Vacation Archives - Making Money Dance

Review: Kualoa Ranch Grown Farm Tour and Secret Island Tour

May 1, 2024 No Comments

We visited Kualoa Ranch twice during our trip to Oahu. The area was very beautiful, especially for a private ranch. The owner of the ranch used the funds of the tours to maintained the ranch as a sanctuary.

I picked 2 tours for our trip. Our first tour was the Grown Farm Tour in the morning. I used our Go City Pass to reserve our tour. First, you have to go to their website. The cost starts at $54.95 for adult and $41.83 for kids. Go City will give you a promo code which will bring the cost down to $0. The ranch charges $1 per person to reserve which are then refunded back to your credit card after the tour.

I received several emails confirming my reservations. They also asked me to send my Go City QR code the day before the tour to expedite the check in process.

The check in process was a breeze. I went in there and showed my ID and they printed out my ticket for our group. We got lucked out because there were only 2 other groups in the tour. It wasn’t long until we were in the trolley for our first of the three stop.

During our first stop, we saw some birds native to the islands, my favorite being the red crested cardinal. We also saw some native farming process for both plant and fish. During our stop we sampled some poi, smoked fish and pineapple. Our stop has a great view of the Kualoa Mountain Ranges.

Our next stop was all about the large man made fish pond that were maintained my the ranch. It was pointed out that several movies were shot there, like 50 first dates. I don’t recognize the rest. It was of course beautiful. During this stop, we get to sample a Macadamia Nut and we have to open it ourselves. It was my first time seeing a macadamia nut in a shell. Apparently, you need a special tool to open it. It was delicious and tasted very buttery.

Our last stop was to see more of the farm and also the place they shot Jurassic World. This ranch is actually very famous because of all the movies that were shot here, most famous is probably the original Jurassic Park. We sampled some cocoa and again it was my first time eating eat. It’s like eating rambutan because you don’t really eat the beans. MBP enjoyed it. I find it too slimy.

We then went back to the welcome area, just in time for lunch. Overall, I enjoyed this tour. The movie tour is so popular but this tour actually has some sites as well without the crowd. There were plenty of time for the kids to run around and chase the birds.

The next tour we took also in Kualoa Ranch is the Secret Island Tour. Since we are using our Go City Pass, we have to go on a different day. It works well for our schedule. We took a more scenic route to go to the ranch on our way. We also picked the best day because it rain just the day before that. The Secret Island Tour was probably my favorite activity that we did in Oahu. Similar to Grown Tour, I made a reservation in advance and was charged $4. The $4 was refunded on my credit card on the day of the tour. They asked us to checked in at 11AM as the bus will leave at 11:30. Similar to Grown Tour, I received an e-mail asking for my Go City Pass which I sent a day before. This must be a popular time because there was a line to checked in. Once I got my pass, we sat down on one of the benches to eat our pack lunch. We also changed to our swimsuits and put on our sunscreen.

The tour was running late and there were probably 60+ people. It was a bit crowded waiting in line. We took a bus to the pond and took a 10 minute boat ride to the island. The ride gave us a great view of the mountain. It was really cool. Once we got there, a guide showed us the bathroom, changing room and told us the do’s and dont’s — really common sense for everyone. We also signed up for a boat tour to see some turtles. Once we got there, the kids went to the ocean right away. There were plenty of sand toys for the kids. There were also plenty of shelter, volleyball court, horse shoe, ping pong table and corn hole. MBP played it all except for the horse shoe. When it was time to board the boat, we saw a spectacular view and about 10 or so turtles. They’re like showing off! It was really cool. Back on the beach, Mr. MMD and I also tried stand up paddle boarding and we took the kids on a kayak ride. We didn’t go far, but it was really cool to get to do all these water activities. MBP also watched some family play beach volleyball. He apparently kept score for them. We stayed there until 3PM and were the last one to board the boat back.

As I said, this was probably my favorite activity. The beach was calm and the island gave us plenty of opportunities to do some water activities. It also never felt crowded.

Overall, I definitely recommend visiting Kualoa Ranch. I can’t speak for their other tours but I enjoyed the Grown Farm Tour and the Secret Island Tour.

Vacation

A Day in Chicago with Kids

November 2, 2022 No Comments

We visited family this October in the midwest. They live 3 hours from Chicago. Instead of flying to the regional airport, we decided to stay a couple of nights in Chicago and spent a full day in the city before taking the train to Bloomington.

Flying to O’Hare

The flight to Chicago was the longest flight that AHP has taken so far. We took our 2 very heavy car seats and gate checked a stroller for this flight. The boys were very cooperative most of the flight with no heavy tantrums. We even got some compliments from the passengers saying that they were so good. The initial flight was to take the Blue line to the city, but for some reason we got lost in the airport and ended up in a wrong terminal. It was getting late, so we decided to take a cab (that is a minivan) to get to the hotel. I can tell that our cab driver wasn’t very pleased that it was taking us so long to put in the car seats. After 20 minutes and $68.15 later, we were in our hotel.

