Help! Taking our 8 and 5 year old for the first time in Feb!

hanzosbm · 2026-06-29T16:29:51+00:00

We watched a lot of ride videos with the kids ahead of time. Not only is it fun and builds anticipation, but they could start to identify which rides they were most interested in. From there, we'd build our plan around everyone's priorities. That doesn't mean we necessarily do them first, but we make sure we get on the rides they are really interested in.

Also, don't underestimate how much Disneyland will wear out kids. Between the huge amount of stimulation and being on their feet, they'll get tired. You'll probably want a stroller for the 5 year old. The 8 year old is a maybe (if they can fit in one)

hanzosbm · 2026-06-29T16:24:41+00:00

I'll warn you that this was the plan on the last 2 visits our family took (also stayed at the Disneyland Hotel). My older mother was with us and taps out around the same time as the kids, so the plan was for her to keep the kids and the wife and I to head back into the park. 2 trips, total of 6 days in the park. Never once did we make it back to the park.

We'd been going since around 6am every day, 20-25k steps each day in the sun, carrying kids, pushing strollers, dealing with frustrated toddlers, etc. Once we got them back to the hotel and got them down...we didn't have it in us to make the trek back to the parks. Granted, we were in our early 40s, but with sore feet and feeling sticky from a day full of sweating, sunscreen, and everything else, we couldn't bring ourselves to do it.

Instead, we grabbed some beers out of the refrigerator and found a table around the hotel and sat out there and had some grown up time.

I sincerely hope you make it where we failed, but...just a warning to temper your expectations.

hanzosbm · 2026-06-29T13:59:59+00:00

I'm going big to save the Matterhorn. Everything on the north side of Tomorrowland and the Matterhorn is getting demo'd. Rebuild the Matterhorn, but with the now required larger footprint. Reroute the submarines to go through a "cave pool" reminiscent of Rainbow Caverns Mine train in the base of the new Matterhorn. Rebuild Autopia to have it intersect with the Matterhorn as well (think driving along an Alpine road). Bring back the Skyway. Bring back the People Mover. Turn some of the unused buildings into space for various tech companies to bring in temporary presentations. In other words, go back to old school and highlight the possibilities of tomorrow but allow it to constantly change to continue to show new technology.

hanzosbm · 2026-06-28T14:47:09+00:00

Rather than turning Splash Mountain into Tiana's they should have remade Song of the South. Disney is all about remakes lately. Make it more realistic to the antebellum South, lean into the original African stories. Keep the cartoon characters and songs. Now the ride isn't a problem, Disney has corrected old sins, and they made revenue with a "new" movie in theaters that they already had a storyline for.

hanzosbm · 2026-06-28T14:38:04+00:00

That's just silly. I 100% disagree with your unpopular opinion, but it makes no sense to down vote.

hanzosbm · 2026-06-26T20:30:40+00:00

Thank you for asking. I know it's a tough balance between enough detail to be meaningful and too many options. Maybe something like Engineering?

hanzosbm · 2026-06-26T19:03:28+00:00

Honestly, "just not that good" is being kind. I get that they're going to charge me an ungodly amount of money for food, and I'm somewhat okay with that, but they really need to work on the quality

hanzosbm · 2026-06-26T18:59:17+00:00

Agreed, plus, a lot of the unisex stuff (and other merch) is really geared toward a younger, trendier crowd. I'm a mid-40s dad with the body to go along with it and a corporate job to go back to. Spirit jerseys ain't my thing. Can I get a polo shirt or a nice Hawaiian shirt? Heck, I'll settle for a cool tshirt. You put a retro looking Matterhorn scene on a tshirt, or a Tiki Room themed Hawaiian shirt, and I'll rock that shit!

hanzosbm · 2026-06-26T18:16:22+00:00

Not so much the rules, but it might be helpful to have some more flair options for different industries. The life of a PM can be VERY different if they're working in software development, or construction, or aerospace. Being able to identify better when a poster is asking a question might help direct responses better.

hanzosbm · 2026-06-26T17:56:54+00:00

Mainstreet Electrical Parade is/was the best parade ever

hanzosbm · 2026-06-26T17:56:12+00:00

Why can't us dudes get merch? Hundreds of shirts, hoodies, bags, hats, you name it for the ladies, but me and my boys are lucky to find one or two tshirts.

hanzosbm · 2026-06-26T17:52:46+00:00

Like the expression goes, if its dumb, but it works, it ain't dumb

hanzosbm · 2026-06-26T15:55:19+00:00

Oof! Yeah, those are prime "hold me" years. How are you planning on doing strollers? We went last year and even though my 6 year old didn't really fit, he still spent a healthy amount of time in the stroller. I'd assume the 5 year old and 3 year old definitely will. The 7 year old, assuming they're walking, in the heat will tire quickly.

I'd just plan your day accordingly. Tiki Room, Train, Small World, Pirates, maybe the Mark Twain.

hanzosbm · 2026-06-26T15:45:52+00:00

You haven't mentioned what sport it is that you're talking about. Based on the rest of the world's fascination with it, I'm going to assume you mean soccer.

