Last week, we took a family vacation to Disneyland! It was a sun-filled week of thrill rides, water slides and Mickey Mouse.
Traveling with kids is always an adventure with late nights, unexpected surprises, and unfamiliar restaurants. Eating out can be expensive, but we made an effort to seek out affordable options. We found a variety of food choices at the Disney hotels, Downtown Disney, and in the two Disneyland parks. The Disneyland website and mobile app made it easy to preview menus and make reservations. In particular, we looked for places that offered some high-protein, low-carb options, as well as fruits and vegetables. Of course there were lots of sweet treats, but there was also plenty of walking to help balance it out.
Avoiding the expense of a rental car meant that we could splurge and stay at the Disneyland Hotel, but we did not have easy access to a grocery store. We ate all of our meals at nearby restaurants since our hotel room included a mini-fridge but no microwave or other kitchen items. We did bring a variety of shelf-stable snacks in our carry-on luggage, including dried fruit, granola bars, jerky and nuts.
Breakfast at the Airport
We started our journey with an early morning breakfast at Sea-Tac airport. Henry requested yogurt and we found a delicious cup of strawberry yogurt with fresh berries and granola from Anthony's Fish Bar.
Breakfast Options at the Disneyland Resort
Henry consistently wakes up at 7 a.m. no matter what time he goes to bed, so we had plenty of time for a hearty breakfast each morning before the theme parks opened. Since Daddy is carefully watching his blood-sugar levels, breakfast cereals or grab-and-go pastries don't work for our family. We need protein options that will help us last through the morning such as eggs, bacon, and sausage. A sit-down restaurant works best for us, but we prefer not to eat at buffets. We also chose to skip the various character breakfasts offered at Disneyland.
At the Disneyland Hotel, our family enjoyed a casual breakfast poolside at Tangaroa Terrace. There are a few indoor tables if you prefer. Order from the cashier, then the waitstaff will deliver the food to your table in a few minutes. You can choose full-size meals, kids meals, or a la carte items. On our first visit, Henry ordered from the children's menu ($6.49). He was not very impressed with the Mickey waffle served with fresh pineapple and melon but he declared the turkey bacon as "the best bacon ever." On a return visit, he had better luck ordering individual menu items -- a cup of blueberry yogurt, a fresh banana, a side order of Portuguese sausage, and sharing a cinnamon roll with Daddy. I also recommend the pineapple macadamia muffins.
There are multiple breakfast options in the Downtown Disney shopping area for families. We chose the Rainforest Cafe since Henry loves animals. We found that our 8am reservation was unnecessary as the restaurant was not very busy. The unique restaurant decor is over the top, but our waitress was friendly and the food was well-prepared. Henry enjoyed an order of Tuki's Oatmeal ($5.99) that came with fresh strawberries and bananas on the side. The kitchen didn't have raisins, but our waitress was also able to bring Henry a side of dried cranberries to mix into his oatmeal.
Learn about our family's favorite Downtown Disneyland meals here.
Read about our Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park meals here.
Henry's recommendations for Disney desserts and preschool rides are here.
Traveling with kids is always an adventure with late nights, unexpected surprises, and unfamiliar restaurants. Eating out can be expensive, but we made an effort to seek out affordable options. We found a variety of food choices at the Disney hotels, Downtown Disney, and in the two Disneyland parks. The Disneyland website and mobile app made it easy to preview menus and make reservations. In particular, we looked for places that offered some high-protein, low-carb options, as well as fruits and vegetables. Of course there were lots of sweet treats, but there was also plenty of walking to help balance it out.
Avoiding the expense of a rental car meant that we could splurge and stay at the Disneyland Hotel, but we did not have easy access to a grocery store. We ate all of our meals at nearby restaurants since our hotel room included a mini-fridge but no microwave or other kitchen items. We did bring a variety of shelf-stable snacks in our carry-on luggage, including dried fruit, granola bars, jerky and nuts.
Breakfast at the Airport
We started our journey with an early morning breakfast at Sea-Tac airport. Henry requested yogurt and we found a delicious cup of strawberry yogurt with fresh berries and granola from Anthony's Fish Bar.
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| Breakfast at Sea-Tac |
Breakfast Options at the Disneyland Resort
Henry consistently wakes up at 7 a.m. no matter what time he goes to bed, so we had plenty of time for a hearty breakfast each morning before the theme parks opened. Since Daddy is carefully watching his blood-sugar levels, breakfast cereals or grab-and-go pastries don't work for our family. We need protein options that will help us last through the morning such as eggs, bacon, and sausage. A sit-down restaurant works best for us, but we prefer not to eat at buffets. We also chose to skip the various character breakfasts offered at Disneyland.
At the Disneyland Hotel, our family enjoyed a casual breakfast poolside at Tangaroa Terrace. There are a few indoor tables if you prefer. Order from the cashier, then the waitstaff will deliver the food to your table in a few minutes. You can choose full-size meals, kids meals, or a la carte items. On our first visit, Henry ordered from the children's menu ($6.49). He was not very impressed with the Mickey waffle served with fresh pineapple and melon but he declared the turkey bacon as "the best bacon ever." On a return visit, he had better luck ordering individual menu items -- a cup of blueberry yogurt, a fresh banana, a side order of Portuguese sausage, and sharing a cinnamon roll with Daddy. I also recommend the pineapple macadamia muffins.
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| An A La Carte Breakfast at Tangaroa Terrace |
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| Giggling with Nana at the Rainforest Cafe |
Learn about our family's favorite Downtown Disneyland meals here.
Read about our Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park meals here.
Henry's recommendations for Disney desserts and preschool rides are here.
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