We checked in at Fairfield Marriott in Magnificent Mile and stayed there for 2 nights. Checked in was a breeze and they brought up a pack and play as I requested. It was already late and at this point, we were all hungry for dinner. I was surprised that most of the fast food restaurants were closed, so my husband have to research door dash for open restaurants that can deliver / can be picked up. We were somewhat on a desperation mode that I suggested getting some food from the convenience store. I was about to microwave a mac and cheese when my husband called me and told me that he got some food from TGIF. The restaurant is only a couple of blocks from our hotel and he was able to pick it up. The adults were hungry but the kids were basically snacking the whole day and only ate their fries.

I met up with my high school friend and his boyfriend in the lobby once we are all settled. The initial plan was to meet up with him the next day but he and his mom had an urgent flight that needs to happen the next day back to the Philippines. He saw the kids for a bit and we chatted until midnight. Once I got back to the room, MBP was asleep but AHP was awake, overtired. I took him in our bed and he finally slept.

Field Museum

I let AHP slept in while MBP and my husband had breakfast. They joined us again for a second breakfast before we took off to take a bus to the field museum. We were happily surprised that the city bus takes a regular credit card that can be tapped to use as payment. Kids are also free. The kids were hauled in our Uppababy to the bus stop and off we go. The city bus was an experience for the kids, though it was probably less time efficient.

The stop is across the Field Museum. I got our tickets from Groupon and purchase an Explorer City pass for 2 adults and 1 kid. Kids under 3 are free and AHP was still free. The museum is huge and one can easily spend a full day in the museum. They have a space that are more hands on and catered to toddler and preschoolers. Our kids love it, but their favorite is probably the underground tour. It is one of the two exhibits in the museum and our tickets allowed us to go to one. The place mimics the underground where all the insects and plants that grew underground becomes giant — or they shrink us to say that the living creatures were giants. I thought AHP will be scared but it was his favorite part.

My favorite part was Sue the T-rex. The museum presented her so well, not just on display. The room darkens every 20 minutes or so and will lit up every part of her bone, while a voice over talks about. I really thought it was cool and captured the attention of both the kids and adults.

We had lunch in the cafe and explore the first floor later on. There were a ton of taxidermy animals. They feature a story about a lion who ate the people and MBP found it interesting. Our last stop is at the gift shop and we let the kids pick a toy as long as it fits our luggage.

Chicago Architecture River Cruise

We got back to our hotel and rested for an hour before walking to the river, where we would take the 5PM Chicago River Cruise. We took the elevator down from the Apple Store. I didn’t even realize that it was an Apple store because it looks like a lecture hall in a glass building. The tour lasted for 90 minutes and gave us a great history and architectural details of the building. I enjoyed it, but the kids were probably too young for it. They just thought of it as a boat ride. As for me, this is probably the reason I love Chicago. The city just give a very feminine/artistic vibe without being snobby — I don’t even really know how to explain it. I would love to do this tour again at night – perhaps when the kids are older.

We wrap up our day with a dinner at good old Chick’ Fil’ A. We just want something quick since we know that the kids were tired from the day. They definitely had a good sleep this night.

The next day we took a LyftXl from our hotel tot he Union Station to board our train to Bloomington. The driver was very nice to us. I basically double the fare since because he was so patient with us when we have to load our car seats in.

Cost

Our day trip to Chicago is not the most frugal way to see the city. It is probably more typical of a normal tourist for a family of 4. We saved quite a bit on our hotel because of an employee discount from a family member. Our hotel was $51 per night including breakfast. Regular price for this hotel was over $200 when I checked it. I also purchased our tickets through Groupon and basically got our ticket to the Field Museum for free. Transportation was pretty expensive with a cab and Lyft XL but still cheaper than renting a car and paying for parking in the city.

Description	Amount	Comments
Tickets	166.25	Tickets for the Field Museum and Architecture Cruise
Food	132.25	Includes Lunch and Dinner for the day
Hotel	114.48
Transportation	104.8	Cab from the aiport, bus fare and Lyft from the hotel to the train station
Souvenir	29.73	Souvenir from the Field Museum
Total	547.51

This is not going to be our last trip in Chicago. I really like this city even from my previous visits back in the days sans kids. I’m glad that I was able to go back there with them this time.

Camping, Vacation

YMCA Camp Lake Wenatchee – Family Camp

September 26, 2022 No Comments

Our last camping trip for 2022 was spent at YMCA Lake Wenatchee Campgrounds for the Labor Day Family Camp. We spent 3 nights and 4 days in the campground. We booked a tent site for the long weekend which cost $175. We also added an all inclusive meal, which includes 8 meals for 2 adults for $170. Kids under 5 gets free meals with paying adults and our boys, age 5 and 2 got the free meals.

Getting There

It takes just under 3 hours for us to get to the Campground. We always break our drive halfway to have lunch in a playground and let the boys get their wiggles out. This time, we spent about an hour in Osperay Park, in Sultan WA, just off highway 2. The playground seems fairly new and have a zip line. We had our packed lunch and let the kids burn off their energy before another hour on the road.

