We’ve just returned from an impromptu overnight trip to Disneyland. I do day trips but, this was the first time I have taken the kids overnight by myself. To say I am exhausted is an understatement, but, let me tell you, we had SO MUCH FUN. There was no rush to get things done. The crowds were low and if they wanted to ride The Little Mermaid ride 3 times in a row, we did it! I am an L.A. mama, we live in a proximity to the Disneyland Resort that we can visit for the day with not too much preparation or hesitation. But, far enough away that staying for the night especially with 3 kids is the absolute ideal way to visit. I love being steps away from a goodnights rest and a nice quiet nap if we need to. Sometimes – if the park is too crowded or hot, we’ll skip the parks all together and just enjoy being at the hotel! Luck was on my side this time, and I was able to book a last minute stay at Paradise Pier Hotel, during Spring Break! We own Disney Vacation Club so I called them up and they booked it for me only 4 days before check in! We usually like to stay at the Disneyland Hotel but since it was just one night, we weren’t celebrating anything in particular and I am trying to save points for a possible upcoming trip (eek!), I booked this “budget” hotel with a standard view. There really was not much budget about it!
Peep the rooms!
Our room was spacious. It had double queen beds and a pull out couch. There was even plenty of space to park my double stroller in the room! We had a view of the pool and the Disneyland Hotel, and this was just a “standard” room! The weather was not very warm so we skipped the pool. We wanted to get a full day in the park and tackle that Eggstavaganza Egg Hunt! But we did have to eat, so I decided that before we checked out, we check out the food situation downstairs. Disney Resort recently had a revamp of their character dining experiences. The Paradise Pier Hotel is home to Disney’s PCH Grill where Donald Duck hosts, Donald’s Seaside Breakfast, a character breakfast buffet. I rolled into the lobby kids in tow, fully expecting to be turned away. This was a last minute trip and I hadn’t planned on a character breakfast also, I had tried this restaurant before and was lukewarm about it to be honest. I was so surprised when we walked up to find availability and we were seated in just a few minutes! We were immediately greeted by Donald Duck himself! Donald Duck was a very gracious host! The food was pretty standard Disney buffet breakfast fare similar to Goofy’s Kitchen, so I didn’t feel like I was missing out on better fare. There were Mickey waffles, pancakes and more for the kids. Chilaquiles, bacon, sausage… and even an omelet station for grown-ups. I really like breakfast buffets because with a special diet and the kids having dairy and soy allergies, buffets make finding food we can all eat SO much easier. Disney is so good at accommodating any special diets. Aside from the food, the characters there were top notch!! No D list celebs here!! We played with Donald, Daisy, Stitch and Minnie!!! It was the perfect start to our full day at the park!
You can check the Disney website for prices (they vary) we paid 39.99 for Adult and 29.99 for kids (ages 3 and up). Also, don’t wing it like me. You should make reservations! I’ll link it here. Donald’s Seaside Breakfast.
You can check out more photos and all the fun, even some insider Disney tips on my Instagram highlights!
Isn’t Minnie’s bathing suit the cutest!?!?
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