Philippines,Travel,Travel & Kids,Travel Tips

What We Learned from our “Trial Run” for Disneyland

Enchanted Kingdom 6-min

I take my traveling and my Disney very seriously.

So my son’s first trip abroad, which coincidentally will also be his first Disneyland visit, is a HUGE deal for our family. To prepare us for this momentous event (lol), I did what any partly-obsessed, semi-crazy parent would do: take the family out on a “practice run!”

Enchanted Kingdom 1-min

We have never been to a theme park with Luke before and we had no idea how things would be like: Will he like walking? Will he ride on the rides? What are the things we need to bring?

So we booked tickets with some of our friends to Enchanted Kingdom, the closest thing we have to Disneyland, and it was one of the best decisions ever!

Here are some of the things we learned and discovered that hopefully will be super helpful for our first ever trip abroad/our Disneyland adventure.

1. We are NOT bringing our stroller!

Enchanted Kingdom 4-min

A lot of our friends advised us to bring a stroller but we’ve never really been stroller parents. We eventually gave in and brought one to Enchanted Kingdom just to see if it will really make life easier. But oh boy, what a hassle it was for us!

Luke hardly sat on in, so it was just a cart where we dumped all our things. Then, we didn’t know what to do with it whenever we would go on rides. So someone always ended up not riding just to stay with the stroller.

Enchanted Kingdom 2-min

Mor and I have always been babywearers from the beginning. We love the fact that we get to cuddle Luke close and at the same time, that we were very mobile; we can go up escalators, climb stairs and more.

Recently, we switched from our Ergo carrier to an iAngel Hipseat Carrier and absolutely love it. Luke loves it too because he has a “chair” and he gets to sit facing forward. (Also, an I just say that I am so proud of my babywearing husband?)

In conclusion: Stroller stays at home; iAngel is coming with us to Hong Kong!

2. We need 2 days in Disneyland

Trial Run Disneyland Enchanted Kingdom

Enchanted Kingdom is nowhere near the size of Hong Kong Disneyland and we weren’t even able to cover the entire park in a day!

Initially, we planned on just buying 1 day passes for Disneyland but now, we booked tickets for 2! Less pressure to finish everything in a day, more time to watch shows and meet the characters. Plus, I’m not complaining that I get to spend 2 days at the happiest place on earth!

3. We need to be better prepared for the rain!

Enchanted Kingdom 9-min

Ok, I wasn’t able to take a photo of us in the rain so here’s a photo of us using umbrellas instead. Haha.

It rained later in the afternoon during our visit and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It  was then that we realized that we had to have better rain gear. By rain gear, I just mean raincoats and better shoes. Haha. We brought umbrellas with us but we weren’t as mobile as compared to if we had raincoats on.

Officially adding “raincoats” to our packing list!

4. We don’t need to go back to the hotel for nap time

Enchanted Kingdom 5-min

Napping is serious business, you guys, so we really had to plan for it. We initially thought that we’d have to go back to the hotel (we’re staying at a Disneyland hotel anyway) for nap time. But it turns out, we can just let him sleep on us while we’re sitting or when on a carrier, as we usually always do. 

During our Enchanted Kingdom visit, Luke slept while yaya (face covered for privacy purposes!) was carrying him. Mor and I were then able to take turns going on rides. One of us stayed with Luke to make sure yaya has help if she needs because she’s technically stuck. Haha.

We plan on doing the same in Disneyland. Maybe this will be the time where Mor and I can take turns riding Space Mountain. Yaaay!

5. I have to wear functional clothing

Trial Run Disneyland Enchanted Kingdom

Fashion is important (you know how much I love planning outfits for trips!) but comfort and mobility is more important if you’re traveling with kids!

I realized that I need to wear a sling bag or a backpack so I can free up my hands and shorts or at least, shorts underneath my dress, for mobility purposes. Most of the time, I was crouching and chasing Luke so I have to be prepared. Haha. Now planning my outfit based on those considerations.

Disneyland, here we come!

Enchanted Kingdom 8-min

We are so excited to travel to Disneyland with Luke, as you can probably tell. It’s sort of like my birthday treat already since my birthday is at the end of the month, and what better way to celebrate it than at Disneyland with my two boys, right? Hehe. I can’t wait to share all about our experience with you all soon.

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @sheenalovessunsets and check out our IG Stories for live videos when we leave next week! 

(NOTE: THIS POST IS ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCE LAST JULY 2017.)

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29 Comments

  • Reply
    Monique Galang
    July 23, 2017 at 4:52 pm

    Luke is now prepared because of this and you also. Hehe, Im sure he will love Disneyland more. (Never been there but im sure he will hehe)

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      July 24, 2017 at 8:52 am

      Yeah that’s true! Thanks Monique. Hope you get to go next time too! <3

  • Reply
    Violette
    July 23, 2017 at 5:15 pm

    It looks like so much fun! I love Disneyland! I hope you had a wonderful time!

    http://violettedaily.com

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      July 24, 2017 at 8:52 am

      Going there soon, hope to have a great time too! Thanks Violette!