Checking In

We got to the campground fairly early. The folks were still preparing for our arrival and don’t have our names on the site yet. We met Erin, the camp director and she checked us in. She was also super nice to the boys. After checking in, one of the camp counselor lead us to our camp site. I really liked our campsite. It was huge and have a long driveway, so the kids can run around. We set up our tent on the flattest spot that we could find. Once all settled, we checked out the campgrounds. I always like to visit the nearest bathroom and was nicely surprised to see that it was spotless, has a couple of showers and have A/C on.

The campground map – tons of cabins but we chose to tent camp

First Day

We checked out the lodge, the basketball courts and the tennis court. There wasn’t any plan activities for the day and I was hoping that we could swim. Unfortunately, we can’t swim on the lake unless it is designated swim time because it requires a lifeguard. We could go and walk to the state park if we really want to. It’s a bummer because our first day was the hottest part of the day.

Dinner was served at 5 PM with an ice cream social at 7PM. It was spaghetti with a choice between red or white sauce and a garlic bread. There weren’t a lot of campers at this time yet. After dinner we spent some time in first floor of the lodge and found some toy building straws that the kids played with. We went back for the ice cream social, which wasn’t really social and then signed up for some activities for the weekend.

I woke up a few times at night because I heard some howling/barking. Thoughts came to mind and let’s just say that I wasn’t able to sleep.

Second Day

Activities in the morning included boating and archery. Boating was cancelled due to wind. It was ok since we didn’t signed up for it. MBP was signed up for archery and we spent the morning there. I also found out that I wasn’t the only one who heard howling. Apparently it was wolves. Or at least some campers thought it was wolves. AHP got bored and just want to walk back and forth on the trails.

After archery, I found a bite on my right hand that got super swollen. At lunch I started to get dizzy and I took some children’s Benadryl. After lunch, we drove to the closest emergency room in Leavenworth. At this point the swelling seems to stop. The nurse saw me in the reception and look at my hand. She told me that she had the same reaction and that it should go away in a week. I signed a note to not be treated (thank goodness) and off we went to Safeway to got a Benadryl Ointment. We also got some sneakers for the boys.

We went back onsite and at this point the kids made some arts and crafts and made some friends with other kids. Dinner was pizza. I was hungry since I missed lunch, so I ate a ton. Good thing is there were enough pizza for everyone.

There was a campfire for the night (though there wasn’t any “fire” because of the burn ban). We can hear it from our tent and MBP and AHP just won’t sleep. I let MBP go in the last 10 minutes just so he can see it.

Third Day

After pancake breakfast, we went boating. I wasn’t really sure what we signed up for. I thought it was electric boat, but it was a good old fashion canoe. I didn’t seat properly and my husband ended up paddling a lot. It got windy and one of the campers boat tipped over. We heard “help” and my husband tried to paddle there as fast as he can. Good thing another camper were already there and the kids in the tipped boat were “rescued” and were in another boat. At this point, the wind really started to picked up and I was even scared that our boat might tip as well. MBP though was having a lot of fun singing row row row your boat. AHP was sitting on my lap and I tried to position him so that I can also paddle. It took a while but we finally ended back on the shore. Whew – not sure what we’re thinking there. Next time we will definitely stay close.

We had lunch of mac and cheese and chicken nuggets. The kids played with their friends after lunch and then it was swim time. At swimming, AHP was just so so tired. He already missed 2 days of naps and wasn’t really sleeping well at night. He went back with my husband in the tent and finally napped! MBP and I stayed in the lake. It was rocky and I was glad that we have our crocs on. We really just played on the water since it was cold. MBP made some friend and I was very entertained watching the wind surfer. The lifeguards (Erin) told us that swim time is over. Back in the tent, AHP and my husband were napping. MBP and I took a shower and I gave him 15 minutes of iPad at the lodge. After that, he made some crafts – turtle from a paper plate. He then met his friends again who gave him ice cream. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who visited the ER. A 4 year old kid got bitten by a bee under her eyes and it got swollen. It looks bad, but it doesn’t seem to bother her. MBP didn’t really finish the ice cream. The kids went to the lodge and they all played. I was actually able to sit for a bit. AHP arrived, refreshed from his nap. The happy boy played until dinner time. For dinner they had some beef roast and mashed potatoes. They ran out of beef roast that they started bringing left over food. Yikes. The kids played after dinner and then we got ready for bed before the camp fire. The campfire was a big hit for the kids. MBP sang “Luna” while AHP sang the “chocolate” man. Before this, their friends visit our site and they were singing the song. The kids were loud and I can hear them from the bathroom.

Fourth Day

We had our usual routine to pack up before breakfast. I took care of all the sleeping pads and sleeping bags while my husband took care of the things outside and ready the car. Once things are packed up, we headed for breakfast. We had bacon and potatoes for breakfast which was a hit. After breakfast, our kids said goodbyes to their friends and we head back home.

What I like and don’t like about the camp

The campground is nice, specifically our campsite is huge. I also liked the activities. Archery, boating and the arts and crafts were hit for the kids. The camp is definitely built with kids in mind and most (if not all) families have kids. Our boys had a lot of fun making friends.

