Potty Training = Complete Success

Babito started his potty training a week ago yesterday, and it has been a complete success!

Our daycare provider indicated last Monday that she thought he was ready to start, so we agreed that we’d begin the process last Tuesday.  My wife went out and potty him some potty training underwear.  He’s been telling us when he has to go potty ever since!  He’s only had one accident, and it was during the night when he had a pull-up on, so I don’t even count that as an accident.

He’s very funny.  When he has to go he says “Uh oh, pee pee (or poo poo)!” and we hurry him over to the bathroom.  He can pull his own pants down and get up on the potty all by himself.  We bought him an Elmo toilet seat, but he prefers to just sit on the regular seat.

The other night he was in bed and I was in our bedroom when I heard his bathroom toilet flush.  By the time I went over there he had already pulled his pants up and he was up on his stepper washing his hands!  We’re very proud of how well he’s doing and we’re surprised how easy it was.  I’d been dreading the whole potty training experience, but it’s turned out to be very easy.  He’s making a habit of this.  His conversion to the big boy bed was just as easy.

Surgery Recovery = Slow and Steady

First, let me say that hernia surgery (especially double hernia) is NOT fun in the least.  I was extremely sore for the first 4-5 days, and the pain has subsided a little bit every day.  I’m now taking 30 minute walks around the park every day and have been more and more active.  I still can’t pick up anything more than 10 pounds for another 3-4 weeks, so I still haven’t been able to pick up Babito, which sucks.

I had the staples removed from my incisions last week, which was relatively painless except for one that was kind of burrowed into my skin.  The nurse had to wiggle and yank that one for a bit before it finally came out.  It reminded me of when you’re removing a staple from a thick stack of paper and only one side comes out and then you have to really yank the staple to get the other side out.  That one hurt!

Celebrity Deaths

I can’t believe all the celebrity deaths we’ve had the past few weeks.  It’s too bad that Michael Jackson’s death (and the ensuing circus-like atmosphere) has stolen the spotlight from Farrah Fawcett, who was courageously sharing her story of her cancer fight.  Also, who’s going to fill Billy Mays’ big shoes on late night infomercials?

Related posts:

1. Surgery
2. Surgery Recap
3. Back to Work

Some times you’ll get discouraged
Because I am so small
And always leave my fingerprints
On furniture and walls

But every day I’m growing
And I’ll be grown someday
And all those tiny handprints
Will surely fade away

So here’s a little handprint
Just so you can recall
Exactly how my fingers looked
When I was very small

Happy Father’s Day!
I Love You Daddy!

Related posts:

1. Daycare Sucks
2. One Last Post for 2007
3. Stay At Home Mom?

This is my 3rd Father’s Day (4th if you count when Babito was in utero).

I know it’s clichè, but I never in my wildest dreams knew what a wondrous thing fatherhood would be before it happened to me.

It’s even more clear this year, since I can’t play and interact with Babito as much while I’m recuperating from surgery.

Thank you Babito for being such a great little boy. I’m so proud to call you my son. I Love You!

Related posts:

1. Surgery
2. Babito News
3. One Last Post for 2007

Last Friday morning I underwent surgery for a double hernia. I wasn’t really nervous about it until that morning, but I tried to act calm. My wife and mother in law took me in. My parents also met us there. Having all those people there kind of made me more nervous, but I did appreciate them being there.

Shortly after arriving, they took me back into pre-op, where I stripped down and put on a hospital gown. They covered me in warm blankets and a nurse put in my first-ever IV. I usually get antsy around needles, but I was surpringly ok with it. Of course, I didn’t look!

I laid around for a while until the surgeon came and spoke briefly with me. I really don’t remember too much of what she said. Then the anesthesiologist came over and introduced himself. He said he was going to give me something in my IV that would “make me feel a little drunk” and I said “Good!”.

That was the last thing I really remembered until I woke up in bed at home! I have fuzzy memories of drinking Sprite in post-op and my wife helping me get dressed.

