Road-Tripping Ideas

My mom put together some great things for my kids once for a road trip from Utah to California. She divided the trip into 4 categories: mountains, farmland, desert, and beach. Each category had a bag with toys, books, songs, treats, poems, games, etc. She got dollar store toys so that it wouldn't matter if something got lost. They were play sets like trains, farm animals, rubber insects and lizards, sea creatures, trucks. So 3 times during the trip we packed up all the toys and books and traded it for a new one that was specific to the area we were driving through and the things the kids would see out the window. There were also things like drawing pads and pipe cleaners for times when the kids wanted to be creative. We stopped at McDonald's or roadside parks about every 2 hours so the kids could wiggle. And we watched one DVD each day to give the grownups some quiet time because kids in a car for many hours can get very loud, especially little ones who are tired of their car seats. Oh that reminded me of something else. Check the padding of the car seats. It can make the trip much better on little bottoms to sew an extra layer of padding into the seat cover. I hope you have a great trip!

there are millions of games to play- road trip bingo, etc.
a big money saver is the "give a day, get a day" volunteering. it covers one disney theme park day. check it out: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/disneyparks/en_US/WhatWi...
have fun!

Having just done the Disneyland trip last summer, my first bit of advice would be to take your own bottled water into the park unless you are prepared to pay $5 for one. Its very pricey there!! Another good thing is to forgo a ''purse'' and wear a backpack. Your 5 yr. old could carry her own things in her own little backpack as well. Since you also have a 2 yr. old, a stroller is a must!! Unless you have unlimited funds, I also suggest you pack a lunch and/or snacks while in the park. Its also a good idea to go over the map of the park and sort of plan your day that way, it'll help prevent walking around in circles needlessly! (been there done that! lol)

As for the driving part, which we also did, a dvd player and fun videos was a godsend!! Also, age appropriate books, coloring books, crayons, sticker books and the like. We also enjoyed playing the license plates game, tho your 5 yr. old may be too young. The ''I spy'' game works for awhile, except in those desolate places where there isn't anything to look at!

Snacks in the car was limited to things like raisins, fruit rolls, those little boxes of cereal, granola bars, that sort of thing as they were easy to pack and didn't have to be chilled. (Bottled water was the drink of choice as even if it got spilled, it didn't harm anything!!)

You could also do most the driving at night so the kids can just sleep!

Have a great time!!!

I drove with my daughter from Salt Lake to LA and back last summer. The hardest part was finding places for her to get out and play along the way. Here are the ones I know of...
Filmore UT- There is a Maverick gas station with a playground. They have picnic tables. It is outside so it could get hot.
St. George UT- We went to the dinosaur museum. It wasn't that great for little kids, but they did have a art table and a place to uncover dinosaur eggs in the gift shop area(the free area). After we got back I heard from people there is a great fountain to play in in downtown St. George. Wish we had found that!
North Las Vegas- There is a Dell Taco with a play area if you get off on the Nellis Air Force Base exit and go east. The part of town wasn't the best, but it was a good place to play
Las Vegas- We stayed at the MGM Grand one night. I turned out to be the same price as a motel. My daughter liked the lions and their Rainforest Cafe
Barstow CA- There is a McDonalds with a train car. I didn't take my daughter there because she was sleeping, but I remember loving it as a kid.

Also- Stickers were great for her in the car, but it did make a large mess.

Reading a book out loud as a family is cool...so are books on tape!

We throw all "rules" out the window when going on a long road trip...
DVD Payer/Laptop to watch movies is awesome.
Any DS, Leapters, IPOD's etc...bring along

Snacks are easy...

I also bring pillows and blankets and put my kids in sweats or comfy clothes that I don't mind them getting dirty in!

Disneyland is not that big. Easy to navigate. I'd get tickets to Ca. Adventure also...they have a lot of cut "shows" for the kids to watch as well as a cute "bugs life" water park and cute lil' rides like the lady bugs...I suggest utilizing the Train that goes all around Disneyland when you need a rest...it stops everywhere and is a nice break and the kids still think they are doing something...

Have fun!

