Our first official Disney "vacation"!

[elektra]

I am so pumped about this weekend! And any tips would be appreciated, especially regarding check-in procedures at The Grand Californian.

We are booked for a one-night stay at TGC. We are going to surprise the kids, first with the day at Disneyland and then we are going to tell them we are going home, but instead go to the hotel and tell them that we can do it all over the next day. :)
And I have dinner reservations at Blue Bayou- something DH and I have always wanted to do since we were kids.

This is what DH/Clark Griswold wanted for his birthday.

I am wondering about the best way to manage the check in. I am thinking of just dropping our bags off when we arrive around 11am and then checking in later in the evening? What do you think?

[BayGirl2]

I believe you can give them your bags, check in, and they will text you when your room is ready. That way you can go and enjoy the park. I actually ran back to the room (at DLH) to get our bags in, unpacked, and semi-decorated while the kids stayed in the park with DH. That way at the end of the night we came back to a ready to be slept in room with their PJ's laid out and a letter from Mickey on the bed.

Have fun, I am jealous! Your kids will be so, so excited I'm sure.

[TwinFoxes]

How exciting! They will definitely hold your bags for you. Maybe you can send DH and DCs ahead? Are you going to park at TGC, or in the regular Mickey and Friends lot? I'm just trying to figure out how you'll get to the hotel without DCs figuring out something's up.