The camp can do better on meals, though. To do this, they probably need to charge more. I do feel bad because there were times that they ran out of food. I think they should charge for kids. I mean, even my 2 years old is eating just as much as me and I’m more than happy to pay. That said, if we do this again, we will definitely bring more snack or might even opt out to have our meals included and just eat in our campsite.

Overall, it was a great weekend to wrap our Summer!

Camping, Vacation

Washington Kite Festival – Camping with Kids in Long Beach, WA

August 24, 2022 No Comments

We visited Long Beach, WA to see the Annual Kite Festival. We didn’t have any plans in August and when I saw that the Annual Kite Festival is going to happen this year, I figure that it is a good camping trip for the family.

We stayed 3 nights at The Lamp Camp, about 4 miles from the main town. It is a private camp site and has some amenities, including an outdoor kitchen, sink, shower and a clubhouse. The trail leading to the beach is wonderful. We also spent quite a bit of time inside the clubhouse. The kids love the board games and we were able to complete a 300 puzzle pieces. The hosts were wonderful. My kid broke one of the jar inside the clubhouse. I called the host and she was there right away. I offered to pay or replace it but they refuse.

For our first day, we just stayed in the campsite and went to the beach. There were very few people at the beach and we let Leela off leash. She was very popular and made some friends. We saw a lot of birds diving for food and some dead crabs on the shore. MBP also flew a kite. It was windy and I was afraid that it will break, but it made it. When we got back, we stayed in the clubhouse while my husband grilled some brats for dinner. We then just stayed in the clubhouse and played some board games. MBP learned to play Uno.

The next day, we went to town for the actual festival. The festival has some programs for kids but it was definitely weather dependent. They gave away 200 handmade kites for the kids, but they were not able to fly it. It was so windy. The sand was getting into AHP’s eye and he doesn’t like. The kids still got kites. I asked for a direction to the kite museum and one of the guys giving away the kites suggested to walk the boardwalk all the way to the kite museum. MBP walked all the way and I only have to carry AHP on a small section of the walk.

The kite museum cost $6 per adult and $4 for kids 3 and up. It was only one level. It was ok. I mean there were good kites, but there were very few of them. The kids did well on not touching anything, or perhaps we just told them not to touch anything 1000 times. Well, we took some pictures and my husband walked back to get our car. We just went back to the campsite for lunch and had a little bit of quiet time, before dinner. My husband grilled some burgers for dinner. We went to town after and the kids played some arcades. The boys had a lot of fun. It was basically bed time once we got back to our campsite. The kids had an “easier” time sleeping.

The next day, the kids were able to fly their kites. It was actually really cool to see all different kites up in the air. There were some big ones too. We had our picnic lunch in town and got some ice cream for the kids. The ice cream was delicious and I’m a big fan. We went back to the campsite for some down time and went back to town for dinner.

It drizzled a bit at night, so we put up the rainfly for our tent. Once the kids settled in, I put all our camp chairs, shoes and everything outside inside the car so it won’t get wet.

It was wet on our last day, so we decided to pack up and have breakfast at McDonalds.

Another successful camping trip and I was glad to see the Kite Festival!

Camping, Vacation

KOA Astoria/Warrenton/Seaside Camping with Kids

August 23, 2022 No Comments

We spent 3 nights, camping at KOA in Astoria/Warrenton/Seaside, OR. KOA stands for Kamp of America (KOA) Campgrounds and have numerous locations in the US and Canada. This is our second year camping here. Last year we stayed at the tent site. This year, we booked a rustic “camping cabin”. The cabin has 2 bunk beds. The cabin has no kitchen and no bathroom and we brought our own linens. There’s a cute rocking chair in the porch and a table and a fire pit outside. The campsites have two camping kitchens with grills and stove available to use. It also has a full size sink so it was easy to wash the dishes.

The campsites is across Fort Stevens State Park and about 20 minute drive to Seaside, OR and a 15 minute drive to Astoria.

Of all the campsites we visited last year, this one stand out to MBP and he was excited to go back. This is definitely glamping for us, having electric and a “kitchen” available. MBP remembers the area and know the “fun zone” in general. We got there in the afternoon and spent the rest of the day exploring the campsites. The fun zone has a mini golf, a jump pillow, basketball and volleyball courts and the lifesize chess and checker sets.

MBP’s favorite, however are the video games, which in all honesty is falling apart. Regardless, he likes playing his pac man. There were also movie nights every night and the kids even get to watch an entire movie, AHP included.

On our second day, the kids enjoyed the campgrounds until it got too hot for me. I was able to convince the kids to leave the campsite and go to the beach, at Fort Stevens. We’ve been here before. The breeze was a nice reprieve. Once we were beached out, we went back to the campsites. My husband grill some brats for dinner and we head out to watch the movie – “How to train a dragon”.