I have no memory at all of (but my wife told me all about) gushing about how much I liked the nurses, demanding my wife stop at Taco Bell on the way home (I don’t even LIKE Taco Bell), and insisting that I could walk up the stairs alone (I couldn’t).

I slept most of Friday. Saturday and Sunday were bad. I was in some major pain. Getting out of bed hurt. It felt like I was getting stabbed every time I got up. Luckily, I have my friend Vicadin to ease the pain.

The pain has lessened a little bit every day. I’ve been walking around the house and up and down the stairs as much as I can, but I’ll have to build my stamina up a little more. My wife has been taking wonderful care of me.

The Babito doesn’t completely understand what’s going on, but he’s been great too. He asked me if the doctor used a screwdriver to fix my tummy. Every morning, before he leaves for the day, he says I hope your tummy gets better soon.

I would highly recommend avoiding a hernia! It’s not nearly as glamorous as it’s made out to be.

Related posts:

1. Surgery
2. Potty Training, Hernias, and Celebrity Deaths
3. Speaking of Disneyland

That occurrence didn’t go so well. I had strange nightmares while out and I woke up crying. My mom told me that I cried all the way home in the car and continued tossing and turning and crying in my sleep once I got home.

I’ve been told that I’ll be out of work for three weeks, and I am forbidden to lift anything over 10 pounds for six weeks. I’ve also been told that on the second day after surgery I will be cursing my surgeon and asking myself why I decided to get the surgery.  At least I’ll have the pain medication to look forward to!

Now that I’ve provided you what I have to look forward to over the next several weeks, I’d like to apologize in advance to several people:

To My Wife:  I apologize if I’m a crying, blubbery mess after the surgery.  It’s just the anesthesia talking.  I know you’ll be your normal patient self with me, so thank you in advance.  I apologize that I won’t be able to help you around the house for a while.  I apologize for you having to take out the garbage and cleaning up after the dogs.  That second one is especially not fun at all.  Lastly, I apologize for being cranky, just in case I am.  I’ll do my best to be as cheerful as possible.  Thank you, in advance, for taking such great care of me.  I Love You!

To Babito:  I apologize that I won’t be able to pick you up, play with you, or get you ready for bed for a while.  I know you really enjoy your daily routine, and I apologize that I’ll be messing that up.  I know you won’t understand why Daddy can’t do all of these things.  I’m sorry that I won’t be able to take you to Disneyland, play trains or cars or catch with you, or chase you around the house.  I’m sure Mommy will fill all of these roles as best she can.  I’ll make it up to you when I’m all healed up.  I Love You!

To My Co-Workers:  I’m sorry that my absence will create more work for you.  Thanks for filling in for me.  I apologize that I won’t be thinking about you or work much while I’m out. 

To My Readers:  I apologize that you’ll probably be inundated with Daddy Dan blog posts.  I’ll have plenty of free time over the next few weeks, cooped up in my house and bored.  Leave me comments so I’ll have something to do.  I’m sure I’ll have the time to respond too.

Related posts:

1. Surgery Recap
2. Back to Reality
3. Trains

Finally, we found a nice twin bed with both drawers and a trundle bed. It looks like the one below, just without the garish solar system bedspread. Babito has a garish Thomas the Train bedspread.

While we waited for the bed to be delivered, we began talking up the “big boy bed.” We had Babito to the point of utter excitement about it, although you could tell he was slightly nervous. I’d be putting him in his crib at night, telling him that soon he would be sleeping in a big boy bed. He would always ask me, “Will you pick me up and get me out of it?” I tried to explain to him that he would be able to get in and out of the bed all by himself. I didn’t think he really grasped the concept.

Finally, last Sunday, his bed was delivered. He was excited to see his bed with the cool Thomas the Train sheets, blankets, pillow cases, and bedspread.

That night, after our many bedtime rituals, he climbed up on his bed and I joined him for some book reading. When I finished the two books we had selected he asked me to read them again, so I did. After the second reading he asked me to read them yet again. Normally, when he pulls this kind of stunt, I put my foot down and tell him no, but since it was going to be his first night in his new bed I indulged him.