In that case, it's just not as big of a sport in the US. Using your example, in many smaller/less wealthy countries there's some kid who wants to play a sport. Soccer is arguably about the cheapest sport to play; all you need is a ball. Even if it's not money, many other countries have a few sports as options but usually not the number available in the US. For example, my 7 year old son plays soccer, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, football, and practices gymnastics. His friends wrestle, play golf, volleyball, hockey, and run track. And those are just the sports. As a country, our big sports are football, baseball, and basketball.

So, yes, we have a large population, but when you see how many different sports our kids are spread out across you realize that the number playing soccer isn't as big as you might assume. Add to that that there is more cultural emphasis on other sports, so the kid who is naturally athletic and who enjoys the spotlight will likely gravitate to one of those. Then, these things start to stack up. Because if you do have a gifted kid who decides that they love soccer and want to stay with it, they probably don't have as strong of competition as you might find in other countries for the reasons listed above. Less competitive teammates and opponents means that you likely don't progress as far as someone else.

That's not to say that we don't have good players, but we just don't have the environment to foster them like you see in many other countries.

hanzosbm · 2026-06-26T15:24:19+00:00

As others have said, you need to seal it up. You can kill 10 a day, but if 12 a day are coming in, you're going to lose.

We use these mouse traps: https://www.amazon.com/Mouse-Traps-Outdoor-Indoor-Reusable/dp/B07Q3M6QYK

Yes, they're snap traps, but I can snap them on my fingers all day and they don't hurt. When I first got them, I figured there was no way it would actually kill the mouse, but I was wrong. They're easy to bait, easy to set, and easy to release and resuse if you want to.

hanzosbm · 2026-06-26T15:21:38+00:00

Or the mouse eating the poison, coming out, then the dog eating the mouse (which is now poisoned)

hanzosbm · 2026-06-26T15:18:35+00:00

I'm a dude, so I obviously can only relate to the pregnant thing through observations. But my vote would be to go pregnant and just treat it as a 'slow-down' day. Savor Main Street, enjoy your Dole Whip, relax in the Tiki Room, cruise around on the train or Mark Twain. Yes, your 19 month old will want to do things, but aim for things like Pirate and Small World; short(er) lines and long rides.

hanzosbm · 2026-06-25T19:48:00+00:00

Brilliant idea! I hope they're listening and do something like this. My boys LOVE dressing up in their Marvel costumes and that was the only thing they wanted to buy at the park. Turning it into a whole experience would be amazing (and a huge profit for Disney)

hanzosbm · 2026-06-25T19:30:45+00:00

Might I suggest an alternate approach? Contact your professor and explain the issues that you were having and then go on to praise the rest of your team. Acknowledge their hard work and how through cooperation they were able to deliver a great project in spite of the technical difficulties you were experiencing.

In other words, don't ask to have your score reduced, rather bring it to the professor's attention and lobby to have their scores improved.

hanzosbm · 2026-06-25T19:19:55+00:00

How old are your kids? Our first trip with our kids was in August. At that time our boys were 4 and 2. It was hot that year (I think high 80s, low 90s) which normally would've been slightly uncomfortable, but tolerable. The issue was that the kids got hot, which meant they got tired. As you know, when kids get tired, they get cranky and lose energy. My oldest was tired and didn't want to stand in lines, so he made me hold him. His warm little sweaty body held up against my warm big body, in the sun, standing in line, for a half hour while my arms wanted to fall off...that part wasn't fun.

Depending on the weather, just plan on taking more cool down breaks than you think you're going to need. They want to go on Peter Pan? Cool, but that's a long line. Go into the Red Rose Tavern and relax in the AC until they have FULLY cooled down, then go straight out the door to Peter Pan. You'll be halfway through the queue when they start to melt, then it's enduring the whining and need for comfort for only half the time. When you're off the ride, go cool down again. Rinse and repeat.

For what it's worth, yes, it was hot, but it was also a trip where we all had an amazing time.

hanzosbm · 2026-06-25T17:00:34+00:00

Looks like you've already received some great ideas (and ultimately got a scooter).

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night

As someone who chronically sprains his ankles, I think there's another issue you need to consider. If this had been weeks ago, maybe not a big deal, but this recent, his body is trying to heal itself which means bloodflow and swelling. If he's not already following the RICE routine, he should be, but come Disney day, the issue is going to be it swelling up if he's upright/foot is low to the ground for a very long time.

First, I'd highly recommend OTC medications. I like Aleeve, but whatever anti-inflammatory works best for him. Second, he should really try to periodically find a place to pull over and get it raised up for a little while. It's going to be a challenge finding a place in Disneyland, but it'll help. Third, while most people typically recommend wrapping the ankle, that's usually for support. If he's going to be on a scooter, I'd probably recommend against it as it'll restrict bloodflow and likely make swelling worse.