This year, we also drove a bit south to visit Seaside. It has a great small beach town vibe. We spent some time in the arcade, and had lunch at Mo’s. We hang out at the beach a bit, but it was so windy. We went ahead and walk around the town. The kids rode the carousel and had ice cream before we head back to the campsites. AHP was tired and slept on the ride back. For dinner, we ordered Pizza from Fultano’s and they delivered. Yes, we are definitely glamping. We had dinner inside the game room since it was drizzling outside. After dinner, the kids tried to watch Jumanji. AHP wasn’t able to seat still so we left and just hanged out in the fun zone.

Overall, it was a good trip. The kids definitely enjoyed the amenities. I prefer camping that has more nature activities like hiking or swimming. It is something that we could have done as well, but it’s hard to convince the kids to leave the campsite.

Vacation

Kalaloch at Olympic National Park Camping with Kids

July 10, 2022 No Comments

We spent 2 nights camping at Kalaloch Campground at Olympic National Park. I’ve read and watch great things about the Olympic National Park but I haven’t made a visit. When I found a campground opening for 2 days at recreation.gov, I snag it.

The campground is 3 hours from us. We took a short lunch break in Montesano by the playground and let the kids and dog run around before getting back in the car. We stayed at campsite A16, overlooking the ocean. The campsite is small and barely fit our 6 person Core Block Out Tent, but the view is pretty amazing. We made sure to put the rainfly on the tent since we know that it will rain through out the day.

After setting up the tent, we walked towards the ocean. It was very sandy. The Kalaloch tree of life is within a short walk. It was interesting to see all the roots hanging between the rocks, but the kids were not that impressed. We went back to our campsite when we felt the drizzle coming in. We are hoping to be able to have dinner before it pour down.

We had the same dinner of red pasta with bread. This time we made sure that we have marshmallows, chocolate and crackers for our “s’mores”. MBP asked for it from our last camping trip in Deception Pass. AHP just ate chocolates. We then “hike” around the campsite, and play by the amphitheater.

It started raining, so we just hang out inside the tent and play MBP’s story time chess, until we start our bed time routine. MBP slept well, but AHP still struggled. This time he didn’t want his sleeping bag. It was actually easier since I just put it on top of him instead of zipping him up. It rained through the night. When it stopped raining, I opened the tent door window for a bit, to get more insulation inside.

The next morning, we had cereal for breakfast, as requested by MBP, and then we headed back to the beach. We then head back to the campsite for lunch which was mac and cheese. The boys and I walk around the campsites until lunch was ready.

After lunch we drove 1.5 hour to Hoh Rainforest. The park was busy even during the weekday. We missed the Ranger led walk, but we ended up hiking 3/4 of a mile on the Hall of Mosses. It was awesome. MBP did it all by himself and AHP goes back and forth from walking to his carrier. We were lucky because it only drizzle during the hike, but pour down rain on the end of our hike.

Little hikers. MBP walked the entire 3/4 of a mile

The boys napped on our drive back to the campsite. I can tell that they were exhausted from the hike. It was cloudy the rest of the day so we were able to hang around the campgrounds. The kids love playing in the amphitheater until we start our bed time routine.

The next morning, we packed up and was able to get out by 9:30AM.

Overall, it was a good trip. It could be better if it didn’t rain on us, but it was our first time camping in the rain and we survived. I would say, if we ever go back, I would stay longer. There’s just so much to see. I would have love to see the Ruby beach (which was close), do more hikes and go to the hot springs.

Maybe next year?

Vacation

Deception Pass State Park Camping with Kids

July 2, 2022 No Comments

We spent 3 days camping at Deception Pass State Park to start the summer of 2022. This camping trip was booked 9 months ahead because camp sites tend to fill out. The campsite cost us $32/night + $8 of reservation fee, which totals to $72. My parents and my sisters were supposed to come, but my parents got COVID. So it was my husband and I and our 5 and 2.5 boys along with our corgi.

We totally lucked out of the weather while camping. We arrived on Sunday around 2PM. We booked two side by side campsites, but since my parents and my sisters can’t come, we have the entire campsites ourselves. Mr. MMD and I set up tent and the kids “helped”. They took turns staking down the tents. Our sites are very close to the bathroom and water, which I definitely appreciate.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at Cranberry Lake. Deception Pass State Park is a huge state park, with about 4 main campsites. We chose the one closest to Cranberry Lake since the lake gets warm enough to swim in.

We head back to the campsite to prepare dinner. Mr. MMD prepared our meal ahead of time at home. This way, he just need to heat up our food and we only need to bring one pot. We had pasta with red sauce and mushroom. The kids surprisingly ate more, especially MBP. We tried to keep the bed time routine the same, but AHP and MBP still didn’t sleep until 9PM. AHP had a difficult first night since he also missed his nap. Surprisingly, he was his normal self in the morning. Once the kids were in bed, I did some camping chore and cleaned up the dishes. I also went to the West Beach and captured the gorgeous sunset.

We explored the North Beach the next day, and found the Amphitheater, which was overlooking North beach and has a view of the bridge. It was a great sight. The boys and Leela, our furbaby, spent the morning in the tides, throwing rocks. We saw a washed up crab as well. MBP tried to throw the bigger rocks. I stacked some rocks, which the boys dubbed as stone man.