  • Reply
    fashion blogger
    July 24, 2017 at 3:23 am

    so very funny Disneyland. have an happy day
    kisses

  • Reply
    Nancy
    July 24, 2017 at 11:39 am

    It’s smart to take your kids on a trial run before actually going to Disney! I go to Disneyland almost every weekend and see a lot of families there! It’s smart to not bring your stroller. I see a lot of people parking their strollers and taking their kids out walking because it’s easier. 2 days is smart too! That way, you don’t need to rush through everything in one day :). Hope you and your family will enjoy your trip to Disney!

    https://exquisitely.me

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      July 24, 2017 at 6:09 pm

      Hey Nancy thanks so much for this I really appreciate it!! I envy you that you can go to Disneyland every week!! I wish I lived there so I could do the same!! Hehe. I love your profile photo by the way, that it’s Minnie! Hehe!

  • Reply
    Samantha
    July 24, 2017 at 9:19 pm

    Looks like a fun trip and great tips!

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      July 25, 2017 at 9:00 am

      Thanks Samantha!!

  • Reply
    Kim
    July 25, 2017 at 12:31 am

    Adorable! Looks like such a lovely time. I bet this will be a trip that your kid will remember forever!

    Kim

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      July 25, 2017 at 8:59 am

      Hi Kim, yes I really hope so too!

  • Reply
    Cristina Cocioab?
    July 25, 2017 at 3:37 am

    Seems like you had a lot of fun. The kids are sooo cute <3 I love them already <3

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      July 25, 2017 at 8:59 am

      We did have a lot of fun!

  • Reply
    Monica . Mes Voyages à Paris
    July 25, 2017 at 7:06 pm

    Such a great post and pictures!! Children are too cute!!

  • Reply
    Hadas
    July 26, 2017 at 1:06 am

    such cute photos!

  • Reply
    Sarah
    July 26, 2017 at 2:48 am

    Hello, So lovely !

  • Reply
    Lindsey of The Nomis Niche
    July 26, 2017 at 3:16 am

    This is such a cute post, and offers great tips for parents! Love the adorable photos :)

  • Reply
    Katherine
    July 26, 2017 at 3:51 am

    This is so smart and cute, they’re adorable! Have fun at Disneyland :)

  • Reply
    Shakira
    July 26, 2017 at 3:51 am

    This look so much fun, I hope you had a fabulous time!x

  • Reply
    Adi
    July 26, 2017 at 4:05 am

    Cute pictures!! Looks like so much fun!

  • Reply
    Rach
    July 26, 2017 at 8:46 am

    That is a pretty smart to do a practice run! Sounds like you will be prepared for Disneyland! You guys will have an amazing time!

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      July 26, 2017 at 10:01 am

      Thanks Rach hope we’ll be prepared enough! Hehe. Thank you.

  • Reply
    Amy Arnold
    July 26, 2017 at 7:50 pm

    Oh my gosh they are so cute! Looks like you all will be ready!

  • Reply
    Kris
    July 31, 2017 at 3:54 am

    These photos are the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!

  • Reply
    Jane
    August 8, 2017 at 1:05 am

    This looks so much fun! They are so cute!

  • Reply
    Chiara
    August 9, 2017 at 11:27 am

    Hi, how old is he when you took him to HK Disney? My husband and I are bound to Taipei for a 4-day leisure trip and leaving my 20 months old daughter. Thinking of when’s the best age to schedule a trip with my baby abroad.

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      August 9, 2017 at 5:47 pm

      Hi Chiara, right now he is 2 and a half years old. I was on the same boat as you are before when he was younger but we decided to take him abroad only when he is able to understand and remember things already. So when he was 23 months, we took him to Baguio (you can check out some of my blog posts about that) and he had a GREAT time! He’s a bit ahead in terms of speaking so he was already able to articulate all the things we did in Baguio after the trip and he kept saying he wants to go back. That was when we decided it was time to bring him abroad. So we booked him HK Disney tickets because he LOVES Mickey Mouse and all things Disney. He really understands already, as in, he sings the songs, he can name all the characters from Little Mermaid, Lion King even Lilo and Stitch (lol) so we know that he’s gonna enjoy Disney! :)

      Sorry such a long reply but hope that helps? It varies for different kids for sure but long story short, my advice will be to bring her when she starts to appreciate it already. She may not remember the entire trip when she gets older but if she’s old enough to enjoy it at the moment and remember it when she is shown photos, then that would be a good time to bring her already! <3

  • Reply
    Eya Greyjoy
    November 20, 2019 at 11:37 am

    Wooow ?? He had so much fun

  • Reply
    Mama_telyamzon
    December 5, 2019 at 3:20 am

    Luke is a smart kid. That’s why I’m a fan of him. Looking at his face in the photos, surely disneyland would be his favorite place on earth. :)

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