Go

‘Unofficial’ Disneyland Activity & Autograph Book

20+ Disney Copycat Recipes

Disney Themed Crafts & Activities

Disney Top Five List Printables

More Disney Themed Crafts & Activities

Disneyland Churros

Disney Themed Parties

Disney Themed Preschool Playdate Party

Frozen Themed Party

Big Hero 6 Party

Recaps & Past Disney Experiences

Disney isn’t just for kids!

Disneyland’s 60th Diamond Celebration

Disneyland’s NEW Paint the Night Parade

Disneyland 2014 Recap

Visit Get Away Today to get the best deals, find out current Disney news and much more! Use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your vacation package 😀

Copy-Cat Disneyland Churros

May 18, 2016 by Nikki Cole

Disneyland has some of the best Churros ever, wait, no they DO have the best Churros ever! At least my favorite, I’ve tried different Churros at stores, frozen ones, or other amusement parks but they didn’t taste the same. My husband decided one day he wanted to make Copy-cat Disneyland Churros and they are just as good, maybe even better, than the Disneyland treat.

The recipe is pretty simple but squeezing the dough out into the fryer is a little tricky but not to horribly bad. These Churros are perfect for dessert, a light snack, or an impressive dessert to bring to all those parties coming up in the summer. The chocolate sauce is nice and chocolaty, but personally I almost would rather just plain churros – but it does add a nice twist to a favorite treat.

Ingredients

1 cup water
2 Tbls brown sugar
½ tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter
2 cups white flour
2 eggs
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup sugar
½ to 1 tsp ground cinnamon, depending on your taste

Chocolate sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups milk
4 ounces dark chocolate
¼ cup sugar

Directions

Preheat 1 ½ to 2 inches of vegetable oil in a 10 to 12 inch frying pan to 375 degrees. (we just used our deep fryer) In a separate dish mix the ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon and set aside. I just guessed on this to what I liked and I usually had extra but it sure made it easier trying to cover the churros.
In a 3 quart sauce pan add the water, brown sugar, salt, and butter and heat to a good boil. Remove from the heat and add the flour. Mix until well blended. We do this in our kitchen aid because it does get pretty tough.
In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and vanilla together and then add this mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until well blended and all the egg is completely mixed in.
Fill your decorating bag with the churro dough and attach the largest star tip.
Test your oil by placing a small amount of dough in it. the dough should bubble up right away or that means the oil is not hot enough and a soggy churro is on the way.
Once the oil is hot enough, squeeze some dough (with the decorator) into the oil about 4 inches long. I used a fork to release the dough from the decorator.
Cook them about 1 minute and turn them over with a slotted spoon. Cook an additional minute or two. You’re looking for that nice golden brown color.
Remove the churros with the slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-covered plate to absorb excess grease. While still warm, roll each churro into the dish with the sugar and cinnamon until coated.

Chocolate sauce

In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in 1 cup of milk and reserve. Combine the chocolate with the remaining cup of milk in a saucepan. Stirring constantly, melt the chocolate over medium-low heat.
Whisk the sugar and the dissolved cornstarch into the melted chocolate mixture. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, until the chocolate is thickened, about 5 minutes. (add extra cornstarch if it doesn’t start to thicken after 5 minutes.) remove the pan from the heat and whisk until smooth then reserve in a warm place

Disneyland’s New Paint the Night Parade is My Favorite Yet!

February 28, 2016 by Danielle

When we enjoyed Disneyland last October, we insisted on seeing their new Paint the Night Parade. We’d heard so many good things about it, but to be honest – nothing I heard could do it justice! This is, by far, my favorite Disney parade yet!

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We did Disneyland with EVERYONE – 19 people, to be exact, from ages a few weeks on up to my parents (who’s ages I won’t divulge for fear of my life). With such a big group, we knew we needed to prioritize to ensure that we each got to hit our absolute FAVORITE things. We each filled out our Disney Top 5 Wish Lists – the five things that were our absolute MUST do/see/eat – so everyone knew the items that would come first. For example, our last trip Hubby didn’t get to try out Radiator Springs Racers (first time we went that it was there) at all – so that was one of his have to items. One thing that was on a LOT of our lists was the Paint the Night Parade!

A few things – make sure you save your spot well in advance! We waited about an hour before, and enjoyed our Disneyland Activity Books as well as making friends with the people around us. They were even nice enough to let our kids sit up on the curb with them, so they didn’t miss a thing! As it gets closer, show your kids how the lights pop up on top of buildings….

…..then watch for this fun guy and help him yell and wave with excitement!