My family goes to Disneyworld every year and I whole heartedly support the backpack suggestion. We use the "Camelback" varity that has a bladder for drinks in it. You can get one at any sporting goods store. They can be a little pricey, but well worth it. Even my 15mon old loves to drink out of the hose and mouth piece and drinks much more than she would from a cup. Plus you do not have to chase water bottles everywhere.
Taking food is a great idea, but I would suggest that you make room for it in your stroller and do not plan on leaving it in a locker. If you put it in the locker at the gate you will be at the opposite end of the park by lunch time and it is a long time consuming walk back to get to your food.
Ask at the park which attractions are the most popular andd get a "fast pass" for that one first and hit the other while you wait for your Fast Pass to be ready. You will have less of a wait time if you can get to the park early and hit Fantasy Land early morning. Then do the other lands in the afternoon when Fantasy Land is at its busiest. If your kids are scare easy skip Haunted Mansion, Pirates and Indianna Jones.
A few little hand held games and snack cups will really help with the wait in lines. If you are going over spring break be prepared for alot of waiting.
We do the temporary tattoos with our phone number on each child for safety and I brought a child harness for my toddler, It was definitey worth the piece of mind to know exactly where she was even when she was running around. Putting your child's name on the outside of their clothing is not recommended because anyone can call them over by their name and act like the child's parent's send them. We also told our child to ask a "mommy" (someone with a stoller and child) for help if they are lost.
Disneworld is an amazing place and though I have not been to Disneyland in years, I would expect it to just as magical. The employees are always very helpful so be sure to ask them about any new promotions and special events that they currently have going on... things like "Fast Pass", Child Swap" parade times and other features that will help you get more out of your stay.

If you don't have one already....invest in a portable DVD player and the straps that connect it to the seat in front of them....this will REALLY save you!
With my 3 year old we look for specific color cars or specific colors on signs etc. You can actually look online and find lists of things to look for while on a road trip.
Crayola makes a kit that straps to the seat in front of them and then opens up so they can color - I thnk it is like $24.
Target sells a travel Candyland and Chutes and LAdders game that you might be able to climb into the back and play with your 5 year old. I would recommend finding a travel table for this (they sell these everywhere too).

Download ridemax software to your computer it is only $15 dollars for a subscription. They will help you plan out your ride time and give you tips for using fast passes.We used it a couple of years ago during a busy week in June and it reallly helped us get the most out of our Disneyland experience.

Also for the ride. Get a portable DVD player. You can google search car games and get print outs, and ideas. I would do spot the color or I spy. Another fun thing to do is to make a trip to the dollar store and wrap a bunch of gifts that they can open along the way. Also books on tape or Disney music cds to listen to together.

Snacks I would just take what is convenient, fruit snacks, cheerios, peanut butter and jelly, juice boxes, whatever they like. Lunchables...

Also for souveniers I would check out your local Walmart and Target stores for dress up dresses, princess dolls, Disney themed T-shirts. Buy them before you go. Everything at the gift shops is so expensive my kids were happy with their $5 T-shirts.

For my boys the one thing we did buy at Disneyland was the build your own lightsaber.

Also plan to leave the park for lunch or pack it in. We just took a backpack cooler and put it in the bottom of our stroller then went to the parks picnic area for lunch, or plan to go to McDonalds or somewhere out of the park. You can leave for lunch let the kids have a nap and then go back in the evening. Food in the park is like $2 or $3 for just a banana. My husband ate at the park once with just one child and it was about $20 for the 2 of them. Also take a fanny pack with water and snacks for the kids throughout the day so you don't have to buy it at the park.

Have fun.

The Leaps & Bounds catalog sells a really great soft tray that attaches to any car seat. Gives your child a flat and sturdy yet collapsible surface on which to write and eat. There are pockets on the sides for sippies, snacks, crayons, etc. We used those on a long car trip and they were great!

My best advice for snacks is to buy things pre-packaged in small packages or put things in sandwich bags before you leave. Makes it a whole lot easier and less messy if you can just hand them a small bag than to have to parcel out things. Keep the bag of food within reach of your 5 year old so you don't have to twist to the back seat every time they need something ... you truly can hurt your back from doing that on a long car trip (speaking from experience).

