Our family trip review of Anaheim & Los Angeles – By Freya (age 8) and Mylee (age 5)

AIRPORT

We decided to stay overnight at the Park Inn by Radisson at Heathrow Airport to break up our journey.  The restaurant at the hotel was really nice and we got given colouring packs to do while our dinner was cooking.  There was a cool looking swimming pool at the hotel but we didn’t get time to use it!  Breakfast the next morning was delicious with lots of different options available.

We parked at the NCP car park next to the hotel and caught the free mini bus to the airport which only took a few minutes!

Mum and Dad decided that we would check out an airport lounge so we paid £20 per adult and £10 per child to use the Aspire Lounge.  Once we were inside we could have as much food and drink as we wanted, got comfy seats with runway views and could use the facilities / showers etc.  If you wanted you could pay for a massage!!

Our flight was with Virgin Atlantic who are all red!  We have flown with these a few times before but this time Mum and Dad used their airmiles so that we could fly Premium Economy.  We noticed when we got on the plane that there was much more legroom and bigger TV screens.  There were so many films and TV shows to watch we were never bored on our 12 hour flight!  At dinner time we got given a menu to choose what we wanted to eat, the drinks were offered all the time and we got to use the Wonder Wall to help ourselves to snacks (if we got hungry between the meals!)  The 12 hours went pretty quick!

When we landed and collected our bags we caught a bus to take us to the car rental place which was about 10 minutes away.  In L.A you need a car because everything is spread out.

HOTEL

We stayed in Anaheim at the Hyatt House which was awesome!  Our room had two separate parts to it, one side had bunk beds for us (with our own big TV!) and the other side was for Mum and Dad with a big bed and even bigger TV!!

The breakfast at the hotel was really cool, you could help yourselves to different cereals, fruits, yogurt, breads and each day they would have either a bacon or sausage option, waffles or pancakes, potato bites or hash browns and scrambled eggs.  Mum and Dad liked the coffee machine because there were take away cups to take their drinks with them.  We liked the chocolate milk machine and the fruit juices!

  The pool at the hotel was fun, there was also had a hot tub and lots of comfy chairs to sit on!  There was a gym next to the pool which Daddy used a few times and you could get water in there!  Just remember your key-card to get back through!

Mum note – Each day we were allowed two free bottles of water from the lobby shop because we had signed up the to Hyatt Reward Scheme before we went away which was well worth it.

Dad note – The hotel was conveniently situated with a Walgreens directly below to stock up on all essentials, a Blaze pizza place was just outside which was delicious, a Subway just across the road and just a short walk away was a The Cheesecake Factory and Bubba Gump – we ate at all of these and were really impressed with the choices available.

DISNEYLAND

The first morning we walked to Disneyland which was only a 10 minute walk!  After you get through the security there are  2 parks ( California Adventure Park and Magic Kingdom) and Downtown Disney! We went into Magic kingdom, when we were in we saw lots of rides and rollercoasters.  Then straight ahead there was the Disneyland Castle! It was beautiful!!!  Because of the jet lag we got there bright and early so the queues weren’t too horrendous!  We headed straight for the Buzz Lightyear Adventure ride where you ride around shooting at the targets.  The Finding Nemo submarine ride was super exciting, at first we thought it was a bit boring but stick with it and it’s great!

Because when we were at Disneyland it was a week before Halloween the characters were all dressed accordingly and the decorations had lots of pumpkins and spooky things to see!

Our favourite thing to do at Magic Kingdom was to have a princess makeover in the Bibbiddi Bobbidi boutique!

Mum note – To book the Bibbiddi  Bobbidi Boutique you need to call the bookings line in advance before you to get a slot – it can get booked up early so call as soon as you can!  It is well worth the money to see their little faces!! https://disneyland.disney.go.com/shops/disneyland/bibbidi-bobbidi-boutique/

  In Orlando we had the full Castle Package which had a princess dress included but as we haven’t worn these again since we decided to have the Courtyard Package this time!  We still had a choice of hair styles, make up put on, nails painted, sash, princess t-shirt, tutu and bag to keep with goodies inside!  The fairy godmothers were so good and we were made to feel super special like princesses!!

