mcfam's Passport
 

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Member since:
27 May 2010

Icon_superoo_orangeSuperoo '11, '12, '13

Icon_pictureBeen to 556 Attractions
Icon_star470 Reviews
Icon_star1283 First to Review
Icon_camera22061 Photos
Icon_thumbsup222 Helpful Votes
Compliments
About Me & My Family

My husband and I have 4 kids... 3 boys and then our girl. We homeschool them all and travel when possible. We just started letterboxing and are finding ourselves a little obsessed with it.
Our Family's Travel Personality
adventurous, curious, structured, relaxed, simple, independent, spontaneous, easy_going
We Just Got Back From
White Stallion Guest Ranch in Arizona
Our Favorite Vacation Spot
Camping in Kings Canyon or Yosemite
A Place We'd Love To Visit
The Redwoods in Northern California
Favorite Vacation Memory
Walking the meadows of Yosemite with my family. The quiet, the sparkling water, the rustling grasses, and a dip in the river made for an amazing day.
Worst Travel Moment With My Kids:
Anytime throw up is involved. Especially when one kid triggers another. And when we are in the car. And when they choose to use the box that is holding all their library books and toys.
Websites I Like:

Great rides for the whole family at California Adventure

Nothing is more disappointing than having to measure little kids to see if they can ride, only to find out they are too small.  However, being an adult and riding little kiddie rides all day is not a good way to have fun.

Disney has created a lot of fun attractions that are great for the whole family.  Here is a list of rides that just about anyone can ride and that are fun for the whole family!

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1313 S. Harbor Blvd
Anaheim, California

Comment:
Adults will enjoy the puns located throughout the queue and kids will like the fun ride through the larger-than-life Monster's Inc. show.

reviewed on: April 02 2012

"Creative puns"
The adults in our group were enchanted by the great number of puns located throughout the queue of this ride. Reading the menu for "Harry Housens" contains things like "Terrible Teriyucki" and "Green Tea Ice Scream".   We were cracking up at the list of rules for monster passengers such as "Those with tongues longer than 6 feet are not allowed to hang them out the window".

The ride itself was slower than our older kids were hoping for, and it left them a little disappointed but they still enjoyed it, especially because they love the movie, "Monsters Inc".

I was surprised and giggling when the stern monster lady at the end of the ride commented on my taking so many pictures (which I was doing!) and then said something about being glad she had gotten her hair un-done. I think she says something fairly different every time!

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1313 S. Harbor Blvd.
Anaheim, California

Comment:
It's like watching a Broadway show in 20 minutes. Expertly performed and fantastic.


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1313 S. Harbor Blvd
Anaheim, California

Comment:
Favorite Disney Junior characters sing and dance and interact with the audience in this fun stage presentation.


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1313 S. Harbor Blvd.
Anaheim, California

Comment:
Parents will love the competition of playing midway games with their kids while riding through a Toy Story themed fun zone.


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1313 Harbor Blvd
Anaheim, California

Comment:
Whether you ride in the swinging cars or the stationary ones, the thrill of being up high yet completely enclosed and safe will create great fun.

reviewed on: April 02 2012

"Swinging cars are the best"
We had a blast, laughing hysterically, in the swinging cars on this ferris wheel.  My oldest niece (11) was not too jazzed about riding in a ferris wheel (been there, done that) but she was pleasantly surprised with how fun it was.  The big kids (ages 7-12) all rode on a swinging car together and they swore that it swung up parallel to the ground.  We adults and little kids were in a separate swinging car, and although it swung quite a bit, it wasn't that much.  My daughter (3) was laughing so hard, but her cousin (18 months) wasn't as thrilled.  The wait time was 30-45 minutes but we all thought it was worth it.  

Tips:  Hold onto your little kids on this ride.  There are no seat belts and you can feel like they may fall off of their seat.  The carriage is completely enclosed and therefore is safe, but you don't want any bumps and bruises.