Grab some snacks and light-up balloons for fun – would you rather a glowing Baymax, traditional Mickey, or an awesome Deathstar balloon?

You’ll get to see a lot of your favorites during the ride – and all glowing with fantastic lights and exciting music! We couldn’t help but bob and sway along – as much as the crowds aloud for dancing, at least. There was Tinkerbell, Peter Pan and other fairy friends….

…Sully was playing DJ. Watch the doors behind him, you never know who you’ll see!

I really loved how they created these – allowing movement not only around the street, but moving their arms and heads, too!

The Toy Story crew was quite lively, with plenty of cowgirls dancing along with Jessie, then Buzz and Woody enjoying a ride on Slink.

My boys went CRAZY for Cars – especially since Mac had dozens of glowing lights on the side that were a lot of fun!

Ariel had plenty of fishy friends, including Nemo swimming along behind with twirly jellyfish.

Don’t worry, there were plenty of princesses – including Belle with a GORGEOUS color-changing, bright rose behind her. Be sure to wave to Elsa and Anna in their magical ice castle, as well!

And of course it wouldn’t be complete without Olaf!

Last come the classics, such as Goofy and Donald riding along some glowing domes. Such funny guys! Then the grand finale with Mickey 🙂

I’ve always enjoyed the Disney parades, but the Paint the Night is by far my new favorite! I can’t wait to see it again!!! Go book your next Disney (or Universal!) vacation with Get Away Today – use promo code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your package!

Other Disneyland Fun…

Disneyland’s 60th Diamond Celebration

February 10, 2016 by Danielle

Isn’t it crazy that Disneyland celebrated it’s 60th anniversary this past year? Today I’m sharing our experience with the food, the festivities and the fabulous decor from Disneyland’s 60th Diamond Celebration!

Contains affiliate links that help support this blog at no extra cost to you. See my disclosure policy for more info.

As you know, our ENTIRE family (19 of us) went to Disneyland last October for our regular reunion visit. It was AMAZING – and super fun since we didn’t just have the festive Halloween decor all around, but also the beautiful blue Diamond celebration banners, sparkles and more in celebration of their 60th anniversary.

Some photos are from our Disney Photopass, others are from my sister/bro-in-law’s visit in January.

Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary: The Decorations

Isn’t the castle EXTRA gorgeous right now?! Practically everywhere we looked there were diamond/blue accent, from the archways and lamp posts….

…to the bakeries and shops!

Disneyland’s 60th Celebration: Souvenirs and Stuff

No worries, you can still find all the amazing regular items in Disneyland’s many shops and station – but right now they have special, limited-time-only products to really help you remember this one-time party! There’s plenty of clothing, gloves, even cheering banners and plushes….

…as well as souvenir mugs! I couldn’t resist this fun castle one I found at Jolly Holiday Bakery & Cafe.

My friends at Get Away Today sent me some sparkly Diamond Celebration ears last summer, so they were PERFECT for our trip! You’ve got plenty of options for yourself, too – as well as glowing balloons.

My mom secretly bought each family a pretty ‘diamond’ Christmas tree ornament, so we can hang that every year and remember these fun times.

My sister and brother-in-law loved showing off their 60th shirts and posing for lots of lovely photos – they’re so cute, why wouldn’t they?

Disneyland’s 60th Diamond Anniversary: The Food

Guys, I was awful and took hardly ANY photos of the themed foods we got while we were there! I know, how rude of me, right? We DID get this DELICIOUS caramel apple though – I could eat these every day, if my waistline wouldn’t complain so much 😉

They also had plenty of drinks, cupcakes, suckers and more – go crazy with it! The food is half the reason to go to Disneyland anyway, right?

Head on over to Get Away Today and book your vacation before the 60th Celebration is gone! Use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your vacation!

Other Disneyland posts you may enjoy…

Disneyland Just for Kids? Think Again!

December 11, 2015 by Nikki Cole

Is Disneyland just for kids? You may have heard that all around, but think again!

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Is Disneyland just a vacation spot to take kids? My husband and I had the great opportunity of visiting Disneyland and California Adventures in October and we think it was the best vacation we have taken in the four years of being married. So think again if you think Disneyland is just for kids.

We absolutely loved this vacation because there was so much we could do but also nothing we had to do. The rides we went on, the treats, shows, characters all of it was exciting and fun and brought us closer as a couple while we enjoyed each other’s company through the parks.

What can you do there that is so amazing?

