Go Girl!  You can do it…Even without help!

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We started with the most popular places outside Conejo Valley but, we really want additional ideas, comments, or suggestions, please submit them to the webmaster. Have fun and good luck!!

BEACHES

• Remember that beaches can be a bit scary and intimidating to small children. There are lots of new sounds and surfaces that can put them out of sorts (the waves are loud, they move, the sand is squishy, then hot, then wet, then cold…etc.) I personally found the beach rather unpleasant (and I’m a total beach person) until my kids were almost 3. Its hot, sticky, dangerous, etc. I think the beach is more fun in a stroller and walking along pavement or on the pier. None the less — if you and your kids like beaches, please submit your ideas for where there are fun ones around here! Thanks
• A beach with stroller friendly paths: Port Hueneme beach at the end of Ventura Road has a great path and pier. There is a fun fish-separated there to feed toddlers and they can run around inside the wind break area.

• Children under 3 are free, so by all means go as often as you like. Use your stroller!
• I found it easier to go early and let the kids nap in their stroller when they wore out. Then when they woke up we stayed until dark and let them fall asleep in the car home. They really slept in the next day.
• We tried an overnight stay once (at 18 months) but it didn’t work well. They wouldn’t sleep at nap time nor through the night.
• 18 months old — they loved the simple things, the lights, the music, toddling down Main Street and hugging Mickey or whomever. Rides were few and far between (they were not patient enough to wait in line, so don’t push it).
• 2 1/2 years old — they were loving it! By now they know characters (thanks to the Disney TV and Movie machine). They LOVED seeing characters they knew, even if they were somewhat afraid to go up to them. Rides (if lines aren’t too long) included Small World, the Trolley in Toon Town, running around Tom Sawyers Island and the raft ride over (be sure and have a helper!), Storybook Land (the whale mouth was a little scary, but gets over fast), the submarine ride…you are getting the idea…anything slow and boring for you! ha ha
• I was surprised to find that Disneyland had many nutritious snacks! Look for fruit, veggies and popcorn along main street in street-vendors carts! The sit down restaurants had nutricious kids meals that were easily split (and value oriented that way) with twins. We really like sitting outside on the patio on the Old Time Style restaurant at the end of Main Street.
• Disney caters to family and kids and did a pretty darn good job with cleanliness and safety. I was pretty impressed.
• Slow down and see all the little things now that you have slow toddlers (did you know that there is a Snow White fountain on the right side of Cinderella’s Castle? If you linger, little fish pop up and sing and spit water!! I never saw that and I grew up in So Cal and have been to Disneyland a bizzilion times).

• Children under 3 are free, so by all means go as often as you like. Use your stroller!

• I found it easier to go early and let the kids nap in their stroller when they wore out. Then when they woke up we stayed until dark and let them fall asleep in the car.

• Magic Mountain is made for teens more than little kids, but there were a few fun things to do.

• Valencia gets VERY hot during the summer. Bring shade, sun screen, water and hats. Consider going in early spring or fall when the crowds die down and its not so hot.

• Magic Mountains hours change a lot, so call first to verify hours.

• Coupons — there are always a million coupons (including on the web) so don’t pay full price.

• There is a petting zoo with some fun creatures, but it was pretty dusty.

• There is a whole area made for smaller kids (with Looney Toon characters) — I found it kind of dirty and very noisy. There is a very CRAZY fun house thing with all of these crazy foam balls and vacuum tubes you can suck them up with and then shoot them back out. It was very funny and my little ones (about 2 years old) loved it!! We spent a long time in there. It was very dirty, noisy and crazy…but walkers will love it. You will need a helper in here, as there are a million stairs and places to hide. Only one way out, so that helped.

• We did eat pretty well (if somewhat expensively) at a separated just outside of the Looney Toon area — I don’t know the name, it looks like a big log cabin. They had fruit and salad plus fried chicken for the kids. They have talking moose (and more) on the walls that kept the kids entertained while we waited for food. They also have a buffet, if you don’t want to wait (and wait) for food.I didn’t find a whole lot of nutritious things to eat here, so consider bringing your own snacks.