A few weeks ago, I had the chance to go to Disneyland with some of my fellow mama friends, and truth be told, I wasn't so sure what to expect! The weeks before the trip, I kept debating whether I would even tell my kids where I was heading (I could just say "California," right??) but keeping it from them just didn't sit well with me because I knew they'd find out eventually. So, I sat them down and told them, expecting some wailing and maybe a few tears. To my utter surprise, my big kids were both champs, and the promise of souvenirs helped soften the blow :)
Disneyland is a place that I've loved ever since I was little. I always remembered my dad would enjoy taking my family here, and I think it was because he could see how happy it made me and my brothers. There is something really magical about seeing things through your kids' eyes. Being a parent, I totally get that now. With that said, I've never been to Disneyland with just a group of friends, and before we left, I thought, "Will it really be as much fun as when I was a kid?" And the answer is yes! A million times yes.
So, I've compiled a list of ten reasons why every parent should try Disneyland without kids!
1. How cute are those balloons? How cute are the collectable pins? How cute is every dang thing there?! Well, when you don't have the kids with you, let's just say it's a whole lot easier to walk past the gift shops!
2. (Most of the time) your friends won't be (too) embarrassed to take pictures with you ;) After the second picture with my kids, it's basically like standing next to a group of monkeys hopped up on candy.
3. You can choose which characters you really want to see, and don't have to worry about hunting anyone down. I actually was pleasantly surprised at how sweet the characters were with both kids and adults alike. I'll also add that one of my children is super afraid of "characters" so it was also really nice not having to be constantly vigilant and ducking every time one came into sight!
4. THE FOOD! I could eat anything I wanted and didn't have to worry about someone grabbing it out of my hand or licking it and basically claiming it for themselves.
5. There was something super liberating about not having to carry around a bunch of stuff around for my kids. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I turn into a human garbage can slash "dumping ground" for stuff when we're out with our kids. I just had my small back pack of things and hopped in and out of the rides easily. And better yet, no worries about pushing around a stroller!
6. Waiting in line was a breeze! We were pretty lucky because we didn't have to wait in a ton of lines, (thank you fast passes!) and none that were super long. But, any time we did it didn't feel long because we would just chat that time away. I'll admit that the waiting in lines with my kids part of Disney is what makes me most anxious.
7. You can go on any ride you want! Last time we went to Disney, I don't know that we even made it onto Space Mountain because we were too busy going on all the little kid rides (not saying those aren't fun--I love It's a Small World about as much as I love any other ride).
8. Two words: bathroom breaks. No getting out of the line two minutes before you're about to hop on a ride because someone can't hold it another minute and is doing the potty dance in front of you and everyone else in line!
9. You can go as early as you'd like and stay as late you'd like, too!
10. Because YOU can take a turn being the kid! I seriously had so much fun at each and every turn. Main Street looked and smelled magical. The Matterhorn left me a little spooked! And those first couple of drops on Pirates of the Caribbean made my stomach drop a little even though I knew they were coming.
So, if you're thinking you're too old to still enjoy Disney like a kid, I'd say think again :)
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