Rides (uh duh!)
Hidden Mickeys
Pressed Pennies
Food
Characters
Parades
World of color
Fireworks
Mad hatter’s Tea Party

Some rides may not be as enjoyable if you are prone to motion sickness like the Californian Screamin’.It is a very fast paced and intense roller coaster with many drops and a big loop-de-loop that gives you and upside down view of Paradise Pier. If you like more mellow rides try Peter Pan, Splash Mountain, Snow White, or Pirates of the Caribbean. One of my personal favorites is Toy Story’s Midway Mania which is a 3-D style arcade shooter game breaking plates and popping balloons. My husband and I have competitions on Midway Mania to see who will win and the winner either picks the next ride or the loser has to buy treats. Yes I ended up losing quite a few of the games but it was worth the fun we had together. If you’re looking for some tips or pointers to make your trip more enjoyable try getting fast passes for rides with long lines, download mouse waits or the Disneyland app to check wait times and hit the ones with shorter wait times. No fast pass and you really want to go on it? Find some games on your phone to play together or get a hidden mickey book.

Hidden Mickeys are all over both of the parks! In several stores there is a book you can get that goes through all of the hidden Mickey’s throughout the parks. Some are difficult to spot and some are so easy you’ll wonder why you didn’t see it before. This is great while you’re waiting in line. Check the book and get ready to see the Mickey’s in the lines and on the rides. The book isn’t very expensive and we found that it was less expensive in the park rather than online at Amazon or Ebay.

Another fun activity to do is trying to collect the parks souvenir pressed pennies. I included the paper that my husband and I followed showed us where they were all located. While we looked for the machines, we went into shops and locations that we never knew existed. At several of the shops there were souvenir books to keep all your pressed coins nice and neat. It was about $9 and again don’t buy it online were we found them for $30! So don’t waste your money and just wait until you get to the park.

Food! Ok who doesn’t love food? Well for those of you that aren’t rich (like us) here are some tips on not breaking the bank on food. First, bring a bag with a water bottle that you can keep filling at water fountains throughout the day. Second, don’t be afraid of leaving the park to get food. Just outside of Disneyland in a very short walking distance there are several restaurants that will fill you up and not empty your wallet. We ate at Denny’s multiple times during our stay. We loved how we could sit down, relax in a cool place on a hot day and order some really great food and not stress about the bill. The service we got there was great and we ended up eating just two main meals and little snacks in between rides that we took into the park ourselves.

Now that I said leave the park for food, there are a few things that are worth the little extra money because the memories you and your partner will get from them are priceless. Turkey legs! Yes I am serious, a huge turkey leg. Now these are a little expensive so we shared one together, trust me they’re massive and one can easily feed two people. So grab one, get a bench and attempt to eat somewhat politely a turkey leg. My husband and I were a mess after but it was so fun eating it, oh and don’t use a fork, have some fun just eating it without utensils.

Churros are another great treat you should get at least once. We stayed late in the parks several of the nights we were there, a Churro made a perfect late night snack. Another fun treat to get right before the night time shows are ice cream sundaes. There are several ice cream stores that offer a variety of Disney themed novelties. My favorite was a Mickey Mouse shaped sundae that we got at one of the several carts throughout the parks.

Character dining is a great way to meet Disney’s beloved characters instead of waiting in often long lines to meet your favorite characters. This provides great entertainment and great food for all meals of the day. Both Story tellers Café and Goofy’s Kitchen offer a buffet and a meet-n-greet where the characters walk around and come say hi.

The nightly entertainment with parades, shows, firework are often crowed but are they worth it? Absolutely! I love my husband so much and us being there and watching incredible shows was magical. The Paint the night parade followed by the Disneyland Forever fireworks was my absolute favorite thing we did. By far the best parade and fireworks we have ever seen. The fireworks were breathtaking over the incredible castle and made for a perfect night to spend with my best friend.

World of Color is also another very cool show that had images projected on water, with fire, music, and lots color. The light up Mickey Mouse ears actually sync with the show to give it a little more added color. The Mad T Party was another show that involved a live band, dancers, and performers the played a variety of well-known songs.

Disneyland is one of my favorite places to go and all the memories and amazing times we had was magical and will live with us forever. So grab your partner and head to Disneyland because it’s not just for kids it is for anyone and everyone of all ages.

Head over to Get Away Today and reserve your magical vacation for just $125! Use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your package!

runDisney Avengers Half Marathon Weekend

June 13, 2015 by Danielle

Okay y’all, I’m a HUGE Disney fan and go crazy over pretty much any event involving Disney – but I had NO IDEA they did themed marathon events! I mean, seriously, how fun would that be?! When I learned about the runDisney Avengers Half Marathon Weekend, it was all I could do to prevent myself from registering right that second!

