(Photo: Jessica Peralta) The redone Mickey’s Toontown awaits families with a freshly designed experience. Your kids might have been missing Mickey’s Toontown for a few years now. Between a pandemic and a renovation, the land most designed for kids has been mostly out of their reach since 2020. You know,...
Photo Courtesy of Disneyland Disneyland and Legoland have made some improvements — for children of all abilities. New and Improved Mickey’s Toontown Mickey’s Toontown has reopened at Disneyland and while the land has been updated extensively in design, there’s one big focus underlying many of the changes: inclusivity. “We got...
(Photo Courtesy of Disneyland Resort) Disneyland Resort celebrates Disney100 with new Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway ride, new Nighttime Spectaculars and more — while honoring the history of Disney. Oh, how different the country was in 1923. Just five years removed from World War I, women had just won the...
PICK OF THE MONTH: 14th Anniversary Jamboree! At The Cube Saturday, March 14Parenting OC returns to Discovery Cube with its Kids’ Summer Opportunities Jamboree event. This is the fifth year the iconic Orange County family destination has partnered with Parenting OC to host the summer-fun planning extravaganza. From 10 am-3 pm, this...
PICK OF THE MONTH: California Adventure’s Lunar New Year CelebrationFriday, January 17 - Sunday, February 9At California Adventure, Lunar New Year is all about the mouse — the Year of the Mouse to be exact. You can celebrate Year of the Mouse with multicultural activities that salute Chinese, Vietnamese and...
PICK OF THE MONTH: Holidays at the Disneyland ResortFriday, November 8 - Monday, January 6“World of Color — Season of Light” again illuminates evenings at California Adventure, where you can also experience Disney Festival of Holidays and Santa’s Holiday Visits. Disneyland presents the festive “A Christmas Fantasy” parade and “Believe…in...
Northern Orange County Disneyland It’s an attraction that requires little introduction in Orange County—or any other part of the world, for that matter. Disneyland is a place where families can embark on a magical adventure in a parallel universe filled with life-sized mice and smiling princesses. The park’s many attractions...
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge A new, otherworldly experience like no other has landed in a galaxy not so far away. The much-anticipated Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened to an enthusiastic public on May 31 at Disneyland Park in Anaheim. “It’s Star Tours on steroids at a level you can’t possibly...
PICK OF THE MONTH Wednesday - Sunday, July 12 - August 11 You can explore “Acres of Fun” (that’s also this year’s theme) at the OC Fair. From carnival rides to rodeos; animal competitions to Moto-X racing; acrobats to karaoke—everyone will have many things to enjoy. And don’t forget all...
PICK OF THE MONTHDuck-A-Thon May 31 to June 2 More than 2,500 tiny rubber ducks will be battling for prizes in this unique competition. The first 60 ducks to reach shore after being dropped from the pier will win a prize for their owners. The first place winner wins $1,000....
PICK OF THE MONTH 48th Annual Dana Point Festival of Whales March 2-3, 9-10 This whale-sized festival crams an incredible number of events into two weekends at Dana Point Harbor during the gray whale’s annual winter migratory ritual. The Festival of Whales Parade kicks off the festivities on Saturday, March...
PICK OF THE MONTH:Jamboree Summer Opportunities at the CubeMarch 2, 2019Parenting OC returns to the Discovery Cube for its 13th anniversary of the Free Kids’ Summer Opportunities Jamboree event. The event will take place on March 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is the fourth year the iconic...
PICK OF THE MONTH - SAVE THE DATE Ocean Institute's Jazz Festival Friday, March 29 - Saturday, March 30 A March event in January? Yes, because tickets go on sale this month for this amazing parents' night out. The Jazz Festival is Ocean Institute's biggest fundraiser of the year with...
Working at night, crews with cranes & ladders transform theme parks for the holidays in a hurry. Visiting local theme parks is an extra special experience for families during the holidays as the parks are dressed in their holiday best. But it takes fast-working crews to, in a matter of...
PICK OF THE MONTH Winter Fest OC Thursday, December 20 - Sunday, January 6 This seasonal extravaganza comes packed with ice tubing, ice skating, and two real Snow Play areas, along with carnival rides, games and special events, like a Flying Santa. This year also presents 40,000 square feet of...
PICK OF THE MONTH The Mom-Made Market Saturday, November 17 - Sunday, 18th This market is truly the mother of all invention. More than 150 local mompreneurs make this holiday market a very unique shopping experience. Come out for a weekend of gift-buying, food, and fun. This event is too...
Pick of the Month Parenting OC's Learn & Grow Expo Saturday, October 6 This health, education and special needs expo gives families the opportunity to connect with more than 60 exhibitors that focus on healthy living. These are experts in the community that can offer parents valuable tools, experience and...
Walkabout with kangaroos, go under the sea with sharks, hang out with Western characters, Kung Fu with a panda, or pal around with Pixar characters—all at Southern California theme parks this summer. Here are seven summer-exclusive attractions and theme park additions for families to enjoy: 1. Walkabout Australia at the...
Top five family-friendly things to do at SoCal’s largest theme parks this summer from the perspective of a former Disney Imagineer. The kids are home for the summer, what to do? As a former Disney Imagineer, and father of five (now grown) children, I’ve lived designing and visiting theme parks....
Pack a family picnic and head out to one of these outdoor summer concerts Brea’s Summer Concerts in the Park Add a little excitement to your hump day slump at Brea’s City Hall Park, where summer concerts will be held each Wednesday. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring a blanket and...
Goofy tried to bowl, but goofed up and instead, opened the newest place for families to have fun and eat at the same time at the Disneyland Resort. Splitsville Luxury Lanes, the newest addition to the Downtown Disney area, offers bowling as well as dining and drinks for the entire...
No request is too extreme for the Make a Wish Foundation of OC and IE, which celebrates 35 years of wishes granted Disneyland style. Thousands of children have not had to wish upon stars to see their dreams come true thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Orange County and Inland...
The Happiest Birthdays on Earth Many families take their young ones to Disneyland for their birthday, but did you know they can celebrate their birthday party Disney-style while there? “We have done them at both Goofy’s Kitchen and Plaza Inn. The characters and servers go out of their way to...
When your bag of tricks is nearing that mid-summer empty point and you can’t handle hearing one more “I’m boooored” it’s time to bust out the big guns…theme parks. Amp up the fun with these overnight extenders to turn your long day into a long weekend to remember. Disneyland and...
November brings Disney’s latest movie princess, ‘Moana,’ to the Hawaiian resort. Located on the leeward side of Oahu, the resort was built to let the beachfront in. Disney could have placed Aulani in the middle of a godforsaken desert, and it would be considered a world-class resort, and millions would...