Our Grand Pacific Adventure!
We just got back from an amazing (mostly Disney themed!) trip to California and Hawaii. It was a grand Pacific Adventure. The thought of taking 2 kids under 2 seemed like a daunting task but I am SO glad we went! The kids may not remember much, but seeing the joy on their faces is something that will stay with me forever.
We began our Pacific adventure in Disneyland. Luke and Lily love Mickey, Minnie, Jake, Sophia and Doc so they were in heaven. The characters are so approachable and walk around, sometimes without an entourage. You can walk up to them for a picture or autograph and may not have to wait in line at all. The lines for all our favorite rides were relatively short, considering it was Labor Day Weekend. Most of them we were even able to walk right on, and ride more than once if we wanted. My son loves birds so he was mesmerized by The Enchanted Tiki Room, whereas my daughter is more of a daredevil so she enjoyed all the rides. We especially loved the Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World and Finding Nemo, Submarine Voyage. 
The next day we checked out California Adventure Park. We spent a lot of time in Cars Land and Luke was fascinated by Lighting McQueen and Mater just driving around. They also loved “a bugs land” since a lot of the rides are geared towards younger kids. They had a blast on Ariel’s Undersea Adventure and King Triton’s carousel. Since Grandma and Grandpa were with us, my husband and I even got to go on California Screamin’. SO much fun! We went back to Cars Land at night because we wanted to see Radiator Springs lit up and it did not disappoint. It was just like in the movie. They even had a dance party with a dancing car!
Our next stop on our Pacific adventure was The Grand Wailea in Maui, Hawaii. My husband and I had stayed there 5 years ago on our Honeymoon and I knew I wanted to bring our kids back some day. It’s a gorgeous resort but so family friendly as well! Kids eat free with the purchase of an adult entrée and after every meal they always got some kind of treat, whether it was a dessert or even stuffed animals with the hotel logo. The lazy river has small slides for smaller kids to enjoy, there’s the world famous water elevator, a “baby beach” which is a pool with sand, as well as several kid friendly and adult only pools. There’s also a swim up bar where you can get delicious cocktails in pineapples. I absolutely love the Spa Grande because they have these amazing therme baths representing each of the Hawaiian islands. The spa is undergoing renovations until December which was a huge disappointment. The spa director knew I was looking forward to coming back and she felt bad about the refurbishments so she sent a special gift to our room after check-in that included cookies for the kids to decorate as well as chocolate covered strawberries and champagne to wish us a happy anniversary. The level of service we received was exceptional and I found it amazing that my almost 2 year olds had as much fun as we did. My in-laws had a great time as well. Truly something for everyone.
Our last stop on our Pacific adventure was Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa. We had a magical experience and were treated like ohana the whole time. We started the week with a delicious character breakfast at Makahiki and got to see Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy. Aunty and Goofy even sang Happy Birthday to Luke and Lily which was super cute. The kids loved the lazy river, Keiki cove, and Menehune bridge. They had several toddler activities throughout the week but I think their favorite was a treasure hunt on the beach. There was plenty of adult fun too. Rainbow reef, an enclosed snorkel experience, was neat and we loved dinner at AMA’ AMA so much we went back another night! Aulani is such a unique resort because it combines the magic of Disney with the beauty of Hawaii, which you can read more about here. If you book now through October 26, 2015 you can get 30% off stays of 5 nights or longer (this is the promotion we had) or 25% off 4 consecutive nights. It’s a great time for your family to experience the magic of Aulani!
We had an amazing trip and it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be with young kids. It helps to go to family friendly resorts that are experienced in catering to kids as well as adults because it ensures everyone has fun. I definitely did my research before we went to make sure our resorts fit these categories. I also made sure to have plenty of things to entertain the kids on the plane, as well as lots of treats.
There’s so much more I can say about each of these wonderful places but then this blog would be miles long! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me any time. I would love to help you plan your family’s next adventure, and I’ll do all the research for you!
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– Claire Carey
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