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1313 Harbor Blvd
Anaheim, California

Comment:
As long as you can sit up and be buckled in, kids can ride next to their parents on this shiny bullet that flies through the sky and is delightful.

reviewed on: April 02 2012

"Super fun"
Our whole family loved this ride as we felt like we were in a flying bullet.  The g-forces are not intense, but the thrill of flying over the water is super fun.  My 5 year old niece got a bit scared before the ride started and a helpful cast member started checking on her and distracting her. He asked her if she wanted to see a magic trick: he placed a quarter on the back fin of the rocket and asked her to guess if it would still be there after the ride. She was totally surprised to see it still there afterward and as a reward, he gave her the quarter.

The whole family can ride this as long as each person can sit up under the seatbelt. Little kids sit on the outside edge, away from the opening.  

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1313 S. Disneyland Drive
Anaheim, California

Comment:
An incredibly water show shown nightly that will thrill all audiences.

reviewed on: April 02 2012

"Amazing show"
We were completely thrilled with this water fountain on steroids show filled with our favorite Pixar movie characters: Up, Buzz Lightyear, Finding Nemo and some good (but not well known to us) Disney movie characters: Ariel, Pocahontas, and more.  It is well done and spectacular.  

We were standing a few rows back and had a great view and did not get wet, although we felt the mist from the high fountains several times.  

Tip: Because the wind usually flows from the ocean to inland, I am thinking that the areas around Ariel's Grotto and to the left of Mickey's Wheel (when facing it) have a greater potential of getting splashed.  We saw the tops of the fountains flowing that way and I'm glad we weren't in the splash zone on the cold evening.  

Downside: My hubby and I had to hold our 3 and 5 year olds nearly the whole time even though we were standing on a set of stairs in order for them to see.  Tired arms!  

Tip: I recommend trying to find a spot in front of the planters so that there is a railing that little kids can look through on their own, or a potential railing they can stand on.

We purchased the World of Color picnic boxes and were disappointed with the deal.  We understood that we could pick up our boxes, get our preferred seating and eat it in the viewing area while waiting for the show (a one hour wait if you enter when it opens).  We misunderstood, however, because the ticket for the show is the same as the FastPass tickets that everyone else gets.  On our way to the viewing area we were told 3 different things by different cast members and we became quite flustered when we were shuffled into the long line of people entering the viewing area.  Because we were in a standing room only area (as everything is) it was quite difficult to eat our food while everyone was coming in and wanting to get into our area.  The food was good... but it was served chilled (as described) and didn't feel like a good value for $15.99 a person (kids meals too).  The kids did enjoy their light-up bracelets, goldfish crackers and cupcakes though!

Tip: The benefit of pre-ordering the World of Color Picnic boxes is that you don't have to wait in line for your FastPass ticket (free, but required) in order to see the World of Color.  This is important because the first showing of WOC tickets get handed out quickly which may mean that families have to stay for the second showing (9:30 pm or later).  It also can save you 15 minutes to 1 hour waiting in line for the ticket.  In this case, the ticket with the picnic is well worth it.  If you don't get the picnic dinners, arrive at CA Adventure early and get to the FastPass station for WOC early.  Located near Grizzly River Run.

Tip: If purchasing the picnic boxes, pick them up anytime during the day (after 11am I believe) and enjoy them separate from the show.

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1313 Harbor Blvd.
Anaheim, California

Comment:
Run, climb, slide, and swing through this outdoor course full of fun and adventure.

reviewed on: May 06 2011

"Run and explore"
I love this area at California Adventure!  My kids run up stairs, across rope bridges and slide down slides.  A cave awaits exploration with growling bear sounds.  Learn the alphabet radio codes in  the lookout tower and scale a wall.  

Getting kids out of strollers and out of standing in line and giving them adventure and exercise is just what this area is designed for.  The exercise and fun makes for happy kids and parents.  The one drawback is that you need to keep a close eye on your kids so that they and you don't get lost.  Many Cast Members are on site to provide safety and security but parents are the best at both of those.

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1313 S. Harbor Blvd
Anaheim, California

Comment:
Learn to draw like a Disney artist! An interactive and hands-on environment.