After the third readings, I told him good night, kissed him, blessed him, told him I loved him, and said “See ya later, Alligator.” He said “After while, Crocodile.” (This is all another part of the bedtime ritual that must be strictly followed, or else.) As I walked out of the room he said “Daddy, I like my new bed. It’s nice.”

I looked back and my little boy, who looked so big in his little crib, looked so tiny in his new big boy bed. I could tell he was a little nervous, but he didn’t say anything else. He was going to be a brave little boy, and I couldn’t be prouder of him.

The next morning, after I had left for work, my wife went in to check on him. He was lying in bed. He was already awake. She said “Want me to get you out of bed?” Babito said, “No, this is a big boy bed, Mommy. I can get out ALL by MYSELF!” And he did. And he is. Way too fast.

Related posts:

1. Trains
2. We Got Our Bed Back
3. Where’s the Doggy?

Among the passengers exiting the train is a young lady with a cute little girl, no more than two, in her arms. She hands the little girl over to the elderly man, who I assume is the grandpa, and gets back on the train.

The little girl and the elderly man are always happy to see each other. Every day the little girl has a huge smile on her face and always gives the man a big hug. He places her in the stroller and slowly walks off the platform.

Every evening he and the little girl are there waiting for the train to come. He holds her and they wave to the train’s engineer as the train pulls into the station. The mommy exits the train, and the little girl gives her grandpa a kiss just before she’s handed back over.

These simple acts, and the sight of such pure, obvious love between a grandpa and his granddaughter, put a smile on my face every day.

Related posts:

1. Quote of the Day - Showing People You Love Them
2. Foto Friday - Babito on the Casey Jr. Train
3. Hottest Toddler Christmas Gifts

Time goes by so fast. He’s gone from a helpless infant to a bright, sensitive, hilarious, scheming, daredevil of a little boy.

One good thing about him getting older is that the quality of his toys (under the Daddy-friendly categorization) keeps getting better. I’m looking forward to when he fits into the age category for electric racetracks and video games. (He already loves to play “Pocket God” on my iPhone.)

What age-appropriate toys does a toy-loving Daddy need to know about? Please share them in the comments!

Also, we’re trying to figure out what to do for his birthday. We had a huge pool party at our house for his first birthday, complete with catered food and a clown. For his second birthday, we had a smaller party at My Gym.

Right now we’re leaning toward either having another party at My Gym or having a smaller party at our house. Barney may even show up if we have a party at home.

What have you done for a toddler’s birthday? Any great ideas out there?

Related posts:

1. The Babito’s Birthday
2. Cool Toddler Gifts - Babito’s Birthday Presents
3. Wanted: Babysitter for Babito

We bought annual passes a few months back when we visited with out-of-town relatives. We couldn’t pass it up, since annual passes were only $75 each. There are a lot of kid-friendly attractions for toddlers. Camp Snoopy has many rides that Babito likes, plus he got to see his new favorite character, Snoopy.

As a kid, I loved going to Knott’s Berry Farm. I liked it as much as I liked Disneyland. Now, Knott’s doesn’t seem as nice as it used to be. I think they’ve kind of messed up their theming, plopping rollercoasters everywhere throughout the park. Also, the maintenance doesn’t seem quite up to par with Disneyland, but what is, right?

One thing that Knott’s does have going for it is the quality of their employees. Without fail they were all friendly, polite, and went out of their way to be nice to Babito, and that’s appreciated. If you’ve ever been on the train ride, you know that train robbers walk through the train and “rob” it during the ride. They still do that, but the train robber was especially cognizant of Babito and made sure not to scare him. He actually stopped and talked to him and called him “little buddy.” When we got off the train, Babito said “That cowboy is a nice guy. He called me little buddy.”

