Welcome, Richard!
I'm super excited for your family to visit
Disneyland Resort for the first time! Some of my favorite memories are of the first time I visited the park with my dad back in 2000. Many things have changed in those twenty years, but one thing remains the same--the MAGIC! Your family will create so many magical memories in just a few weeks, and I bet you cannot wait.
When you first enter one of the theme parks, whether that is
Disneyland Park or
Disney California Adventure Park, a Cast Member will take your picture after scanning your ticket. That way, you can leave and return to the park as many times as you like that day.
If you plan on leaving the parks briefly, I recommend heading to the
Downtown Disney District. Here, you will find tons of shops, restaurants, and places for sweets, like
Salt & Straw. Now, Salt & Straw is not your average ice cream shop. This place has some of the wildest flavors I have ever tried! For example, as I write this, they have a Carrot Carrot w/ Cream Cheese Frosting flavor on their Seasonal Menu. Since their flavors change throughout the year, you can continue to find new and exciting flavors each visit.
Have fun and don't forget to take lots of pictures!
Ta-ta,
Lola