For Skylar’s birthday, we headed to Southern California for a couple of days at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, plus some time with my little brothers while we were there. They live in Fountain Valley, so whenever we make it down that way, I always try to work in time to see them too.
I’ve been to Disneyland before, but this was the first time Sky and I had ever gone together AND our first time experiencing the parks just as adults. And honestly, we LOVED it. There is something so fun about being able to go wherever you want, ride whatever you want, stop for food and drinks whenever you feel like it, and stay until your feet physically cannot handle another step.
We also somehow managed to plan our trip during Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration without even realizing it. I wish I could say I intentionally planned Skylar’s birthday around that, but nope. 😂 It ended up being such a fun bonus with all of the anniversary touches throughout the parks.
Where We Stayed Near Disneyland
We stayed at Hotel Fera Anaheim, a DoubleTree by Hilton, which ended up being a great spot for everything we had planned. We were close to Disneyland and California Adventure, but it was also convenient for spending time with my brothers in Fountain Valley.
One of our favorite surprises was actually the restaurant inside the hotel, The Peel Craftbar & Kitchen. We had drinks and dinner there and loved it so much that we went back for brunch too. And if you know me, you know I am normally trying to squeeze approximately 47 different restaurants into every trip, so going somewhere twice definitely says something. 😂
It was also SO nice being able to come back after a long day at Disney and have really good food and cocktails right at the hotel instead of figuring out somewhere else to go.
Our Day at Disneyland
Disneyland was so much fun to experience together. We rode as much as we possibly could, wandered through all of the different areas, ate plenty of Disney food, and basically let ourselves be kids again for the day.
Our favorite part was easily Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Rise of the Resistance was hands down our favorite ride of the entire trip. I knew people loved it, but I really didn’t understand the hype until we actually experienced it. It is so much more than just getting on a ride, and the amount of detail throughout the entire Star Wars area is crazy.
We also discovered Oga’s Cantina while we were walking around Galaxy’s Edge, which was a VERY exciting surprise for us. 😂 We went into Disneyland thinking you could only really get alcohol over at California Adventure, so realizing there was an entire Star Wars bar serving cocktails was obviously great news.
We stopped in for drinks and loved the whole experience. The cocktails, music, atmosphere, and all of the little Star Wars details make it feel like you are actually inside that world. Even if you aren’t a massive Star Wars person, Galaxy’s Edge is 100% worth spending time in.
California Adventure Was Actually Our Favorite
We spent another day at Disney California Adventure and, surprisingly, both ended up liking it even MORE than Disneyland.
Disneyland obviously has all of the classic Disney nostalgia, and I’m still really glad we did both parks, but California Adventure just felt a little more our speed. It felt cleaner, less crowded, and easier to wander around without constantly trying to squeeze through people. After a full day at Disneyland, we definitely noticed the difference.
We loved the rides, food, drinks, and just the overall atmosphere. Doing it as two adults was also really fun because we could grab a cocktail, wander around without some perfectly planned itinerary, hop on whatever ride sounded good, and just enjoy being there.
If you are going for the first time, I would absolutely still do both. But if you asked Sky and me which park we would choose to spend another day in, California Adventure would win.
One Thing I HIGHLY Recommend
If you are planning your own Disneyland trip, DOWNLOAD THE DISNEYLAND APP before you go.
We used it constantly for checking ride wait times, looking at the maps, finding food, figuring out what was nearby, and deciding what we wanted to do next. It made navigating both parks so much easier without having to plan every single minute of the day ahead of time.
I would actually download it before your trip and play around with it a little so you know where everything is. Once you get inside Disney and there are people everywhere, it is much easier when you already know how to use it.
And obviously, wear comfortable shoes. You think you know how much walking you’re about to do, and then Disney humbles you. 😂
A Birthday Trip We Would Absolutely Do Again
Of course, one of the best parts of being back in Southern California was getting to see my little brothers too. Since they live in Fountain Valley, we always try to fit in some family time whenever we are down there, even when I have filled the rest of our schedule with approximately one million things.
It made this trip feel like the perfect mix of a birthday getaway for Sky and getting to see family while we were already in California. We got two full days of Disney, discovered our new favorite theme park ride, found out Disneyland DOES have cocktails, accidentally showed up during the 70th anniversary celebration, ate very well, and learned that California Adventure is apparently our favorite Disney park.
Our feet were completely destroyed by the end, but I’d call that a pretty successful birthday trip. 😂
And yes, we would 100% do an adults only Disney trip again.
xoxo,