After lunch, we spent the afternoon cooling off by the lake. It wasn’t as crowded as the Sunday crowd. By this time, I can tell that AHP is tired and yawning a lot. He pushed through though. We left to attend the first ranger program and learned about elephant seals. It was actually pretty interesting. The boys made some elephant seals craft after the presentation. The boys had a lot of fun.

I took the boys for a quick shower while my husband prepared dinner. It was beef stew that was prepared at home and was frozen. We put it in the cooler frozen, just in time to thaw for the next day dinner. It taste just as good. The boys were eating more than normal, which was great but we definitely to need to pack more food next time. We had some down time inside the tent after dinner while my husband showered. MBP was busy looking through his junior ranger activity book and AHP just roll around inside the tent from one sleeping pad to the next. We attended another junior ranger program / activity craft. The kids made a Vulture Turkey followed by a ranger talk. AHP won’t seat through it, but MBP was into it. He was raising his hand, asking some questions. I learned something new, like the length of their wings spanned 6ft. So they are long around 12 ft in total. But what’s really interesting is that they are scavengers. They feed through dead animals. They don’t get infected by rabies or any diseases from the dead animals.

The Amphitheater, overlooking North Beach

It was basically bed time when we got back. We tried to put the kids a little early but they still didn’t sleep until 9. The good news – they both slept through the night. It was a little cold though and my husband and I were both worried that the kids were cold. MBP was good at sleeping inside his sleeping bag but AHP was not. We have to reposition him to make sure he was inside. I was also worried that their sleeping mat wasn’t insulated from the ground. It didn’t seem to affect them though and was still upbeat the next day.

For our final day, I put 4 sleeping pads and 4 sleeping bags back to its sacks, while my husband prepared breakfast. The boys were “helping” me on the chore. I find it is easier to pack up and keep the kids contain inside the tent while packing up everything inside the tent. We had breakfast and gave MBP some screen time so we can pack up. Thankfully, 2 adults, 2 kids and one corgi fits and we got out at 10:30 right before the 11AM check out.

We definitely enjoyed our stay here. It’s a great mix of water activities, like swimming in the lake and playing with the tide pools. It was also the kids first ranger program and they definitely enjoyed it. We’ll plan to go back next year and perhaps mix in a little hike.

Disneyland, Vacation

The Cost of a Disneyland Vacation ~ $2,000

January 27, 2022 No Comments

I finally tallied our spending for Disneyland. We spent $2,011.90. This spending is for a family of four. We travelled from Seattle and spent 8 nights in Anaheim. We spent 3 days in Disneyland and 2 days in Disney California Adventure. Here are the cost breakdown:

Disney Tickets – $1,096.60

Disney have very few discounts on their tickets. A standard theme park ticket is $104 per day. It’s less the more days you purchase. Our family purchased a 5 day ticket which was about $76 per day. I purchased the ticket at Undercovertourist.com, which gave us $60 discount on our total purchase price. I opened a Chase Freedom Flex, which gave me a $200 cash back after a $500 purchase. I also paid the tickets via PayPal, which gave me 5x worth points. I paid $40 for Genie+ for 2 days to get the photo passes.

Our final night at Disney California Adventure

Restaurants – $254.07

We only had 2 seat down meals. The biggest expense was the character brunch at Storyteller Cafe, for the day that we didn’t go to the park. The second one was a dinner order for our last night at Disney California Adventure. The rest were treats, like beignets, cotton candy, churros and ice cream. If I were to do this again, I will skip the character dining all together. It was expensive and there was nothing special about the food.

Car Service – $234.25

Since we were flying from Seattle, we either needed to rent a car and haul 2 car seats (or rent a car seats) and pay for daily parking or use a car service that provides car seats. Luckily someone from our residential facebook page recommended Lansky. I was very impressed with the car service. The cars were big and clean and the drivers were on time and very was helpful. We saved money by using a car service since the cost of rental, parking at $25/per night and gas is easily more than $234.25

Souvenirs – $114.73

I’m surprised to see this low, considering that we spent 5 days in the theme parks. We let the boys have a couple of toys and I also bought a coin album for the penny press that we’ve been collecting through out the parks.

Groceries – $102.89

These were two deliveries from InstaCart. This cost was about our normal grocery spending for the week. We saved a ton in food by having breakfast and dinner in the hotel and packing our lunches and eating it in the park. We were able to have breakfast and dinner in the hotel by bringing our rice cooker. We cooked some oatmeal, pasta and rice with steam veggies in the rice cooker. For protein, we bought a couple of rotisserrie chicken, beans and lunch meats. Snacks were mostly fruits with crackers or peanut butter sandwiches. I have a bento box for kids and filled it with apples, strawberries, raisins and goldfish crackers. We prevented meltdowns by having snacks readily available in a backpack.

Stroller Rental – $85

We rented a double stroller and a bed rail. We have a double bob stroller at home that I got from our local buy nothing page. We didn’t bring it because it will not fit in our trunk along with our suitcase. Included in the rental was the bed rail so AHP can use the bottom bunk. I would definitely rent one again if we were to go back. Our stroller was waiting for us in the hotel when we checked in and we just dropped it at the same spot at check out. We used City Stroller and noticed that there were quite a few in the park with the same stroller rented from the same company. I highly recommend them if you are ever need to rent a stroller or other baby equipments.