Here’s the train robber:

Overall, it’s still a really fun place to take your kids. Babito loved it. The crowds were non-existant. We walked onto every single ride we went on. I’m actually surprised that they are open every day year-round. I would be willing to bet that there were more employees there than guests. Check it out:

Babito’s favorite was the log ride. We all went on it and my wife got soaked. Babito wanted to go again right away, so I took him again while my wife waited. (She was already wet, so why not go again, right?)

We arrived at 2:00pm and did everything we wanted to do before the park closed at 6:00pm. Of course, we didn’t ride any of the rollercoasters, but I looked and there were no lines for any of them either. I’d recommend going to Knott’s. It’s still a fun place. Go during the week before the summer and you should have a great time. It’s almost like having an entire amusement park to yourself!

And it was a whole lot more fun than cleaning out the garage.

Related posts:

1. Bullet-Point Update
2. Big Boy Bed
3. Babito and Daddy Dan’s Wild Weekend

Anyway, he must have heard me talking to my wife, because he woke up and started calling for me to come in his room.  I was about to leave and didn’t want to go in his room because I’d only get to see him for a minute before I had to go, and I thought it would upset him when I had to leave.

My wife encouraged me to go see him for a minute, so I reluctantly went in his room.

“No work today, Daddy?”

“No, Daddy has to go to work.”

He asked me if I would play trains with him when I got home from work, and I said “Yes, I would love to play trains with you when I get home.”

I told him that I had to leave for work and he said that he wanted to go downstairs and say goodbye to me.  My wife was in our room getting ready for work, so I said no, you can say goodbye to me here.  He insisted that he wanted to go downstairs.  I was about to say no again when my wife walked in and said “It’s ok, we can go downstairs and say goodbye to Daddy.”

We went downstairs and I gave him a kiss goodbye and said “Have a nice day!”

Babito said “Have a nice day at work, Daddy!”

As I backed out of our driveway I looked over to our front window.  Babito was standing on the couch watching me leave and waving to me.  I waved back.  Even though it was 6:30 in the morning, I honked my horn, because he loves that.  I’m sure the neighbors didn’t, but that’s ok.

I’d been promising to play trains with him for the past few days but haven’t because I’ve been getting home right around the time I usually start him on his long bedtime routine of bathing and book reading.  Last night he cried when I told him it was time to go upstairs for his bath because he wanted to play trains first.  I said no and took him upstairs.  I should have played trains with him, if only for a few minutes.  But I didn’t.  And I should have.

I think because he cried about it I decided not to “reward” him with playing trains.  Of course none of us want to encourage crying and tantrums by giving in to them.  He is going through a stage right now where he occasionally throws a mini-tantrum if he doesn’t get his way.  Not always, and not too bad, but we don’t want the tantrums to escalate.  It’s reasonable, right?

Thinking about it this morning, I realized that I’ve been promising to play trains and I haven’t lived up to my promise.  Sometimes little kids have valid reasons for crying because maybe it’s just their way of showing disappointment for unmet promises.

I also realized that my wife gave him two special little gifts by making me go say Hi to him and by taking him downstairs to wave goodbye to me out the window.  I realized that I received two special gifts at the same time.  I realized that we shouldn’t be so strict with routines and schedules and the tempers of a 2 1/2 year old. 

Shortly after I got to work, I received an e-mail from my wife saying “Babito was so happy he got to see you this morning.  He’s been in such a great mood.  It made his day!” 

No, it made mine, and I can’t wait to play trains tonight, no matter what time I get home.

Related posts:

1. A Day in Babito’s Mommy’s Shoes
2. Daddy and The Babito: Reunited at Last
3. Big Boy Bed

1.  Disneyland Baby Care Center

At the end of Main Street, on the right hand side behind the photo supply store, is a place we visit several times on every Disneyland trip.  It’s the Disneyland Baby Care Center.  I think of it as the VIP Lounge for babies and toddlers.

The center has everything a parent of a baby or toddler would ever need.  There are plush changing tables.  These tables are spacious, padded, and clean.  The changing room also features toddler-sized toilets for the newly potty-trained.

