^One of my favorite pictures of all time, Liam was so happy to be at Disneyland
^Liam absolutely loved the teacups, he wasn’t scared about spinning really fast at all
^Goofy kept tickling Liam and he couldn’t stop giggling
TOP: Disney Store // SHORTS: Articles of Society // JACKET: Topshop // Liam- TOP: Ily Couture // SHORTS: Gap // SHOES: Freshly Picked
Happy Wednesday everyone! After months of sorting through pictures and working on this post, it’s finally live!
I don’t even know where to begin talking about Liam’s 1st birthday trip…Disneyland was just so magical and memorable. I’ll start from the beginning…July 20th, 2016 was the day that Liam Stephen Brooks Mescall turned one year old. I woke feeling so blessed to have this incredible little baby as my own. Liam woke up wide eyed and was ready to start his birthday celebration. We woke up around 6 a.m to get ready and eat breakfast at our hotel. This hotel serves the most amazing breakfast; I was actually excited for hotel breakfast every morning. When we got to the ticket booth, I didn’t realize that Disneyland had two separate parks, so I bought tickets for both. (If you or your family members are in the service, you get an amazing discount for both parks and 2 extra day passes that you can use until the end of the year!).
Liam was mesmerized by all the Disney characters and thousands of people, lol. We actually tried to take a picture with Mickey when we entered but Liam kept trying to grab his ear and Mickey got upset so we kind of got scooted away, ha.ha.ha. Even though there are several rides for babies/toddlers, we had troubles finding them at first. We wanted to finish the park from start to finish so when we encountered a ride that Liam couldn’t ride, I would go inside a gift shop to cool him down, while my siblings and cousins rode the rides. It was pretty hot when we went so I bought a water fan for Liam and made sure he was comfortable (he constantly gets the prince treatment). When we got to the children friendly area, that was when the magic happened. Liam rode the teacups and LOVED it…he had the biggest smile on his face. He kept pointing at it everytime we walked by. I thought he would love the carousel but the horses on the carousel actually scared him, lol. We walked around the park for about an hour until we hit Toontown. Toontown will make you feel as if you were in a cartoon show; everything is super colorful and animated. I bought Liam a Mickey and Minnie mouse to play with and it was a hit with other kids! While Liam was playing around the area, a couple of baby girls/toddlers came up to him to play and he was so happy. He would wave hello and then point at his stuffed animals for them to play with. My baby is such a sweet baby, he always loves to share his toys and be around people. If you dare to take his ice cream or any sweet that he’s eating away though, he’ll break loose! He’ll only give you a bite if you ask, lol. As we were walking out towards our hotel, the parade started so we obviously had to stop and watch. It’s insane how much some of the people look exactly like their Disney character. The parade is something that I always look forward to because you get to see everyone and sing all the songs that you know by heart.
We took a break around 3p.m. and went back to the hotel since it was only 5 minutes away. That two hour break was much needed, especially with babies. Liam was a brand new person when he woke up from his nap, he gets extremely cranky when he’s tired (reminds me of my hubby, lol). After we grabbed lunch, changed clothes, and refreshed, we headed back to California Adventure.
California Adventure is more of the movie side of Disney, sort of like Universal Studios but not too extreme. There was DJ’s playing all over the park and we would all break out in our dance moves (by we, I mean everyone but me because I can’t dance, lol). My sister took Liam onto the floor and he went crazy. The way he dances is just the most adorable thing ever; he bobs his head up and down and quickly moves his hand in a piano playing motion. Oh and he can also shake his butt VERY well, that is his favorite dance move. At night, they showed Disneyland World of Color and that water show gives you all those magical Disney feels…. I got so emotional and nearly cried! It was truly Disney Magic.
The next day, I took my family out to Goofy’s Kitchen for Liam’s birthday lunch. Goofy’s Kitchen is the perfect place to go meet characters and interact with them. Liam was scared of goofy when we walked, but after a few tickles and hugs, Liam was attached. He wanted to crawl on the ground so he could follow the characters around lol. The staff brought Liam out a birthday cupcake, pin, and ask Minnie to sing Happy Birthday to him! Liam’s face lighted up watching all the characters sing and dance. It was the perfect ending to Liam’s Disney birthday celebration.
xo,
Annie
DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA TRAVEL GUIDE
PLACES TO STAY:
Homewood Suites Anaheim Convention Center: We stayed here and LOVED it! They serve complimentary breakfast (it was like a huge fancy buffet), family friendly, and close to Disneyland. The rooms had a full kitchen, living room, and large bedrooms. I love staying hotels like this one, you feel at home and comfortable.
Disneyland Hotel: One of Disneyland’s multiple hotels that is family friendly, close to Downtown Disney, and beautiful.
THINGS TO DO:
Disneyland: The most magical place in the world is located here. Disneyland has two parks; Disneyland Park and California Adventure. I highly suggest going to both, Disneyland is more of the disney animated side and California Adventure is more of the movie making side. California Adventure also has the World of Color show and you don’t want to miss that.
Disney Downtown: located right next to Disneyland. They have a huge variety of restaurants to choose from, tons of Disney stores, and they even have a movie theatre here if you’re looking to take a break.
Universal Studios: If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you have to visit Harry Potter World! Everything comes to life and the butterbeer is heavenly. There are rides that take you through Hollywood Studios sets, marvel rides, Minion rides, and huge Jurassic Park dinosaurs!
The Grove: A beautiful outdoors shopping area located in Los Angeles. This was my favorite shopping place in LA, they had a lot of great stores and at all price points.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art: We went at night to look at the Urban Light sculpture and it was a pretty cool experience. You get to run through it and take tons of pictures. It’s also free!
Hollywood Walk of Fame: I would suggest visiting really early because downtown LA gets packed! You can see all the celebrities’ stars and it’s fun to find your favorites. There are some really awesome street performers throughout the area too.
Santa Monica Pier: One of the most famous piers that you’ll hear over and over. It’s a great place for children and scenery, definitely go during slow times because it gets packed!
Griffith Observatory: If you want to get a great view of the stars, look over LA, and see the Hollywood sign, this place has it all! (Great place for adults and children).
PLACES TO EAT:
Attic on Broadway: The best place for southern comfort food! They serve amazing mixtures of mac & cheese that you don’t want to miss out. You have to try the hot cheetos mac and cheese and the drinks!
Downtown Disney: What I love doing on vacation is picking a random place to eat. I mean, why travel all this way to eat at the same place you could eat at home. Choose any restaurant in this area and have fun. We ate at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen; a “cajun” restaurant that serves great seafood and sandwiches.
Zero Express: One of the best tapioca spots I have ever visited! They serve amazing drinks, fries, and mangonadas!
Unami Burger: Great burger stop at The Grove in LA
Bogetta Louie: If I could only eat at one place in California, this place would be it. It’s probably the prettiest and best brunch/lunch spot ever! They serve great brunch items and carry a huge variety of macaroons and baked goods.