Our stroller waiting in our hotel at check in

Air Travel – $63.60

I opened an Alaska Airline Credit Card and used 45k points to book 3 round trip tickets from Seattle to John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana. Santa Ana Airport is the closest airport to Anaheim and the cheapest flight from Seattle. I prefer flying to Santa Ana than Los Angeles. It is a smaller airport, which means less walking with our kids in tow. The car service rate was also cheaper from Santa Ana.

Entertainment – $20

These were for the arcade games that the boys played in Disney California Adventure. They won 2 star stuffy in exchange of $20 (yes, a rip off)

Hotel – $20

My husband opened a Chase Sapphire Preferred specifically for this trip and earned 100k sign up bonus. The points were enough to book 8 nights at Howard Johnson. The hotel is about 8 minutes from the main gate. Our room consists of a bunk bed and a queen bed. The set up worked out really well. The hotel also have a pool that we didn’t utilize, mainly because I forgot our swimwear and we also spent our days in the park or in downtown Disney. I like this hotel and I will book this again when we go back. The $20 was the tip we left for housekeeping.

Fast Food – $11.51

We had ice cream from McDonalds on our non Disney days and for some reason, our order of Churros was also classified as fast food.

Laundry – $9.25

We did our laundry twice. The hotel has a self serve laundry facility. I packed quite a bit less, knowing this.

We saved about $2,000 from travel hacking. This includes paying the flights and hotel via points. I didn’t include the cash back I received by using Chase Freedom Flex because the rewards was given via points and I haven’t cashed it.

This trip was definitely my favorite so far and I know that we will be back. It is so good to be able to travel again. In fact, I seriously considered upgrading our tickets to an annual pass and come back during spring break — well, maybe next year.

Have you been to Disneyland? What do you think is a reasonable budget for a 5 day theme park visit?

Disneyland, Vacation

Disneyland Vacation, Day 7 – Route 66

January 24, 2022 No Comments

January 11, 2022

We are back to Disneyland California Adventure Today. I was excited, but I also don’t want to pack a lot of things in the morning to cause the kids to be over tired. So we had our leisurely breakfast of oatmeal, brown sugar with raisins along with some fruits, packed our lunch (leftover pizza and ham sandwich) and headed to the park.

We got to the security line just before the park opened and got through the main gate. MBP really wants to ride the Little Mermaid, but it was closed for refurbishment. We were lucky that it was open the last time we were here. We headed to Cars land first because I was hoping that I could convince MBP to ride the car race with me, but it was a 105 minutes wait – ridiculous, so I said no. We rode the Luigi ride with minimal wait. Afterwards, MBP wanted to ride Toy Story Mania again, so we headed towards there. On the way, we had our picture taken with the Pier in the backdrop. AHP and I went ahead in line while MBP and Dad went to the bathroom. We enjoyed the ride and I attempted to put in the 3D glasses for AHP, but I was not successful. They rode Jessie’s Carousel again and then we headed back to Hollywood. On our way, my husband spotted a Mexican restaurant in the Pacific Wharf. We are eating in the park on our last day, so we decided that we will mobile order our food for tonight.

Once we’re back in Hollywood, we sat down on the bench close to the theatre to have snacks and lunch. We were waiting for the Jr Dance Party. Just before we finish our meal, the theatre opens. Luckily the lines were short and we were able to get in at the 11:15 party. This was really awesome. For about half an hour, the kids were dancing and there were some characters that joined in, with Mickey and Minnie being the last one. It also snowed again, and AHP, again, was worried about the snow on my head. After the dance party, we headed to the other side of the park, by Grizzly peak. We got our pictures taken with the airplane and then headed over to the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. MBP was scared a bit but he managed to walk on those bridge ropes. There were some animal sculptures and he imagined it being a story. AHP enjoyed running back and forth the bridges and just running in general. We were here for a bit until nap time and we headed back.

My husband ordered our food and started laundry while I put AHP to nap. It didn’t take a while until the boys were napping. As always, MBP woke up before AHP and he had his iPad time. Once AHP wakes up, the kids watched some TV and then we headed back to the park. Our food should be ready by 5:30. It’s our first time doing a mobile order, so I’m not sure of the logistics. I opened the app once we’re at the Pacific Wharf. I got the notification a couple of minutes later that our food was ready. I’m glad that we ordered ahead because there lines were already forming. My husband picked up our order while the kids and I settled on our table. We ordered 4 different types of Tacos and a side of beans and rice. It was actually tasty. MBP ate 2 full tacos and AHP ate 1.5. As always, AHP really struggles to sit while eating. After half a taco, he just wants to run around. It’s dinner time, so there was more traffic in the dining area. I told them that they can run from one point back to our chair and that seems to work. AHP will run to that point, go back to us and take a bite and then run again. That happens until he finishes his tacos. Before we left, I mobile ordered some root beer float for a treat to be picked up around 7PM.