The center also offers bottle and baby food warming, nice high chairs to feed your baby.  A private room with rocking chairs for breastfeeding Mommies, and a small store to purchase items you may have forgotten or run out of, including diapers, baby food, formula, pacifiers, eipies, etc.

The Baby Care Center is a nice, clean place to take care of all your baby or toddler’s needs.

With the number of strollers you see at Disneyland, you’d think the Baby Care Center would be packed, but it NEVER is.  I don’t think too many people know about this great feature of Disneyland. 

There’s also a baby care center in California Adventure back near the Mission Tortilla Factory.

2.  Animation Building (at California Adventure)

The Animation Building in the Hollywood Backlot area of California Adventure is another great place to take your toddler, especially on hot summer days, since the building is nicely air-conditioned.  We often take the Babito in here to get him to take a nap.

The main room is filled with giant screens showing scenes from various classic Disney animated movies.  It’s very nicely put together.  There’s nice cushioned benches strewn throughout the room for you to relax while your baby or toddler takes a nap. 

The Animation Building also features several toddler-friendly interactive activities, including Turtle Talk with Crush, where an animated Crush (from Finding Nemo) interacts with the audience.  There’s also an area where you can add your voice to Disney cartoons and an area where you can learn to draw your favorite Disney character.

3.  Redwood Creek Challenge Trail

Looking to get some of the pent-up energy out of your toddler.  There’s no better place at the Disneyland Resort than the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail at California Adventure.

Redwood Creek features trails, bridges, slides, caves, and various other fun things for your toddler to explore.  It’s a nice shady area to get away from the crowds for a while too.  For older children, Redwood Creek features a rock wall to climb and rope swings.

While visiting Redwood Creek, be sure to catch the Brother Bear show, which usually runs every hour.  It features two bear characters that are available after the show for pictures.

4.  Water Play Areas

California Adventure also features some great water play areas for small children.  It’s a great way for your kids (and you) to cool off on a hot summer day.

The first area is in Bugs Land.  The entire land is themed to make you feel like you’re as small as a bug.  The water play area features a giant water hose and nozzle that squirts water at unexpected times.  The kids love it.  I’d recommend bringing a change of clothes and a swim diaper.  There’s a family changing room nearby for your convenience.

The second area is in the Bountiful Valley Farm area.  This area features various farm-related water features.

5.  Disneyland Hotel

Lastly, wandering the grounds of the Disneyland Hotel is a great way to get away from the crowds.  The Disneyland Hotel has many fun things for toddlers to look at including an area featuring a wall of waterfalls that you can walk around and under.  Also, the grounds feature several bushes trimmed to look like Disney characters.  Lastly, there’s a pond where your small child can pilot a remote-controlled Jungle Cruise boat.

Of course, if you’re staying at one of the Disney hotels, each features a great pool area for registered guests only.

Related posts:

1. Tips For Toddlers: Disneyland, Part 1 (Parking)
2. Disneyland Tips For Toddlers: Part 2 (The Rides)
3. Disneyland Trip - 12/5/08

I can’t believe the Lakers lost last night.

Babito’s new favorite thing: Bubble Bath

I’m going to reincorporate GTD today at work. I really need to get organized.

My wife and I are going to take a vacation day to clean out our garage. Yes, it’s that messy.

Babito still hasn’t bought his Mommy a Mother’s Day gift. What a procrastinator!

Is anyone following @Oprah?

I’m craving a cinnamon roll.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Related posts:

1. My Honey’s Birthday Weekend
2. Happy Mother’s Day
3. The Hottest Gift for Christmas 2007

I could do character meet-and-greets:

I could talk about the shows and parades:

I could tell you about some out-of-the-way activities:

I could give you some little-known Disneyland trivia:

OR, I could tell you about the coolest place in Disneyland for babies and toddlers.  A place that not very many parents know about…

Related posts:

1. Tips For Toddlers: Disneyland, Part 1 (Parking)
2. Disneyland Tips For Toddlers: Part 2 (The Rides)
3. Disneyland Tips For Toddlers: Part 3 (Hidden Gems)

I’d say the forum is in beta mode right now. I’m still playing with it to see all it can do, so please help me out, go into the forum and leave a comment or new post. I don’t believe registration is required, but registrating will make it much easier to leave a comment when you return.