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At first I’m like ‘oh dang, wish the kids were old enough for this’…..and then I read more and they even have Kids Races (including a Diaper Dash….really, they include EVERYONE)! I can just picture my kiddos in their Avenger costumes racing, being cheered on by their heros. It’d be such an amazing memory for them!

It’s being held November 13th-15th, 2015 at the Disneyland Resort in California. You can choose from a Marathon, Half Marathon, Captain America 10k, the Infinity Gauntlet (combine the Half Marathon with the 10k), a Superhero 5k and the kids races. Need to fuel up the night before? Check out their Pasta Party!

Since we already have a Disneyland trip planned just the month before, our family has to miss out this time around – but it’s definitely on our list for the future (hopefully the NEAR future!). I’ve already been brainstorming ideas on running-friendly costume ideas! The kids would be so star-struck meeting the Avengers ‘in person’.

Although Hubby and I may act even more like ‘fan girls’ (or boy, in hubby’s case) than even the kids!

For more event details and to register, head over HERE. After that, be sure to swing by Get Away Today to help book your hotel, theme park tickets and more to make it an unforgettable trip! Don’t forget to use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper $10 off your vacation package. Buy yourself a couple extra Dole Whips or Churros!

I totally want a trophy case full of Disney marathon (well, HALF marathon) medals in my life! Guess this is totally motivating me to get healthy 🙂

How would YOU dress up for this event?

Other Disney fun…

Fun Disney Themed Round Up

March 8, 2015 by Danielle

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Anyone else have a super fantastic Disney vacation planned this year? We do in October, and it seems so far away! We like browsing for ideas to keep us entertained until then, and we’re sharing some of our favorites with you in this Fun Disney Themed Round Up!

If you ARE planning your trip, make sure you look into Get Away Today for the best rates and package deals! I love saving money by booking through them, and the service has ALWAYS been fabulous. You can even get $10 off your vacation package by using Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper

‘Unofficial’ Disneyland Activity & Autograph Book

Road Trip Activity Bags from Get Away Today

Pirate Birthday Party

DIY Olaf Costume in less than 2 hours

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Party by The Chicabug Blog

Mickey & Minni Mouse Candy Bar Wrappers from Keeping it Simple Crafts

Lightsaber Popsicles from The Joys of Boys

Minnie Mouse Party from Catch My Party

Printable Disney Banner

Frozen Birthday Party

Make Your Own Frozen Chandelier

Printable Disney Junior Lunch Box Notes from Delicate Construction

DIY Toy Story Jessie Hate from My Daylights

Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse Mason Jar Money Banks from Food Family Finds

DIY Clothespin Planes from A Night Owl Blog

Disneyland Trail Mix from Over The Big Moon

DIY Disney Countdown

Make Your Own Disney California Adventure from Get Away Today

Big Hero 6 Party & Dessert Sushi

Best Restaurants to Eat at in Disneyland from Over The Big Moon

Frozen Olaf Chocolate Covered Pears from Ashlee Marie

Disneyland Vacation Recap

November 20, 2014 by Danielle

I can’t believe just two weeks ago I was in Disneyland, having a complete blast. Time flies when you’re having fun, I guess! Since it’s the 3rd Thursday of the month, which means it’s time for our Countdown to Disney Series feature! What better for this month than a Disneyland Vacation Recap?!

Don’t forget to see Get Away Today from great Disney vacation prices – use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper

As I explained when I shared my DIY Disney Countdown, just our foreign exchange student (Cat Woman) and I went for 4 days. We met my parents, my baby sister, one of my nieces, then my uncle/aunt and their little girl were there as well! It was so fun, but really went by super fast! (I haven’t gotten our high-quality photos we purchased using the Disney PhotoPass yet, but will add those later. Forgive my low-quality phone photos in the meantime, please!)

First of all, I’m so glad I booked through Get Away Today. Not only did I get an awesome price, but they even called me the week before to make sure all my plans were still good-to-go, and helped me make a last minute change to our shuttle service from/to the airport. You can use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your vacation package!

The two of us flew in EARLY Wednesday morning (flew out of Dallas about 7am, landed around 8:30am Cali time). Thanks to their knowledge and experience, they were able to get us set up with the Karmel Shuttle. Once we got our bags, we just called and within about 2 minutes they were picking us up at the curb, then straight to our hotel.

We stayed at the Castle Inn & Suites, which was perfect for us! The price was great, and it was within walking distance to the parks and several shopping venues and restaurants. The rooms were very nice and clean, and they even made all the towels and washcloths into fun swans each day! They gave the little girls cute crowns when we checked in, which got them all the more excited. I kept Hubby and the kiddos back home happy by sending lots of photos (like the Planes Fire & Rescue billboard) and calling often. Thank goodness for Instagram, right?!