MBP wants to go back to Redwood Creek, but we want to do something that we can’t do at home, because we basically live in a forest and are surrounded by trails. We convinced him to watch the 3D Cinema with us. On our way, we had our pictures taken on Cars Land. MBP was so excited for the show, he even remembered how the doors would open. These are the things I just don’t pay attention to. We got in and AHP still didn’t want to put on his 3D glasses. MBP though was sooo into it. He was laughing, screaming (sometimes too loud) and very happy with the show. I had more fun watching him than the show. After the show, we went back to the Animation Studio to talk with Crush (the turtle from Finding Nemo). It was a funny bit and quite interactive. We headed back to Cars Land to get our Rootbeer float. On our way, we had our pictures taken in “Hollywood”. The kids liked the ice cream, but not the float. We then met Mater and had our pictures taken with him and also had our pictures taken on “Route 66”. My husband and MBP rode Mater again, while I changed AHP’s diaper. The lines were short and we were not able to catched them before they rode Mater. Instead, we rode Luigi again. At this point, I’m really enjoying the small crowds in the park. It’s almost closing time, and we probably have time for one more ride. MBP wants to ride Monster Inc again. This time, it was a 5 minute wait. There was absolutely no line that we roded it twice!! I’d say it’s a good wrap up of our trip to Disney.

We headed back to our hotel for one last night. After the normal night time routine, the boys went to bed.

Total Money Spent for the day: $ 115.4

Genie+ : $20

Dinner at Cocina Cucamonga: $56.5

“Route” beer float: $12.9

Laundry: $6.00

Disneyland, Vacation

Disneyland Vacation, Day 6 – May The Force Be With You

January 24, 2022 No Comments

January 10, 2022

We are back in Disneyland. I woke up pretty excited that I didn’t even check the opening hours for Disney. On our first visit, Disney was open from 8AM – 12AM, but this time, they were only open from 9AM – 9PM. Off peak hours started. Well, we experienced our first “rope drop” since we were in the security line by 8:15 and inside the park by 8:40. Our plan was to be in Fantasyland and ride Peter Pan and get some family photos. I signed up for Genie+ once they scanned our tickets in. I just want some good family photos and we’re not good at asking folks to take one of all of us. When the park opened, there was already a line at Peter Pan. This is one of the many popular rides. We waited about 10 minutes in line. We then rode the Story Book Canal as requested by AHP. He likes to go to the Big Whale mouth which he dubbed as Baby Shark. We then rode Alice in Wonderland. We have a lot of time so we got some pictures taken at the Mad Tea Cups and rode the King Arthur Carousel again. We also had our pictures taken with the sword. MBP thought that it was a real sword and asked me to help me get it. He was putting a lot of effort. We explained to him that only Arthur can get it. We went to Bibbidi Bopp Boutique to get the boys some boutons and had our pictures taken at the castle. It was basically snack / lunch time after our photo was taken and we packed quite a bit in the morning.

I wanted to walk to all the way to Star Wars, which was probably not a good idea at the time because everyone was hungry. Anyway, we made it there and sat on a bench with some enclosure and the kids had their snacks and lunch. We stayed there for a bit and just let the kids run around. We walked around and had our pictures taken by the Millenium Falcon. It was huge! This area was also a nice open spot for the kids to run around. By the time we got there, the Millenium Falcon opened up. I convinced MBP to go with me. BAD Idea. The poor kid was so scared, I thought he will have a nightmare over it. Luckily he just brushed it off. We got out of there pretty fast and asked MBP which ride he wants to do again and he picked the Buzz Lightyear. There was a bit of a line, but not bad. After that ride, he seems to have forgotten all about the Millenium Falcon. We went to the store so I can get some more bubble juice for the bubble wand. Turned out that the cast member just refilled it for free. MBP was happy. We tried to see if there were some arcades that the boys can play with – there were none. We watched the Lincoln show, instead. MBP is very into “The Secret Museum” these days, so he got a kicked out of the “museum” before the show. I was impressed. After this we head back for naps.

AHP had a hard time napping today and was over tired. It took him about an hour. When the boys napped, I decided to go back to Disneyland and try some rides myself using the lightning lane that comes with the Genie+. I was able to ride the Star Wars Tours and Matterhorn. I was really impressed with the Star Wars Tours but the Matterhorn is just ehh. I’m expecting more longer drops but it’s more like short round drops. The kids were still napping when I got back and we let them rest.

They watched some TV while the adults prepared dinner and snacks and then we went back to Disney. The crowds were definitely a lot less. MBP requested to ride It’s a Small world again and then we rode the Mad Tea Cups, all less than a 5 minute wait. After the Tea cups there were some Light Up projections on the castle of It’s a small world. We got some good viewing sights and MBP and AHP thought of it as a concert. We went back to ride the Buzz Light Year and then just hang outside the store to eat our snack and let the kids run around until the park closed.

We got back home and did our normal night time routine. It didn’t take a while for the kids to sleep. That night, I made sure to check the time for Disneyland California Adventure. Tomorrow is our last theme park day.

Total Money Spent for the day: $20

Genie+ : $20

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