Thanks!

Related posts:

1. New Feature: Ask Me Anything
2. Google Reader’s New ‘Share It’ Feature
3. Best of Daddy Dan

Every night when I get home from work, The Babito runs up to me and pats down my pants. He’s looking for spare change.

Our new tradition is to take the spare change I accumulate through the day and put it in his piggy bank.

Tonight, I took him to his room and gave him my change. I told him to put it in his piggy bank while I went to change out of my work clothes.

I was taking off my pants when a dime I had missed fell out of my pants. When The Babito finished with the change, he came into our closet.

“Look Babito,” I said, “I found another coin!”

Babito took the coin and studied it intently. Then he said, “This is an old one, Daddy.”

I said, “Huh?”

“This is an old one, Daddy” he said, pointing to Harry Truman on the dime. “Obama is the new one.”

I was speechless.

Related posts:

1. The Babito is Turning Three Soon
2. Bigfoot continued…..
3. Babito Won’t Sleep In His Own Bed

When he came home, he was a changed boy. His mom asked him what happened.

Ron told her that every time he got mad or said anything unkind, Grandpa made him go outside and hammer a big two-inch nail into a two-by-four. It was really hard, and he wasn’t allowed back until the nail was all the way in. After about 20 trips to the shed, he decided it was easier to control his temper than hammer in those long nails.

“Did you change because you hated the consequence so much?” she asked.

“Well, that was part of it,” he said. “After I’d nailed in all the nails and was behaving better, Grandma took me outside and made me pull them all out. That was even harder. When I was done, she gave me this note.”

He showed it to her, and this is what she read:

Pulling out nails is like saying you’re sorry – the holes still remain in the board. You can’t fix things by being sorry, but you can stop making new holes. Remember, every time you do something mean and nasty, you’re making a hole somewhere in someone. That’s what your Dad did to you. Please don’t do it to anyone else. You’re better than that.

“You know what, Mom?” Ron said. “Grandma was right. I am better than that.”

I heard this story on KNX1070 this morning.  It’s part of a daily feature called Character Counts, with Michael Josephson.  You can subscribe to the podcast HERE.  You can read more character-related stories at Character Counts.

Related posts:

1. My Grandpa

Here are some interesting visitor statistics:

Top Ten Countries by Visitor:

1. United States
2. Canada
3. United Kingdom
4. Australia
5. India
6. Vietnam
7. Germany
8. Mexico
9. Philippines
10. France

- In California alone, I’ve been visited by readers in 435 different cities!

- I’ve had 79 visitors from Africa.

- In Eastern Europe, Daddydan.net is most popular in Romania (32 visitors).

- I’ve had visitors from every country in Central America except Nicaragua.  El Salvador leads the way with 8 visitors.

- Every state in the U.S. has visited.  The most from California, the least (19) from Wyoming.

- Canadian city that has visited the most: Calgary

- Visitors from Iraq: 0

Countries I’ve never heard of:

1. Faroe Islands
2. Palau
3. Guernsey
4. Gambia
5. St. Lucia
6. Jersey

Here’s a map of the countries that have visited:

Related posts:

1. Random Thought Thursday (they’re not really thoughts, more like comments)
2. Stats
3. Visits from Other Countries

With that said, some rides are more toddler-friendly than others.  Until recently, Babito was afraid to ride Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion.  He loves them both now.  He’s still afraid of The Jungle Cruise, so we don’t ride that one.  We’re waiting for him to ask us to ride it.  I think that he thinks the animals are real.  If I thought they were real I wouldn’t want to ride it either!

While every toddler will be different, I’ll share with you The Babito’s favorite rides now:

Disneyland Railroad - A fun grand-circle tour of Disneyland.  Not only does the train allow you and your toddler to get a tour of the entire park, it also gives you a nice 20 minute break from walking around.

