Cosley Zoo - 9:00 AM
Children's Museum of Oak Lawn - 9:00 AM
Chicago Children's Theatre - 9:30 AM
Cosley Zoo - 9:00 AM
Sonny Acres Farm - 10:00 AM
Downtown Chicago - 11:45 AM
North Riverside Park Mall - 1:00 PM
Evanston Township High School - 4:00 PM
Cosley Zoo - 9:00 AM
Build a Bear Workshops Chicago area locations - 10:00 AM
Sonny Acres Farm - 10:00 AM
Museum of Contemporary Art - 5:00 PM
Brookfield Zoo - various times
Cosley Zoo - 9:00 AM
The DuSable Museum of African American Art - 10:00 AM
Sonny Acres Farm - 10:00 AM
EXP Rosemont - 1:00 PM
EXP Rosemont - 1:00 PM
Cosley Zoo - 9:00 AM
Sonny Acres Farm - 10:00 AM
EXP Rosemont - 1:00 PM
EXP Rosemont - 1:00 PM
Chicago Botanical Gardens - 6:30 PM
Cosley Zoo - 9:00 AM
Sonny Acres Farm - 10:00 AM
The Insect Asylum - 11:00 AM
EXP Rosemont - 1:00 PM
Activity Guides
- Beaches & Lakes
- Best Of Lists
- Birthday Parties
- Boats
- Boredom Busters
- Camps
- Childcare
- Christmas/Hanukkah
- City Guides
- City Hacks
- Classes & Enrichment
- Community
- Crafts & Recipes
- Earth Kids
- Easter
- Fairs & Festivals
- Fall Activities
- Family Travel
- Farms & U-Pick
- Free Activities
- GoList
- Halloween
- Holidays
- Hotels & Resorts
- Indoor Activities
- Museums
- News & Openings
- Outdoors
- Parent Talk
- Parks & Playgrounds
- Play Gyms & Sports Centers
- Pools & Spray Parks
- Preschools & Schools
- Restaurants
- Shows
- Skiing & Winter Sports
- Special Needs
- Special Occasions
- Sports
- Spring Activities
- STEM
- Stores & Services
- Summer Activities
- Theme & Water Parks
- Trains, Dinos & Heroes
- TV, Film & Movies
- Virtual
- Visitors Guide
- Weekend Events
- Weekend Trips
- Winter Activities
- Zoos & Gardens
10 Reasons to Visit Disneyland California Instead

Going to Disney World feels like a can't-miss obligation for New York City parents: like if we don't take our children to the Magic Kingdom before they outgrow the magic it will just be another decade of therapy to pile on to all our other parental misdeeds.
I'm sure Walt Disney World is 100% as magical as it is said to be, but here are 10 reasons why New York parents should consider opting for Disneyland instead:
OUR LATEST VIDEOS
1) Airfares to California are often as cheap or even cheaper than round trip fares to Orlando.
2) Avoid the crowds. Californians have different vacations than we do, and while every other New Yorker is herding to Orlando, slip off to LA.
3) Orlando has your number. They know when our breaks are and airfares and hotel prices peak for them.
4) It's not in Orlando.
5) To elaborate, there are other things to do besides go to theme parks, like the Getty Museum, the San Diego Zoo...and, I think there's at least one more thing...
6) Disneyland has all the magic stuff, but it's a smaller, more intimate park. Perfect for visiting with little Princesses and Jedis.
7) California Adventure park, adjacent to Disneyland with Hollywood backlot, offers even more rides, and new hotels double the fun.
8) Jedi Training Academy. Awesome fun for boys and girls. (Yes, they have this at Disney World too. Don't bog me down with details.)
9) Now through April 24, book a three-day vacation package starting as low as $68 per person, per day at the nearby Quality Inn. Go to disneyparks.com for more Spring and Summer Disneyland deals and discounts.
10) It's not in Orlando.
Just kidding, Orlando. You're great. Coming up next. 10 reasons why you should go to DisneyWorld. ;)
About the Author
Founder of Mommy Poppins
A fourth-generation Brooklynite, Anna started Mommy Poppins in 2007 to help families find the best things to do with kids in NYC, with a particular emphasis on sharing activities that are free, affordable, and enriching. The site, used by millions of families, has grown to become the ultimate resource for parents in the major US cities, plus travel guides for 100s of destinations.
Anna is a believer in the magic of summer camps, traveling with kids, and that you can raise kids on a budget and still have a rich life full of amazing memories. Anna's first Mommy Poppins book, The Young Traveler's Journal and Activity Book, published in 2025 and co-written with her daughter, Amelia Eigerman, brings that ethos to life, in addition to this website.
Featured Local Savings

newsletters.