Favourite things to mention at Disney California Adventure – SOARIN’ this was by far the best ride we went on – it can be a little scary flying over different countries around the world but the smells, sounds and pictures were mesmerising.

Dad Note – This was without a doubt our families favourite ride, we haven’t stopped talking about it since and especially Mylee!

The Frozen Live show was magical, cleverly done and lasted an hour!  The Jumping Jellyfish ride was fast and belly dropping (Mum couldn’t handle it twice!)  Make sure you hold on to your flip flops!!  The Pixar Wheel gave us an awesome view of the whole park but was a bit slow!

 

 

Because we were lucky enough to be a 10 minute walk from Disney on the days when we didn’t visit the parks we still walked to Disney Downtown for dinner or stroll around the shops – the Lego shop was particularly cool to spend dollars in!

 

 

 

 

Mum note – Disneyland was no where as big as Orlando but to be honest it still had the magical Disney feel, lots of fun rides and maybe wasn’t as overwhelming as Disneyworld!  The only negative was the fast passes are not as slick as Disneyworld.  Apparently you can go to a ride and print a ticket with a time to return to that ride later on but this seemed pointless to us to visit the rides twice when we already did so much walking around.  Definitely make a list before you go of your favourite rides / things to do and prioritise those first thing in the morning while it is still quiet!

Dad note – Due to the jet lag we were unable to watch the fireworks which for a family friendly activity is on very late at around 10pm depending on the time of year.

VENICE & SANTA MONICA BEACH

We drove about 45 minutes to Venice Beach where we parked right at the front and found a place to hire bikes.  

Mum note – It cost around $70 to hire the bikes for two hours and it was definitely money well spent!  The feeling biking along the seafront in the sunshine with so much going on around us was an uplifting experience!

It took around 20 minutes to bike to Santa Monica Pier where we spend an hour wandering around looking at the amusements, buying souvenirs and getting a drink / snack.  The ride was so pretty along the beach and the path was very smooth.

  When we got back to Venice beach and gave the bikes back we walked to the skate park to watch the cool tricks people could do on their skateboards.

HOLLYWOOD

Ok so Mum and Dad wanted to show us the famous Hollywood sign.  We started by going to the Walk of Fame where there were lots of stars on the floor with famous peoples’ names on, most that we hadn’t heard of!  

 Mum note – If we are being completely honest there wasn’t anything there to interest the children, the stars were grubby and overcrowded but at least they have been there and seen it!

We then drove to Griffiths Observatory which took 20 minutes and had pretty scenery all the way up.  This is the nearest point you can park at to view the Hollywood sign closer. 

Dad note – You need to pay to park up there but I can’t remember how much it was – I remember it did take cards though!

We took lots of pictures up here but other than it being pretty there wasn’t anything else to do!

Mum note – if you didn’t have children in tow I would definitely trek closer to the sign as the scenery was beautiful and at the Griffiths Observatory you still felt far away.

ICE HOCKEY

Our Dad used to play Ice Hockey and that is how our Mum and Dad first met so while we were in Anaheim Dad wanted to watch a match!

Dad note – we ordered an Uber to the Honda centre which took around 7  minutes but this was easier than taking the car and not knowing where to park.  The tickets we purchased in advance online from Stub tickets and varied in price quite a lot depending on where we wanted to sit.  To be honest we bought some of the cheaper tickets but the seats were still great and could view everything clearly.  The atmosphere at the game was awesome and well worth the money.

The ice hockey was quite long but there were lots of stops and fun things to watch.  In the breaks we got to buy snacks and drinks.

Mum note – the queues for snacks and drinks were huge so try and either go out before the period ends or be prepared to miss the first part of the next period!

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

 On our last full day we drove to Universal Studios.

Mum note – we purchased our tickets in advance from Attraction Tix.  I was surprised at how small the park was, but maybe I am just comparing it to the Orlando parks.  It felt more manageable and the rides / things for young children to do was minimal so it meant we could cover everything we wanted to.