Hey, it’s your morning host, Shawn Stevens. You’ve probably heard me talk about the Stevens Family vacation to the Disneyland® Resort. I wanted to share some of my favorite pics with you. I got to tell you, it was the first time we’ve been able to get together with all my daughters and their families for a trip. What an experience! There were 13 of us! It felt like we were the Griswold’s in National Lampoon’s Vacation, with constant hilarity and adventure around every corner.
The backdrop was perfect. The Disneyland® Resort is filled with incredible celebrations and experiences for the summer. From 100 years of Disney to a reimagined Mickey’s Toontown and new nighttime spectaculars, there was truly something for everyone in our group. I’m going to dive into our wild vacation and share a ton of photos. Maybe you can even live vicariously through our experience.
Road Trip
My wife and I made the road trip from Las Vegas to Anaheim, feeling like the Griswold’s. The only thing missing was the station wagon! The rest of the Stevens family, flew in from Salt Lake City and we met them at the park. Disneyland® is known as the Happiest Place On Earth, but it isn’t a vacation without some mishaps, right? The family got lost on the way to the parking lot, got soaked on Grizzly River Run, and had to wait in long lines for some of the rides. But, through it all, we had a blast.
One of my favorite parts of the trip was our visit to Mickey’s Toontown. You have to see what they’ve done. Toontown has been reimagined, making it a perfect place for our looney family. This is a great place to see all your favorite Disney characters like Mickey and Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto. We had a blast riding on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway and the kids loved playing on all the wacky gadgets. Meeting Goofy was a bonus!
Another highlight of our vacation was the new nighttime spectacular, “World of Color – One,” at Disney California Adventure®Park. The show is a magical combination of water, light, animations, and music, making it an incredible visual experience. The show celebrates the water’s wonder, and features moments from some of your favorite Disney and Pixar stories like The Lion King, Star Wars and The Avengers. I recommend arriving ahead of time or getting a dining package to get a great viewing spot.
The “Magic Happens” parade is a must see along with all the iconic rides. From the Indiana Jones Adventure and Pirates of the Caribbean to the super popular Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, we went on most all of them.
Time Saving Tip
Here’s a little tip to make the most of your time, use the Disneyland® app to plan your park strategy. For an additional fee, you can use the Genie+ service which allows you to reserve a space in line for some of the most popular rides.
My family and I had a memorable Stevens Family Vacation by following the Griswold’s playbook and then some. We experienced some mishaps, but at the end of the day, we had an amazing time. I highly recommend visiting during the summertime to experience all of the magic of 100 Years of Disney. Be sure to bring the Disneyland® app and snag a dining package to get the most out of your experience. Now that you’ve heard about our wild vacation, are you ready to plan your own trip?
Check out our pics below.