Just got back from a 1 night stay overnight at the Days Inn on Ball Rd in Anaheim, CA. Silly me, trying to try someplace new! Should have stayed at Howard Johnson's on Harbor like we did last time. But, I thought this was an equal walking distance and it said you could see the fireworks from the hotel, so, I tried it. Well, the walk was not as good as Howard Johnsons and we crossed over the freeway, which I did not like. Didn't have the fireworks show on Wed, so, I can't say if you can see them there or not. But, the rooms are tiny, worn and dark. An old building. Towels are scratchy and the mini fridge hummed most of the night. There was a continental breakfast of OJ, milk, cereal and muffins, but, we opted to go out to eat instead. I had made reservations online and when we got there, he didn't seem to have record of it. Good thing I printed my confirmation out. Since you are at Disneyland all day and just there to sleep, it's just OK, but, not a place to hang out in at all. I wont stay there again. If we'd had a week to spend at Disney, I'd have rented a timeshare like we usually do!

This museum is fabulous if you're a "Disneyphile" like I am. But it's not so good for taking little ones. It's different than what most of us expect for a "family" Disney activity. For starters they don't let in strollers. Secondly, the museum exhibits are not geared for young children. Our two got very bored and in the end my husband just left with them. The two older kids (13 & 14) stayed with me and we all very much enjoyed the museum.

We just got back from a surprise trip to Orlando. When my husband had to go there on business I checked on redweek.com and found a timeshare for rent for just $139/night that slept 8 - plenty of room for our family of six! I'd never even heard of the Sheraton Vistana Resort, but I'm here to tell you it's a phenomenal place! We'd been to the theme parks in Orlando, so I was looking for a resort where the kids would be happy to just stay there. I found it in spades at the Vistana! There's 7 swimming pools! Four children's playgrounds, and the list goes on and on. Super friendly staff. Our 12-year old daughter loved the modern dance class. Can't recommend this resort enough for a very inexpensive family vacation.

I just came across an article about all of the Thanksgiving meals that will be available at the different Walt Disney Resorts in Orlando. It's a fun article, and if any of you have been thinking about spending Thanksgiving Day with your family there, hearing about the food might give you the incentive to book the trip! http://bit.ly/1K57I3 And remember my mantra - renting a timeshare is what makes trips affordable for us (we always use http://www.redweek.com for budget-friendly units).

I wrote about Christmas at Epcot in Orlando, and I wanted to make sure to mention Disneyland in Anaheim, California. We live close enough that we can drive up to Disneyland for the day several times a year. In December, though, we rent a timeshare (check out http://www.redweek.com for several to choose from), and spend a week immersing ourselves in the holiday season at this fantastic park Everything is so "Christmasy" - you can just wrap yourself up in the warmth and good cheer of the season! The kids can decorate Christmas cookies on Main Street, and see Santa and Mrs. Claus with their live reindeer at Thunder Mountain Ranch. Even the rides get in on the seasonal celebration - for example It's a Small World sings "Jingle Bells" in several different languages. The very best "goosebumpy" part, though, is the fireworks at night choreographed to Christmas songs, and after wards snow falls over Main Street to the beautiful sounds of "White Christmas." Your kids will never forget Christmas at Disneyland! Nor will you!!