Here is Part II in my Gluten-Free at Disneyland series! Part I covered snacks, and this post will cover something a little different – cooking your own breakfast and an awesome lodging recommendation with a special discount code for my readers!

Before my next post about the food options inside Disney's California Adventure, my suggestion is to get in a hearty breakfast before they open. We've eaten at some of the breakfast places in the park before, and while it's fun and the food is pretty good, the kids are usually bursting at the seams to start exploring the rides and the last thing they want to do is sit in a restaurant waiting for food to come.

With walking an average of 10 miles a day throughout the park, fuel first thing in the morning not only powers you to hit all those rides, but also helps you avoid the temptation to grab a churro or popcorn in a hungry moment! After a few years of staying in hotels, both on the property and more affordable ones off the property, we decided to start renting a house. We did a lot of research online and figured out that it is much more economical, especially if we're splitting it with another family, plus you have the luxury of having a full kitchen where you can keep snacks, waters, and breakfast food to save money.

The best part is you can eat before the park even opens and be ready to ride when the gates fling wide! We usually stock up on fruit, coffee, eggs, bacon, and some snacks when we first get into town. We freeze waters overnight and put them in our stroller so they stay cold throughout the day and we save $3/bottle in the park. Ryan travels with his little Blue Bottle Travel kit and coffee and they also have a tea kettle and coffee pot. He's a coffee snob :-).

While most people don't want to cook on vacation, I think it beats a room service breakfast any day and is so much cheaper. On average, a breakfast in the park or in a hotel is $20 a person, but when you buy groceries and cook for everyone, it can be as little as $5 a person. There's a Target in Anaheim which sells organic eggs and Applegate bacon, or if you drive about 20 minutes south you can shop either at Mother's Market or Whole Foods Market.

Lodging

So you're probably wanting to know where it is that we stay. I have to first say that I am not being paid by this company to sing their praises. We have booked with them on our own accord now 4 times and have been thrilled with each house. I feel like I stumbled on a gold mine when I found this place!

It turns out that there are actually 3 dozen properties under the same management company and they are all newly renovated and stocked with amenities. Each house has the garage converted to a playroom for kids – complete with air hockey, ping pong, toys, and a pool table. They have ample strollers for use, high chairs, pack-n-plays, and a washer and dryer which is key for families traveling for more than a few days at a time. Because kids get dirty, especially in the parks! The kitchens are all fully stocked as well with pots and pans, knives, coffee pots, blenders and more. To see a full list of what's included at each house click here.

There are usually 2 bunk rooms in each house, and then 2-3 master suites all with private bathrooms. Each house also has a swimming pool, in case you have little ones that need to nap and the rest of the family wants to play in the backyard on a hot Southern California day. But the best part is they are all 1/4 to 1 mile from Disneyland, so you can save the $20 plus a tram ride for parking, and take a nice walk instead!

They have condos that start as low as $125 a night and sleep 4-8 and the houses range from $175-$500 a night and sleep 6-18 people, depending on the property. If you go with 1 or 2 other families and split the cost, it ends up being way more affordable than a hotel, plus they offer so much more space and amenities.

I reached out to the management company and asked them if they would offer you all a discount code, and they said yes! If you're planning a trip to Disneyland in Anaheim, make sure you check them out and use these codes! 

Click here to see book

 Anaheim Vacation Home Rental Website

Codes

AAG25 – $25 per night off any home rental

AAG10 – $10 per night off any condo rental