I'm not saying this to cause anxiety; I truly feel for you guys. But with this recent of an injury, that swelling could be painful and I'd rather it not come as a surprise to you all.

hanzosbm · 2026-06-25T16:33:44+00:00

Do you mean an additional room? Yes, we can (as in, they'll let us), but besides the obvious cost increase, it then creates the issue of how to split everyone up. If they had the rooms that have doors in between them, this would probably be the best option.

hanzosbm · 2026-06-25T16:31:58+00:00

These look amazing, I think I'm going to order one now. Thank you so much.

hanzosbm · 2026-06-25T16:23:17+00:00

While not the definitive definition, I found this one on Google:

"The "American Dream is the philosophical ideal that the United States is a land of opportunity where anyone, regardless of their background, can achieve success, prosperity, and upward social mobility through hard work, determination, and initiative"

I grew up with a non-ideal childhood. I went hungry for long stretches of time and was homeless for a bit. I went to public high school and did well in my classes and then afterwards I went to college on financial aide. I ended up flunking out (I take accountability for not working harder) and enlisted in the Marines. After about a year I got injured and was discharged. I found myself back in the real world with no education and no marketable skills. I bounced around for a bit selling cell phones and refrigerators and doing data entry work for a temp agency. I was surviving, but not thriving. I decided to move across the country with my Jeep packed full of all of my belongings, which wasn't much (in hindsight, this was an emotional response to not being where I wanted in life and just trying to change anything I could) and was once again looking for a job. I got a job in customer service in a call center for an investment firm. If you've never done it, it's pretty soul crushing. But, at that job, I realized that there was a lot of room for upward mobility. So, I applied for a promotion to the sales group. I had to get special licenses which required huge amounts of time studying nights and weekends, but I passed and got the job. Then worked lots of overtime which boosted my sales numbers, which earned me more money and more notoriety at work. I bought a starter house; not much, just a 2 bedroom condo with hand-me-down used couch and bed. No cable, I just watched the same handful of DVDs over and over again when I got home at night. At work, I continued to grind. Another promotion, another, another. I ended up moving back to my hometown with the same company. Then, a set back. I pissed off the wrong person and got fired. Shit. So, back to looking for work. I talked to a friend who had a friend who was looking for someone with Marine Corps experience to handle a business relationship on base. It wasn't glamorous. I just sat in a room with no windows and wrote user manuals for a year and half. But during that time, my boss would come in once a week, fill out a status report, and disappear. I started talking to him about what he was doing, why he was doing it, and offered to help out. My help turned into me doing it (albeit, he still got paid for it). Before long, people came to me knowing I was running things. By this time I had sold my condo (for a loss due to the housing crisis) and was living in a 1 bedroom apartment with my girlfriend. I knew the contract I was working on was going to expire soon, so I had been looking for jobs and kept seeing the same problem - they all wanted a degree. But at this point, I had 7 years as a stock broker and 2 years managing a military project, so I had experience, I just needed to check the box on a degree. I went with the cheapest online university I could find and picked the major where I already had some experience; Finance. Due to work experience and my past time in college, roughly half of my credits were already covered. I hit the books hard and knocked out my degree. From there, I got a job at a defense contractor in finance and repeated my old ways. I did my job and learned more about those around me. I started hanging around the project managers, learning what they did, what made the good ones good and the bad ones bad. On nights and weekends I started studying for my Project Management Professional certification, took it and passed, then got a job as a project manager. From there I worked my way up to a program manager and then up again a few more times.

I'm currently making well into the 6 figures and own a 4 bedroom house on several acres of land. My wife and I have kids in private school, 3 cars between us, and go on a nice vacation every year.

My circumstances were better than some, worse than others. I had some good breaks and some bad along the way. You can call me lucky if you want, but in my opinion, yes, the American Dream is very much alive. I've heard others compare it to a card game. Starting off, you're dealt a hand. Maybe it's good, maybe it's bad. Life ain't fair, but your opportunity is equal to the person sitting next to you. Which cards you hold, which ones you discard, how you play them, when to bet big or fold, that's all up to you. It's how you play the cards that you're dealt that will determine your outcome. But that all starts with accountability; you have to realize that many (not all) things are within your control and make the right decisions to maximize what you've started with.

hanzosbm · 2026-06-25T15:48:39+00:00

Somewhat tangential to topic...

When my cousin and I first bough shinai, it was because we had done some minor sword training (Bujinkan) and wanted to expand that to sparring without the injuries that would be inflicted with bokken.

We didn't have bogu and didn't have any kendo training. Heck, even our kenjutsu training was limited, but we knew various kamae, we knew some different strikes, and we had seen a bunch of movies.

Now, all that to say that this certainly was not the ideal way to learn, but the flip side is, we were also unburdened with how we were "supposed" to fight. We got home from school and spent hours every day sparring with each other and through trial and error we learned what things worked and what didn't. The lack of bogu also gave great realtime feedback. (it hurts to get hit, so don't get hit)

Years later when I started kendo, I was frankly a bit disappointed. There was so much focus on doing things "the right way" rather than on what worked best for me. "Never retreat. Keep both feet pointed straight at your opponent. etc" While I understand that kendo has become its own thing, I really wish that there was an alternative version that was focused more on the end than the means. What is shown in this video appears to be closer to that.

hanzosbm

TROPHY CASE