Spring Break 2023

For the kids Easter spring break we decided to go to Newport Beach for the week. We had the best time. Disneyland and Newport are probably my two favorite places in California. Newport is one of my favorite destinations. I love the variety of great food, shopping, people, and location close to Disneyland, San Diego, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach and so much more. I wanted to share my favorite places to eat, shop, and stay while we visit Newport Beach and all the fun we had.

We stayed at the Marriott Newport Coast Villas. It is one of our favorite resort hotels. There are pools, arcade, La Vista Bar & Grille, marketplace, spa, sandbox areas, putting green, basketball courts, fire pits, volleyball court, tetherball, and a play structure. You can feed the koi fish daily, there are a variety of fitness activities, pool side bingo, ping pong tables and more. I can't even begin to describe how family friendly this resort is and it is perfect for all ages. There is so much to do that you don't even have to leave the hotel, but we did anyway!

We arrived on Friday and immediately checked in, grabbed Sidecar Doughnuts and Tommy Bahama for dinner and relaxed.

On Saturday we took Carter to the Orange County Museum Of Art to see Daniel Arsham's work. He is one of the few artists whose work resides in all time periods, uniting the past, present, and future. His future relics made of geological materials such as sand, quartz, pyrite and volcanic ash take shape of objects from popular culture and everyday life. He uses objects such as Pokémon cards and characters to explore the concept of objects as remnants of lived experiences and memory devices. Carter is a huge Pokémon fan, so we knew we had to visit this museum. We all loved it.

Admission is free for all. These Pokémon sculptures will be there until June 4th. This was so much fun and we will definitely be back. There is a gift shop, café, bar, and more to explore all at this beautiful museum.

Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday 10am-6pm / Thursday, Friday, Saturday 10am-8pm / Monday Closed

Watch our video here of when we toured the museum.

We always visit Stoney Clover Lane in Lido Marina Village. We love this place!

We took the kids to see The Super Mario Bros. Movie. We all LOVED it!

We did some shopping at South Coast Plaza and had to take a spin on the bunny carousel.

Monday and Tuesday we went to Disneyland.

Of course we did the Eggstravaganza egg hunt in DCA, Disneyland and Downtown Disney. You can read about the egg hunt here.

These are our past eggs from previous years.

Here is an example of what the maps look like with stickers and the 6 new eggs for 2023.

We went on Walt’s Main Street Story Tour in Disneyland. We got to experience Main Street, U.S.A. through Walt’s eyes while uncovering the history and secrets of this iconic thoroughfare. On this intimate walking tour, we discovered hidden details, little-known facts and endearing trivia about Disneyland Park’s magnificent Main Street, U.S.A. We listened as our dedicated tour guide shared behind-the-scenes stories and enchanting tidbits throughout the 90-minute experience. Plus, we learned about special links to Walt Disney’s boyhood town of Marceline, Missouri, Then we visited Walt’s apartment high above the Disneyland Fire Station in Town Square where we enjoyed refreshments on the patio for the first time ever!

Verified

We finally got to ride Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. Read all about it here.

Watch the video here

ToonTown is back open and it is Toon-rific! It is full of vibrant colors and so much fun! You will never want to leave!

Click here to see all the things you can't miss.

You can now meet Pete in ToonTown! Did you know he is a cat?!

We spent time in Cars Land. I have a list of 11 things you can't miss in Cars Land. Read the list here.

We could not wait to experience the event of a lifetime at the Disneyland Resort. Here is a list of everything exciting debuting during the Disney100 Celebration at Disneyland and DCA. Are you planning to visit Disneyland Resort for the Disney100 celebration?!

Click here to see everything you can't miss.

We met Jeffrey Bowyer Chapman from Doogie Kamealoha.

Calling all dreamers! Magic Happens is officially back at Disneyland. This was our first time seeing this parade and it was everything and more. We love the music, costumes, characters, beautiful elaborate floats, and the energetic amazing performers! Do not miss this parade when you visit Disneyland!

Parade Times: 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm

The first parade at 3:30 pm starts down by Small World. The 6:30 pm parade starts down at Main Street.

Watch the video here of the parade.