When our son was about 11 we took booked a week at Disneyland and stayed on site. It was an awesome experience but there are a few things that we would never do again.

Disneyland is a very popular destination for families, and there are an incredible number of things to see and do at the park.

For many young children, the highlight of the trip is the chance to shake hands and pose for pictures with a favorite character, like Mickey Mouse.

Some of the first things that come to mind in Disneyland are the rides. Disney rides range from extremely tame, like the Bug’s Life play area in California Adventures, to the unusual, like “Honey I Shrunk the Audience,” to the really fast, like the Matterhorn Bobsled and Space Mountain.

Many of the rides have height limitations, which means one adult may be left at the end of the line with the smallest child while the other adult takes the older children onto the ride. Fortunately, the park has a policy that keeps it fair: when one adult is forced to wait for the other, the ride staff will give them a free pass that allows the second parent to go to the front of the line.

Start the day by arriving as soon as the park opens. Then, before the crowds arrive, hit the most popular rides, like the Indiana Jones Adventure and Star Tours. In the afternoon, when the lines get long, abandon the rides for a little while, and hit the stage and theater shows, like Honey I Shrunk the Kids, the Enchanted Tiki Room, and the Country Bear Jamboree. When evening arrives, be sure to catch Fantasmic, a spectacular show that takes place on the lagoon.

After Fantasmic, and the evening fireworks, the crowds will start to thin. If the youngsters are up to it, this is the perfect time to go hit the rest of the popular rides, like Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. In fact, after midnight, it’s often possible to dash from ride to ride to ride with no lines at all, before the staff begins shutting everything down at one AM.

Childhood food allergies can be deadly. Take care to protect your child while traveling.

If possible, make sure your child knows and understands the foods they are allergic to and what happens when they eat that food. If traveling to visit friends or family, be sure to inform them of the child’s allergy. Ask them to be diligent in reading labels while your child is visiting.

Some airlines list flight meals on their website. Most airlines provide special meals for those with food allergies, if you notify them in advance. Check with your airline for details. However, there is no guarantee that your meal will not be prepared or come in contact with something you are allergic to. Avoid potential problems on the road or airplane by making and packing trip snacks yourself.

When eating out, be sure to ask servers about offending ingredients and avoid roadside stands and unlicensed eating establishments.

Different countries have different food labeling laws. Make sure you know the labeling laws and customs for the country you are visiting. Also, you and your child must know how to effectively communicate the name of the food and severity of the allergy in the language of every country you visit.

The food allergic child should wear medical alert bracelet at all times. In an emergency, parents my not be available to give information to medical personnel.

Carry your child’s allergy medication and emergency injectable with you at all times. The medications should go where ever the child goes.

Keep doctor’s phone number and local emergency numbers handy.

If traveling out of the country consider purchasing pre-printed cards with your child’s food allergy information printed on them. You order cards from a company called Select Wisely. Cards come in many languages and cover any allergy or combination of allergies.

After a long drive, a nice, quiet night in a hotel room sounds perfect. Unfortunately, after that long drive, the toddlers might not see it the same way. If parents don’t want to wake up in a room decorated in Early Baby Wipe with Hotel Shampoo accents, a bit of baby-proofing might be in order before settling down to sleep.

First, take anything that can be opened and sprayed or spilled, like the tiny hotel soaps and shampoos, and move it out of reach. You might leave the bar soaps as a distraction, since a couple of scattered soap bars are a cinch to pick up compared to finger-painting in conditioner. Likewise, move any toxic or messy substances you brought with you out of reach, as well. Check the dresser drawers, too, for things left in the room that could be torn up, or for helpful items like pens and notepads that could be used for redecorating.

Bring along a pack of baby electrical outlet plugs, so that any free electrical outlets can be locked down. Check for lamp power cords that reach out where small fingers can yank on them, and double-check the settings on air conditioners and heaters.

You might consider blocking off a play and sleep area with luggage, depending on the child’s climbing ability. Also, keeping the bathroom door shut at all times might not be a bad idea either. It’s much easier to contain the child before, than clean up after.

Make sure the child can’t open the front door, and if he can, keep it locked from the inside. Make sure that all windows are locked and can’t be opened far enough for toddlers to squeeze through.

A few minutes of forethought should be enough to make sure that every member of the family can spend a safe and comfortable night in the hotel room.

Being on an airplane with a bored child is not a fun experience. Young children cry or whine, older kids might try to run up and down the aisle or annoy the person in front of, or next to them.

Parents can ensure a more pleasant trip for themselves and those surrounding them by planning ahead and packing engaging activities for their children.

For older children, consider bringing a deck of playing cards. There are many card games children enjoy playing. 500 Rummy, War, Old Maid, and 21 are great to pass the time.

Pocket versions of popular board games will entertain the kids and won’t take up much room in the carry on bag. Most pocket or travel versions of board games are magnetic to minimize the risk of pieces getting lost or falling off the board during play.

Self -contained drawing games such as Etch-a Sketch ®, and Magna Doodle ® allow your child to draw, write, or play games such as hangman without burning through a lot of paper.

Coloring books and crayons are light and don’t take up a lot of room in the carry on bag. They’re great for children of all ages.

Be sure to bring along your child’s favorite books. Reading a well known and loved book is comforting and will help your child feel more secure on the plane.

Parents and children can take turns telling each other a story. One person starts by giving one or two lines of the story, the next person continues with the story until they have no more to add. Continue around until the story is finished. It might be fun to record the story on tape recorder or cell phone to listen to later or share with family and friends at your destination.

With a little planning, your child can stay busy and have fun. Who knows, you and your child may come to enjoy flying and playing games together.

Divided between two states, with Colorado having the majority holding, Dinosaur National Monument is a “must see” park for anyone interested in Dinosaurs, and especially any family with a budding paleontologist in their midst.

Before entering Dinosaur National Monument, remember that you are in a desert area and stock up accordingly! Although you may be able to purchase refreshments within the park, this isn’t a theme park and so there may be quite a drive between the visitor centers. Also ensure that everyone in your party has a hat and that you leave an itinerary of where you intend to be exploring in the park with someone who will raise an alert if you don’t return by nightfall. Also observe all safety recommendations that are posted by the park personnel. This is especially important if you intend to be hiking in the park.

Having observed the safety requirements, visit the visitor center and find out what activities are happening in the park that day, and pick up a map so that you know what there is to see and the best way to get there. If you are just passing through the area, you could leave your proposed itinerary with the center staff so that they know where you are heading.

One of the most interesting sections of the park for visitors is the Dinosaur Quarry. This is actually located in Utah, close to the town of Jenson. Here, in the Dinosaur Quarry building, you’ll see hundreds of dinosaur fossil bones exposed from the rock. The quarry itself was proclaimed to be the largest single collection of dinosaur bones found. Although it’s possible that visitors could be lucky enough to find a previously undiscovered fossil, it’s illegal to remove any such item from the park and if you are fortunate enough to be the first person to discover a fossil, you must have it in to the appropriate authorities in the park. Other points of interest in the park are the petroglyphs along Park Drive, and cabins that are reported to have belonged to homesteaders. For those looking for a more physical thrill amongst the ancient history, there are river trips of various lengths and skill levels on the Green and Yampa Rivers.

Dinosaur National Monument is a “in the field” museum which shows ancient history in the shape of the Dinosaur remains that have been uncovered there, the Indian art that was discovered and also the more modern history of settlers. It’s a unique experience to record for your vacation photo album.