The Disneyland Railroad

The vehicles of Main Street - The double-decker bus, fire engine, horse-drawn streetcar, and horseless carriage are always fun for the little ones.

The Monorail - The Babito LOVES the monorail.  Try to sit in the front with the driver.  It gives you a great view, and the drivers are usually very friendly with your kids.

View from the front of the Monorail

Peter Pan’s Flight - If you arrive early, I recommend you hit this ride first.  Surprisingly it’s one of the longest lines at Disneyland.  You ride in a pirate ship and fly over various scenes from Peter Pan.  It’s a fun ride with amazing scenery, but I’m not sure it’s worth the 45-60 minute wait you’ll encounter later in the day.

Dumbo - Another ride known for it’s long wait times.  Ride this one right after Peter Pan’s Flight.  It’s basically a typical carnival-type ride with better theming, but the kids love it.

Mad Tea Party (better known as “The Teacups”) - This was long The Babito’s favorite ride.  Not for those that get motion sickness.  I recommend taking a video camera with you on this one.  The kids’ reactions are priceless.

King Arthur Carousel - Another kid favorite.

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride - Another fun Fantasyland dark ride.  This one has the added bonus of a steering wheel on each car.  Let your toddler sit on your lap so he can “steer” the car on the wild ride.  The ending of the ride may be scary for some toddlers.  You drive through Hell at the end, along with the Devil, demons, fire, and heat.  Then again, they probably won’t even notice it.

Casey Jr. Circus Train - Casey Jr. is a fun train ride on a circus train.  Ride in the monkey cage for added fun.  This ride is especially fun at night.  This train has some speed to it!

It’s A Small World - Talk about sensory overload, this classic ride will have you singing “It’s a Small World” for the rest of the day.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Winnie the Pooh - This is a fun ride for toddlers, and the good news for parents - there’s rarely a line for this one.  The added bonus is there’s a meet and greet with Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore right next to the ride where you can get some great pictures.  The line for the meet and greet is always much longer than the line for the ride.

Autopia - Another driving opportunity for the kids.  I hate this one, because I’m too tall for the cars, but I take The Babito on it every time anyways.  The lines are usually long for this one.  It’s good to hit this one early in the day too.

Other good kids rides:

Alice in Wonderland

Astro Orbiter (better known as “The Rockets”)

Buzz Lightyear

Finding Nemo Submarines

Like I mentioned earlier, some rides like Pirates, Haunted Mansion, and The Jungle Cruise may be scary for young kids, but they are allowed to ride.  Pirates and Haunted Mansion are scary because they’re very dark in some parts.  The Jungle Cruise is not so scary, Babito just has some fear of it that we haven’t quite figured out.

Tips for The Rides

• Like I mentioned earlier, Peter Pan, Dumbo, and Autopia are the three most popular kids rides, so ride them early in the day before the lines get crazy.  The Nemo submarine also has long lines.
• Have something with you to entertain the kids while you’re waiting in the lines, whether it be a toy, snacks, or whatever.  Most rides have good theming in the lines that will help you keep your child entertained.
• Don’t rush from ride to ride.  Enjoy the scenery and the other shows and attractions (which I’ll cover in my next post).  Take it slow and enjoy the day.
• Ride the most popular rides during the fireworks, Fantasmic, and the parades.  The lines are usually shorter.

My next post will cover the many shows and attractions offered at Disneyland, and tell you which ones your toddler will probably enjoy the most.

Related posts:

1. Tips For Toddlers: Disneyland, Part 1 (Parking)
2. Disneyland Tips For Toddlers: Part 3 (Hidden Gems)
3. Disneyland and The Orange County Fair

Through these many visits, I’ve learned a lot of useful tips that have made our trips more enjoyable. I’m going to share these tips here, through a series of posts. I hope it will make your trip to Disneyland all it can be.

Today’s post will cover parking at Disneyland. It may seem like a boring topic, but these tips may save you a lot of hassle, especially if you’re taking a stroller with you.

