Disneyland!!!!

I just came back from a family vacation at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. I must say that this was one of my more enjoyable trips to Disneyland. Over the years, I have visited Disneyland as a child and as an adult. This was the first time that we went there as a family.

It had been over 10 years since I last visited Disneyland. I was dating my wife at the time and we went with my friend and his girlfriend. We went during off-season, so the lines weren’t long. Also, the weather was pleasant.

On a previous trip to Disneyland (maybe 15 years ago), we went at peak time. Lines were unbelievably long. I think on one day we only rode two rides. The rest of the time was spent waiting in line.

I had heard from co-workers that the peak times coincide with school breaks for the kids. My wife and I decided to pull my older daughter out of school for a few days so that we could go to Disneyland during an off-peak time.

It turned out to be a great choice. In addition to the pleasant weather — mid 70s during the day and lower 60s at night — we also enjoyed short lines. The majority of the popular rides were no more than a 20-minute wait. Some of the rides were 5-10 minute waits for all the time we were there. The longest wait was an hour for the Finding Nemo submarine ride (probably the most popular ride at this time).

I guess the question is whether or not it’s worth it for us to take the kids out of school for a trip to Disneyland to enjoy the off-peak benefits. I know the schools do not tolerate this. The teachers really disapprove of taking days off for a vacation. My younger daughter will be entering elementary school this fall, so we will have to take both of them out of school in the future.

To me, the benefits outweigh the negatives. I’m not planning to take my daughters out of school every year to take advantage of off-peak times, but maybe once every few years!