When my husband and I find ourselves kid-free at the Disneyland Resort, we like to have a “date night” in the parks. This might include enjoying a rare quiet meal (sans sippy cups) at Carthay Circle Restaurant before hitting the more thrilling attractions that our son isn’t tall enough to ride yet. Even relaxing at the pool with a cold drink, taking a leisurely stroll through the shops and galleries (without hitting the toy section!), or relaxing on a bench while enjoying a favorite Disneyland Resort snack can be great ways to experience the resort through an adult’s eyes.
This is such a rarity for me, when I get to have time in Disneyland without the kids I’m with my husband and we treat it like a date! There’s nothing in particular we make sure you do, we pretty much just do the normal stuff just without kids. We take advantage of being able to ride anything without baby swap, get from point A to B super quickly – no potty breaks, enjoy a leisurely meal or cotton candy (without having to share it)! We let ourselves be silly, relaxed, enjoy not having any responsibilities for the moment, and just being with each other in our favorite place!
I really enjoy being able to take an hour or more if possible to enjoy a massage or pedicure at Mandara Spa. Mandara Spa is located in the Grand Californian Hotel and is an excellent place to relax and unwind after a long day in the parks. (Pedicure at Mandara is $ 65
Basic Massage is $ 130)
My favorite kid-free activity at the Disneyland Resort is definitely enjoying the fine dining available at the Resort, with my favorite restaurant being the Carthay Circle Restaurant. My husband was blown away with the quality of the food and the ambiance, and he’s a tough guy to impress. I also took my dad a couple of years ago for a daddy daughter outing for the Candlelight Procession. It was a really great way to to treat my dad and he never expected such a beautiful restaurant with such exceptional food to be in the middle of a theme park.
When I’m not entertaining my nephew at Disneyland (as I do not have children of my own yet), I’d have to say my favorite kid-free activity I’ve experienced at the Disneyland Resort was doing the Chef’s Counter dinner at the Napa Rose in the Grand Californian hotel. Dining in full view of the kitchen staff as they work their magic creating dishes from Chef Andrew Sutton’s seasonal menu is an amazing experience. For reference, the cost of the Chef’s Counter is the same price as the Vintner’s Menu from the regular dinner menu. If you find you and your significant other find yourself kid-free for an evening and want to dine in style, the Chef’s Counter is a great option!
Those are our favorites. Now… share yours! We’d love to hear what you have to say!
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Sara says
Kendra–What does the $65 pedicure include? That’s a bit steep. I’m not surprised, but curious. LOL.
All great ideas, I hadn’t thought of any of them!
My husband is not a fan of crowds or high prices so him and DLand don’t mix ;). So, when I’m kids free, I go with my best friends! We do the big kid rides, and splurge on treats we don’t have to share with our mini-me’s. 🙂
My most relaxing day in the last 6 years (not even kidding) is when I was kids free with my bestie in April for the entire day–opening til’ closing. My hubby took the kids and babysat and I got to play. It’s such a different experience without kids.