We arrived just in time for the holiday decor going up, and every day we went there was more they’d added overnight. Super fun and festive! Garlands, lights and Christmas magic everywhere…the entrance was even all snowflaky and beautiful! Seriously, I think this is my new favorite time to visit Disneyland! Also, this was the first time I got to try It’s a Small World when it was decorated for the holidays. I couldn’t believe the decorations and fun outfits in that ride, plus the music switches between the normal ‘It’s a Small World After All’ song and tunes like ‘Jingle Bells’….great songs and it doesn’t repeat too much to get stuck in your head…Woot woot!

I was beyond thrilled that Big Hero 6 hit theaters while we were there, because it was featured everywhere! Where they use to show Captain EO, they were showing a sneak peak of the movie, with a few special affects. LOVED IT! They had Baymax mugs you could get, tons of different toys and merchandise, and even Baymax glow-balloons! Plus…a character meet-and-greet! These photos don’t do Baymax justice…he’s literally a blown up body, just like in the movie, his black eye-dots really blink…and he waddles super cute, too! When we were there it was him and Hiro, so it was fun chatting for a minute.

Since this was the first time I’ve been to Disneyland without little kids in a REALLY long time (like high school), I got to get my fill of the ‘big kid’ rides such as Space Mountain and California Screamin’. And did you know, Big Thunder Mountain was redone last year completely and the ending is all-new!

Want to know my all-time favorite ride? Hollywood Tower of Terror, all the way!

Now let’s talk about THE FOOD. It’s no secret that I’m a HUGE lover of food, so when I go on vacation there better be delicious, fun, amazing things to eat. Disney didn’t disappoint! One of Cat Woman’s first things on Day 1 was to get a Dole Whip Float at the Tiki Juice stand. So yummy….really wishing I had one right now! I also got to try the Mickey Mouse shaped beignets from the Mint Julep Bar, both original AND pumpkin. Yumm-o!

Since we wanted Cat Woman to have an extra special time and really experience the magic of Disneyland, we went to the Blue Bayou for lunch one day. Oh. My. Gosh! I’ve eaten there before and it still blows me away how flavorful and delicious everything is, plus the fun atmosphere right by the Pirates of the Caribbean ride! I ordered the Herb-Marinated Flat Iron Steak, and I could literally cut it with a fork, it was so tender (shown below in top-right). Cat Woman loved their Jambalaya and gumbo! You can also find fun treats all over the park, and there’s plenty of neat places to eat as you watch people enjoying the parks.

The other special character meet-and-greet was Frozen’s Elsa & Anna! To find out the special way to arrange seeing these (hint: fast passes required) read about it here. On top of the little, snow-covered cottage where you go to meet them, the fabulous Olaf is perched on the roof! He looks around and has different saying you can listen to as you’re waiting.

Since our other sister LOVES Chip, my sis and niece made sure to grab him for a picture. I ran to nab a photo of Princess Sophia passing by to send to my Wonder Woman…she loves her!

My little cousin that came is such a Minnie Mouse fan, and I really wish I’d video recorded her meeting the pretty mouse lady! She ran up to her, hopped up and down in place, then very gently tapped her on the nose. Minnie was really sweet with her, getting down on the ground so she was at her level and being super patient so she didn’t scare her.

Now that I went, I’m even MORE excited for our Disneyland vacation next year! So stay tuned for more of our Countdown to Disneyland Series!!!

Disney Activity Pages

Disney Autograph Pages

Disney Memories

Disney Themed – any park, trip, cruise, etc.

This is included in our Busy Mom Bundle, along with other fabulous printable packs!

Check out our other products HERE

Other Disney fun you may like!

Disneyland Height Requirements

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Other Disney fun…

Don’t forget to check out Get Away Today for the best vacation deals, plus use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for even more special savings!

Planning

Visit Get Away Today to get the best deals, find out current Disney news & much more! Use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your vacation package

You can count on Michael’s VIPs for the best tour guide services, from planning, to at the parks & everywhere between!

Fun Before You Go

Disney Themed Parties

Recaps & Past Disney Experiences

Visit Get Away Today to get the best deals, find out current Disney news and much more! Use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your vacation package 😀

Ingredients

Chocolate sauce

Directions

Chocolate sauce

Other Disneyland Fun…

Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary: The Decorations

Disneyland’s 60th Celebration: Souvenirs and Stuff

Disneyland’s 60th Diamond Anniversary: The Food

Head on over to Get Away Today and book your vacation before the 60th Celebration is gone! Use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your vacation!

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How would YOU dress up for this event?

Other Disney fun…