Get the portable DVD player and buy some surprise DVDs for your kids. Don't forget to hide some for the return trip. Everything is fun and new on the way there, but the kids will be more in a been-there-done-that mood on the way home and you need some surprises to keep them happy and you sane!

Good luck!

We did Disneyland with a 4 year old a year ago, and I agree with Connie's response. I would also rent a stroller for your 5 year old as well. Of course, the strollers cost about $12 to rent, but it is so worth it. We could move around a lot faster with my son riding in it, and you can put your backpack in it while you are on the rides.

Pack in your own food as well. Take lots of snacks for the park. Something else that was handy was that we put a sticky nametag on the back of our son's shirt. It had his name and my husband's cell phone number on there to call if our son got lost or separated. We made sure to take a picture of him when we first got in the park every morning so we had an updated picture just in case. This may sound a little over-done, but when you see how many kids and families there are, it's worth it.

In the park, we also took lots of breaks. Every couple of hours we made sure to have a snack or potty break. It made all of the difference as we waited in lines if we had taken care of that first before standing in line.

If you want to ride "Peter Pan," hit that one first. It always has a very long line.

Hi, I didnt read all the responses but a few great snacks to take are:
String Cheese and crackers
Frozen Grapes
Small bags of chips instead of one big bag.
Gold Fish
Apples
All of this is easy to take with you into the park, because kids are hungry every 10 seconds!!!
And once your in line, you dont want to get out...have a great time!!

We did a 12 hour drive at Thanksgiving with a 19 month old and a friend told us about the "bribe bag". We had a new something for about every hour of the trip. We actually only went through 1 toy on the way down, gave him another when we got there for being so good, and had plenty left over when we got home. We did crackers, fig newtons, apples, and lots of sippy cups. He didn't seem to need so much running around time (probably more for the 5 year old), but he wanted mommy time when we stopped. We had to stop about every two hours or so because all the milk made him extra wet. I should have packed more clothes for him. But he was a real trooper, and I was really impressed with how well he did. Good luck.

We have made that trip several times since I am from Southern California. But the last time we went I went to the dollar store and got a dozen or so small toys and games and wrapped each one individually. Then when my boys would get antsy I would give them a new present to open. When they got tierd of that one I would give them another and so on. It worked like a charm. Enjoy your trip!

Ah yes, the DVD player!!! TOTAL lifesaver!
When we went to Colorado from Los Angeles my kids were 1 and 2 1/2. We would drive for about 3 or 4 hours and then stop at a McDonald's playland for food and a stretch. Also, if you can stand to drive through the night, leave at or just before bedtime then you wont have to snack or entertain much at all. That's what my husband likes to do but it messes up my system to drive through the night or to have to sleep in the car. It's a GREAT idea in theory. :)
As for snacks, my kids like things like sliced apples, craisins (dried cranberries), walnuts, almonds, Nilla wafers, pretzels & string cheese.
If you want a paper map of Disneyland and Calif.Adventure, to plot your course, I could mall you a set. We go quite often with annual passes and my 3 1/2 y.o. ALWAYS grabs a map. I have a few lying around the house. Our favorites (with our 3 1/2 and 2 y.o.) are Pirates of the Carribean, Tarzan's Treehouse, Jungle Cruise,Tom Sawyer's Island (currently closed), Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, and the Disneyland Railroad from Tomorrowland to Main street Stn because that's where the dinosaurs are. We've only gone to CA Adv. a couple of times as a family because we like it less than Disneyland but there are 2 things over there that I HIGHLY recommend: Soarin' Over California (no 2 y.o. on this ride) and for the kids to run and play we like Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. The rest of that park is mostly eye candy in our opinion.
Have fun and if you'd like maps, my email is ____@____.com

I agree invest in a portable dvd player with the straps. We took a 24 hour road to Michigan with a 5 and 2 year old and these were a life saver! We also drove straight through with no overnight stops. Also, if you can leave at their bed time you may be able to get the majority of the trip covered while their asleep and then stop at McDonalds for breakfast. Also, when the kids get restless, stop at the rest stop so they can run as often as you can. As far as the snacks go, I brought a bag of baby carrots and cut up grapes, and then crackers, little cookies and portable juices/water. Hope this helps, we are Disney World(Florida) people but the kids will have an amazing time!!!!