Most people just drive right into Disneyland’s massive parking structure and park. Let’s walk through that daunting experience with a stroller.

Once you get a parking spot you have to make your way to the elevators, where you may or may not be greeted with a long line. This line is nothing compared to the long lines, and waits, you’ll experience at the trams.

I have tips for handling the parking structure at the end of this post, but first, I have a better alternative.

On Harbor Boulevard there is a small parking lot with 15 minute parking for passenger drop-offs. We always stop there and I drop off my wife, the Babito, and, most importantly, the stroller. The entrance to Disneyland is a very short walk from that parking lot.

I then go park the car and meet them inside. There are several advantages to this gameplan:

• You avoid the long lines for the tram.  It’s much easier to get on the tram if you’re by yourself.  My tip is to go to the back of the tram, where strollers are allowed.  The non-stroller section of the last car usually has a very short line.  It’s especially important to avoid the tram at the end of the day, when the lines to take the tram back to the parking structure are really long.
• It gives your toddler extra time in Disneyland.  In the morning, my wife usually takes Babito on a ride or two while I park the car.  In the evening, she’ll shop in the souvenir ships or change his diaper while she waits for me to get the car.
• If your toddler is asleep at the end of the day, you won’t have to wake him up.  You are required to remove children from strollers while riding on the tram.
• When you enter through Harbor Boulevard, the line to get through security is a lot shorter than the security line on the tram side.

The sea of strollers at Disneyland:

If you don’t want to do the drop-off at the Harbor Boulevard parking lot, or can’t because you’re alone with your toddler, here’s some helpful hints on parking:

• The front and back cars of every tram allow you to load your stroller without emptying it and folding it up.
• Always use the back car of the tram.  Disney uses the front car for the handicapped as well as strollers, so the line will take longer.
• When you go through the gate to enter parking, ask the cast member if you can park in the Pinocchio or Chip & Dale parking lot.  These lots are on the ground level close to the trams.  Sometimes they’ll let you and sometimes they won’t, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
• If the lines are especially long for the trams, there is a pathway where you can walk to the Disneyland entrance.  The walk takes less than 10 minutes.  That’s usually what I do when I’m there alone with Babito.
• Don’t leave right after the fireworks.  The lines for the tram are crazy.  Leave shortly before the fireworks or stay around a while after the firework show is over.  Another option is to watch the fireworks from the main entry plaza between Disneyland and California Adventure and head for the trams as soon as the show is over.  You can also get a good view of the fireworks from the parking structure.

One last tip: Don’t rent a stroller from Disneyland.  They seem uncomfortable for the kids, they’re expensive ($12), there is not much room for storage, and most importantly, no drink holders!

Here’s a picture of the strollers Disneyland has available for rental:

I hope these tips are helpful.  If you have any tips on parking, I’d love to hear about them in the comments.

My next post in this series will cover Toddler-Friendly Rides at Disneyland.

Related posts:

1. Disneyland Tips For Toddlers: Part 2 (The Rides)
2. Disneyland Tips For Toddlers: Part 3 (Hidden Gems)
3. Disneyland Trip Report

Let me explain myself. I was going to move over to DaddyDan.com. I deleted most of my blog posts and was going to move them over, but it appears that iWeb on the Mac isn’t really going to work out for me. The pages load really slowly, there’s very few widgets, no stats, etc, etc. So I’m going to stay here. Also - no purple themes!

Luckily, my hosting service was able to restore the blog to exactly how it was a few days ago. If you left a comment in the last few days, sorry, but it’s gone.

For those of you wondering why I deleted my Twitter account, I was becoming too attached to it, and it was time to pull the plug. The problem, I think, is that it’s always there and so easy to use, anywhere and any time. I have an addictive personality, and I was tweeting too much, to the detriment of my wife and Babito, the two most important people in my life, and I couldn’t let that continue. Family first, always.

Related posts:

1. Is It Time For Us All To Give Up Our Blogs?
2. Welcome!
3. Maddie Spohr